Blue Pencil Chronicles

With the weather going apparently haywire these past few weeks, there were two things I’ve learned to rely on during the constant attacks of extreme heat and torrential rains.

If you’ve noticed last week, it would often be very, very hot in the morning and would eventually rain very hard in the afternoon.  Of course, at the onset, I didn’t care if it’d rain in the afternoon or what.  Suffice to say, with the extreme heat I always feel in the morning going to school, I didn’t expect the weather to change anytime soon.

But of course, now I learned that I was wrong, and so I prepared myself for whatever circumstances that may come my way.  So guys, meet my two new “gears” for this very crazy season:

First is my fan, or abaniko in Filipino.  Meet Laura Belle.  Laura Belle is a tattered, old fan that I accidentally found while lining up for a class in UP’s Faculty Center.  The corridor was packed then and something to cool one down was a necessity.  Too bad I didn’t have that in mind, that’s why when I found Laura Belle forgotten, lying haplessly on the floor, I felt a choir of angels sing Handel’s Hallelujah for a heaven-sent gift.  Okay, not really.  Heh.  Of course I first asked around for the owner who may have left it on the floor unwittingly, with my mind half-wishing the owner wouldn’t claim it anymore  because it was SO FREAKING HOT IN THERE.  After a few unsuccessful tries, I concluded that Laura Belle is one abandoned abaniko and so I chose to adopt her.  Muhahahahaha.

Since then, Laura Belle kept me company all throughout the perspiring moments of every heat-filled and humid morning.

Next, I’d like you to meet Mercury, the Roman Messenger god.  But today he comes in another form, one that protects someone from harsh elements.  Hehe.

Mercury is my trusty handy umbrella.  He’s named Mercury because he’s a freebie from Mercury Drug (aaah, now it all makes sense.  Heh).  On the first few days of classes I wasn’t able to bring Mercury with me, thinking it wouldn’t rain nga. Big mistake.  Heavy rains always flooded the streets in the afternoon, and thanks to friends with cars who selflessly give me a ride home, I arrive at the apartment only slightly wet.

Thanks to these two little buddies of mine, I’m comfortable and protected even with all the harsh elements out to get me.  How about you?  What do you use to keep yourself safe from all these?

P.S.  I just learned that Signal No. 3 has been raised in Metro Manila and that heavy rains with strong winds will soon fall over here.  Yipes!  Gotta be more prepared than that.

*frontpage photo from http://cdn.overstock.com