As I mentioned in my previous blog, I’ll be working on my drafts from my notes. While there are events I still want to continue writing about before this one, I figured I should prioritize sharing my journey here in the UAE.
This story happened when we were about to leave the Philippines for the UAE.
Our flight was scheduled in December 6, 2024, 4:30 AM-- me, Brean, and Brent, my nephews. I thought our departure would be smooth, but it turned out to be very stressful! We arrived at the airport with enough time, but the problem was, my visa hadn’t been issued yet. We were just an hour away from departure, but we were still outside the terminal, waiting for it to be processed. The minutes passed by, and we could do nothing but wait. When there were only 30 minutes left before our flight, my visa was still nowhere to be found. Then, finally, at just 20 minutes before departure, my visa was processed. Yes, processed-- not officially released, but just a receipt with my visa number on it.
Right there and then, we ran towards the terminal as fast as we could. The PA system kept announcing our names while we rushed inside. I was third in line for the travel tax, but the PA kept calling us again and again. When it was my turn, I found out I should have gone straight to the check-in counter instead. Good thing there was no line, so we were entertained immediately. But when they checked my documents, they flagged me for not having my original visa. Maybe out of consideration, they still allowed us to board after calling back and forth with their supervisor. Once again, we ran all the way to the gate. Just as we arrived, we heard the final boarding call. We made it! Thank God!
When we arrived at NAIA, I had no idea what to do since it was my first time there. I just followed the other passengers from our flight, assuming we were all headed in the same direction. But at some point, I realized they were gone. That’s when I started to panic a bit. I asked some airport staff for directions-- where we should go, what to do next, and how to transfer to our next flight to Dubai. But to my surprise, they seemed just as confused as I was! Some didn’t seem sure of their answers, which made me go around in circles, trying to figure things out. Finally, someone pointed me to the check-in counter. From there, I was told to proceed to the travel tax agent. After almost an hour of walking back and forth, I was relieved that someone finally gave me proper instructions.
When I got to the travel tax agent, I was told to pay 2,200 pesos. I was willing to pay right away just to get things done. But when I checked my wallet, I realized I was short by 300 pesos. That’s when my anxiety kicked in again. I immediately tried calling my sister in the UAE, who was our sponsor, but she wasn’t answering. I was already so tired, sleepless, and hungry. The stress of running around earlier made things worse. I then tried reaching out to my friend, Ate Joy, who was in Manila, but she also didn’t respond right away.
I felt really stressed out at that moment. Then I thought of messaging my Aunt Cita and our family group chat, which I should have done earlier. But maybe because I was already panicking, I didn’t think of it sooner. My Aunt Cita was the first to reply, but she told me she didn’t have the amount I needed. This was because I had asked for the full 2,200 pesos, thinking I should have some pocket money just in case. I also asked the same from my family. While my Aunt Cita was on her way to transfer the money to my GCash, my younger brother, LJ, was able to send the amount first. I thanked my aunt for her effort and told her there was no need to send the money anymore. I know it must have been a hassle for her, and I regret not thanking her properly at that time. But I’m sure she understood.
After settling the payment, I went back to the check-in counter, following what the travel tax agent had told me. I lined up at the same counter as before, hoping I wouldn’t have to explain everything all over again. But when I got there, I saw that the check-in agent had already been replaced—maybe her shift had ended. Fortunately, she had left a note about my situation before she left. Thank God!
Next, I went to the immigration officer as instructed. I was a bit nervous because I had already been warned about what to say and do. But if I remember correctly, I just acted normally-- answering their questions and showing my documents without hesitation. At that point, I told myself, If we get offloaded, maybe it’s just not meant to be. But thankfully, we passed without any problems. Thank God!
During the flight, it felt like we were inside a barrel. We were seated in the middle row, so we couldn’t see anything outside. When some passengers opened their windows, I hoped to see something amazing, like when I flew from Davao to Siargao. But all I saw was plain white, and most of the time, the windows were closed. So we just sat there, waiting. We experienced a bit of turbulence, but it wasn’t really that bad. After almost nine hours, we finally landed safely in Dubai.
Just like what I did in NAIA, I followed the crowd, trying to read the signs to figure out where to go. We took the airport train, which brought us to another section of the airport. When we reached immigration, the officer spoke English, but it was hard to understand at first. Eventually, I realized he was telling us to stand in a specific spot for a retina scan. After that, we proceeded to get our luggage. Earlier, the cabin crew had told us our bags would be at C5, but when we checked, they were actually at C3.
Finally, we walked to the receiving area, where my Aunt Darlene was waiting for us, (she’s actually younger than me, but since she’s technically my aunt, I still call her that.) A little later, we were reunited with my sister Apol, Mama, my nephew Manoy, and my niece Ashly.
Welcome to the UAE! And once again, thank God!
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Hello! Thanks for reading. :]