Typhoon Glenda...thoughts on the aftermath

It's not often that I consider the blessings I have as an American. While I'm generally a positive person, I can't help but complain about my life in the states. I have a great life! I live in a beautiful town, 15 minutes from the beach. My job is a 10 minutes drive from my wonderful apartment. I am surrounded by people I love and who love me and I'm a phone call away from my family. My mother flies me home 4 times a year. I've had opportunities to see places that many have not. I have expensive THINGS that I take for granted. Speaking of things I take for granted, I don't appreciate my electricity enough, or my internet. I don't appreciate my roof nearly enough and I have never considered the roads I travel every day.

Experiencing a typhoon in the Philippines was an eye opening event for me. In the hours approaching the typhoon, all we could think was "why are we at work?" I can't speak for everyone on my team, but I wanted to be in my hotel room, with my belongs, where I felt safest. I wanted to be in a place with reliable communication so I could stay in touch with my loved ones. The safety of my hotel, in the middle of it's concrete jungle, was all I could imagine. I also couldn't imagine being one of the agents and NOT being home with my family as a category 3 typhoon blew through my home. After discussing the options with some agents in the class, we quickly discovered that was not what they thought at all. "We're used to this." "Life goes on." "I couldn't get there anyway with the flooding." "It's actually safer here." "I live alone, I would rather be here with people than alone in my apartment." My mind was blown! There are certain people that work no matter what it looks like outside: Medical professionals, law enforcement, the people that are needed in the darkest hour of a typhoon, and call center workers. WHY?!?!?!? I don't get it. It has to be work ethic, but I really don't understand it what's so important that these workers, who work for American companies might I add, feel they have to be at work and make sacrifices so they can service Americans.

Below are some pictures of my birds-eye view of the typhoon. As you look at them, please remember that my experience from 18 floors up, was nothing compared to my friends on the ground level. Many of our agents never made it home that morning. They slept at work or they slept in dorms. Some of them attempted to get home and got stuck in bus station bathrooms for 4 hours. Of those that made it home, one doesn't have a roof. Almost none of the agents had power for days.

 Fallen tree...yellow people braving the storm to unsuccessfully move it. Shame I didn't grab the camera quickly enough to catch the man with a big orange cone on his head.

  Please note the positioning of the crane throughout the storm.

Pretty windy, check out that flag!

 Everyone has such a sense of urgency. Why? The ice truck cut the jeepney off from the outside lane to make a left hand turn. Guess what happened...Accident. Bet he's glad he did THAT!

 All that cardboard looking stuff is actually a wall, but don't worry, it was fixed within 2 days.

                                      The calm after the storm...found my mountains again =)

Typhoon Glenda

So....that's a typhoon, more commonly known in our parts as a hurricane.   Looks fun. Here's the latest update. I'll keep you posted. Unless I'm stuck at the office tomorrow. They provide housing and everything because the employees safety is priority number 1 and nobody is to travel home if it is unsafe. They must travel there though. It's business and usual here in the Manila.


**I would like to note, that Manila (the place we're currently in) cannot be read on the map because it's under the blue line directly in the eye of the storm. Yippy.

As of 5:00 AM PhT today...2100 GMT. 

Location: Over the west-central part of the Philippine Sea (near 12.8N 126.3E) 
About: 185 km east-northeast of Catarman, Northern Samar...or 285 km east-southeast of Legazpi City, Albay
Maximum Sustained Winds (1-min avg): 150 kph near the center...Gustiness: 185 kph
24 hr. Rain Accumulation (near the center): 200 to 400 mm [Heavy to Extreme]
Size (in diameter): 520 km (Small)
Area of Damaging Winds (95 kph or more): 90 kilometers from the center
Past Movement: West @ 22 kph 
Forecast Movement: West-Northwest @ 20 kph
Towards: Bicol Region

One Happy American in Manila

My life is now complete. That is all.

#crazyhatday

We've been celebrating hash tag days in our training room. #tbt and #CrazyhatFriday

I seriously love this class...what a fantastic group of people!

The Elevator

Sometimes getting in the elevator at work feels like one giant inside joke.

Now, I should start by telling you that the max capacity of an elevator at work is 1650kg (aprox. 3600lbs) or 21 people. The average number of people in that elevator at the beginning and end of work is probably about that. In other words, squish to the back and shove your way out when you need to leave. People do not move for you to exit the elevator. People waiting to enter do not move to let you off. When the door opens, everyone laughs at the person getting on and continues to laugh for the entire ride. I have yet to figure out what is so funny, but everyone in the elevator, whether or not they know each other, seems to be in on the joke.

On that same note, the only time I've seen the people here successfully make a line and adhere to it is waiting for the elevator. The line will go halfway around the building at times.

In any other situation, lines are optional. People do not form a queue. Personal space is not valued. If you're in line and you leave enough space to not be on top of the person ahead of you, assume somebody else will take that as an invitation to cut in front of you. My first week here, I was standing in line at Mercury Drugs (the local Walgreens) and a woman walks up to me and motions at me and then at the cashier (as if to ask if I was in line). I nodded. She was apparently asking if it was okay for her cut me and not if I was in line because she proceeded to cut me in line. Baffling.

Another situation where lines are optional: the road. This is getting worse and worse, right! There are lines painted on the roads, but nobody actually uses them. For that matter, they don't even stay on the correct side of the road. I'm not sure it's possible to describe exactly what the driving is like here, but it's sort of like Mario Kart without the banana peels except the banana peels could represent the potholes. You drive, occasionally leave the road and go up a ramp or hill, you attack anyone in your way, you dodge traffic patrolmen, you swerve around the random obstacle or person, you wonder if you're actually in a boat due to the flooding, all in an effort to get to your destination 45 minutes after what you would expect with no traffic. Today our two lanes turned into 4 lanes driving right into on coming traffic. It's kind of like doing a death defying act twice a day. Living is a miracle.

An American in Manila

To continue my history lesson this weekend (my best friend would be sooo proud of me) we took a trip to the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. Now, don't quote me on this because it's from Wikipedia and said best friend would NOT approve of me doing research on here =) BUT, the cemetery has 17,206 graves which means it has the largest number of graves of any cemetery for US personnel killed in World War II. It is a staggering 152 acres and it's awe inspiring to stand in the center of the giant circles.

I genuinely wanted to experience this memorial, but I went with a mission for a good family friend who's uncle dedicated his life in the war. I was able to not only locate the grave, but also take pictures that the members of his family never could have gotten for themselves. I won't share those pictures as they aren't mine to share, but it was an honor to represent his family.

The Chapel

Each of these walls lists the fallen soldiers, their job, when they were killed and where they were from.

I have to say, this is a beautiful place to be laid to rest.

3,744 of the tombs are unknown soldiers.

4th of July or Filipino-American Friendship Day

Jose Rizal was a Filipino nationalist, poet, novelist, ophthalmologist, journalist and revolutionary. He is considered one of the greatest heroes of the Philippines and was executed on December 30, 1896 by a squad of Filipino soldiers of the Spanish Army at Fort Santiago. In 1896 a rebellion was started by the Katipunan and Rizal was arrested in October of that year due to his association with them. Rizal was tried and convicted of rebellion, sedition, and conspiracy and was sentenced to death. He was executed on December 30, 1896 by a firing squad of Filipino soldiers who were backed up by the Spanish Army in case they were disobedient.

Philippine Republic Day, also known as Filipino-American Friendship day happens to fall on the 4th of July. This is the day to commemorate the United States recognizing the independence of the Philippines on July 4, 1946.

In celebration of both country's independence, Dave, Ryan and I decided to spend the day at Fort Santiago with two of our Filipino agents: Emz and Jay. Jay has a passion for history so he gave us a personal tour of the Fort and told us all about the history of their national hero. Here is a sampling of the 150 pictures I took of our adventure. You can find the rest on my facebook.

Douglas MacArthur and Manuel L Quezon

Kalesa

Climbing into the fort via the Great Wall of Intramuros

Guards: Katipuneros

The Theater

Jose Rizal

Rizal in his prison cell writing his final Mi Ultimo Adios (Last Good Bye)

Friars

Tram

I would like to thank Jay Lopez for his help in my historical accuracy =)

Operation R.O.S.I.E.

Dun dun da da dun dun da da dun dun DO DO DOOOOOO! (I hope you're singing right now)

We went into stealth mode as we traveled from the top of Tower 1 all the way to the 4th floor of Tower 3 in hopes of....stealing R.O.S.I.E. When we found her she was overlooking the production floor. 

Now, like all of you back home, I had no idea what any of this meant. It looked like a lemonade stand to me. I wasn't too far off actually. This is Mang Kenny's Store. Kenny is one of the Intake Supervisors and is part of the UES Project Team. "Mang" or "Manong" is used to show respect for older guys. "Tindahan" means store like a mini grocery store.

Don't we look stealthy?

Rosie, teaching the class. She couldn't stay for very long as a supervisor was introducing her to the other class. Oh well, we'll find her again another day. Magic was very disappointed that she didn't get to pose with her for a picture.

...Just another day in the work place. =)