Oh my gas!

Pump prices of gasoline jumped by another P1.50 per liter. Arghh! Can you imagine , a year ago gasoline prices were in the vicinity of P30 per liter and people were already complaining then. Now, it's doubled and they've stopped complaining, instead commuting to beat the crunch.

It's hilarious how you go to a gas station in a fancy, brand new car and purchase P200 worth of gas. Laughable because that's just around 2 plus liters! You might as well leave the car and take the jeep or bus.

Of course it really is so much more convenient to have your own vehicle to get around. But pondering about how much it takes to fill a tank, and the necessity of the errand makes you think a zillion times whether or not to take the car or just commute.

A few weeks ago, while on a jeep, two drivers were sighing about the escalating gas prices. One said there was even talk that next year, crude oil will be hitting P100 a liter. If that happens, one said, no one will be plying the route. It's just darn crazy...

Even my dad who goes to the farm weekends has decided it will be more practical to just take the bus. That way he saves on gas and gets to rest while on the trip...

Wimby's glamour girls gone

After Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic followed suit. And so it is that the glamour girls of the sport have packed their bags for home. I've got absolutely nothing against these young ladies being tall, gorgeous and all because they do know and love tennis as well. It just gets to me that there is so much preoccupation about their looks and what they're donning at grand slam events.

Now, the Asian tennis players seem to be making a mark at this tournament. They've managed to upset their opponents, which is a really great thing because it's the Europeans and Americans that usually dominate the sport. So here's to rooting for Asian blood to take centerstage.

So Wimbledon is now entering its second week and with the draws compressing, it will be interesting to follow if Federer or Nadal will face off once again for the finals or if one of the Williams sisters will be lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish... again.

Well we just have to tune in and watch as the games unfold.

Photo by IPS/M. Pozzetti (www.wimbledon.org)

Seeds come crashing down

So much for Maria Sharapova's scene-stealing outfit... After two rounds at Wimbledon, she's joining Serb Novak Djokovic in packing bags and heading for home. Hey, aren't they the reigning Australian Open champs? Hmmm.

I guess tennis has really become unpredictable these last years. Of course, not to discount the dominance of Roger Federer, who's been at the top for nearly three years. These days, it can be anybody's game. Well, just looking over Federer's shoulder is Rafael Nadal, who just may pull a great stunt and finally prove he's not just a clay-court guy.

The truth is I miss Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Boris Becker, even Michael Chang and Steffi Graf and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. I miss their showmanship on court. Power tennis? I'm not really so gung-ho about. Because play that way and in a couple of years, they have to contend with injuries. Now a good game by Agassi and Sampras or Graf and Monica Seles, wow! Really keeps you glued to the screen, your heart thumping with excitement. Even Goran Ivanisevic was a showman.

Well, there's next year again for Sharapova and Novak... And here's to looking out who will reign supreme on the queen's green.

Photo by IPS/M. Pozzetti (http://www.wimbledon.org.)

Construction and the Blues

Hayayayay! The office is one big construction site at this time. As in, the entire Batasan Pambansa complex is full of scaffoldings, cement, construction workers, hammering, digging, chipping and what have you. They're making use of the long break to get things going. The facades are undergoing a facelift, the bathrooms (so many of them) are being renovated, even our 6th floor has not been spared. So it's one huge facelift for the complex.

In exchange, there is never any peace and quiet, with all the racket and commotion caused by the hammering, pounding, chipping away at plaster and cement. And the dust is terrible!. Worse, you never really know which areas are passable.

Making matters worse is that I've been under the weather lately. I can feel a cold and cough tickling. At least the Vitamin Cs I'm glugging seem to be holding them off. But I can still feel it coming.

Then there's the internet lull at the complex following the typhoon over the weekend. Connections have yet to be restored. What a bummer week this is turning out to be...

Whiplash Weekend

So many things happened over the weekend, and am I thankful the home and family are all intact and safe.

First there was Frank -- one bloody typhoon that whipped through the entire country from south to north, leaving thousands homeless, hundreds dead, and millions worth in damaged property. Did Frank make his presence felt... While it's been overcast with thunderstorms in the past weeks, nothing could have prepared us for the early morning attack last Sunday when Frank hit the metropolis after ravaging the Visayas and other parts of the country in its path.

Mom, who was in the farm with Dad for the weekend, roused us at 4 in the am to warn us that Frank was about to hit land. They've been awake since 2 because the wind had been howling and the heavens pouring leaving the surroundings flooded. The caretakers had to seek refuge in the main house lest they get trapped in their modest homes. It was, Mom described, like a refugee camp with lights out for the most part. Good thing there was a girl scout who fashioned a makeshift lamp using our precious VCO.

After checking on the doors and windows, shutting those that need to be shut just as the winds were starting their fury, I hit the sack again but sis tuned in to the radio for regular weather/storm updates. An hour or so later, Frank hit land, whipped everything in sight, dumped rains and made certain everyone would stay home for the rest of the day. Power was out for several hours making it difficult to do chores around the house in darkness. The house (boohoo!!) was feeling the effects of the storm, mostly in the living room when water started seeping into the house. It was a never-ending mopping session and dumping water outside until late afternoon. Power was restored for about half-an-hour then went off again. With power out, the kids were restless and bored. We had fried rice for lunch and salted fish on the side. The rains were intermittent and lasted till late in the evening.

News that an inter-island vessel sank added to the tension. I can imagine the nightmarish situation for disaster officials who would have to contend with various rescue missions. Sulpicio Lines sure is unlucky. It's another of their vessels that turned over; 700 passengers and crew on board, and the survivors are coming in trickles, if at all. Now what is with these people setting sail in spite news of bad weather? Tsk, tsk.

Our house-help, who was due in from the province (the same area where the sunken ship originated from) had us worried. But she sent in messages that she was safe but stranded. Whew! That was close. Now, she is back home, none the worse for wear.

In many parts of the country hit by Frank, there is still no electricity. Those who lost their homes are holed up in evacuation centers -- mostly schoolbuildings. Classes were suspended in areas ravaged by the typhoon. Communicatioan facilities are getting back to normal. Even internet connections suffered heavily and need to undergo repair.

It's just the beginning of the rainy season and who knows what else lies ahead...

Here I am Again

I cannot believe that it's been 9 months since I last posted here. Yes, yes, I've been neglecting this what with the new boss, who has just as many demands as the previous. Well, the good thing is he treats his staff like humans and not like animals.

In the 11 months since he's been in office, he has logged in thousands of airmiles due to several overseas trips. Last month, it was Belfast, United Kingdom, tomorrow he's off to the US for 10 days. Oh my gosh! And it's always been one harried preparation after another.

I've got other stuff to write about in the next couple of days... as soon as he leaves.

In the meantime, it's good to be back.