IS THERE A DOCTOR ON BOARD?

I was getting sleepy. After all, it was for me a time for siesta. But taking the 1p.m. flight to Seoul was the best option, considering that there was a scheduled welcome dinner for delegates of the 10 ASEAN countries plus Three (China, Japan and Korea). 

    I looked forward to the takeoff for it always gave me an exhilarating feeling. I took the rose quartz rosary-bracelet I wore and started praying while other passengers were finding their seats. 

     The takeoff was so smooth I wanted to congratulate the pilot.  Then, I had a hard time breathing. It was as if there was weight on my chest. I took deep, regulated breaths to calm the pounding of my heart. Despite the blanket provided passengers, I felt cold, and then warmth started to creep from my feet to the upper part of my body. I felt I was going to pass out. I thought of  people I love, a beautiful serene place… but I didn't feel better.

     I called a flight attendant, told her about my condition, and asked for a blood pressure apparatus. Boy, she surely took her time. Just when I was about to think she didn’t understand me, the chief flight attendant came. I told him my problem and he said he’ll come back. He did, after about 10-15 minutes, lugging a black bag. He put it down on the aisle,  and started to take out the contents --- dextrose, needles, cotton --- the whole caboodle. . . I pointed to the outside pocket of the bag which was the logical place to keep the sphygmomanometer. He took it out, but told me no one among the crew knew how to use it!  I was getting impatient and told him I could take my own BP. 

    “Is there a doctor on board?” a flight attendant asked, using the microphone. “A passenger is very ill.”  I wanted to laugh as I  put the cuff on my  arm. The chief F.A. literally had his mouth open as I got the stethoscope from him. 

    Mercifully, my BP was normal. The question in my mind was: What was causing my discomfort?  Was it acid stomach? Sleepiness? Poor circulation? Who knows?

     I closed my eyes and thought of good things and angels cradling me.  My heart calmed down and by the time the flight attendants served food, I was feeling normal again.  I wasn’t hungry, but thought of the 4- hour flight and the one-hour ride from the airport to the hotel. I forced myself to eat even a small portion.

     As I exited the plane, I shook the chief purser’s hand and thanked him, but I promised myself I will never take that plane again! Not one of the crew knew how to deal with medical situations, not even how to take blood pressure!

    Going through Immigration was a breeze and when I went out the sliding door of the airport, I saw a sign with my name on it.  I was in Korea again….

    

     The very first thing I did when I returned home was to call my friend who does PR for the airline.

PACKING LIGHT

 Packing for a trip, for just overnight or several days require much planning (at least, for me).  I guess the older you get, the more things you need (and want) to bring, like a travel sewing kit, medicines and vitamins, sun screen lotion, creams, and other tocador things. Oh, not to forget a small clothes iron. Yes, I bring a small iron to press folds and crumples on my clothes, especially those I’d wear to meetings or lectures, formal dinners and/or lunches.

     It’s not a good idea to bring more than one pair of shoes for meetings. That’s why wearing pants/slacks is more convenient. You won’t have to wear shoes that have high heels, or think if your shoes match your dress. Brown, black or beige go with any color of outfit.  My must-wear is a pair of rubber shoes so that I can withstand hours of making the rounds of flea markets and malls, not to mention restaurants and sites. 

     It’s funny but I’m a bit OC (obsessive-compulsive) when it comes to packing. Over the years, whether I take only a back-pack for or a suitcase, I arrange clothes by each day. The last set I’d wear is always at the bottom. Whoever designed the travel organizer is an angel. All toiletries could be placed there and hung in the closet or bathroom. Mine has 4 sections where I segregate items for bathing, lotions and creams, make-up and oral care. 

     Ask any Filipina and one common complaint about hotels without bidets, is that even classy ones don’t provide any tabo (dipper) in the bathroom. It’s a cultural thing.  So I travel with one. I haven’t had the opportunity to look at the facial expression of the person at the airport who mans the x-ray machine.  Filipinos won’t wonder, though…

      Every trip, I make it a point to leave space so that when I get back, I’d still have room for pasalubong. I remember one of my trips where I had two friends with me. Because of cheap but beautiful items, we went crazy shopping for ourselves and pasalubong. I laughed when I saw them literally sitting on their maletas so that the zippers would close!

      Packing light is indeed a challenge.

BOOKING ONLINE: OH, THOSE BUDGET AIRLINES!

Booking flights and hotels online is a breeze provided you have a credit card. It’s cheaper too, than getting a travel agent. Within a few minutes, your transaction is over, and all you have to do is wait for the e-ticket or hotel confirmation and voucher. In 24 hours, you’ll receive it via email. That’s the wonder of technology. BUT, amending your reservations is another matter…

            Four of us who are ASEAN IUC core group members are scheduled to have a meeting with the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta.  From there, we go to KL for meetings with officers of ASETUC and Uni-Apro for the next AIUC which is supposed to be in Aceh. The schedule was set, reservations were made… until our Jakarta connection informed us that the meeting was moved because of the Director who had to be in Myanmar and who will be back in Jakarta one week after. 

             Guess what? We can’t amend our flights from Manila online because we had paid for everything including the travel tax which the ticketing office insisted we pay. Arguing that we are on government official business and are tax-free and that the travel orders and DOT certificates were being processed fell on deaf ears. We had to pay the fares PLUS the travel tax, refund of which will take months. With that first leg of the trip settled, next was the flight from Jakarta to KL.

             The airline for Jakarta-KL doesn’t have office in Manila. I tried to amend the schedule online but to no avail. I wrote to customer service but for 4 days, I was literally twiddling my thumbs because there was no reply. I decided to call the KL office but the call center was busy the whole day.  I tried calling the Jakarta office and on second try, I got through!  

        Government officials should be taking budget airlines flights when going abroad, so they know what lowly government employees have to go through!