After the Storm

"After the storm, the sun shines again"~~~ by Anonymous

The Philippines is visited by at least, again at least, 26 typhoons a year! These typhoons are mostly during the rainy season, in the months of May to December. While we are at the midst of the dry season, we are overly waiting for the rains to come because it is always very humid and hot with temperatures always above 30°C, sometimes even reaching 36-38°C in the hottest parts. But at the back of our minds we know that it seldom rains without any typhoon or at least a Low Pressure Area (LPA) or an Inter Tropical Convergent Zone (ITCZ). In clear term, rains are only brought by typhoons!

Rains neutralize our overheated atmosphere, our dry land, our thirsty drying trees and plants, and most specially our tortured emotions and well-being! Huh! And the aftermath of these events, most specially during this very famous "climate change"-- floods and landslides. But there is a newly emerging disaster that happened in the recent flooding--garbage! It has been fully televised from the previous big famous typhoon; garbage accumulated at the Manila Bay area. It was a big deal and expensive, hauling truckloads and truckloads of that garbage. It did not only come from the inland Metro Manila, but also from the sea carried by the waves and deposited on the shores.

Our small beach in our province is also a repository of garbage during the recent small typhoon Ofel. I have seen this only for the first time. Our beach fronts a small bay facing the Pacific Ocean, and the garbage came from everywhere.

 To the left of where i stand. At least the garbage here are mostly biodegradable materials, thanks God not much of styrofoam and plastic.

 Composition: logs, bamboos, twigs, roots, banana trunks, coconut husks, coconuts

 To the right from where i stand: the same composition of garbage, but to my relief these are all biodegradable. Some people get the bigger branches to use as firewood for their stoves, others get the coconuts and bamboos. If only there is an enterprising gardener here, those debris will make a lot of organic compost, very good for gardening.

 At the background are the other islands at the other side of the Batangas Bay. The openings between those islands go direct to the Pacific Ocean.

My most familiar picture of that beach is still there, the colored stones. At least some small patches are still uncovered by the debris. And after all the organic materials are decomposed or eaten by microorganisms, these stones will again be fully visible.

After the storm, the sun shines again!

   

Filipino Heritage Houses

OLD Houses for ABC Wednesday

Last Saturday i joined my two male friends in visiting some Heritage Houses in Taal, Batangas, another town in my province. We were looking for some very old relics which might have surfaced in  these old houses, now made into museums.  These houses were used during the Spanish period centuries ago in mid 19th century, and were houses of the rich and famous during that time. These are mostly built from indigenous materials like hardwood and shells for the windows. Some houses have intricately designed ceilings imported from Belgium. But the hardwood's durability is really awesome to withstand insect damage and tropical weather conditions. 

The architectural design during those times also fit the warm tropical climate. Windows are widely opened with opening provisions even below the window ledge at level with the floor. Room partitions are also wide open and all sides have doors for continuous air circulation. Airconditioning units are not available yet those days, and these house designs ensure very good conditions inside the house as if the occupants are just resting well under the trees. These are houses which are in total connection with the environment. 

 Living rooms are wide and very accommodating and hospitable both for air and to visitors.

 Wide eaves give enough shade to the side of the house and give colder temperatures inside.

A lounging chair near the window has the same porous woven rattan seat and back for thorough air circulation. It also slightly rocks back and forth to enhance sleep.

An old dresser cabinet with full length mirror also withstood the test of time. The right mirror reflects the four-poster bed with lacy covers while the left reflects the green vegetation outside.

Small, Petite, Cute Plus

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My Little Corner

My home away from home, but near my place of work, is at the foot of a hill. It is not a steep hill but with a very  gradual incline. I don't have the habit to go out of the house on weekends while here in the city. But I sometimes also explore a little bit of suburbia, and I've done that a couple of times on foot. A 15 min walk from my place reaches the top of the hill, where structures give some few conveniences; restaurants, art shops, garden settings, music school, a golf course and a few more. But I come here mostly for one thing, the sunset! 

Viewed from the hilltop, this is the landscape to the east side

 the golf course on the other side, the west

This is the sunset across the golf course, you can see at the horizon the always prominent structure from my 5th Floor Window, the church!

a closer shot of the setting sun 

On a rather lazy afternoon, it is not a waste of time coming here, on foot or on wheels. A camera is rather a lovely paraphernalia in going there. When the sun is gone, it is time to have some pizza or an omelet and a cup of coffee. Even a lovely dinner is not bad on top of the hill. Let's have dinner!

Expressive Critters!

It has always been a desire to take photos of the little critters. They are normally unobserved, ubiquitous, and left on their own by human eyes. Sometimes they just get into my clear way of vision and i easily respond when I have a camera.

This ant seems thinking to plunge or to walk. It is a wide space ahead of him, and it might be scared too of the abyss! And who will not!

The hirsute larvae looks talking intimately or discussing of their fate under that leaf. Will they be seen while eating or will they be able to reach adulthood in that condition! They seem to be happy and contented though! What do you think?

Here are the two larvae viewed under the leaf. They seem intimately there waiting for their fate, each caring for the other in the midst of chaos around them. I looked around and there is only the two of them among the leaves. Their being together closely here might really have a critter-reason! I wonder what! Can you see their meaning?