Blog Your Blessings Sunday: Happy Father's Day

To have someone like these two is a real blessing in life. Happy Father's day...
...my husband
and my dad

And to all the father's in the world!

Thoughtful Thursday

If you're not prepared to look stupid, then nothing great is ever gonna happen

- House's patient-

SURVIVOR - my own edition

I was a "cast away" for two weeks. No electricity, no news from the outside world. At night I would rely on the cool breeze to lull me into sleep in the absence of air conditioning. Yet, the mosquito net that shields me from mosquito bites would also shield me from fully enjoying the breeze. However, in my own SURVIVOR episode, I have the luxury of a mosquito net, some candles, the softness of my bed and the comfort of our home MINUS the ELECTRICITY.

Power was cut off on the afternoon of May 17, Saturday and was only restored on May 30, Friday. Storm COSME landed on my province in the afternoon of Saturday, while I was busy fulfilling the role of an usherette in my friend's wedding.

In the early morning of May 17, I was having second thoughts in attending the wedding due to the nonstop rain. What made me decide to attend is my yellow gown and my golden shoes =). And so, armed with an overnight bag, I braved the rain. The wedding is set at 5:30 in the afternoon. I was supposed to arrive before the guests and the entourage, so I left our house at eleven in the morning. It was a one and half hour ride, but I still have enough time for make up and changing into the yellow gown. But halfway from having my make up done, the power was cut off. And when my friend and I were about to go to where the ceremony would take place, the wind was blowing so hard, the glass door of the salon was pushed open. Somehow, despite the wind, we managed to arrive safe, sound and beautiful. It was quarter to five. We have settled the guests in the ceremony hall and the entourage in the coffee shop adjacent to the hall. By six in the evening, the ceremony started. I was teary eyed because finally, my friend has found the right woman. While I was trying to control my tears from falling, typhoon Cosme did not spare us from his wrath. He continued blowing strong winds and showering us with non stop rain. When the ceremony was finished, the bride and groom were rushed to the reception hall. But only the two of them managed to get through the strong wind. The rest of the entourage and the guests were ushered to the coffee shop. And there, we spent almost two hours waiting for Cosme's wrath to subside. The guests were calling and texting the family and relatives they left at home. We were agitated because the wind was so strong we can hear galvanized roofs being blown away. Some were concerned about their car being hit by branches of trees, others feared that their place could be flooded. Yet, after an hour of waiting and being stranded in the coffee shop, water came flowing inside. And slowly it started rising that I have to put my feet up on a chair. The water reached my ankle, then above it. The kids were restless. They were hungry and angry. It was a little past nine in the evening when we were ushered by the hotel personnel to the reception area. Everyone took off their shoes, lifted their skirts and pants and walked through the flooded corridor, water reaching half my leg. We no longer care how we look, all we wanted was to move in a safer and drier place, and a place where we could ease our hunger.

My ordeal did not end there. I have no place to stay. The hotel could no longer accommodate me for an overnight stay because their rooms were flooded. Same with the other hotel i called. I chanced by a tricycle and decided to sleep at my aunts house which is 3 kilometers away. But halfway there, we were stopped. We can no longer pass the road because the water was starting to rise, numerous trees were uprooted, roofs were thrown, electrical lines were cut and billboards were all blocking the road. I was shocked. I have nowhere to go. I was in the middle of a signal number three typhoon, caught in the debris of destruction and with no one to rely on. I can only answer the driver with my tears when he asked me where to take me next. I decided to try the other hotel I called earlier, and luckily, they were able to clean the flooded rooms and accommodate me.

It was midnight when i arrived, but I was not able to sleep at once. When I woke up, I was uncertain if I could go home, the bus I was to take suspended their operation. When I went out of the hotel, the sun was shining. The wind was calm. But the degree of destruction is evident. On my way home, I saw houses that were destroyed, missing roofs, walls, and some, only posts were left. People were walking in the flooded road, water reaching their waists. Trucks, buses, cars were stranded on one side of the road. Only big buses braved the flood. Trees were uprooted, branches were cut, fruits were blown away. I was in disbelief. The destruction was so wide and until now, some parts of my province is still living in the dark.

But what is evident is that despite the destruction and misfortune, the people in my province tried to live normally. After the storm came the sun and with the sun the hope in every one's heart. Hope that something could still be salvaged from the debris and hope that everything will be alright, eventually.

I survived Cosme. Our province survived Cosme. Some things might not have been restored to this day, but it will be, eventually.

Someone from above is watching over us.