Well, if rain-dancers can heck it in times of drought, why not nuns for feair weather?
This story was printed from TODAYonlineOf eggs, nuns and fair weather
Philippine officials seek divine intervention so that summits can go on
Wednesday • January 10, 2007
CEBU (Philippines) — In a last-minute attempt to seek favourable conditions for this week’s Asian summits, Philippine officials yesterday sought help from God by lavishing nuns with eggs and chocolates so as to get them to pray for good weather during the meetings.
The Philippines postponed the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) and East Asia summits last month and blamed a pending typhoon — not warnings of a terror attack — for the postponement. This second time round, officials are keen to avoid trouble with the weather.
Ms Gwendolyn Garcia, governor of Cebu province where the summits will be held from tomorrow until Jan 15, said it was local tradition to offer eggs to the Carmelite Sisters to seek their intercession.
“If you have a special petition, you go to the Carmelites,” she said, adding that “God answers our prayers in his own way”.
Meanwhile, the organisers have been conducting several dry runs to ensure that everything goes well. With police cars and outrider escorts’ sirens blaring, dozens of the luxury cars stopped mid-morning traffic on the Philippines’ No 2 city as security officials traversed main roads between major venue sites and hotels to gauge the time it takes to travel during peak hours.
“We’re doing this to make sure everything will be okay,” said Mr Roberto Capco, a senior aide to Philippine President Gloria Arroyo.
“Work on all the venues has been completed. What is important is that all the people expected are here,” he told AFP.
He described the hosts’ feelings as “like somebody expecting his wife to give birth to a baby”.
However, in spite of the frenzied preparations, diplomats yesterday noted that the enthusiasm among participants had waned and the meetings had been “devalued”.
According to a foreign affairs official who requested anonymity, Indonesian Prime Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung are to cut short their trip to Cebu.
“The momentum is lost. The same enthusiasm is no longer there,” the source said. “And judging from either the no-show or body language of summiteers, the summit definitely has devalued.”
But Mr Marciano Paynor, head of the national organising committee, disagreed: “Some delegations have reduced their number because more than half of the meetings are over. Everyone else that needs to be here are here and will come.” — AGENCIES
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