The Year That Was.

Usually something with a title like this would indicate the end of the year or perhaps mark the beginning of a new one. Albeit there are still two months before the official end of 2009, I wish it would come sooner. The year that was has definitely been difficult for many. Not only did 2009 open with an economic crisis, things spiraled downward quickly for many. A lot lost jobs, Mother Nature proved her prowess, and many important and influential figures passed on.

Despite all the difficulties and trials of the year, I'd like to believe the year that was also gave us something to be happy and proud of. At the end of the day, no matter what it was that came my way, I know 2009 made me realize how truly proud I am to be Filipino.

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Emergency Preparations for Every Home...and Car.

With the country still reeling from the onslaught of Typhoon Ondoy, people all over Manila are frantically preparing for what is now predicted to be Super Typhoon Pepeng. I never used to heed typhoon warnings much, mainly because I used to think I live in a flood-safe neighborhood. However, this weekend's events made me rethink my assumptions. I'm sure all those who were taken by surprise last Saturday never imagined what would have happened, right? In fact, if it weren't for the fact that I slept through my alarm, I was all set to leave my house for a day of work thinking it would just be another ordinary rainy day.

As I watched the news unfold, I started to realize that with climate change being what it is, I have to rethink a lot of things. I decided my best defense here is being prepared for what ever Mother Nature throws at me.

I decided to make a emergency kit for both my home and my car. Thankfully, I have a whole bunch of freezer sized-Ziplock plastic bags which helped me waterproof a lot of things! I have a bag with some extra clothes, one with medicines, another with photocopies of important documents. I also put in one of those thick candles, a box of matches, a flashlight and batteries in one bag. Toiletries and cleaning aids (alcohol, wipes, disinfectant) in another. I put these all in a big box near my door so I can grab it in case I need to flee. There are also some canned goods in it, crackers, a gallon of water and one of the air mattress adjustable beds my mom brought home from her last trip to the States.Oh, and of course, at least two days worth of food and biscuits for my dog.I hope I never have to use this box in my lifetime, but it helps to be prepared, right? Save for the bed, I have similar supplies in my car's trunk now. Of course, with much smaller quantities.


Other suggestions for emergency preparations include the following:
1. Rope. I saw a lot of this being used to protect against currents last weekend.
2. Tools (like a wrench) to help shut off water valves.
3. Duct tape. Why? Because I'm a big fan of duct tape!!! Seriously though, these suckers are just about good for anything.
4. Rehydrating salts or oral hydration tablets.
5. Copies of prescriptions and the like.
6. Toys, books and entertainment stuff for yourself and kids, if you have them.

I'm sure there are a lot of other things that may come in useful during an emergency. I suppose finding what you need and value personally will be an important factor in planning out your disaster preparedness kit.

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Bringing Back the Joy.

Whenever I check out my Facebook updates, or perhaps tune in to the news, my heart bleeds for all those affected by the wrath of Typhoon Ondoy. There is a pain and sadness in their eyes, a sense of hopelessness and despair for many. For others, I feel encouraged and inspired when I hear them say I know I can start over. There is a long road ahead, not just for rebuilding homes but also rebuilding lives.

While the forefront or the main line of defense at present understandably is the need for food, clothing and shelter. However, closely behind this is the need for psychological support and debriefing. I came across this photo in my FB account and I would like to share it with you:

 Let's all get together and help bring back the joy, yes?

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Homes Vs. Mother Nature.

This weekend the Philippines witnessed the wrath of Mother Nature. The powerful the typhoon that hit the metro, many are left homeless. As technology has changed, so have the way we have lived our lives. On a personal level, I never imagined that homes of today would lose a battle against the forces of nature, what with
fireproof walls and insulation, waterproof safes for important documents and gadget, and even good pest or subterranean termite control.However, I realized we are no battle for a deluge like what has happened over the weekend, especially given the reality of climate change. In a perfect world, we would not have tragedies like these. But like I said, that would be a perfect world. At this point, one lesson I learned over this tragedy is how important it is to be prepared. As of this writing I am trying to gather things to donate and find ways to support my less-fortunate countrymen.However, as soon as I have the time, I will prepare an emergency disaster kit for my home and in my car.

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Flood in the City.

I woke up with the sound of the pouring rain. I have always hated the rain, but today, I think I hated it more. Despite me being safe and sound in my home, I saw how the rest of the city was inundated with water. Major thoroughfares were submerged in deep waters, some going as deep as 6 feet. Even the campus I teach in is under water. This storm really hit hard. I am amazed at how the even Makati, the business district, is under water.

The floods and bad weather has prompted the government to declare most of Luzon under a state of calamity. The city streets are like raging rivers. Light vehicles have been rendered useless, as have SUV's. Yup, even SUV's have not been safe from the floods.

At this point, many are seeking rescue. If you need help, contact the National Disaster Coordinating Council Emergency Nos.: 912-5668, 911-1406, 912-2665, 911-5061.

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Bling it On.

Last August, I attended a surfing event and won a nice necklace from one of it's sponsors. Unfortunately, it was for men. I was slightly disappointed because I had no use for it, and I had thought my brothers (who are the only men in my life at the moment!) would not be interested at all in it. However, when I showed it to them, they quickly asked for it. I had no idea that urban jewelry was their thing nowadays. One of them even proceeded to tell me that what he wanted for Christmas was to get his ears pierced.

Personally, I never really liked jewelry in men, especially big chunky ones. The only piece of bling that I found suitable for men were watches. I think it's because I used to associate them only with gangsters and the like. However, as I observed a lot of the musicians and personalities in media, I think I was proven wrong. Perhaps I may not yet readily embrace hip hop watches, sparkly diamond studded pendants and men's bling watches at this point in time, I suppose they're not as bad as I thought they were. In fact, as I tried to look around the web for some, I was pleasantly surprised that they are tasteful and to some extent, they can actually be classy. In fact, I would actually consider giving jewelry to my brothers for Christmas. I think they even would look good for men in the workplace! Apparently, my assumption that hip hop and urban jewelry were too gangsta is way wrong!!!

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Pet Vacations.

One thing that keeps me from going on vacations is the fact that there are very few places I can take my Bubba to. There are days when I'd like to check into a hotel and just relax but when I remember that he can't come along, I decide not to. Lucky for us, I discovered one place that allows me to take him with me: Balai sa Laiya. I love the fact that he is welcome there. So as not to wear out that welcome, I make sure to bring along my trusty scooper for his poop. The staff are also quite nice to him!

I first discovered Balai two years ago when I was going through a rough patch in my life and needed to get away. I had heard that Laiya was a nice beach within two and a half hours of the city. I Goggled "Laiya" and found lots of resorts in that area. However, because Balai had the easiest map for me to follow, I decided to give it a try. The first trip I took was on my own. Since then, I have returned to Balai many times. It became even more a favorite when I found out Bubba could come along. I'd like to believe he enjoys the beach as much as I do, despite our traumatic first experience hehe. The first time we went he cut up his feet so badly climbing up some rocks. Now I know better and have gotten him a pair of dog shoes to protect his feet. I can't wait till October so we can take our trip to Balai once again.

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An End to Prank Callers.

When I was younger, my cousins and I found it amusing to play prank calls on random people. Now that I am an adult, I realize how annoying it can be for the person being called. We also used to play a game we called "ring and run". We'd ring doorbells in the neighborhood then run as fast as we can so as not to get caught. I'm sure we would have gotten in a lot of trouble had we been found out.

Today, it is so much easier to catch pranksters. Homeowners and businesses can now easily Trace Phone Numbers. This can help them get a hold of the prank caller and perhaps report them to their parents or to the authorities. Compared also to the traditional phone book or yellow pages, having a site like this makes looking up numbers easy because with just a click of the mouse, it's all there! Can you imagine having to scour your yellow pages for a number?!?

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Applesauce.

Sadly, my little Apple (that red-shelled Mac that I love so much) seems to be turning into mush. I am so hoping that she isn't at the end of her rope yet and that some refrigeration (aka reformatting, reinstalling, upgrading or whatever) will soon fix her up. I have loved every moment with her, despite my initial trepidations about shifting from a Windows OS to Mac. I'm starting to hate seeing that wheel of death turn relentlessly as it tries to catch up with what I want it to do.

Much as I love Apple, I kinda wish I had the bucks to buy her silver-lined cousin (one of the new MacBooks). I'm not really rooting for a MacBook Air, but if for some reason, manna falls from heaven I would gladly accept it!

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At the End of the Rainbow.

You know that saying, that there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Well, I sure hope there is and that I find one! That definitely would be a fabulous find. In the meantime, if you are a serious coin collector, it would probably be a better idea to buy a gold coin rather than hope that you come across a magical pot.

I wonder, however, if to buy gold is a good investment though. I kinda worry about scams and fakes that are around. I have heard about these scams when people buy bullion or bars. I think it would help if one went to a reputable seller or site to buy gold coins.

If I had extra money, I may consider investing in some of this. I read in Wikipedia that the performance of gold bullion is comparable to that of stocks. I'm still trying to understand the difference between the two, but perhaps it would be a good idea to buy gold bullion rather than stocks, especially in this extremely unpredictable stock market.

Any advice?

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Rainy Days and Mondays.

Like the Carpenters' song says, rainy days and Mondays always get me down.

Yup...after the relentless rains and a string of holiday-Mondays, I find myself in that proverbial dark place. While I do love waking up late and lounging in bed, I can't help but have thoughts of what I'm doing with my life creep in.

I don't know what it is about rainy days that really get me down. Perhaps it's the gloomy aura of the sky, or perhaps the bitter chill it brings after incredible humidity. The sudden flooding and perpetual wetness is nothing to smile about either. The only upside to the rain is that most of the time, I love the way it smells.

I think there's only one solution to this: I need to go to the beach. For some reason, whenever I am basking under the sun's glow, things are just so much clearer.

What about you? When you find yourself in the throes of stress and are feeling anxious, restless, depressed or what-not, what makes you feel better?

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Online Safety.

Recently, I was interviewed for a local television show about stalking. In the Philippines, stalking may not be as scary and as big of a problem as in other countries but it still is a concern for many individuals. Given today's modern technology, another form of stalking that has emerged and has actually caused a lot of problems with my friends is cyber stalking. Even kids in the school I teach have fallen victim to some form of stalking or bullying online. This also seems to open up the avenue for identity theft as well.

At this time, especially here, there is little we can do to safeguard ourselves from stalkers online. Some social networking sites have means of protection, but blogs, for example, may have less protection. If there is one thing I can do, however, is to Track IP addresses of those who leave scary or inappropriate comments in my blog. This way I can ensure that predators are not on my site. Also, by tracking these addresses I have the capacity to block these unwanted voyeurs and spies on my sites.

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