WHEN it rains, it pours. This was what we all witnessed a couple of days before our trip. From sunny skies it becomes dark, close to night then the rains come pouring down. Then just after a few minutes and to every Juan's amazement, birds fly and then bright and blue skies once more.
All this in an hour or two.
It was wash day for us. We were to embark on a journey that will be our longest away from home but complete as a family. Wash day meant we all had to set aside all our clothing for this trip to be washed, folded and placed in our luggages.
But before all these, the clothes had to be left out to dry. But with the rainy season, it does makes for some adjustments. Joy will always offer to wash not only our clothes but also our shoes. My shoes for this trip now look brand new. It had to take longer for it to dry from the weather though.
Just before this trip, we noticed that from the rains, sewer rats come out and so with house rats, the smaller kind come roaming inside Juan's home. House rats though are less feared than its cousin, larger and more fearsome. Well, whatever it may be, a definite pest. For the one indoors it is solved with fly paper, the other may need some other solution.
We tried Racumin but then the rains wash it all away. We still continued but this time it is set with some rice. Success as in an instant we notice that two of this "bubwits" as we call them come slowly out from the sewer. We watch as they slowly die and the poison sets in. They come out we learned, because they become blind then look for sunlight.
After the strong downpour, Juan will surely be treated to such wonderful sunsets. Never a time am I not wanting to capture the setting sun. With some dark clouds and reflection of light from the previous rain, these make for some extravagant show of colors, a treat from the day that was. That was the treat we had on the day we left for Manila. A perfect way to end our day just before we head out on to our new adventure.
We arrived in our Manila home at eleven in the evening. We will ride it out until three in the early morning before heading out to the airport. It must have rained all evening in Manila. By sunrise and after crossing Immigration we are once more greeted with beautiful bright colors.
It is however not the same when we get to Beijing. Rains were heavy until we boarded and took off for New York. Along this trip of twelve hours I noticed a lot of different colors.
China has its deserts, brown and arid, then green before everything Juan sees is white. I later learned from the plane monitor that we were above the North Pole. An expanse of just glaring silvery white. We were asked to close all our shades because we would be traveling with the sun. Meaning no sunsets or sunrise for me for the whole twelve hours. So much for my anticipation for any of these.
There is no time change between PH and China. All of China, as big as it is, has only one universal time. Even when dark it remains as it is despite how big it is. Eating time during noon time is all the same whether dark or light.
When they get off from work, some have it bright the others dark as night. As we head for New York there will be no adjustments with our watches, as the time difference between PH and NY will still be the same, except that when it is sunrise at six in the PH it will be six in the evening in NY.
For the past days leading to this trip we did check the weather in NY. The weather will also dictate out clothes for this trip. Seemingly it is also raining. Hopefully sunsets at nine in the evening will also be as colorful as ours back home. I am still hopeful. I soon see that the sun sets at nine.
We have arrived and moved to New Jersey where it is cold and gloomy. We have opted to stay in an Inn in the meantime. Ramada it will be. A walk to the mall and it drizzles.
A drive then to Kuya Rudy our host and for dinner, it rains. I am asked to not put ON the wiper as it will not turn OFF. There you go. OFF instead the engine and all is OFF.