Stormy, stormy night...

It's two thirty in the morning.

Typhoon Talim has officially made landfall, and is slowly sweeping across the northern part of Taiwan. For the past two hours the fierceness winds and rain were truly incredible. Record amounts of rain have fallen on parts of the country, especially in the mountain areas. In one area, 200mm of rain fell in under an hour...and rain is expected to fall until at least Thursday. Been watching the news channels, as they beam back live images of the destruction and deadly silence on streets in and around the island. Those crazy reporters will do anything to cover 'good' news. CNN reported this typhoon outblowing Hurricane Katrina, with recorded speeds of up to 241km/hr. While a storm in Europe tops force 12 at most, this typhoon is reaching force 17, and may even grow fiercer as it hits land.

Typhoon night, restless night.

I cannot sleep because of the howling noises, the banging of our roof which has been partly ripped off, and the my worries about how the rest of the country is doing. I braved the storm at various moments, in order to clear leaves which have gathered around the drains, out of fear that a blockage main lead to flooding, and therefore leakages. The windows have been taped, to prevent strong winds shattering the glass. Earlier in the day I used heavy bricks to build a sort of water barrier to prevent the garden overflowing. I further busied myself moving furnitures, plants and books away from windows, as water slowly seeps through the windows. Every hour or so I must go around the house and wrinse soaked towels into bucketfuls of water.

Endless rain, whistling winds...
Trees have been uprooted, cars overturned, buildings shaken, crops ruined, as rapids of mud and rock roll down scared mountain tops. My beautiful home is once again turned into an unrecognisable, weather-beaten wreck... But unlike in the US, there is no chaos, no looting, no lawlessness and no utter breaksdowns government and society here.

The morality and strength of a nation are tested in such perilous times.