Typhoon Cimaron (Paeng)

MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon Cimaron, One of the strongest typhoons to hit the storm-prone Philippines in years battered the mountainous north late Sunday, and the country's president urged people to prepare for the worst.

"Let us all pray,"President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said in a message on nationwide radio as she ordered schools and government offices closed in the affected area and temporarily banned bus trips there.

Typhoon Cimaron lashed Isabela province with sustained winds of 121 mph and gusts of up to 143 mph, the Philippine weather bureau said. Hours earlier, the region was placed under the highest of a four-step warning system to advise residents to abandon vulnerable coasts and mountains.

"The wind is really blowing strong. Trees are swaying and I can hear tin roof sheets banging about. Large areas are without light. We're expecting the worst,"Armand Araneta, a provincial Office of Civil Defense officer, told The Associated Press by phone from Isabela.

The storm was expected to disrupt the national All Saints'Day holiday, on Wednesday, when millions travel to cemeteries to remember their dead, some leaving days in advance for outlying provinces. Officials warned people to cancel trips to threatened areas.

We know in our culture that we should visit our dead, but this is not an ordinary typhoon, it's a super typhoon,"a government official, Graciano Yumul, warned."People could figure in many accidents if they don't listen."

Arroyo, who is visiting China, urged authorities and residents in the four northern provinces to stay home during the 16th typhoon to hit the country this year.

"I appeal to you not to venture out,"Arroyo said in her radio message.

The storm was expected to weaken over land, but still should maintain typhoon strength as it emerges into the South China Sea, forecasters said.

Cimaron _ the Philippine word for wild ox _ is potentially devastating to a region prone to deadly mudslides. Forecasters said the last time a typhoon this strong struck the Philippines was in December 2004, although in that case, the storm was deflected by a mountain range and casualties were minimal.

Last month, Typhoon Xangsane left 230 people dead and missing in Manila and neighboring provinces.

About 20 typhoon and tropical storms lash the country each year.

Second Trip to Majuro

MAJURO, MARSHALL ISLANDS - OCT 24-28

This was my second visit to Majuro, however the first time we went from Manila directly to Guam and then to Majuro. This time we took Continental Micronesia's "Island Hopper" flight which is very tiring. If it weren't for the business class seat, I don't think I would ever go there again. The flight left Manila at 11:00 PM Tuesday evening and we arrived in Majuro at 5:30 PM Wednesday evening (18.5 hours later). After leaving Manila we went to Guam, Chuuk, Phonpei, Kosrae, Kwajalein and finally Majuro. Yap, Chuuk, Phonpei and Kosrae are all part of the Federated States of Micronesia and Majuro is the Capital of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). But wait there's more...

The trip back was just as tiring except a really weird guy was sitting next to me for half the trip. He was taking pictures of the flight attendant (thinking she didn't notice) when she was standing in the aisle and he just creeped me out. I also met a guy working with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) who informed me last time he were there (when I was in August) the water was making people sick with typhoid. There is not much to do in Majuro and the people have that 1000 yard stare and glazed look in their eyes.

The main form of excitement there consists of people to going to the airport to watch the plane land and takeoff from the immensely small Majuro International Airport. Below is a picture of Majuro from the air.

Under the Weather

I have been sick since I returned from Taipei on Saturday (Oct 14th) and have missed four days of work. I am starting to feel better today. I had a fever, cough and sore throat with aches and have had no energy to do much of anything. I hope I am better by tomorrow since I am traveling on Tuesday to Majuro in the Marshall Islands again. At least I can rack up some more frequent flier miles. If anyone is reading this from work, let me know what your up to.

Typhoon Xangsane

TYPHOON XANGSANE LEAVES 76 DEAD, 69 MISSING IN PHILIPPINES

Sept 26, 2006
Typhoon Xangsane formed on September 25, 2006, in the western Pacific near the coast of the Philippine Islands. Over the next 36 hours, it grew from a tropical depression (area of low air pressure) to a typhoon. The typhoon crossed the Philippines and was credited for causing 76 deaths there before crossing the South China Sea and coming ashore in central Vietnam on October 1.. As the storm came ashore in central Vietnam, it packed winds of 148 kilometers per hour (92 miles per hour), causing another six deaths and many injuries. Vietnamese authorities called Typhoon Xangsane the biggest storm to hit the country in several decades.

MANILA, Philippines — The death toll from a typhoon that ravaged the Philippine capital and northern farming regions has risen to 76, with 69 others missing in floods and landslides, officials said Sunday.

Most of the additional deaths were caused by drowning, landslides or falling debris as Typhoon Xangsane roared across Manila and nearby provinces on Luzon island Thursday. The fatalities were only reported over the weekend due to downed communication lines, officials said. Xangsane has since hit Vietnam and been downgraded to a tropical storm.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appealed for public patience as authorities struggled to fully restore power, communications and water supplies, and to clear roads of debris and fallen trees three days after the typhoon.

"The tragedy has been disheartening but our nation needs to be strong to cope with and to overcome these trying times," presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in a statement.
Arroyo on Saturday presided over a meeting of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, and ordered authorities to intensify a massive cleanup in the capital and beyond. As complaints mounted, she ordered power restored in the capital within 48 hours.

About 72 percent of power in Luzon, hit by a total blackout Thursday, had been restored Sunday. However, efforts to fully restore electricity were being stymied by downed power poles and giant steel pylons, officials said.

"We're trying to abide by the president's order but there was just too much structural damage,"
said Jocelyn Abrera, an information officer of the state-run National Transmission Corp.
About 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines yearly, but many people seemed overwhelmed by the extent of damage caused by Xangsane, which blew out of the country Friday.

Many Manila residents crammed hotels and malls to escape the heat and inconvenience in their powerless homes. Some gasoline stations closed due to delays in supply deliveries and panic buying, officials said.

They said Internet and cable TV were still out in some areas, and users have complained of sluggish cell phone services.

The typhoon, the worst to hit the bustling capital in over a decade, left many villages still littered with fallen trees and debris after bright sunshine returned Sunday.
About 2,000 soldiers were helping clear fallen trees, billboards and power poles in Manila, the military said.

In a desperate bid to hasten the cleanup, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando announced a cash prize for residents who help clear fallen trees and turn them into artworks.

The storm affected more than 1 million people in 17 central and northern provinces and in metropolitan Manila, and nearly 105,000 remained in 198 emergency government shelters, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said.

As authorities grappled with Xangsane's aftermath, government forecasters on Sunday found a new tropical depression swirling in the Pacific Ocean about 630 miles east of southern Luzon with winds of up to 34 miles per hour, officials said.

It was moving at 7 mph toward the northern tip of the Philippines and Taiwan, and was expected to strengthen in the new few days. The depression, locally named Neneng, was not expected to hit the Philippines unless it changes course.

Taipei, Taiwan

I just returned from Taipei. I was there from Oct 3rd to the 6th and spent most of my time working. A group of colleagues and I visted a restaurant that primarily serves a wide varietiey of noodles and is called a "Ramen" shop. On our last night we went toTGI Fridays for dinner to celebrate the promotion of one of our technicians to FS-03. Other than that, it was a very large and crowded city surrounded by mountains and seemed interesting. This is a good picture of the night view of Taipei. The lare building in the center is the "Taipei 101" and is currently the tallest building in the world and. The Taipei 101 consists of 101 stories above ground and five underground.