29. Trip to Davao

To catch a 4:00 am trip to Davao, we woke up at 1:00 am, and left the house at 1:30am. The court hearing is at 8:30am, and like most hearings, the admonition is your case is gone if you miss the hearing.  You can imagine the contingency planning required if things fall apart, i. e., the plane is late or is cancelled, which flight is the next and so on.  The toughest part of the trip is trying to catch some sleep while the plane is in flight. Airplane economy seats are not comfortable for sleeping. They are fine as seats, however, for one to two hour trips. But that's how far it goes. Food is something to look forward to in the place of destination. Davao tuna, anyone? And the get-up should be spotless. Davao lawyers can easily outdress the sartorialists of Manila, which I don't like, especially if the judge is thinking the lawyer who is better dressed is more prepared, because he had time to get suited up. Indeed, working trips can be troublesome for creatures of habit. Yet, these temporary displacements provide for an opportunity to be mindful again of little things, how we sleep, eat, and dress  up; matters that were once a source of pleasure and insight that soon became matters to be ignored in the daily routine. It is rather annoying to be worried again about such stuff, but being mindful is always a good thing. Mindfulness is the essence of our brain. So, here we go Davao. Engage me.