Boarding Gate 101

The news about the polar vortex that hit northern US has been making rounds in the news lately, and it reminded me of the couple of times that I traveled during the winter. For people like me who grew up in the tropics and used to 30 deg C temperatures all year round, going to a place with sub-zero temps can be daunting. Here are some tips to help you cope with traveling in winter:  →  Snow can look pretty in pictures or while indoors but staying out too long so you can make snow angels and pelt people with snowballs can give your a bad case of chills. or worse, hypothermia and frostbite. Stay indoors  unless it's necessary to go outside. →  Drink plenty of water and avoid getting dehydrated.   →  Buy your winter clothes before you arrive. It may seem strange to shop for winter clothing in a tropical country, but your body will thank you for having that warm coat when you land.  →  Wear the part: beanie,...

My blog post for today is about a bit of history. This day (January 1) marks the 100th year since the first commercial flight took off from St. Petersburg, Florida. The wooden plane, powered by a 75-horsepower engine, later landed in Tampa less than an hour later, and as the saying goes, the rest is history. The role of commercial flight to travelers cannot be stated enough; it enabled us to reach parts of the world that were too distant and inaccessible before. As an avgeek  myself  (not a coincidence that my blog's name has something to do with airports),  one of the highlights of my travels as always, is the flying. I love airplanes and I love to fly. I like watching them land and take off while in the boarding gates, or even while peering through the windowseat.  I even collect models of them as a hobby . As a tribute to the century of commercial flight, here's a rundown of some of the aircraft that I have flown in over the years. Acc...

I did not fly home for the New Year as I usually do (my mom and brother were here for Christmas), so after preparing a small media noche , the traditional Filipino New Year's eve meal, I went to Eastwood City, a commercial district in Metro Manila, to see the countdown for the new year. Jessica Sanchez belting out a tune The place was already packed with revelers when I arrived. I passed the time at a burger joint near the plaza where the countdown will be held, and went to find a good spot just an hour before midnight. There was a mini concert in progress when I got there, helmed by local artist Bamboo, and in the final 15 minutes, chanteuse Jessica Sanchez of American Idol fame took over. The countdown began a fter she sang a couple of songs . The highlight was the "ball drop" but in a shape of a star, that descended from the top of the building as the crowd chanted the dying seconds of 2013. The revelers erupted in cheers as the count reaches zer...