* Typhoon Odette hit us last Thursday evening, the 16th of December... 

--------------------------

** I forgot to share this first. I wrote this Friday morning:

Wow! Although Cebu is sort of protected by outlying islands, etc, the three hours it took the Odette Typhoon to pass over/through us was sort of scary. I had a sneak preview earlier when I was standing by the front windows and I felt the frame jiggle a little. Ok, I thought at the time, let's back off a little.

Fast forward to a few hours later, after we lost our electricity and water, etc, I was downstairs surveying the situation with a flashlight, the top right window blew out, and I was showered with glass. Sort of a fast, slow motion kind of thing. Fortunately, I turned away and leaned towards the space under the stairs. I was wearing my rubber slippers just in case anyway, which was good. Going back upstairs, there was a strange crunching sound of broken glass with my footsteps. I knew I wasn't hurt, but I had a few cuts on my left leg, and one toe was bleeding. A little melodramatic :) There were even some drops of blood on the floor when I shined my flashlight down, and Inday had to pick off some small fragments of glass from my back. The next two hours was a cacophony of howling wind banging against the building facade and windows, and fortunately no more broken windows. Being from the NW, we don't have this kind of stuff. 

We didn't sleep very much of course.

Today is cleaning up day, and wondering about less fortunate souls than us. There's no internet right now, so I'm writing this on Notepad, and I will share later.

--------------------------

"I'm not a Writer, but I play one..." with this writing.

This is journal of sorts that I started last Saturday I think, the 18th of December, two days after Typhoon Odette roared on through here...

and left us without electricity and easily accessible water for a week.

Disclaimer/Acknowledgement: I am a privileged, fortunate, lucky individual, and I know it.

(Transcribed on my laptop on Friday, 24 Dec, 2021, the day before xmas. Typing these words right now, because like Everything nowadays, I guess I need to be connected to the internet in order to transcribe my audio reading to print. Whatever...)

--------------------------

Saturday 18 Dec  -

writing by hand

instead of using Notepad or something on a computer

last night I was reading a John Sanford book out loud, on my Kindle, for mine and Inday's entertainment

I miss reading...

I miss good writers

we've been corrupted by computers...

my pen's ink is running out

thinking/remembering my wonderful, little Japanese fountain pens I used before computers improved

(a few hours later)

going to transcribe this later

I'll probably use the "mic" thing, and just correct the mistakes of my audio diction

this "Combo Pack" of lined tablets of different sizes, was a super deal!

at the National Book Store

I like writing by hand, but just like my wood-carving, arthritis is rearing it's ugly head...

We're going to "make a break for it " today

into day 2? only of no elec, dwindling supply of water, no internet, going through the food we prepared ahead of time and losing food we had in the frig, etc...

the exploding window in the typhoon dark was something else!!

We've delayed our departure back down (16+ floors) into the world in part because of my hernia. Not uncommon here, hernias, which is a good thing I guess, in terms of health care. But something to consider...

our plan is to pack up Tech stuff, a change of clothes, etc, and go find a place with electricity and a shower, And (hands in prayer) some internet

AC would be nice, and access to groceries and/or restaurants

I have a slew of photos to edit

I even pulled out my Canon finally!

just like the Reading, using my good camera has been delayed

"Management", or lack of, has been nowhere!

(* - we found out later that many of the workers here went off to help or check on the their families. A guy in the PMO, Property Management Office, lost his home...)

There was a statement of preparedness issued a few days before Odette - a list of to-dos for impending typhoon. The only two things I regret not getting/having are matches for candles, and an AM/FM radio.

We could go another few days or more if we needed to, but I want to take a shower

speaking of showers, and body oder, I'm not sure why, but I don't stink like I would in this heat back home

I have no idea why that is, but it's nice

and

I still want to take a showere!

There have been Zero notices or updates coming forth from downstairs, from the PMO, etc

nada, nothing!

We met up with a caregiver this morning in the darkened stairwell. She was coming up to  the 16th floor to help her client/employer (* they Evacuated several days ago)

Besides reading my Kindle books out loud

we've been gazing out at the world below

our first night after dark we were looking for hotels, etc with lights - who still had electricity!

also, looking for, and counting, blown out windows

using my Canon's telephoto lens has been helpful in this pursuit

we had a plan

cleaned up the apt

loaded up one backpack each, and one bag, water and umbrella (they use umbrellas here for sunshine too, not just for rain)

we were going to take a taxi down to two hotels where we saw lights on

we met up with a lady at the 11th floor

"where are you going?"

..."hotel"

"nothing available

all booked up..."

"even in Mandaue", a larger city NE of Cebu

the backpacks were too heavy anyway

filled up with Tech stuff

had planned to charge up everything etc

New plan, after trudging back up 5 floors in the dark

empty our backpacks

food and water run when it cools down a little more

maybe ask ?s of somebody in the lobby

when are we going to get elec and water pressure back???

--------------------------