Beware of “Throw-Away” Plane Tickets

          This is the first rant article of my blog. Why such title? This is the full story. Last August 2009, I purchased a plane ticket from Asia’s First Airline thru the internet. I was chosen as one of the three delegates from our cooperative to attend a convention at Olongapo City last September 23-25, 2009. Given a tight budget, I canvassed for the lowest plane fare that I could find. I called up ticket agencies and surfed the internet. If you compare ticket prices between ticket agencies and the internet, the latter’s price is lower. Of course, you have to purchase it using your credit card. That’s what I did. I booked three tickets for me and my companions using my own credit card.

          The plane e-ticket that I purchased was a promo fare ticket with lots of restrictions. That was okay with me because it was within my budget. Little did I know that the FINE PRINT written on the e-ticket would make my life miserable. The night before I was to leave for Manila, my eldest son had high fever, headache and was vomiting. I was really worried about his condition. My anxiety was heightened when I thought of the convention that I had to attend. I called the regional coordinator from CDA, explained my situation and asked her advice. She suggested that I look for a replacement so that my registration fee of P7,000 will not be forfeited. Next, I called my boss, who was one of my companions on the trip, and told her about my situation. She told me to stay and take care of my son. Being a mother herself, she told me that family should go first. Encouraged by her advice, I called another friend and asked her if she could go. She declined since their house was flooded due to heavy rains a few days before.

          Finally, I was firm in my decision not to leave for Manila. I was also  not able to find a replacement in such a short notice. Mind you, I did not sleep well that night partly because I was monitoring my son’s condition, and the other part was thinking of how to seek a refund of my registration fee and plane ticket. The next day I sent a text message to one of the organizers of the convention and again explained to him my situation. Thanks to his good heart, I was able to refund part of the registration fee.

          On September 25, 2009, I went to the airline’s ticketing office at the Zamboanga City Airport and referred the matter to the ticketing officer. When he read my ticket, he told me point blank that it is a non-refundable ticket and that is it equivalent to a “throw-away” ticket. Wow, that’s a new term. They should have added that to the many fine print that this particular ticket has. I was in the verge of tears. How can I “throw away” P4,400 just because I was not able to leave for Manila and use my plane ticket? I let him read my letter to the manager explaining what happened. He further said, “Ma’am, kahit ano pa po ang mangyari, hind nyo pa rin pwedeng i-refund ang ticket nyo. Ang iba nga, hindi nakasakay dahil namatayan nang kamag-anak pero hindi pa rin na-refund ang ticket nila.” Ganun? Oh, stupid me. It is a “throw-away” ticket so why argue. I asked him if I could see the manager and he gave me directions to his office.

          I went to the manager and submitted my letter request along with my plane ticket and the medical certificate of my son. By the way, he had Intestinal Influenza, which explained his vomiting and fever. It is an illness common during the rainy season. Back to the manager, he searched his computer for the policies regarding my ticket. He told me that my ticket is indeed non-refundable. I told him that it is okay with me if I cannot refund it as long as I can still use it. He said that he would refer the matter to his superiors but cannot promise me if I could still refund or use my ticket.

          After two weeks, I called him up regarding my request. In a diplomatic tone, he explained to me that it is indeed a non-refundable ticket and there is no way that I can refund my P4,400 or use it for another trip. As he was explaining, I fought back the tears in my eyes. He stopped in mid sentence and asked me if I was still on the phone. Yes, I told him but, my mind was screaming. “Yes, d***it, I’m still here and I still could not figure out how P4,400 could just disappear in thin air.” Oh I remember, even if the ticket holder died before he could board the plane, his relatives could still not refund the plane ticket because it is a “Throw Away” ticket and the fine print expressly states that “Fare and surcharges are non-refundable, forfeited if ticket is unused, non-rebookable, non-endorsable and non-upgradable.” Silly me for hoping that the management of the Asia’s First Airline would understand my situation and grant my request.

          This serves as a warning to everyone who plans to buy a promo fare ticket. Don’t buy it unless you are 100% sure that you will use it. Also, read the fine print. Sometimes, we tend to disregard the fine print but in the end, it is the same fine print that would prevail in any given situation. I should know. It cost me a princely sum of money just to get the message across my head. So, to all of you out there, good luck on your plane ticket purchase, read the fine print and do buy the one that says it is refundable, rebookable, upgradable and endorsable.

Health Watch: Target Weight 75 kilos

Last Saturday, I finally went to my aunt’s clinic for a medical check-up. For the past week, I experienced headaches and gas pain in my stomach. I thought it was the usual symptoms of eating late and getting ‘kabuhi’ (gas pain), or it could be my eyes due to extreme eyestrain brought about by looking at the computer monitor for hours on end (hala ka…facebook) or it must the extreme weather condition, too hot one minute and rain showers the next. For two straight days, I went straight to bed upon arriving home because I can’t bear the headache. Hubby ordered me to have a check-up and I said I’ll go during the weekend. Thanks to his hot cups of tea, chicken soup and tender, loving care, my headache was somehow bearable.

After my preliminary check-up, I was asked to have a blood and urine test to determine the true nature of my discomfort. The test results showed that I have Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) and was prescribed antibiotics. The good news is, it was just a mild case of UTI. I also found out that my weight increased to 2 kilos within 6 months. So I mentally told myself that I need to decrease my weight to 75 kilos by the end of the year.

According to the websites of Mayo Clinic and web MD, a urinary tract infection is an infection that begins in our urinary system, which is composed of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Any part of your urinary system can become infected, but most infections involve the lower urinary tract — the urethra and the bladder.

Women are at greater risk of developing a urinary tract infection than are men. This is probably because women have shorter urethras, so it is easier for the germs to move up to their bladders. You may be more likely to get an infection if you do not drink enough fluids, have diabetes, or pregnant. The chance that you will get a bladder infection is higher if you have any problem that blocks the flow of urine from your bladder. Examples include having kidney stones or an enlarged prostate gland.

Not everyone with a urinary tract infection develops recognizable signs and symptoms, but most people have some. In general, urinary tract infection signs and symptoms develop rapidly and can include:

• A strong, persistent urge to urinate
• A burning sensation when urinating
• Passing frequent, small amounts of urine
• Blood in the urine (hematuria) or cloudy, strong-smelling urine
• Bacteria in the urine (bacteriuria)

Antibiotics prescribed by your doctor will usually cure a bladder infection. It may help to drink lots of water and other fluids and to urinate often, emptying your bladder each time. If your doctor prescribes antibiotics, take the pills exactly as you are told. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to finish taking them all so that you do not get sick again.

Thanks to Mayo Clinic and Web MD for the information. You can check out their website here and here for further information about the illness and other illnesses as well.

With strong determination and your support along with the will to live longer and healthier, may I accomplish my weight goal by the end of the year. So help me God!

The Casual Observer

The Casual Observer has now officially started. Welcome and happy blogging.

So Near…Yet So Far

The Family is the most basic social unit in society. It is where we learn our values and beliefs and where we get to be molded as a human being. In today’s world, there are so many dysfunctional families that exist. The basic unit of society is being torn apart by greed, consumerism, and survival. How is it so?

In the Philippines, the Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs are hailed as the heroes of our country. They keep the economy afloat due to the remittances that they send their loved ones. I present to you a simple case. A middle class family struggles to make both ends meet. Father does not earn enough to support his family of six. Mother is a plain housewife. Father applies for a job abroad and incurred mounds of debt just to pay for his employment abroad. Employer does not honor original contract and slashes the wage by half. Poor father cannot tell his family of his plight in the land of milk and honey. Meanwhile, Mother receives Father’s remittance and feeling like a millionaire, spends the money in a day. The Kids also spend the money like there’s no tomorrow and indulge in vices. The Family breaks apart. The Hero is given a festive welcome by the government, but as he goes to his home, there’s no one to come home to. Sad, but true.

Still, there are families who decided to stay in our Homeland and make do with what they have. They have simple dreams, and live simple lives. And so, they do not fall into the trap of wanting more than they can have. What can we do to keep the basic unit of our society from falling apart? Each of us has a role to play, no matter how small it may seem. As parents, a little more understanding and stretching of patience can go a long way in dealing with our kids. As children, a little more respect and love for your parents who work hard to give you what you need. Just a little can go so far. May God Bless our Families…

Food Lover

I am a food lover of two dishes, adobo and pancit canton.

Adobo, especially the pork variety, has always been my favorite. I have yet to perfect the dish. I usually cook it until the oil from the pork fat mingles exquisitely with the soy sauce mixture. Ah, if only I have a photo. I promise to have one next time. There’s a version of this dish wherein the pork is sauteed in its oil until no liquid is left, only the sumptous pork coated with the sweet sour flavor of the sauce and fat.

Pancit canton, the kind you cook from scratch, not from those ready to eat in three minute varieties, is my favorite noodle dish. It’s a comfort food which I’m learning to cook the way I wanted it to taste. There had been hits and misses, but I’m getting there. There were times when the veggies become overcooked since the noodles has not yet reached the al dente stage. Now, I cook the noodles and veggies separately. So, the noodles are perfectly cooked while the veggies still has a crunch when you bite into it.

I would like to think that I can cook my favorite dishes from scratch. Well, the heck with thinking…I might as well DO IT…Because I do more thinking than doing…hehehe…Sayang ang bagong kusina….

Hopefully next time I will have the will to take photos of dishes before I devour them. Okay, okay, let me savor them first in my mouth before sentencing them to oblivion…

Happy Eating!!!

Blogging and Me

At first, I was just curious about this blogging thing. I started to read about food blogs, then life blogs. Then, I created my own blog, first at Blogger then at WordPress. To date, I have three blogs at Blogger, one about my daily struggles in life, second about my travels and the food I discover along the way, and third about my experiences as a cook and food lover. The one at WordPress is a summary of all three. I tried to link both and was successful the first time. Lately, the importing process just would not work.

I envision myself writing blog entries often to all my blogs. Sigh…sad to say, the stories which I plan to write got stuck on my mind, until another story starts to form and the old one is buried and forgotten. For instance, in my ‘travel and food’ blog, I have been to many local places and have sampled many sumptuous dishes and yet they end up as memories in my mind and added inches on my waist. Nothing was written about them. Also, I have experimented and whipped up many dishes that got a stamp of approval from my family, and before I can get a picture and write about my experience, the food gets devoured in no time. Again, all I have are memories in my mind.

I envision myself losing weight and getting back in shape. But alas, the more I think about losing weight, the more I’m putting food in my mouth and gaining extra pounds instead. Another thing that I wanted to do is teach and impart what I learned to young kids. And yet, I haven’t filled up that form and applied for a part time teaching job at my alma mater.

I have so many dreams in my mind. All I need are concrete steps to make them happen. That’s why I am such a sucker for success stories, for stories of courage and will power, and stories of people overcoming their barriers and reaching for their dreams. I hope I will also have such a story to tell.

My birthday is coming up soon and I hope to make a pact with myself to make basic, concrete steps, however small. Maybe it’s better if I put all these in writing so I can come up with a plan on how to make these dreams a reality. Small, baby steps. Maybe that is enough for now.

Health is WEALTH

There is truth to the adage that ‘Health is WEALTH!”

My husband and I are both working. It is important that we are always in shape because our chief capital for our  work is our health. I have sort of promised to myself this year that I will monitor my food intake and do some exercise so I can manage my weight. I hope to shed a few pounds and hopefully a few kilos by the end of 2009.  It’s already March and I still have to convince myself that I need to have some sort of concrete plan to make this a reality. I come from a family with a health history of heart disease and diabetes. My mom keeps on reminding me that I need to curb my appetite in order to manage my weight and not to gain more weight. But, my love affair with food says so otherwise. I need to really get my weight down. May you witness my journey to good health. So help me God.

Ash Wednesday

“You are Dust, and to Dust You Shall Return.” (Genesis 3:19)

According to churchyear.net, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the 40-day period of fasting before Easter. On this day, ashes are blessed, mixed with either holy oil or water, and imposed on the head with the sign of the cross, or sprinkled on the forehead. The ashes are made from burning palm branches blessed the previous year on Palm Sunday.

When the priest imposes the ashes he says either “remember man you are dust, and to dust you will return” (see Genesis 3:19), or “turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel” (Mark 1:15).

The ashes serve a dual purpose. First, as the above words imply, we are reminded of our mortality and humanity as we begin the Lenten Fast. Second, the ashes are a Biblical symbol of repentance, sorrow, and humility.

Today, February 25, 2009, not only marks the beginning of Lent but also the 23rd year of the First EDSA Revolution in the Philippines. I attended Mass at the Immaculate Conception Church (now MCC) at 12:15 noon. The church was packed to the rafters. A lot of people were standing at the back. Some were seated outside. The ceremony already began when I arrived. I quickly made my way at the back. During the sermon, the Bishop apologized for starting the Mass earlier than the usual time, due to the length of the ceremony.

He explained that Lent starts today and ends in the morning of Holy Thursday. Easter starts in the afternoon of that same day. He emphasized that this time is an opportunity for us to reflect and repent on the wrongdoings that we have done and cleanse ourselves from sin by fasting and penance. He also exhorted us to be humble and obedient to God’s will.

The imposition of the ashes was done before the offertory. People lined up in all sides of the pews and took their turn as the lay ministers say upon imposition of the ashes, “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.” I made my way outside the church as I saw some vacant mono-bloc chairs. I was observing the parishioners as they lined up to have the ashes placed on their forehead. People from all walks of life came. Since it was during lunch beak , most people were from the office and stores around the area. Some were couples and families. Students also attended the Mass. I saw some familiar faces and waved at them. Since it was nearly 1pm, some people did not wait for the Mass to continue but left in order not to be late for work. Some stayed until the communion. While most stayed behind until the end of the Mass.

A thought came into my head. Is having the ashes placed on our forehead enough so as not to stay until the Mass has ended? I grew up in a catholic school and I believe it is but proper to stay until the end of the Mass. But, be that as it may, sometimes I am guilty of leaving just right after communion, and not waiting for the priest to say, “Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.” Which is more important, Faith or Work? I guess it works both ways. “Faith without work is dead.” All work and no Faith makes Jane a dull girl…or something like that. We got to have both in order for it to be more effective.

Just as what happened 23 years ago in EDSA, it was the people faith in God and their will to stand up against dictatorship that made EDSA a success, more of a MIRACLE, because it was a bloodless revolution. So, it works both ways. FAITH and WORK should go hand in hand…

Have a holy and peaceful LENTEN SEASON to all…God Bless…

Sweet Reunions

Christmas is that time of the year when you just have to set aside a day for reunions.Last Christmas, I did not expect to have booked not only one day, but lots of days for sweet reunions.

Here is a picture of me with my cousins. At last, they invited me to join them on their night out…Actually, I invited myself…hehehe. It was a Saturday night. I attended our high school alumni homecoming when I saw my brother at the school. He told me that after the homecoming he will join my cousins for some cocktails at Catribo. Since I don’t have a ride home, I joined them. Wow…I did not regret my decision. Being the eldest among all cousins present, I relegated myself to being an observer and let them run the show…With our generation gap, I find it strange that they enjoy this kind of entertainment. My brother warned me beforehand, no comment please. I would have nejoyed a more relaxed and quieter ambience. Oh oh..I am getting older…hahaha.

How about this picture, minus me, of my high school classmates during our alumni homecoming. I was the one taking the picture. I like it that way…just a wallflower, a casual observer, taking it all in in my little corner of the world…I can’t express the happiness I felt when I spent some time with my high school pals. We will host our alumni homecoming six years from now. We have lots of plans and hopefully we can make it happen when our time comes. Hello to Maxxy who came all the way from Kuwait just to be with us and her family this Christmas season. Thanks for sharing your time with us Mems.

Here’s another picture of my high school pals this time at 3rd Cup with Jerico Marcos, who have resided in Davao. He was in town to attend his brother’s wedding and we could not pass the chance to meet him. It has been six years since we had been together. Four hours lounging in a relaxing atmosphere is not enough when conversations are full. We can;t seem to run out of topics to talk about. He’s planning to migrate abroad with his family. It seems to be the trend these days. Much as we like to do the same, we just don’t have the financial edge to go for it.

Well, this is a sum of my reunions with my family and friends. No matter how short the time that we spent together, it’s much better than not having spent time at all. To my family and friends, thanks for making this Christmas season one of the most memorable time in my life.

Working Mom #2 : Mental Block

so many things to do…but so little time…

my things to do list is getting longer and longer as the days go by…it’s crunch time…we have to finish our interim report by september 30…the documents we’ve requested are slowly coming in…working papers remain half-finished, if at all…and my mind goes blank as i stare at the wall to decide on my next move…if there is a next move…hahaha

so, i laugh it off…bwahahaha…after this i am going on a loooooong deserved vacation…and take advantage of my five day force leave and force myself to forget about work and recharge my mind…i can do tons of things…but let me think about that later…now, time is precious…every second counts…tick tock tick tock…oh no, i can hear the clock ticking…in my head…oh great!!!

focus your eyes on something green…to refresh your eyes and your mind…are you kidding??? the curtains in our office is green but i don’t even notice it…hahaha…

so i hope against hope with my fingers crossed that i can come up with something concrete (like an AOM…hehehe) to present before our conference on Sept. 17-18…so back to the drawing board…be critical…be analytical…consider all red flags…and DELIVER!!! (pizza???)

sorry if i sound greek to you…but to my fellow cluster four teammates…these are meaningful, powerful words…see you at the conference guys…and may HIS WILL BE DONE!!!

take care and Godbless…

(due to my continued mental hiatus…i am reposting some blog entries from my friendster blog…)