Sun after a storm/SWF

The sun shines through the clouds after the storm.

Manila Bay

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain. ~ Vivian Greene 

It takes a real storm in the average person's life to make him realize how much worrying he has done over the squalls.  ~ Bruce Barton

Linking to Sky-Watch Friday

Twilight After Gorio

Twilight at Manila Bay yesterday, a day after tropical storm "Gorio" (international name:  Rumbia) left the Philippines.   Forecasters predicted typhoon Gorio would hit Metro Manila early Sunday, but it veered away  towards Batangas province then blew away towards the West Philippine Sea.  But it did leave thousands of commuters stranded after ferries cancelled their trips.

Dark clouds trailed behind typhoon Gorio, a humid day punctuated by light rains, the sea was calm and these fishermen were back at sea.  Monday ended with a mellow sunset.

Location:  SM By The Bay, Pasay City.

Linking to Our World Tuesday

Watery World-Wednesday

Here's that rainy day.../SWF

Maybe I should have saved those leftover dreams  

Funny but here's that rainy day  

Here's that rainy day they told me about  

And I laughed at the thought that it might turn out this way

 Where's that worn out wish that I threw aside  

After it brought my lover near  

Oh, funny how love becomes a cold rainy day 

Funny that rainy day is here...

~ Nancy Wilson's version here.

Linking to Sky-Watch Friday

Rain or Shine/SWF

I'm gonna love you
Like nobody's loved you,
Come rain or come shine.
High as a mountain,
Deep as a river...
Come rain or come shine.

~ Come Rain or Come Shine (Billie Holiday)

Listen here

Linking to Sky-Watch Friday

Blue sky/Blue Monday

In the midst of monsoon rains and tropical storms, I chanced upon some blue sky at the Mall of Asia one afternoon.

More blues @ Blue Monday

Downcast sky/SWF

It's not always sunny...monsoon rain and thunderstorms have potentially vacation-ruining effect but we pushed with our road trip anyway.  We braced ourselves when we laid eyes on the downcast sky along SCTex.  Scattered rain accompanied us the rest of the trip, we even stopped a few times in Zambales due to the road's zero visibility.  We were cocooned inside the car for 4 hours, eating potato chips, drinking beer and playing word games.:p

"Sometimes I wish that I was the weather, you'd bring me up in conversation forever.  And when it rained, I'd be the talk of the day."  ~ John Mayer

Linking to Sky-Watch Friday

Here comes the rain again/SWF

around 10 A.M., Sunday

I was in Dasol, Pangasinan with a couple of friends over the weekend.  It had been rainy and windy, and the big waves discouraged us from taking a swim---we danced in the rain instead.:p

The bad weather was a combination of the southwest monsoon and two tropical depressions (Igme and Julian).  It didn't stop us from having a good time at the beach.

@ 12:09 P.M., Sunday

Dasol, Pangasinan is 310 kilometers from Manila via Subic, Zambales


Don't ever let your mind keep you from having a good time. ~ Jason Mraz

Join sky-watchers from around the world @ Sky-Watch Friday

Splashes/Water World-Wednesday

Splashing waves @ Baywalk, Manila Bay

It's been stormy and all of Metro Manila and nearby provinces are in a standstill due to incessant rains that caused  massive flooding.  Strong waves from Manila Bay  spawned by typhoon "Gener" (international name:  Saola) pounded the seawall and flooded Roxas Boulevard with saltwater. These were taken a week before "Gener" arrived.

Don't you realize that the sea is the home of water?  All water is off on a journey unless it's in the sea, and it's homesick, and bound to make its way home someday. ~ Zora Neale Hurston

Linking to Kim's Water World Wednesday

Misty/Sky-Watch

A misty morning does not signify a cloudy day.

 Coron Island, Calamian Group of Islands
Palawan

Linking to Sky-Watch Friday

Tapos/End

Sa wakas, tapos na ang aming paghihintay nang makita ko ang paglapag ng eroplanong ito ng Cebu Pacific sa Busuanga airport.  Dalawang araw kaming stranded dito noong Setyembre nang hindi makalapag ang Cebu Pacific dahil daw sa sama ng panahon.  Samantala ang mga eroplano ng Air Philippines at Zest Air, pati na ang mga maliliit na Cesna planes ay nakalapag naman.  Hindi maipaliwanag ng maayos ng mga ground crew ng Cebu Pacific sa mga galit na pasahero kung bakit ang eroplano lang nila ang hindi makalapag.  Ang masama pa, hindi sinagot ng Cebu Pacific ang gastos sa hotel, pagkain at pamasahe ng mga stranded na pasahero sa unang araw.  Dinadahilan nila ang masamang panahon, hindi daw nila sagot ang gastos ng pasahero kapag masama ang panahon at nakansela ang flight.  Sa pangalawang araw, hindi na namin sila tinigilan at binayaran nila ang aming gastos sa hotel at pagkain.

Marami ang naperwisyo ng Cebu Pacific sa mga nakanselang flight.  May mga dayuhang turista na napilitan bumili ng napakamahal na tiket sa Air Philippines para umabot lang sa connecting flight nila sa Manila papuntang ibang bansa.  May mga balikbayan na may connecting flight din papuntang ibang probinsya.  May mga budget travelers na wala ng pera.  At nasayang ang dalawang araw na sana na-enjoy pa namin kaysa naghihintay lang sa airport.

Takot pala sa ambon ang mga piloto ng Cebu Pacific.  Dapat kalesa lang ang minamaneho nila!  Dahil sa walang kwentang serbisyo ng Cebu Pacific, nabahiran ng inis ang aming alaala ng bakasyon sa Coron.  Ang hindi maasahan na serbisyo ay makakasira din sa turismo ng Calamianes.

Pinangako ko sa sarili ko na yon na ang huli kong pagsakay sa Cebu Pacific, kahit mura pa ang pamasahe nila!

Linking to Litratong Pinoy

Calamianes: Rain-scented afternoon

We enjoyed a day of fair weather when we visited Culion Island in the Calamianes.  But as soon as we docked at the Coron pier around 4 pm, the clouds turned dark---rain was in the air.  People started to scamper for cover while the cool wind danced on the bay, sweet-smelling rain wafted through the harbor.  

These are snapshots from the Coron harbor a few minutes before the rain finally poured, and boy, it really poured!

Rain!  whose soft architectural hands have power to cut stones, and chisel to shapes of grandeur the very mountains. ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. ~ John Ruskin

Rain or shine, there is always Sky-watch Friday

Waiting [Photo Hunt]

Wet, empty benches at the park facing Coron Bay, waiting for the sun to shine on this tropical landscape made bleak by monsoon rain.  

Walking away from the benches brought me to the edge of the harbor.  Here, a row of outrigger boats that ply around the placid waters of Calamianes were waiting for passengers, mostly tourists.

Enjoy Photo-Hunt

Calamianes: At the pier [Blue Monday]

@ mirandablue

Blues captured at the pier of Coron town on early Wednesday morning while we were waiting for our boat to take us snorkeling and island-hopping. It was a gloomy, rainy morning, and I thought, "What am I doing here?  I should have stayed in bed and sleep!"

@ mirandablue

@ mirandablue

Surprisingly, the water was calm despite the weather.  I guess each passenger of our boat whispered a little prayer because by 9 a.m, the sky cleared and we enjoyed a mild September weather the whole day.

@ mirandablue

 "Weather is a great metaphor for life--sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella."

~ Terri Guillemets

Join us at Blue Monday

Rainy day

@ mirandablue

It's another dark, rainy day here.  I wish I could stay home all day and just snuggle with Fritz and watch TV.  But there are things that I need to do this afternoon, which I hate doing---it deals with a certain government agency.  I am also expecting traffic to be bad today. To paraphrase a beautiful quote, "One thing a person must always save for a rainy day is patience."

For Thursday 2 Questions - you are invited to answer and join:

1.  What is your favorite rainy day quote?

2.  When was the last time you danced in the rain?

@ mirandablue

Tropical depression

@ mirandablue

My world is inundated by typhoons and monsoon rains---three typhoons this past week alone.  We were hit by six typhoons in July, the most recent, "Lando", is the 12th tropical depression this year.  Flash floods, landslides, missing fishermen were in the news as well as images of evacuees, flooded streets, damaged crops, bridges and homes.  An average of 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year but it seems that we are always caught unprepared.

@ mirandablue

Some observers say our weather forecasting has improved, alert systems are in place.  But I believe preventive measures remain a challenge.  Communities in high-risk areas continue to mushroom despite warnings from risk managers.  The bahala na (come what may) attitude of Filipinos somehow contributes to non-preparation for any disastrous event.  

There is a Japanese expression "shikata ga nai" which is roughly translated to "it couldn't be helped".  It may be the Filipino equivalent of "bahala na"---the difference is, the Japanese takes every possible precaution to confront the wrath of fate.  While we say "bahala na" and we totally surrender to God and the whims of destiny.  

@ mirandablue

The annual cost of loss of lives, property and crops is not cheap, the human suffering immeasurable.  We learn our lessons after every disaster, we become more resilient with every passing calamity.  But we need to do more---be more proactive rather than reactive.  Push our leaders to take definite actions, seriously implement zoning, upgrade the agencies in disaster risk management.

This is My World-Tuesday and Watery Wednesday