Reports were right. Typhoon Glenda brought strong winds damaging electric poles cutting off power supply in several parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces. If the power interruption during Milenyo lasted for less than 24 hours, in Glenda’s case we had no electricity for nearly 48 hours.  Here is a short video. At the end of it, you’ll see the view from our house and our colorful pinwheel crazily spinning round and round.

This experience drove me mad. But I managed because made me realize many things and do things I used to enjoy when I was younger.

Here is a list of the things I did during the massive black out.

Prepare for a long day without power and rotating brownouts, just in case! – When the power went out, the first we did was prepare. We had no worries with water supply. Food, on the other, was a problem. When the rain and wind weakened, we went to the grocery to buy biscuits, noodles and canned goods. Then we gathered all our flashlights and candles at home. Good thing people my grandmother’s age love to gift candles. There are no worries in that part.

Of course, it’s going to be a long day and still many idle hours. My list continues.

There’s nothing to do? Then clean the house and declutter your closet! I cleaned the house like we normally do. But with the time I had, I was able to notice and rearrange figurines and other displays. Not only that, I was able to organize my closet.

Your tablet’s battery is running low? Check your bookshelf! I love to read e-books and actual books. But this time, I had the chance to read other educational materials in our bookshelf such as the Encyclopedia, The Science Library, Sci-tech magazine, and my Earthwatch book. I even found the newspapers I kept when I went to Hong Kong to cover an event.

Can’t use the laptop? Use a pen and a paper! I don’t really write poems but I tried to write one. The typhoon woke me up around 1AM and words started to play in my mind.

Want to listen to music? Use a Walkman or check your tape recorder! I have this tape recorder which I used in college , OJT days and my first job. Listening to the interviews and music I recorded made me smile.

Spend some quality time with your pets! I have three hamsters left namely: Buffy Grande, baby Buffy and Chuu. When I woke up at 1AM, I went to the living room and saw them standing in the roof of their cute houses. I know they were afraid, so I played with them and place their cage where I/ they can see me.

Surprisingly, I was very productive despite the lack of electricity. This only shows that there are many things and activities we can do without power. Back in the old days, having no electricity didn’t hinder people from their daily activities. Since then, I try to lessen my usage of gadgets and save electricity. It may look impossible and difficult, but definitely achievable!

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On Monday, I went back to check the family houses in Wenchang. Luckily, there were only several tiles broken on one. One coconut tree fell down , if 20 centimeters closer, all the tiles of the living room would have be gone. Another house was much older, hence more damage. However, other villagers' houses were damaged much more seriously. I knew there were a lot of people's houses suffering great damage.Some houses lost the whole roofs, and some houses have been completely destroyed.

Another sad thing that Rammasun did was that it destroyed all the tress. Not being dramatic, there were no leafs left on most of the trees there. The stunning scenes were like from a Hollywood movie. We saw many beautiful birds that day because they had nowhere to hide anymore. 

We went to my grandmother's family house to visit grandmother's brothers. Their houses were of course damaged, but not very severely. One of grandmother's brother said:"No leafs left, It is like we just ended a big war." I figured that was exactly what it was like when Japanese marched into villages burning down all the trees and houses back in the 1940s.

Tomorrow will be a week since the typhoon, the community where I live finally set right electricity system. It had been 5-hour electricity per day for a week. I heard it would at least take one month to set right electricity system in the countrysides.Some even think recovery will take years. 

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Asia-Pacific

Typhoon kills 11 people in Vietnam after leaving 26 dead in southern China

World

Strongest storm in 40 years hits China with 130mph winds leaving eight dead

The strongest storm to hit southern China in more than 40 years has killed at least eight people in the country, state media has confirmed, after causing devastation in the Philippines. Super typhoon Rammasun first reached land in China on Friday afternoon, packing winds exceeding 130mph an hour and leaving five dead and 99 injured in Hainan province. Rammasun - meaning "Thunder God" in Thai - then lashed Guangdong province and the neighbouring Guangxi region where three people died.

I opened the restaurant just a month ago. The typhoon blew everything away.

Han Xiongfeng, a resident in Wengtian

Typhoon Rammasun claims lives

There have been 8 reported deaths and 99 injured in south China since Typhoon Rammasun made landfall on Friday afternoon.

After tearing through Wenchang city in Hainan Province, the super typhoon moved into the coastal city of Fang Chang-Gang in China’s Southwest Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Saturday morning.

Other affected cities in the area include the regions capital, Nanning as well as nearby city Beihai.

A number of flights and high-speed trains from Nanning have been cancelled, meanwhile tourist hotspots in the region have been instructed to close.

Damages to buildings have been reported in the affected areas, while fallen power-lines continue to black major roads. Authorities estimate costs will reach 247 million yuan ($40 million).

This Gif shows super typhoon Rammasun in both visible light and in Infrared light (expressing the temperatures of the storm). 

Credit Colorado State/NASA/VIIRS

Super typhoon kills eight in south China

A super typhoon has killed eight people in China since making landfall on Friday afternoon, state media said on Saturday, after hitting parts of the Philippines and leaving 77 dead.

Typhoon Rammasun reached the southern Chinese island province of Hainan on Friday, before striking parts of the mainland later on Friday and early on Saturday, said the official Xinhua news agency.

The government had…