My Ondoy (non)Experience

If I hadn't watched TV, nor heard from friends and family, I wouldn't have thought that the recent typhoon ONDOY had had wreaked this much havoc.

In Dumaguete, the worse we had was a light rain that went on for most of the day...

Turning on the news showed that in Manila, and provinces in Northern Luzon, whole houses were already submerged in water, with all types of vehicles already being dragged by the raging flood waters.

I have a lot of friends and family in Manila, so naturally, I got very worried. This is an unproductive type of worrying, I know, because since I'm way out here, I really can't do anything but worry, which I did ( It was like rocking furiously on a rocking chair, but going nowhere...), and PRAY... Eventually, I'm going to donate, but really, it doesn't help if you know that there is a probability that people you know and love, are, heaven forbid, wading around...or worse, swimming around in floodwater (or on top of their roofs!).

It's so surreal...One of my friends said that for around 4 hours she was sitting in the car with her 6 month-old son, as the flood waters were starting to rise around there pick-up truck. I have a soft spot for babies and kids, so you could just imagine me being such a worrywart over these things. I have a cousin in Makati who also has a young infant, but I just checked, and he said that although the waters did rise, they were safe and dry in their next-door neighbor's two-storey house. (Maanne, Mae, JF, Maylah, Auntie Marlene, I hope you guys are safe too.)

Most of my worry has been unnecessary, I suppose, but i usually worry about friends and family that I can't do anything for. Even for that pesky typhoon Frank last year. I worried. And that was very unnecessary (and a fat lot of good it did for me too.)

And so, all the relief efforts have gotten me all fired up, and like my dear altruistic and ever socially-conscious friend A. from Quezon City, I want to help too. I wish I could do something more medically-inclined, but for now, since there has been no major catastrophe in Dumaguete where I'm from (thankfully), the least I can do would be to donate.

The Bayanihan spirit is so contagious... I am especially proud of the selflessness of our people who are helping in the relief effort. I am amazed and inspired.

God Bless you all!

~ SONIA

-> Bravo to my friend FG for being proactive, and designing his house the way he did. :-) Go Chaleco power!

(Photos by: GMA and Static.co.stuff.nz)