Hi Richard,
How are you and Marg? I got back last 27th October following a four-month stay in Central Luzon. Cebu and Bohol were damaged severely by the 7.2 mag earthquake, as you know. Then, the super typhoon, Yolanda, hit Leyte, Samar, Cebu, Iloilo, Palawan directly this past week. Because of the wide swath it covered (600 kms), lots of other provinces were damaged by the heavy winds and rains. Log into
www.inquirer.net for current news and
www.youtube.com type typhoon yolanda to get video news coverage reports.
News coming in says 10,000 (and more) lives were lost in Leyte alone. With no electricity and, therefore, very little communications, news are difficult to gather. I believe much, much worse news will come to light in the next week or so.
Everything is slow to arrive due to damaged infrastructure: roads, bridges. This is terrible. What a calamity. So tragic. I cannot comprehend what's happening to my country. Am a very sad man, Richard.
A week before I left Manila, I was thinking of you and Marg, too. It's because of the raging bushfires in the Blue Mountains. I have friends living in Springwood. My former manager (when I worked with the Valuer-General's Dept) lived in Winmalee. I learned his house was one of those destroyed by fire. I have friends in Lithgow. And, you in Katoomba. The weather pattern is changing. It's crazy.
I'll be staying for a while here in Sydney. I miss my family. And, friends like you. Maybe, we'll meet sometime soon. I look forward to doing that. I hope we meet our other "Nepean batchmates".
We are somehow fortunate here in Australia, I tell you, despite some economic downturns. Look after yourselves. God bless.
-- Aldo
nb: let me know when i could transmit the photos. i have some Philippine ones i took last time to send to you.
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Hi Aldo, I have been thinking about you over the last couple of days wondering if you were involved in the Typhoon. I have friends in Cebu City and have not been able to get through to them and am hoping that they are safe.
My limited capacity with Bigpond is giving us the heebie jeebies and are transferring to an unlimited bundle so I will gladly accept your photos of your Katoomba visit and let you have the ones we took.
All the best,
Richard