America in Asia

It's been a few weeks since my quick trip to Guam, and I always forget to write about it. Maybe the reason why is the fact that I was just there overnight, and that the entire thing was a blur. It felt like Manila-zoom-airport-zoom-hotel-zoom-office-zoom-GPO-zoom-airport-zoom-Manila.

As the magazine in the Continental Airlines flight put it, Guam is "America in Asia." After staying there for a day, I'd say it's a pretty accurate assessment. Part of me felt like I was in the US, and part of me felt like I was just in Subic.



Architecturally, it looked a lot like the Subic and Clark airbases. Wide roads, low houses, the tropical trees, and of course, the beaches. Part of Guam also reminded me of suburban California - Hayward, to be exact. While I was eating at McDonald's in Agana, I felt like Auntie Aning's house was just a few minutes away.



Guam, as my colleagues tell me, is a very small island. And this was confirmed by the fact that we were actually able to go around the island in a few hours. While I was looking at the map of Guam, I realized i've seen it from tip to tip.

But of course, staying in a small island has its perks. Like the view.



My hotel had a great view of the sea. Note that it wasn't just any sea, but the Philippine Sea.



The feel of the hotel was very Shangri-La Mactan Island. Complete with the white building and the on going construction.



The highlight of this short trip was being able to indulge in "American consumerism." I was able to eat at Denny's - which is my favorite Diner. Then there was the late night run at K-Mart, where I was able to buy these goodies.



Ah yes, happiness is Twinkies, Ho-hos and Pop Tarts.

For tourists, no visit to Guam is complete without dropping by Guam Premiere Outlets. Since I was a tourist, I just HAD to drop by. After all, it's where two of my favorite stores are located.





Like I told my colleagues, I'll make sure that my next visit to Guam will be longer. That should give me more time to eat at the other fast food joints, visit more malls, order more breakfast platters at Denny's, and do some more BCBG shopping. Things that I usually do when I'm in the U.S.

It's just that now, the "U.S." is just 3 hours away.

Fun Flashback

While searching for references on youtube, I stumbled upon this MTV from the 70s.



This video is Da Bomb! Although it was from the 70s, it's a video that this generation can listen to and have fun with. And why do I think it's a fabulous MTV? Let me count the reasons:

1. It's VST! They're one of the coolest bands that the Philippines ever had. They came in during the "Manila sound" era, and they've got the sound right down pat.

2. "Tayo'y Magsayawan" is one of my favorite VST songs. Alongside it is "Sumayaw, Sumunod" and "Rock, Baby, Rock." These are videoke staples whenever we go out for a mean videoke session with friends.

3. The video is SOOOOO 70s. The saturated colors, the fashions, the aviator shades, and of course - the hair! Also, the police were still wearing the old PC (Philippine Constabulary) uniforms. All these elements added together equals = groovy!

4. It's full of campy cliches. The people dancing in the street, the dancing groom with the irritated bride, and my favorite - the stern looking nun who ends up tapping her feet to the beat. These are the scenes real MTVs are made of. Hahaha.

5. And my topmost reason, it was shot a few steps away from our office. While watching it, I noticed Pioneer House and Corinthian Plaza - two buildings along Paseo de Roxas that are still standing upto now. While I walked to Greenbelt 1 to buy lunch, I couldn't help but look at that spot and think: "A few decades back, VST and a host of fun and campy dancers were shooting a video right here."

Maybe the VST can do a remake of the video, and shoot it like they did in the 70s. That would be A LOT of fun.

Three cheers!

In our clan, November is one of the "birthday-est" months of the year.* There are 3 birthday celebrators - my nephew Kevin, myself, and Ate Bullet. And since Kevin and I celebrate our birthdays a day apart, our celebrations usually overlap. Like what happened this year.



Since it's Kevin's 18th birthday, he's legally allowed to drink. So Ate Bullet and Raymond brought out the vodka, wine, and some other alcoholic beverage for everyone to enjoy. And judging by how everyone was hamming it up in front of the camera, there was a lot of enjoyment going around.


(Yes, the man in the Jabbawockeez mask is my Dad! He's our resident funny guy.)

The day after Kevin's birthday was my birthday, and we celebrated with a family dinner in Makati. It was a bigger group since Kuya Marv, Mark, my sister-in-law, and nieces were there as well. We had a nice dinner at Masas, then meandered around Greenbelt after. I think Mark now knows where the shopping gene came from as Dad was weaving in and out of stores the entire time.

Two days of birthdays is definitely something to be cheerful about. And there's one more November birthday to look forward to!

* December is the other "birthday-est" month with 3 celebrators as well - Mom, Dad and Ate Lissa.

Wheat-ty

The past month or so, I've found myself addicted to Rebisco Wheat Crackers.



I actually tried it out by accident. I thought I picked up a pack of Skyflakes at the supermarket, but when I got to the cash register, it turned out to be a pack of Rebisco. Not wanting to go back to the far away aisle, I ended up buying it. And it was such a great decision.

The taste is savory and not too overpowering. The wheat bits leave a nice texture in the mouth. Plus, it makes you feel full rather than feel stuffed. And, as Paula's script says: "It's big in taste and big in benefits."

How can you not enjoy a cracker like that.

Cool Kids

After their recent collaboration with Vena Cava and Alexander Wang, Gap is back with another capsule collection. And this time, it's with Stella McCartney! But before everyone gets excited, this capsule collection is exclusively for Gap Kids. (Maybe there's an adult line in the making...)



The pieces are simply adorable. They have a fashion edge, but still tailor fit to little boys and girls. It's not trying hard to make kids look like little Stellas. It just takes elements of trends, and transform them into kid friendly clothing. Take for instance this Leopard print tunic. Animal print shirts are big in the U.S. now, and they found a way to make it more adorable by using knit fabric.



But my favorite of the lot is the band jacket that this baby is wearing. It's SO Sgt. Pepper meets Michael Jackson. The design and ornamentation are chic, but it doesn't look too grown up. I can see Javier wearing this ensemble.



I wonder if they'll make this collection available here in Manila. If they do, I'll be the first in line.

Three-mendous

Britney's got a new video! And it's her latest single from her soon to be released greatest hits collection (which I'll no doubt buy). This song, entitled "3" debuted at No. 1 in the billboard charts, giving Britney another record breaking musical feat.



The song is catchy, the video is just ok. (Coming from concept driven vids like "Circus", "Radar" and "If U Seek Amy", this one looks very straightforward.) It's a purely dance video, and it reminds me of early videos from Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul.

That notwithstanding, I think Britney looks phenomenal in the video, especially in her opening sequence where she looks glowing.

Because it's such a monster hit, I'm sure she'll be singing this on the next leg of her concert tour. And yes, I'm still hoping that she brings "Circus" to Japan so I'll get another chance to catch her tremendously successful concert.

The Blair Bitch Project

Blair Waldorf is one of the reasons why Gossip Girl is such a hit. In fact, I ADORE Blair (And I'm not just saying that because I technically work for her. Harhar.)



She's a very polarizing character. Some people hate her for being such a bitch, while some people love her for that innate feisty-ness and those memorable lines. (My recent favorite was a line that Blair told Lily Bass: "Where did you learn to give pep talks? Guantanamo Bay?")

The great thing about Blair is that she blurs the line between villain and victim. When she's being bad, you can't help but hate her. But when she's being pounced on, you immediately feel sorry for her. And when Season 3 started, she's been pounced on again and again and again. Sometimes I just want to go inside the screen and give her a big hug.

And speaking of bitchy Blairs, I'm reminded of my other favorite bad girl Blair - Blair Warner from "Facts of Life." Well, she wasn't exactly evil, but compared to her goody two shoe friends, she's the baddest of the bunch.



Hmmm... now that I'm thinking about it, "Facts of Life" and "Gossip Girl" had a lot in common. They were set in private schools, there were cliques, they both had resident tomboy-ish hotties, and, of course, the presence of Blair.

The scriptwriters of Gossip Girl should bring back the old Blair soon. I'm beginning to miss her. While they're at it, can they do something about Chuck's signature scowl? It's beginning to look tired.

I know what you did this Halloween

And this is what we did. We watched a scary movie.



It wasn't just a scary movie, it was a movie written and directed by a colleague of ours. This independent film was shown in Galleria a few years back, although I wasn't able to watch it since I was still based in HKG then. Good thing Anjie has a copy, so we organized a Pre-Halloween-Horror-Movie-Showing party at the office.

Good thing we watched it during the daytime. Watching a scary movie like this on Halloween night... not a good idea.

Happy Jappy

The Japanese come up with the happiest, and sometimes silliest, of songs. But having been to Japan so many times, I understand that it's just in their culture to create things that are aesthetically pleasing, eventhough those things seem to have no rhyme or reason.

These songs are perfect examples. These are two of the Japanese pop songs that I can keep listening to over and over again. Sure, I can't understand them, but the beat and melody makes me happy.

The first song is by Shonen Knife, the band who gained worldwide recognition for their rendition of The Carpenters' "Top of the World." Here's a song about - of all things - Banana Chips. It was Mark who introduced me to this song, and he'd sing the chorus when we were in Japan.



The second song conjures up a lot of happy and fun memories. It was a hit in the mid 90s, and Kuya Ers and I were fans of the song. Later on, it was used in anime shows, variety shows, and even a beauty pageant. (I'm sure Kuya Ers remembers this.) Two years ago, we also used it as a peg for a commercial we did.



Ah yes, nothing like Happy Japanese songs to fill up a humdrum midweek.

New Cheap Thrill

Mister Donut's chocolate crinkle Swakto donut is divine!

The donut is soft, moist and crumbles in your mouth. The powdered sugar sticks to your lips and tongue and dissolves soon after. It's much, much better than an actual chocolate crinkle.

And the best part is, it's just P5.00 a pop! Cheap thrill! Just a caveat, though, you can probably finish 10 in one sitting. Which is what I'm most likely to do.

I wanted to take a photo and post it here. Unfortunately, I can't resist finishing them immediately.

We'll always have Parisian

A few years ago, the brand Parisian had a bad rap. It was better known as the shoe brand that was "low-priced and low on style." (Which is actually a euphemism for cheap and ugly.) For the stylish set, Parisian was a non-entity and no one really bothered to check it out - much less buy it.

But just as SM has undergone a remarkable make-over the past few years, Parisian has slowly been changing its look. If you go through the racks of Parisian shoes at any SM branch, it's easy to see that there are gems among the rocks that are scattered about.

Not only have they been abreast when it comes to trends, they're able to tweak and translate them into something more marketable. Take for instance these black booties that I got today:



Open toe booties are on every trend list this fall. Both local and international magazines are putting it in their "must have" list. Parisian's version has interesting criss cross straps that give it a rocker vibe.



According to Ate Bullet, the material is soft and very comfortable. Which makes the trend easy to wear.




Studs are also on InStyle's list, and SM also has a brown studded bootie that's a beauty.



The sling back bootie has a chunky heel and is covered in grommets. Despite it being studded with hardware, methinks it can go well with a dress.



This pair, along with the black bootie, can very well go head-to-head with the Aldos, Zaras and Steve Maddens of this world - design-wise. If you look at it price wise, it costs 70 - 80% less than its branded counterpart.



With this kind of design at this price point, I wouldn't be surprised if Parisian will soon be on the "must have" list of fast fashionistas.

Worth the trip

It was a very short and quite tiring trip. In fact, I felt like I didn't even leave.

But there were a number of things that made that very short and quite tiring trip worthwhile. Among them: finally meeting my colleagues from the head office, buying my favorite American goodies at K-mart, eating at Denny's, and - of course, this:





"This" being a Max Azria Runway dress that I got at their GPO outlet before I went to the airport this afternoon. It's not just a dress, but it's an exquisite, precious and gorgeous dress. My heart skipped a beat when I saw it on the rack, and it skipped some more after seeing the price.



It's made out of taffeta in tartan with inserts of plain burgundy. The construction is just mind blowing, just look at the details on the bodice. The shirring is so precise.



The back has an exposed zipper, which is a trend that's been around since last year, and is still making the rounds this season. This gives the dress that raw, rock and roll vibe.



The skirt is gathered in 3 different places. When worn, it creates this interesting shape and texture. Overall, the dress brings to mind Vivienne Westwood - this feels like something she would make. And wear.



I know the perfect pair of shoes for this dress. It's a pair I spotted a few days ago, and it'll definitely make this dress rock! Now I need to make that trip and get those shoes tomorrow.

Shop talk

It's amazing how you can find people who are interested in shopping in the most unusual places. I spent almost 10 minutes talking to an immigration officer about great places to shop.

Ah yes, the perks of being shop-knowledgeable.

Hallow-wedding cake

One reason why I enjoy organizing weddings for friends is the fact that I get to design their wedding cake. Whenever we settle on a theme, and they give me a free rein on the cake design, I quickly bring out my sketchbook and sketch away. Then, I show the sketch to Ate Bullet and Raymond, and ask them if it's feasible. If it is, then I let them do their magic.

I think the first wedding cake I designed was for Kuki & Reno's wedding. It was a Tiffany blue cake with ceramic-like flowers on the side. Last week, I ran into Jan in Greenbelt, and he introduced me to his wife as "the guy who designed our wedding cake."

In my "cake designing history", I've done a number of unique cakes. The more recent one was Ivy's wedding cake, which had a light house and two fishes standing in for the bride and groom. And a few weeks ago, another beautifully unique cake joined that roster.

When Ia talked to me about her wedding cake, her brief was simple and straighforward - she wanted a halloween pumpkin. Since her wedding was in October, the idea was perfect. So, we agreed on designing and creating a cake that was fun, unconventional, humorous, and, of course, had a pumpkin.

As usual, I showed my design to Ate Bullet and Raymond, and our collaboration resulted in this:



It was more awesome than I expected it to be. It had the pumpkin, three pumpkins to be exact, and lit from inside. But aside from that, it was also within the autumn theme of the wedding, thanks to the leaves surrounding the pumpkins. And since pumpkins carry the autumn colors, it was a perfect match.

I just love it when collaborations result in something so beautiful.

Hussein is what I'm sayin'

A few years ago, I had this "ukay" phase. Madz, Claire and I would rush to the ukay place in front of Robinson's Galleria after work, and would spend hours just poring through the racks in search for interesting finds.

After almost a year of being fascinated with the hunt, the novelty disappeared and s did my interest. It's been more than 3 years since I've last ventured into ukay territory.

Today, I decided to check out the ukay place near our house. The reason why I dropped by was more of curiousity, because the store now stands where the Daily Supermarket branch of Dexter's used to be. A few minutes in the store, and my eyes widened because of what I uncovered.



Yes! It's an actual Hussein Chalayan dress! Hidden in between racks of distressingly dowdy frocks.



After describing the dress to Arnie, her remark was that it was "so Hussein." The fabric is navy cotton treated with spandex, which gives it stretch and shape. The style is like a t-shirt/sweater dress that has a layered effect. It looks comfy enough for fall, and I assume that's the season when this was made.

The skirt is made up of interesting and random pleats, and again, this is so Hussein.



My students are still avid ukay fans, to a point that they even have a euphemism for it. For them, "ukay" is "treasure."



And after finding this Hussein Chalayan dress in an ukay place, I can't help but agree.

New Jerseys

Space is one of those "hit or miss" brands. Unfortunately, they've been "missing" the past years. I've noticed that whenever they had interesting designs, the fabric would be dowdy or unappealing. Whenever the fabric was nice, the design would be negligible. Because of this, their store isn't really on the agenda whenever I drop by Robinsons.

Lo and behold, they have a semblance of a hit this time. It came in the form of a couple of jersey tops that caught my eye as I passed by.



It's hard to go wrong with cotton jersey - it's t-shirt material for crying out loud. What's nice about their collection, as well as this selection, are the little details that make each piece interesting.

Take for instance this blue tunic. The sleeves are extended, and that fabric connects to the hem.



That construction creates this "fin" effect and it looks like there's a vest on top of the tunic.



This brown top looks shapeless and boxy on the hanger. But after seeing it on a mannequin, it changed my point of view. It has this dolman/batwing sleeve thing going on, and the armholes are exaggerated.



Look at it from behind and you'll see an overlapping drape that gives it an interesting shape. After examining the piece, I realized that modest people should wear it with a bandeau, lest exposure is your aim.



The 3rd piece rides on the zipper trend and does it nicely. They're positioned in such a way that it still looks current even if the trend exits the fashion world.



Finally, this simple jersey t-shirt which has very detailed sleeves. The fabric is gathered, creating a bubble effect. But it doesn't stop there.



There's a knot on the sleeve and there are two armholes. I'm not sure if it's designed to be worn two ways, but in any case, any way would be interesting.



While each one had attractive details, the more attractive part of the garment is that it's on sale. This weekend is the Robinson's Grand Markdown Sale (free plug!) and that instantly slashes 50% off the price. Now who wouldn't grab the opportunity to grab these cool clothes made of jersey.

Classic with a twist

It's one of the most common phrases in fashion parlance. If a person runs out of words to describe a piece of clothing, the "classic with a twist" line always works. (Similar to the advertising industry's "Authoritative yet friendly" and wine drinker's "It's a good year.")

On my trip to the haunt today, I found this dress which is the embodiment of this overused line:



This sheath is made of a soft and elegant wool material. The color is gray, and is actually a result of the melding of the black and white wool. The fabric is almost "tweed-y", but without being too nubby. The cut and construction are both very classic, and it's the type of dress that goes from day to night.

And where's the twist?



The twist is literally a twist. The neckline has a twisted detail that makes the silhoutte very fresh. Subtle details like this always catch my eye, and that's the reason why I couldn't get my eyes off this piece.

Reality of tragedy

We were on our way to Chapel on the Hill for Ia's wedding when Mark received the bad news. One of the people who died in the tragic landslides in Benguet was someone we know.

Toni was a "kohai" or freshman at IUJ when we met her. She was a member of the "library gang", or the group who would stay at the IUJ library until the wee hours of the morning - writing their papers, doing research and being diligent students. I met up and interacted with her a number of times while I was in Japan. Toni had a very vibrant personality - light hearted, very animated and chatty. Mark said that she was also a pink lady - her bag, laptop and school paraphernalia were all in this hue.

When we found out that she, along with their house and 3 other family members, were buried during the October 9 landslide, the feeling was a mix of sadness and disbelief. It's already difficult when you see stories like these on the news, and it's triple or quadruple times more difficult when one of the stories has someone real - someone whose face you know, and whose face you can still see.

My heart and prayers go out to Toni, her family who survived the tragedy and will have to live with this huge loss, and to her friends, especially the Pinoys in IUJ who was her family in Japan for 2 years.

Vodia-ville

And Kamiseta continues its winning streak!

As the MRT passed through Guadalupe, I noticed their new billboard was up. Petra Nemcova was no longer there, and she was replaced by another supermodel, Natalia Vodianova!

If the 90s had the Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer triumvirate, year 2000 and beyond had Petra Nemcova, Natalia Vodianova and Doutzen Kroes. Among the 3, my favorite - face and body wise - was Natalia. Calvin Klein obviously had the same admiration because she soon became the face - and body - of their brand.



Of course, she's not this brazen in her Kamiseta billboard. True to the brand's image, she's more girly and sweet. Not surprisingly, she pulls it off, which is why she's a supermodel.

I hope they put up the new in-store posters of Natalia soon. That's something to watch out for.

Golden Boy

In my case, one of the best indicators of how time flies by so fast is seeing my nephews and nieces grow up. One minute, you're carrying them around, giving them baths, taking them to Dreamscape, and buying them toys for Christmas. The next minute, they're college students in the U.S., starting to reach my height, and talking with baritone voices much lower than mine.

While I was busy with reality (i.e. work, school, and yes, shopping), my nephew Kevin didn't just grow up, he grew up kicking major butt as a member of Ateneo's judo team.



He's competed in numerous UAAP tournaments, and won.



He added another gold medal to his haul today, and I found out through Ate Bullet who excitedly texted me a few minutes after his victory. (And uploaded these photos a few hours after.)


He definitely has a long way to go in terms of his chosen sport - maybe even all the way to the Olympics!

Pray time

First, we had Ondoy in the Philippines. It sank major areas in Metro Manila and left a death toll of around 246.

Yesterday, a tsunami hit the Samoas. It leveled towns and, as one of the survivors recounted, "came like a big, black wave that ate everything up." As of latest report, they have 149 reported deaths, and the number is expected to climb.



Today, another earthquake came to the already earthquake struck Indonesia. Like the first 2 tragedies, it caught a lot of people off guard, and the number of fatalities is currently at 467. But they're expecting it to rise, much, much higher.



Times like these when Mother Nature is challenging our faith, let's all call on Father God to help us get through these.

Common Mistakes

For a country that's known for our English proficiency, I'm surprised how we tend to repeat certain grammatical and spelling lapses. Sometimes, I think it might just be a typographical error or an editorial lapse, but when I see it more than 10 times, that's another story.

Take this news article in one of our websites, for example.



I'm not sure if he wanted to say "wrecked" or "wreaked havoc", but as it is, it looks like the writer mixed up the words can came up with a hybrid. Even some of my students make this mistake, and I point it out immediately. Looks like no one pointed it out to this writer.



Another common mistake is the use of "Sneak Peek." Gosh! Yesterday, there was a Plains & Prints sign that invited people to check out the "Sneak Peak of their Fall 2009 collection." I wanted to get a pentel pen and correct it immediately. There's another billboard along EDSA that made the same mistake. IN A BILLBOARD FOR EVERYONE TO SEE! Someone call the copywriter, quick!

People should start to take a sneak peek at our lesson plans to prevent these things from wreaking havoc.

Post Ondoy blues and counting your blessings

Our faculty group in St. Scholastica's started contacting each other the minute the flood hit. Some of us were in school, others were at home, still some others were at home. But thanks to mobile technology and mass communication, we were able to keep in touch as if we were beside each other.

Now, 2 days after the flood, we once again shared each other's stories via email. Most of the stories were those of flooded houses, floating furniture and frantic calls. I had my own "surreal and first-of-its-kind" experience during this flood. Rose and I promised to write about it as soon as we had the opportunity, and this is the story I shared with the faculty.

=============================================

Saturday started out like any ordinary day. It was raining since the night before, but when I got to Taft around 7am, the roads were normal. I asked Evelyn if there was any word of classes being suspended, and she said no and that things were pretty normal outside. My first class ended and at around 10:30am, I went to Mini-Stop to buy a drink, again, normal and clear outside.

At 11:30am, my class was interrupted by the news that classes are suspended by 12 noon. By the time my classes ended, the walkway to the faculty room was already filled with water. My things were still up on the 2nd floor, and thankfully the guy in charge of locking all the doors was able to get my bag and umbrella.

Upon arrival at Pergola, the place was already swarming with people who couldn't go out because Leon Guinto was already flooded. Pedicabs were offering to shuttle people to Taft for P50/person. Students were wading across the street to Mini Stop hoping the water would subside soon. Rose and I were waiting along with students, parents, staff and co-faculty, still hoping to go home.

By 1 pm, the water found its way from Leon Guinto into Pergola. People had to move farther and farther away as the water went higher and higher. The parking lot was already flooded and covered half of the tires. Water reached the information office and Amrhein gallery had puddles inside. Because of the rising water levels, creatures of every phylum and class were crawling out. Shrieks from students could be heard as centipedes started swimming about. A cockroach even found its way into my pants! It was already on my knee by the time I realized it was there. Thank goodness I'm not squeamish.

At around 1:30pm, the nuns started giving out crackers and candies, and a few minutes later, started serving lunch. This was when it hit us that we might be there longer than we would've wanted to. But like everyone in Pergola, we were still hoping that the water would subside and we'd get to go home.

Thankfully, Ellen was there and she gave us updates as they came. She was tirelessly coordinating with Sr. Tammy and bracing for what looked like a massive evacuation.

By 4 pm, our open field officially became an Olympic sized swimming pool. The canteen became an island and could only be reached through makeshift bridges(made of benches), and everyone had to be evacuated to the 2nd floor of the high building. At that point, Rose and I accepted the fact that we'd be spending the night in school.

We were all assigned rooms: two for female students, one for the male students, another one for the faculty and another for the staff. Some of the male faculty - including myself - were staying with the boys. They were gregarious, very noisy, and constantly hungry.

Night fell and it was still raining, the water was still rising, and everyone was talking about how a flood of this magnitude has never happened in SSC. While the "adults" were busy contacting family and trying to find a way to watch the news, the "kids" were happily walking around the corridors, meeting up with their friends and treating the entire thing as if it were a "retreat-meets- soiree."

According the the guards, there were around 800 people in SSC that time. Aside from the college unit, there were students and teachers from the HS unit, some night school students, and some kids who were there for the entrance exam. Even after "lights out", the school was still buzzing with activity.

I woke up at 4am and saw that the rain finally stopped, and the water inside SSC already subsided. Leon Guinto was still knee-deep in water, though.

The sun rose at around 6am and everyone saw the school grounds were finally dry. When I opened the window to look at this sight, I thought to myself: "So, this must've been how Noah felt when he saw dry land." It was a feeling of relief, happiness - and of course - thankfulness that the entire episode was over.

While hearing about the devastation that Ondoy created in Marikina and Pasig, it made me realize how we were blessed by being in the situation we found ourselves in. We had a secure shelter, we were dry, and we were being fed regularly. We were given a dry (albeit hard) and airconditioned space to sleep in, and supplies to get us through the night.

Another "blessing" that night was Ellen herself. Apparently, she wasn't scheduled to go to SSC that Saturday, but decided to drop by. Rose and I were saying that she was "sent" to SSC because there was a mission waiting for her there. She really made the "evacuation" process very efficient and orderly - along with all the nuns and staff who tirelessly cooked and arranged everything for us.

In the morning, Ellen asked me if I know the story of Sts. Scholastica and Benedict, and my reply was I didn't. Apparently, St. Benedict was scheduled to leave and St. Scholastica was convincing him to stay, but to no avail. So St. Scholastica prayed and asked for a way for St. Benedict to say. The rains came and kept St. Benedict from leaving and he was able to spend more time with his sister.

This was probably St. Scholastica' s way of taking care of us. If I stubbornly pushed through with my plan to try and go home - I would've probably spent the night in the middle of the street: trapped, drenched and hungry. But because it rained hard, and I stayed, I was in a better situation.

As everything starts to "sink in" (pun intended), I'm thankful to hear that all of us are safe. We each have our own stories to tell, and the fact that we're here telling our stories is already a huge blessing from above.