Storm watch

Another typhoon is on its way. It's a super typhoon at one time thought to have the potential to be a Category 5. To put that into some perspective Hurricane Katrina was a Category 5 that hit Louisiana as only a Category 3. If worse comes to worse the last typhoon, Milyeno, won't even be in its league. As I'm sitting here wondering whether or not I should move to higher grounds I find it almost shocking that there is hardly any current up to the moment news of this super typhoon heading this way. After having over 1,000 people die due to Milyeno you think they would have some sort of 24 hour storm watch on one of the local channels. However, as I surf the channels right now there is absolutely no information on it. You kind of get the feeling that this storm is not even a concern of the Filipino people. In fact I can hear construction workers outside still working on the building next door. As I sit here waiting for this storm to rip through my province I find this nonchalant attitude so addicting.

The rest of the world, however, seems to be more concerned about this storm than the Philippines. Basically all the current information I have regarding the storm is coming from outside sources via the internet. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Service Administration website with their Real-Time Weather forecast is 5 hours behind. The lack of current information made available to the public by this government is absolutely astonishing. My friend just seemed tossed this lack of available news aside as due to being in a "backwards" country but, even for a third world country as the Philippines getting urgent information to the people as in regards to this storm shouldn't be that difficult to do. In fact it should be a priority as it can help to save lives. With a lack of information one may even think there is nothing to worry about at all when there definitely is.

I just got news from another friend that the storm has already touched down on land an hour ago but as I surf my television channels I still find no current news on it. By the end of this storm I just wonder how many people will end up losing their lives due to ignorance and an incompetent Philippine government.

Jeepni hitchhikers

If you hang outside the jeepnies from the back does that mean you don't have to pay? I can't imagine any other reason as to why this guy would be hanging out there.



Trust me he's not exactly young either and he's not the only one I've seen do this.

Proper discipline

There we saw him walking by himself on an unusually un-crowded street of Manila. He was probably around ten years old, definitely no older than twelve. Now seeing children walking alone aimlessly on the streets in this country is not an uncommon site but there was something that made this particular instance standout to me. Maybe it was because this poor kid was drenched in tears. Or maybe it was because he was butt naked.

The first time we drove right pass the kid but then we decided to circle back around. This time as we approached him my friend rolled down the window to ask him what had happened. In the back of my mind I thought maybe he had been beaten up by a group of other kids who ended up taking his clothes. Or in the worst case scenario he was abducted and then tossed on the street naked. But all the possible scenarios that ran thru my head ended up being so far off.

The kid didn't even attempt to stop crying in order to answer my friend's question. Instead the lady that stood behind him readily shouted back an answer. The lady was his mother and as a form of punishment she had made her child walk up and down this Manila city street while completely naked.

Holy $#!% what the ^*@# is up with the people out here? They have no child abuse laws out here? Then again they probably do but just like every other law out here it's one that no one abides by. In the States that woman would be in jail but out here she's just disciplining her kid.

That kid is going to grow up to have some major psychological problems.