Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Rainstorms

We experienced a heavy rainstorm last night and the strong wind caused a lot of damages in and around Miri City. My grand kids and I were downtown to see a good friend who works at the Other Office Pub. When we arrived there near 8 pm, the evening was just fine: warm and a little breezy. My intention to be there was not for the usual “beer-socializing" thing but to pick up the tobacco leaves packages from the bar that my friend reserved for my son. Once at the entrance, the kids were a little surprise to encounter a different kind of atmosphere compared to other places they had been to, however as the minutes passed, they began to monopolize the place. So, I said we must be on the road home by 9 p.m. At this time it was already raining and very windy outside.

Driving along the Miri-Pujut road, we met with massive traffic jam and it was caused by fallen trees and blocked the highways.

We made a detour as we arrived along the Permyjaya roundabout and drove all the way to DPS supermarket before making a turn back to Lutong, where we live. It took us more than an hour to reach our house! Usually it's within a 10 minutes drive for me from Lutong to Miri City!

My! I couldn’t believe what I saw as we arrived home. Branches, zinc slabs, shoes and slippers and flowerpots were strewn every way and the sight scare Nigel and Nicole! Both of them huddled each other inside the car and dare not come out! After much coaxing, only then they got out of the car. Nicole started crying again when she saw one of her blue slippers on the grass at the yard instead of at its usual place, the doorstep. So I have to brave the rain and collect the slippers for her.

It comes to my mind that we were only experiencing a small impact of the stormy weather. Just imagine what thoses people in Myanmar were going through when cyclone Nargis hit their home. It saddened me when I think about those unfortunate people out there. Silently, I said a little prayer asking God to forgive us for our sins and to protect us in our every undertakings, to comfort and console those people who are affected by nature’s wrath. I thank God for keeping my family safe on our journey home last night and also protecting my DIL and youngest grandson safe from danger too.

This afternoon I drove to town and I saw many fallen trees and broken branches along the Miri – Pujut Road. The workers from Miri Municipal Council are seen cleaning up those areas affected by last night’s rainstorms. It would be nice to have a clean-look Miri City again later.

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