Ondoy

We were at Pudong International Airport last Saturday afternoon when I and my colleagues heard the news. I heard about the typhoon earlier that day but I initially did not mind. Typhoons come and go in the country. Unlike my colleagues who were longing to come home to their families (they were both married), I did not mind if our flight back was delayed.

But when I learned about the flood, that's when the danger of the typhoon sank in. Ondoy was not an ordinary typhoon and it was hurting Manila in an unprecedented scale. Suddenly, I wanted to get home to check for myself how things were.

The flight back was relatively safe, considering the weather towards the country (I think, PAL pilots are really quite good). For the first time, however, it took more than an hour for us to de-plane once we got to the Centennial Airport. We just 'parked' somewhere in the airport and remained seated all that time. Flights were delayed and there was no available tube.

Arrival Section - Centennial Airport

The moment passengers finally stepped inside the airport building, an announcement about all major routes to/from the airport were closed/not passable greeted us. For not knowing how the way to my place was (I knew our street was flooding thru a call from a friend), I chose to stay in the airport. I slept on the baggage conveyor. I knew though that I had better fate than the ones I saw on the net who were braving chest-deep waters. (I got home at 4am the next morning; our plane landed at the airport at past 8pm.)

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The damage was heartbreaking. As I watched TV news reports, I could see the grief, the helplessness. Tragic.

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I know it's a waste of energy, but I must say it: the government did not rise to the occasion. I know, I know. I know it was too big a disaster to totally be prepared for, but please, what little the government could do was just too little. And some, too late. I doubt the government (national and local leaders) took disaster preparation seriously. I've never heard of projects for it. All I heard were election fraud, shady business deals, houses in the US, fancy dinners, questionable statements of assets/liabilities, etc. The list is long.

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Was at Whitespace this afternoon. Wanted to volunteer as packer for relief goods. There were a lot of volunteers there already. I helped pack a few bags but it seemed that the goods to pack ran out. Since there was nothing much to do, I headed home after staying in less than 30 minutes.I'm hoping to do further volunteering this Saturday.

Oh, Lord, bless my country.

All Set

Things are ALL SET for tomorrow's trip. Just finished packing. Love the new red luggage I bought. =)

Things are also ALL SET for the coming elections. It's Noy-Mar then. As long as I don't see those squirm-inducing commercials, I'm liking Mar more. Wharton grad pala ang lolo mo. Bongga!

Also bought my Pilipinas shirt (collezione) and I-am-Ninoy shirt (penshoppe). Go, go, go May 2010! I've just never felt this much affection for the country. And I'm happy to discover the love.

Shanghai

It's nearly midnight, and I'm so sleepy and tired (two nights of abnormal sleep do that to you), but I can't stop researching about Shanghai (I'm going after all). I couldn't help but assemble an idiot's guide to the city. Key word: idiot. I'm just nearly totally lost about the place. As I read and read though, it's getting really interesting. I think, I'm quite excited now.

Go Taylor!

Dear Kanye,

I condemn what you did to Taylor Swift at the MTV VMAs. So unforgivably heartless. Where was your soul? Your manners? Your sense of right and wrong? Do you even know what 'respect' means?

If you disagreed with Taylor's win, that is up to you. Unfortunately, those who voted (did you even vote?) thought otherwise. If you have a problem with the voting, bring it up to MTV. You had no right to grab that mic from Taylor and humiliate the girl on national TV. Humiliate, Kanye. Humiliate. If you didn't realize that, where were your brains?

I hope you get what you deserve.

Without any love,
dojski

Katy Perry is Coming to Manila!

I couldn't believe it at first. Katy, the artist I came to know before the country realized and came to appreciate her talent, is going to perform in Manila?! Amazingly unbelievable! But it is true. And I am so excited!

For the Unfamiliar: Katy is known for her controversial hits "I Kissed a Girl" and "Ur so Gay", as well as "Hot n Cold"; her outrageous outfits (e.g., she wears fruits, literally); and her 'wild' image. But there is more to her than all these: her album "One of the Boys" contains some very thoughtful, sensible songs (Thinking of You, Lost, Fingerprints), the entire album is quality music, she's a songwriter, she's smart and witty based on interviews, and she has real vocal talent. My guess is, all the outrageous stuff about her is just publicity. Inside, she's a serious, sincere music artist. ;)

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Birthday came and went, and as usual, reflections about what my year has been and what direction my life is taking are the central theme of the occasion. I continue to be a work in progress. But I know better now than to take that against myself. It's just how it is: as long as you breathe, you are never going to be "made". You will remain a journey. The key is to keep trying to live the best life you could.

Lunch with colleagues was relatively low key and so was dinner with friends. I wanted it that way. And I am especially thankful that all whom I invited came to dinner. It was a wider circle of friends this time and though intimate talk could not be expected from such, I achieved the purpose of gathering them together as appreciation for being a part of my life. When you are getting older, you tend to be more appreciative of people and things. I wanted to celebrate my friends on my birthday. (Family was is in the province. =)
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My Tita, whom I talked about in this post, passed away yesterday. So my planned trip home for October will have to come earlier as the funeral is this Wednesday. Rest in peace, Tita.

09/09/09

Today marks three special events. First, today is amazingly a triple nine: 9th September 2009 or simply 09/09/09. Cute, isn't it? ;)

Second, Noynoy finally said his piece. He's joining the 2010 presidential race. I admit I have my reservations as regards his performance as a senator but as the ever-sharp Conrado de Quiros points out, this country needs a leader that is more than just an impressive resume. At this point, I also declare that Noynoy owns my vote. And it is given willingly. The personal agenda of the rest of the presidentiables are too obvious not to notice. They are just out there to advance themselves. Noynoy presents THE alternative. Therefore, there is nowhere else to go. I hope the best for him. And the country.

And third, today is the last day I am able to say that I am 28 years old. Yes, 28. And yes, again, this is the last day. So, allow me one more time to say it: I am 28 years old. Tomorrow, it will be a lie to say that.

I am 28 years old! =)

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Photo credit: Inquirer

Coron Stories

There are a lot to tell. But I'm too tired to do so now. Instead, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

very tricky way to barracuda lake

photographic kayangan cove

one side of the twin lagoon

amazing kayangan lake

Bumpy Ride

We almost did not make it.

The plane was supposed to leave Manila at 9:40 am but due to "bad weather" in our destination, our flight was put on hold until further notice. After what felt like 20 minutes though, our flight was finally called and we were set to board.

Length of entire plane

It was a small plane. Probably the smallest I've been in, ever. But since only such planes fly to Coron, they're the way to go. Accepting this fact, however, did not mean forgetting what small planes entail: a bumpy ride.

And indeed, a bumpy ride it was. Things were all right up to about 30 minutes into the flight but when we got near the Coron (Busuanga) airport, we were treated to some semblance of a roller-coaster ride. That was fine. As long as the plane does not actually crash, I don't mind such weather disturbances.

What was not fine was the pilot's announcement: "The weather has deteriorated. We will stay suspended on air for 20 minutes but if the weather does not improve, we will fly back to Manila". Charming.

I could see anxious faces scanning the reaction of fellow passengers. I think, people were more worried about not reaching Coron rather than the plane crashing. Those people included me.

Minutes into the ultimatum, the pilot declared that the airport has cleared our plane for landing and I just knew everybody collectively heaved a sigh of relief. When the stewardess announced the touchdown, a joyous applause erupted.

cleared for landing

And so, goes the story of our onward journey. Adventurous, at the very least. And we were not even in Coron yet. ;)

At the Airport

So much for previews. I've been so busy, I could no longer further surf. ;)

So, since today is THE day, let it be. I'm just so excited. Looking forward to swim in the lakes, just like the one above (Kayangan). And wow, the domestic airport today surprisingly was almost deserted, the moment I got in, I was first in line for the check-in.

Waiting for the flight...with lovely and ann! =)

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Photo credit: sleepygirl25 (virtual tourist)