Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort and Conference Center

These are the reviews from from two of our guests published at the Trip Adviser web site. Visit the Trip Adviser website for additional details.

1.What a peaceful place to spend relaxing time in Marinduque! The cottage is very comfortable, and right on the beach, with a large deck for watching the sunset. The location in Boac (and not too far from Gasan) is well placed for a home base for day trips around Marinduque. But the best part of our stay here was the graciousness of the hosts, David and Macrine. They are warm-hearted, know the island well, and truly made us feel at home. Although we were there to explore the island and relax, the property has a great conference/meeting facility as well. Highly recommended.

2. Nestled against the beach, this cottage on stilts was a great place to spend a week away from all the insanity of urban life. With a spacious deck, two bedrooms, a living room and a full kitchen, my entire family truly enjoyed their stay. The hosts, Dave and Macrine do everything possible to make you feel like family, while still giving you space and privacy. The beach is all of 25 feet away and early morning walks on the beach are what I remember most. My kids were fascinated with the bamboo flooring. A reef is just off shore and filled with beautiful fish to enjoy while snorkeling. I would go back in a minute if I could.

Imelda Marcos of the Philippines

Imelda Marcos was in the news this week. She suffered a minor injury after slipping and falling to the floor at the Batasang Pambansa a few hours before the President’s State of the Nation Address on Monday, which she had to miss because of the accident. In a statement, Marcos’ chief if staff Filadelfo Diaz III said Marcos only suffered a “minor injury.” “The Office of Hon. Congresswoman Imelda Romualdez-Marcos would like to assure the public that the lady solon is in stable condition now after she met a small accident at the House of Representatives.”

Imelda R. Marcos was born on July 2, 1929. She is a Filipino politician and widow of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. Upon the ascension of her husband to political power, she held various positions to the government until 1986. She is the first politician elected as member of the Philippine legislature in three geographical locations (Manila, Leyte, Ilocos Norte). In 2010, she was elected to become a member of the House of Representatives to represent Ilocos Norte's second district. She is sometimes referred to as the Steel Butterfly or the Iron Butterfly. She is often remembered for symbols of the extravagance of her husband's political reign, including her collection of 2,700 pairs of shoes. In 2011, Imelda Marcos has declared her net worth to be 932.8 million pesos (US$22 million), parliamentary records show, as she continues to fight the government over her assets more than two decades after her husband’s reign ended. Imelda is the second-richest Philippine politician behind boxing hero and congressman Manny Pacquiao.

Assassination of Benigno Aquino Movie

A Dangerous Life is a 1988 English-language Australian film about the final years of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos' rule, from the assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr. in 1983 to the People Power EDSA Revolution in 1986 that ousted Marcos. The film focuses on American TV journalist (Gary Busey), who finds himself in the middle of key events that lead to the downfall of the Marcos regime. Originally airing on television as a mini-series that ran for a total of six hours, the film was edited to 162 minutes for the home video release.

The film was shot on location in Sri Lanka, mostly due to hostilities the producers experienced in Manila while filming The Year of Living Dangerously in 1982.

Filipino-American Musical in New York City

Here Lies Love-A Disco Musical

I like to share with you a very interesting post about the Asian-American Musical, Here Lies Love in New York City. The musical is based on the life of Imelda Marcos. Fourteen out of the seventeen cast members are Filipino-American actors and actresses. The new musical is taking New York by storm. The Asian American casts are singing and dancing to the electric music of David Byrne and Fatboy Slim.

It tells the story of Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos and her rise to political stature. It is directed by Alex Timbers. The show has already won an accolade of awards including the Outer Critics Circle for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical. APA actor Jose Llana plays Ferdinand Marcos. He describes the musical as "Fun, Fabulous and Filipino!"

Angry Asian man: Here Lies Love - A New American Musical Experience...: Guest Post by Raymond J. Lee Hey, folks! I'm on vacation, taking a much-needed blog break. Some batteries need recharging. But do not worry.....

Theme Melodies from Eighteen Most Romantic Music

My favorites are numbers #3,4,8 and 18.. Enjoy and here's the list for your reference.
1. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Romeo and Juliet (Fantasy Overture: Love Theme)
2. George Gershwin - Rhapsody In Blue 0:20
3. Sergei Rachmaninoff - Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini, Op. 43: Var. 18. Tempo di menuetto 1:03
4. Dmitri Shostakovich - Romance from The Gadfly 1:29
5. Edward Elgar - Salut d'Amour 1:59
6. Aram Khachaturian - Spartacus: Adagio of Spartacus & Phrygia 2:27
7. Pietro Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana - Intermezzo 3:01
8. Joaquín Rodrigo - Concierto de Aranjuez 3:30
9. Gabriel Fauré - Pavane 3:58
10. Franz Schubert - Ave Maria 4:27
11. Jean-Claude Petit - Jean De Florette 4:54
12. Clément Philibert Léo Delibes - Flower Duet 5:38
13. Jacques Offenbach - Les Contes D'Hoffmann: Barcarolle 6:20
14. Claude Debussy - Clair De Lune 6:58
15. Giuseppe Verdi - La Traviata: Overture 7:25
16. Johann Sebastian Bach - Air on the G string 8:02
17. Giacomo Puccini - O mio babbino caro 8:27
18. Franz Schubert - Serenade 8:54

Philippines Fashion Parade of Extravagance and Decadence

Photo Credit: Jonathan Asuncion ( Philstar.com). Who are these politicians? I recognized the Reyeses of the Marinduque Dynasty Clan-(bottom left photo) mother and daughter political duo.

Senator Mirriam Santiago is again on the news this Week. This was in connection with the President Aquino's State of the Nation Address(SONA). I agree 100% with Santiago's point of view. There is no need to have a fashion parade of decadence and ostentation. She announced that she will file a resolution prescribing an official uniform for lawmakers attending the President's annual State of the Nation Address.

Santiago, who was not present during the SONA, said her proposal seeks to prevent a repeat of Monday's event where lawmakers "took turns displaying 'bling' clothes and jewelry."

"Our law frowns on conspicuous consumption, which I call 'the obsession to bling,' especially in the midst of acute public want," she tweeted.

The senator cited the Civil Code, Article 25: “Thoughtless extravagance in expenses for pleasure or display during a period of acute public want or emergency may be stopped by order of the courts at the instance of any government or private charitable institution.”

Santiago said that the country is suffering from “acute public want, because of a high unemployment rate of 7.5% and a high underemployment rate of 19.2%.” She added that the country also faces an emergency, because of our territorial disputes with China and Taiwan.

"The highlight of the SONA is the President. It is not like an Oscar event in Hollywood," Santiago added.

The senator failed to attend the SONA, after continuing to suffer from acute chronic fatigue. She is on medical leave from the Senate.

“I watched TV and could not stand it. The SONA event should be a serious time for the Congress to pick up policy directions indicated by the President. It should not be treated as Oscar night in Hollywood, with a red carpet, where peacocks spread their tails and turn around and around, as coached by media in a feeding frenzy,” she said in a statement.

“I was once a clueless participant in those mindless events. Don’t get me wrong. I am very proud of our local fabrics and our local designers, some of whom are world-class. But the SONA event is not the proper venue for their talents,” she added.

Santiago said clothes should merely indicate membership in Congress to separate them from those who are not members.

“The highlight of the SONA is the President. It is not the flashy women. Now the flaky men are even getting into the act. They also parade, sometimes with photogenic arm candy, into the session hall and preen like their female counterparts. Enough!” she said.

Go for it Mirriam! I am with you and I hope majority of the Filipinos will support you!

Its More Fun in the Philippines

Here's the latest video from the Tourism Department of Pilipinas or Filipinas. Just visit the Philippines, when there is no typhoon or flooding or when the temperature and humidity reaches above three digits. Do visit the provinces. Enjoy the food and scenery of rural Philippines. Manila is the Gates of Hell due to congested traffic, pollution and the crowds. One to three days in Manila is good enough for me annually.
Have You Eaten already?

Filipino Discrimination in the US-An Update

The prejudice against Filipino immigrants in the US and specially in California in the 1920s to 1940s is well documented (1). One of the well-known books, America is in the Heart, documenting the life of the Filipino immigrants at that time period, was written by Carlos Bulosan. Mr Bulosan is my number one literary heroes of that time.

Like many Filipinos during that time, Bulosan left for America in July 1930 at age 17, in the hope of finding salvation from the economic depression of his home. He never again saw his Philippine homeland. No sooner had he arrived in Seattle, was he immediately met with the hostility of racism, forcing him to work in low paying jobs.

He worked as a farm worker, harvesting grapes, asparagus and other kinds of hard labor work in the fields of California. He also worked as a dishwasher with his brother, Lorenzo in the famous Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. He was active in labor politics along the Pacific coast of the United States and edited the 1952 Yearbook for ILWU Local 37, a predominantly Filipino American cannery union based in Seattle.

Mr Bulosan died in 1956. To honor his memory, a Bulusan Memorial Exhibit located in Seattle's International District and in the Eastern Hotel features his literary works and manuscripts. One of his famous books, America is in the Heart based on his autobiography is now made into a Philippine movie, Hanggang Sa Muli.( Until Then)_ Till we Met Again),(Hasta La Vista).

One of the famous quotes from that book is timeless, as follows: "We in America understand the many imperfections of democracy and the malignant disease corroding its very heart. We must be united in the effort to make an America in which our people can find happiness. It is a great wrong that anyone in America, whether he be brown or white, should be illiterate or hungry or miserable."

Discrimination against Filipinos was very blatant during the time of the Manongs and Carlos Bulosan. It appeared that by the 1960s, racial discrimination had disappeared from the minds of the American people. But in 1965, my wife and three children experienced their first discrimination experience in Gladstone, Missouri.

Gladstone is a northern suburb of Kansas City, Missouri with about 99.5% Caucasian population at that time.

The discrimination was not blatant but very subtle. After relocating in Missouri for my first job after my Ph.D. graduation from the University of Illinois, my family and I joined a Country Swim Club just a couple of blocks and a walking distance from our rented residence.

My wife, Macrine, and the kids would swim at the country club twice or three times a week. The first day, they were there, she overheard the conversation from two middle-aged ladies. She heard a comment of the first lady to her friend, "Look we are getting invaded by blacks already". Macrine looked around, but there were no black families around; she and the kids were the only colored (brown) people relaxing and swimming in the pool area. Macrine was bothered by what she heard but did not get upset. She continued watching the kids swimming in the pool.

Suffice to say, I had never experienced an incident of prejudice or a discriminatory remark in my more than 53 years residing and working here in the US (California, Illinois, Missouri and Maryland).

After our second year in the neighborhood, we became more active socially and became well-known to the Gladstone community. I was elected by the members of the club as treasurer for two years. I was handling the payroll of three employees and collecting the membership fees of the 300 members. I was delighted that the club members and Board of Directors trusted me with their finances. I therefore conclude that the cure for discrimination is education and ignorance is the mother of prejudice.

If you are a Filipino-American or a member of a minority and are reading this article, have you ever experienced prejudice or discrimination in your life here in the US? Discrimination may be racial, religious, sexual, financial or your educational status.

(1) Carlos Bulosan, America Is in the Heart, 1946

Your Caption for this Photo Needed?

I saw this in Facebook the other day. I am tired of reading the never ending saga of the fight for the Pork( source of corruption) in my second home-Marinduque Island. Let us have some fun for today and send me a caption for the above photograph via your comments. Have a Great Day!

Dimsum and Fresh Lumpia

I love Dim sum. We used to spend a leisurely lunch at a dim sum restaurant every Sunday, just after our weekly Sunday 11AM mass when we were still residing in Colesville, MD. But today, My wife and I had not visited a dim sum restaurant for almost a year now. I am suffering from hunger pangs and salivating just writing this post, because I remember the delicious dim sum dishes in the photo above as well as the one below this paragraph.

Dim sum is the Cantonese term for a type of Chinese dish that involves small individual portions of food, usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate.
Sweet Buns-yum,yum

History

Dim Sum is usually linked with the older tradition of yum cha (tea tasting), which has its roots in travellers on the ancient Silk Road needing a place to rest. Thus teahouses were established along the roadside. Rural farmers, exhausted after working hard in the fields, would also go to teahouses for a relaxing afternoon of tea. At first, it was considered inappropriate to combine tea with food, because people believed it would lead to excessive weight gain. People later discovered that tea can aid in digestion, so teahouse owners began adding various snacks.

The unique culinary art of Dim Sum originated with the Cantonese in southern China, who over the centuries transformed Yum Cha from a relaxing respite to a loud and happy dining experience. In Hong Kong, and in most cities and towns in Guangdong province, many Chinese restaurants start serving dim sum as early as five in the morning. It is a tradition for the elderly to gather to eat dim sum after morning exercises, often enjoying the morning newspapers. For many in southern China, yum cha is treated as a weekend family day. Consistent with this tradition, dim sum restaurants typically only serve dim sum until mid-afternoon (right around the time of a traditional Western 3 o'clock coffee break), and serve other kinds of Cantonese cuisine in the evening. Nowadays, various dim sum items are even sold as take-out for students and office workers on the go.


While dim sum (touch the heart) was originally not a main meal, only a snack, and therefore only meant to touch the heart, it is now a staple of Chinese dining culture, especially in Hong Kong. Health officials have recently criticized the high amount of saturated fat and sodium in some dim sum dishes, warning that steamed dim sum should not automatically be assumed to be healthy. Health officials recommend balancing fatty dishes with boiled vegetables, minus sauce.

Fresh Lumpia
My other favorite dish is the Philippines Fresh Lumpia- the one made from "ubod"-the heart of the coconut. Lumpia are among the most famous of all Filipino dishes. These are not the fried, eggroll-like lumpia you may have tried, but a lighter, home-style version, in which delicate egg pancakes are rolled around lettuce and a tasty chicken, shrimp, and vegetable filling. If you have adventurous guests, let everybody make their own lumpia right at the table-it's a great way to get a dinner party rolling!

Here's a recipe for the fresh wrappers and a typical filling. Instead of the coconut heart(ubod),the recipe below used jicama sometimes called the Mexican turnip or sincamas in the Philippines. In Marinduque, the availability of coconut heart ( ubod) is limitted since it is againts the law to cut a coconut tree without a permit. To get a permit requires so much documentation and time, it is not worth it. So we get only ubod after a big typhoon when a few coconut trees are uprooted by the typhoon.

Wrappers
2 large eggs
1-1/4 cups water
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
About 3 tablespoons cooking oil

Filling
1/2 cup julienned onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half, thinly sliced
1/4 pound medium raw shrimp, shelled, deveined, and halved
1-1/2 cups finely julienned jicama( or coconut heart(ubod) if available)
1/2 small carrot, finely julienned
2 green onions, finely julienned
2 teaspoons oyster-flavored sauce
1 teaspoon Filipino fish sauce (patis)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 tender lettuce leaves



Recipe: Fresh Lumpia (The Philippines) http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/special/1999/asia/lumpia.html

Philippines Two Popular Folk Dances

The following two dances are the most popular of Philippine folk dances from viewers all over the world. These two dances were performed by the Leyte Dance Theatre group as inspired by the Bayanihan Dancers-famous for their award winning dance performances all over the world for the last decade. The other Singkil interpretation was danced by the Parangal Dance Company.

The Singkíl originated from the Maranao people who inhabit the shores of Lake Lanao. It is derived from a story in the Darangen, the Maranao interpretation of the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana. The name of the dance itself means "to entangle the feet with disturbing objects such as vines or anything in your path". It is a popular dance performed during celebrations and other festive entertainment. Originally only women, particularly royalty, danced the Singkíl, which serves as either a conscious or unconscious advertisement to potential suitors.

The tinikling dance is one of the most popular and well-known of traditional Philippine dances. The tinikling is a pre-Spanish dance from the Philippines that involves two people beating, tapping, and sliding bamboo poles on the ground and against each other in coordination with one or more dancers who step over and in between the poles in a dance. The name is a reference to birds locally known as tikling, which can be any of a number of rail species; the term tinikling literally means "tikling-like." The dance originated in Leyte among the Visayan islands in the central Philippines as an imitation of the tikling bird dodging bamboo traps set by rice farmers. The dance imitates the movement of the tikling birds as they walk between grass stems, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farmers. Dancers imitate the tikling bird's legendary grace and speed by skillfully maneuvering between large bamboo poles.
Singkil by the Parangal Dance Company

The Battle for Pork in Marinduque

The continuing saga for the battle of Pork in my second home, the island of Marinduque is again on the news today. I am sort of getting tired of this news, but since Marinduque is my second home, I just can not put it aside and say Bahala Na! Here's the latest news of this historic event in the province of Marinduque.

My Five Favorite Classical Pieces

The following five classical pieces are my favorites. Listening to them lowers my blood pressure and relaxes me and I forget all the problems of the world. How about you, do you have any favorite classical music? Does classical music relaxes you?

Tchaikovsky-None But the Lonely Heart


Shoztakovich-Romance (From the Gadfly)


Rachmaninov- Rhapsody from the Theme of Paganini

Chopin Waltz-Grand

Andre Rieu Romance Anonyme

A Rich Man Dying Wish

Crucifixion Scene-Moriones Festival, 2012 at the Boac River Park, Marinduque, Philippines

I am tired of reading news about the congressional moro-moro and drama in the fight for Pork in my second home in the Island of Marinduque. Here's a joke for your reading pleasure.

"The rich landowner and businessman from Marinduque ( Mr Mayaman) lay dying in the hospital. For years he had led a good life and shared some of his wealth to the poor and indigents of the province. He motioned for his nurse to come near.

"Yes, Mr, Mayaman?" said the nurse.

"I would really like to see our current representative in Congress and our current Governor before I die," whispered the rich landowner.

"I'll see what I can do, Sir," replied the nurse. The nurse sent the request to the Office of the Governor and Office of the Representative and waited for a response. Soon the word arrived that the Governor and the Representative to Congress, both devoted Christians and Roman Catholics were delighted to visit the dying Mr. Mayaman.

As they went to the hospital, the Governor commented to the Representative, "I don't know why the richest man in the province wants to see us but it will certainly help our images and might even get us some favorable publicity and more votes in the next election."

When they arrived at Mr. Mayaman's room, the dying man took the Governor's hand in his right hand and the Representative's hand in his left. There was silence and a look of serenity on the dying man's face.

Finally the Governor spoke. " Mr Mayaman of all the people you could have chosen, why did you choose us to be with you as you near the end?"

The rich man slowly replied, "I have always tried to pattern my life after our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, since I am a good practicing Catholic."

"Amen," said the Governor.

"Amen," said the Congress Representative.

Mr Mayaman continued, "Jesus died between two thieves. I would like to do the same!"


Personal Note: Do you think this joke applies to most Filipino politicians? Do you know what some of our politicians have been doing with their pork barrel funds for the last decades? If you have not heard of the latest pork barrel scam and you are a Filipino or a Filipino-American you must be living in another planet.( Bato-bato sa langit, kung sino ang matama-an, huag magalit)

Time for Some Tenor Music

Which group do you like best? I bet if you are a teenager, Il Volo is definitely your choice.
I like both groups equally along with the Canadian Tenors and the first Trio, named the Three Tenors of Pavarotti, Domingo and Carrera.

The Three Tenors

The Canadian Tenors

Masturbation is Murder and Other News This Week

An article in the Philippine News attracted my attention because of its title above. The Philippine Senate is once again discussing the Philippines Republic Act No.10354 before its implementation this week. One of the senators commented that masturbation could be murder on the discussion when is the start of life of the unborn(conception). Others mentioned that only God Knows when life starts in the womb

The Reproductive Health bill, commonly known as the RH Bill, passed last year after a long struggle in the Philippine Congress. However, soon after being signed into law, the Supreme Court ordered that its implementation be postponed until after the court could hear arguments regarding its constitutionality. The Philippine Constitution currently includes a provision which “equally protects the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception,” and those who brought the petition before the Supreme Court argue that some of the proposed contraceptive methods are under scrutiny for not being contraceptives, but rather being abortifacients.

While there is general agreement about its provisions on maternal and child health, there is great debate on its mandate that the Philippine government and the private sector will fund and undertake widespread distribution of family planning devices such as condoms, birth control pills, and IUDs, as the government continues to disseminate information on their use through all health care centers.

Passage of the legislation was controversial highly divisive, with experts, academics, religious institutions, and major political figures declaring their support or opposition while it was pending in the legislature. Heated debates and rallies both supporting and opposing the RH Bill took place nationwide. The Supreme Court delayed implementation of the law in March 2013 in response to challenges. The court's status quo ante order expires on July 17, 2013, unless the high court decides to extend it.

Another news that attracted my attention is the Zimmerman Case. The jury found him not guilty after deliberation for over 17 hours. After the verdict was announced, protest by the group against police brutality started last night here in Sacramento and San Francisco. I have been following the trial in CNN the last couple of days. I found the trial riveting and interesting.

The third news this week that attracted my attention was the tragic crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 in San Francisco. So far three persons are dead and a few more are in critical conditions in the local hospital. Investigations are almost complete. It appears that the plane did not malfunction and the crash was due to pilot errors. Yesterday, a news release named the four pilots involved which later turn out to be a joke. There were four South Korean names listed, but the two that names that hinted it was a hoax were Sum Ting Wong ( sounds like something wrong) and Wi To Lu.( Way too low). Is this funny or a radial joke?

Over One Million Page Views as of Today

As of today, my 8 blogs showed 1,059,840 page views from over 172 countries. Thank you all for your feedback and comments. I hope you continue reading my blogs and comments. My stats from my 8 are as follows:

1. Marinduque Awaits You- 279,816
2. Life in the United States -275,517
3. Marinduque,Island Paradise-250,816
4. The Intellectual Migrant- 182,237
5. Chateau Du Mer Beach - 132,824
6. Where the Heck is MRQ- 66,884
7. Why Retire in the Phl- 48,436
8. I left My Heart in MRQ- 47,474

TOTAL=1,057,840

Here are the stats for Blog #1 above: Page views by Countries, by Browsers, Operating systems, Referring sites and Key Word searches

Page Views by Countries:

Germany-79,248. United States-72,792, Philippines-68,848, United Kingdom-7,089, Canada-5,121, India- 3,570, Russia-3,247, France-2,289, Australia-2,070, Saudi Arabia-2,029 (only the top ten countries).

Page views by Browsers

Internet Explorer-80,156 (29%), Chrome-79,685 (28%). Firefox-76,624 (27%), Safari-25,259 (8%)
Opera-6,424 (2%), AppleSyndication-5,059 (1%), Mobile Safari-1,622 (<1%), BingPreview-1,329 (<1%), Mobile-744 (<1%), CriOS- 237 (<1%) Page views by Operating Systems

Windows- 216827 (80%), Macintosh-25843 (9%), Linux-18041 (6%), iPhone-2232 (1%). iPad- 2802 (1%), Android-2126 (<1%), BlackBerry-660 (<1%), iPod-591 (<1%), Other Unix- 513 (<1%)and PlayStation Portable-272 (<1%) Referring Sites

www.google.com.ph-262
www.google.com-215
marinduqueawaitsyou.blogspot.com-149
www.filmhill.com-18
www.bing.com-9
www.google.co.in-7
ph.search.yahoo.com-6
search.handycafe.com-4

Search Keywords

penis size-6, belmonte+poltical+dyansty+of+quezon+city-4,coed showers-4, marinduque-4, filipino+women-3, gina reyes election-3, japanese philippines war-3, zarswela-1, alzheimers brain-2, amanpulo palawan-1

Mr Bunker Gets a Shave

Time to Laugh! Enjoy and forget about the worries of this complicated and sometimes irrational world!

Just in case you have not heard of Archie Bunker: Archibald "Archie" Bunker is a fictional New Yorker in the 1970s top-rated American television sitcom All in the Family and its spin-off Archie Bunker's Place, played to acclaim by Carroll O'Connor.

Bunker is a veteran of World War II, reactionary, conservative, blue-collar worker, and family man. The Bunker character was first seen by the American public when All in the Family premiered on January 12, 1971. In 1979, the show was retooled and renamed Archie Bunker’s Place, finally going off the air in 1983. Bunker lived at the fictional address of 704 Hauser Street in the borough of Queens in New York City.

Label this Photo?

Addicted to Facebook. (This is my own label).

I will give one dollar to one Facebook friend that can submit the best and appropriate label for this photograph (in my own judgement). The dollar offer ends at the end of this month. So hurry and have some Fun!

Note: This photo was posted in Facebook by one of my friends and I do not know who was the original photographer.

Have You Heard of Madeira Island?

Madeira Island, Portugal has always been of interest to me, since our trip to Southern Spain and the Rock of Gibraltar about 10 years ago. The other day I posted a video and description of Menorca Island, Spain. Both islands are tourist destinations of most Europeans, because of its perfect climate and historical attractions. In this week ABC TV show, The Bachelorrete featured Madeira Island that inspired me to write this short article. I hope you enjoyed the video above. Do not forget to click on the promotional video in this set if you have plans of visiting Madeira Island soon.

Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between 32°22.3′N 16°16.5′W and 33°7.8′N 17°16.65′W, just under 400 kilometres (250 mi) north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union. The archipelago comprises the major part of one of the two Autonomous regions of Portugal (the other being the Azores located to the northwest), that includes the islands of Madeira, Porto Santo, and the Desertas, administered together with the separate archipelago of the Savage Islands.

Madeira was discovered by Portuguese sailors in the service of Infante D. Henrique (Henry the Navigator) in 1419, and settled after 1420. The archipelago is considered to be the first territorial discovery of the exploratory period of the Portuguese Age of Discovery.

Today, it is a popular year-round resort, being visited every year by about one million tourists, noted for its Madeira wine, flowers, landscapes and embroidery artisans, as well as for its annual New Year celebrations that feature the largest fireworks show in the world, as officially recognized by the Guinness World Records, in 2006. The main harbour in Funchal is the leading Portuguese port in cruise liner dockings, being an important stopover for commercial and trans-Atlantic passenger cruises between Europe, the Caribbean and North Africa.

Madeira is currently the second richest region in Portugal, after Lisbon, with a GDP per capita of 104% of the European average.

BBC Radio 4 Soul Music Programme

My radio interview last week on Rodrigo's, Concierto de Aranjuez will be a part of Soul Music, which airs this week on BBC Radio 4: Tuesday 9 July @ 1130 GMT, repeated Saturday 13 July @ 1530 GMT. It can be heard also on all your local National Public Radio stations. Here in Sacramento it is at 90.9FM NPR station. It’s also available as a download, and to listen again online, all via the website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/. I hope you have time to listen why I love to listen to Concierto de Aranjuez.

Comment from a Facebook Friend: David I've just listened to the programme - it was delightful and very touching, and how wonderful that you got to share such a personal reflection of the piece. It clearly means a lot to so many people.

Philippines Identity Crises-Pilipinas to Filipinas

I was reading an article about the Philippines identity crises ( see below) just recently. I feel there is no need to change Pilipinas to Filipinas. The "P" letter sounds better than the "F" letter as in UP for the University of the Philippines. UF for University of Filipinas sounds to me like the four letter word that most of us are familiar with. Moreover, I like the sound of Pinoy instead of Finoy and Pinay instead of Finay. On the other hand, I like the sound of Filipino instead of Pilipino.

Along the same line, the word puck (goblin or elf) is a decent word, but not as funny and versatile than its corresponding word beginning with letter "f" as described in the following video.

Perhaps we could change Pride to Fride, Passion to Fassion and Patriotism to Fatriotism, if we do not care about our English spelling. On the other hand Freedom is correctly spelled and there is no way we can change it to Preedom unless you are from Pampanga. Lastly, Will you call President Aquino, FNoy instead of his popular short name PNoy?

My dear readers, what do you think? Is this a laughing matter or really important to the Filipino identity in the world? Or do you really care?

http://www.philstar.com/supreme/2013/07/06/962031/filipinas/pilipinas-national-identity-crisisP

Time-lapse Photography of San Francisco Bay

Adrift from Simon Christen on Vimeo.

Thank You Mr. Simon Christen for this excellent video. I enjoyed it very much. I hope you continue making more videos along the same subject or perhaps in another location, possibly Yosemite National Park.

Great Natural Wonders of the World

Palawan Underground River

I feel bad for all the Pinoys around the world and the Philippines, since not one natural wonder of the Philppines such as the Palawan Underground river, Mayon Volcano, Ifugao Rice terraces or the Bohol Chocolate Hiils was mentioned in this video. As Filipino-American I still love the natural wonders of the Philippines specially in my second home in the province of Marinduque.

The Dolphin Island of Marinduque

Do you know there is a Dolphin Island in Marinduque? No,there is no Dolphin Island in Marinduque. The correct name is Maniwaya but the shaped of the island ( see photo) made me feel calling it Dolphin Island. There are several articles in the web about Maniwaya Island.. Here's some excerpts from the latest articles in the Web of this beautiful tourist spot in my second home-Marinduque Island.

“The Boracay looked alike beach closest to Manila”: The place seems enchanting and inviting the first time one step on Maniwaya Island shore. It has white sand beaches, pristine clear blue water and magnificent natural views. It looks like a virgin and unpolluted island never been discovered by many travelers, so the place is not crowded but one has the feeling like in a paradise undiscovered island".

Freddie Pelaez, former village chair of Maniwaya, said the island got its name from the Filipino word maniwala (believe). According to old-timers, a story went that a visitor with a speech disorder was asked by locals about his impression of the island, and he replied, “Maganda. Maniwaya kayo sa akin (It’s beautiful. Believe me).”

Maniwaya has a land area of 264 hectares and a population of 1,900 or 370 households. The residents’ major sources of livelihood are fishing and farming, Pelaez said.

Local blogger Eli Obligacion in his blog site Marinduque Rising said nights could be creepy on the island with the “strangest bird sounds you’ll ever hear. But when the moon is full and the water is still, you might experience some state of freedom and enlightenment.”

“Maniwaya is still untouched by commercial developers so the bigger number of visitors just come by to spend the whole day swimming and exploring the shore—and maybe taste the bibingka (rice cake) or agar-agar seaweed jelly that the local inhabitants make,” he wrote.

Happy July 4th and Time-lapse Photography

Happy July 4th to All Americans around the world. Instead of fireworks and parades, I am offering you these two time-lapse videos of one of my favorite National Park in the US to celebrate the 237th birthday of America. Keep cool if you reside in the West and dry if you reside in the East and South East.

Photo Credit: Frank Cabunoc

Here are two time-lapse photos of Yosemite National Park-stunning, beautiful and magnificent. Agree?



Yosemite is just not a great valley, but a shrine to human foresight, but also the strength of granite, the power of glaciers, the persistence of life, and the tranquility of the High Sierras. First protected in 1864, Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more. What is time-lapse photography?

Time-lapse photography is a technique whereby the frequency at which film frames are captured (the frame rate) is much lower than that used to view the sequence. When played at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster and thus lapsing. For example, an image of a scene may be captured once every second, then played back at 30 frames per second. The result is an apparent 30-times speed increase. Time-lapse photography can be considered the opposite of high speed photography or slow motion.

The Filipino-American Highway in Southern California

The Filipino-American Highway is a seven-mile stretch of the State Highway Route 54 that connects the I-5, I-805 and CA-125 freeways in San Diego, California. Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 157, drafted by former Assemblyman Juan Vargas, proposed that a portion of the CA-54 highway, formerly called the South Bay Freeway, be renamed as the Filipino-American Highway. The Council of Philippine American Organizations (COPAO) funded the cost of creating and putting up the signs. On October 6, 2007, California State and local officials, including Philippine Consul General Mary Jo Aragon, unveiled the signs marking the first designated Filipino-American Highway in the U.S.

The Filipino-American Highway passes through National City, Paradise Valley, Paradise Hills, and Chula Vista, communities with significant Filipino-American populations. Filipino-Americans make up 4.7% of the total population of San Diego County. ACR 157 acknowledges the contributions of Filipino-American pioneers, such as Carlos Bulosan and Philip Veracruz, as well as the service of Filipino-American teachers, medical professionals, and business leaders. The Filipino-American Highway is the first public highway that has been renamed to recognize the contributions that Filipinos and Filipino-Americans have made to the state and the nation. It also serves as a reminder of the struggles and successes that Filipino-Americans experienced to establish these communities.

Reference: http://www.bakitwhy.com/articles/first-filipino-american-highway-us#

Have You Heard of the Il Volo Trio?

Il Volo (English: The Flight) is a trio of Italian operatic pop teenage singers, consisting of Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto, and Gianluca Ginoble.

Heat Wave in California Until Wednesday this Week

Is this heat wave the result of global warming? I bet it is.. Time for us as individuals think, how we can help reduced global warming.