of zippers and typhoons

in countries which experiences pronounced cold and hot season, it is not uncommon for people to wear jackets during the cold ones. i happen to be in one of those countries and as a common man, i wore a jacket, a leather one. it gave me the warmth specially needed in an 11degree weather.

as we were walking to the station, i tried to open up the jacket and to my surprise (or rather to my expectations) the zipper wont budge. it was stuck. i kept on telling this to my coworker who i came with. as i was trying to open it, it only got tighter and closer to my neck. this time i got a little panicky. i know that trains are hot and jam-packed, good ingredients for me to sweat a lot and probably panic some more. while riding the train, i tried to open the damn zipper the whole time. and my coworker beside me was so indifferent (i don't know if she was thinking of something to the point that she wouldn't bother). i asked her to help me. and she did. it opened up a bit enough for me feel a bit better. and i was thankful. but it still wont open all the way she said. and then she returned to her indifferent state. it was frustrating really. somehow, i felt helpless and alone while walking to the office. i continually tried to unzip with my indifferent coworker beside me. so close yet so far, i knew then that i was alone and will suffer alone in this. i stayed stuck for 30mins or so. a simple word of encouragement would have been better but nopes. i couldn't blame her though for it was all my fault why i wore that damn jacket.

while i was in this helpless state, i couldn't help but wonder how the typhoon yolanda (haiyan) victims felt back home in the philippines. i'm not saying that this is even comparable to their sufferings, not at all. the difference is beyond compare. but here is my analogy.

when i got in that trouble, i wasn't expecting any help at first. but somehow it came to a point when the trouble was prolonged and i wished even for simple gestures of people around. that feeling when you are desperate but the people around just don't care or just chose to ignore your suffering is the worst feeling. now imagine the typhoon victims. probably at first, they were trying to stay strong and tried to solve their own misery. but as the days progressed on and the sufferings continued, i think most of them are at the point where even a simple help would mean a lot. of course, a bigger help would be better but at least don't be indifferent. the victims should feel that they are not alone in this trial, that this will come to pass, that we can do this together one way or another. the whole filipino people should at least care and show sympathy. the victims need hope, they need to feel cared for.i knew in the back of my head that for the worst, i could just cut out the zipper and sacrifice the jacket for me to get free. but these victims have no last alternative. how could they possibly get out of this situation with the least damage? it is virtually impossible... makes it even a stronger reason for all of us to extend help in any way we can. these victims will need years to rebuild (and recover) and they will need our support to do so. do not be idle and indifferent, HELP IN ANY WAY YOU CAN!!! i know that all of us will emerge stronger and fitter to face all battles ahead after all of this.

as for my minute battle, i ended up using soap from our office toilet before the zipper opened. my sufferings immediately vanished but a lesson is forever etched in my heart -- i choose to be a citizen of the world who cares for his fellowmen. somehow, people need simple tragedies of their own to learn life lessons. mine just happened to be with a zipper.

my memorable christmas

the philippine christmas celebration they say is the longest. it starts as early as september and ends on january. i also think it does. people starts to become joyful and thinks of christmas on september. but for me, my christmas started on december 10.

we decided to have a community outreach for the fire victims in tejero. it was a heartwarming experience. seeing the smiles on the faces of our beneficiaries is more than enough. i believe that all great things begin with a simple step and not taking that step is the biggest sin. i know that what we offered was not enough but it is a step. this made me realize that if people are more compassionate towards others, what a great difference this would make to the world. in our case, the small effort of 12 people made 70 families a bit happier.

it was also on december when i joined a funlympics. i was never the sporty type from the start but i know how to use adrenaline. i was surprised myself that i totally enjoyed the event. we had paintball early in the morning. it was fun when you hear someone scream "ouch"; it was fun knowing that you were able to hit. but the bullets are really painful, no joke. in the afternoon, we enjoyed an unusual obstacle course. it definitely is not good for acrophobic people like me. i always thought of quitting during the course but my heart pushed me to continue. and yes i did! the late afternoon was spent on race karting. i don't drive and i admit i am the worst even on simulated driving but this is fun. i just sped up and survived with no scratches. wahihihi. this made me think of the importance of a good health. the world is wide and there is still so much more to explore. be fit and take the challenge.

on the great flood

it has been flooding back in the philippines lately. i've heard of it but never gave much attention, it has always flooded back home so nothing new with that. but i have never imagined that it could get this worse. i've seen videos of it and it has left me in awe.

imagine an underground passage filled with water... imagine vehicles overturned and tossed around by the rushing waters... imagine people stranded on top of their roofs for hours... it has reached this extent not to mention the hundreds of lives lost. i can't do anything but pray that it will end soon. i can't be any thankful that my family lives away from harm. i can't help but blame our poor drainage system and our people's lack of discipline. if garbage were disposed of properly, then there would be less things clogging up the sewers.

in times like this, i am overwhelmed by the amount of tweeter messages informing of ways to help. it is but amazing to see bayanihan* still existing in this modern age. on a personal note, i am also quite surprised by my colleagues here in japan asking if everything is fine back home. it is a surprise that even people i haven't talked with for a long time (read as usagi-chan) are also concerned. somehow, these draw a smile on my face.

after all of these, i just hope for a better day ahead.

picture taken in sarushima 20090913

*bayanihan refers to a spirit of communal unity or effort to achieve a particular objective. -wikipedia-