My first international tourist visa

Last January 22, 2010 was my scheduled flight to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (do not ask why I left the Philippines, the reason would require another blog entry). My family was ever so generous. My parents and brother took time off from their busy work schedules to see me off Manila airport. My brother was coming in from Cebu City, so we would all meet at NAIA Airport.

Everything was set. After ensuring that I would not exceed the 30kgs baggage limit.I was all packed and ready to go. My parents and I left on January 21 from Cagayan de Oro to Manila. We arrived at around 12noon. My brother was already in the airport waiting for us. We settled in the hotel in Quezon City. We planned to go around Manila for some last-minute family bonding and pasalubong shopping.

I was looking for my UAE tourist visa among my things, but alas! I could not find it! I had with me my school records and airline tickets but no tourist visa in sight. I left the most important thing in Cagayan de Oro. A deafening silence filled the room. I could feel my dad's rage building up, I could hear my mom's muted cries, and I could see my brother's anxious look. We sprang into action. We asked my cousin to send the document through the last CDO-Manila flight that day. My MNL-Dubai flight schedule was 12noon the next day.

When it rains, it pours. And it pours HARD. Literally. The succeeding outgoing flights from CDO that day were cancelled because of the bad weather. We had no choice. We asked our cousin to book the first flight to MNL the next day. We would meet him at the airport.

The anxiety of waiting and looking at my parents' worried expressions drove me and my brother to go out of the hotel room to explore the nearest mall. Our walking led us to ABS-CBN studio and the PBB house. We took pictures and smiled despite this huge problem that loomed over us.

We had a quiet and short family bonding that night at Trinoma. In our sleep, we prayed for good weather and for the safe trip of my cousin.

I am in Dubai now - this would mean that my cousin arrived safely in Manila, I got my tourist visa and I caught my 12noon flight that day. The anxiety and thrill for those two days frayed my not-so-stable nerves. Truly, He makes all things beautiful and perfect, in His time.