Lift your head... baby, don't be scared... of the things that could go wrong along the way.
From pleasefindthis:
You are 10 000 angels, standing in the rain (10 000 angels, treading water to remain).
So Earth, stay firm.
My fire, burn.
The sky, to fly.
Sweet water, subside.
10 000 angels waiting for the sun (10 000 angels, each and every one).
Wax on wings.
Till hope it brings.
To rooftops on high.
Till sweet water, subsides.
from twitter: pleasefindthis: Because the elements owe me one. And I wish I could've done more for my friends in the Philippines than just retweet emergency information.
Stay strong, Pilipinas.
Have a video. A picture. An article.
Donate: Paypal; The Philippine National Red Cross || Information
We checked on our Las Piñas house last Sunday. Again, we were extremely lucky. I think I mentioned before fearing that the small leak I discovered in my room would have given way. I swear on the way home my mind was producing endless mentals of a gaping hole in my ceiling, a ruined bed, a flooded room, my computer all wet and all my notes and papers from college drenched. It even crossed my mind, what if even my bookcase was damaged? What if, despite being at a totally different side of the room and elevated until it reaches the ceiling, water still somehow got to it?
But again, like I said. I was very lucky. Every spot inside our house was dry. We opened everything, closets, cupboards, shelves, checking for possible leaks from the ceiling. Along with that, we gathered what we can give for donation. Clothes, blankets, beddings. Dad actually went all "... all this?" At mom cos it seemed like mom emptied one of our storage closets completely. Her only answer was we could always go shopping later, haha. Oh mother.
We ended up at the City hall, cos the local chapter of the Red Cross was closed when we passed by. We did see a couple of guys in Red Cross uniforms there though, which was good. I was kinda amused how dad didn't want to give our donation at the Petron gas stations we passed, even if I told him countless times all branches were accepting relief. My dad doesn't trust twitter D:
Remains of the flood were everywhere. Garbage. Endless garbage piling up the streets. Abandoned cars lined some areas too. Mud, of the gray/black kind, unlike the one in Marikina, which was brown. One Petron looked like they needed the relief themselves. Some establishments had their furniture outside. Couches, appliances, all unusable. There was this melancholic feeling hanging over the city. And Las Piñas wasn't even one of the drastically affected areas.
Come midnight, I gave in to the paranoia plaguing me since Saturday. I texted about 1/3 of my phonebook. If I hadn't succumbed yet and gotten a Facebook, I would've texted more than half. If they're online, if they can manage to take those irritating quizzes and spread news about Ondoy, then that means they're okay. Maybe not 100% okay, but I'll take what I can get.
I haven't gotten replies from everyone, and I'm trying not to dwell on it. With almost every area reported in the news, I can think of at least one person I know living there. Some of them I'm not close with, some I haven't talked to in years. You know how sometimes you're in this bubble, wherein you think 'nah. It won't happen to anyone I know.' But it does. I just hope and pray none of those over 200 dead victims include someone I know.
One friend wouldn't be alive if it weren't for the strangers who helped her bear the strong rapids from the overflowed river. One friend lost everything. Their house had waters up to the roof. His dad says they're back to zero. One got stranded in UST, and he spent the night there, sleeping atop the lab tables. A whole lot more were stranded in their dorms and apartments, living on instant food for 2 days (but then if you're a Thomasian, this is like a common thing, lol. Been there, done that).
The stories from the ones I know here in my part of Cavite are less drastic. People here are used to flooding too. It shouldn't be considered normal, but in reality it is. They don't bat an eyelash anymore at knee-deep water. They're experts in saving and salvaging what they can. They're quite good at cleaning after too, I might add, haha.
But as I said, I just can't get over it. I can't grasp what has happened. Everytime a news segment comes on TV, I freeze and just stare. Shivers run through me, My throat closes up. I've been nudged a couple of times by people just to remember what I was doing. That blog entry up there? Made me cry when I first read it.
I'm not even affected directly in the first place. All my family is accounted for. No one was stuck on a roof.
But I mean, really. How can you get over something like this?
*i'm going to leave all ondoy-related entries public. there can never be enough spreading of information.
** this may be me asking for links to happy and cute and shiny and fandom-y things. because no matter how much i try to distract myself in fandom, it just doesn't work.