Rough Drafts and Real Thoughts by Francheska

 Surviving the Days After Typhoon Odette (Rai) by Francheska Camille April 17, 2022 In my previous blog, I explained to you how strong and damaging the Typhoon Odette (Rai) was to my home, Talisay City, Cebu. The remnants of the hurricane's ravage can still be seen everywhere, including in the hearts of the people of the Visayas. Many have had their homes disfigured, and many lost them for good, and that's the most painful part of it all. After the night of the 16th day of December in 2021, we woke up to a cloudy morning on the 17th. The sun slowly peeked through the thick, grey clouds, as if reminding us of hope, despite the most fateful event that left us hesitant to believe in it. I mean, who can blame us for hesitating? We were left anxious because of the destructive experience that had us thinking twice about whether to come out of our homes.  The wind still had an eerie ambiance, the darkness of the night, and the shadows of the storm still lingered all over the town. Ou...

A Cruel First Day of Christmas: Surviving Typhoon Odette on Day 1 Misa De Gallo by Francheska Camille April 16, 2022 The First Day of Christmas 2021 It was the first day of Christmas, and it left a vivid picture in my mind. It was a regular day on the morning of December 16, 2021, with no signs of the storm. The news report revealed how powerful the approaching typhoon was, but we were unfazed since we assumed it would be just like the storms that had occurred in the previous months of that year.  We misjudged the power of Typhoon Odette (Rai) since we were resilient to tropical storms. We only realized it was coming to give us an early CRUEL Christmas gift and gloom in the coming new year of 2022, after it devastated the whole Visayas in just one fateful day and night. Inquirer.net reports: On Dec. 14, 2021, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced that a severe tropical storm, Rai, had entered the Philippine Area of Resp...