Planning to Visit the Philippines Soon?

There are hundreds of tourists attractions in the Philippines. But as a lover of the Island of Marinduque (Home of the Morions and Heart of the Philippines), I am indeed partial to its beauty, charm and its friendly and hospitable residents. Therefore, help me achieve my dream of seeing this island becomes a world tourist destination, by telling all your friends and relatives about this site. Welcome, to you all, new readers and faithful followers of this site! The photo above is Poctoy White Beach in Torrijos, Marinduque with beautiful and majestic Mt Malindig in the background. Some of the photos and videos on this site, I do not own. However, I have no intention on infringing your copyrights.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Mahjong is Good for Your Mental Health


Macrine and I playing Party Bridge at the SOS Club, Modesto, Ca, 1972

I just recently read that playing mahjong reduced the rate of depression in older adults/senior citizens in urban China(1).  Mahjong, the tiled-based game is very popular among Chinese as well as others of different nationalities for example,  the Filipinos. It might be a possible way to boost mental health, according to a study from the University of Georgia. 

The study concluded that playing Mahjong is a type of social participation linked to reduce rates of depression among the Chinese. It can also lead to gambling.

The above article reminded me of the several articles that I have written about mahjong in the past in my blogs ( 2, 3).

Mahjong is my favorite tile game, but bridge is my favorite card game. I learned how to play mahjong when I was only 7 years old in the Philippines. It is the best way to pass the hot summer afternoons in tropical/humid climate of the Philippines.
Playing Mahjong with Ditas and Carenna with Macrine watching.  Usually 4 players are needed but 3 could play the Game
        https://hubpages.com/games-hobbies/bridge-is-my-card-game

(1) https://www.neatorama.com/2019/09/21/Mahjong-Might-Be-The-Answer-For-One-s-Depression-Study-Shows/

(2)  https://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/search?q=mahjong

(3) https://whyretireinthephilippines.blogspot.com/2013/05/mahjong-is-my-tile-game-what-is-yours.html

Mahjong is an easy game to learn in case you do not know how to play. Try it and enjoy. I hope you do not get addicted or turn it into a gambling game. 
The Mahjong set is available in various prices depending quality of the tiles

Thursday, September 26, 2019

My Top 25 Filipino-American Pride List-An Update

My youngest daughter made it to the list of 100 influential people in the State of California for 2019 by the Capitol Weekly
Ditas Real Photo as of Today

I have always wanted to publish my own Filipino-American Pride List. The 25 names (BOTH LIVING AND DEAD) below are not listed in order of importance.

My first list was published in my blogs and Hubpages account a couple of years ago. That list had only 20 names. 

https://hubpages.com/business/caste-system-in-the-philippines

I updated it today with five additional names-A.Nieva, J.Cuello, B. de Lumen, F. del Mundo and S. Koh.   

This is my personal list and you are welcome to suggest any names that could be added in this list. My only requirement is that they have excelled in their field of expertise (entertainment, sports, science, medicine, literature, arts, law and politics).

I have personally meet Olivera, Comiso, Cabaldon, Pasquil, and Nicolas-Lewis. Cabaldon and Pasquil are associates and friends of my daughter, Ditas Katague ( Number 8).  Number 14 in this list is my oldest son, Dodie Katague, Writer and Lawyer.

Ben de Lumen and his wife Helen used to play tennis mixed doubles with me and Macrine when we were still residing in Pinole.

Fe del Mundo was a friend of my mother-in-law-Elena Nieva Jambalos.

Antonio Nieva is the first cousin of Macrine's Mom

Olivera, Comiso, De Lumen, Cuello and Koh are my co-members in PAASE

Pure Filipinos like Manny Pacquiao, Lea Salonga or Charice Pempengco are not included in this list. They belong to my Filipino Pride list.

1. Baldomero Olivera, Ph.D. – Distinguished Professor of Biology, University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah; first Fil-Am member of the United States National Academy of Science. Research: neurotoxins from venoms of predatory cone snails

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldomero_Olivera

2. Emil Guillermo – award winning journalist, writer, and broadcaster. First Filipino American to anchor a regularly scheduled national news program, NPR "All Things Considered," May 1989. Winner of American Book Award, 2000.

https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Emil_Guillermo

3. Jose Antonio Vargas – 2008 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Journalism for his work with the Washington Post; DREAM Act advocate; "illegal alien"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jose_Antonio_Vargas

4. Carlos Bulosan – Author, America Is in the Heart. Discrimination of Filipinos in the 1930s.

https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › America_Is_in_the_Heart

5.Loida Nicolas-Lewis – Chairman and CEO, TLC Beatrice International Holdings, Inc. Active on Filipino American politics and policy

https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Loida_Nicolas_Lewis

6. Cristeta Comerford – First woman executive chef at the White House.

https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Cristeta_Comerford

7. Josefino C. Comiso, Ph.D. – physics expert at NASA. My contemporary at PAASE, Research on arctic melt and global warming

https://www.amazon.com/Josefino-C.-Comiso/e/B0034PXN2A%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

8.Ditas Katague was appointed by Governor Brown in March 2011 as Commissioner Sandoval’s Chief of Staff, California Public Utilities Commission. Ditas has more than 20 years of experience at federal, state and local government agencies as well as in private and non-profit sectors. Prior to coming to the CPUC, Ditas was Chief Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Corporations. She also served in the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research as Director of Census 2010 and is an expert in civic engagement and public participation. She was also Assistant Secretary for Transportation at the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. Ditas has a B.A. in Social Sciences and Practice of Art (double major) from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Masters in Public Administration (Intergovernmental Management and Organization Development) from the University of Southern California. Ditas was just recently appointed as a member of the US Census Bureau Advisory Board for Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations. Ditas is my youngest daughter. Ditas was just recently listed as one of the 100 influential people in California by the Capitol Weekly magazine.

https://census.ca.gov/staff/director-bio/

9. Eleanor Mariano – Rear Admiral (Lower Half), U.S. Navy, retired. First Filipino American to be promoted to a flag officer rank; former White House physician

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Mariano

10. Mona Pasquil Rogers- in November 2009, became the first woman to serve as acting lieutenant governor of California, Friend and associate of my daughter, Ditas

https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Mona_Pasquil

11. Steve Austria - Republican congressman from Beavercreek, Ohio.

https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Steve_Austria

12. Rozita Villanueva Lee – daughter of Eugenio Villanueva, who emigrated from Pangasinan to Hawaii as part of the recruited labor force for the Hawaii plantations, has been described as one of the top ten successful Filipinos abroad. She has served as National Vice Chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations and in a number of other prominent positions of responsibility. On September 16, 2010, the White House announced her appointment as a member of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

https://www.bamboobridges.org/rozita-lee.html

13. Christopher Cabaldon – Mayor of West Sacramento, California, born in 1965. Openly gay activist. Have attended fun raising activities for his political activities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Cabaldon

14. Dodie Diosdado Katague- author of Cloyne Court and Prosecuting Attorney,Contra Costa, California. Here's a summary of his first novel Cloyne Court" In 1946, the "real" all male "Animal House" was born when Cloyne Court become a student co-op. But the real story begins when Cloyne Court went co-ed in 1972 with the arrival of sixty-two women. Katague's sexy, reveal-all memoir takes place in the late 70s, soon after the women moved in. All it takes is one kiss to transform animals into horny princes.

https://www.amazon.com/Dodie-Katague/e/B003HI3GJO%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Here's a summary of Dodie's other accomplishments:

1. 32 years as a career prosecutor for the Contra Costa County District Attorney.

2. Specialize in High Tech Crimes Prosecution and have expertise in the presentation of digital evidence in the courtroom and legal analysis.

3. Have lectured on Internet Crime Prosecution, Identity Theft Prosecution, Presenting Digital Evidence, basics of the ECPA and PPA.

4. Have authored and advocated for California legislation regarding Internet harassment and Search Warrants that became law.

15. Enrique Iglesias – a Spanish pop music singer-songwriter. Is now mainstream US singer. His Dad, Julio is Macrine's idol and favorite singer

https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Enrique_Iglesias

16. Christine Gambito – an American Internet personality, actress, and comedian; she maintains one of the most-subscribed-to channels on YouTube. Also appointed Ambassador of Philippine tourism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Gambito

17. Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye was born on October 19, 1959). She is a Filipino-American jurist, and is the 28th Chief Justice of California. She was nominated by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for California's highest judicial office on July 22, 2010, and retained in office by California voters on November 2, 2010, and was sworn in on January 3, 2011. Her Hawaiian-born father, Clarence, was of Filipino and Portuguese ancestry, while her mother, Mary Gorre, was Filipino. She was a classmate of my oldest son ( Dodie) in Law School at UC Davis.

https://www.courts.ca.gov/2664.htm

18. Alex S. Fabros, Jr. – Historian, professor, retired U.S. Army officer; Documentaries: “Filipino Americans: Discovering their Past for the Future”, "Unsung Heroes"; historian, "Filipinas Magazine"; Historian and Guest Curator, National Steinbeck Center's "Filipino Voices: Past and Present."; and winner of New American Media's "Ethnic Pulitzer Prize".

https://www.salinaspubliclibrary.org/alex-s-fabros-jr

19. Cheryl Burke- Professional Dancer, Trophy Winner-ABC Dancing with the Stars

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheryl_Burke

20. Jessica Sanchez- 2012 American Idol Runner-Up

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Sanchez

21. Antonio A. Nieva-Writer and Filipino-American veteran of World War II. Tony Arevalo Nieva is my wife's uncle and father of Ronie and Pepi Nieva. For details of his life and book read the following:
 


https://www.usphsociety.org/2017/05/24/filipino-veterans-honored-at-the-washington-dc-book-launch-of-nievas-cadet-soldier-guerrilla-fighter/


22. Dr. Joel Cuello, Ph.D - Dr Cuello is a globally recognized expert in the engineering of sustainable biological and agricultural innovations. His technical expertise in both engineering and biology provides the platform for the engineering of agricultural and biological systems with emphasis in optimizing performance while fostering resource sustainability and environmental protection. 

Prof. Cuello has designed, constructed and implemented varied types of engineered agricultural or biological systems, including those applied to bioregenerative space life support, vertical farming, plant tissue culture, micropropagation, industrial mass production of algae and plant cell and microbial cultures for production of biomass, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, etc. He is the Principal Inventor of the patented algae photo bioreactor series -- the Accordion photo bioreactors -- as well as the Vertical Farming systems -- V-Hive Vertical Green Box and Mobile & Modular Cultivation Systems for Vertical Farming.

https://profiles.arizona.edu/person/cuelloj

23. Ben de Lumen-Ph.D




 Professor Emeritus
UC Berkeley
Founder and President
Narra Biosciences, LLC
Born and raised in Taytay, Rizal Philippines. Obtained his BS
degree from UPLB, and PhD in Agricultural
Chemistry/Biochemistry from UC Davis.
Accomplishments:
-First Filipino-American appointed to UCB faculty
-Obtained tenure in record time of 3 years
-Discovered the anti-cancer soybean peptide lunasin
(Tagalog word lunas for cure)
-Founder and President Narra Biosciences, LLC
-Latest honors: Fellow, AAAS; UP Distinguished Alumnus in
Science and Technology
-Currently has 112 publications

http://thelbesprit.blogspot.com/2013/06/ben-de-lumen-father-of-lunasin-cure-for.html

24.  Fe del Mundo- Fe Villanueva del Mundo, was born on 27 November 1911, She was a Filipina pediatrician, the founder of the first pediatric hospital in the Philippines. Her pioneering work in pediatrics in the Philippines while in active medical practice spanned eight decades. She gained international recognition, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 1977. In 1980, she was conferred the rank and title of National Scientist of the Philippines, and in 2010, she was conferred the Order of Lakandula.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fe_del_Mundo

25.  Severino L Koh- Founding President of PAASE

The Philippine-American Academy of Science & Engineering (PAASE) is a non-profit organization composed of scientists and engineers of Philippine descent who have distinguished themselves in scholarly and research related activities. PAASE was founded and incorporated in the US State of Indiana on April 23, 1980. 

PAASE aims to promote the advancement of science, engineering & technology; encourage collaborative work among scientists & engineers of Philippine descent in research and development through scholarly and scientific endeavors; support efforts that advance science & technology; and recognize and honor the achievements of scientists and engineers of Philippine descent.

http://www.paase.org/images/PAASE_Koh.pdf
 

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Is Donald Trump a Good Leader?


Is our current POTUS a good Leader? My opinion is a resounding NO! This month POTUS approval rating is at its lowest for only 37%. If he does not stop tweeting showing his arrogance and stupidity, I have a feeling it will go down a couple of percentage lower.

https://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/2019/06/donald-trump-and-some-clever-anagrams.html

1. A good leader must first be a good follower-David B. Katague

2. "The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things." Ronald Reagan

3. "Power isn't control at all--power is strength, and giving that strength to others. A leader isn't someone who forces others to make him stronger; a leader is someone willing to give his strength to others that they may have the strength to stand on their own." Beth Revis

4. "I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men." Lao Tzu

5. "Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it." Dwight D. Eisenhower

6. "Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them." John C. Maxwell

7. "Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flow charts. It is about one life influencing another." John C. Maxwell

8. "A leader is a dealer in hope." Napoleon

9. "I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself." Robert E. Lee

10. "There is a difference between being a leader and being a boss. Both are based on authority. A boss demands blind obedience; a leader earns his authority through understanding and trust." Klaus Balkenhol

11. "The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes." Tony Blair

12. "Wisdom equals knowledge plus courage. You have to not only know what to do and when to do it, but you have to also be brave enough to follow through." Jarod Kintz

13."Remember, teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability." Patrick Lencioni

14. "Surround yourself with great people; delegate authority; get out of the way" Ronald Reagan

15. "The challenge of leadership is to be strong but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly." Jim Rohn

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2012/10/16/quotes-on-leadership/#3b228c492feb

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Yesterday's Visit from Macrine's Three Sisters

Yesterday, Macrine's two sisters from the East Bay (Jean and Charo) and one from the Philippines (FE- on vacation) along with Merlet visited us. They brought delicious Pinoy dishes as shown in the photo below:
    Pinoy Dishes-Ginat-an na Manok, Humba, Pancit and Pinakbet
                 https://hubpages.com/food/my-favorite-philippne-dishes 

From L to R: Jean, Charo, David, Merlet and Macrine
From Left to Right: Macrine, Jean, Pepot and Charo
Thank you for the visit and the delicious Pinoy Dishes. Special Thanks to Merlet for cooking the dishes. Masarap lahat!


Family mini reunion always remind me of my article as follows:

https://letterpile.com/memoirs/our-love-story-our-coming-55th-wedding-anniversary

Friday, September 20, 2019

Congratulatory Messages and Compliments

Just recently my daughter was surprised to be listed in the List of 100 influential people by the Capitol Weekly magazine. /https://capitolweekly.net/capitol-weeklys-top-100-ten-years-and-counting/

She received numerous congratulatory  messages  some with warmth and personality of the sender, but most with just one word-CONGRATULATIONS!
  
Receiving or sending congratulatory greetings is oftentimes automatic, boring and without warmth with just the one word, CONGRATULATIONS . Here are examples of phrases to add warmth and spice to your congratulatory messages.

Simple Congratulations

The gesture of sending a congratulations card says so much all by itself. And often the card’s printed message says a lot, too. But you can add warmth and personality with just a few words of your own.

More Casual

“Congratulations and BRAVO!”
“This calls for celebrating! Congratulations!”
“You did it! So proud of you!”
“I knew it was only a matter of time. Well done!”

More Formal

“Congratulations on your well-deserved success.”
“Heartfelt congratulations to you.”
“Warmest congratulations on your achievement.”
“Congratulations and best wishes for your next adventure!”
“So pleased to see you accomplishing great things.”

Writing Tip: The examples above don’t name a specific achievement, but if possible, you should. Your message will mean even more when you congratulate your recipient specifically on their acceptance to Harvard Law School, new job at Google, new boutique opening…or whatever the case may be.

Happy for You

“I’m happy for you!” is another warm, enthusiastic message to add to a congratulations card. It’s hard to go wrong telling someone you’re happy about what they’ve achieved.

More Casual

“Hope you’re thrilled about your new job! I sure am happy for you!
“Hooray! We just couldn’t be happier for you!”
“It makes me so happy to think about your promotion. It couldn’t have come to a more deserving person.”

More Formal

“Feeling so much joy for you today. What an impressive achievement!”
“We hope you can feel all the pride and happiness surrounding you as you head off to medical school.”
“Simply overjoyed to hear your good news.”

Writing Tip: A “happy for you” thought can stand alone, but it also works well as part of a longer congratulations message.


What should you write if the card has already said “congratulations,” or if you just want to add a little more voice and personality to your message? Try one of the phrases below. (Just add exclamation point!)

Phrases grouped by type:

ADJECTIVES: Wonderful, Amazing, Impressive, Awesome, Beautiful
“ATTA”: Attaboy, Attagirl
CLAPPING: Applause, Bravo, Take a bow, Encore, Three cheers
EXCLAMATIONS: Woo-Hoo, Hooray, Yippee, Yee-haw, Hurrah, Huzzah
GESTURES: Cheers, Hats off to you, Here’s to you
GOOD: Good show, Good for you, Good on you
JOB: Good job, Great job, Excellent job
KEEP: Keep it up, Keep up the great work, Keep going, Keep believing
NICE: Nice work, Nice job, Nice one, Nice going, Nicely done
SO: So pleased for you, So thrilled for you, So tickled for you
SALUTES: High five, Salute, I salute you, I commend you
WAY: Way to go, Way to be, Way to work, Way to shine
WELL: Well done, Well deserved
YOU: You inspire me, You amaze me

Writing Tip: These little variations on “congratulations” make nice additions at the end of a longer message, too. They work like happy punctuation!
I receive more than 50 congratulations(one word) on my announcement of Ditas inclusion in the Capitol Weekly list of 100 just recently. But the following three congratulatory messages, I will never forget.

1. The fruit does not fall far from the tree-from Bobby.M- a Facebook friend

2. Mana guid sa Tatay( inherited from her Dad)-Impressive!- from a relative in the Philippines

3. May pinagmanahan, Congrats to the Ditas and to the parents( has the inherited genes)

Source: 

https://ideas.hallmark.com/articles/congratulations-ideas/congratulations-messages-what-to-write-in-a-congratulations-card/


Here are examples of congratulatory messages from Ditas FB friends with warmth and personality:

1. You’re a big shot! Congrats!
2. That’s awesome Ditas. So proud of all you have accomplished!
3. Well deserved! Congrats
4. Congratulations, Ng Ditas! Proud cousin here!
5. That is really awesome Ditas!
6. A we’ll deserved recognition of your service & leadership and the influential and important work you lead!

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

I Feel Like Cooking Oyster Rockefeller Today

Today is not a special day such as my birthday or Mother's day. I just feel like cooking a special dish to celebrate being alive and without lingering pains in my octogenarian body. Thank you Lord for this day!

Oyster Rockefeller is one of my favorite dish to cook, https://hubpages.com/food/Feasting-on-Fresh-Oysters. With the availability of fresh oysters, it is an easy recipe.

I used spinach, Parmesan cheese, onions, garlic, olive oil, parsley and bread crumbs as the ingredients. Sometimes I add bacon/mushrooms/shrimps( Bienville), If I have it in my refrigerator.  My recipe is similar to this recipe.

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/oysters-rockefeller/  

For other ways of preparing oysters visit the following site:

https://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/raw-rockefeller-9-essential-oyster-preparations

For differences between Rockefeller and Bienville preparations read:

https://www.al.com/living/2013/05/davids_daily_dish_oysters_bien.html

Origin of Oyster Rockefeller and Oyster Bienville

Oysters Rockefeller, according to legend, were created about in New Orleans. They were invented to mark the occasion of a visit by industrialist John D. Rockefeller to the Crescent City.

Oysters Bienville, on the other hand, also comes to us from New Orleans. It was named in honor of an early governor Louisiana, Jean de Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville.

These two are very elegant dishes . They are the epitome of style and sophistication and the very embodiment of living the good life.

For a list of my other favorite dishes(Filipino) read:

https://hubpages.com/food/my-favorite-philippine-dishes

Monday, September 16, 2019

Macrine's New Haircut and Hairdo


On weekends Macrine is being cared (for 8 hours, SAT and Sun) by our private caretaker( at my own personal expense-not covered by my medical insurance), a capable young lady named LC. Besides taking care of Macrine she cooks our dinner and lunch. She also do manicure and pedicure for Macrine. Today, she had time to fix Macrine's hair as shown in the following photos.



The other two photos taken yesterday show Macrine's new haircut and our home service hair cut by Agnes ( My South Korean barber-Agnes Hun(from Super Cut Barber Shop)

Sunday, September 15, 2019

A Short Visit from Igsoon Ceding Braceros


Yesterday, Igsoon Ceding Braceros ( Mercedes) dropped by for a short visit along with her two daughters, Christine and Eileen.  I have not seen Igsoon for more than a decade, so Macrine and I were very delighted and happy to see her with her two adult daughters.

Igsoon Ceding is also originally from Iloilo( my province of birth). She used to visit us( during her teenager years) in my parents home in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo.
Igsoon Ceding is at back row standing second from the Right
Visit with Mama Pacing

She is about the same age as my  younger sister Myrla (Nen) Hilaga.

The three were on their way to attend a wedding of the son of Eileen' friend here in Sacramento. They came  from San Jose about a 2 hours drive.

I served them homemade soup that I prepared  the day before. It is my own creation- fresh sweet corn with artificial lobster and crab meat. My recipe is similar to the recipe in this site.

https://acommonconnoisseur.com/2015/05/24/sweet-corn-soup-with-lobster/

I received a compliment for my cooking from Christine when she said it taste better than the food served in  fancy restaurants.   The three stayed only for a couple hours as the wedding invitation was at 3:30PM. They arrived around 1:15PM .

Macrine and I are looking forward for their next visit.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Dr Llamido's Book on the Japanese-American War in the Philippines

Dr Felix Lamido, MD was my contemporary (mid 1950's) at University of the Philippines(UP). We both resided in Narra Hall ( UP Men's South Dorm) and we were active members Of the University of the Philippines Student Catholic Action (UPSCA). The following photo was taken in 1954 and Dr Llamido is in front squatting holding a newspaper and I am in the second row third from the Left.

About 10 months ago, Felix and his son Kevin visited us here in Fair Oaks.
https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2018/11/a-visit-from-former-dorm-mate-and.html
Just recently Dr Llamido published a book about the Philippines. Its about the American-Japanese war in the Philippines. The book is getting good reviews from readers and critics. Its available from Amazon, but Dr Llamido is giving me a complimentary and autographed copy next month.


Here are some reviews of his book, The Box of Noli's Bones.

1. I really enjoyed this book. The author takes you through life in the Philippians during WWII. Not only did he obtain material facts about the war, but he also saw it with his own eyes. As a war enthusiast, I did not know much about the war in the Philippians, mostly my interests were in Europe. It was nice to hear about the war from this perspective.

The author is a very good writer. He actually provides such vivid imagery that you feel as if you have been there before. The chapters are well segmented and the flow of the book is easy to follow. I found myself so intrigued that it was hard to put down at times. I really wanted to dive to the end immediately, but resisted. I would recommend this book.

2. This book by a talented retired surgeon is a timely reminder to us and the leaders of the world about the atrocities of war. It is difficult to understand how a civilized country like Japan could change to a barbaric nation.

As a 2 yr old boy during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines (1941-1945) the story is reality instead of fiction. With other children we witnessed scenes like a dead man bayoneted by Japanese soldiers hanging from a tree and adult males in the neighborhood lined up in the middle of the night while a masked prisoner led by Japanese soldiers identify guerillas among them. We children thought they were funny but I am sure to our relatives they were terrifying.

For the record unlike the author I did not swallow the first chewing gum thrown by the GI liberators from their dusty trucks as we yelled “victory Joe” while they were passing by. Instead I reused it and parked it under the table during meals.

This book shows that surgeons with gifted fingers for dissection can also use them for writing excellent stories. I hope he writes other stories about post WWII Philippines.

3. Engrossing family - war related stories..Left me tingles after reading the book!

4. His documentation of the war in the Philippines and the trauma faced by one small village and his family was exquisitely presented. You felt like you were there. He was right....he had to write this book.

5. I enjoyed reading the book. The author made a vivid description of the Philippine customs and sceneries during his and my childhood days. Writing about the unforgettable events during WW II required a vast amount of research work. I am looking forward to reading more of Dr. Felix Llamido’s literary work.

6. The first paragraph pulled me in. "Two Titans clashed in a place named Pearl Harbor. One fell on his back, surprised by the unexpected assault, roiling the waters with a splash that gathered the momentous force of a malevolet tsunami. Out of control, he rolled across the ocean delivering an offspring, War, to distant shores in the Pacific." This analogy led the way to what seemed to me to be a collection of short stories by chapters, connected by the context of the times, some personal, some biographical, and some military history. Much research is evident, and the author connects facts and figures with people and events. Like Germany, the United States fought this war on two fronts, Europe and Asia.

Many books have been written about the Nazis and the war in Europe. This book fills us in on what I would call the Holocaust of the Pacific. It is an important contribution to our knowledge, not only of a lesser-known than the European area of history, but of what people will do to one another under certain conditions. This war and its lasting effects on hundreds of thousands of people in the Philippines should never be forgotten. We should always be very wary of people who regard other people as less than human.

I wouldn't be surprised if a movie contract is offered, the rich images in this book being so powerful and personal. The book is full of action and pathos as well as information about a country and culture that deserves more recognition.

Personal Note: I have always wanted to write a book about my childhood experiences about the Japanese-American War in the Philippines. It has not materialized-but I have two articles published in my personal blog and Hubpages.com account as follows:

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2012/05/japanese-american-war-in-philippines.html

https://hubpages.com/literature/my-childhood-memories-of-world-war-2


I am proud of Dr Llamido's accomplishments and again thanks in advance for my complimentary and autographed copy.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

The 18th Anniversary of the Bombing of WTC and the Pentagon



Today is the 18th Anniversary of the Bombing of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon- The Day the World Trembled and Changed the World of Travel. I am reposting my article on my involvement and personal experience that day and the week that followed as follows:

https://hubpages.com/education/the-day-the-world-trembled

I am also attaching a summary of the facts as published by CNN the other day;

Facts:

1. Nineteen men hijacked four fuel-loaded US commercial airplanes bound for west coast destinations. A total of 2,977 people were killed in New York City, Washington, DC and outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
2. The attack was orchestrated by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
The Victims:

3. At the World Trade Center (WTC) site in Lower Manhattan, 2,753 people were killed when hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 were intentionally crashed into the north and south towers, or as a result of the crashes.

Of those who perished during the initial attacks and the subsequent collapses of the towers, 343 were New York City firefighters, 23 were New York City police officers and 37 were officers at the Port Authority.

The victims ranged in age from two to 85 years. Approximately 75-80% of the victims were men.
At the Pentagon in Washington, 184 people were killed when hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building.

Near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, 40 passengers and crew members aboard United Airlines Flight 93 died when the plane crashed into a field. It is believed that the hijackers crashed the plane in that location, rather than their unknown target, after the passengers and crew attempted to retake control of the flight deck.

As of July 2019, 1,644 (60%) of 2,753 WTC victims' remains have been positively identified, according to the medical examiner's office.

Timeline:
September 11, 2001
- 8:46 a.m. ET - American Airlines Flight 11 (traveling from Boston to Los Angeles) strikes the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
- 9:03 a.m. ET - United Airlines Flight 175 (traveling from Boston to Los Angeles) strikes the south tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
- 9:37 a.m. ET - American Airlines Flight 77 (traveling from Dulles, Virginia, to Los Angeles) strikes the Pentagon Building in Washington.
- 9:59 a.m. ET - South tower of WTC collapses in approximately 10 seconds.
- 10:03 a.m. ET - United Airlines Flight 93 (traveling from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco) crashes in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
- 10:28 a.m. ET - North tower of WTC collapses. The time between the first attack and the collapse of both World Trade Center towers is 102 minutes.

December 13, 2001 - The US government releases a tape in which Osama bin Laden takes responsibility for the attacks.

December 18, 2001 - Congress approves a measure to allow the president to designate September 11 as "Patriot Day" on each anniversary of the attacks.

December 2001-June 15, 2004 - The original Victims Compensation Fund processes death and injury claims from families and relatives of September 11 victims. Families of those killed had until December 22, 2003, to apply for compensation. The fund reopens in 2011.

May 24, 2007 - The Chief Medical Examiner of New York City, Dr. Charles S. Hirsch, rules that the death of Felicia Dunn-Jones in 2002, from dust exposure, is directly linked to the 9/11 attack and therefore a homicide.

July 19, 2007 - The New York Medical Examiner's Office announces that the remains of three more people are positively identified. 1,133 victims, 41% of the total, remain unidentified.
January 2009 - The medical examiner's office rules that Leon Heyward, who died the previous year of lymphoma and lung disease, is a homicide victim because he was caught in the toxic dust cloud just after the towers collapsed.

January 2, 2011 - President Barack Obama signs James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, reopening and expanding the scope of the Victim Compensation Fund.

June 17, 2011 - The New York medical examiner rules that Jerry Borg's death on December 15, 2010, is a result of inhaling toxic substances from the dust cloud generated by the collapsing twin towers.

May 10, 2014 - The unidentified remains of those killed in the attacks are returned to the World Trade Center site where they will be kept in a repository under the jurisdiction of the Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York.

August 7, 2017 - The New York City medical examiner's office announces that the remains of a man killed at the World Trade Center are positively identified due to more sophisticated DNA testing being available.

September 11th Victim Compensation Fund:


The original fund operated from December 2001 to June 2004.
The initial Victim Compensation Fund received 7,408 applications for both death claims and personal injury claims.The fund made awards in 5,560 of those cases.
The reopened and expanded fund has operated since January 2, 2011. Information on total awards is updated regularly and posted here.Families who agreed to get compensation from the federal fund agreed not to sue the airlines.

Economic Impact:

$500,000 - Estimated amount of money it cost to plan and execute the 9/11 attacks.
$123 billion - Estimated economic loss during the first 2-4 weeks after the World Trade Center towers collapsed in New York City, as well as decline in airline travel over the next few years.
$60 billion - Estimated cost of the WTC site damage, including damage to surrounding buildings, infrastructure and subway facilities.
$40 billion - Value of the emergency anti-terrorism package approved by the US Congress on September 14, 2001.
$15 billion - Aid package passed by Congress to bail out the airlines.
$9.3 billion - Insurance claims arising from the 9/11 attacks.

Cleanup at Ground Zero:


May 30, 2002 - Cleanup at Ground Zero officially ends.It took 3.1 million hours of labor to clean up 1.8 million tons of debris. The total cost of cleanup was $750 million.

Homeland Security:

The Department of Homeland Security was created in response to September 11. It merged 22 governmental agencies into one, including the Customs Service, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the US Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Through the Container Security Initiative, over 80% of imported maritime containerized cargo is prescreened before entering the US.

March 12, 2002 - The Homeland Security Advisory System is introduced.

April 26, 2011 - The National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) replaces the color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS).

Luis Alvarez, who is about to start his 69th round of chemo on June 12, testifies at a hearing on the 9-11 Victims fund before the Judiciary subcommittee on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. on June 11, 2019.

I will never forget September 11, 2001 till the day I die!~

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Jonathan Van Ness Podcast with Ditas Katague

https://www.facebook.com/kundaliniyogasacramento/videos/2516033995349615/

Have you heard of Jonathan Van Ness? I am sure you have! In my case, I only heard of him about a month ago when Ditas proudly announced in her FB Page that a podcast is being planned and the subject will be the 2020 Census. So I did some gged*(googled) search, and here's a summary of his life and career(Wikipedia).

Jonathan Van Ness was born March 28, 1987. He is an American hairdresser, podcaster, and television personality. He is best known for his role as the grooming expert on the Netflix series Queer Eye. Van Ness, also claims fame from the web series parody Gay of Thrones and from his role as a host on the Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness podcast.

He attended the University of Arizona, majoring in political science; due to Van Ness' habit of skipping class to watch reruns of The Golden Girls, his grades fell and he lost his cheerleading scholarship. Jonathan subsequently dropped out after one semester to pursue hairstyling.

In 2013, while dressing the hair of friend Erin Gibson—who worked for the comedy syndicate Funny or Die[5]—Van Ness was asked by Gibson to perform his recap of a Game of Thrones episode for Funny or Die, which became the Gay of Thrones web series. Van Ness was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Variety Series in 2018 for Gay of Thrones.

Since 2015, Van Ness has hosted the weekly podcast Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness. The following is his recent podcast with Ditas on Census 2020. Enjoy and be COUNTED!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/getting-curious-with-jonathan-van-ness/id1068563276?fbclid=IwAR3tE0iub_WiP4w01EIhtxLchI_Hfny9L2Y8QswRfxICemoswNgOmBQ_HGo#episodeGuid=gid%3A%2F%2Fart19-episode-locator%2FV0%2FESj7TWr79BKDE9QzoRFypppoRWNbcgNH1t5AY2c02eo

* I coined this word myself-my senior moment word

Friday, September 6, 2019

Resumptions of Macrine's OT and PT Excercises

This week Macrine resumed her physical therapy(PT) and occupational therapy(OT) exercises. The capable employees of Blossom Ridge Home Health is once again involved with Macrine's rehabilitation ( Crystal for PT and Cody/Lisa for OT).

Macrine doing her OT exercises with Lisa( Blossom Ridge) and Mindy ( Partners-in Care)


The following photos are PT exercises conducted by Crystal (Cris) showing seating, standing and wheel chair management exercises.










Macrine has been diagnosed with Parkinson's since 2013. For detailed discussion on the symptoms of Parkinson visit the following site:

https://www.myparkinsonsteam.com/resources/symptoms-of-parkinsons

For those of you who do not follow my blogs, this year is our 62nd year of marriage.  Our 55th and 60th wedding anniversary is detailed here:

https://letterpile.com/memoirs/our-love-story-our-coming-55th-wedding-anniversary

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Huge Red Mangoes from Mexico ar in Season

Huge Red Mangoes from Mexico

I purchased six huge red mangoes ( imported from Mexico) yesterday. It was on sale for only 99c each at my favorite grocery store (Food Mart). Safeway and other stores sells it for $1.29 to $1.49 each.


I eat one today. It was luscious and sweet( not as sweet as Philippines Guimaras mangoes), but worth the 99c I paid for each. You could only buy this variety of mangoes on certain months of the year here in Northern California. Other varieties are available almost all year round. For some reason Food Mart does not carry Philippine mangoes. However, I could buy Philippine mangoes from our local Filipino grocery store about 30 minutes drive without traffic.

Some of the popular mango varieties are in the two following photos:



For a detailed list of mango cultivars around the world visit:https://en.wikipedia.org
/wiki/List_of_mango_cultivars

Sunday, September 1, 2019

An Easy Recipe for Baked or Roasted Okra

I planted Okra in my garden this year. The following photo is my 4th harvest this year. I usually cooked the okra by just steaming it and then sauteed with butter and shrimp paste ( bago-ong) with a little vinegar. I am tired with this recipe so I searched for a roasted or baked okra recipe and I found the following from Cooktoria.com


HOW TO MAKE BAKED OKRA:

1. Preheat the oven to 450F degrees.

2. Rinse the okra, and dry with a paper towel. Trim away the stem ends, and then cut it into 1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces. Spread the okra on a sheet pan in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, paprika, salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Stir.

3. Bake the okra for about 15 minutes. The okra should be lightly browned and tender, with a nice seared aroma. Serve immediately.

This is a simple, flavorful, and easy Baked Okra recipe. Seasoned with paprika, salt, and a pinch of cayenne, this okra makes a great snack or side dish.


Ingredients

1 lb. fresh okra
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. paprika
salt to taste
a pinch of cayenne pepper optional

❤ COOKTORIA.COM

For my other Favorite Philippine Dishes read:

https://hubpages.com/food/my-favorite-philippine-dishes

Link within

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