First things first

Epic rain.

That is what people are calling it. Darkness has fallen and still, the rain is unrelenting. I can hear the winds howling outside, threatening to blow my neighbors' iron roofs away. I'm very familiar with floods. I live in an area where we bear floods 365 days in a year, depending on the tides. But this onslaught is ridiculous. Ondoy --- it has a name ---, is giving Manila a heavy beating.

Cars have been abandoned in the impassable streets of the metro. The water continues to rise and would soon, if not already, cover them. The waters are creeping in, if not washing away some folks' houses. People are stranded on their 2nd floors, and those are the lucky ones. I've seen pictures of people on their roofs. On their roofs! In this weather!

I hope everybody I love keeps warm and dry tonight. And my prayers go out to those who are waging a battle outside. These are desperate times. Keep safe, everyone.

***

And, I guess, I'm back. We'll, let's see how it goes.