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| Saturday, December 06, 2008 |
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storms
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Something familiar rises up from within...
A slow buildup of exhilaration and yes, even a touch of melancholy...
Moonlight, clear skies and a cold wind rushing through the trees... This night is perfect.
If I didn't know any better, it looks as if a storm was brewing, making its presence felt just before it made landfall. It reminds me of memories... of childhood... of home...
After all, I did grow up in a storm-prone province, along the northeastern coast of Mindanao - practically the only place in the island that was within the typhoon belt.
I was raised in an environment where frequent typhoons are a fact of life. Although it does not in any way diminish the destructive power of these tropical cyclones, you do get used to it. How do we cope? We dig in and weather the storm. If there's damage, repair and rebuild if necessary. That simple. That's just how it is. No use complaining about something you can't change.
As a matter of fact, storms were, in a twisted way, a cause for celebration for us children. It meant cold weather, suspension of classes, and stocking up on food - prefect conditions for staying at home, sleeping, and slouching around. Except when the power goes out.
Of course, we had no idea about the damage, destruction and death that followed in the wake of these storms. The bad things didn't concern us. Our house would get damaged but this would only occasion minor repairs. The whole place would get dirty with mud, branches and all sorts of things blown in by wind or stranded by the floodwaters, but Mom and Dad, along with the other grownups, did most of the cleaning anyway. They wouldn't dare let us handle the pieces of metal roofs that lay around or the snakes that would get stranded inside the house.
Although storms are frequent back home, it never does get as cold as it is here. It's always hot and fairly humid back there, and it only gets cold when the rains come. But here in the Metro, the air actually chills with the approach of December - regardless of whether it gets rainy or not. That's why the carol says "malamig ang simoy ng hangin," and now I truly what that means.
Within two weeks, I'll be heading home again. The first time in about 9 months. I've never been away from home for so long. It makes me excited... I want to know what's new in Surigao and how much has changed since I was last there... but at the same time, there's some sort of unease... It's hard to come back to a place one calls "home" after so long... And the conveniences of city living would be drastically reduced: no malls and movie theaters, no 24-hour convenience stores and less fastfood choices. Oh well, at least I know I'll get my fill of eating and sleeping when I get home. I just need to make sure I pack a lot of books, mp3s, and dvds when I get home. LOL.
It's also the first Christmas that we won't all be together as a family. One of my sisters is staying here to work through the holidays. We'll sure miss her - I know I will. She's the only sanguine among us siblings, and the rest are just either choleric or mels - 0r both.
Imagine spending Christmas with a bunch of those!
Oh well, I'll just turn phleg-mel again. I'm sure I'll survive.
Happy Holidays in advance everyone!  Labels: rantings |
posted by remrick @ 8:54 PM  |
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| About Me |
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Name: remrick
Home: Surigao City, Philippines
About Me: Let me tell you what I'm not:
I am not predisposed to bare my guts and soul here in the internet for the whole world to see just for the sake of it. It's just that I like writing, in the free and unstructured way that blogging provides for. I simply want to express what I think and feel. Is that too much to ask? Which leads me to my next point...
I am not invulnerable, in spite of all my attempts to put on a face of cool composure, and desperately wanting I was good enough to fool myself.
In short, I am not really what I seem.
So, would you still take my ramblings seriously?
See my complete profile
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