Sunday, July 29, 2012

When it rains, it pours

On way to work today, I saw 2 billboard structures down, and one site with its tarpaulin hanging by a thread. Debris on the road. A house made roofless. On radio, there was news of a barge anchored in Rosario, Cavite, gone astray due to strong winds. The report was that as of 4am, there was still a mobile phone contact with the two men on the barge, saying they could see the lights of the Mall of Asia. Mayor Recafrente appealed to the national government to conduct the search and rescue operation as their small city's capabilities would not be able to do the rescue operation.

Mang Tanny was interviewed By Joel Reyes Zobel about the weather, and why all this strong winds came about even while there was no storm signal in Metro Manila. As it turns out, it is the "habagat" being siphoned by Typhoon Gener, all the way up north, but affecting a 700 kilometer radius.

Now we do not need to wait for a storm signal to prepare ourselves for such disasters.

And I thought all along that typhoon signals are also called when the winds are too strong. Oh well, maybe I should work for PAGASA to learn these technical details. I hope the rain doesn't pour much today.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Un-retiring

Ever heard of friends happily retired going back to work?

On one hand, one gets used to not minding the days, the dates, and the time of day. Holidays become irrelevant, and the retiree is even amused at office workers planning long weekends, Christmas and summer breaks. He doesn't have to plan  - - - he can do anything anytime, whenever he pleases.

On the other hand, boredom could set in. The DVDs have all been viewed, the books re-read, and the travel destinations seem to be so repetitive. Oh yes, there are gems discovered here and there. But there is also some longing for banter with clients, friends, and even with competitors.

And sometimes the balance tils in favor of doing something routine again. Yes, back to work. Un-retired.