blogging from Stansted

So…waiting in line at Ryanair – the line for Dublin. Mark said he would give me a nickel if I could tell him where Flaganfurt was located. So, I asked the Ryanair chick at the check-in desk. She said it was in Germany. Mark gave me 5 P.

Then we walked up to the gate and saw a map with all Ryanair destinations in Europe. It showed a line connected the UK to Flaganfurt….in Austria. I gave Mrk his 5 P back. He said the next time he had a question on geography – he’d look it up.

Dork.

Another funny thing. On my way to the toliets – I ran into a Filipina who worked at the coffee shops – next to the security check-in. We looked each other and recognized each other from last weekend. On our way to Prague, we flew out of Stansted and before our flight, stopped for some coffee and chocolate. This Filipina asked me if I was Filipino and I said yes. I said (sorry Dad for the mis-spelling…it’s not like you taught me how to spell in Tagalog):
‘Kumsta-ka a-po.’
and she said:
‘Mabutay’
and then she started asking me something in Tagalog – and after 30 seconds or so….I told her I barely spoke the langauge. She smiled and asked in English….where was I from. I told her I was born in the States and my parents were born in the Philippines. She smiled and said have a nice flight.

So….more than a week later….we see each other again. She asked me if we…and I said yeah, we met last week. She asked me where I was heading to…in English….I said Ireland.

She smiled and said have a nice flight.

Wow….airport workers now recognize me. Sheesh….

I once told Mark that in the UK – I only see Filipinos on the weekend – either on Saturdays, at the airport as we’re heading out of the country….or on Sundays, at church. For the rest of the week…..sometimes it seems like I’m the only Flip in Central London. Another one works at my residency. She was born in England…so she’s Flip but with the cutest Brit accent. But she typically works nights….maybe there’s some kind of quota on Flips working on Greys Inn Road…one per shift…or something like that. Or….during the rest of the time….the only Flips I see are either tourists or food workers. I shouldn’t feel bad about being served by Filipinos….but it doesn’t seem fair. I do feel funny about it….sometimes.

When I was at church….I went up for communion and forgot which row I left my jacket in. A nice Filipina caught my eye and pointed me to my seat. We never exchanged words….but it was understood that she was looking out for me.

When I pass a Filipino tourist or food worker – I usually get a smile and a nod….a look of fraternity. I remember running into a Filipino family in Prague and they nodded to me….like I was one of their own.

Ok – and extra props to anyone who can tell me how to answer, back in Tagalog, to this phrase:’have a nice flight.’