Because I don't know how to say no, I ended up walking from Monumento to Balintawak* fighting the wind and the rain with a broken umbrella. I also had to endure a full bladder.

The experience was so horrible I was tempted to pee in my pants. I figured no one will notice anyway. Luckily there were still some open establishments in EDSA and I managed to relieve my bladder.

However, I still had to contend with a broken umbrella.

Did I mention I had my camera and cellphone with me? Thankfully,  my mother bought a Logitech camera bag for it so it remained dry while I was wet, cold and numb.


The experience really tested my character. In one of the events I attended today, we talked about peace, war and conflict. I think I now know a little about the suffering they endure. Of course, their suffering is a thousands or a millions times greater but now I know what real suffering is.

The moral is when the weather bureau tells you that there's going to be a storm on a certain day, stay at home regardless of other commitments you have. But if you do that, you'd have one less funny story to tell your descendants.

And I really am grateful for having a home on a higher region where flooding remains a foreign concept. The highest "flood" we ever had barely reached my ankles and that is only on certain areas of the road. I feel sorry for those living in the lower regions though. Some residential areas are severely flooded and some are nearly underwater. Roads have submerged Balintawak has turned to a lake and Taft cor P.Gil waters achieved a new record: waters reaching up to the thighs (I heard one person say "abot panty.")

* - Actually, I walked a few more kilometers to Balumbato but you probably don't know where that is.