Getting windmills off my mind

Walked to the “lumpia store” just now and they’re closed. Seems like they only open during the weekend when tourists and vacation-goers are most populous. Sundays these visitors usually are on the way home and don’t necessarily stay for a snack in this place. I’m a bit disappointed, of course and just order some instant coffee from the resort’s café.

Every ten minutes or so, the resort’s guests come by the restaurant to check out and head home to wherever it is that they came from. Gone are the noisy videoke machines that for two days were blaring out “Careless Whisper” or “Terminal” and what is the supposed crowd favorite, “Pagdating ng Panahon”. Can’t say that I miss these tunes when they practically drown out the peace and quiet that I enjoy. Also absent are the surfboards, as most of the surfers have headed out to whatever day job they hold. Of course, my group is still hitting the waves and will be back anytime now. Hopefully my decision to forego a timely lunch is wise and that they have yet to eat lunch, would be a bit awkward to be eating alone while they are all resting before the trip back.

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On the way back to the resort from the “lumpia store”, I took notice of the windmill that the resort next to ours had. In the beginning I thought it was merely for aesthetics, but upon closer inspection, it was actually an ingenious deepwell water pump. I recall watching something on the discovery channel that this was the original purpose of all those windmills that you find in Holland. They pumped water out so that it wouldn’t flood (as much, anyway) their below-sea-level nation. Am actually a bit dismayed that they also had an electric water pump, probably their primary pump with the windmill serving as a backup. Would have been quite neat if it was the other way around.

Each chance I get I watch this show on the Lifestyle Network featuring a “go green” theme where they re-fit homes in California to be eco-friendly. I remember one show where they installed wind turbines alongside solar panels to produce electricity. These sources are connected to the commercial power grid and in as much as their homes benefit from the local power generator, they also contribute their own generated electricity to it and get rebates for the amount of energy that they are able to supply. Great concept, and makes me wonder why the people in the P.I. haven’t caught on to this concept yet.

One reason that I can think of is that our own power grid is not at all efficient and suited to such a system. The capital costs alone of refitting our own system to allow such would balloon to such immense proportions with all the added kickbacks and red tape that it would entail thus making it all a doomed cause. Also, for a third world nation to invest in such technology may be ill-advised when most of the country isn’t electrified anyway. Most of our cities are situated in areas that do not get steady wind currents, and with a long rainy season solar power would not be as cost effective as in other countries. Hmm, reading back I realize that these are based on hunches at best with no research whatsoever. I could be wrong…

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Wow, that previous entry may have some sense in it, wouldn’t blame anyone suspecting that I lifted it from someone else’s blog. So am I this bored that out of blue I suddenly depart from the usual nonsense that I spew and venture into something that has something to do with current issues and public interest? Oh my, I’m shuddering at the thought that this may be a trend for future posts. Must remember to slap myself silly whenever I even begin to write about something with some sense. My already limited “readership” may be reduced even further when they discover how much of a geek I really am.

There must be something that the clerk put in my coffee. Might need to wash it out of my system with a beer.