Comfort in Every Cup

I rode up to Baguio with a heavy heart after a traumatic text exchange.  It weighed so heavily; I could not get over how cruel adults can be towards children. The road ahead seemed interminable, but my spirits slowly lifted as the air changed.  That first night, we were treated to several cups of traditional hot chocolate at Chocolate de Batirol--a lovely little place at Camp John Hay. We had different blends, even strawberry (yum!), thanks to the generosity and passion of the owner.  Indeed, there is nothing quite like chocolate made with love to calm and comfort the heart. Ang sarap!

AAhhh, Baguio!

I am on the second day of my Baguio vacation. I panicked when I woke up at 8:30 this morning, until Dale reminded me we were on vacation. Vacation! Imagine that. I have been feeling places and events closing in and suffocating me these last few weeks. I have truly needed a healing change. Now here I am, re-discovering this lovely city. We walked around this morning and images and smells of my childhood came rushing through, warming my heart.

I first returned to Baguio in the early 90s, at the threshold of a love that would reshape my heart for life. That trip ended in my first (unfortunately, not my last) automobile accident. Then I came back again a few years later, now a mother of a chubby little baby. That was the last I saw of Baguio as a young woman.  That little baby is now 10 years old, kuya to a 7 year old!

My first trip back as a fully-grown, now awake adult, was last February, as part of the PAGASA team, answering a call from a group of Baguio residents who love Baguio so much they want to preserve and restore it, because Baguio is no longer what it was. It is a city ravaged by modernity, politics from hell, and the usual materialism that has invaded all of humanity. I was never able to see the city during the workshops because of our perennially hectic schedule, but felt the need to reconnect again, and I am so glad I did.  The Baguio of my childhood is not totally lost. I see and feel it still, though much has to be done to keep the city from dying.

I have met many special people here and was privileged enough to have had a meal at Eve's Garden (thanks to the generosity of our homegrown guides, PAGASA graduates Grace, Prudence and Chastity)--a place actually outside of Baguio, but as owner Eve puts it, "...is like Baguio in the 50's."  We overstayed our welcome by taking our fill of this breathtaking view of pure, unadulterated nature.

We sat with the family and had a most beautiful, tasty and healthy meal. Have you ever seen a salad this beautiful? Organic, life-giving and simply delicious. It's in the quality of the food and the love with which it was prepared. Thanks Eve, Anna and Ed!

Baguio has many secrets to show me still and I am glad and enlivened to be here again, after all these years. And the best part is, I didn't even need to get on a plane and get stuck in an airport to get here. Yahoo!

The Last Word

I managed to get in touch with Cebu Pacific management. They were all courteous and polite. They offered to give me a full refund, though I told them I didn't really want any exceptions made for me. What's important is that policies are addressed. It's not right to charge customers for a refund (which takes 45 days to process, FYI), especially after a bad experience (their fault)with their airline. But it's not about me. Changes need to be made for all. They said they would look into what happened and initially said the delays were due to a combination of the aircraft engine being fixed and terminal congestion. None of that explains why the situation was handled so poorly. None of that was ever explained to us. It was always "hindi po namin alam" and "wala pa po kaming naririning". 

I've seen other videos from passengers on the web and it was total de ja vu--the anger and frustration over not being told what the real deal is, and the bewildered looks of the staff.  My companions returned from Iloilo yesterday. Both their flights (Mae in the morning and Jay, late afternoon), were at least one hour delayed. So it looks like delays are fast becoming the norm.

I told my friends this experience with the airline really brought up existential questions for me because it really made me so angry. I told them what really brought it to the fore was the story of the mother who brought only enough milk for a 2-hour delay. God! That Filipinos are forced to make allowances for terrible service is just the saddest thing. We all have to stand up for our rights as consumers and stop viewing ourselves as small and insignificant.

This is the same story as our plight with our corrupt government. We cannot do NOTHING just because they are too big and we are too small. No such thing. There are a million things to do in a million different ways, but the first is to speak out and stand your ground and stop thinking or believing that one voice is nothing. The less we do, the more big business and government will feel free to behave abhorrently. It is a cycle. Our behavior dictates much of theirs, so we cannot just keep swallowing, swallowing, swallowing.

In the meantime, it is good to get the word out so that people can prepare themselves. For now, I am putting my energies there.