I used to drive a BMW Z3 way back in 2008 but I had to sell it after a year due to the global financial crisis. Good thing a new BMW was launched on September 9, 2009. The Dubai Metro was rolled out. Starting that year till 2014 – with our other vehicle being used by my wife – I was happy taking the public bus (B), the Dubai Metro (M), and I loved to walk (W). That was my own BMW brand.
When I recently went to the Philippines to attend the Los Banos clan reunion in Legazpi, Albay, I used my own BMW brand again. On June 26, my wife and I rode the Dubai Metro from Discovery Gardens to Terminal 1 for my Philippine Airlines evening flight to Manila. She rode the Dubai Metro going back home after I got my boarding pass. We always ride the Gold Coach whenever we go beyond Mall of Emirates. My wife did not join me as she visited her mother in Oman during the Eid Al Adha holidays.
I flew to Legazpi on June 28 afternoon on a Cebu Pacific aircraft and returned to Manila on July 1 evening on a luxury bus which took almost 12 hours to reach Cubao the next morning. Whenever we are back home, we stay with our son who lives across Ateneo University. On July 2 afternoon, my son and I took the LRT 2 by riding at the Katipunan Station. We transferred to the MRT 3 line in Cubao by walking through three interconnected malls. We took the train going to Makati and went down the Ayala Station. The two rides cost Php35 only per person. There is a 3rd line which is the LRT 1, built and operated in the early 80s.
LRT 1, LRT 2 and MRT 3 are also interconnected so if one wants to go to Baclaran from Katipunan, then he or she should take two lines, LRT 2 going to Recto Station and transfer to LRT 1 going to Baclaran. Or if he or she wants to spend more and have an adventure then the person can transfer at the Cubao station to ride the MRT 3 and then transfer again at the Taft Station to ride the LRT 1. Currently, all passengers of the three lines should wear face mask and are not allowed to talk on their mobile phones. Using social media and chatting, however, allowed.
My eldest brother Jojo brought us back to Quezon City in his vehicle after we had late lunch with him and my cousins Bong and Trixie, and nephew Ral at Glorietta. It was about a kilometer walk from the Ayala Station to the food outlet. What’s so nice about the Ayala Station is that you can go to Makati Medical Center without getting wet when it rains as you will always have a roof under your head.
I came back here, our second home for 22 years, on July 3 past 1 pm Manila time and arrived at Terminal 1 around 6 pm local time. So how did I go home to Discovery Gardens? You guess it right, via Dubai Metro. This is my own BMW brand.