Paper 2: What I expect from my "next" plane ride

Greetings! I am Marijune M. Alejo, 3^rd year Bachelor of Science and Information Technology or BSIT. Actually, it is my 4^th year of existence here in the University of Southeastern Philippines or also known as USEP located at Bo. Obrero St, Davao City. The reason behind why I am still a 3^rd year student is that I am an irregular student. There are lots of subject are still left behind cause we did not take care of it when we had the time. Well, so much for that. I am currently making this reflection. A reflection which requires us to write at least two thousand words. Well, our facilitator, Mr. Randy S. Gamboa tasked us to write a reflection about what do we expect from first or our plane ride. This is for our Field Trip and Seminar or abbreviated as FTS. We are required to write a two thousand word reflection about this. Two pretty thousand words about our expectations from our first or next plane ride. Well, not first for me. Probably for some. And now, I must do everything and anything just for this reflection to reach a two thousand words. I bet you can notice it by looking at the quantitative words. Instead of typing down “2000”, I type it as “two thousand” for the program to include it in its word count. You can also notice that it took so long for this introduction to end. Well, I guess that is pretty normal. I saw several autobiography and prints that has a long introduction. There are some that consumes two pages. Right now, the words that I am writing are free flowing on my mind, so what comes out of my mind, I instantly type it. I am not afraid that I will run out of words when I come to the part of sharing my expectations about the plane. I can assure you that I can give a lot of words about it, since it is not my first time to board on a plane. So, enough for this intro, and let us get in to action. Let us cut to the chase. No more playing games or running around the mulberry bush. No more hippidy hooblas. Let us jump in to the two thousand-word battle that I am about to conquer. We are now going to tackle about my reflection about my “next” plane ride.  

I just got enrolled in this subject this semester because, I just recently became a 3^rd yr. standing student, which is the requirement to enroll in this subject. At first, I had a dilemma whether to enroll this subject or not. It took me a long period of time thinking about it. But last school year, our seniors had a Field Trip and Seminar. They shared with us their experience. They told us that we will be given the opportunity to choose from different models of the field trip. They told us how fun it is even if it is a journey. They told us that right after you will land the airport, you will immediately go to the first company on your list, giving you no time for preparation. Then after that, you will proceed to next company, then to next, and next. It is a continuous visit from one company to another. Then, you will go to your hotel to sleep, and wake up so early in the morning and start your day by visiting another company, then rest of the day will be the same as yesterday.

So, before we get into the main point, where it is about the plane ride, well also tackle about the models. I mean the Field Trip and Seminar models. Actually, it was tackled previously on the previous reflection. A reflection about what is our preferred Field Trip and Seminar Model. There I made a reflection of it, and I wrote there the different kinds of Field Trip Seminar Models and the model I chose. Okay, there were three different kinds of models. The models are Model A, Model B, and Model C. You can see below what are the features of each models.

Model A = 1 Major Fieldtrip (outside Mindanao) + 1 minor fieldtrip (Mindanao) + 1 Seminar (National) + 2hrs. Interpersonal skills

Model B = 1 Major Fieldtrip (outside Mindanao) + 2 minor fieldtrip (Mindanao) + 2 Seminars (8hrs) (Mindanao) + 2hrs. Interpersonal Skills

Model C = 3 Minor Fieldtrips (Mindanao) + 4 seminars (16hrs) (Mindanao) + 2hrs. Interpersonal skills

Well, I actually or we (Me and my friends) actually chose Model C, because it is much cheaper. C’mon! Let us face it. The reason why we study here in the University of Southeastern Philippines is because the tuition here is affordable. Choosing Model A would make our parents’ wallets and pockets bleed. Unfortunately, there only few people who chose Model C and a lot of them/majority of them chose Model A. We cannot do anything but to change our preferred model from C to A, because we need to attend this. This is a required thing to graduate. We need to graduate so we need to go with the flow.

Okay, now we go to the main part of this reflection. The main topic that we are required to do a two thousand-word reflection out of it. At first, I wondered how can I manage to write a two thousand-word reflection on my expectation on my next plane ride since we are only asked about our expectations. If asked normally, some would just simply answer “I am pretty excited about it” and if you ask them why, they will give you this response “because it is my first time to board on a plane”. Yep, that is how it is done in the normal and casual way. Unlike this, we need to write our expectation and give explanation with at least two thousand words. Now, people would wonder how can you prolong a simple answer. Well, I do not know either. But, my approach is just to talk and talk about things. Talk and about planes and stuff. Talk about excitement. Talk about whatever comes in to your mind. Then type those things for the sake of reaching the required number of words. Of course, you only have to type down those words that are related to the topic. What I am trying to say is that, if you keep on talking and talking, your mind goes into a free flowing state. A state where you are unstoppable and the words and the ideas and kept on coming inside your head. Your brain becomes a faucet that is left open and the water is running. You are like a glass that is being filled with water, and the water is overflowing. You are like a volcano that spits tons of overflowing lava. And most of all, you are like a waterfall that endlessly spits water.

So, about the plane ride. A lot of people wanted to board on a plane. Why? Because it is so exciting. People dreamt of flying. I bet that all of you who are reading this thought of flying or you wished and prayed a number of times that you will be given the ability of flight when you were still a child, and maybe even now. You were able to wish for that ability cause you want to know how it feels when you are flying. Looking the view of the ground from above. Boarding on a plane is your only way to grant your wish, to live your life long dream to reach the clouds, because human flight is scientifically impossible, and if you are granted a human flight, the laws of physics would probably kill you upon taking flight. That is boarding a plane is the closest thing that we can get. Upon all of that, let us remember the brilliants minds who worked and made our dreams come true and thank them. They are the Wright borthers. Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright were the men who successfully created a machine that could fly. But before they made the first airplane, Orville and Wilbur already built some gliders back in the late 1800s and early 1900s.Orville and Wilbur built the very first powered aircraft back in 1903. They studied and analyzed every factor that would affect and aid the aircraft’s flight. Allowing 200 pounds of propulsion, they have estimated that the pilot would weigh 625 pounds. And that is to avoid the possibility of overloading. Based on their estimations, they calculated the thrust, the power, and speed requirements, they have concluded that they need an engine that has 8 horsepower that would generate 90 pounds of thrust.  Years and years have passed, people invented a lot of planes and improved its capability of type. Without the Wright brother there would be no airplanes today. Our dreams would still be dreams. We would still be dreaming about the capability to fly. So, kudos to them.

For me, I am not that excite to board on a plane this coming Field Trip and Seminar. Why? Because I already rode a plane years ago, twice. It was when I was a grade 5 student at the Sta. Ana Central Elementary school or abbreviated as SACES. The reason why I managed to board on a plane that time because we were heading to the United States Embassy for an interview to go outside the country. It was my aunt’s plan to let us have a vacation in her place in Arizona at that time. She issued a visa for us. I asked my mother if we would travel to Manila via ship or a plane, cause last time we went to Leyte, we boarded on a ship. My mother answered me and said that we are going to take a flight to Manila. At that moment, I cannot explain what I felt. I was so happy and so excited and thrilled because it was my first to board on a plane. I cannot sleep properly. Every day and every night I thought of how cool it is to ride on a plane. Yes, you can call me ignorant at that time, I do not care. I bet some of you felt the same way when you had you first flight. I learned something at that time which made me generate a question. I learned that the correct grammar is “I am ON a plane” not “I am IN a plane”. I was so confused at that time. Is it “ON”, not “IN”. Because when people ride a car, they would say “I am IN the car right now” not “I am ON the car right now”. It bothered me, and until now it still bothering me. I did not eve bother to search for the answer. Okay. So, the came that I am about to board on a plane. As far as I can remember, we woke up 3am and went to the airport at 4am. We waited for our time to enter. Me, standing in front of the glass overlooking the runway with the plane that will board made me pumped so much! By the time we went inside the airplane, I sat on the window side. Actually, it was my brother who was set there and I am just beside him, but we asked the stewardess if we can switch seats since we are brothers. Thankfully, the stewardess agreed.

I was damn excited at that time. I felt like I was in an epic vessel. I was damn ignorant at that time because I have not been on a plane before. I loved how the stewardess would demonstrate safety tips. When the plane starts to run, the pilot radioed us to fasten our seatbelt, but I have no idea how to do it. So, I stood a little to grab the seatbelt that was stuck on the seat, but the plane took off. I was fired back on to my seat, and I was like; “DAMN! That was awesome!” I was happy when the plane finally flew. I looked out the window and saw the things beneath us. The structures were so tiny as hell. They look like miniatures. As soon as the plane went on a high altitude, we went pass through the clouds. I looked outside and I saw an ocean of clouds. It looks like the clouds were floors. It feels like I am in heaven. That moment was one of the greatest happened in my entire life. My second time to board on a plane was when we went home to Davao. I was still excited, but deep inside, part of me is telling that I am used to it. So, the second time was not as exciting as the first one.  

So now, in our upcoming Field Trip Seminar, I am expecting that our plane ride will be safe.  Hope that there will be no troubles would come along the way. I am expecting that we will be landing safe. I am also expecting to see my classmates’ faces who are having their first flight. I want to see the magic and happiness on their faces. I want to see how I looked like the first time I was on a flight. And most of all, I am expecting that I will be assigned to sit on the window side. And if you would ask me how or what would I feel about my next plane ride. Well, I will be calm and steady, but yes. I still cannot deny I am going to be excited. I am used to it. It is not new to me. It would be like a “ride on a bus” feeling for me.

So, that is all, folks. Thank you for reading. I hope to see you soon when we will board on the plane. I hope that I can sit next to a beautiful girl whether it is a classmate of mine or not. HAHAHA! Just kidding. I am totally fine with anyone who will sit beside me as long as they are not annoying. And as long as it is a cute or beautiful girl (Kidding again! Do not take it seriously, this is just for the laughs. I am happy and contented with my girlfriend. How I really wish she would be sitting next to me). Good bye! Sayonara!