A tale of two city...airports - Manila & Mumbai!!

Returned from the Philippines last evening. The similarities between India and the archipelago are many.

A similar exchange rate to the Dollar, similar population prosperity indices, similar "excellence" of governments, similar consumer behaviours, same unorderliness of life, energy and chaos in the people :). Heck, I was elated to see those junk shops, those roadside foodstalls, the one-window Sari-Sari stores - was so reminiscent of home. Felt nice to be out of the almost mechanized realm of Singapore.

The traffic is much worse though. 1-0 India ;).

Manila airport flew my mind back home to Mumbai airport. And I couldn't help smirking after observing the extent of similarities.
The same long-twining queues, more security staff than travelers, inefficiencies galore, ridiculous rules for personal screening...ah, twas uncanny.

1. I couldn't help being bemused by the super-beefed security. I don't care about being condescending - Philippines is some inconspicuous country in an obscure corner of the world. Nobody would even bat an eyelid if the islands were to disappear. And there's hardly anything there to steal or anyone noteworthy to harm!! So, why all this psychosia for security?
   
   Given that terrorists aren't the next Einsteins around, but I'm sure even they are not as harebrained as to waste their petty lives trying to plot something against the archipelago.
   
   
2. Then came that insanely long queue at immigration. And for no apparent reason other than good-old inefficiency. And, though as pretty as the islands are, there aren't exactly flocks of tourists clamoring in and out of the airport!
   
   
3. It gets better! Next in sequence is the personal security check. Man, I haven't seen a more hypochondriacal race! As you'd normally expect - you are required to empty all pockets, screen all hand baggage. But hereth the clincher - You are to remove shoes, belts, jackets, all sortsa accessories. Basically, just proceed to the X-ray machine in your bare essentials - a shirt and your pants!
   
   It was ridiculous. And they could've most definitely done with some shoe scent there!
   
   I am willing to bet that a few year's down the line, people will be asked to strip to their briefs for screening. (Obviously, you could be hiding two bombs in your underwear ;) ). In the next stage of evolution, we shall all have the immense privilege of feeling like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Manila :).

I was smirking all the way to my aircraft as I was observing these hilarities unfold around me. What a big fuss we humans make of moving across borders! And come to think of it - at the end of the day, it's just a line!

It was a good, fun day :).