Usually I seem to attend about one wedding a year – of family or friends. But this year has been a wedding bonanza. First was my brother’s wedding in Washington DC this past May. My brother’s lovely rooftop wedding overlooked the White House and the Washington Monument. Then I attended two weddings in Manila this past week. The first of the two was a very relaxed wedding of a Filipino colleague who got married in the garden of my house with a casual gathering of friends and family. The other one featured a Filipino Senator (and Vice Presidential candidate) who married a very well known Filipina TV journalist. That wedding was held in a church packed with more than 2,000 people and featured music by the Manila Philharmonic.

The three weddings I attended this year featured very different styles, but some common themes bind them together for me. All three were, as weddings tend to be, joyous events. No matter how large or small the crowd, a wedding is a celebration of love, togetherness and of hope. All three were moments that brought people together: My brother’s wedding reunited old school friends, introduced us to the bride’s Cuban-American heritage, and gave us the excuse to catch up with long time family friends; The relaxed Manila garden wedding combined Filipino families from different parts of the country with the bride and groom’s work friends from Manila; And the large and elegant wedding of the two prominent Filipinos had guests from across the political, business, and cultural spectrum of the Philippines.

The sentimental part of me always chokes up at weddings. I wish all three of the couples whose weddings I was proud to attend a lifetime of happiness.

Sixty-five years ago, U.S. and Filipino heroes waded ashore from ships anchored in Leyte Gulf. It was the beginning of the successful World War II campaign to retake the Philippines from the Japanese occupation.

I recently had the great honor to join ceremonies commemorating that event. We flew over mirror-calm Leyte Gulf, ringed by green hills, landing in Tacloban city. From there it was a short drive to the large memorial depicting General MacArthur wading ashore, accompanied by future Philippine President Osmena and Philippine General Carlos P. Romulo.

The ceremonies were simple: A solemn wreath laying under the sweltering sun was followed by short messages of solidarity and awards to some veterans. Philippine President Arroyo presided. She had been scheduled to speak but a torrential downpour convinced her to cut the speech rather than have all the attendees get soaked. The highlight for me was meeting a group of U.S. veterans and their families who had come to mark the event. Such warm, compassionate people who were clearly proud of the bonds between the United States and the Philippines. Two of them had been part of General MacArthur’s Leyte landing party and, despite their age, still carried themselves with great dignity. Diplomats from Japan, Australia and Canada also joined the ceremonies. My Japanese colleague and I reflected on how the world has changed in the past 65 years. Japan is no longer the enemy of the United States and the Philippines as it was back then but is now a strong ally in promoting peace, development and economic growth.

Not all of Leyte is rooted in the past. While there, I also got to see new U.S. Peace Corps trainees who were learning culture and language in preparation for their assignments in the Leyte region. I also visited a sparkling new facility for American company APAC, where talented Filipino staff provide back-room services for prominent American business and media services.

I love modern technology! Those of your who know me personally know I can’t bear to be disconnected from my friends, my family or the latest news. Whether it is flood relief updates, sport scores or events around town, I always want fast news and information.

My friends and family are scattered all over the world. My husband is the U.S. Ambassador to Colombia - 13 time zones away from Manila. I get news from the United States, Latin America, and Asia as fast as my friends and family can log in. And I get instant updates from my Filipino friends - their news, opinions and advice - from across this beautiful country.

At the U.S. Embassy in Manila, we use all sorts of modern technology to stay in touch, and we want more people to have virtual access to us and our activities. We have a new U.S. Embassy Manila Facebook page, along with our Embassy website, to share stories, news and photos with you.

And now, we are launching a U.S. Embassy Manila Twitter account. Starting Monday, October 19, we begin “Twitter Week.” We will not only launch our site, but will also add fast updates on what members of our Embassy team are doing. You can follow us at http:/twitter.com/usembassymanila.

Join us! Share the technology, the news and your opinions. And tell me what you think at the end of Twitter Week!

I have to start this blog entry by telling my mother, once again, that I am fine. Yes, Manila was flattened by major floods. Yes, typhoons followed the floods. Yes, many people suffered. Yes, the U.S. Embassy was flooded. But I am fine. And very lucky. Many others were not so fortunate.

Two weeks have passed since a tropical storm flooded Metro Manila. And while the stories of grief and destruction continue to mount, so do the stories of the millions of people, organizations and governments who have pitched in to help with relief and recovery. I’ve heard from so many about relief efforts. Some hoped the United States Government could do even more than we have done. Others wondered how they could help out. Others offered thanks for our help and that of so many others.

I last wrote about the immediate actions taken by the U.S. Embassy in Manila. The day the floods hit, we gave USD 100,000 to the Red Cross. That is the maximum an Ambassador can offer immediately – additional funds require more approval from the U.S. Government. We also used the few rubber boats that the U.S. military had in country to help rescue people in the early hours after the flood. By two days later, we had a much larger relief operation underway. The U.S. Marines diverted a long-planned exercise with their Filipino counterparts into a flood relief exercise. Working with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Marines used helicopters to deliver tons of food and relief supplies to areas isolated by the flood. Marine equipment, such as bulldozers and forklifts, joined their Filipino counterparts in clearing roads and debris. U.S. military trucks delivered food and relief supplies under the direction of the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development. Many of the supplies were those donated by private companies, including the largest two TV stations in Manila. U.S. military doctors and medics teamed up with Philippine military medical personnel to offer medical treatment in evacuation centers, treating more than 800 patients per day. The U.S. military also contributed several million dollars worth of medicines. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) donated $1.8 million dollars to relief organizations such as the Red Cross so that those in evacuation centers would receive food and supplies. USAID also flew in a planeload of non-food relief supplies, such as hygiene kits, plastic sheeting and plastic “jerry” cans for water. Those interested in learning more can read the details on our U.S. Embassy Manila website.

As flood waters recede, the U.S. military prepares to wind down their immediate relief operations and turn remaining activities over to civilian relief organizations and USAID turns their attention to ways we can support recovery efforts through technical assistance. But the stories of friendships formed in tough times continue to inspire. I watched U.S. military chaplains help a little girl in an evacuation center select clothes she liked from among those they were donating. They took her preference for color as seriously as if she were at a swanky store. I watched people waiting in line for food step aside in favor of the elderly among them. I saw students, business leaders, and sports figures sitting on the floor packaging relief goods for distribution. I saw Embassy colleagues whose homes had been totally flooded hard at work distributing relief supplies in evacuation centers. The Filipino spirit of giving was never more obvious or more welcome than during this difficult time.

Many wonder what they can still do to help those less fortunate get back on their feet after this devastation at the hands of Mother Nature. Those in Manila can still volunteer at their church, their school or their office to help. Those further away can help by contributing generously to relief organizations. Those funds help buy relief supplies for this flood and provide stock for relief supplies for future natural disasters.