favorite color

Early this morning, while waiting for my turn to check in, a lady from a couple approached me to ask if I was also heading to Dumaguete and if the airline was accommodating passengers by group. The line seemed to be unraveling in every direction, a bit of a disarray. I said yes, explained that sadly this happens quite often, but assured them that our group number would be called eventually. Turns out, we were all in Group 5.

“I guess we’ll run out of space in the overhead bins,” the guy said.

“We’ll find out soon,” I replied with a laugh.

A few minutes later, the lady turned to me again, smiling: “It’s your favorite color noh?”

“Oh, this? Burnt orange? One of my few favorites!” I said. “I just like earth tones.”

“Yes! I noticed your phone, your jacket. It’s my favorite color, too!”

“Your pants were the same color years ago,” the guy teased, referring to what she was wearing that morning.

“Worn too many times? Must be your favorite pants, too!” I joked back.

And they introduced themselves—Steven and Winnell. They would be heading to Dauin to explore diving spots, planning nothing but diving, eating, resting, and diving again. Naturally, they asked for recommendations on food and places to visit. 

Since they were particularly interested in the environment, of course I told them they should start at National Museum of the Philippines - Dumaguete where they could see the natural history of Negros Island, the burial jars of Bacong, and the region’s architectural heritage. They loved the idea.

“We’ll look for you!” they said.

Okay then. Hope to see you soon, Steven and Winnell. The museum’s open every day.