UPDATED!
Typhoon Milenyo was something else! It came rampaging at around 12 Noon and was finshed by 2PM. It left in its wake 77 dead, flooding and destruction everywhere. Was just so relieved that our house survived with minimal damage. I wish I could say that for so many of our kababayans who live under less secure abodes. They showed a woman on TV being carried out of her house in the middle of the storm right after she had just given birth. The kid was so tiny and fragile but safe and warm. And yes, his name is Milenyo!
The fierceness of Typhoon Millenia seems to tell me two things: Mother is mad and has lost her nurturing sweetness and has spoken and she is now officially known as Mommy Dearest. Also, she has made it clear she does not like billboards!
I was talking to Leah Navarro yesterday and we were speculating whether Typhoon Yoling and Dading, two big ones in the 70’s were actually stronger than the Milenyo. Am not too sure. But I remember being a teenager and out in the street at the height of Yoling. I felt I was gonna fly like a kite. I could feel the wind slapping my face at certain angles. What was I doing there, you might ask? Wala lang! It was reckless youth enjoying its percieved invincibility.
I just got my electric power back after two days and nights of brownout. The first night Erica, Boogie and Nino (my daughters’ boyfriends) and I played Trivial Pursuit. That was fun. The second night (which was last night) I slept right after I got home from an APO show.
Living two nights without electricity, I realized how ‘wired’ my life was. Without internet, and my reading light, and my cell phone, I noticed how peaceful the night can be. There was no clock to look at. I fell asleep early and slept quite well without a blanket and without the whirring sound of an electric fan.There were also no tricycles to wake me up in the morning. It was like a night of sleep in the suburbs of Sydney in the sense that my body woke up when it was ready to. SARAP!
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Starting today (Sunday), I will have a regular column with the Philippine Star. The title of the column will be HUMMING IN MY UNIVERSE which is also the title of my first book. I wrote about midlifing for this week’s column.
No, my writing for Star has nothing to do with the tiff I had with the Inquirer a few weeks ago. I was already asked to consider writing for the Star while I was still in Sydney. It just took time for me to say yes. What’s the column gonna be about? I will be writing about stuff I find interesting, and it will probably not include politics since I find that the least interesting topic right now. If you have any suggestions on what you may want to read about, feel free to do so and I will write about it, that is, if the spirit moves me. I hope you watch out for it and become a regular reader.
hi mr jim, milenya was really catastrophic. ;(
i am sure, i will follow your columns as i do with your blog.
God bless!
thank God that things are getting back to normal. A calamity like that certainly reverts us to basic life of -no electricity which probably gave most a break and test our creativity or just enjoy- like you did the peace..
i am sorry and pray for those who suffered. will look forward to your writings.
That calamity sure shook up everyone to their core. It made us grateful for things that we do not have and the things that we do have.
Dear Jim,
Good to hear you are doing well in the Philippines. Do not worry, I was there for your family when they moved to your new house. Well if you can call it helping, I just did the small boxes and stuff. You know me, I could handle the heavy stuff. Anyhow, glad to know you are writing for Philippine Star. I maybe one of the few overseas Pinoy who regularly read the Philippine newspapers through the internet, which includes Philippine Star and your dreaded Philippine Daily Inquirer, among the others. Anyhow,I am this comment for the purpose of letting you know that Philippine Star is not regularly updating their daily internet edition. How frustrating to log on on their site and finding the same edition for a number of days. Could you let the administration of this newspaper that if expect to have regular readers from the internet, they should religiously update their editions EVERYDAY. Other newspapers are doing it regularly, why not Philippine Star.
Dear Jim,
Good to hear you are doing well in the Philippines. Do not worry about your family here in Australia. I will be around whenever they need me. I was there for them when they moved to your new house. Well, if you can call it helping. I just did the small boxes and stuff. You know I could not handle the big stuff. Glad to know that you are now writing for the Philippine Star. I regularly read the daily news in the Philippines from different local newspapers, the Philippines Star and your dreaded Philippine Daily Inquirer. However, it is very frustrating that whenever I would log to the site of the Philippine Star, their daily news edition is not updated everyday. Could you let it be known to the administration that if they want regular readers of their newspapers through the internet, they should update their edition EVERYDAY. Other newspapers are doing it, why not Philippine Star. Of course, my other reason for this request is to read your daily column, as I know all the others would be interested. Thanks.
Yes, grabe, we are so tech dependent! Im glad to know that you guys are ok and that you weren’t huffed and puffed down by the storm š aabang-abangan ko yang column mo š
hi! i’m glad you finally have a column. if it’s not too much to ask, can cross-post your columns here in your blog? (as philstar’s archiving is non-existent as of the moment). š
thanks!
sir, i think it was “Milenyo”
anyhoo, nice journal.
princess, vicky,kay, doranne–thank God we all survived!
obet–Yes, I must thank you for being there for us in every important milestone in our life in Sydney. Talagang malaki ang natutulong mo sa amin. Yes, I did notice that with Philippine Star. the only way to read thye latest issue is to time in philippine star at google each time. I will ask them kung bakit ganoon.
althea and balbatuhog– I will be postimng the article on this blog. I just have to give them some lead time.
Hi Jim,
I just read your column at Philippine Star. I feel more enlightened and inspired about your wisdom and philosophies in midlifing as a hero’s journey. Life indeed is an internal journey…a journey from within.
I believed we all experience midlifing in every moment in our lives regardless of anything that subscribes and classifies such as age, status, education, etc. Each of our live’s moment is a real life experience – gravitating either towards growth or being stuck based on how we take them.
To all my life’s pain, sufferings and challenges…I simply make a soulful statement …”Bring it on! I’ve been waiting.”
Could you please touch base on thinkarete in your future topics for your Phil. Star columns.
Peace and harmony to all!
Sir Jim,
I’m trying to make it a habit to follow your blog, as it keeps me updated along with other online Philippine publications!
Philippines made it to the New York Times this week because of the storm. People who know I am a Filipino always show concern when they read something like that (I guess Philippine’s is quite known for its typhoons!)
It’s good that power is back in most parts! I worry about my parents too because they are in Manila.
Take care!
bass poet–salamat. Yes, bring it on. my attitude too when I feel really close to my true self!
peanut brittle–Manila has largely normalised. Like all storms, we will survive this one as well. I hope your folks are OK.
balbahutog–noted! Pinalitan ko na. thanks
i don’t want to sound the prophet of doom but that is the wrath of nature. Typhoons, hurricanes, cyclones are getting stronger because of global warming.
It is sad that the comfort and technology we are enjoying today are one of the factors propelling the warming of our planet. Almost all of our modern convenience are powered by fossil fuel,from the simplest electric appliances and our modern means of transportation, the factories that churns out all the unsatiable needs of the consumers, wala na yatang katapusan ang pagkagutom natin sa enerhiyang mula sa langis at coal. kelan kaya dadating ang panahon na magigising ang buong mundo, kikilos nang sama-sama upang maiwasan ang nakaambang kapahamakan sa sandaigdigan.
hi mr jim, i really love the new album Kami nAPO Muna. nakakatanggal siya ng stress!! i’m glad you came up with that project. š thank you so so much!!
sir jim,
i also live abroad and stay connected with news from back home via the online dailies. i noticed the same thing with the philippine star. what i did was i bookmarked (added to ‘favorites’) and then edited the link by keeping it at http://www.philstar.com minus the other added codes. this way, it will automatically update itself everytime you click on it on your favorites/bookmarks. i hope this helps š
~teena
hi Jim,
just signed in; woke up this morning and thought about joining your blog with some occasional comments. have no plans tho to start my own….cheers…Ric
Congrats Mr. Jim for having a
regular column with the Phil. Star. I know you will contribute a lot of good ideas and insights.
I would like you to write about zen living.
Thank you so much.
lani–great topic. one of these days I may just do that
fj7000–welcome to this blog
teena–thanks
pepay–Universal records is thye entity to thank. they exedcuted it although we’ve been dreaming of it for sometime now.
atoy–agree with you. our present lifestyle is unsustainable. I have a feeling it may even be too late already. sad.
congratz jim for your column in philstar. you truly deserve it. by the way under what column are you writing? i am browsing in philstar’s archive but i can’t get thru it. to answer your question before, yes i live near springhill, it is just a 2-1/2-hour drive from my place. we have a pinay friend there who makes lechon every summer so we get to go there. so are you going to stay long in the phils? buti pa po kayo nakakauwi lagi. i have been here two years and i haven’t gone home eversince. i miss the phils especially my family and friends so much! sge po! regards and God bless!
Bossing Jim,
Akma yung sinabi ni Mr. de Quiros nung inihambing niya yung Milenyo sa nangyari sa Bangladesh “A typhoon came to Philippines with precious little to destroy.” Sana naman maisip ng mga pinuno na tulungan yung nasalanta kaysa isulong ang cha-cha.
Boss Jim gusto rin sana ibalita ang aming bagong proyekto: ang PinoyMusicWiki.com at PinoyLitWiki.com . Hangad naming magcompile ng information tungkol sa musikang at literaturang Filipino. Non-profit po ito.
streets were flooded, no electricity, phone lines were down and even cellphone signals were also affected, what more could you ask? back to stone age for sometime =). it is indeed a great blessing that we survive it. im happy that things are getting back to normal. glad you’re doing well sir Jim and everyone in here!
Hi Jim! We only had power last Monday night. One of my daughters had a fun time with the candlelight shadows brought about by the power outage. See her creativty at http://isjaw.blogspot.com
On your Sept 27 entry: I see 3 lovely ladies wearing polynesian attire in one pic. And on the next pic, I see 3 pairs of undies: yellow, brown and blue. There seems to be a connection that you’re not telling us. š
kaye– I know of springhill through a Peter, Paul and Mary song where they talk of ‘a town in Springhill, Nova scotia down in the heart of the Cumberland mines.’ Yun lang.
my column can be accessed through my site.
markmomukhamo–good luck sa project mo.
ewic– you bet. we appreciate things when we are faced with losing them.
blackdove–connection between the native girls and panties? hmmm.. you tell me! ha ha. It certainly did not enter my mind when I put the pics up.
You wonāt write about politics? I suppose you wonāt write about the war of terror either.
And you know Jim āI am glad you wonāt.
Your first write-up on Philstar is enlightening. In recent times too, Iāve come across 2 people (not Filipinos) whoād been not on some short-term midlife crises but on longer term of serious bouts of depression (over 5 years of taking medication!). Iād say these 2 are what you have referred to as refusing the call for adventure; preferring to stay in their comfort zone and live in fear to grow.
They have departed but do not heed the call to be a hero. Soon I hope theyāll take up what it takes to transform (and say to themselves -itās enough!ā¦. I mean the pains and suffering). Returning from a heroās journey is like feeling āresurrected from the deadā. When this happens, one might find himself even better than his/her original self.
Iāve forwarded your write-up to some people who I think will be enlightened by its messages.
i remember yoling. i was taken by the wind and bumped into a 3 story abandoned building that collapsed just right after i ran….
the storm was really terrible,.wasn’t it? even up to know (a week after the storm hit) there are a lot of trees on the streets. it’s very humbling, actually. just when you think that human beings are sooooo advanced, here comes nature with a powerful ‘sampal’ to us. i’m looking forward po to your column, my family gets the philippine star everyday. š
Hay naku, Apo Jim. Hindi pa rin updated ang Philippine Star. The best argument you can put forward to the ones concerned at Philippine Star, is to tell them that you have an international audience (that is, modesty aside), as evidenced by the comments in your blog when you asked the posters to identify themselves and where they come from. And you have hundreds of readers as shown by the number of visits to your blogsite. Updating daily their edition is a big exposure for Philippine Star to international readers. And this exposure is the key to attracting more advertisers to them. More advertisers, more income. It is as simple as that, you Editor/Publishere of PhilStar. And of course, how do you expect us to read your daily column when there is nowhere to read it, save from your posting in your blog which we do not expect you to do daily. Come on, fans and readers of Jim’s blog. Let us rally till the Philstar heed our clamor for their daily internet edition. WE WANT TO READ JIM’S COLUMN!! WE WANT TO READ JIM’S COLUMN!!
isay– I ythink you’re right. Yoling was probably stronger.
amery and obet– Thanks. I should have put it in my blog that my column is just a weekly one. Just the same, I will forward yor concerns to Philippine Star, I don’t know why they are not as accessible on the net as the other dailies.
hey mr. jim..!too formal..?=]]..well i happen to hop by your blog and read some of your posts..what caught me was the one about bagyong milenyo..yea it caused too much destruction to us..we hadn’t have electricity for 5 days..!oh plus lack of clean water too..!but then my mom said that it was nothing compared to Yoling..!that time our baranggay was flooded for weeks..!
oh well..just dropped by to see if this blog really is yours..you know with all the fakers it’s hard to trust..=]]
hey mr. jim..!too formal..?=]]..well i happen to hop by your blog and read some of your posts..what caught me was the one about bagyong milenyo..yea it caused too much destruction to us..we hadn’t have electricity for 5 days..!oh plus lack of clean water too..!but then my mom said that it was nothing compared to Yoling..!that time our baranggay was flooded for weeks..!
oh well..just dropped by to see if this blog really is yours..you know with all the fakers it’s hard to trust..=]]
wow out in the street amidst a storm?! thank God there were not much billboards way back in the 70s or something might have hit you.
our place, cavite, had no power for four days! i appreciated it though, i got to enjoy life’s simple pleasures.
ymir–yes, I was that crazy!
queen paranoia–salamat sa bisita.
First let me say that I am so glad I stumbled on haringliwanag.pansitan.net. It was like a breath of fresh air for me amidst the cemented financial edifice of San Francisco. I enjoyed your random thoughts entitled āOur Tribesā. Great insights and may I thank you for sharing them. I just love to hear about these growing pains ā¦ they make us think, they make us restless, and often times make us crazy. But isnāt the journey just magnificent and remarkable?
I am glad to hear that you have read Mattās āOriginal Blessingā. If you liked that book you might also like “Creativity: where the Divine and Human Meet”.
Matt and I worked together at Holy Names University in the late 80ās and early 90ās. While I made money for the university, he shook the world of the Catholic Church. I was amused. He kept me on my toes. Let me know next time you are in San Francisco and if you would like to meet him (if you haven’t already). He’s an amazing person.
Looking forward to my next read in “Writing on Air”.
Be well,
Anna
anna- I would be so happy to meet Matt. There’s abig possibility I will be in SFO in april-May. Please give me your contact number and I will call you. You can send it at jim_paredes@yahoo.com
Thanks a lot.