Prayers, Please

In case you haven't heard, Luzon (Metro Manila and some of the provinces) has turned into some sort of Waterworld. I'm one of the lucky ones--our area doesn't get flooded, we have electricity, running water, and even cable TV and internet. But, like, 90% of the city is flooded so we didn't have work today. We stayed home, and I felt helpless as I read my Twitter feed. Really, some of the tweets are heartbreaking--one woman gave birth on a rooftop, a 75-year-old grandfather was stuck on another rooftop since morning, delivery boys on duty were getting berated for being late (can you imagine? These customers are asking these boys to risk their lives to bring them pizza, and they have the nerve to get mad!), a hospital was flooded nearly til its third floor where the nursery was located. Some of my friends have had to evacuate the homes they rebuilt after the flood three years ago.  Depressing stuff.:(

When you read this, please say a prayer for the Philippines. It's still raining.

A Dance with (Boracay) Dragons

As the recent Filipino dragonboat racing team's win has shown, there are a lot of Pinoy teams out there that remain unrecognized, excelling on the international platform in sports that aren't really a part of the mainstream consciousness (or the PSC's budget...). One of my favorite examples: the Boracay Dragons, a beach ultimate team that has caught the eye (and, at the 2007 Worlds, captured the hearts) of the international disc community.

I've seen these Dragons play, and it's unbelievable. Anyone who's tried to run on sand knows how difficult it is, but they're all incredibly light on their feet. It's as if they're simply running on grass. Their foreign competitors are normally a head (or more) taller than them, but never has "small but terrible" rung more true than in the Dragons' case!

Tonight, the Dragons begin their quest for the gold at this year's World Championships of Beach Ultimate. Much like the Olympics, this event happens every four years (the last one was held in Brazil, and our countrymen got the silver in the Open category!). This year, it's being held in Italy, and select games will be broadcast here. The first game--Philippines vs. Italy--will be broadcast tonight, 11 PM Manila time. Do pray for the team (a couple of members are my friends!) and watch, support, and see just how awesome they are!

Go, Dragons! Go, Pilipinas!