A comprehensive guide to surviving the dreaded brownout!

By Liz Anne Bautista

Our nation is currently experiencing power plant problems and, as a result, we suffer hours of torturous rotating power outages, commonly known to us Pinoys as brownouts. Imagine hours with no aircon, no TV, and worst of all, no Facebook! To quote our buddy Woddy Allen, “It is a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham!”

Okay, it’s just three hours max of no electricity and I may be exaggerating by way of creepy Jew director, but I need my Internet connection more than anything! So, because cursing @Meralco on Twitter will not be of much help (poor guy, whoever manages that account), here are a few creative ideas to pass the time in an event of a brownout:

Candle Wax Sculptures

For beginners, the easiest one can make is a ball. Make it fun and educational by completing all the planets! Just make sure you stock up on candles of different colors. For Michelangelo-types, you can get creative and make an image of your pet, parents, lovers, enemies, or the Meralco building, which you can send to their office with a note that says, “Die...”

MOMOL

Short for “Make-Out, Make-Out Lang,” this is a recommended activity for two people stuck in a black-out. Lock eyes, stroke her hair, and if she does not resist, go in for the kill. Just remember, you’re on your own when the lights go back and she asks, “What are we?”

Exercise

Take advantage of the heat and do your body some good. You know what they say, the more you sweat, the more calories you burn, so move your butt and exercise!

Play Hide-and-Seek

If there are more than three of you stuck at home, relive your childhood and play hide-and-seek. Hit two birds with one stone and suggest that the last one to finish all the candle wax planets is the tagger. Only play in the basement or the ground floor, though. We don’t want anyone getting rushed to the emergency room.

Shadow Play

Unleash your theater potential and put on a hand shadow puppets play for your bored housemates! You just need a candle, a white wall, flexible hand and fingers, and an audience willing to listen to your story about a rabbit, a dog, and a snake.

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