Resilience

Resilience

Many events occurred while I was in the Philippines last July.  One stood out because it was unexpected. I have grown up at home encountering floods but not this extreme. It occurred luckily towards the end of our stay in the Philippines when the multisite meetings I came for were over. 

I was busy preparing for a chemistry demonstration at my cousin's after-school program to be held the next day when it started raining which did not stop. I was in my room when I heard Roxanne my niece and the maid Alma were going up and down the stairs bringing bags of dishes and supplies from the first floor.   They were preparing for the worst when the flood water got so high and enters the house.  My brother had moved two cars across the street with a parking space higher than his driveway. 

The water was ankle-high before noon. The rain was nonstop and high tide was coming by noon.   By the afternoon the water was now waist high. 

Then sometime in the afternoon there was no electricity and Wi-Fi. We were using the flash on our iPhone. The rain pelted the roof continuously and did not stop till late at night. 

From the window I saw people wading through the waist-deep water. They made the most of the situation and just seemed to enjoy it.  

Only an inch or two of water got inside the house.  My brother's move years ago to increase the height of the first floor really helped.  

Electricity and WIFI came back at noon the next day.  What a relief.  

Facebook the next day showed photos of people making a resort out of the flooded areas in the city.  I really like the indomitable spirit of the Filipinos in their cry "We are Filipinos, you are just a flood."  We are indeed resilient and earns the distinction of one of the happiest people in Asia.