... and the rain comes

It has been a while since we had rain. But when it rains, it pours! The rain came Friday night. It has been on and off raining. Yesterday and today the rain just came pouring. The streets are flooded. The creeks are overflowing.

We are under flood warning and tornado watch. The weather has become very nasty but we are enjoying the rain. We badly needed this rain. I hope there won't be any big damages when this rain subsides.

For now, some roads in our area are already closed due to flooding.

Rain... Flood...

I had my share of flood experiences when I lived in Manila for 7 years. I lived in Paranaque where floods are very common occurrence when it rains. We live in a two story house, when it floods we will take our things upstairs and wait until the water subsides. Sometimes it will take more than 6 hours that our place will be underwater... sometimes less.

Actually, when the water subsides, it is fun since we and our neighbors will be doing the cleaning up. I know it was such a tedious job to do the clean up because the flood water is really smelly. We have to wash our floors and wall with chlorine and soap and then dry it off with mops and let the electric fan dry it more. What makes it fun is everybody is doing it!

I had experienced being trapped in school and office due to flood. I had experienced walking home with floods knee high .. that's why when we finally decided to stay in Bohol I was happy because I will be free from the problems of flooding....

Anyway, Manila experienced the worst flooding in the last four decades. Typhoon Ondoy left more than 70 people killed or missing. The government declared a "state of calamity" in metropolitan Manila and 25 storm-hit provinces. There was 16.7 inches (42.4 centimeters) of rain that swamped metropolitan Manila in just 12 hours on Saturday. Geezzz I can't imagine the traffic, the garbage floating around and the number of houses that is submerged in water....

Rain... rain... rain

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It has been raining for the past couple of nights. I think it has been raining all night this week. It is not just a simple rain but it is a heavy steady rain that lasted hours after hours.

Rain always reminds me of home in the Philippines where you can hear the steady dropping of the rain drops from the tin roof. It reminds me of my younger years where we play paper boats in our canal where the water drops. It reminds me of my childhood friends where we formed friendship and bonding. Life was very simple then... kids playing outside the in the front yard, running around catching and saving water in containers and yes showering in the cold water from the gutter. Those were simple joys but a memory that always brings a smile....

I wish Andrea can experience some of the simple things that a small place in a small town can offer. A place far from the comfortable life we have here in the USA. I want her to experience the life her cousins live so that she can always appreciate what she has here. Besides, I want her to experience the Filipino side in her...

Maybe when she will be a little older...