Okay, I wasn't really planning to blog about this...because I didn't want to alarm our families. But apparently it has been on the news in the States, and some of them have already heard about it.
There was a bombing yesterday afternoon at a large shopping mall here called Glorietta. It is only about a mile from our apartment. The hotel that we lived in for 2 months when we first arrived sits directly on top of the Glorietta Mall. So this is a place that we go OFTEN--which makes it a little more scary! Brett and I actually had lunch in a restaurant just last Saturday that sits right on top of the place where the bombing occured (we were celebrating finding out what the baby was--and me actually being able to finally get out of the house for a couple of hours).
Here are some pictures of the damage:
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Brett is actually out of town for work right now (Nice timing or we may have been at the mall buying Halloween costumes for the kid's party today). And when he called last night to talk to me about the bombing, he said he was surprised that I didn't sound really worried. Maybe it just hasn't hit me yet, but I'm really not THAT worried. Although, one of my first thoughts after I heard about the bomb was, "So....this is how it feels for people in other countries who deal with bombings EVERY SINGLE DAY!" There's just always that uncertainty.
I guess you just have to have faith that what's supposed to happen will happen. And I feel like if we are doing what we are supposed to, we WILL be protected. Hopefully, our families can have that same faith and not worry TOO much!?! :o) We always knew this was a risk in coming to live over here. So I think I was a little more prepared for it. You just don't think it will ever happen to you though! We are all fine, and surprisingly enough I DO still feel safe. I haven't really felt unsafe at all. So here's to another crazy thing that I get to check off my list of "Things To Do": Survive a bombing in a foreign country.
Now that's not something you get to do every day!!
If you're keeping track, so far I've survived: an earthquake on foreign soil, a trip to a very scary foreign Emergency Room, hopefully I'll survive the birth of our fourth child in a Third World country, and now I've even survived a bombing!
***UPDATE***
So....the authorities here started out saying that it WASN'T a bomb at all, but a gas stove from a little vendor outside the mall that caused the whole thing. Then, they said it WAS a bomb. Now, they are saying that it wasn't a bomb or a gas stove, but a pocket of gas released from a septic tank under Glorietta. Here's the problem: #1) A terrorist group has already taken responsibility for it who wants their leader released from prison, #2) There was no fire afterward--like you would expect from a gas explosion, and #3) It was such a strong explosion that it blew a hole from the basement storage area (where they think it originated) clear through the roof on the 3rd floor of the mall. And this is a LARGE mall!!! I just can't see how gas from a septic tank could cause that much damage. It just does not make sense. So now they are having investigators from the U.S. come in to see what they think--and THANK HEAVENS for that!!!! Finally...someone who actually knows something instead of just guessing what caused it! Can you tell I'm a little frustrated with things!?! Well, I AM!!! EVERYTHING is like that here....no one really seems to know anything. You can't get a straight answer from ANYONE about ANYTHING!
This is one of my more frustrating weeks....can you tell??? It is hard to describe it for someone who hasn't lived it--but my friends here ALL understand completely. Some weeks you just CANNOT take another "wait for awhile ma'am," or them sending you off in the wrong direction just to get rid of you, or the blank stares that you get when they either don't know an answer to a question--or don't want to answer your question because they cannot just come out and tell you that they "don't know"!!
Here's a perfect example of what I mean:
A friend wants her kids to take piano lessons. So she was asking around for someone at church that could teach them--both so she could help someone from church out with a job and money, and so she could get her kids lessons. She was told of a lady that played. When she inquired to other people about this lady, they wouldn't answer her questions about "Can she teach piano?" Basically, she got blank stares with no responses (typical here--rude back home!). So someone went to her and asked, "Would you be willing to teach piano?" This lady would not give a straight answer back. She would not say yes, and she would not say no. So they finally went to her daughter and asked if her mother would teach piano. The daughter said, "My mom doesn't even play the piano." Ughhh!!! So the lady wouldn't answer the question because she didn't want to admit that she COULD NOT play the piano!!!! Talk about FRUSTRATING!! Either you play or you don't...isn't it as simple as that?!
And that's just how life is here...with everything! Either they DON'T KNOW the answer and won't tell you that they don't know, or they DO KNOW but won't answer for fear of disappointing you with the wrong answer!
So can I just scream already!?!? Ugggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, I think I've gotten it out of my system now....I'll be okay! REALLY! Oh what I'd give for someone who "says it like it is" right now!!! Bet you never thought you'd hear ME say that, huh! :o)
How many of you can say that you've done all of that?!? :o)
So....you ask, "Are we having an adventure over here?" To which I reply, "YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!!"***UPDATE***
So....the authorities here started out saying that it WASN'T a bomb at all, but a gas stove from a little vendor outside the mall that caused the whole thing. Then, they said it WAS a bomb. Now, they are saying that it wasn't a bomb or a gas stove, but a pocket of gas released from a septic tank under Glorietta. Here's the problem: #1) A terrorist group has already taken responsibility for it who wants their leader released from prison, #2) There was no fire afterward--like you would expect from a gas explosion, and #3) It was such a strong explosion that it blew a hole from the basement storage area (where they think it originated) clear through the roof on the 3rd floor of the mall. And this is a LARGE mall!!! I just can't see how gas from a septic tank could cause that much damage. It just does not make sense. So now they are having investigators from the U.S. come in to see what they think--and THANK HEAVENS for that!!!! Finally...someone who actually knows something instead of just guessing what caused it! Can you tell I'm a little frustrated with things!?! Well, I AM!!! EVERYTHING is like that here....no one really seems to know anything. You can't get a straight answer from ANYONE about ANYTHING!
This is one of my more frustrating weeks....can you tell??? It is hard to describe it for someone who hasn't lived it--but my friends here ALL understand completely. Some weeks you just CANNOT take another "wait for awhile ma'am," or them sending you off in the wrong direction just to get rid of you, or the blank stares that you get when they either don't know an answer to a question--or don't want to answer your question because they cannot just come out and tell you that they "don't know"!!
Here's a perfect example of what I mean:
A friend wants her kids to take piano lessons. So she was asking around for someone at church that could teach them--both so she could help someone from church out with a job and money, and so she could get her kids lessons. She was told of a lady that played. When she inquired to other people about this lady, they wouldn't answer her questions about "Can she teach piano?" Basically, she got blank stares with no responses (typical here--rude back home!). So someone went to her and asked, "Would you be willing to teach piano?" This lady would not give a straight answer back. She would not say yes, and she would not say no. So they finally went to her daughter and asked if her mother would teach piano. The daughter said, "My mom doesn't even play the piano." Ughhh!!! So the lady wouldn't answer the question because she didn't want to admit that she COULD NOT play the piano!!!! Talk about FRUSTRATING!! Either you play or you don't...isn't it as simple as that?!
And that's just how life is here...with everything! Either they DON'T KNOW the answer and won't tell you that they don't know, or they DO KNOW but won't answer for fear of disappointing you with the wrong answer!
So can I just scream already!?!? Ugggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, I think I've gotten it out of my system now....I'll be okay! REALLY! Oh what I'd give for someone who "says it like it is" right now!!! Bet you never thought you'd hear ME say that, huh! :o)
