friday frolics: wet and flooded, diaspora ad astra, another writing project idea

Waded knee-deep yesterday just to get home after a circuitous route that took an hour as I my usual way home was inundated. While the route home (had to walk as traffic was on a standstill, taxis where hard to come by, and if you do get to flag down a taxi there's no guarantee the driver will take you to your destination) only had me wading through ankle-high puddles, our street was already flooded.

My shoes and socks were flood casualties but even with an umbrella and a jacket, there was no evading the downpour as winds complicated things. Tall buildings didn't help shield you from the rain as they instead served as obstacles to the wind and rain in that instead of the rain just going one way, the rain attacked you from all sides. Really, while I was walking home, jacket and umbrella, everything was just about pride -- panindigan mo na ang payong at jacket!

Thanks to kind neighbors, in particular Tatay Dido, Big Red was moved to a secure place before the floodwaters in our street reached the sidewalks. Because that would've meant waters would have already seeped into the car. By the time I got home around past 7pm, the waters were already a dangkal (about 7 inches or so) above the sidewalk, reaching up to my knees. So, I profusely thanked my neighbors for their concern for Big Red.

This morning, I took Big Red to office just to be sure. If the rains don't let up and flood waters persist on our street, Big Red will be spending the weekend at the office.

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Not so lucky last night were Dennis and Pilar who got stuck in traffic on their way home to Montalban. Along the way, while sitting in traffic, water seeped into their car. Good thing they've managed to get home safe and sound although their car is in need of a check-up (doors aren't locking, Pilar says) and for sure, a bath.

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Elvie also wasn't able to go home immediately after her shift ended. Since our street and the streets leading to our street were flooded, it was safer to stay at the office and wait until the waters receded. The floodwaters receded around midnight and that was the only time my wife was able to get home. Fortunately for her a taxi cab pulled up close to where she was standing (there was no taxi queue) and the driver obliged when she told him her destination.

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After a long while of no news, Estranghero Press aka Banzai Cat aka Joseph Nacino has come out with an apology for the long-time-no-hear phase and the table of contents for the highly-anticipated Filipino science-fiction anthology Diaspora Ad Astra. Mind you, it's an e-anthology meaning there's no print version (at least for now) similar to Estranghero Press' previous offerings (The Farthest Shore and Demons of the New Year) and it'll be launched this month, or in the next six days.

Diaspora Ad Astra is edited by Nacino along with Professor Emil Flores.

As a teaser, the stories in this sci-fi antho are (in no particular order):

• War Zone - Prof. Emil Flores

• The Day the Sexbomb Dancers Invaded Our Brains - Carljoe Javier

• The Malaya - Dean Francis Alfar

• The Cost of Living - Vince Torres

• Ina Dolor's Last Stand - Raymond Reyes

• Oplan Sanction - Alex Osias

• The Keeper - Audrey Villacorta

• Ashes Ember - Dannah Ruth Ballesteros

• Rizal - Eliza Victoria

• Gene Rx - Katya Oliva-Llego

• Robots and a Slice of Pizza - Raydon Reyes

• Lucky - Raven Guerrero

• A List of Things We Know - Isabel Yap

• Taking Gaia - Celestine Trinidad

• Space Enough and Time - Anne Lagamayo

While some names are quite familiar in the list, a good number of names are new to my eyes and this'll be one antho that would be worth looking at.

And as in previous e-anthos from Banzai Cat, this one has a book cover done by Oscar Alvarez. Neat cover, kinda reminds you of the Dune landscape.

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My mind, after that disastrous shut-off of sorts last Tuesday, has been quite busy. Another personal writing project idea has resurfaced and I've been devoting huge amounts of my downtime on it (that is, when I'm not playing Zeus). Not talking about it in detail yet but it's partly inspired by Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan series that's set in an alternate World War I. While waiting for my wife last Tuesday night, I spent a better part of the waiting time at Power Book Greenbelt with an open copy of Leviathan. I'm about over half done with the book and it's one of the recommended steampunk-related books by John Klima .

Also call in Paolo Parente's Dust as an inspiration. And yes, history -- Philippine history, that is. Already have an idea? It's steampunk, it's set in the Philippines, and involves one great Filipino polymath :P

Keep crossing those fingers!

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It's a wet weekend, folks. Stay safe!