As I’m sure all some of you know, the Philippines was hit by its first typhoon of the year and, dude, did it leave a wreck in its wake! I remember getting wind of the news (no pun intended) at around dinnertime on Tuesday evening that Manila was alerted to storm signal number 1 and I wrote it off as just another rainy night in the making. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
July 13
11:30 PM: Can hear the wind whipping and rain pouring in earnest, think nothing of it and put the Little Miss down to sleep for the night.
11:33 PM: Electricity fluctuates, still logged on to Facebook.
11:36 PM: Electricity fluctuates again.
11:42 PM: Electricity fluctuates yet again.
11:45 PM: Turn the computer off.
11:50 PM: Ask hubby to send Sophie’s photos to my cellphone via Bluetooth.
11:55 PM: Electricity fluctuates one more time.
July 14
12:00 AM: Little Miss is awakened by the sound of the wind and rain, get her from the crib and put her in bed with us (am nearly flipping out at this point).
12:05 AM: ELECTRICITY FLUCTUATES AGAIN!!!
12:08 AM: power goes out -.-
12:09 AM: Grab the pamaypay (native Filipino fan) a.k.a. one of the Little Miss’ favorite toys.
12:30 AM: Still awake, fanning the Little Miss and willing the power to come back on.
12:45 AM: Listening to My Man’s and the Little Miss’ snoring accentuated by deafening sounds coming from outside.
12:50 AM: Get a text from my sister J asking if we’re ok. Text her back to let her know we are fine and ask how they’re doing.
01:05 AM: Change the Little Miss’ clothes, hear head full of hair is SOAKING wet, as is her back even after all efforts at fanning her. Must fan more vigorously.
01:10 AM: Little Miss wakes up to the familiar sound of the fan. Hide the fan. Wait until she falls asleep again.
01:12 AM: Could swear the wind is making a howling noise. Or is that my imagination?
01:13 AM: Wind is DEFINITELY making a loud howling noise! Am more than a little freaked out.
01:40 AM: Cannot. Sleep. Wind. Rattling. Roofs. Shaking. Windows. LOUD.
03:10 AM: Still no power. Still raining. Wind toppling stuff outside causing a racket.
03:50 AM: Little Miss is awakened by the noise.
04:50 AM: No more rain. Still no power.
08:00 AM: Still no power. Decide to go to the mall.
02:00 PM: At the mall. And find out there’s NO POWER there. HAHA. Joke’s on us.
04:00 PM: Power back on at the mall, PRAISE GOD for air conditioning!
05:00 PM: Run into cousins Z and B at the mall.
06:30 PM: Dinner at Burger King. Call home. Still no power.
08:00 PM: Cousins get word that electricity is back at their place. Decide to go with them. Call sister C to make plans for sleepover in case power doesn’t come back on at our house.
09:30 PM: Call home. Still no power. Decide to go home to pack for my sister’s.
10:00 PM: The Little Miss asleep from the car ride home. Decide to stay home and TOUGH. IT. OUT.
JULY 15
03:12 AM: Wake up. My turn on fanning duty. Read text from sister C that power was restored at Mom’s house at 10:45PM.
08:10 AM: Still no freaking power.
09:30 AM: Decide to go to Mom’s and spend day (and night) there.
10:30 AM: Arrive at Mom’s house. Ah, blessed electric fan and Playhouse Disney channel!
11:30 AM: Naptime with the Little Miss.
01:00 PM: Wake up to read text from My Man who went back home. Still. No. Power.
04:30 PM: My Man arrives with cousin Z.
05:30 PM: Mom gets home from work. Suggests that we spend the night.
06:30 PM: Watching the news. No word as to how long restoration of electricity will take in affected areas.
06:45 PM: Cousins Z and B go home.
08:00 PM: My Man calls home. Say it with me. STILL. NO. POWER. Grr.
08:30 PM: My Man decides to go home and leave us at Mom’s.
09:10 PM: Shower before getting ready for bed.
09:35 PM: Get a text message from My Man that reads: “THANK GOD, ELECTRICITY RESTORED!”
FINALLY.
45.5 hours without power. I growled with impatience. I whined and shook my fists at the injustice of it all. I was upset at the fact that we had to cart the Little Miss off in search of comfort. Then as we were watching the news last night, I was forced to stop and look at the bigger picture. I hung my head in shame.
The storm claimed 39 lives, and some 47 people are still missing.
I was inconvenienced.
They lost loved ones.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in one’s own world, no? To act like the world revolves around you. I think about all those men and women who are now mourning. My heart goes out to them – to the mother who lost her 8 month old son in a landslide, to the parents of the kids who died in their sleep when a large tree crashed into their home. I also cannot help but be thankful that unlike theirs, our experience was but a mere annoyance, a blip in our established daily routine. I am reminded once more to never take anything for granted. And to always, in every circumstance, be thankful.
