Flight, delayed

My early morning flight was delayed due to a malfunction in the plane's communication system. Good thing it was detected before take off. What should have been a 5:30 am trip to General Santos City became a 10 am flight—this after a prolonged transfer to another airbus. But I wasn't in a rush to go home, and I had a heavy breakfast of two pieces of fried chicken with rice from Army Navy before boarding—it is still, to my taste, the best fried chicken in the Philippines; yes, even better than the iconic Jollibee Chickenjoy. I had the quintessential Kindle with me; I started reading Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa. Just as I finished the first chapter, the plane started its ascent. I slept, head down on the tray table, for the entire trip.





While waiting to retrieve my checked in luggage, which contained gifts for friends and family, I noticed that there was a celebratory mood. With us in the flight were gold medal winners from Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat.





They brought so much pride to the country! Their children and their children's children will remember them as those who worked hard for these medals. I have enormous respect for them, as we all should.

I'm finally home: my first Christmas in Marbel with family in six years. I look forward to days of rest and rekindling of relationships with family and friends in this side of the world.