Carnival and Rayhakan Visit Before The Typhoon Landfall

25 September 2025

As of the time of writing, my mother is panicking because social media is full of news about tragic disasters happening across Asia. A super typhoon is hitting countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, and the Philippines. So if you are in any of these places and reading this, please stay safe and take care.

_{My view this morning, gloomy and rainy}

_{A few moments ago, I received this electronic alert. Signal #3 is 2nd to the highest typhoon signal in the Philippines.}

September is also fiesta month in our town, specifically on the 29th, which is also my father's birthday. In the weeks leading up to the fiesta, there are shows, programs, carnivals, bazaars, and lots to look forward to.

There are only a few days left to enjoy the celebration, but now a typhoon might spoil the fun. Before it arrived, we went to the town proper last night. This time, my little niece came with us.

_{My niece dancing to the beat of the music before entering the carnival}

She was so excited when we told her we'd ride the ferris wheel. Outside the carnival, she couldn't keep dancing to the beat of the music. But once we entered the place, she got a bit scared of the bright lights and rides. We bought a ticket for the slide, but she was skeptical about climbing up, so the ticket went to waste.

Instead, we tried the shooting game and got her some snacks.

Before leaving the carnival, a photographer, who's a vlogger and a former classmate, approached us. He's taking photos of different visitors to the town's shows. We got a free photo from him, which was posted on his Facebook page. I kind've like his shots.

_{Cute little girl wearing yellow outfit.}

My niece also got some souvenir shots wall posing against the wall with Elsa and Anna.

After that, we left the carnival and went to Rayhakan. A place where you can watch shows and listen to music while enjoying drinks with friends or family.

The show had already started when we arrived. Some performers were singing on stage. Compared to other nights, there were fewer people, probably because of the typhoon warning.

We ordered some barbecue and a bottle of beer to share with my siblings. It was a short visit, but we had fun listening to the music and the funny emcee. Most of the time, we were chasing my little niece who was running all over the place, lol. By the way, Rayhakan comes from Rayhak, which means "to have fun." And we definitely did!

Since we had a kid with us, we didn't stay too long. Our main goal was to visit Rayhakan before the typhoon hit. And today, on the 25th, the typhoon did reach our town early this morning, along with other parts of the Philippines.

Wherever you are in the country, please stay safe.

Thanks for your time.