Where are you going, Tacloban?

Regional center.

But not much happening here!

Sunday 18 February

In Lara, it is 40 degrees, or 10 Fahrenheit. That is hot. there is also a gusty dry wind from the dirction of the inland deserts. The small dams and water hioles have all dried up. Farmers have had to reduce the numbers of livestock. The beauty of Australia is a harsh beauty. There are no typhoons in the Southern corner of Australia. But as the Summer heat recedes, there are storms of wind and rain from the frozen South.
In between these extremes, the climate is temperate. Not tropical.

Aileen called to say hello. She is feeling better today. An empty sensation inside, but the first day when she has not been feeling constantly sick. Yesterday she arrived home with the lime green material for the bridesmaids' dresses.
Here is an example of one of her text messages in the last few days :

When I feel so empty within
like how I feel now,
I stare at your pictures
wishing ur here.
Really I miss you so much
my James.
Am feeling so sad now!
Need u!

Saturday 17 February 2007

The story so far
is that last Sunday Aileen did a test which proved positive. Pregnancy. Conceived between January 7 and 24. On January 10, we got engaged, and had arranged a wedding at Santa Rita on 8 April. the pregnancy came as a surprise.

On Tuesday Ai visited a gynaeclogist and was shown an image of the miniature embryo, and given a fortified milk, medecine to support the pregnancy and asked to take more rest. She struggled through the week overwhelmed by lassitude, day-long sickness and a constant headache. On Friday she got to work for the first time in aweek, and the staff looked anxious now that the carefree wedding is burdened with the risks of pregnacy and of a foreigner who may just disappear as so many do. - but I shall not disappear!

Saturday - a rainy, cool, Saturday in the central-southern Philippines, Aileen managed the long bus ride to the city of Tacloban. After two hours on webcam with me, in which i took these rather distorted images, she met with friends DANGIE and LEMUEL, to select lime green fabric for the bridesmaids' dresses Then they settled in Jolibee for a burger.
Aileen said her friends noticed the difference, instead of "SMART Aileen", they found this tired looking, run down, yucky Aileen, struggling not to throw up, and untidy. There is a slight filling out of the face and breasts already after a mere 5 weeks approx. The other picture shows her as in january, looking sleek.