Undoing that Needs to be Done

After days of continuous rain and classes being suspended, I took the time to catch up on sleep. Yes, that adorable and glorious sleep! The one thing that I dreaded when I was a kid is now a much coveted thing now that I'm an adult.

Going back to rain, the past weeks found the Christian community praying for rain because of the dry spell and seemingly imminent water shortage. Well, God did hear us because we did and still have rain. Funny thing is, God gave us rain but humans create floods.

Most parts of the city are flooded. Noticeably, the areas that were before flood-free are now experiencing flood. As I see parts of the cities affected by the non-stop rain, I can't help but heave a sigh of relief and at the same time sigh with resignation. Relief because we are fortunate that our place is not under water. Resignation because it seems there will never be a solution anymore to the city's drainage system.

Instilling discipline and educating each and every citizen is a must if we want a solution to this lingering flood problem. Residents near rivers or creeks should discard the bad habit of throwing garbage to the water. And I'm not singling out the ones living near rivers, even the regular guy or gal out there should cooperate.

Takes a lot of undoing if you would ask me.

Sweating it out this Summer 2007

The summer heat has been so unbearable lately that almost everybody, given the choice, would avoid the scorching rays of the sun. Weather forecasters reported that this summer is the hottest season ever to hit Manila. Tuguegarao's temperature reached an all time high of 38 degrees. It is so humid that just 5 minutes after stepping out of the shower, you will start to sweat.

Most of us would seek refuge in our air conditioned rooms or offices, eat ice cream or halo halo, take countless showers to cool our bodies or even go to Baguio or Tagaytay. But what about those who do not even have electricity in their own homes? The poorest among the poor in Metro Manila would be the ones who would really take the beating of summer. In the slum areas where water supply is very hard, residents there can not afford to take a bath as often as they would want to.

Thus, think twice everytime we feel like complaining about the heat. We should count ourselves fortunate that we have the capacity to cool ourselves whenever we want to when our less fortunate brothers have no option but just to get a cardboard, fan away the heat and just bear it.

The Nearness of Summer

March is almost over and summer is indeed here. Its presence can be felt everywhere. The scorching heat makes you want to head to the nearest beach, pool or mall. Summer is the season where time passes slowly but you hardly recognize it. Memory banks can easily be filled during summer that one brings as he grows old. The trip to the beach, the visit to the province, or just bumming around makes one welcome this season with open arms. The stillness of the surroundings at 3 o'clock in the afternoon makes you wish it will last forever. It makes you want to lay back and let time fly. Hmm, the smell of summer is really here.