Wonder Woman

 

When I was 8 years old, my young mother studied her PhD (Education) in Cebu City. We live in Surigao so it was decided she take my 2 younger siblings and I with her. I was enrolled at University of Southern Philippines. My father would visit us from time to time, especially if he has court hearings in Cebu.

 

On long weekends we take the ferry Friday night and woke up home in Surigao early Saturday. Then we ferry back to Cebu Sunday or Monday night, just in time for school the next day. 

I have lots of good memories of that time. It was a good experience, although I hate it when there are storms. The ship and the waves like to play tag. I still remember that awful feeling of being sea sick even at this moment.

Mama while studying also taught English at the University. Most nights she'd come home late but we had a nanny called Flora and an Aunt who helped look after us. Auntie Iddy was Mama's cousin. She was studying to be a teacher at that time, too. Though petite with a big smile, she was tough on her rules of us taking a bath first thing in the morning. Everyday. We actually do not have a tub so it was really shower with "kabó" - a small bucket easily held by one hand used to scoop water for bathing. :-)

Cebu is always hot & humid. We'd bathe at the back in open air using water from an artesian well. She'd scrub my brother Kingay with soap and a porous stone called "lugod". While my baby sister Ding, was on a walker right next to us. Sometimes she'd wander under the house where there are ducks and their nests. The upstairs family owned them.
 

At night we go back out in the back and scrub our feet clean ready for bed. Never go to bed with dirty feet. 

In that small 1st floor apartment, we had literally nothing. Just a small fridge, tables & chairs. No TV. 

Stark contrast to our house in Surigao, where we had TVs, library of books & music and lots of food.

Life in Cebu was very quiet. I love watching TV so I would walk out to the neighbour's house every dusk to peep on their window to watch soaps. Many times they would pull down the curtains, even shut the window on me. Sometimes I would just go home, but if Wonder Woman (Lynda Carter) was on, I find a way. I watched it many times looking through a hole. I would stand peering through that hole for an hour or so until Auntie Iddy calls me for dinner.

One night Mama was walking home from work and saw me peering through a crack of our neighbour's wall. She did not say anything. She did not even scold me standing in the rain. I ran back & followed her home. 

That weekend, a big TV arrived in the house. That retro one with built-in-cabinet-doors kind. It was black & white. It was the best TV of them all. Papa sent it all the way from Surigao.  

After school I'd ran home to watch my favourite shows. Sesame Street, Electric Company, Chinese Shaolin movies and of course Wonder Woman.

I'd leave the door & windows open just in case some children in the neighbourhood do not have TV. 

It was a short stay in Cebu, the following year we went back to Surigao where we had TV in all areas of the house. 

Today, Rich & I have a huge one. In fact it covers a whole wall. It is like a cinema in our house in Melbourne. Sometimes when we watch old movies I never realize how blurry they were. All I remember is how it was always great. :-)

A few days from now, when the frenzy subsides - we are going to watch the latest Wonder Woman movie starring Gal Gadot. I am beyond excited. I heard it is amazing.

 

Of course it is. I know that from the moment I was little, watching through a hole in a wall. 

And I'll celebrate the fact that I was raised and surrounded by wonder women.

She Passed By Me: My Short Brush with Yolanda

How can you mend a broken heart, how can you unsee what you have just witnessed?...

The news from around the world is united in telling the devastation of the Super Typhoon Yolanda (International name: Haiyan). It repeatedly showed the faces of despair. The unimaginable damage left on its wake.

I was there. I felt it. I still feel it. This is my Philippines. These are my countrymen. Isang bansa, isang diwa. The faces are technically me in the saddest, most desperate form.

Richard and I were in Cebu the day Super Typhoon Yolanda decided to go island hopping. We heeded the warning of staying indoors or if in coastal towns, to evacuate.

We were on the 15th floor of Waterfront Hotel. Though one of the biggest and has 5 star amenities, Rich and I still tried our best to be ready just in case. We packed our things in our luggage and tucked them safely in closets. We had food and water to last us 72 hours. We had our torch and iPhone radio. We waited helplessly watching the wind and rain slowly come. It came ever so slowly.

We already saw the influx of people in the lobby. Some to take shelter, some to check-in from seaside cottages catering foreign tourists. Most to just sit in the inviting lounge and wait 'til the storm passes.

The quiet hotel we frequent on off-peak season suddenly became overcrowded. The restaurant queue for dinner and breakfast was so long.

Up in our room we felt relatively safe but watching the news made me feel more and more anxious.

Earth's Worst Typhoon. Never before felt Typhoon in the whole world is Coming to the Philippines. 3x the intensity of Hurricane Katrina!

How can I not hide under the doona and pray? Rich was tracking it in his computer. I continued to be nervous.

That day Yolanda lashed her fury, our hotel window rattled like cardboard. Then I heard the stormy wind at its fiercest. The rain was fighting with the wind so much that you can see it dance. And hail, oh hail was visible - falling down like white pebbles and roughly disappearing into rain. Another time, another life, this could have been beautiful. ️

While most of the city lost power and water, the supply in the Hotel continued. We did have interruptions but only for little moments. Our TV lost connections. Rich was able to tweak the back and produced an analog setting that was mainly for audio. The reception was horrible but we can hear the goings on.

From 3:30 am to 5:00 pm of Friday November 8, 2013 - the rain and the wind did not stop. The howling got even more loud we even heard explosions nearby. Though I did not see much flying debris, I know that on the other side of the hotel a few must have witnessed it.

The rain poured steadily not hard but the wind was like jet planes hovering above you. The sky was dark. It was very gloomy. I felt an eerie feeling. One of these beautiful islands must have taken the brunt. I prayed for comfort for those who are scared and helpless.

I know what it's like. I am from Surigao City. My family have experienced a lot of typhoons in our lifetime. I can't say we are "used" to it. We just learned to live with it. Every year we are bound to face one or two. When I was in high school we had a Super Typhoon Nitang. My parents kept all of us in our ground floor back toilet. It was made of brick, it was tiled, it was safer than anywhere in our 3 story house.

All my father's law books got wet, our roof rolled like an accordion and most of our windows shattered. The whole house was in disarray. But we were safe in that toilet.

For over 3 months we did not have electricity. We shrugged it off as minor inconvenience. But we were just blessed that there was no Storm Surge. We live just a kilometre from the water.

We gained even more closer relationship as a family then. We had candle-lit dinners and still eat for hours on end. Although this time we only had lugaw and more lugaw with black beans & fried dried fish. Sometimes Udon with canned sardines. It was great. ️

No one blamed God. Or I guess maybe one, former First Lady Madame Imelda Romualdez Marcos who came with all her glory (jewels, shoes & all) - one quick look at the devastated Surigao City, she said: "This is God's curse."

I do not know who her God is. I was there, I was a victim and I know my God did not curse my city, my family, my friends.

That was in 1984.

This time another Super Typhoon.

As I write my first hand experience of this recent typhoon, I thought of doing it in a different light. Not that I can sugar coat it in any way but to find something other than despair and frustration into this. It will be hard, maybe impossible. We have heard and seen grief and devastation beyond compare. But I will try.

As the news showed us flattened homes and buildings, we see faces that breaks our heart apart, then we hear guttural wails of anguish only sourced when a loved one is taken away. One cannot help but feel their pain.

But somehow, not one. Not a single person in the thousands who were displaced, blamed God.

Days after the typhoon, a mayor from another place where there was NO destruction - came to survey the damage. Later on he remarked that maybe God was somewhere else when this happened. God must have forgotten. He shed a tear.

In another part of the news a young mother said: "I saw my husband float away, I saw the clothes my young son was wearing. I know they're gone." No blaming God. Just pure heartbreak.

A popular actress posted in her Instagram a prayer by a leading Priest. It was in 4 forms. I read the 4th then the 3rd then 2nd - in that order since that was how it was posted. At first I find the prayer sincere, worth sharing with others. Then I read the very first part. It started at telling God: "How could you? Enough already. " I was surprised and felt really, really sad. Coming from his pedestal where he is warm and dry - this priest must have thought he had the right to speak on the victims' behalf. But please, we have no right to question God, much less blame Him. Most especially if you profess to be His servant.

Still, those in ground zero did not say anything against their God. They have every right to voice their angst out loud. They just had a super earthquake weeks ago! Honestly, if I see or hear them do so - I'd be more than sympathetic. If I were in their shoes, I'd go insane.

But most Filipinos are faithful.

Filipinos show great faith in the Almighty in many forms of religious beliefs. Filipinos are pious. Very strong in their conviction that through all this:

"Somehow, my Faith will see me through."

The day of the storm was the day we were to fly back to Australia. Our flights were cancelled and we were rebooked. We had 2 more days in Cebu. We decided to go around the city. The city damage was minimal. Badly affected were those in the northern coastal part. When we had lunch in a Mall I asked the workers if their families were safe. They all said Yes because they evacuated. Some workers though, were worried about their relatives in Leyte but they just said : "Ampo lang jud ta Ma'am". Such faith in being heard and answered.

 Later on that day we learned that Tacloban, Leyte was the worst hit. It is not far, about 40 minutes plane ride. About 95 Miles from where we were. They were hit so bad, there was no standing building left when Yolanda finished her visit. The death toll continues. Prayers of the faithful poured in.

Faith and Prayers.

To some it might not be enough
but for pious Filipinos,
we draw our strength in faithful prayers:

That the relief goods will be delivered to all.
That the politicians will soften their hearts and not deny the help needed.
That those who are mourning will be comforted.
That those who have strength will donate time and effort.
That one day as always - we will get up again.
Maybe with a broken smile,
hunched shoulders from all the burden
- but strong spirit just the same.

Yes, we are pious. Yes, we are resilient. Yes, we need each other.
Yes, we are Filipinos.