A Treasured Message from a FaceBook Friend

• Just recently, I received a message in FB from a former resident of the UP Mens South Dorm (Narra Hall) that I am posting below. His message reminded me of the many happy years I experienced in UP from 1952 to 1958. The following photos are reminders of my pleasant memories of those years UP Mens South Dorm Association, 1954. I am in the second row, 7th from the right. In this picture, I know of two politicians. One is Luis Villafuerte (second row, second from the right) former governor and assembly man from Camarines Sur. The other one is Homobono Adaza, former governor and assembly man from Misamis Oriental. Both were law students at that time. Villafuerte's dorm room was just across the Hall from mine. If you know any one in this picture, please let me know via FaceBook or in this blog.
  
  UP Men's South Dorm Officers, 1954. I am in the front row, first from the left with a notebook.
  
  Liberal Arts Chapter Members of the University of the Philippines Student Catholic Action (UPSCA) in front of the LA building in 1954
  
  Group Picture of some UPSCANS during our annual picnic outside the university campus, 1954 (Taal Vista Lodge).
  
  One More UPSCAN Picnic Picture, 1954
  
  During the Mens South Dorm Open House with Mercy Lopez, College of Music, Hector Taleon and my two room mates Vivencio Villaflor and Emmanuel Espino from Dagupan City, Pangasinan, 1954
  
  Me at the Analytical Laboratory.1954
  
  Weighing at the Analytical Balance Room,with Kahirup Juan, 1954
  
  Reading and relaxing in my room in the South Dorm after studying for 3 hours for a final exam in Physical Chemistry
  
  Bachelor of Science in Chemistry Graduation Photo, October, 1955.  

   

  Recently, I sent a Happy Birthday Greeting to GP ( a FB Friend and former resident of the UP Men's South Dorm in Diliman). The following was his response.
  

   

  FB Friend:
  

  This is so heartfelt. I couldn’t thank you enough.

  Lubos po ang aking kasiyahan na ako po ay binati ninyo. Ginagalang ko po kayo bilang isa sa orihinal na residente Ng UP South Men's Dormitory noong early 1950s na naging Mayon Residence Hall,

  at kalauna'y Narra kung saan ako sumilong Ng mahigit dalawang taon.

  • 
    
• 
  
David B Katague
Maraming Salamat. I hope all is well with You! Take Care!

FB Friend:

David B Katague Your version of shine is a search light. Thanks for lighting up the Narrehan path.The Earth is better off having you in it.
In this world there are 'drains' and 'radiators.' Drains take energy away while radiators beam it out. Continue being a radiator that continuously gives out warmth and comfort.

Again, a million thanks to GP. Your words are music to my aging years. May your tribe increase.  You have made MY DAY!!!

 

The Places We Have Visited Outside the US for the StoryWorth Book

The Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC.- Look for Macrine in the Photo
 

This is my response to the query on the places we have visited outside the US for the StoryWorth Book of Memories. 

 

The places that we have visited outside the mainland US were Vancouver, Victoria, Ontario, British Columbia, Canada, London, Rome, Marbella, Spain, Tangiers, Morocco, Cancun, Mexico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Aruba and Gibraltar and all the Hawaiian Islands. This was in relation to our International Interval Exchange Vacation Program.  Memorable memories, indeed!

 

One of the fifteen places that my wife and I have visited outside the US was our trip in August, 2005 to Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler, B.C., Canada. . This was in connection with another Grand Reunion of Marinduque International, Inc- a non-profit organization organized to give free medical missions to Marinduque, Philippines. It was one week of Fun and Relaxation that we will always remember.

 

British Columbia is on the western coast of Canada. The climate of Vancouver is Mediterranean similar to San Francisco, California. Vancouver is about 2 hours drive north of Seattle, Washington and has also a large Filipino-American community. We enjoyed Stanley Park, Queen Elizabeth(Sunken Garden) Park and Exotic China Town. Historic Gas Town and the drive along English Bay Drive was great. We took a sunset dinner cruise along Vancouver Harbor passing through English Bay, False Creek, Burrard Inlet and under the Lions Gate bridge(photos above).

We took a tour of Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. The tour started from Vancouver via a 90-minute ferry ride across Georgia Strait and the beautiful Gulf Islands. Included in the tour is an admission to the world famous Butchart Garden (photo above). Here are two videos of the Butchart Gardens, one of the most beautiful gardens in the world.

The tour included a 30 minute drive along Beach Drive with views of Juan De Fuca strait and the Olympic Mountains. We also passed by the Upland and Oak Bay Streets residential areas, the Royal Victoria Yatch Club and the University of Victoria ending at the Victoria Harbor. Photo of Victoria Inner Harbor at Night-from thelifeofluxury.com

The next day, we took a one-day tour to Whistler, site of the 2010 Winter Olympics. The scenic tour started with a relaxing drive up the Sea to Sky Highway which overlooks majestic Howe Sound with its panorama of mountain lakes and glaciers. Along the way we stopped at Shannon Falls, one of North America's waterfalls at the Squamish Forest Reserve.

On our way to Whistler, Canada-Photo from www. people.uleth.ca

The second Place we have visited that we enjoyed very much is our vacation to Southern Spain ( Costa del Sol), Rock of Gibraltar and Tangiers, Morocco. 

  A Day in Tangiers in Morocco, North Africa

Camel Rides in Morocco

From Marbella,Spain, Macrine and I joined a one day tour to Tangier, Morocco, North Africa as part of our vacation in Costa del Sol in October, 2000. With this visit we could claim that we have been to the Continent of Africa. It was a beautifully organized tour and is described below by a writer from the Spanish tourism department:

"From the most southern point of Spain (Tarifa), Morocco is only 14 kilometers away. On most days you can see the mountains at the other side of the Strait of Gibraltar very clearly, and at night you see the lights of the houses. Being so close to Spain, Morocco Tourism is very tempting. Especially because it’s not only another country, but even another continent.

There are several options to a Morocco Tourism visit, one of them is booking a daytrip from Tarifa to Tangier( this is the one we took). There are two excursions to Tangier every day, starting at 9am and 11.00am, and cost 56 euro (ferry, guide, bus and lunch included). Tickets are sold at the office of FRS or at Marruecotur, both near the Paseo de la Alameda in the centre of Tarifa. The excursion starts in the port of Tarifa. Here you cross the Spanish border and get on the boat, a fast ferry that brings you in 35 minutes to Tangier. As there is a time difference between Morocco and Spain of 2 hours (in summer), you arrive in Morocco either around 7.45am or 9.45am.

"Once you have arrived in Morocco, a bus drives you from the port to the old town. The old town is surprisingly similar to a lot of old towns in Andalucian cities. At the entrance there is an old arc, after which you find a labyrinth of small streets, small houses, ancient buildings, a castle and small typical shops. Most of the shops appear to be there for tourists only, during the tour you’ll visit some of them. The shop owners are not too shy to sell you all their merchandise on the streets, of course for “a very special price” (which drops rapidly if you don’t show any interest). Also included in the tour is a lunch in a traditional Moroccan restaurant. They serve traditional food and at the end you’ll get a traditional Moroccan tea. It´s questionable if it´s really a traditional restaurant, as it seems to run on tourists only, but at least the food is good".

"After a stroll through the old town, you get a chance to have a look at the new town. This part of Tangier appears to be quite modern, with big buildings, broad streets and larger, more modern shops. A visit to the outskirts of Tangier is included as well. Big houses with big fences dominate the scene, so probably the rich are living here. You also get the opportunity to ride a camel, on payment of a few euros. The whole tour takes about 7 hours".

Personal Note: Walking on the narrow cobblestone streets of the Medina (Old Town) in Tangier was not easy. Street peddlers hustle you all day. They sell all kinds of trinkets that will challenge even an experienced bargain hunter like me. However, I had my good buy of the day on this tour. I saw a mineral stone ( similar to the one you see in the Smithsonian museum in Washington, DC) that aroused my attention. The asking price was 3000 pesetas. I bargained 500 pesetas. As expected I received a groaning response from the peddler( a man in his late 20's) that I am too cheap and should be ashamed for bargaining too low. I just smile and ignored him. The peddler keep up on following me until lunch time when the price went down to 2000 pesetas. I said no and stuck to my original bargain. I totally forgot about this haggling episode, when out of no where the peddler accosted me again and lowered the price to 1000 pesetas. I said no deal until the price went down to 700 pesetas. 

 

Three hours later as I was stepping on the bus on our way home, the peddler gave up. He gave the mineral stone to me as I handed him the 500 pesetas from the window of the bus. I certainly had a grand time in this haggling process. We did visit a carpet shop, but I was not in the mode of bargaining. In addition if we buy a carpet, it will be bulky to carry around, although they can shipped your purchase to the US with a ridiculously high fees.

Macrine on the other hand is not a bargain hunter or haggler. Her best purchase was what they called the "Moroccan Gold". It is the most expensive spice in the world.  It is SAFFRON. The powder looks light reddish brown, but when you add water it turns yellow, just like the color of TUMERIC, another spice. You need only a very small amount for cooking paella and other Spanish or Filipino dishes like the ginat-an na manok sa gata (chicken in coconut milk) of Marinduque-one of my favorite Filipino dish. Saffron is very expensive, so most cooks used a cheaper substitute, the TUMERIC or "dilaw" in Marinduque.


A snake Charmer in Action

I can not decide whether our # 3 place visited is our one week in Rome, Italy or in London UK. But for brevity I will post here only our Rome and surrounding areas vacation.  

 

Rome, the Vatican and Assisi and Vicinity, Italy

St Peter Square, The Vatican
On December 10 to 16, 1990, Macrine and I joined the Dioscese of Oakland Choir during their pilgrimage tour to Rome, the Vatican and surrounding area( Assisi), Italy. We were not members of the Choir, but our parish priest, Fr. Paddy Bishop of St Joseph Church of Pinole was the Chaperon of the Choir and he invited us to join the group. Lidia Carlos Reynes was the choir director. The choir gave one concert( liturgical music) and sang during a mass with the Pope (John Paul II) as celebrant in St Peter's Basilica. For 5 days we enjoyed the sights and sounds of Rome, the Vatican and Assisi, Italy.

One day we went to St Francis de Assisi Church in Assisi, Italy about one hour bus drive from Rome. Assisi is one of the most beautiful town in Italy. Around Rome, we saw the Coliseum, several the historic basilicas and fountains, the Catacombs and a whole day tour the Vatican( Sistine Chapel etc..)City and the Museum.
Assisi, Italy.
 

This is one vacation/tour that Macrine and I will never forget. The package tour was arranged by Courtial International, Vatican Travel Office and Choir Pilgrimage Services in Rome, Italy.
St Peter Square, the Vatican

The following paragraph in the concert program summarized the reason for this concert tour. ( there was a translation in Latin, German and French)

"Concerts of Liturgical Music in a Holy Place are not only authentic manifestations of Art and Faith, but they also represent a wonderful opportunity for the spirit to join the Source of every beauty".

I like the Spanish version better as follows:

"Los Conciertos de Musica Sagrada en Lugar Sagrado, ademas de ser autenticas manifestaciones de Arte y de Fe, constituyen una ocasion inmejorable para elevar al espiritu hacia la Fuente de la misma belleza."

Macrine and I at the Vatican Museum
 

Meanwhile enjoy Hauser's  rendition of Ave Maria (Schubert)

 

Binging on the Six Seasons of the TV Series-Downton Abbey

For the last two weeks, I have been binging on the TV Series- Downton Abbey. It reminded me of the old TV drama in the 1970's that I had enjoyed also Upstairs, Downstairs ( see below).  I binged Six Seasons in 10 days. Downton Abbey made me cry, laugh, meditate, and above all enjoy the drama and forgetting the long summer days staying at home due to Covid. In case you have not watched the series, here's some information from Wikipedia. I recommend it to all.

Downton Abbey is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired on ITV in the United Kingdom on 26 September 2010, and in the United States on PBS, which supported production of the series as part of its Masterpiece Classic anthology, on 9 January 2011.

The series, set in the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey between 1912 and 1926, depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants in the post-Edwardian era—with the great events of the time having an effect on their lives and on the British social hierarchy. Events depicted throughout the series include news of the sinking of the Titanic in the first series; the outbreak of the First World War, the Spanish influenza pandemic, and the Marconi scandal in the second series; the Irish War of Independence leading to the formation of the Irish Free State in the third series; the Teapot Dome scandal in the fourth series; the British general election of 1923 and the Beer Hall Putsch in the fifth series. The sixth and final series introduces the rise of the working class during the interwar period and hints at the eventual decline of the British aristocracy.

Downton Abbey has received acclaim from television critics and won numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie. It was recognized by Guinness World Records as the most critically acclaimed English-language television series of 2011. It earned the most nominations of any international television series in the history of the Primetime Emmy Awards, with twenty-seven in total (after the first two series). It was the most watched television series on both ITV and PBS, and subsequently became the most successful British costume drama series since the 1981 television serial of Brideshead Revisited.

On 26 March 2015, Carnival Films and ITV announced that the sixth series would be the last. It aired on ITV between 20 September 2015 and 8 November 2015. The final episode, serving as the annual Christmas special, was broadcast on 25 December 2015. A film adaptation, serving as a continuation of the series, was confirmed on 13 July 2018 and subsequently released in the United Kingdom on 13 September 2019, and in the United States on 20 September 2019.

 

Upstairs, Downstairs is a British television drama series produced by London Weekend Television (LWT) for ITV. It ran for 68 episodes divided into five series on ITV from 1971 to 1975.

Set in a large townhouse in Belgravia in central London, the series depicts the servants—"downstairs"—and their masters, the family—"upstairs"—between the years 1903 and 1930, and shows the slow decline of the British aristocracy. Great events feature prominently in each episode but minor or gradual changes are also noted. The show stands as a document of the social and technological changes that occurred between those 27 years, including the Edwardian period, women's suffrage, the First World War, the Roaring Twenties, and the Wall Street Crash. It was a ratings success for ITV and received outstanding acclaim worldwide, winning multiple awards.

A BBC Wales and Masterpiece-produced continuation, Upstairs Downstairs, was broadcast by BBC One in 2010.

Meanwhile, enjoy this photo from my collection

Yuka, Ashley, Carenna and I playing Mahjong.

 

 

My Bucket List for My StoryWorth Book of Memories

Here's my response to the query on my most popular article from Hubpages for my StoryWorth Book of Memories

A Beach Wedding at Chateau Du Mer- our Beach House in the Philippines 

My Bucket List: 101 Things to Do Before I Die for my StoryWorth Book of Memories-my most widely read article from Hubpages.com

Back and Side View of the Beach House, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines

My Bucket List

I have listed 101 things I want to do before I die. I have done almost all of them. Does that mean I am ready to die?

Owning a beach house is on my #72 in this list. The above photo is Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort in Amoingon, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines that my wife and I owned and managed.

Yosemite National Park, California-photo by Frank Cabunoc #50

101 Things to Do Before I Die

I have just finished reading several articles on things to do before you die. The articles ranged from just 10 to 1,000 fabulous and incredible things that an average person will probably have a hard time doing, because they require money and a lot of time. There is another article that listed 75 things, a bit more practical. But what inspired me is an article that listed 101 things, and most of them I have already done. Thus, I have created my own list. It is not a wish list since I have already done most of the things in the list (except numbers 33 and 34). Does this mean I am ready to die?

I hope the following list will inspire you to write your own list. There is no order of priority in the list, but my ten favorites are numbers 1, 3, 13, 24, 26, 31, 42, 47, 86 and 101. I have added #102 at the bottom of this page.

1. Write your autobiography and memoirs.

2. Join a medical mission to a third-world country (Philippines recommended).

3. Create a website or start a blog.

4. Create a YouTube or Vimeo video.

5. Try eating three exotic fruits (like durian, tamarind, passion fruit, and others).

6. Go wine tasting and visit at least 10 wineries in Napa Valley, California.

7. Join a tour to one of America's top ten breweries.

 

This is Oyster Rockefeller that I Cook on Special Occasion

8. Eat raw oysters, escargot, seafood paella, or any dish that you have not eaten before (maybe a balut or dinugu-an).

9. Take up yoga or tai-chi.

10. Watch a foreign film, opera or play.

11. Have a really expensive meal with a loved one (like Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA).

12. Go to a casino without gambling. Just eat a buffet lunch or dinner

13. Visit Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks.

14. Learn how to play a musical instrument.

15. Join a church or community choir.

16. Join a walking tour of Chinatown in San Francisco or disit the de Young Museum.

17. Play duplicate bridge online just for fun and not for gambling.

18. Attend a Broadway show in New York City or in San Francisco.

19. Go to a jazz club in the French Quarter in New Orleans, LA.

 

Macrine and I had a one Day tour of the Rock of Gibraltar during Our One Week Vacation in Costa del Sol, Spain

20. Visit the Rock of Gibraltar and Tangier, Morocco.

21. Go on a cruise in the Bahamas, Alaska or Baja California.

22. Visit at least one Mayan Ruin in Mexico (Chichen Itza and/or Tulum Ruins).

23. Attend a tennis academy for one week in Rancho Bernardo, California.

24. Visit at least five National Parks or Monuments in the US.

25. Try something you have not done before, perhaps sky diving, deep-sea fishing or a helicopter ride.

 

Our 1990 Trip to the Vatican Museum

26. Visit St. Peter's Square in the Vatican and have an audience with the Pope.

27. Visit the White House and the National Monuments, Washington, D.C.

28. Visit Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Civil War National Cemetery.

29. Visit Dutch and Amish Country in Southern Pennsylvania.

30. Learn how to snorkel or scuba dive.

 

Dancing the Waltz at Lanie and Alex Chalfin Wedding and Macrine and I dancing the Tango

31. Learn a new dance, perhaps a cha-cha, a tango, a rumba, or a quick step.

32. Ride in a hot-air balloon.

33. Go on a canopy tour (transverse between trees on a zip line).

34. Go bungee jumping.

35. Ride a mechanical bull in Sugar Land, Texas.

36. Go fire walking in Hawaii.

37. Attend a professional football game.

38. Visit Disneyland and ride a roller coaster.

39. Swim with the dolphins or with the manatees.

40. Go whale watching in Hawaii.

41. Visit a zoo (San Diego Zoo highly recommended).

 

The Longwood Gardens- Spring Time- Pennsylvania

42. Visit a botanical garden (Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania or Buchart Gardens in Victoria Island recommended).

43. Ride a camel or an elephant.

44. Milk a cow or a goat.

45. Go bird watching.

46. Watch sea turtle eggs hatching and running toward the sea.

47. Visit Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

48. Visit Death Valley National Park in California.

49. Visit Everglades National Park in Florida.

Eat an Exotic Dish That You Have not Eaten Before

Ampalaya with shrimp.

50. Visit Yosemite National Park in California.

51. Visit at least one out of the "Seven Wonders of the World."

52. Witness a meteor shower, a comet, or a lunar eclipse.

Niagara Falls at Night-A Sight to Remember and Behold!
 

53. Visit Niagara Falls and take a picture of the falls at night.

54. Visit the Alhambra and its gardens in Spain.

55. Visit Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in London.

56. Visit the Coliseum in Rome and/or Saint Francis de Assisi Church, Italy.

 

Macrine Trip to Corregidor, 1981

57. Visit Corregidor Island, Philippines.

58. Visit at least one out of the "Seven New Wonders of the World."

59. Visit a museum in the US (J Paul Getty Center in Los Angeles, The Art Institute in Chicago or the Museum of Modern Art in New York City).

60. Visit all of the Smithsonian Museums in Washington, D.C.

61. Live in a foreign country for at least four months.

62. Visit Historic Williamsburg, Virginia, and Virginia Beach.

63. Climb up to the Statue of Liberty or the Lincoln Memorial.

64. See the Empire State Building and take a bus tour of New York City.

65. Visit the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California.

66. Attend the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.

67. Attend a Mardi Gras in New Orleans, LA.

 

68. Attend the Moriones Festival in Marinduque, Philippines.

69. Learn how to play bridge or Hongkong Mahjong.

70. Learn how to grow orchids and other tropical plants.

71. Have High Tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria Island in Canada.

72. Own your own beach house or a small island.

73. Kick negative habits and mild addictions (smoking, alcohol, computer or Facebook).

74. Learn how to be a good listener.

75. Learn how to accept criticism.

76. Discover your family tree and traced your ancestry and genealogy.

77. Go to mass and communion every day for at least one year.

78. Meditate for at least 20 minutes every day for at least one year.

79. Get a whole-body reflexology massage.

80. Visit a planetarium (Chicago Planetarium recommended).

81. Sit on a jury.

 

Our Family Portrait by Jesse Santos-1982

82. Have your portrait painted.

83. Get your palms read.

84. Eat a pistachio ice cream and leche flan.

85. Eat gateau le sans rival and mercedes de brazos without feeling guilty.

86. Watch a salmon-spawning run.

87. See a Cirque de Soleil show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

Our San Juan, Puerto Rico Vacation, 1986

88. Have a timeshare vacation exchange in Puerto Rico and Cancun, Mexico.

89. Visit Aruba and surrounding areas.

90. Visit Malaga, Marbella and Costa del Sol, Spain.

91. Take a long train ride (maybe the Orient Express or the Skunk Train).

92. Write your own 101 things to do before you die (at least 25 items).

93. Sing karaoke in front of people without blushing.

94. Write a song or a poem on a subject close to your heart.

95. Visit Ground Zero Monument in New York City.

96. Visit a volcano (Hawaii Volcano National Park recommended).

97. Learn a new language, take music lessons, or a music appreciation class.

98. Bathe in a hot spring or sulfur spring in Marinduque or some other place in the world.

Macrine and I with Marinduque Friends- Bellarocca Resort in the Background
 

99. Treat yourself and your love one to an expensive vacation (maybe at Bellarocca).

100. Learn How to say "No!" without feeling guilty.

Last but not least,

101. Make a difference in at least one person's life.

Just recently, I added #102 _To Taste a Dish from Din Tai Fang Restaurant

Recently, I have been reading a lot about the dishes one must taste at the Din Tai Fung Restaurant in FaceBook. Because of Covid19 restrictions and my aging years going to restaurants in person is no longer a viable option of my lifestyle. I am just happy to order on line via Doordash. On-line ordering is so convenient but restaurants more than 10 miles from my residence are not included in my delivery contract. I am adding this as #102 in my Bucket List. This is the dish I want to taste first.

Stuffed Green Chilles with Marinated Minced Meat in Brown Sauce

 

The Places that We Have Resided in the US for the StoryWorth Book

 Here's my response to the query on the places we have resided for the StoryWorth Book of Memories.

Front and Back Yards of Our Current Residence in Fair Oaks, CA
 

We have resided in four States, California, Illinois, Missouri and Maryland. We enjoyed our stay in the three cities in California,(Modesto, Pinole and Fair Oaks (on the eastern suburb of Sacramento). We will always remember our five years in Chicago, Illinois as well as our five years in Kansas City, Missouri. Most of all, the happiest place that we had lived was our 12 years in Colesville, Maryland- a suburb of Washington, D.C. The coldest winter of our lives was of course in Chicago. But the warmest winter of our lives besides, the Philippines was in Fair Oaks and Pinole, California.
 

Our Fair Oaks swimming pool on a typical hot summer night of Northern California

My family have moved 12 times from the 1960's to 2002 . Most of these moves were paid by my employers. These moves are either intercity or interstate, voluntary or involuntary. Each move is for a different reason, but it is always an adventure, filled with anxiety and hopes for a better life and new experiences . 

The places we have lived are as follows:

Chicago, Illinois ( 2 moves), Kansas City, Missouri ( 3 moves), Modesto, California (2 moves), Pinole, California ( 2 moves), Silver Spring, MD ( one move) and Sacramento(Fair Oaks),California(2 moves).

Our first interstate move was from Chicago,Illinois to Kansas City, Missouri in 1964. After my graduation with a PhD. Degree from the University of Illinois in Chicago, I was got my first industrial job in Kansas City, Missouri. The move was paid by my employer, Chemagro Corporation. The movers packed and unpacked every thing we owned which was not much. We first rented a 3 bedroom house in Gladstone, Missouri, right in town. The family( Macrine and three kids) got involved with the local church and country club activities. 

The house was right in town and after two years, our landlord wanted to sell his property, so we were forced to rent another house nearby.  This house is more secluded with an undeveloped land in our backyard. At the back of the property is a small creek, where our three kids love to play. We are always on our toes if they play on the creek, since we are afraid an accident may happened. An accident did happened, when our little David scrapped his knees and had to be driven to the emergency room for several stitches. 

Macrine was so scared ( too much blood), she did not realized she was driving in second gear on her way to the hospital. On our fourth year in Kansas City, we decided to buy our first house in Platte Woods, Missouri, North of Kansas City. The house was a 4 -bedroom ranch with a one acre of lot. We called it “The Nipa Hut”. Our Christmas Parties with the Filipino-American community in the area was featured in the two local newspapers, The Dispatch and Kansas City Star. We live in the Kansas City area for 5 years,.

Our next move was to Modesto, California. Modesto is in the heart of Stanislaus County, a part of California Central Valley- a farming community in 1969. This was a voluntary move. After five years of Midwest weather, I wanted to move to California for a better paying job and climate. With the move, I got a 20% raise and fulfill my wish to live in a warmer climate. My new employer paid again all our moving expenses, including relocation expenses. Shell Development Company also paid for our hotel expenses and help us in the purchase of a new home in Modesto, right in town. By this time we had 4 kids and decided to apply for American citizenship. It was granted in 1972. 

Some of Our Activities was published in the Local Newspaper-The Modesto Bee

Our citizenship party was featured in the Modesto Bee- a local newspaper. Macrine at this time wanted to have a gift shoppe where she could sell Philippine handicrafts and other gift products from the Philippines. So we decided to sell our house right in town and purchase a farm house with a gift shop in front at Skittone Rd, right in the border of Modesto and Salida. The gift shop was doing well, but after five years in Modesto, Shell Development decided to close their agricultural research and move all of it to Houston, Texas. Since we do not want to move to Texas, I decided to look for another job close to San Francisco or in the East Bay.

I was lucky to find another research chemist job with Stauffer Chemical Company in Richmond, California in 1974. We purchase a new house in Pinole, walking distance to the High School. We selected Pinole, since it had a “Debate-Forensic Program” that our oldest son wanted. When we move from Modesto, our oldest son said, he will never forget the fact, that we uprooted him from his high school at Beyer where he was active in the forensic team. So his requirement was that we move to a place where there is a local forensic team in the high school. When all the kids graduated from high school, we decided to move from our 2-story house to a ranch type house in the same area. This was instigated, when one day, I sprained my ankle playing tennis and I had a hard time climbing the stairs to our bedroom. 

Some of Our Friends and Neighbors Attending a Party in our House in Silvercrest

So we move to Silvercrest Rd up in the hill with a nice view of the San Pablo Bay. This time we do the moving ourselves. Since it was only about 2 miles from our former house, it was not a hard move, although we have to hire a local moving company for the heavy furniture and appliances. The expenses for this move came from our own pockets. In this ranch home on the hill with a view, we hold several parties for the University of the Philippines Alumni Association, Berkeley Chapter, when I was President at that time,1988-1989.

In 1990, my new employer, Chevron Chemical Company, decided to close their agricultural division in Richmond. This time I promised to myself, I will never work for a private company due to stability concerns. My goal was to work either for the State or the Federal government. My chance to work for the Federal government came when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hired me as a review chemist and later Team Leader, after I attended a Job Fair in San Francisco in 1990. Luckily at that time, the Federal government had a budget for relocation expenses for employees under their Special Hiring Program. So without touching anything, the federal government paid for all our relocation expenses and also help us find a new house in Maryland. We found a ranch type home in Colesville, MD, north of Silver Spring. We live there for 12 years until my retirement in 2002.

The latest move we had was in 2002 from Maryland to Sacramento, California. Why retire in the Sacramento Area? We want to be near our children and grandchildren, so at least we could help in baby sitting. Our youngest daughter and husband live not too far from us. Our two other children resided in Walnut Creek, about a 90 minutes drive. This move was our hardest move. We had to pay for all the moving expenses. After a garage sale, giving away some of our possessions to friends, relatives and neighbors, we still have more than 500 boxes plus two cars to transport across the continent. Since we were not sure where to buy a house in the Sacramento area, we decided to rent first. 

After one year, we decided to purchase another ranch type house in the city of Fair Oaks, the Eastern suburb of Sacramento. We love it here in Fair Oaks. It is convenient to shopping malls, the casinos (Thunder Valley and Red Oaks) and of course to my Pangga, Carenna. As of this writing date we have been residing here in Fair Oaks over 18 years. 

Our life experiences in all the places above were already described in previous Chapters of this book. However, here are some photos that I will always remember.

Macrine and Stan Ackers Singing Duet-Indian Love Call-Modesto, CA 1971 

Macrine and I singing Duet in one of Our Parties at our Residence in Silvercrest Street in Pinole, Ca,1984 (Our well-manicured and landscaped backyard with seating sun in the background)  

Macrine and I at our Fair Oaks Residence Kitchen, 2013

Carenna, Dodie and Me, Stinson Beach, Ca 2020

We had also visited thirty(30)* other places in the US( including the Hawaiian Islands) and eleven other places outside the Continental US.

I have also visited ten other places in the US in connection with my work activities (business travel) as a Research Chemist for Chevron and Stauffer Chemical Companies and as a Chemistry Team Leader for FDA, Center of New Drugs in Silver Spring, MD.
  

Personal Note: The real estate Market in our neighborhood had gone wild. Last week my neighbor across the street sold their house in 3 days 10% more from the listing price of 579K to 640K. It is a 4BR 2B ranch house with swimming pool, sauna and Hot Spa and beautifully landscape yards with footage of 2000, just slightly smaller than our house.