Help for the Typhoon Sendong Victims

from website:http://www.redcross.org.ph/donate

I had arrived  in my hometown just a day before, when I heard about the flood in Cagayan de Oro City. I saw pictures and the devastation was extensive; vehicles being washed into rivers takes my memory back to the footage I saw on the most recent tsunami in Japan. Just less than 24 hours before it happened, I was at the airport waiting to get home; was even worried that all the flights to Mindanao would be cancelled but due to some fortuitious event, the expected Philippine Typhoon (codename: SENDONG) Signal No.1 was not declared till about 4PM that same day. I arrived at about 10 in the morning by the way. I was even glad I had beaten the typhoon on its path. I found out about the extent of the damage caused by the calamity the day after and it was overwhelming, aggravated by texts from people I know on that same day who happened to be located in the areas affected, with one very close friend in Dumaguete City, Negros Occidental who was still able to text me while she and her family were saving the things they still can grab. Good thing she saved her cellphone first, that way she was able to let her friends know otherwise we would all be very worried.   

In this connection, let us extend our hands to the people not only in Cagayan de Oro (the area with the most number of deaths) but also to all the areas affected. This is the first time parts of Northern Mindanao and Visayas have experienced this kind of tragedy as normally these areas are not on the usual path of typhoons.  

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I am posting here some websites links for ways we can help:

http://www.redcross.org.ph/donate  >>> Philippine Red Cross website

http://www.istorya.net/forums/general-discussions/460987-istorya-net-operation-sendong-donation-drive.html  >>>  iStorya.net forum

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=261131883947025  >>> Facebook page

http://naffaausa.org/typhoon-sendong-how-you-can-help-with-donations-and-information/  >>> National Federation of Filipino American Associations


Let us do our part. Let us make Christmas ever more the season of sharing and giving.

It's The Most Wonderful Weather of the Year!

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It's the most wonderful time of the year!(To the tune of the christmas song with the same title.)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFtb3EtjEic

 

 

We are now having cooler weather thanks to the trade winds coming from the Northeast, the "Amihan". This is such a welcome respite from the hot humid one we had the previous months, and fewer storms and typhoons at this time of the year too!

The country's weather is at its best this time of the year they say, when the "-ber" months start. This is the time for longer walks in the morning even as late as 8 A.M. when we start to feel the good ol'e Sun getting uncomfortably warm every minute. I think this period of cooler weather ends sometime as late as March or even the first weeks of April when the hot summer takes over again. I also notice that during these months my head is cooler than it usually is, I get fewer allergy attacks (by the way, I have lots of allergies, which I would be blogging about soon), my electricity bill of which airconditioning occupies a considerable part of the consumption, is cut in half; people are more carefree than they already are and also, fewer crimes I guess. I hope I'm right on that last part. <chuckles> I do not think it is only due to the magic of the upcoming Yuletide season; I believe the weather is the prime denominator.

Till next time,
<signed> The Callcenter Boy