A week after mom got out of the hospital I had my car go through its regular PMS (that’s Preventive Maintenance Service, not Pre… oh heck you know what I mean) at an auto shop that I frequent in Quezon City. Maybe its fate, or perhaps just a lucky coincidence, that I decided to take a shortcut on my way home from the shop that Saturday afternoon. Because that decision would ultimately lead me to the place in which I will now call home for, well… who knows for how long.
For a year now I’ve been on the hunt for a suitable place to move in and always came up empty. Sure, there were some promising ones but they were either too expensive, or lacking in one vital requirement: a parking space. So I gave up looking, and resigned myself to the fact that I will be staying in this dump for some time.
Funny how things just fall on your lap when you least expect it, and I certainly did not expect it to land on mine that day.
It was quite surprising to see the “For Rent” sign on the front gate. I’ve passed that road so many times whenever I am in QC, and I have never seen that sign ever put up.
I quickly jotted down the phone numbers written on the sign and promptly called. Turns out, there were three apartment units available, according to the landlady. But the best news of all, aside from the lower than usual rental rates, parking is absolutely free of charge… and there was ample space.
Something about the place bothered me though. The entire property was built a meter higher than the street level, which in itself is an obvious sign. I knew the nearby street is quite flood-prone during the rainy season, and I had a feeling that the place might be more trouble (for me that is) that its worth.
With that in mind, I asked the landlady a question which most house-hunting folks ask first these days: Was the place affected in last year’s great flood?
And indeed, my suspicions were confirmed. The place was inundated during Ondoy’s rampage, with the first floor taking the full brunt of the deluge.
It wasn’t at all surprising. My aunt saw the entire compound and first floor of her house skinny-dipping in dark, murky floodwater during Ondoy… and she lives less than three kilometers from the place.
However, flood-related problems aside, it seemed like a good enough place to live in. Yes, it may be on the tiny side, as most apartment units go these days, but it unlike the others I’ve seen, it looked well-built and sturdy, thanks to its all-concrete construction.
And the fact that many of my clients’ offices, as well as malls like Trinoma and SM North, are just a short drive away makes it more enticing.
That evening, I told my mom about the place, as well as the problems we might have to face should mother nature decide to do a double take of last year’s events.
“let’s take it“, she said. “any place is fine as long as it’s miles away from this place“.
My sentiments exactly…
So yes, JJ AKA Atticus got it right when she asked if we were moving to Quezon City. No brownies for her though…
It feels weird, and at the same time, sad, that after 49 years as a dyed-in-the-wool Manileno, I will by Monday next week, wake up a resident of the former capital of the country (yes kids, QC was once the capital of good old RP).
We may have moved a few times through the years, but mostly, it was just a block or two from where we last resided. Moving to another city, which, although not that unfamiliar, is quite a big step for me.
However, the good thing is, after seven years of putting up with the filth, the traffic, the pedicabs, as well as those cursed loudspeakers, we’re finally moving out.
Perhaps now we might at last get ourselves what we have, for the past seven years, been aching for, but have rarely gotten: A good night’s sleep.
That’s great! Welcome to the neighborhood! I mean Q.C.
Here’s to more good night sleep for you and your mom in your new home =)
Being a mountaineer, I’ve just the instinct of surveying where I will reside next, always on elevated land. Here in the valley, the county spent 2 billion dollars several years ago to ensure water deluge goes to the “wash” and down to the lake reservoir when mother nature decides to drop buckets on us .
My niece lives there in QC and quite surprising they will never worry about flooding, para na ring nasa bundok sila.
It you’ll stay there for good, bili ka na rin ng rubber boat with motor, malay mo mag-ala Richard G ka one of these days and be a hero to many saving lives, not just a sweetheart though, hehe….cheers for the weekend.
Congratulations to your new place! Hope you get that much deserved peace and quite you so long desired! Hehehe….
Welcome to QC. And to Sm North and Trinoma, Mister Kabab, National Bookstore, the Lung Center Sunday Market (where you can buy ready-to-eat bopis, hehe), Sunday mornings at the QC Circle, actual sidewalks, wider streets, more trees and better sleep.
If I were Sonny Belmonte, I would give you the keys to the city. But I’m not so I’ll just give you my assurance that you deserve it more than Mike Defensor, hehe.
Daphne> Oh I’m sure I will be enjoying many many good night’s sleep now that I’m miles away from that dump… 😉
TruBlue> I’m not sure how long I’ll be staying here. Maybe two years or perhaps a decade. The thought that this neighborhood was half-submerged after Ondoy is making me really nervous, that’s why I don’t have any long term plans about the place…
Pearl> Thanks thanks. Yeah, I’m sure I will be getting a good night’s sleep from now on. I just hope the neighbor isn’t one of those karaoke fanatics…
Buday> Thanks. All those places you mentioned, save for the Lung Center, I often frequent (gala din kasi ako eh, hehe). The nature of my work made sure that I am well-familiar with the “city of the stars” of vice-mayor bistek, haha.
Eh paano na yan, that will give you less stuff to rant about. hahaha Seriously, this is great news. You will soon leave the ‘patch of hell on earth’ you’ve barely tolerated these many years. I am glad for you and your mom.
hi, welcome to qc! hope you have a better experience here than in manila…i think i live near from where you’re now at.
let me know if there’s any way i can help.
QC is closer to where we are, Cainta, a flood prone area where our neighbor former basketball star Mariano has a boat always ready in his garage and made good use of it the last flooding. My bro lost a lot (water damaged) except his junky car which was in the garage for some emergency.
Lucky for him, the sisters visited last Christmas and refurbished the house and get him a replacement car and until the next Ondoy and hope it will be a little while. But one thing, it is quite, peaceful place to live.
Annamanila> Ay, don’t worry about that, I’m sure I’ll find something to rant about in these parts, hahaha. Thanks MC
GUS> Thanks, I’ll surely do that. No place is perfect, but at least I’m now getting my share of peace and quiet, especially at night. Oi! Now that we’re practically neighbors, perhaps we can hook up sometime.
Vic> Your bro is lucky to have a lifeline in his family. Others weren’t so lucky and lost everything in the flood without means of replacing them.
great news bro. You finally moved ! It’s was a suprise eh? Much like marriage they say – it comes without much notice hehe 🙂 You must be sleeping soundly these days 😉
BW> Well, moving away from that dump has been on my mind since day one. But it was hard finding a suitable place, and thus it took me this long to move. yes, we are sleeping soundly these days… and waking up late as well.
everything okay with the new place? just email me if/when you want to meet up!
GUS> Yup, it may not be a perfect place, having its own little quirks, but its home for now. As for the meet-up, I’ll email you one of these days, for sure.