» 2009 September • Wading, waking, water and willpower.
RELIEF. The moment muggy August makes its gradual departure, the moment the -BER months begin their cool descent from the north, the palpable change of weather is a warning that all things dry must soon be soaked in days of constant rain.
At this point the prudent designer––of course imagining the possibilities for the next great show––thinks of outdoors and weatherproof fabric and warp-free moulding. It is indeed wise to plan (and plan well), but perhaps only Noah could have foreseen that deluge; when they describe these as 'flash floods' the notion of the intrusively quick and unfettered force of nature comes as an overwhelming surprise.
Typhoon Ketsana [»] (Ondoy is its Filipino name) came and went like a rude, uninvited guest, sweeping its torrential rains over the capital city of Manila. I am ever thankful that Cebu––for all its sometime-humdrum––has generally mild monsoons.
But it is a beautiful thing to see so many people responding to those in dire need. Everywhere help is coming in in the form of donations, relief goods, money, ready-to-use commodities.
Sr. Luz of the Capuchin Order, whose endeavours I greatly support, and whose orphanage in Pembo Makati is located in a dangerously low-level area, remarks:
"We are alright, but our neighbors (are) not so; last night more than two dozen persons and families took shelter with us. Floowaters are receding, but we are still helping them get back (on) track...God bless us all."
Perhaps, I told her in a brief phone conversation earlier today, that is why it had to be YOU who remained untouched; it falls to YOU to be strong and to assist those who aren't.
Cirrus lounge in outdoor-resilient fibre; resembling a salva-vida, ready and steady for a good family of four to cozy into.
We call floating life preservers "salva-vida", Spanish for "saver of lives" To toss a couple to fellow humans in need (a hard downpour has resumed as we speak, a friend tells me), please consider these relief sites:
• The Philippine Red Cross [»]
• PayPal donations for Relief Efforts [»]
• Bayanihan Online [»]
(collates all information and shout-outs found in NGO Twitter pages, independent relief groups, and provides up-to-date status reports and requests from various sectors)
I remember an especially endearing quote from a childhood Sunday comic, "Peanuts." Charlie Brown, unassuming protagonist and posterboy for the modest wallflower, tells an especially depressed Snoopy: “Have you been lying awake worrying? Well, don't worry...I'm here. The flood waters will recede...the sun will shine tomorrow."
A fine torrent of hope then.
Labels: effervescent-effusions, events-ondoy, goodwill
