I felt like a call center agent last Saturday. Amidst the deluge, I was on the phone non-stop while updates were flooding in (pun not intended, haha) thru FB and Twitter. Remember how Twitter changed the way the world knew about the Iran coup d'etat? I underestimated that observation until Ondoy. When news reporters couldn't reach their subjects and cell sites were zapped, tweets and stat messages kept information flowing. I saw my reports go from friends' onto broadcasters' accounts and tweets.

Anne managed to ride a bus from Sunny Villa to our house. Fatty's been here since Saturday because Rizal's still underwater. Kai, Jan, and Fay (who was missing for almost 3 days) managed to get back to their houses, rather what's left of it.

The government cancelled classes until October 3. I guess that's the most they can do. I know it's not an easy task to handle such disasters but having reserves of a couple hundred of boats, life vests, etc. would consist of an acceptable set of contingency measures, but NOooo. The emergency fund had been used for greater causes. Good thing the citizens who were spared the damage of Ondoy had the heart and muscle to help the unfortunate. The calamity revived the fairy tale that was 'Bayanihan'. Even slacktivists like me and Fatty got stirred by our socially-active friends to join in relief efforts. People were so hyped to help that we got shooed by two relief centers before finding one that still needs volunteers. We ended up in Centro Expo in Cubao. Clarification: We were there to help. Not because we support the NoyMar tandem. I caught a man pointing a video camera on Fatty and me while we were unpacking boxes of pancit canton. I hope we don't end up in a campaign ad.

The center was mostly made up of the Bourgeoise. Conversations in English-with-funny-accents buzzed as everyone worked. Later on we the closet-burgis got infected, our hidden accents resurfaced. It was fun and...ok, heart-warming (cheesy) to see people who have comfortable lives stretch their backs for others. The cafeteria never ran out of food. Where can you find relief centers that distribute (donated) Krispy Kreme doughnuts to tired volunteers? Some known political figures passed by. Only one instance ticked me off: a politician who wasn't in the assembly line cut in for a photograph, posing as if he's had his share of hard labor. Besides that, the experience was fun. I might go back tomorrow.