A man beside me is holding a magazine, hoping that whoever needed to see it would glance his way. Patiently, he holds it up while scanning the sea of faces flowing his way, checking if one would flash a hint of recognition. “Ayun siya, para nang Amerikana!” I hear another excitedly call out. Floating on top of the giggles and high-pitched conversation is the distinctive sound of happiness. A part of me feels I could share the hope and happiness of these strangers that the corners of my lips turn up for a smile. I’ve got a great vantage point from where I am—at the greeters’ area. It affords me a ringside view of the faces of the arriving passengers that suddenly light up at the sight of their loved ones.
Though my presence in this place is business-related [to fetch a Thailand-based author slated for a weeklong speaking engagement], I don’t want to let this moment slip by uneventfully. While waiting for my own passenger to arrive, I still want to see the world around me spinning. And then I started my wondering. With every cart of baggage being wheeled out, a story of life is being written. The long-haired teen sporting a backpack with white buds on strings glued to his ears, might have a life sprinkled with adventure. I see a young mother, with a 3, maybe 4-year-old in tow while a younger boy was nestled in her arms, and wondered if hers is a life of contentment and domestic bliss.
I’ve been to many airports—from the most sophisticated where overhead trains could take you from one terminal to the next, to the most simple where signs are still done in crude, handwritten lettering. But whatever its location, there’s something about the air in the arrival area in airports that smells and feels the same. Maybe it’s the fragrant smell of hope, and the fuzzy feel of love.
For don’t you think that the airport’s arrival area could easily be named as the happiest place on earth? What with every reunion it has witnessed—lovers who endured months, or years, of loneliness can now revel in each other’s gaze and embrace. Families once separated and limited by geographic boundaries can now experience the warmth hardly simulated by a thousand phone calls.
And last night, at the airport, the lines of a new song aptly played on my ears:
When love takes you in everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart
When love takes you home and says you belong here
The loneliness ends and a new life begins
When love takes you in, it takes you in for good
When love takes you in
I’m beginning to like airports. Not the runway, not the duty-free shop, not the departure area. The best spot in all airports in all of the world is where travelers are embraced and whispered, “You’re home.” Yes, you're home.
14 comments:
One of my favorite pastimes at airports is people watching--as you did while waiting for your guest. Some snatches of conversations I hear are interesting and some 'scenes' I inadvertently witness are funny, others are touching. Yes, I like airports too! No wonder The Terminal is one of my favorite movies! :)
Your confession to people-watching somehow validates my own experience--that I am not just an uzi! :-) It's sometimes mind-boggling how God could be involved in each of our lives when there's so many of us.
Ayan, we have another thing in common! Dumadami na talaga. :-)
oh wow. what's new, your posts still nver fail to give me that warm fuzzy feel :)
ohhh and i loooove this song. i cried when steven curtis chapman sang this during the concert. hay.
hello ate beng. thanks po sa greeting. :)
Hi Riz,
Thanks for the comment. :-) I didn't know my posts have this effect on you.
Isn't it a great song? It was the first time I heard it during the concert. I'm happy to now have an MP3 of it so I could listen to it again and again. Do you have copy of it too?
I hope you enjoyed your birthday! Hmm, I have a feeling you did. :-)
11:07 PM
Hi Beng, You should see the video of that song. Beach scene pero classical musicians (violin, grand piano, etc) dressed formally. Tapos, siempre may Chinese looking child kasi I think this song was created when SCC adopted their first Chinese child. Haaay, I long to see our airport too :-) 3 weeks ako dito sa China
Where did you see it? (well, i know sa TV :-) pero san pinalabas?)Sana mapanuod ko din. Sounds interesting. About our airport, yeah. Kahit di ganun kaganda yung sa atin, iba yung feeling pag nakikita mo. Nothing compares to being home talaga. :-) Uy, curious lang, do the coke bottles in china have chinese characters instead of the letters c-o-k-e?:-) Hope the days go swiftly by and then you'll find yourself at our very own airport again!
If I remember correctly, sa isang DVD ni SCC ko nakita yung video (hiniram ko ata from Philip). Anyway, yes, may chinese characters yung Coke bottles (actually mas madami cans) dito sa China...pero meron pa din siempre na C-O-K-E. Will try to bring one for you :-)
Part of the challenge of being a designer is designing with the end user in mind. Philippine airports are particularly challenging kasi mahirap magdesign ng airport that will be efficient and orderly and yet be warm and accommodating to the Filipino spirit. If we could have our way, all of us would be at the runway waiting to greet the people who step out of the plane! Diba fantastic yun? Sarap talaga maging pinoy. :) Sana pala may dala tayong digicam. :)
Hi JC, I hope to borrow from Philip that DVD, sabihin ko recommended mo. hehe. :-) Ayan, excited na ako bumalik ka. Kasi may kasama kang Coke from China! :D haha, joke. Be well. Sana maenjoy mo pa din ang place kasi pang-ilang balik mo na diyan.
Hi Ben,interesting thoughts on our own airports. :-) Sa atin may pinakamasayang airport kasi buong baranggay ang sumusundo. Sa States, sa mga nakita ko, halos wala yata. Tipong, bahala kang umuwing mag-isa!(pero siyempre ako sinundo)Sana nga may dala tayong digicam nung sumundo tayo. Oh well, if we get a chance to fetch another author, we'll do that.
I miss airports
yep, i already have a copy. :) looong time ago pa. and i've listened to it countless of times too. i've been wondring why it's not being sung on weddings just like the old favorite. hehe. about time people hear that there's more to Chapman than I Will Be Here.
ang tagal naman ng bagong post? hehe. hi po ulit. :)
But whatever its location, there’s something about the air in the arrival area in airports that smells and feels the same. Maybe it’s the fragrant smell of hope, and the fuzzy feel of love.
If the arrival area smells durian, sure the passengers are from davao. hehehe.
Hi Ate jophs, what about airports do you miss? the reunions? or just the adventure of coming and going?
Hi Riz,yeah, madami naman talagang magagandang songs si SCC. Ayan, I have a new post already!
Hi Karina, talaga? Maamoy talaga ang durian kahit nakabalot na?
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