chuvaness

"I just arrived home from Baguio earlier this day around 1 AM. Isa po kami sa 1st batch ng mga taga Manila na nakauwi from Baguio. May computer shop po sa Victory liner terminal there in Baguio where I saw someone reading your posts. Buses can only use Marcos Highway. Kawawa naman yung mga naghihintay dun at umaasa na magagawa yun. :(

Please post this. I know you have tons of readers in Baguio and this could help them.
If you want to go home, ride a cab from Baguio to Taloy, a jeep from Taloy to Agoo and FLORIDA Bus from Agoo to Manila (Cubao or Sampaloc)."

— From a kind reader

It's 1:06 AM. My alarm is set to 4 AM. Leaving for Tokyo in the morning for work.
You know me, I can't say no to Tokyo. I thought I needed this break as I've been having Post Flooded Depression (PFD) since Sept. 26. But now I'm feeling lonely about leaving the boys.

You know our house was flooded inside. It should've been a nightmare, but it really happened.
The house is in shambles. I can't tell you how much stuff needs to be fixed and is still breaking down each day.

Downstairs is a disaster area, but we have met with contractors to fix it.
Upstairs, the kitchen is leaking from the ceiling, our water heater conked out, so I have to shower in the study, thank God for that other bathroom.

Just this evening, the kids' aircon started leaking, so that has to go finally. That aircon has been a problem since day one.
Our house is just too leaky.

I just finished packing and checking in online. Had a talk with Harold over the phone about Post Flooded Depression and thoughts about austerity, compassion, holding back.
He told me I'm going to Japan and I'm gonna be tempted to buy stuff but now is not the time. It's time to fix the house first and think about other people who haven't had a change of clothes since the 26th.

I can't even begin to tell you all the stuff I've been thinking and feeling. Feelings of doom and Apocalypse and basically blaming myself for what happened to us.
I told my friend I feel like our house was flooded because I have neglected praying and going to mass.
My friend slapped me back to reality: "Akala mo ba walang nagdarasal sa Marikina?"
Sorry, I can't help it. I have been really delinquent on my spiritual life.
I have been an ingrate.

A couple of days before the flood, there was a black butterfly hovering around our living room, our deck and in the garage. I was trying to think if there was a death anniversary or special date I have forgotten, regarding either my late lola or my cousin. I couldn't think of a thing.
Then the flood happened. I felt like it was an omen.

The next few days we were all running on adrenaline, scrambling to get relief goods to the people who had it worse than us, while fearing for the next supertyphoon.

Somebody told me, had Pepeng got stuck over Metro Manila for three days like it did up North, we would all have water up to our roofs. That would really feel apocalyptic.
I think we should all watch An Inconvenient Truth again. Why didn't Al Gore run for president? Is it too late for the world?

It's time to stop, slow down and think.
Do you really need to take that plastic bag when our country looks like this?
Why does a single tablet need to placed in a plastic bag?
(How true that the purchaser of plastics at the drug store has built a house from kickbacks from the plastics supplier?)





Jeroen took the photos and the following footage in Cebu.



Please use those eco bags you have stashed in your house.

Can we carpool more often? Can we talk to our neighbors and friends about sharing a ride? Can we use the fan instead of the aircon?

I should really lie down for a bit.
I hope you're doing OK and that each day gets better for you.