I always wanted to set up a charity.

When my father died in 2003, I wanted to set up a charity for him. I could not explain the motivation. I just needed something to remember him by, for his name to remain and stand for something great and good. I looked at the website of my university and found out that for USD$1,000 per semester, I can do that. But it did not happen – it was probably because I did not have the support or the money I needed or I eventually talked myself out of it. But I had the strong desire to really do something like that and I often talked about it to my husband.

It is ironic because this year, we were the charity.

Let me explain.

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What Ondoy brought was a different kind of rain. It was harsh, it was hard, it was constant. And the constancy was alarming. We Filipinos are no strangers to storms. We fear them, yes, but we have known no other life than a life with storms. We would build our lives around them, and welcome the majestic sunsets that were their peace offering. Our storms would come in gusts, but then fade into light rain, and then pummel us again, accompanied by aggressive winds, great lightning, and even greater thunder.

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