Steph’s GEE Spot

My Australian visa has been approved.  Yeeha!  Australia… here I come!  And it may very well one day become… my island home.  :)  Just want to share the good news.  Thank you for your prayers.  God bless you all!

Monday, February 5, 2007

Have you heard the news about Jakarta flooding?  As of today, 20 people were found dead and 340,000 families evacuated their houses.  Make that 340,001 – myself included.

At around 1:30am Friday, February 2, one of my flat mates knocked on my door.  When I went out to see what it’s all about, water was already coming into the house.  Within one hour, the whole house is ankle deep.  Needless to say, we were very much alarmed and was already thinking whether we should evacuate immediately or what.  Around 3am, the rain had stopped.  Thinking that it couldn’t get any worse, everyone tried to go back to sleep.

Not long after, rain started pouring down again.  Heavy rain at that!  I couldn’t sleep - all the while I kept opening my eyes checking whether I’m near to floating already or not (It may sound funny but I tell you, it’s not even close to being funny).  At around 6am, the water was getting higher and higher.  By 7am, the water inside the house is almost knee deep.  I then proceeded to move my things up to higher levels so as to avoid them getting wet.  (Note: the house is a bungalow type so there was no second floor to rely on to put the things.)  We decided then to evacuate while we can cause we don’t know how much worse it will get.  I was only able to take with me 4 pairs of clothes.  I didn’t even remember to get my toiletries – that’s how distressed I was.  We shut down all power and left.  Outside the house is much worse, it’s thigh deep.  We had no choice but to wade through the murky-dirty water.

When we were finally able to get a taxi, (there were 5 of us) we contemplated where to go.  A friend’s house nearby or to the school?  The school has 4 floors - the water can’t get that high can it?  That was what was going through our head that time.  And it was a good decision – it seems.  By the way, I forgot to mention I was still in my pajamas since I was not able to change amidst all the hullabaloo.          

When we got to the school, the head of the school was arranging a meeting with the principals to discuss contingency plans if ever this case happens again.  I was asked to join them.  Picture this, I was in a room with 5 people, all of them in their executive suits, while I was in my pajamas.  Ha ha ha  Thinking back, I should have taken a picture of it.  I learned then that the flooding happened because a nearby province (Bogor) opened their dam and since Jakarta is the next province lower than Bogor, the water naturally flowed down here.  Otherwise, even how hard it rains, it’s very very rare that they get floods here in Jakarta.

Anyway, since it was still raining heavily, we can’t get out.  I really wanted to go back home and check on things but we can see from where we are that conditions hadn’t gotten any better, much worse in fact.  We had to wade through dirty water again just to be able to grab lunch.  Our feet were so dry already – but I just kept hoping that it won’t get any fungal complications – that would be pure nightmare.

We stayed in the school that night.  I kept praying that the rain will stop completely – but it did not.  It poured even harder.  By midnight, all power in the school was shutdown because water was already going into the basement parking of the school where all the electrical controls were located.  By that time, I gave up on ever retrieving any of my stuff anymore.  We were thinking that our house may be neck deep in water already.  I gave up all worries and surrendered to exhaustion.

When I woke up at 7am, the basement parking, which is approximately 20 feet high, is already filled to the brink with water.  Anyhow, we still left the school premises as we can no longer survive there another day since there’s no power, no way to cook and get food, etc.  Again, we waded in thigh deep waters.  I quickly went home and check on how things are – lo and behold – the waters have cleared.  It’s as if no flooding had ever happened.  I was dreading opening our door to see the chaos inside.  Anyhow, it’s much better than expected.  The water inside the house got as high as the knee only.  For me, it’s short of a miracle.  I don’t know where all the water had gone.  There’s water and electricity even while some areas don’t have.  But since it’s dirty and all, we went back to my friend’s house and decided to wait it out a day but we left the refrigerator running. 

By Sunday evening, there were news that Bogor was opening their floodgates again.  The last time, they opened only one, this time, they’re opening ten floodgates and the President has given the go signal.  I almost panicked – I was thinking, now what?  Do I go home or not, it’s even more dangerous this time – the house can catch fire because of the plugged-in refrigerator.  Although the flood would have stopped the fire hey?  =P 

Anyhow, thank God for keeping me level-headed.  I decided to call a local Indonesian friend to find out the real deal.  The news is true but they’re opening the floodgates towards the East of Jakarta.  I was in the west side – so should be no problem.  *whew*  I just prayed again and hope for the best.

Came home Monday morning and started cleaning the house – good thing the school sent cleaners to help us out.  Thus, we were able to finish cleaning sooner than expected.  By late afternoon, it feels like home again.

*sigh*  I’m just glad that this ordeal is over.  By the way, nobody tell my parents please.  I didn’t let them know anymore to avoid making them worry.  It’s good that when my mom called, she didn’t ask if my area is affected, I would either have to lie (which is not good) or to skirt around the topic, she just asked how I am.  So I said I’m fine and everything’s ok.  J  The important thing is I’m safe.  J

I do hope such a thing like this never happens again.  I don’t want to ever undergo the same stress I went through the last couple of days - all the worrying and hard work.

You won’t believe this.  But after all the cleaning we did yesterday and settling in, we had to evacuate again early this morning at 4am.  Aarrrggghhhhh!!!!!  This time around though, we had become sort of an expert already in evacuating our place.  Everyone just calmly went about putting things back up to the high places when we realized that water’s gonna rise again.  By the time the water started really coming into the house, everyone was ready to go.

News has it that this situation will last until the end of the month.  Wahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cleaned the house again today.  The first time, we felt we can happily just settle in again after cleaning.  This time, even after all the cleaning, the smell is so bad.  I’m now staying at a friend’s house - I might be staying here temporarily until things go back to normal.  Don’t want to have a third evacuating experience EVER!!!  Lord have mercy on us.

Special thanks to Wendy, Tito Paul and Pastor Noli who wanted to take me in as soon as they knew I was in trouble.  J  Your kindness is very much appreciated.  I’m deeply touched - beyond words.  Thank God for friends like you.  J  Don’t worry about me though, I’m ok.  I’ll call you guys up if I need the help.  J

Stay safe and happy!

God bless you all!  J

Steph