and yet another one

Please continue to pray for the Philippines as SUPER typhoon Parma/"Pepeng" is on its course to make landfall by noon tomorrow, Oct. 3. As you know we have not fully recovered from Typhoon Ketsana/"Ondoy's" onslaught last Saturday where many towns and cities are still submerged in murky waters. Typhoon Parma is said to be stronger than Typhoon Ketsana and already, Ketsana had brought an amount of rainfall that doubled the amount that Hurricane Katrina brought to New Orleans.

It's a disturbing prediction that Parma will be stronger than the two, our land is already saturated in water, it wont be able to hold as much rainfall.

BUT, we are bracing ourselves for the worst, staying positive and holding on to prayers. People are evacuated to safer grounds while most are already staying at the evacuation centers citing that there's nothing "Typhoon Parma" could take anymore, since they've already lost their belongings to Ketsana. (and need I still say, they were chuckling while making that statement?) ^^ ahhh, the Filipino spirit,

"we always smile at things despite whatever things."


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bad yesterday.

We were struck by a typhoon yesterday here in Manila among nearby cities and provinces, the worst in 42 years! We all thought that it's going to be OK, at least as far as I know, we just let typhoons come and go without it affecting our "busy" work life in the BIG city. We never cancel a day on the job just because there's typhoon. Our buildings could withstand them besides the occasional flood that happens on expected below sea level areas, the city goes on with it's life.

We thought that the rain will eventually stop by the afternoon in time when everyone from work gets home, but it didn't, the rain came from dawn yesterday till the morning of today, worst is rising above 12-ft. in some locations. People got stucked in traffic in raging flood, some in their balconies waving curtains and bedsheets for the rescuers to spot them, some climbed up their rooftop drenched in cold rain with no food and without their belongings, some helplessly looking for their relatives, for kids especially whom they left when they'd gone to work.


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My husband and I are safe and dry. We got no work on Saturdays and our apartment building is located at one of the highest points in the City though our address brings a lot of panic to our families in the province since Pasig City is one of those cities that's been badly hit, the city is mostly submerged in water but our location is one of the few spared. We thank God a lot, almost in tears! We were supposed to transfer to a bigger place and looked in one of those homes that were unfortunately submerged up to the second floor! Our would've been neighbors perched onto their rooftops awaiting rescue.

We had no electricity though, our cellphone batteries were running out, we were eating canned food, our small apartment is lit by just one candle ... and we find humor in that amidst the calamity, that our apartment is indeed tiny to realize that we could brighten the surroundings by just one candle. ^^ WE texted our friends and relatives, relayed numbers that could help people in need like the numbers for the RED CROSS and TV networks that went on patrol. My parents texted me that I have relatives in different location that were stranded in their homes and might need rescuing, of course I feel bad that I couldn't do anything but pray for their safety. Well, that's all what we are unless we're RED CROSS or the Marines, we cannot go out and save the day. Our mortality smacked us in the face.


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Everyone is equal.

No one is rich or poor, celebrity or ordinary ... a famous actress was being interviewed on top of her mansion, ridiculous! How could they? Why don't they just airlift her, she's lost plenty for sure. MY rich cousin, had all of her Ford SUVs underwater and god knows whatever things she had swimming away with the flood... doesn't matter anymore. This is the worst that has ever befallen them and their properties but, she didn't care. All of her family are safe and that's what matters.

I'd rather go live simple you know and be happy with life from now on. Although I never did live large, I think I'd better not wish for more than what I can carry up my roof! BE grateful that we survived... I know we did for a purpose.

Stay safe everyone.
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mabuhay

the small city we left for the BIG one.

We're up north once again to the BIG city where my husband and I created a life away from everything we knew, grew up with and fond of. Everything is just the way we expected, busy streets, ongoing traffic, gigantic billboards, the buzz of a busy CITY life, 24-hours non stop.

WE arrived yesterday to a happy warm weather at 10:16 am exactly as the Pilot says we'd land. How convenient, 45 minutes of flight from my province to Manila. You know we used to take an overnight travel by bus for almost 13 hours with just two 20 minute break to stretch and eat at stop overs, we like the old fashioned way of coming and going by the BUS... but! that was when we were 'younger' - energetic and crazy for long road trips, especially when sitting side by side and cuddling all throughout the 13-hour ride not feeling any bigger hassle than just lining up for the comfort rooms. Well, at 28 we are past that phase if there's an easier way to anything, we'd be using that regardless how much we pay for comfort! Indeed it was worth it, I felt super nothing like when we take the bus that I felt like I had a 12-round boxing match with Pacquiao the next day, we even went to work minutes after we arrived! ... ^^ haha well...Sorry if I'm sounding like a person from Mars who hasn't heard of the Wright Brothers ever inventing this bulky, winged vehicle that flies. Actually, it's not my first time to travel by air, I've been to some parts of the world and back aboard the biggest aircraft there is... but my experience of leaving my hometown to the BIG city that took only 45 minutes by flight means a lot to me more than any of those other flights I took...it means that I am just that close to my roots and that I didn't get emotional of leaving the neighborhood I grew up with compared to how I'd be able to think and wallow for the rest of the 13 hour ride...the quick flight wont even let me gather my thoughts! It was too fast of a ride that I'm still beaming with happiness as my parents drove us to the airport and kissed us both goodbye and 'till we meet again.^^

A reckoning, that we must take this fast flight off the soil that makes us weaker ... maybe not weaker but SOFTER. You know, it's a different world out here in the BIG city.

Snapshots: Tokyo - Part 2- people and places

wedding march

bride

wedding guests

wedding procession around the temple

don't mind the camera guy!

glimpse


temple

wine for the gods

Spiderman's view

tombstones

obviously Japanese!

Tokyo lights

Cityscape Tokyo Tower ^^

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credits:

Husband

Japan

Snapshots: Tokyo - Part 1

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Photos that haven't seen the light of day since 2006!^^
Location: Tokyo, Japan

I never liked him anyway.

Jeez, he's such an A** that Kanye West.



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oh well!!! Nevermind the video doesn't work anymore, it's gone on Youtube, I guess such rude attitude doesn't even deserve publicity for Kanye West.

a day in the life of me.

So there I was in my most unflattering look for the site...literally clothed not "dressed" like a guy...I cannot be in my posh-iest outfit as you know being in a construction site is not the most glamorous thing! BUT, after this "technical" stuff, we will all go back to this same site for viewing in business outfits as if this never happened!

a gloomy rainy day to make things become a bigger challenge...mud on my shoes, mud on my shirt...err, *hubby's* shirt, and mud on my pants...
my boss and I,discussing numbers and halves of numbers, the panels were perfectly aligned at this stage, bravo! ... I'm still wondering at that time how I was able to climb up the scaffolding when it's slippery and I'm too coward for heights!
with my team mate doing some affirmations...he's a good guy, easy to work with, never complains and talks in a low-soft voice, who wouldn't like that! He never argues with me!^^

view of the unfinished product! It's a mock-up of what the actual facade of the building will look like.
some notes from the big boss!

...AND wrap up! Bring on the next day! :)