Oct 14, 2009

pepeng experience

there will always be that one occurrence that will forever change one's perspective in life. i should know... i just had mine last week. the pepeng experience(i would have called it by another name so you would have to blame it on PAG-ASA)

i have always hated typhoons. i hate it when it rains so hard that it makes me remember my tears will never fill a river. i hate it when the wind gets extra strong that it makes me forget that we live in a home with concrete walls. i hate it when it gets so chilly that it reminds me of the fact that the right side of my bed is vacant. and i hate it most especially when the electricity suddenly goes out when all i want to do is blog, catch my favorite show on tv, and make some hot choco(fine, this i can do even without electricity). yup... i am a city boy and i can be that shallow.

friday. strong winds and heavy rains have finally taken its toll. for the first time in our more than fourteen years of residence in our subdivision, flood reached our home.we were quick to move as we have heard of frightening stories about flood rising in a blink of an eye(i could be exaggerating. but still, at a fast rate). by noon, first floor was flooded, electricity was gone and we were stuck upstairs with minimum food and the rest of our drinking water. it was horrible. i was restless. there was nothing to do. i started reading but then night came so that was a bust. it's official, pepeng s*cks!

saturday. it was more frustrating for me that day 'cause it was my birthday. yup, you guessed it. no fancy dinner, no expensive gifts, no big time blowout. instead, we shared noodles and packed some clothes to give to those who have suffered much more than we have. we are doing something noble and yet all i can think of was how unfair it is for me to see my family getting all busy to prepare for other people when they don't even have a second to give me a quick peck on the cheek and... hey, don't give me that look. i'm all up for charity but it's my birthday. i'm allowed to be a little unreasonable right?

sunday. i've reached my tipping point. all clothes were packed, all books have been read, all food have been eaten, i can't go out and my phone's out of order. i'm miserable. and i smell... not the kind of smell that we call "man stink" that we use to disgust our sisters with, but the kind that would send off even the smelliest dog. i was going nuts so i decided i to stay in bed... trying to avoid doing nasty things(*wink*) and i tried to sleep off all of my frustrations. then i woke up. surprise, surprise!

monday. i woke up with a smile on my face. i can't believe that the sight of light from that energy-saving lightbulb could give me so much joy. i got up and did the first thing i thought of, i took a dump. a big massive dump. finally, i got my life back. all is fair again. i switched the tv on, only to be surprised with how "fair" lost its meaning.

fair would have been people having enough food to eat while waiting to be rescued. fair would have been having enough boats to save more people and reduce casualties. fair would have been having more people concerned for the victims than their political gains. fair would have been... then i realized, that's just it. it's always "would have been," it was never "is." i feel like fair never even existed and i have never felt so useless and dumb.

i thought of my pepeng experience and i realized i was looking at it the wrong way. i frowned at the fact that my phone was dead when i should be thankful of the personal talks i had with my family. i was sad that i wasn't able to watch my shows when i should be happy that i finally finished reading my books. i was ungreatful of those noodles for my birthday when i should be glad i had something to eat with my family. i was pissed with my temporarily disturbed life when i should celebrate the fact that i am alive. now i've realized, positive things are seen by people who seek to see the good even in the bad.

i don't want to expound on my new found out-look in life because i don't want to be one of those people who i used to hate. i don't want to turn into one of those know-it-all authors who writes self-help books. i'm not oprah! got to stop this now before i turn into dr. phil. thank God electricity's back!

19 comments:

  1. base ako.. 100 points awarded.

    Sa dagdaan na experience ko sa mga bagyo puro matitindi, binalot ng takot at pangamba ang buong pilipinas, at kami rin na taga malabon.

    una: Ondoy experience.. naku po, parang naging lawa ang kapaligiran, naglutangan ang mga ebak at dumi sa lansangan.

    sinundan ng Pepeng: kahit papaano sa bahagyang lumihis sa kamaynilaan, kaya lang mas maraming nasalanta at nasawi sa north luzon dahil sa landslide.

    buti na lang nakabawi sa pangatlo:

    after ondoy and pepeng: puro pepe naman.. nagsawa ako nun.. he he he

    naligaw lang sa site mo.. tulad din sayo.

    salamat nga pala sa pagdaan at komento sa pahina ko.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bawat pitik, may nadaramang aray.
    Kapag nasanay ang isang katawan sa kaniyang ginagawa, wala itong kinikilala pang iba, hahanapin,uulit-ulitin, sa mga pagkakataong ganito, may bigla na lang darating, may bigla na lang nagpapakilala- ibang kaanyuan man o pangsaraling kaisipan- nagbabago.

    Nakapag-iisip, nasasagi ang emosyon.

    May nakukuhang aral.

    Natutunan kong mas maging bukas sa lahat ng pwedeng mangyari- isang pitik. Maglalaho

    ReplyDelete
  3. agree ako dito.. "positive things are seen by people who seek to see the good even in the bad" ...we have the same sentiments on that experience. matapos ang ondoy experience ko dito sa maynila, pamilya ko naman sa la union ang ginulo ni pepeng. haha! but I have so much to thank for dahil safe kaming lahat at nakakaraos.hehe keep safe! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. di naman sa nakikigaya, pero dahil ke ondoy ay nagbago rin ang takbo ng utak ko at pananaw sa buhay kahit konti(at paglangoy ko sa baha, nagimprove din).
    dun sa bertdey mo, badtrip nga yun. kung ako yun, baka sumigaw na lang ako buong araw.lols.
    mabuti na lang at ayos kayong lahat. at mas mahalaga dun ay nakajebs ka agad ng matiwasay.
    apir!

    ReplyDelete
  5. We had the same situation here nung kasagsagan ng bagyong Ondoy. Binaha rin kami ng matindi dito sa San Mateo, Rizal.

    Anyways, glad to know na you and your family is safe.

    Ayus lang yung kahit walang engrandeng handaan sa beerday mo :D ang mahalag is safe kayo ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  6. awww i hope everything is okay with you.

    anyway it may be the worst birthday but it's the day you realize and learn something that changed your outlook in life..

    ReplyDelete
  7. ei dude..manggugulo na naman ako sa iyo hehehe... ang ibig sabihin po ng PLU ay PEOPLE LIKE US, hehehe..it means, hmmm...ano, yung katulad ko, yung alam mo na, yung ganun..grrrrrr...basta yun na yun..ikaw, PLU k BA? wahehehe

    ReplyDelete
  8. belated happy bday nga pala...

    awww even though your bday wasn't what u expected, it's something that is worth remembering naman db? :) i'm happy that u realized a lot and found the positive things that it brought u despite u being a city boy. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Maswerte tagala kami dito sa Bulacan at hindi masyado nasalanta ng Ondoy at pepeng... my Prayers to all in need...

    ReplyDelete
  10. @alkapon oo nga.. congrats :P

    @j.kulisap nosebleed. hehe. pero dig ko yun parekoy.

    @christine salamat. keep safe :P

    @manikreigun tama yun parekoy. naagapan ang tawag ng kalikasan. haha.no worries sa bday ko... just had late celebration... meron p ulit nx wik. bawi na. haha.

    @fielkun maraming salamat parekoy.

    ReplyDelete
  11. @nash ayos na po. and everything's fine. salamat.

    @acebomb ahhh... gets ko na parekoy. sori pero di eh. hehe. :P

    @traveliztera salamat sa pagbati:P

    @mokong amen.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Good for you...you have realized those things. Sometimes it`s also good to experience a `lil discomforts in life. Nice SHOT on this post!Just recently added you in my links. Add me up too. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  13. that is awesome for you.. you are concern.. that is fantastic to know!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hello, Mr. NC! Thanks for the comment! Sige titignan ko kung may mahanap ako puppy breed na suggest mo. I was originally thinking of a Pug or Boston Terrier. Magkamukha sila, pareho silang cute/ugly dogs hahahahahhaa I've done research sabi very patient daw breeds na yun sa smaller kids. Ang kukulit pa naman ng mga anak ko hehehee

    About sa Pinas, hay naku alam mo 10 years nako wala sa Pinas...miss ko na din minsan...sana maka-recover ng maayos mga tao satin sa tragedy na ito!

    ReplyDelete
  15. @randomstudent maraming salamat :P

    @jag tnx din sayo parekoy :P

    @tim ayos!

    @noreen good to know. mura lang iyo at hindi high-maintenance kaya walang problema. bisita ka na sa pinas para masaya :P

    ReplyDelete
  16. i could imagine (and understand) how the grim reaper pestered you and the rest in many ways.

    but dont wori bro, there'r what they called "blessings in disguise" naman.

    i think, i should meet u then, wen i get there.rgds

    ReplyDelete
  17. sana makabangon tayo untiunti


















    ohaithurr dumaan lang.

    ReplyDelete
  18. @aj salamat parekoy. sure, sabihin mo kung kelan ka uwi para mailibe mo naman ako. hehe. nga pala, size 12 ah. hehe

    @saminella ayos... daan ka ulit :P

    ReplyDelete

paano ko malalaman kung ano ang problema mo kung di ka magsasalita? magsalita ka! MAGASALITA KA!