Ty-coon

Typhoon "smashes" into Philippines: thousands of grateful employees frantically call into work at BPO's everywhere....

...And by smashes we mean merely heavy rains and wind. Angry kittens have spit at dustballs harder than this, people. Relax.

Last shift (this early AM going into this AM) we had blackouts, which I've never seen at my work, so it was a bit disconcerting - lights out, computers and phones still working, backup generators kicking right on (we can't lose even one second of getting chewed out by angry wiregrass Kentucky good old boys...), employees laughing and clapping, girls and ladyboys giving little screams every time the lights went out...welcome to Typhoon "Juan".
I was texting back and forth with my friend from another BPO and he was in the same boat-- employees calling in "can't find a jeepney due to the typhoon", Indian managers freaking out, girl/ ladyboy employees shrieking every time the lights flickered, backup generators roaring on like 747 airbuses,...come on people. I've been here two months and I'm over "lights out".

We all know what to do: go to Fields Ave, where the lights are NEVER out, have a beer and cup your hands around the cigs to light them in the wind, enjoy the Below Zero beer and ice cold air con and laugh at the girls tottering around in super high heels in high winds.

I went home around 6.30 AM, and opened up my windows (no power= no air con) and just slept on the couch that I have in front of the windows, which are about 8 inches wide and have bars on them, so I wasn't nervous. Here it's common to have a row of about 10 tiny little windows that open vertically, rather than the European "sash" horizontal style.

The sheer white drapes billowed over me in the wind, making a kind of mosquito net. As I fell asleep, I thought of my friend Ken, the PM at ICOR for "CAP ONE" (collections- we were thrilled to find each other and talked collections for at least an hour): " I can't live without aircon".

If I've learned anything over here, it's that if you think you "can't live without" something, it will be the first thing taken away from you, believe that. As I stretched out my feet, which were dyed orange from my leather shoes bleeding into them from the wet streets and listened to the rain, the barking dogs, the laughing men having a beer at first light, I thought "and I thought I couldn't live without....without....without". Feeling like Indiana Jones, I fell asleep almost right away.

It was actually about 65 out, windy, balmy, and oddly soothing. Despite the fact that the divan is too short for me, I had a very refreshing sleep under the wind- and the apt got aired out quite well.

Later that day I got up and went to the mall- everything was that grey, washed over and had that hyper real tints that you see after a storm, and I was in a an oddly good mood- the storm and everything it brought.... thanks.