airports have played major roles in movies & tv shows because of their unique characterisitics & their being transportation hubs. remember the movies the terminal, die hard 2, home alone, & catch me if you can? significant parts of their stories set within airports.

now, this is not a movie but my true-to-life airport story. i just can’t believe how bangkok’s international aiport or suvarnabhumi airport (’the airport’) has suddenly become an extension to my home far away from home! i’m not a frequent traveller but you cannot imagine the number of times i’ve been in & out of this airport in 2007 alone. my 1st driving trip to the airport was a mess–every single road sign was read, confused, got lost, took the wrong route & went around the extraordinarily huge airport field, & finally arriving through the back of the airport. i’m not surprised & not even sure if i still can call it exciting, but i was in any way, so delighted to pick up & meet my friend’s family from the philippines (’phils.’) for the 1st time in early apr.’07. We went again for send-off (4th) a month after (may’07).

the 2nd trip to the ariport in mid-apr.’07 was cool, i didn’t drive by myself. that was my turn to travel to the phils. for a month-long vacation & to attend my family’s grand reunion. sisters with their familes from the u.s., thailand & the philippines went home to visit our parents & relatives scattered around the country as a yearly routine. i went back to the airport (3rd) with my mom a month later (may’07) when the party days were over.

june’07 was my 5th trip to the airport when i had to pick up my little sis from the phils. for a 2-month vacation in thailand as her graduation gift and went again for send-off (6th) in aug.’07. quite a hectic schedule, isn’t it?

my 7th trip in early dec.’07 was comfortably easy since it was a non-working holiday in thailand. it was mom’s flight back to the phils. to attend her folks’ grand family reunion & to check on my little sis who insisted to remain in cebu city even if board exams were already over. they both plan to celebrate christmas & new year together, a two-some mom-and-daughter adventure in cebu!

8 is my all-time favorite # for a variety of reasons–my 1st name has 8 letters, my last name has 8, my nickname has 6 & my middle name has 7 which are both a series of numbers just before 8, my birthday is july8, my favorite niece’s birthday is july8, my eldest sis’ birthday is sept.8, our cellphone nos. have lots of 8s, my car’s plate # starts with 8, & my home city’s fiesta is dec.8. what a lovely collection of amazing 8 things! hence, my 8th trip to the airport was in mid-dec.’07. although it wasn’t really a smooth & relaxing adventure due to miscommunications, it was all worth more than the mess. afterall, it was my 8th trip & i love 8. it was a pleasure, so, no regrets!

the story certainly doesn’t end there…there’ll be more trips to come & go. friends, brods-in-law, relatives, mom & sis may come back again. i won’t mind if my 9th trip to the airport doesn’t happen in 2007 but i’ll be more ecstatic if it happens next year since it’ll then be year 2008…yet another 8 in my ‘8diary’!  it’s in the airport where my friends & loved ones meet, re-unite…it is also where we separate & disunite. mind-boggling it may be, my most precious 8 happen in suvarnabhumi airport that way.