Hello GLENDA

Candles keeping us company

Hello GLENDA.

I was waiting for you. They said you were going to be super and will wreak havoc to where you will land in the region of Luzon with Metro Manila being part of it. We are actually used to your kind. Back in 2006, we had Milenyo. Not too long ago, although the hit was in the Visayas, we got the world talking about us with the strongest that ever hit this Earth that brought Tacloban and other parts of the Visayas region to a total ruin. We had yolanda

I prepared for you, glenda. I learned from the experience of the yolanda warning. I kept myself informed with your whereabouts through TV, radio and the internet.  I charged every useful gadget to their full power - cell phone, rechargeable flashlight and transistor radio. I made sure we had enough supply of food, water and cooking gas. I had all the windows closed. Then I prayed. I prayed that in case you start wrecking our roof and destroying our home, like what yolanda did in the Visayas, I asked God to take over. Honestly, I was not sure what to do when THAT happens. I was going leave everything to God.

They say you have left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and everything is clear and calm now. It is even sunny as I write this. For me, though, you are still here. We haven’t had electrical power since your grand entrance in the evening of July 15, 2014, Tuesday.  It’s been almost two days.

Well, guess what, from my point of experience, there are things that I thank you for, glenda:

• My baby girl, Biel, was sent home from her dorm in Mt. Makiling, Laguna, so I got to be with her this week
• My baby boy, Alonzo’s classes were suspended for this week so I got to kick out the alarm clock
• There was some kind of “party” that went on in our neighbourhood after your grand rain and wind show. We all came out to clean out all the leaves that left a mess in our houses
• I learned how to cook rice without the automatic rice cooker
• Monitoring the electrical supply situation, I listened to the press conference of Meralco over the transistor radio. This is what I learned - there are 3 stages before electricity reaches its consumers:
• GENERATION - the power supply itself from the power plants run by the government
• TRANSMISSION - the transfer of the power supply to MERALCO
• DISTRIBUTION - MERALCO providing the power directly to the consumers
• Knowing who my real friends are

Yes. this is my attempt to turn the negative to positive. Glenda, no typhoon, no disaster, no problem that is possible while I am on earth will get in the way of my happiness.  Oh yes, I want to be happy and I choose to be happy. By the time I go and leave this world, I will be HAPPY.

But I am keeping my feet on the ground. I know the effects you’ve caused us dear glenda. This powerless situation is one of them. I heard you partied the hardest in the province of Quezon,  As in any disaster, deaths and missing persons reports have been logged in. Our already ailing economy has been hurt again. You shared the limelight with the PDAF and DAP controversies!

Again, this may sound off, but I want to say, once more, THANK YOU glenda. Be on your way now. Henry, the next storm, is taking over. I will also be carrying on. I have my life to live amidst all you storms of all kinds out there.