One Stormy Night
The year was 1981. The date was December 23, two days before Christmas. My family were all gathered inside our small hut, trying to keep ourselves warm and listening to an old battery-operated radio.
Outside, the wind was howling and there was heavy downpour. Looking up our nipa thatched roof, it was obvious that the strong wind was trying to blow it off our house.
My parents decided to prepare an early dinner. Then suddenly we heard a loud crash in the kitchen where my father was. A coconut tree fell, broke the wooden trusses, and landed right on the spot where he had just gotten a bowl of rice. My father managed to escape, unscathed. With our kitchen crushed by the fallen coconut tree, we prepared to evacuate immediately and seek shelter in a neighbor’s house.
The typhoon, which my mother recalled was Dinang, vented overnight all its anger on our small island-town. The next morning, we learned that it took the lives of some townmates and left many families homeless.
When afternoon came, a military helicopter landed in our town. I trooped together with other children in the neighborhood to where it was. We were excited to see a helicopter for the first time.
When we got to the site, many people were lining up. It turned out the helicopter brought donated relief goods for our town. I remember lining up with my friends and happily walking home with some cans of corned beef, packs of milk and noodles, and a liter of oil.
As the church bell rang that night, on Christmas eve, we thanked God for our noche buena: corned beef and hot noodles. It was a very simple Christmas eve celebration which my family held squatting on the floor with only a candle lighting us. But it was something that my family will always be grateful for. We prayed for blessings for those generous faceless souls who donated relief goods so we can have something in our stomach on that dark, cold Christmas eve. It was a meaningful experience, one which was to become a constant reminder for me to never lose hope in other people’s compassion and generosity.
On this note, I urge you, my dear blogging friends, to continue supporting the victims of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. A little help goes a long, long way. Volunteer if you can. Give out if you can share anything. A lot of bloggers have come up with their own initiative, including the people behind Barrio Siete. And please, please pray for all the victims.
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The photo here shows the flooded street sign just beside the place where I spend most of my time when I am in Manila. Photo courtesy of a friend who was trapped inside that place when Ondoy battered the metropolis.
nice shot..^__^ super thankful talaga ako kasi di kami nasanlanta nung dalawang bagyong dumaan..God is really good unto us.
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Nortehanon Reply:
October 14th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
You are so blessed, iha.
Keep that grateful heart.
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i see ondoy and pepeng as teachers… we should learn from them…
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nortehanon Reply:
October 19th, 2009 at 11:47 am
So true, hab. So true. Napakaraming dapat matutuhan from these two typhoons.
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wow! what a story miss n. i love the way you recounted your experience!
i can only imagine what our fellow Filipinos are going through, yung mga nasalanta. all i can do is help and pray for them.
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nortehanon Reply:
October 19th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Maraming salamat, kg. Sobrang naka-relate lang talaga ako sa victims ng Ondoy dahil madalas kaming mabiktima ng bagyo. Taga-Samar ako eh. Talagang daanan ng bagyo ang lugar namin.
Malaking tulong ang prayers for the victims, kg. Maraming salamat sa dasal para sa kanila.
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Nakakapagod si Pepeng at Ondoy.
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nortehanon Reply:
October 19th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Hi AC,
Sana ay maging maayos na lahat. Don’t push yourself too hard. Talagang mapapagod ka. Sana ay humupa na agad ang baha sa inyo, lalo na sa bahay ninyo.
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ang mahalaga eh safe tayo…
and lets be thankful for that…
GodBless miss n…
btw, medyo natakot ako dun sa shot… ang taas ng tubig ha…
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nortehanon Reply:
October 19th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Yes, Yhen, marami talaga tayong dapat ipagpasalamat.
Oo nga, nakakatakot. Mabuti nga hindi ako na-trap sa place na yun. but my friends were. At halos wala silang makain kasi hindi na sila makalabas and the place has no canteen.
God bless din, Yhen. Ingat lagi.
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what a memorable stormy of christmas of yours it was!.. txs for reminding each and everyone to keep on helping as possible.
the pix is morbid.. RGDS.
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nortehanon Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 9:54 am
Hi AJ,
Salamat sa muling pagdalaw dito.
Yes, it was indeed, memorable.
Oo nga, parang morbid nga. Actually the water went higher than the street sign pa.
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God bless us…
davao, my hometown, is fortunate not to experience typhoons and horrible floodings…
let us all pray for the victims of calamities…and let us bring farmville and farmtown to reality.
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nortehanon Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 9:56 am
hehehe tama ka po, Father. It will be wise to bring farmville and farmtown to reality. Sana’y magkaroon ng hilig ang mga bata sa totoong buhay at hindi lang sa virtual avenues.
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Fr. Felmar Castrodes Fiel, SVD Reply:
October 21st, 2009 at 11:10 am
korek! alarming kasi ngayon na puro na lang farmville at farmtown ang kinahihiligan ng marami. puro virtual games lang ngunit sa totoong buhay, di man lang makapagtanim kahit isang puno.
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nice story. thanks for sharing..
be safe…
God bless
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nortehanon Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Maraming salamat, Kapatid. God bless you, too.
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“I trooped together with other children in the neighborhood to where it was. We were excited to see a helicopter for the first time.”
I can relate to this
While we were young, hindi natin masyadong naiintindihan kung ano ba ang nangyayari sa paligid. For all we know, ang mga bata ay aliw na aliw sa mga bagong nangyayari sa paligid nila.
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nortehanon Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 9:58 am
hehehe, totoo po. tandang-tanda ko pa kung gaano ako ka-excited noon na makakita ng totoong helicopter
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i think i remember that street. that’s somewhere in sampaloc, right?
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nortehanon Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Sir, sa bandang Quezon City na po ito
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Ang sarap talaga dalawin ng blog mo. Nakapag-back reading kaagad ako ng walang ka-effort effort. Ang sarap kasi talagang magbasa ng posts mo Miss N. Kapag natatapos ko ang isa eh gusto ko pa ulit ng isa hanggang sa nabasa ko na lahat ng mga na-miss ko.
Pero nalulungkot pa rin talaga ako sa mga ganitong post about Ondoy. Hindi namin naramdaman ang epekto nya kung saan ako nakatira pero sobrang apektado ako sa lahat ng mga bagay na nakikita ko sa telebisyon at computer. Mahirap mawalan ng mga ari-arian dahil lang sa sakuna. Lalong pinakamahirap kapag nawalan ng mahal sa buhay dahil dito. Ang natural na tao ay magagalit kaagad sa taas at magtatanong pero siguro mas maganda kung lalo na lang magiging matibay ang ating paniniwala sa kanya.
Ang ganda ng naging experience nyo kay Dinang. Naging safe ang buong family nyo at kahit mahirap ay naging masaya dahil sa relief goods on Christmas eve. Ang sarap basahin ng mga kwento mo Miss N. Hindi ako magsasawang bumisita rito at pumulot ng aral.
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nortehanon Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 10:12 am
emilayskie!
Na-miss kita! Kumusta ang school? Kumusta naman si “Boss” mo
Thank you for your kind words. Nakakataba ang puso. Maraming salamat sa pagtitiyagang mag-back read.
Yes, sobrang nakakalungkot nga ang nangyari sa dalawang bagyo. At tama ka na sana nga ay patuloy tayong magtiwala sa Kanya.
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“never lose hope in other people’s compassion and generosity.”
ang ganda nitong reminder mo na ito & salamat sa pag-share ng inyong story.
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nortehanon Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Salamat din po, Lolo Jem!
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ganda ng post! waaaa! matalinghaga!
pero mapaet na kasaysayan ang napapaloob dito…at ang magnda na22 tayo sa bawat binibigay na experience saten ni Lord…
be safe po! God bless…
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nortehanon Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Salamat, sows. Be safe din at God bless.
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super lalim ng tubig akalain mong umabot hanggang sa street sign.. yay.. hai.. makakaahon din tayo sa mga pagsubok gaya nito.. sana sa christmas, masaya pa rin tayo.. kahit na ganito ang nanyari sa atin..
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nortehanon Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 10:47 am
Hello Jenniffer!
Salamat at muli kang nakabalik dito. Naku, lumampas pa yan sa street sign pole na yan! Nakakatakot talaga, di ba?
Yes, it is all I hope and pray—na sana ay maging madali at mabilis para sa ating lahat ang pag-ahon.
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faceless people helping faceless people….in times of need…we do see a lot of them…this is the filipino spirit…
i was talking to one briton just this dinner….and he exhorts how we filipinos could easily rise from the situation of calamities…our pliant spirit and and our hope for a better tomorrow…
…christmas with one candle glowing with noodles and corned beef celebrated in a spirit of gratitude can never be equalled by the glitters of lights and abundance of material wealth…
…salamat Miss N….
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nortehanon Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Magandang araw, Kapatid. Salamat sa muling pagdalaw.
Tama ang Briton sa sinabi niya. Sadyang matatag ang spirit nating mga Pinoy. Isang dahilan na rito ang pagiging malapit natin sa ating mga kapamilya na nagsisilbing inspirasyon sa atin na bumangon sa tuwing tayo ay nalulugmok.
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through the incident, it is seen that even small things counts.. you don’t have to donate millions to help, sometimes you just have to care and reach out to them..
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nortehanon Reply:
October 20th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Indeed, Ms. Patola. Tama talaga ang sinabi. Sabi nga nila, sa pagbibigay, hindi na sinusukat ang uri at halaga. Minsan nga mere presence lang natin sobrang malaking bagay na para sa iba.
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Jan sa Maria Clara yung main office ng dating company na pinagttrabahuhan ko. Kung minsan nagrereport ako jan. Pero diba talagang bahain sya maski hindi bumabagyo.
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ang kailangan lang talaga natin ngayon ay manalig kay god…
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