(1575) MY GRAB TAXI DRIVER IS A BEGINNER; I ALMOST MISSED MY FLIGHT TO 2018 WCO

           MY GRAB TAXI DRIVER IS A                                             BEGINNER;
  I ALMOST MISSED MY FLIGHT TO
    2018 WORLD CHESS OLYMPIAD

Everything is going fine 4 hours before my flight to Istanbul for the participation of Palau (Open and Women) Team to the 2018 World Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia on Sept. 23, 2018. 

Our flight on the night is 9:45 pm from Manila to Istanbul -- is 12 hours and another 11 hours stopover in Istanbul before flying to Batumi, Georgia and hope to arrive there and be able to attend the Opening Ceremony on that same night (9 pm).

My daughter Karen arranged my Grab taxi to the NAIA for 600 pesos where our flight leaves at 9:45 pm to Istanbul--12 hours. My son-in-law helped me carry my baggage at the intersection where the Grab red car took me to the airport.
I noticed that he is just a beginner as taxi driver because he is just following the "Waze" App being announced by a lady in the radio to avoid traffic.

He said he is just 6 days driving Grab taxi. He used to drive tricycle for a long time. That shows how inexperienced he is as we spent more than 2 hours where an expert taxi driver can bring me to my destination in half time of that.

We lost our way in Pasig City where he said it's his first time to be there and so do I! I am already uttering, "If I will be late in this flight, I will lose more than $2,000.00."

Being sorry for that inconvenience he caused me, he asked another taxi to drop me at NAIA. I still paid him $500.00. The expert taxi driver told me that the beginner driver should have drive taxi first for at least a few months before being a Grab taxi driver. The beginner told me that he is paying the owner of the car 800 pesos per day.

When I arrived there, I immediately fall in line and I saw my teammate Rustum Cabuso already and almost next in line. He is surprised to see me go straight to the lane where "SPECIAL ASSISTANCE" is stated. When the regular lane is vacant, I go there and was able to get my boarding pass and later paid my travel tax of $31.00. I told Rustum that I will be waiting for him at the cashier.

We proceed to the immigration. A staff there asked me, "Are you a senior citizen? How old are you?" I said yes and I am 62 years old. He said there is a special lane for senior citizen. Rustum is surprised again that I didn't fall in line at the long queue. 

The lady at the immigration asked me a lot of questions. I have every document that she asked me to produce... USA visa in my passport, invitation from the organizers of 2018 World Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia, my work permit in Palau.

At the last checking of personal items, I saw my teammates there--Baby Edna Mission, Angelica Morales Magno, Bobot Tan, Joan Gemota, Angelica Parrado, Angelil Sisior, Tito Cabunagan, Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr. but without Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps, his wife Joy Flores Whipps and Angelo Salvadora, who is still in line close to Rustum.

They said that they have a hard time explaining to the immigration officers about their trip to Istanbul especially Joan because she is first timer. Cyril has to help her by showing his Schengen visa in Norway that he participated already there under Palau and it helps.

They also said that Eric eyes are reddish that's why he is checked/quarantined for security reason.

My original plan if I am not late at the airport is to get all the documents of each of every member and only one (maybe me) will do the immigration interviews so that what happened to us in Baku, Azerbaijan Olympiad will not happen again. We fall in line separately also at that time with Joselito Marcos (Head of Delegation), me, Allan Alcid, Dennis Gonzales, Jeff Balbalosa and Paquito Suringa, Jr. Eric took a different itinerary.

EVERYTHING GOES FINE IN OUR 12 HOURS TRIP TO ISTANBUL.

I was able to ask the lady at the boarding lane to do my United Airlines Mileage account UA RY685853. I missed it twice in 2012 WCO in Istanbul, Turkey and 2014 WCO in Tromso, Norway where it is the responsibility of the Mileage holder to report it while boarding. Eric got my number in 2014. I thought he is the one to list it to my account. Those 2 missed flights record of mileage in Istabul is almost enough to get a free round trip ticket to Manila.


Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               December 29, 2002 -- September 26, 2018

               Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
               The Beginning of Chess in Palau
               By Roberto Hernandez
               Soon to be published as a book

               Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
               Tia Belau Newspaper
               March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
               http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
               April 25, 2013 -- September 26, 2018

              The History of Chess in Palau
              By Roberto Hernandez
              June 09, 2002 -- September 26, 2018