This Saturday, which is today, happens to be a happy one. My wife and son will be spending our weekend in my parents’ place in Makati (we’ve been here since yesterday afternoon); Rose will have her last OB checkup for the year; Robyn will have his second shot of vaccine for Hepa-B. My dad cooked for our dinner and he prepared one of my favorite home-cooked dish: ground beef tortilla.

I was surfing the internet, reading and replying to some emails (still have to read a hundred more), when my dad’s and my mobile phone beeped at the same time. Apparently, we had received the same message: Lolo Pano (my mom’s father: Cipriano “Pano” Dela Cruz) had already passed-away. Upon breaking the news to my mom, who was holding Robyn that time, you can instantly feel how the happy night mood turned to sadness.

Sadness on my part, too, due to the fact that it was last December 2006 when I saw and talked with Lolo Pano for the last time; and it was already in my PDA that I had scheduled to visit him and Lola next Sunday as they are requesting to see Robyn during my parents’ last visit to them Monday this week.

May Lolo Pano’s soul rest in peace. Please do pray for the eternal repose of his soul.

Lolo Pano (left) & Lola Olympia (right) during their
wedding renewal of vows two (02) years ago.

After years of dreaming and wondering whether the superjumbo Airbus A380 will (can) land here in Manila, it finally landed!

Just minutes past 1400H today, my boss and I braved the scorching heat of the sun and parked in a restricted airport zone just to have a glimpsed of the A380 landing from NAIA Runway 24 (SLEX side). It’s simply amazing! I had seen an Antonov AN-124 land and took off; had seen a USAF C5-Galaxy land and took-off; but the A380 is different — used to just seeing it at Discovery Channel or from the Aibus website, and here it is now, right in front of my naked eye.

After it landed, we immediately followed it to the NAIA tarmac (remote parking bay 23) . For the first time, I saw the tarmac as if it there is a party or a feast! Can’t get any nearer because the Airport Police had already cordoned the area. But, I’m happy already just seeing the superjumbo land here in Manila. Hope that this is not the last time it will visit Manila.

In twenty-eight hour’s time, the world’s largest commercial airliner, the Airbus A380 will touch down at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport as part of its world route proving test flights. Later yesterday, just before I left the office, I was advised by my boss to bring my camera this Thursday as my name was submitted as one of our company’s official delegate to meet and greet the A380.

The question now is whether we shall have the chance to have our pictures taken near (or even inside) the A380? It was said yesterday that security will be very tight (that’s why the airport authorities required the names of those who will get near the plane) once the A380 lands.

(A380 picture taken from http://www.jetsite.com.br)