The Armageddon that was Ondoy

Never has it rained this much in our place. In just 6 hours, a month's worth of rain fell. And never have I been this afraid of a storm, except this one.

Getting stuck on the sidewalk for 4 hours, braving through knee-high flood water, walking barefoot, worrying to your guts if your family's safe, worrying for your friends, not being able to sleep because of nervousness, and a whole lot more. These are not necessary the best things to happen to anybody. But I am just thankful that these are also not the worst. Lives lost, houses destroyed - my heart goes for them, especially because this time, these people whose lives I know will never be the same forever are friends, relatives, acquaintances.

Thanks to Sir Morny for letting us stay at CDV. I stayed there w/ a couple of friends, Mike & Yani, as they also can't go home. We were later joined by Ate Julie & Abe w/ Julia (their Golden Retriever). After knowing my family's okay back in Montalban, Mike & I went to Xavier School to help pack relief goods.

 At Xavier School

Then, we went back to Ateneo to also help w/ the relief mission. There, we saw familiar faces. It became some kind of reunion for many of us. But this felt way better because we know we're doing something great. We sorted clothes for families of 6. We tried to distract ourselves from the fatigue by coming up w/ crazy antics like having a theme for each clothes bag (i.e. everything must be pink or white, or all must be branded, or all must have flowers, etc.).

Piles of relief goods at the Ateneo Covered Courts

Then, on the next day, Mike finally drew the courage to go back to their house. The road leading there was scary. Clouds of dust cover your view as the piles & piles of mud dry up. Vehicles covered w/ mud still lined up the streets. And when we got to their place, there was still no electricity. Though so, Mike's neighbor are already on their feet trying to salvage whatever they can from their stuff. Inside the house, we saw that all of Mike's stuff fell, from their appliances to their furniture. All of them, dirty because of flood water.

How Mike's house looks now

That was a sad sight to see. I could just imagine that many other houses went through the same thing, some even worse.

Then, on Day 4, Tuesday, I decided to come home. It actually took me 2 1/2 hours to get to our place. There were very few public vehicles & traffic was sooo heavy. But I am finally home. Thank You.

Thank you Yani for making us laugh amidst all the uncertainties. Thanks Mike, a lot, really. I'll help as much as I can. You are really a true friend. Thanks to my friends who texted me & asked me how I was. But thanks especially to my blockmates, I was deeply touched. And to You, thank you for keeping us safe. I know this is not a punishment because You are not like that.

Yani, w/ our dinner (i.e. cookies, chocolates & chips)

Mike & his attempt at a worried look

As I mentioned in my FB account, this was really a trying time. Sa ganitong panahon mo talaga makikilala ang mga totoong tao, lalo ang mga totoong kaibigan. I realized, it's not really just about showing/attempting to show that you are concerned, but it's way more than that. I beLEIve it's about DOING, doing something about that 'concern,' doing what you can & sometimes even doing more for others.

Let's all be prepared. As this event taught us, we can never be really safe.


Photos taken using Mike's cam

Admission

From: cardboardlove

Thank You (09242009)

I know this one's quite delayed, but thank You po for the gift of life. For the past few days, I've been constantly reminded of how amazing & hopeful life can be amidst all the hardships & confusions. 'Cause even the problems, they make the good things about life more beautiful.

Photo by Vir

Welcome to the world Baby Jacob Gabriel Peña Jumalon! :)

And oh, thank You for friends & friendship. Thanks You for letting me have them, especially during these times.

Beautifully Imperfect

From: youtube

Little Things

 

From: pineappleupsidedown

See you soon!

http://www.wayfaring.info/2009/06/02/boracay-festival-philippines/

Thank You (09122009)

Thank You Po for the gift of Tito Inggit in our lives. He has helped our family in so many ways. Thank You for allowing us to be blessed by his guileless smiles & laughter.


Please allow him to rest on your foot. And please whisper to his ear that he will be missed...

Pastlife

I've always joked that I was a princess in my past life. There wasn't really any basis for that; I just felt that I was a princess before, if not a duchess. Ahaha...


And so, I tried this application in facebook w/c, according to its name, analyzes one's past life. I just entered my full name, the date & time I was born, & here's what came out -


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John Leinard participate in Past Life Analysis

You have lived 7858 days, 13 hours, 45 minutes and 54 seconds in this life.

I do not know how you feel about John Leinard Ayala Ramos, but it seems that you were  female in your last incarnation.

You were bo rn somewhere in the territory of modern Portugal, around the year 0875.

Your profession was that of a  teacher, mathematician or geologist

Your brief psychological profile in your past life:  Inquisitive, inventive, you liked to get to the very bottom of things and to rummage in books. Talent for drama, natural born actor.

The lesson that your last past life brought to your present incarnation: The world is full of ill and lonely people. You should help those, who are less fortunate than you are.


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Accurate? Hhmmm... I'd like to think so. Not just because it tells that I am natural born actor/theater person, but I genuinely feel that there are just far too many lonely people in the world. And I ought to do something about it. Plus, being born somewhere in Europe seems a good idea.

Magis Over

MAGIS, the Ateneo Sesquicentennial Cultural Gala that I headed & that kept me really busy for the past few weeks, is already over. And I am glad that it is. All the hardships we had to go through are unimaginable yet the night proved that everything was well worth it.


The whole project reminded me of what MAGIS, the Jesuit value, truly meant, to give all that you can, if not all that you are, in whatever it is that you do.


Now, back to my 'normal' life.


I miss my students...

*Pause*

Theater taught me the importance of pauses. I suddenly remembered its relevance when I saw the preview of ENTA's newbie production (Sir Jet 'coerced' me to watch w/ him).

For one, pauses give you the chance to breathe & the time to think. It gives you that needed rest from everything that's going on - that moment to recharge, if I may say so.

Also, pausing challenges. It dares us to think of other ways to express those w/c can't be said or, more importantly, those w/c are just beyond words. This, I think is that glory of pauses.

*Pause*

Endings. That's one more thing pauses connote, sadly. So most look at pauses as breaks. Yes, they are breaks but they are not intended to break anything. I would like to think that pausing (e.g. silences) is part of the continuity. Taking a closer look, it comes w/ the hope &, sometimes, promise, that after the pause, something good, or even just plain 'something,' will happen next.

*Pause*

Thank You (09042009)

Sa gitna ng pagod, lungkot, at mas marami pang pagod, gusto ko pa ring magpasalamat para sa-

1. Masarap ng pininyahang manok na may gata (for breakfast-lunch),

2. Malaking crispy chicken fillet at mas marami than the usual serving ng spaghetti sa Mcdo (for dinner), at

3. Pagkalabit niya sa aking tagiliran (for midnight snack).

Salamat Po! :)




P.S. 
Please keep me hopeful...

Drift(ed)

You and I already drifted apart.

Now that we're apart,

you drift even farther, further.

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Dahil sa maiiksing sagot sa text messages...

Thank You (09032009)

This will be the first of what I hope will be a habit. Amidst all the negativity that I have been seeing people feel, I just wanna be more appreciative of the good things that come (w/c I hope other people would do also), for a change from the normal me. Sir Jet actually started this in his multiply site, because of the same reason why I'm starting my own version. And hello, there are just really a lot of beautiful things to be thankful for each day!

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As I am still working on Magis, today would have to be the most stressful day so far. I went to Pasay to check costumes, talked to a lot of people (well, I first had to look for them & it's really hard to look for people who do not really want to be seen), & got reprimanded a few times.

Though so, looking at the day that has been, there a some few things I really have to be thankful for, things I want to be thankful for.

1. Trip to Pasay

- I went to the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Dancers Center w/ my father to check out their costumes. We almost got lost. But when we finally got there, & when I finally got to see the famous Obusan house I've seen a lot of times already on TV, I dunno but I suddenly felt good inside. That was just a happy place. Everybody's living there together - there's the sister of the late Ramon Obusan, a couple of families, the costumes people, some friends who, according to them, likes to hang out there, a lot of dogs, a bird, & some large fishes. Take note: ALL of them are just nice (even the animals), really nice! Plus, the costumes, a lot of them just lying around, are just amazing to look at.

 

from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79571019@N00/85482004/ 

2. Hearing the UP Staff Chorale

- Then, I went to UP in the evening to talk to some people, still for the event. And, I heard the UP Staff Chorale rehearsing, as they are also invited to perform in the show. And gosh, ang galing nila! The way they sang Take and Receive just gave me goosebumps. I hope our staff chorale will be as good as them. I heard they already had a US & Malaysian Tour. How about that?!

3. The hug

- It was the first time you hugged me. And I will forever remember the way it happened. Thanks! :)

Thank You! Really...

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I will always remember this adage our teacher in economics wrote in our final long test. It goes something like - Sometimes, you just have to wait 'til night comes to realize how good the day was.

True.

Pasko Na!

I woke up this morning, not to my cellphone's alarm (as if it still works for me), but to the music a local morning show was playin' - Jingle Bell Rock!

And it dawned on me, yeah, it's Christmas season already. It's the 1st of September, September being the first of the -ber months. So, it's technically the start of the looooong Christmas season for Filipinos.

Now, besides MAGIS &  work, I will also have to simultaneously think how I would spend my Christmas. I have to plan this early on so (1) I could save money for whatever I might plan & so (2) there would be no more repeat of my past few Christmases that weren't really the best ones.

This time, I, yes I, will make sure this Christmas will be special, just like the old times.