Irene

Partied all night yesterday in preparation for Hurricane Irene. 

After all, it was my gorgeous roommate, Cheryl's long-awaited birthday. "No excuses!", she had warned of my 'auntie' homebody behavior. It turned out that we could barely get into our choiced club because their capacity was filled! Like most of us, would-be clubbers on Saturday had pushed their night out forward because of the hurricane. Despite being turned away, we moved on to another hotspot and had a great time!

That said, our unwelcomed guest, Irene, has been a source of panic among people of the East Coast. CNN and other major news channels were blasting news and videos of the hurricane that was bound to approach our homes. The mayor had ordered mandatory evacuation in some parts of the city and hospitals located near south started emptying yesterday. A friend living in Hoboken (an evacuation zone) will be camping at my place tonight. The scariest part was hearing that New York City's subway and mass transit system (largest in the world) will stop running at noon today (first time in history!) and New Jersey's transportation system will be halted by 6pm tonight. Schools and work places will be closed for two whole days as people are encouraged to stay indoors. I was supposed to attend a wedding today but the event was almost canceled because of the hurricane! In the end, the wedding was pushed earlier to Friday night on a three-hour notice. Imagine a once-in-a-lifetime event being ruined by a hurricane? I would be devastated!


 Watch this VIDEO for further info in a nutshell.You'll understand the seriousness of the situation then.

Here's some pics off the internet:

Despite urgent warnings to evacuate, many people in the affected zones stayed back, much to the exasperation of the mayors.






Buying bottled water - empty shelves.

Mayor Bloomberg ordered residents to stock up on water and flashlights to prepare for the worse that could happen. Grocery stores in the city bustled with life yesterday as people scramble to buy enough food and supplies to last the weekend. People lined up on the streets yesterday waiting to get INSIDE the store! I've never seen people so panicky before and the constant news and updates on TV isn't really very calming either. 

For many of us, it's almost like being grounded. No heading outdoors and no choice but to wait out for the storm to pass. In a way, it's quite an experience. With good company, food, books and games this might not turn out so bad. 

I hope.