Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit, originally uploaded by Aldon.

I often start off my month with a blog post entitled Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit. It harkens back to an old childhood belief that the incantation Rabbit, Rabbit, first thing on the first day of each month, in different forms depending on where you live, would bring good luck for the month. This month, I’m including pictures of three rabbits taken at a local agricultural fair. This is balanced out by reading blog posts from the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and beyond about Typhoon Ondoy, the Tsunami, and earthquakes.

The Typhoon was brought home to me as I sit in my safe home in Connecticut looking out the window at the beautiful autumnal weather, as I read various Filipino blogs, many with pictures or video of the flooding and appeals for people to donate to help those in the hardest hit areas.

Then, it was Rachelle’s blog post, Tsunami in the Pacific... that really brought home the Tsunami. Rachelle describes herself as “the only filipino blogger in Saipan... a highly qualified elementary instructor, [and] a sweet and loving wife”. She starts off her blog post, “I panicked when a parent came in my classroom right after I let my students in my classroom 8am asking if he can pick his child because there is a Tsunami alert...” Saipan was spared, but American Samoa was not.

My cause for panic is much simpler. It is an overflowing incoming email box and a lot of catching up and writing to do after the conference I was at yesterday. So, for friends in the Philippines, Saipan, American Samoa, and the environs, I hope that October will bring good luck during the days after the Typhoon and the Tsunami. I hope it will bring good luck here as well as I look at the tasks ahead including several very interesting projects.

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit.