Lessons

I hope the person/s who initiated the "9:00-PM power shutdown/typhoon Pepeng landfall in Metro Manila" gossip are happy now with the panic he/she/they caused to the public, including me.

Below are the lessons/realizations I had after my panic attack last Friday:

• First and foremost, never ever panic, specially when the news you got did not come from a reliable source (e.g. forwarded text, e-mail, instant messages by people from a non-disaster prevention-related agency).
• If ever panic attacks you, keep motivated to fight for your life. In my case, though my family is in Albay, experiencing the typhoon's wrath, I told myself I needed to walk and walk and keep breathing (despite my continuous palpitations due to my clautrophobia attack also) because my family was waiting for me to get home in Cubao. I mutually transfered Albay to Quezon City for about an hour. Ahahaha. In effect, I arrived home safe but still catching my breath. I even already thought of fainting because I can hardly breath and I was really feeling so dizzy. But I realized the streets of Makati and Pasay Cities were too dirty for me to lay down there. I so continued walking from RCBC Plaza to LRT 1 Gil Puyat to LRT 2 Recto until I reached the Gateway Mall. Whew! Motivation at work, right?
• The house where I have been staying in for a year and a half is flood free and typhoon proof. Lucky me! So I think I'm staying there until my sister, Laly, gets a job here.
• Always stock food. Always.
  
• Keep your cellphones fully charged all the time. Also make sure you load it up always and you can still make at least two outgoing calls.
• Keep coins and bills in your bag and jeans.
• It is also wise to always have stored value tickets for both MRT and LRT to avoid the queing at the ticketing booth.
  
• Always bring along with you plastic bags, where you could place your cellphones and other important stuffs if worse come to worst. You know what I mean.
• Keep at least one person updated on your situation.
  
• Pray.

Though I was so pissed off by the not so good people who spread the gossip, I thank them on a positive note because I have proven I could survive during panic moments. Nevertheless, I would never wish for a worse moment than that. Duh?!

Do something good people!