Signs Of Our Time 170219

As we go on with our daily lives, especially as we move from place to place for whatever reason/s, the world keeps showing things that make us act or be gladly amused. Thus we keep learning. It's a cycle!

Like today, a gloomy afternoon, on my way from Tacloban to Manila, was a fascinating example.

My curious happy 'today' was made a notch happier by this jeep. It says 'Remnant of the Little Flock'.

I instantly recognized that, that expression has religious connotation, so my trend of thought flowed in that context, but even I was amazed of my self when I said 'isn't the Little Flock already the Remnant'?

I am no religious, so I wondered... where did I ever know about that 'remnant' and 'little flock' thing. All I attended since kinder were public schools. No way will I have been told of that topic! Oh okay, some nights ago, when I was busy doing 'work', I unconsciously left the TV on, not changing channels, until a religious program aired, and the preacher (leader, whatever) was discussing just that, the little flock of believers, the remnant that Jesus will save or have saved - something like that. It stuck to my brain?

So, the effect of that jeep on me was action (to sige go, ask around, look at a bible to see the full story of this 'remnant'). End in view: awareness, knowledge, learning! Di ba ang galing? Travel is education!

This next scene made me say "Sunday pala, ah I can walk to EDSA Shrine for the 4:30 or 6PM mass".

I even wondered "why am I linking everything I see to faith-related matters, is this a kind of reminder"? Who knows, right? Either my inner mind or an omnipotent power was gently admonishing. Duu heheh!

But how did I relate that innocent tricycle to Sunday? It's not written anywhere ah!

Well, this was probably a human brain's deductive thought process (reasoning?) at work and very fast. Hey, btw, that is/was not a unique intelligence on my part, all human brains have that power or ability!

Ganito..,
I said "wow lechon", they must have a party or some celebration! Tanghali? Ah, baka beach party, ayan sa bandang unahan, at right, is the gate of Baluarte Beach Resort. Or, they could even be going to any of the resorts on Costa Brava, like Marcos Beach. Yeah beach party nga, the guy in red shorts, holding the lechon, has a towel protruding from his yellow bag! Beach party nga?! Teka.., weekend ba ngayon?

Aw oo nga pala, today is Sunday! There, that's how the tricycle reminded me that today is Sunday!

Anyway, I reached the vicinity of the DZR Airport, and this "welcome" sign kind of raised my eyebrows!

Commercialism! Color pa lang, alams na! But nothing is really wrong with that, I suppose. In fairness, I think that telco already paid long term for that 'ad space' (if it can be called that). Why? Because, even before Yolanda, I would already see their ads in that same spot. Runway is at the back (behind fence).

Oh, speaking of DZR Airport, do you know what is the "Z" in that abbreviation? That means Zialcita. He was Daniel Zialcita Romualdez, his mother being Brigida Zialcia of Manila. DZR was a Congressman (even Speaker of the House of Representatives) 1957 to 1962, many years before Marcos' presidency.

Let's end it there. But, if you have more questions about those names, sabihin nyo lang!

My 1:05PM flight departed early. At 12:52NN we were taxiing out, and the safety demo was underway!

That girl doing the announcement amused me though. I'm not sure if she was shy or what! As you can see, she did her announcement while standing at that part of the galley, instead of sitting down on her designated 'crew seat' at left, across me. It would have been easier since she was reading her 'codigo'!

Hayaan na natin sya. Yun ang trip nya eh. Walang basagan ng trip hehe!

I realized she did not like to sit at her 'crew seat', probably because that wall separating it from us the passengers at 1ABC is made of transparent glass. Didn't she pass by being a cabin crew of their ATR planes where her knees would almost touch those of anyone seated at 2B? Bahala sya, malaki na sya!

Yes, this airline's newer batch of planes have that kind of wall with a transparent upper portion. Looks good, para kang nasa yacht! But I don't know if it actually serves anything other than mere aesthetics.

Oh! To my 'Air 101 pupils', you see those two silvery buttons on that wall? Those are bassinet fittings! Yes, yung pinag-sasabitan ng bassinet. But what is a bassinet? It is the parang basket where you can place a baby during flight - provided by the airline upon prior request (reservations) - kung meron sila!

I'll expound more about bassinets in a separate story, okay? Wait for the link here!

Meantime, let's arrive na!

As we approached landing at MNL Runway 06, I got a glimpse and quickly took a pic of Sangley Point.

It's the peninsula (where I drew a yellow-and-red line over the runway) called Sangley Point, Cavite City that is just across Parañaque City, via Manila Bay, therefore very near the Manila International Airport.

What is the significance? Ah, for those who do not know yet, it is being pushed by some bright boys to become an alternate or additional airport to decongest (daw) the existing Manila International Airport.

That topic has been floating since 2014, but I heard more talk about it in 2016. Let's wait and see!

So I arrived at MNL T3. I got out of the terminal ASAP to smoke. I also got listed and watched this..,

The Grab Counter (middle of picture with green sign board and two green-shirted kids). Yes, they have service counters at each of the arrival areas of all MNL airport terminals! Unbelievably perplexing, but true! They have just reversed the principle for which Grab was created - no lines by use of technology!

How does this 'service counter' function? Ganito..,
You run to that counter so you get into the line ahead of so many others - it is usually a very long line. You write your details on a list - name phone and destination, plus your email for the receipt to reach you. Those Grab kids will punch those things into their tablet (same app as you have on your phone). When a driver responds, the kids will tell you. The car arrives, you go off to your destination. Ganun!

Isn't that absurd? Even bizarre, right? Why couldn't you just do it on your own phone?

Of course I asked, and those Grab staff - even fellow passengers - educated me of the following:
01. Many passengers don't have that app on their phones (yet). [Talaga lang ha?!]
02. Some who have, don't like to spend extra by accessing the app online. [Really?]
03. There's the airport's free wifi, but too slow and erratic. [Ah agree ako dyan!]
04. Those who want to use their data can't access the app anyway. [Hmm, honga!]
Thus, Grab Philippines put up that kind of service (daw)! Passengers even claim that the Grab App is 'scrambled' in the vicinity by unscrupulous competitors. Thus, they line up at that counter. Sumali ako!

Of course I had doubts about item 04. But I joined the line anyway because 1) I could not easily get through to the app using my phone; 2) whenever I get in, no driver seem to be responding to my need - yet we see on the app itself, there are too many of them all around the area, some even just feet away.

To appease my royal highness, I just accepted in my heart that all they said was true - eh ano pa nga ba ang magagawa ko, di ba? But why was I able to get through the Grab App in my past arrivals where I did not know about this counter yet? Ah well, the bottomline, why would Grab put up such a counter?

Do you see those two red cars? Those are legit Grab Cars, I asked them why they were not yet getting off with passengers when there was a long line. One driver said 'me hinihintay', the other won't talk.

So, there's really something odd that I don't know about just yet. A fellow rider who was with me at the smoking area told me, the drivers were indeed waiting - for a destination that they like - namimili sila! Pag malayo daw, they won't click accept on the app. So yun pala yung madaming Grab Taxi/Grab Car na nakikita natin sa app, yet no one is taking our requests, especially pag malayo ang pupuntahan. Da!

Isn't "non-conveyance" against the law (for regular taxis)? So, dahil Grab, exempted sila? Kung sabihin natin hindi sila exempted, how would the passengers or the LTO prove that? Pag-isipan nyo, Senador!

Hmm, I hope there is no anomaly anywhere near this Grab thing. Because this is not a Filipino app, at nakakahiya naman sa mundo, if they bungle up with bad practices and that app is withdrawn from us.

About 15mis on that line, I got my ride. Hmm, this thing needs some masinsinang pagmamanman.

End of story muna tayo. So many topics, so many learnings, just on a mere TAC-MNL flight!

So I arrived at Ortigas Center. Welcome My Royal Highness back to Metro Manila. Haiszt

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