Hindi kita mai-check-in.
The airline personnel told me upfront.
"Wieso?"
How come? I asked.
"Braucht ein Oman Visa."
Kailangan mo ng Oman Visa.
"Aber ich bleib dort nur für ungefähr 4 Stunden. Ich gehe nirgendwo."
Pero magtatagal lang ako doon ng 4 na oras. Wala akong ibang pupuntahan.
"Es tut mir leid."
I am sorry.
So I was in a bit of a panic last Saturday when the staff told me that I cannot fly unless I apply for an Oman Visa.
Okay.
Pero ang weird kasi the flight from Muscat to Manila kept being delayed and delayed until the time that I will be staying in Oman territory for more than 24 hours.
So what`s the first thing I thought of?
Get an Oman Visa.
Naisip ko let`s get one.
I checked the website and they could issue a Visa the fastest within 2 days.
Oh good grief.
Plan B.
What if I could change my flight to an earlier date the next day?
I immediately went to the Special Assistance counter and asked what I need to do.
Unfortunately she too cannot help me.
They could fly me from Berlin to Oman, but I still need to call the airline for my connecting flight to the PHL.
At this time, I was getting a mix of emotions.
Irritation - because this was so inconvenient on the day of my flight
Anger - because this was so infuriating
Anxiety - because I could not think of any other solution
And so I checked immediately an app to check for flights for today.
Hey, I was already at the airport. My luggage and backpack are already with me.
I was also thinking of not going to the Philippines anymore.
Pero that`s BS. I booked this flight since January of the year.
Jusko. The disappointment on my face was truly evident.
At yun na nga. No choice. Sige na. Ilaban na ito.
My parents are waiting for me.
My pets are waiting for me.
My relatives and friends are all waiting for me.
I calculated my savings...
No choice. I need to get from my emergency fund.
Hayaan mo na. I will just deal with this mess later.
Ang importante maka-book at makasakay ako today.
Period.
After a few negotiations with my cousin, he booked me a flight.
Nagpasalamat talaga ako!
Pero grabe.
Naramdaman ko gaano kahina ng ating Passport bilang Filipino.
Oman. A place where thousands of Filipinos are serving. Requires Visa also for us.
Napaka-ironic.
Pero thankful pa din kasi kahit na nai-stress ako doon.
Kahit na nawalan ako ng malaking pera.
Kahit na nagbawas ako to the point na wala na akong pasalubong para sa mga kamag-anak ko.
The flight was smooth. The service was superb. The food served was excellent.
Habang tinitipa ko itong sulatin na ito sa aking laptop, nananalangin pa rin ako na sana umayos na rin ang gobyerno natin.
We are getting more and more famous around the world for all the wrong reasons.
The hope is still there.
