Typhoon

So, Sunday we got hit with a category II Typhoon. The winds souded like fighter planes landing overhead; the rain pelted our windows in sheets, bubbling between the panes and soaking everyone's apartment before Doug came in and told us we had to leave the windows open a little to let the water out. I mopped up a full bucket of water from my floor and I was one of the lucky ones.

One of the other teachers (Miles) wasn't home, windows open. He came home to find his place covered in four inches of water, matress and box spring soaked through. Sweet.

There are steep hills on this island, and one of the streets used to be a river they paved over so when the rains came it reverted back to a river -- literally. Water was chest high. Cars got swept away. Piled on top of each other; fliped over, there was even a motorcycle on top of a turned over car. The Buddist temple wall collapsed. I heard 14 people died. Went down to the E-Mart one day post flood, and the roads are mud. People still pumping water out of their stores and appartments. The glass door in front of my apartment building shattered and I thought my windows would break.

There is a little junkyard puppy living in just in front of my window. I asked the owner if he could stay in my apartment during the typhoon but he wouldn't let me take him. Said the dog would be fine, that he would miss his owner and didn't like small spaces. So, he left the three month old puppy tied to a pole by a six foot rope for 12 straight hours of pouring rain and wind. Poor puppy.

All the foreigners were excited about the storm actually, we took pics and vidoe taped what we could. We congregated in the hallways, watching the wind whip rain off the buildings. And after it was all over, we went to see the 12 car pile up and took photos. A little heartless maybe, but in my defense, everyone was doing it!

Came into work this morning at 9:15 sharp (oops, little late) to find out that we didn't have to be in until 1pm today because of the adult classes tonight. Nice...thanks for telling me man. Boss lady said: "we didn't think about it before and you didn't come to work yesterday." Yes, because I had the day off! I think. But smile and say: "Oky-dokey". So, here I am, writing emails and updating my blog.