Yesterday, the family paid our first visit for the new year to the Chinese temple where my in-laws' ashes rest. We lit incense sticks and sat quietly while absorbing the tranquility of the place.
Coming here has always filled us with quiet meditation. Truth be told, I quite like sitting here and talking in hushed tones among us. Some days, we listen to prayers being chanted for the newly departed, like yesterday.
We stopped by a popular pizza joint on a whim for lunch. I quite liked the interiors of this branch- very well-thought-out decor with a decidedly young vibe.
The husband remarked that it was quite overcast at noon time. Little did we know that the reason for that was a "tiny" volcano to the south of the metro was getting heated up. At around 1 pm, Taal Volcano in the Cavite and Batangas borders, touted as the world's smallest volcano because only its tip is visible from the lake where it is submerged, sent plumes of ashes very unexpectedly. It has been inactive and quietly inviting for such a long time that people seem to have forgotten that it is not extinct, just biding its time, señor.
Having gone through a devastating volcanic eruption in 1991, Mt. Pinatubo in Pampanga, everyone seems to be on the verge of hysteria at the prospect of yet another one, especially so close to the metro. The government has issued warnings and health advisories and evacuated those who live in the volcano's immediate vicinity. We were warned to expect ash fall over the metro but so far, at least where I reside, there has been none that's worth noting, none other than the usual layer of dust. I diligently follow news updates and one caught my eye: The article, written in the vernacular, described Taal as "nag-aalboroto" which translates to English as Taal having tantrums. That's a funny way of describing it :)
Personally, without sounding indifferent or callous, I think Taal is just going through a release. It needs to let go of its pent-up "feelings". I mean, if we humans need to burp once in a while to feel much better, why can't it, right? It's not having a tantrum or acting up, it's just going through what volcanos do. Nothing end-of-the-world about it, just Taal being the hot dude at the moment. That said, I pray that everyone who is affected will be safe and can soon resume their rudely interrupted lives.
P.S. I am not trivializing the situation at Ground Zero. I know there's a lot of fear and hardship over there. While I exhort everyone to do what he can to help our fellow Filipinos, we can't really contain or make Taal stop, until he is ready to. We just have to bear it and wait it out.
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| Even though we are not Buddhists, we follow the tradition set before us by our parents. |
Coming here has always filled us with quiet meditation. Truth be told, I quite like sitting here and talking in hushed tones among us. Some days, we listen to prayers being chanted for the newly departed, like yesterday.
 |
| The pious always fill my heart with awe and admiration for what they are. |
We stopped by a popular pizza joint on a whim for lunch. I quite liked the interiors of this branch- very well-thought-out decor with a decidedly young vibe.
The husband remarked that it was quite overcast at noon time. Little did we know that the reason for that was a "tiny" volcano to the south of the metro was getting heated up. At around 1 pm, Taal Volcano in the Cavite and Batangas borders, touted as the world's smallest volcano because only its tip is visible from the lake where it is submerged, sent plumes of ashes very unexpectedly. It has been inactive and quietly inviting for such a long time that people seem to have forgotten that it is not extinct, just biding its time, señor.
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| Photo grabbed from Rappler.com. All rights go to Derrick Manas. |
Having gone through a devastating volcanic eruption in 1991, Mt. Pinatubo in Pampanga, everyone seems to be on the verge of hysteria at the prospect of yet another one, especially so close to the metro. The government has issued warnings and health advisories and evacuated those who live in the volcano's immediate vicinity. We were warned to expect ash fall over the metro but so far, at least where I reside, there has been none that's worth noting, none other than the usual layer of dust. I diligently follow news updates and one caught my eye: The article, written in the vernacular, described Taal as "nag-aalboroto" which translates to English as Taal having tantrums. That's a funny way of describing it :)
Personally, without sounding indifferent or callous, I think Taal is just going through a release. It needs to let go of its pent-up "feelings". I mean, if we humans need to burp once in a while to feel much better, why can't it, right? It's not having a tantrum or acting up, it's just going through what volcanos do. Nothing end-of-the-world about it, just Taal being the hot dude at the moment. That said, I pray that everyone who is affected will be safe and can soon resume their rudely interrupted lives.
P.S. I am not trivializing the situation at Ground Zero. I know there's a lot of fear and hardship over there. While I exhort everyone to do what he can to help our fellow Filipinos, we can't really contain or make Taal stop, until he is ready to. We just have to bear it and wait it out.
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