Random J Conversation

J and I were talking about our plans (not together, though) for tomorrow.
(Translated inyo Tagalog)
J: So san kayo bukas? Magsisimba kayo?
Me: Hindi dy, bahay lang ako. Bawi trabaho. :-(
J: Ah. Office party namin bukas mie ha, 10am ako aalis. Text lang ako. Sina mama mo, magsisimba?
Me: Hindi kasi may party rin silang pupuntahan. Ako lang ang walang party! Huhuhu! Hehehe!
J: Okay ka lang mie? Ano ba talaga? Huhu o hehe?
Me: Baliw na ako dy.
J: Kawawa ka naman.
And it's true! I really have no parties nor any events planned for December. Last year, I remember turning invitations down because I only wanted to stay home #pregnancyproblems.
But now, when I am eager to dress up and go out, I have nothing to attend! I have nowhere to go! Even our subdivision, which hold parties every year, decided not to have one this year! :-(
*snaps back to reality
But I guess I should pack our clothes and other donations so that they reach DavOr and ComVal in time. I have lots to do pa pala!
Lucky me! :-)

Pablo's Devastation

The other day, I said this:

If there's anywhere you don't want to be stuck in during a typhoon, it's coastal Surigao.

I couldn't be more wrong. Well, Surigao del Sur is already in a state of calamity, but thank God there are no casualties. But I was wrong. If there's one place (or two) you wouldn't want to be in when Pablo struck, it's Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley.

Pablo has already left our part of Mindanao, and is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility by Friday. But this doesn't mean the storm is over. In fact, for many of our brothers and sisters in Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley Province, the storm has just begun.

When Pablo hit ground, Mindanao LGUs were praised because of the preparedness; there were 0 casualties in day 1. Unfortunately, Pablo has a mean streak - almost like that friend who kisses you and stabs you when you turn your back. We were tuned in to the news yesterday, since Y was sick and I didn't work, and as of yesterday, the death toll was around 200. This was already devastating, but the numbers continue to rise. According to Rappler.com, as of this morning, there are already 325, and that doesn't even include the vast number of the missing. This, my friends, is devastation:

Photo from Rappler.com

Photo from Rappler.com

According to various reports and updates, a lot of baranggays in Davao Oriental and ComVal are almost "erased" from the map; what used to be lively communities and even tourist destinations are now wastelands and ghost towns. My heart aches when I see the children in the news, covered in mud and shivering from the cold. But those are the lucky ones. Many are still under the mud and are still fighting for dear life.

I feel so shallow - and heartless - for complaining about our power outage and intermittent internet connection. In reality, I am very, very lucky. I'm thankful we didn't feel the damage here in Davao City. I'm thankful J only had to spend one night in evacuation and has finally gone home to his family earlier. I'm thankful our yaya's family is safe in Capalong, Davao Oriental - even though we heard their small banana plantation is a total wreck.

Friends, if you have a heart, please, please, please send donations to ABS-CBN, GMA, the military, private organizations - whatever, here's a list! People in evacuation centers are badly in need of food, water, clothes, blankets, slippers, cash. I'm sure you have something to give.

On a final note, I'm not in the mood to read the updates I usually get from the blogs I usually follow. It's as if nothing's happening. I know your lives should not stop because of the calamity, and I'm not asking for your life to stop. But please, when Ondoy hit the worst of Luzon, people from Mindanao worked together to help you. That's true. Now, people in Mindanao are dying. When will you help? It's good that your heart goes out to the devastated, but when will you actually go out and help?

Of typhoons and long distance relationships

Typhoon Pablo has already hit ground early this morning. According to my research, it's only the second typhoon to make a landfall this year, next to the milder Ofel last month. (No link yet as I'm blogging from my phone; I'll put up the link tomorrow.)

I really prayed hard for everyone who will be affected by the typhoon, but I prayed the hardest for J, who's currently living in a boarding house along the coast in Surigao del Sur. You read it right. If there's anywhere you don't want to be stuck in during a typhoon, it's coastal Surigao.

I was really worried last night because J was not replying to my messages. I tried texting his younger sister, who assured me everything is fine. I wanted to convince myself, too, so I prayed. And I was able to sleep soundly.

Thank God he texted early this morning, or I would have been a wreck. It turns out they had they underwent "preemptive evacuation." In other words, they were forced to leave the place way before the typhoon hit ground. Because of this prompt action, there are no casualties in their area.

I wanted to berrate J for not going home yesterday like I told him. Instead, he stubbornly stayed for work. Of course, work was cancelled - duh. But I was just thankful that nothing bad  happened. And that he followed my advice to charge his phone and pack his things ahead of time.

I'm lucky enough to be living in Davao City, where the geographical barriers (a.k.a Apo) make it nearly impossible for typhoons to create much damage. And I'm even luckier to be living in a high place that never gets flooded. The only damage I experienced was the power outage that lasted for about 2 hours.

But the luckier I felt, the more I wished J was just staying here. If he was, he wouldn't have to experience evacuation for the first time. It's really one of the cons of LDRs, among many others. You pace back and forth because you don't have any idea what's happening, and you couldn't do anything about it, and all you want to do is be where the other person is so he would know he isn't alone. But work is there, and we need to work, so we should just wait it out.

But we are safe. In the end, the way both J and I are super safe makes me really grateful to God. Also, both of our families are safe. Prayers really work, guys. So let's pray even harder because Pablo hasn't left the Philippine area of responsibility yet. If I remember it correctly, it's not moving in the northwest of Mindanao and southern part of Visayas. More prayers, everyone. To everyone affected by the typhoon, please keep safe.

And for everyone who has a loved one living in the affected areas, pray and have faith. Good night, everyone.

Typhoon Pablo

Typhoon Pablo is already in the Philippine area of responsibility as of yesterday. It is supposed to be a really strong typhoon, a super-typhoon in fact, and would be stronger than last year's Sendong - which devastated a lot of brothers and sisters in CDO. 

As of now, various provinces in Visayas and Mindanao are already under signals 1-3. We, in Davao, are already experiencing strong winds (which I can feel from the window beside me while typing). But I'm not worried for myself; we live in a secure place that is not flood-prone and far from the sea. What I'm worried about is J, who is in Surigao, as well as his family. Heck, his boarding house is situated right beside the sea.

Surigao is already under Signal No. 3. I can't help but be worried, but I pray that everyone will be fine. I'm worried especially for J, but I really pray that everyone will be spared from the storm's wrath. 

Photo from National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council's Page

There is nothing we can do but pray and be prepared. Here's another photo detailing what we should prepare before the storm sets in. 

Photo from MinLand Foundation's Page

I already told J to prepare these things. Actually, I was begging him to go home to his family where he would be safer and, at least, be farther from the sea. He told me last night that he can't go home yet as they still have work to do. I'm really hoping the company would suspend work and allow all of them to go home safely.

To everyone reading this, especially those from Visayas and Mindanao, please be safe.

J Kwento: My Embarassing Photos

I don't know what has gotten into him, but J's pastime lately is Googling images of me on his phone. I know right? Stalker! Hahaha!

He admitted trying to do it when we weren't together yet, but he felt sneaky doing so. Dapat lang! But now, it's something he does when he's bored.

Of course, these include photos of me waaaay back. Like 5-6 years ago. I would have preferred that he sees only "pretty" pictures of me, but what can I do? I don't own Google!

He's still laughing over this:

I can't even enlarge this due to embarrassment. This photo was taken in UP Mindanao 4 years ago! I was but a teenager. Hahaha! The dress looks good, but my hair? And what's that, mapungay na mga mata? LOL! What's that, 18-year old Maan?!

I don't want to know what other embarrassing photos he has found. Poor me. Hahaha! :-)