at the end of the day making love to a paper moon.

i think ive told my epic travel and my infamous lost luggage story over a hundred times to friends, family, relatives, relatives of relatives, friends of friends, strangers blah blah blah. in the philippines, words get around very fast, its like poison ivy, once it pop, you cant stop. i scratched my head writing that one, it didnt made any sense.

i was pretty much resigned about not recovering my luggage. i had the chance to check the internet and searched about baggage complaints regarding air france, my heart sank deep into the bottom of the ocean. some people have been complaining for 8 months, a year, years and some lost their luggage forever - WITHOUTH ANY COMPENSATION FROM AIR FRANCE. it was the truth as i kept calling air france office in manila, if they dont know anything they just pass you to this line that kept ringing forever or worse they dont answer the phone and if they do answer, they dont have any idea.

so what's the big deal about my luggage anyway? theyre just my summer clothes here in europe that i want to use in the philippines, some toiletries. i can buy them again.

but something in there will remain unpayable, no, were not talking about money here. were talking about nostalgic drama moments. my mother's only wish, was for me to buy refrigerator magnets from the countries/cities i went to, so even i dislike buying these things, i had to, because its my gift to her AND THEY WERE INSIDE THAT FUCKING LUGGAGE THAT WAS LOST.

so after reading all the stories and experiences and complaints from poor passengers of air france, including me. i resigned.

you know, sometimes life plays some tricks on us. as ive said that words get around in the philippines, it caught the attention of a cousin. then we talked about it. i never knew that she works for philippine airlines, let alone with a high position of finance manager. she wanted to help me recover my bag as i told her that my last flight was philippine airlines from beijing to manila.

i was already down and resigned. but she WAS SO PERSISTENT. so i gave her all my details. but not giving much hope.

after 2 days, she called me, my luggage was FUCKING FOUND. she told me it was ready for picking at the lost luggage section of the international airport in manila.

i was open mouthed.

so many people had lost their luggages and was lost forever. so many lives were psychologically lost and destroyed.

it only took me 3 days to find my luggage back.

LUCKY BASTARD.

such a lucky bastard.

normally, this is what i hate about the philippines, red tape, connections, like using family or relatives with higher positions to get what they want. but in my case, i couldn't avoid it. because i AM surrounded by it.

so i called my favourite cousin agnes, to come with me to the airport to fetch my luggage.

when we were there, there was no hitches nor glitches. i didnt even have a waiver, or complain statements, or or or hundreds of many papers proclaiming and documenting that i lost my luggage because they are needed to claim the lost luggages, when i claimed it, it was a flash. just told that my cousin was blah blah blah, took me to some room to find my luggage, i opened it and searched if something was missing but there wasnt, signed a few papers and went on with my life.

very anticlimatic.

now its time to celebrate! hahahaha so agnes decided to take me to the 2nd biggest mall in the world which is located near the airport called mall of asia.

we went around it, WITH MY LUGGAGE. so i decided to check it in at the baggage area of the mall. i was pretty adamant to do it, because i was scared to lose it again. but better do it than lunging around the mall.

i was never used to going to malls again, as in europe, they have open galleries and shops, not enclosed like this one. in the königsallee in düsseldorf, we have a mall, but its totally different form this.

i was amused of myself as i was in highschool and in college, i was a mall rat.

the beautiful thing about this mall is that it faces directly the bay and from beyond the majestic view of the mariveles mountains, volcanic in origin. we found a cafe and seated at the terrace. the cafe was called focaccino. to be honest the food was not great AND expensive, but kitchen manager, jamie was so nice to me. she can be my servant.

after walking around the mall, and being a mall rat again. it was time to call it a day, as i was so tired.

at home, i reviewed again the things that happened to me. life played a great trick on me. i was pinned to the wall and almost destroyed my sanity but still here i am.

because you, yes YOU were there.

then i remembered to do what i always wanted to do since i came back, to look at the old photos of my childhood, my past and of course mum.

at the end of the day making love to a paper moon.