Friday, May 15, 2020

Opening up a bit, just in time for the typhoon

We were in lockdown for a month, then in a very strict lockdown for 2 weeks, but today we are scheduled to open up a bit.

The neighborhoods, especially in Manila, which have cases will remain on strict lockdown I understand.

this is good for the local folks, many of whom work in shops or run small shop/kiosks or tricycles or do other blue collar work in areas that have been shut down. Hmmm... maybe I can even get my hair cut soon.

the other good news: The bank said they can start processing checks from the USA, so that I can deposit money from my US bank which gets my pension. Hopefully the check will clear before I run out of savings here.

We have a good mayor: two days ago the maid was missing... apparently she was making sure her family (son, cousins, counsins/ kids and grandkids) got the rice and cash help that they were giving out in the poorer neighborhoods.



We now have a rapid testing station in town.



No, I won't get a test unless I come down with symptoms.

this is all good news.

The bad news? We have a typhoon/tropical storm heading here today and tomorrow Right now it's signal 2, which isn't too bad, but it means lots of rain and maybe flooding for the folks who live near the river.


but the storm is headed up the western coast of the Philippines: if it stays there we'll be okay but if it heads closer to land we could have a signal 3, which is a mess, or even signal 4 (it's not up to signal 5 right now).

The bad news? the roof to our house has been leaking, so if it gets bad we could have dripping all over (right now it's just in my bathroom).
But so far we still have electricity,, water, and internet, all of which will go off if the winds get bad. Hopefully the fact that they have replaced a lot of the dangly wires that always got broken from rice trucks snagging them, so hopefully they won't fall down if a neraaby palm or banana trees falls down. we now have heavier cables/wires, concrete poles, higher wires, and tranaformers  will mean fallen electric wires will be less likely.



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