The Last Tango and Memories of My Father

Today is Bonifacio day in the Philippines and also the 46th anniversary of the death of my Father. The following video( The Last Tango) I am dedicating to his memory.


The following is a repost of an article about the Tango and the pleasant memories of My father, Dr David Jamili Javellana K(C)atague.



"Today, I just like to hear some tango music to cheer me up because it had been raining here in Northern California. So here's a reprint of my blog about the Tango and my Father.

Last November 30, 2015 was the 45th anniversary of the death of my father, Dr David Javellana Jamili K(C)atague. The tango reminds me of him since the tango was his favorite dance. The following article is an excerpt from my blogs that I wrote three years ago.

When I was a teenager growing up in the 3rd class town of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, Philippines, My father used to teach us (me and my cousins) how to dance the Tango, Paso Doble, the Rumba and the Waltz. This music does reminds me of my teenager days. This is one of the many reasons, why my favorite TV shows today are Dancing with the Stars(DWTS) and So You Think You Can Dance(SYTYCD).

I hope you enjoy the following video(s) and related music as much as I do. Have a Great Day!"


Do not forget to view the related videos in this set. I recommend the Tango with the La Cumparsita music. This music was the first tango music my father used to teach us. Pleasant memories indeed!

Have You Heard of Pantsuit Nation?

I was reading my FB page the other day and I heard for the first time a group calling themselves Pantsuit Nation. I was very curious so I googled it and here's what I learned about the group.

Who We Are:
Stories spark change. Taken individually, a story can create a tiny opening in a once-closed space. It is a glimmer. It can shine as something that is true and raw and beautiful. But one story - a single voice telling a single story - is often all too easy to ignore, to shout over or drown out. A single voice can be targeted or silenced.

Pantsuit Nation exists to harness the power of collective storytelling. Millions of voices telling millions of stories. We amplify the voices of those who have historically been underrepresented or excluded. We listen. We empower our members to speak with honesty and without fear of attack. We are strong in our diversity. We invite conversation - true conversation - about the issues that are most fundamental to us and our identities.

We believe that feminism is intersectional. We believe that “women’s rights are human rights.” We believe that progress around racial justice, LGBTQ* rights, rights for people with disabilities, religious freedom, and the fight to combat hatred and bigotry in all forms is most effective when emboldened and humanized through first-person narrative. We believe that politics is personal, and that progressive movement occurs when the empathetic potential of a story is unleashed. Collective storytelling amplifies the voices of those who have been marginalized. We empower our members to speak with honesty and without fear of attack. ​Stories give meaning to action and meaningful action leads to long-term, sustainable change.

What We Do:
Pantsuit Nation is a lens through which we learn about the lives of others, often in a deeply personal way. Our members actively create and promote a culture of interest, respect, and empathy that directly translates into a better understanding of how policy impacts marginalized people in our country. If we can be driven to care about the stories of others, we can be driven to care about the policies that affect them. Take action. Pantsuit Nation members are committed to carrying out thoughtful, forward-thinking actions, whether it’s confronting a bully, volunteering at a local nonprofit, donating money to an important cause, or extending a simple kindness to another person. Through partnerships with national and local organizations, the collective impact of our stories and the actions they inspire has the potential to change the world.

What’s Next:
Pantsuit Nation, after one month, has expanded from a small group of friends to include over 3.7 million individuals all around the world. To say that this movement has potential is, we think, an understatement. We have so many ideas, and we’ll be sharing some of our next steps with you in another blog post later this week. In the meantime, share a story, listen to a story, and join us in being thankful for all that Pantsuit Nation has represented and offered to us over the past several weeks. There’s so much more to come! Source: http//:pantsuitnation.org

A Relative Story:
The following story is from the FaceBook Page of my wife's closed relative. You probably know the identity of the Mom described in this story. I did have permission from the author to re post the following story.

I just discovered "Pantsuit Nation", a FB group with millions of members functioning as sort-of online-therapy through personal stories in the aftermath of the election. I encourage you all to join, but for those of you not on it, they just approved my post. I thought I'd share:

I’m a Filipino-American guy who was raised as a kid single-mother/single-child. My mom is a nurse who worked night-shifts in San Francisco and I often slept in an empty hospital room to save on babysitters. She later remarried but for my entire lifetime, she was always the bread-winner of the family. She and I are largely the same in nature: she’s a tough woman and I became the “tough-guy”.

It’s not common in our family to say “I love you” the way it might be in a more nuclear family and both she and I rarely cry. I guess I’m posting here because I was devastated by this election and I’ve spent hours reading all your stories and it makes me feel better. My mom worked as a nurse in Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Later she took a particularly active political stand in the takedown of the terrible dictator Ferdinand Marcos during the “People’s Power” revolution in the Philippines back in the early 80s. So with all due respect to everyone in Pantsuit Nation, to me Hillary is only the second most powerful woman in the world, after my mother.

So here I am, a tough guy raised by his tough mother, crying with you all in Pantsuit Nation in the fight against hate. Thank you for all your stories.

Note: The author of the above story told me his mother called him after Trump was announced the PEOTUS and cried. His mother rarely cry but the defeat of Hillary was such a devastation and disappointment it made her cry.

Hillary's defeat made me sad and disappointed but I did not cry. How about you? If you are a Hillary Fan, I like to hear from you!

A Belated Thanksgiving Dinner Yesterday

Last Thursday, we were planning to attend the Thanksgiving Dinner for the Katague and Jambalos Clan at my sister-in-law residence in Palo Alto, California. Macrine had been excited to attend this Gathering for the previous two days. However, on the morning of November 24, she got sick and was too weak to travel so we had to cancel.

Yesterday, Sunday, November 27, we had a belated Early Thanksgiving Dinner(2PM). Our guest is my nephew and name sake from Australia. My youngest daughter Ditas ( Carenna stayed home to do her school homework) was also able to attend. This was also a special dinner for David III 54th birthday.

For the dinner menu, I purchase 4lbs of Honey-baked ham and 1 lb of honey-glazed turkey breast from our neighborhood Honey-Baked Ham store. In addition Macrine and I prepared our favorite recipe of Dungeness Crab Omelet. For Carbohydrates we have sweet potato, steam rice, sweet Hawaiian rolls, mini pandesal, and potato salad. For vegetable, we have Garden Salad with Mandarin orange, seedless white grapes, artichokes heart, cucumber and tomatoes. We have also green beans and cucumber salad with pepperoni. As a side dish we have cranberry sauce. For dessert we have pecan pie, banana cream pie and buko-pandan ice cream and fresh fruits( persimmons, bananas and oranges). For drinks we have Martinelli's Sparkling Cider, Gallo Pink Muscato Wine and Cooks Brut Champagne.

This is one Thanksgiving Dinner that I will always remember since I did most of the preparation and purchased of our food. Again Macrine and I thanks the Lord for all His blessings this Thanksgiving Season, 2016

Oh yes, I almost forgot that Ditas brought with her Chicken Adobo sa Gata( Pinoy Curried Chicken in Coconut milk) and a several other goodies from the Palo Alto Party. We had a feast and I need to walk outside to loss some of the calories I had consumed in this meal. Thank you Charro and Merlet for the Pinoy goodies. Needless to say the premier dish of this special dinner was my Dungeness crab omelet.

For my favorite recipe for crab omelet visit:
http://myfavoritepinoydishes.blogspot.com/2016/11/new-dungeness-crab-omelet-recipe.html

Thailand and the Philippines

The following letter was sent by Dr.Joel L. Cuello, Ph.D, our newly elected President of Philippine American Academy of Science and Engineering(PAASE) to all its members. I am now a retired member, but I am still in the mailing list for active members. I enjoyed his photographs showing the majesty and grandeur of the design and arts of the Thai Palaces taken during his recent trip to Thailand. I asked his permission to repost, some of his photos and he agreed. I am posting only six (out of 36) of his beautiful photographs. Here's Dr. Cuello's letter.

"My recent trip to Thailand once again reminded me of the breathtaking cultural diversity of the Philippines's Asian neighbors.
What most amazed me was thinking that both Bangkok and Manila lie almost exactly on the same latitude -- and thus share very similar topography, hot sun, humid air and tropical flora -- and yet their cultural achievements and legacies are so patently different.

The Philippines, of course, was under Spanish rule for over 300 years, while Thailand was spared to become the only Southeast Asian state to avoid European colonial rule because the French and the British agreed to maintain it as a neutral territory to avoid conflicts between their colonies.

Thus, visiting Thailand afforded observing a close geographical sibling of the Philippines that challenged me to dare imagine what the Philippines would have been like had history not conspired to relegate it under European colonization.

It is difficult, and perhaps excruciating, to go down that path. The fact, however, is that through colonization the Philippines has lost a lot, but it has also gained a lot. And in this age of globalization, what the Philippines has gained has in no small measure arguably given it some decidedly competitive advantage.

Going forward, the Philippines simply plays the historical hand it was dealt.

The attached photos show the majesty and grandeur of the arts and designs of the Thai Royal Palaces -- which are proudly realized as quintessentially Southeast Asian in both their innate character and lofty aspirations.

Have an enjoyable weekend ".

Joel L. Cuello, Ph.D.
Professor of Biosystems Engineering
Director, Global Institute for Strategic Agriculture in Drylands (GISAD)
Department of Agricultural and
Biosystems Engineering
507 Shantz Building
The University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721
U.S.A.

Thanks a million, Joel for sharing your photos and letter about Thailand and the Philippines.

My Twenty-Five Favorite Quotes on Happiness

Are You Happy? I hope you are! Happiness is not the same for every one. To me happiness is waking up in the morning with no aches and pains in my more than eight decades aging body, earning a few cents per day on my blogs and writings, reading comments from readers that they enjoyed and are inspired by my blogs. Double Happiness is our once a week escapade for dinner and slot machines gambling in our local Indian Casino. Triple Happiness is when my wife and I get a call from relatives and friends just to say Hello! Quadruple Happiness is when you see your youngest grand daughter visits and you see her growing fast.

Carenna and Macrine during her Mom's and Kimberly Williams Lamarre visit, Fair Oaks, California, November 20, 2016. Carenna is getting taller everyday. Can you believe she is only 13 years old! Photo courtesy of Kimberly Jambalos Williams Lamarre

So, my dear readers, what makes you happy? I love to hear from you. In the meantime enjoy the following 25 plus 1 quote.

1.“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
Buddha

2.“Happiness is the art of never holding in your mind the memory of any unpleasant thing that has passed.”
Unknown

3. “To be happy, we must not be too concerned with others.”
Albert Camus

4.“If you want happiness for an hour — take a nap.’
If you want happiness for a day — go fishing.
If you want happiness for a year — inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime — help someone else.”
Chinese Proverb

5.“The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us.”
Ashley Montagu

6.“Don’t rely on someone else for your happiness and self-worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can’t love and respect yourself – no one else will be able to make that happen. Accept who you are – completely; the good and the bad – and make changes as YOU see fit – not because you think someone else wants you to be different.”
Stacey Charter

7.“It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.”
Dale Carnegie

8.“It’s a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy.”
Lucille Ball

9.“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.”
Winnie the Pooh

10.“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.”
Epictetus

11.“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”
Frederick Keonig

12.“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”
Thich Nhat Hanh

13.“Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.”
Eskimo Proverb

14.“To be kind to all, to like many and love a few, to be needed and wanted by those we love, is certainly the nearest we can come to happiness.”
Mary Stuart

15.“There are more things to alarm us than to harm us, and we suffer more often in apprehension than reality.”
Seneca

16.“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.”
Robert A. Heinlein

17.“Happy people plan actions, they don’t plan results.”
Dennis Waitley

18.“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
Mahatma Gandhi

19.“The only joy in the world is to begin.”
Cesare Pavese

20.“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go”
Oscar Wilde

21.“Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”
Marthe Troly-Curtin

22.“Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon”
Winnie the Pooh

23.“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
Herman Cain

24.“What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”
Confucius

25.“There is only one cause of unhappiness: the false beliefs you have in your head, beliefs so widespread, so commonly held, that it never occurs to you to question them.”
Anthony de Mello

Last but not least: Happiness must come from doing your life's work (be in teaching, building homes, designing, trading, winning tournaments etc.) and the money that comes is only a by-product. If you hate what you are doing and rely on the money you earn to make you happy by buying stuff, then I think that you are living a life of meaninglessness…Forgot the author but just shared by a friend in my FB book last week.

For more quotes read the source: http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2013/08/20/happiness-quotes/

Things I am Thanking the Lord this Thanksgiving Day

My Miniature Orchid in Bloom Again-Happy Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving Day here in the US. This year we will celebrate it at my sister-in-law residence ( Charro Jambalos Levin) in Palo Alto. The whole Jambalos and Katague Clan have been invited for dinner tonight. My nephew and namesake from Australia happens to be in San Francisco travelling for business this week, so I invited him for our Thanksgiving Dinner. He promised he will attend and bring his video equipments.

Dave Katague, my nephew, son of my younger brother Efren is a professional videographer. I am looking forward for his video activity during this party tonight(http://www.davekatague.com/).

There are three things I am thanking the Lord this year. First, to all my friends and relatives who have encouraged me to continue my writing and blogging activities based on their comments on my FB page and blogs. There are days when I feel its time to quit, but thanks to your comments I have been posting articles almost every other day since 2008.

Second, I thank the Lord for my Health and for my spouse(for for 59 years)-Macrine. Macrine was diagnosed with Parkinson Disease in 2013. Thanks to medications, diet and exercise her PD is progressing very slowly. The support and understanding of friends and relatives alleviate her loneliness and sense of isolation -a side effect of the medications she is taking to control her movement disorder. In my case, I will be 82 years old next month. So far my high blood pressure and adult on-set diabetes are under control. I watch my diet ( lots of fruits and vegetables), read and write, play duplicate bridge ( exercise my mind) and do some light gardening and housework for my physical exercise.
The 4 D's-Dodie, Dinah, David III and Ditas, Mountain View, CA

Last, but not least, Macrine and I are thanking our four Children and six Grandchildren for their love and support. Special thanks and Happy Birthday again to David III who helps me in taking care of his Mom on his days off from work. His help makes my life as a primary care giver more pleasant and bearable. Your Mom and I love you very much and hope you have many more birthdays to come.

My six grand children, Ian, Elaine, Philip, Alix, Marina and Carenna

Thanksgiving day always reminds me of our First Thanksgiving Day here in the US as follows: http://hubpages.com/holidays/my-first-thanksgiving-day-in-the-united-states. Again Happy Holidays!

Today is David III Birthday-Update on the David Katagues

Today is David III 54th Birthday. May you have many more to come! Love You, Dad and Mom!

Papa David-Dr David Jamili Javellana K(C)atague, DDS- the great grandson of Don Manuel Javellana and Gertrudiz Lopez of Jaro, Iloilo, Philippines- my father( deceased)

The Three Davids with Macrine, 2016, Today is David III ( first from the right)54th Birthday. We will treat him for a lobster/Dungeness crab dinner tonight at our local Casino.

DavidIII, Me and Elaine( my grand daughter)- Do you think David III has a striking resemblance to his grand father David Jamili Javellana in the first picture above?

My nephew from Sydney, Australia-professional videographer

My nephew from Bacolod, Philippines-Kirk David Katague-professional chef

Zion David Katague-son of Kirk David Katague

Original article read: http://marinduqueonmymind.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-5th-living-david-katague-on-planet.html

Some of My Treasured Photographs-Part 2

Pictures is worth more than a thousand words- Nine photos in my files that I will always treasured.
Mama Pacing with Toto Efren in front of our Residence, Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, 1949

My first visit to New York City in the winter of 1959-1960

Taken during our 1971 trip vacation to the Philippines in Manila with Tita Charing Nieva Carreon and the Kids yaya from Iloilo.

Me and Macrine during the Ati-Atihan Dinner and Dance, Richmond, Ca, 1982

Our first guests at Chateau Du Mer from France toured Paradise Valley in Gasan in 2008

Baby Ian with Mom Dinah, 1992

Snowing in the front yard of our Residence at Hammonton Rd in Colesville, Maryland, 1997

Front Yard of My Childhood Home in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, 1995

Laylay Pier and Sunset, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines, 2015

Our First Taste of Dungeness Crabs This Year

Purchase 4 Dungeness Crabs in Safeway Today

My mouth is salivating now just thinking of the Dungeness Crabs I purchase from Safeway today. It cost me $6.99 per pound. Each of the four are at least 1.5 lbs. The season opened last week. When I opened my FaceBook today, I saw from a friend status of the availability of the crabs in Safeway. I immediately called our local Safety store if they have it. It was a resounding yes. In two minutes I was driving to the store. Last year the season was a bust due to the demonic levels of domoic acid in the waters of the Bay-a toxic substance.

Crab has been showing up on some Bay Area menus and in grocery stores since the season started in Oregon and Washington, and now supplies have been supplemented with freshly caught crab from Northern California, where the season started last November 15.

In case you are not familiar with the Dungeness Crab Season here in Northern California, here's an article that I wrote in 2014 describing the Crabbing season in Northern California. http://theintellectualmigrant.blogspot.com/2014/11/dungeness-crab-season-opens-today.html

My Senior Citizen Neighbor Lives Alone and the AOA

Our beloved 84-year old and Italian-American neighbor has been living alone after her husband died about 5 years ago. According to the 2010 Census, there are more than 11 million Senior Citizens in the US who lives alone majority of them are women. These senior citizens living alone are lonely and we should not forget their needs. The Administration on Aging (AOA) should not forget these senior citizens living alone.

Macrine and I feel sorry for her so Macrine nags me to check on her twice a week just to be sure she is Ok. Since she no longer drives we invite her every week for an afternoon of relaxation at our local Indian Casino. Every now and then I drive her to our nearby grocery and pharmacy stores. Her other friends and neighbors drive her regularly to the grocery store, doctors and dental appointments and to church every Sunday.

Going to the Casino is her only relaxation besides her gardening hobby, she informed us. She is very grateful that we take her to Casino with us. As a return, she cooks us some of her favorite Italian dishes and gave us fruits from her home orchard. Yesterday, she harvested a few oranges and shares a couple fruit with us. This morning she cooked me my favorite soup- a tripe soup with garbanzo beans, cubed potatoes and spiced with parsley in tomato sauce.

For the last couple of years she had vented her loneliness on living alone to both Macrine and I. We suggested she hired a companion and maid to help her with the house hold work and the cleaning of her 4-bedroom and 2-bath home with a big yard planted with more than a dozen fruit trees. She said for the moment she is strong enough and do not need assistance. We also suggested she sells her big house and moved to a 5 star assisted-living residence so she will have the company of other seniors. She did not like this suggestion. She said if the time comes when she is no longer healthy she will rather go back to Italy instead of living in a senior home.

Her situation of living alone inspired me to do some internet search on the disadvantages of senior citizens living alone. Here's an excerpt from my web search.

Physical Safety: Elderly people are often subject to falls. Medical conditions common in elderly people, such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, may affect balance and physical strength. Also, chores requiring the use of a stool or a ladder are best left to non-seniors; however, elderly people living alone often attempt these tasks alone instead of waiting for a friend or family member who can help. In addition, while living with someone may not prevent a fall, it usually means that the victim of a fall gets immediate attention.

Financial Security: Seniors living alone are subject to financial fraud and a variety of scams. Offers that are clearly too good to be true come in the mail. Phone callers fish for personal information and administer a variety of con games that may deprive seniors of their life savings in one fell swoop. Even the Internet, which can connect a lonely senior with the outside world, can be the source of e-mail messages that "phish" for personal information and make fraudulent offers. A companion can help monitor these scams. In addition, a senior living alone may find it costly to live alone.

Nutrition: People who live alone are less likely to prepare nutritious meals than those who share meals with others. They may opt for quick snacks and empty calories, especially if they have a health condition that makes meal preparation tiring or difficult. Social interaction with other people makes it more appealing to sit down for a complete meal. For details visit: http://seniors.lovetoknow.com/disadvantages-elderly-people-living-alone. For more information about senior citizens read: http://www.ioaging.org/aging-in-america

Finally I urged the Trump transition team to appoint a Filipino-American as Director of the Administration of Aging (AOA). I can suggest names of qualified individuals for the job. For more information on AOA read: http://www.aoa.gov/