"Omelet or fish for breakfast, ma'am?"

This morning as my plane to Dubai was flying somewhere over the Indian subcontinent (I am on my way to Zurich for a visit), I was awoken by a flight attendant who asked me, “Ma’am, would you like an omelet or fish for breakfast?” This question struck me for many reasons. First, I had a hard time answering it. While two years ago, fish would have seemed like an absurd thing to offer anyone for breakfast food, this morning it seemed pretty tempting. I was debating it in my head when I realized that I should probably give him an answer…he did have to wake me up just to give me food, which was probably more annoying for him than for me, and he was still standing and looking at me. I quickly answered, “Omelet, please…” and continued to ponder.

The other thought that was going through my head was, “Food? I get food on an airplane?? You mean, I don’t have to pay for it on my own? And I don’t have to sit and cross my fingers that my neighbor doesn’t order ‘Bowl of Noodle’ (which is basically Ramen)...the smell makes me nauseous on a usual day, so the containment within an airplane is remarkably more nauseating… Oh yeah, I get food?? And it tastes good?” I mean, of course I was not that naïve as I stepped onto my Emirates flight, but it could have been culture shock, nonetheless. With ample warm blankets to use, comfortable seats, and individual screens, it was a luxury unlike anything in the Philippines. And I enjoyed it. The Dubai airport is fabulous and is a welcome contrast to the airports in Manila and Cebu, but the endless amounts of perfumes, chocolates, and jewelry to buy could have been overwhelming if I had let myself stand there for any longer. Instead, I just grabbed some M&Ms, Reese’s, and a Coke…all healthy traveling snacks. But damn, that chocolate is good!