Good Riddance Typhoon Santi

Typhoon Santi brought strong rains and howling winds over the past few days. The village Trick or Treat was rained out. Kids were able to make a few rounds but persistent rain discouraged most of them from visiting the rest of the houses.

I'm glad that Typhoon Santi has left the country. Today is All Saints Day and we have been blessed with good weather. We were able to go to the cemetery to pay respect to our departed loved ones. Filipinos traditionally pay respect to the departed every Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.

Please Help Typhoon Ondoy Victims

Last Saturday, September 26, 2009, the Philippines was struck by Typhoon Ondoy. I went out that morning with my husband to go to our son's school to attend a talk and get our son's report card. My husband hesitated to go out because of the non-stop rain but I insisted that we push through upon confirming from the school that the talk was still set that day. Heavy downpour made it difficult for my husband to drive. We were already on the very street where my son's school is located when we were forced to stop because of unexpected flooding in the area. Cars ahead of us were turning back. Upon closer inspection, hubby realized that the water was too high; we had no choice but to go back. I was silently blaming myself for going out in the first place but hubby didn't blame me. We decided to go to the nearby mall to have lunch and buy some groceries. Hubby dropped me off near the entrance. He was drenched when he got inside the mall. The umbrella wasn't much help in deterring the rain because of the strong wind and rain.

After eating a quick lunch and buying groceries, we decided to go home. I assumed we would be home within 30 minutes or so. We weren't prepared for what came next. Traffic was horrendous! Vehicles along Star Tollway came to a halt. We were forced to find alternative routes going home. Flooded areas hindered us from going home. It was scary because there were some places in town with raging flood waters. Some vehicles that rushed in the flood got stuck as engines stalled. My husband was more careful and decided to wait for flood waters to subside a little before heading on. What I thought was a 30-minute drive home stretched to a 3-hour journey.

When we finally reached home, I was thankful that there was no flood in our village. I was so anxious to go inside the house to see my son that I dropped my umbrella. A sharp part of the umbrella's interior sliced my left ring finger. It was a little deep but fortunately didn't require stitching.

As I applied first aid, my 6-year old son gave me a tight hug. He said that he watched the people in the flood on TV and was worried we were trapped like them. It was only at that moment that I realized how serious things were in Manila and other nearby towns. I was shocked when I saw people on the roofs and tremendously deep flood waters engulfing homes and vehicles. I realized that we were blessed because my family was safe and dry. We had a little difficulty going home but that didn't compare to the sufferings experienced by other people. I was moved to tears as I saw families with small children drenched and helpless on top of their roofs. I watched in horror as a group of people were helplessly swept by the strong currents. I couldn't believe how devastated many areas were. Some people even lost their lives during typhoon Ondoy's fury.

I found out that the 5 to 6-hour downpour was equivalent to one month of rain. Experts say that it is a result of a global climate change. It's a scary fact that stares us right on the face. It is only one of nature's many warnings to us.

The typhoon left a trail of destruction, pain and suffering to many of my countrymen. The typhoon left many homeless. A lot of families are now temporarily housed in evacuation centers like schools and gymnasiums. Help have poured in from the government, local and international private sectors but more people are in dire need of help. Please open your hearts and help in whatever way you can.


Source: www.youtube.com

Donation Links:

• How to Donate to Manila From Abroad
• Google : Help for Typhoon Ondoy Victims in the Philippines
• How To Help Victims of Tropical Storm Ondoy
• Where to Send Donations For Typhoon Ondoy Victims
• How To Donate Via SMART
• How To Donate To Red Cross Via Globe: Text RED (space) 5/25/50/100/300 to 2899. Ex. Txt RED 1o0 to 2899. Transaction is free if charge.

Photo Hunt :: Aftermath

Come and join the hunt here

This photo was taken last year. My hubby went around the village to survey the aftermath of a heavy storm. Many trees fell but this one was not completely uprooted, however, it was later cut down to prevent accidents.

Rainy Weekend

It's been a rainy day today. I think it will continue to be a rainy weekend. Since Jules just recovered from flu, we won't be going out this weekend. We're just going to stay home. Jules bought two DVDs: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Babylon A.D. We watched Indiana Jones at the cinema but we're still looking forward to watching it again in the comfort of our home. We have lots of chips to complement our viewing pleasure. :)

I hope we'll have a peaceful weekend without those irritating prank calls. If those calls persist, I may have to Find Area Codes of those pesky callers.

Anyway, hope everyone will have a great weekend. Enjoy!

I'm Back After A Day of Absence

Hi friends. I couldn't believe I let the whole day pass yesterday without opening the computer. I missed posting my Weekend Snapshots and my karma is down because of my absence in Plurkland.

I have cough and colds. The medicines I'm taking make me drowsy so I just didn't feel like spending time on the computer yesterday. Hubby is still down with the flu. He is already taking antibiotics so I'm hoping he gets better soon. I already made a mental note to have our flu shots after he has recuperated.

The weather is not helping at all. It's usually hot and sunny in the morning then it rains in the afternoon. The weird weather is making many people sick.

Hope your week started out right. Take care everyone.

Wishing For Some Sunshine

Give us, lord,
A bit of sun,
A bit of work,
And a bit of fun.

~English Prayer~

It's been raining again. There is a storm in the northern part of the country. Although the storm is not directly hitting us, we've been experiencing strong downpours. I hope the weather will clear up by Thursday because Yohan has a school field trip. He is excited to visit the Anihan Farm in Lipa, Batangas.

Superstition: Don't Open An Umbrella Inside the House

There are so many superstitions in the Philippines. One of them is the belief that opening an umbrella inside the house brings bad luck. I have heard this superstition many times. When I was young, my grandmother, uncles, aunts and even my mom told me never to open an umbrella inside the house because it brings bad luck. When I asked them why, they couldn't give me a good answer. They said that it's an old superstition and there's no harm in following it. As a child I accepted it in blind faith. Years have passed and I have forgotten this superstition ... or so I thought.

My son's favorite fast food restaurant, Jollibee recently featured umbrellas as promotional products. Customers can present proof of purchase in order to buy any of the promotional umbrellas. I got Yohan a blue Jollibee kiddie umbrella. When I gave it to him in the house, he wanted to open it to see the design. The memory of the old superstition came rushing back into my mind. I couldn't believe that after so many years, I'm still bound to that superstitious belief that for me doesn't have any logical explanation. I asked myself, if that was the case, then why did I stop Yohan from opening the umbrella inside the house? Perhaps, deep inside, I just wanted to avoid any form of bad luck.

You might be curious as to what happened next. I asked Yohan if he wanted to buy some Choc-nut (local chocolates) at the nearby store. The sky was heavy with dark clouds so I told him to bring his umbrella just in case it rains. In the street, Yohan had the liberty to open the umbrella as much as he wanted.

Wordless Wednesday #33

I heard that Tropical Storm Lawin is in the country. Philippine Storm Signal #1 is now in effect in CAMARINES SUR, CAMARINES NORTE, CATANDUANES, ALBAY, BURIAS ISLAND, TICAO ISLAND, SORSOGON, QUEZON, POLILLO ISLAND, MARINDUQUE, LAGUNA, RIZAL, & AURORA. - source

I'm very grateful for the good weather last weekend. It was perfect for our trip to the beach. Please check out my Wordless Wednesday #33 to see a happy moment at the beach.

Weekend Snapshot #37

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Raindrops Keep Falling

We didn't feel like going out this weekend because of the persistent rain showers. The weather seemed to experience bouts of indecisiveness. I couldn't figure out what the weather was up to. Every few minutes the sun would come out followed by strong but brief rain showers. It was a cycle of sunshine and rain.

Gloomy skies and scattered rain.

Raindrops continue to fall.

Orchids in our garden rejoice in the rain.

Orchids seem to thrive in this kind of weather.

A tiny mushroom has sprouted from the ground.

Storm Frank

It's Storm Signal No. 3 here in Batangas. We have been experiencing bad weather since last night because of Tropical Storm Frank. I'm thankful that despite the heavy rains, there is no sign of flood in our area. I heard that other places are already submerged in flood water. Power went out late last night and it only resumed a few minutes ago. The cable is down but I'm grateful that we have Internet connection.

A few minutes ago, the rain was pouring and the wind was blowing hard. It's still dark outside but the rain and the wind has lessened. It might just be a short reprieve because according to the weather forecast, heavy rains are expected this afternoon. I'm just hoping there will be no more power outage.

To those who are also affected by the storm, please take extra care.

Reference: MayBagyo.com

PHILIPPINE STORM SIGNAL # (3):
In Effect: METRO MANILA, BATANGAS, LAGUNA, CAVITE, RIZAL, BULACAN, NORTHERN QUEZON, SOUTHERN AURORA, NUEVA ECIJA, PAMPANGA, BATAAN, ZAMBALES, TARLAC, PANGASINAN, BENGUET, LA UNION.

PHILIPPINE STORM WARNING SIGNAL #(2):
In Effect: MINDORO, LUBANG IS, MARINDUQUE, POLILLO, AURORA, QUIRINO, NUEVA VIZCAYA, IFUGAO, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE, ILOCOS SUR

The above areas or provinces will experience stormy weather today (with winds of up to 100 kph for #02 and more than 100 kph for #03). Coastal waters will be rough to very rough and extremely dangerous to all types of seacrafts.

PHILIPPINE STORM WARNING SIGNAL # (1):
In Effect: CALAMIAN, ROMBLON, CAMARINES NORTE & THE REST OF NORTHERN LUZON.
Reference: MayBagyo.com

Rain and a Sad Love Song

The sky was covered in dark, gray clouds on our way home from school yesterday. As I put on my earphones to listen to my mp3s, my son asked if he could listen with me. I gave him one of the earphones. The song playing at that time was Someday by Nina (Filipina artist). I love this song and it's on top of my mp3 list.

I was surprised when Yohan remarked, "Mommy, this is a very sad song."

Upon hearing this, Jules and I exchanged looks. My husband asked what song we were listening to and when I told him, I saw a look of amazement in his eyes too.

It seems our four year old son can already categorize songs into happy and sad.

You may listen to the song by clicking play below:



Playing: Someday by Nina

Wednesday Heavy Downpour

The rain was pouring hard this morning. I woke up at 4 am as usual. After taking a bath and getting dressed, I looked at my sleeping son and hesitated to wake him up. I listened to the radio for a while hoping classes was suspended but there was no announcement from The Dept. of Education so I woke up Yohan for his morning routine.

We didn't ride with the school service today. Jules drove us to school because he had badminton training near Yohan's school. We were on the road when I heard the suspension of classes in NCR. We're not part of NCR so Yohan had regular classes despite the heavy downpour. If he didn't have a scheduled exam, I would have let him skip class today.

I feel sorry for all the students who had to go to school despite the terrible weather for nothing. The annoucement from Dep Ed came too late. Students were already on their way to school. They should have announced it several hours earlier. As usual people pointed fingers. Dep Ed said it was the responsibility of the mayors to make the annoucement in their respective areas. Late announcements such as this one have always been a problem. When I was young, I experienced countless times that I went to school only to find out classes were suspended. Announcements were always late. Apparently, the system hasn't changed over the years.

After long hours of continuous rain, many areas in Manila are flooded. Good thing, Dep Ed learned from today's mistake and announced earlier this evening that classes are suspended tom in NCR.

I know many moms who will have a lot of free time to go bloghopping tom. :) As for me, I need to go to bed in a few minutes because Yohan has regular classes tom.

Before I go to sleep, let me share this lovely message I received from my friend today:

On a hot day in a village, all the people decided to pray for rain to come. Everybody came to church but only one boy brought an umbrella. That is what you call FAITH. All things are possible in HIS time.

Keep the faith! May you have a blessed day ahead.

Another Storm is Brewing

It's beginning to rain again. I heard there's another storm heading our way. Oh my, not again!

The streets of our village are still littered with uprooted trees and other debris. There's too much mess lying around that the maintenance crew simply couldn't keep up. With the tedious task of tidying up the streets, here comes another storm looming in the air. I hope it will change its mind and head off to another place.

Effects of Milenyo's Fury

The power is back! We had no electricity for a day and a half because of the storm. That's why I can't help but rejoice when the electrical company resumed the power. I crossed my fingers and hope that the DSL was working. I'm so happy when I got my wish. :)

We experienced heavy floods in our village. A small amount of water got inside the house but we were able to elevate some important things to protect it from getting wet. We're still very lucky compared to other people who got injured or who lost a loved one during the storm.

I took some pictures during the height of the storm and after.

Our village was ravaged by flash flood. We were caught off guard by the rampaging water. The flood was so strong that it tore down the village perimeter wall infront of us. It was very scary to see the gushing muddy water outside our home.

Prior to the collapse, my husband and a maintenance crew were creating some holes on that wall to ease the flood. Little did they know that it was ready to cave in. When they realized that the water was getting too high, they decided to abandon efforts of creating holes on the wall and retreated to our house. Minutes later, the wall collapsed. My heart pounded when I realized that they could have been injured if they remained there. They would have been swept by the water down the creek. Who knows what could have happened if their decision to leave came minutes too late. I kissed Jules at that moment and I thanked God for saving my husband and the other men from harm.

As we surveyed our village, we saw many scattered debris like fallen trees, pieces of wood and steel from houses. The billboard at the village entrance was shred to pieces. There was even one house that lost its gate. That gate was washed away by the flood and winded up several streets away.

The storm has passed but it left many scarred for life. Super typhoon Milenyo has left countless people homeless and worse, some had lost their lives during the onslaught of harsh winds, strong rain, flash floods and landslides.

I'm thankful to God for protecting my family from danger. Many are still reported missing until now. I pray that they will be found alive and safe. I hope that God will spare us from another destructive storm.

Super Typhoon Milenyo

Classes have been suspended in all levels today because of Super Typhoon Milenyo.

I had to close all the windows in the house prior to this to prevent the rain from getting inside. There is a hard downpour of rain as of this moment. I guess it will get stronger by the hour.

I just hope and pray that no one will get hurt during the super typhoon.

Rain ... Yesterday and Today

It's a wonder how the significance of a particular thing can change over the years. For instance, rain meant something else back then compared to what it means to me today. Let me elaborate...


Y - Yesterday
T - Today

Y: It felt romantic to go out on a date during a rainy night.
T: As a parent, I worry that the rainy season will bring diseases like dengue fever, flu and common cough and colds.

Y: Perfect time for a drink with friends at ESL Q.C. (the glass windows made it perfect to watch the rain from inside).
T: The rain will take the laundered clothes longer to dry
than usual.

Y: There is a chance that exams will be moved if classes are suspended.
T: My child won't be able to go out to the park to play.

Y: It was exciting to drive to Tagaytay with friends to have coffee.
T: I feel more vulnerable travelling by car because of the slippery road.

Y: Suspension of classes due to typhoons was a great excuse to relax and head to the mall with friends.
T: Prices of basic commodities often go up during typhoons.