Taking Care of Ditas Big Potted Plants this Summer

My Dark Red Crape Myrtle tree in full bloom in my front Yard

The other day, Ditas brought a truck load of big potted plants from her yard to take a summer hiatus in my backyard.   There is the 6ft fig tree, the 5ft dwarf Japanese maple, several potted tomato plants, lavenders, blueberries, lemons, a rose and other succulents and cacti. I watered and fertilized the dehydrated plants this morning. 

Here are some photos, including my dark red crape myrtle tree in full bloom( photo above) and my potted pineapple in the front porch. 

The Fig tree and tomatoes in big pots with my okra and my potted flowering ampalaya Plants

The Japanese Maple tree and succulents with my mini-cacti Garden

The two potted blueberries and Lavender Plant

The unexpected hero of the day is the baby praying mantis thriving on the succulent plant. It came out in hiding after I spray the plant with cold water this morning. Here are a few shots of the baby praying mantis enjoying the fresh water spray.

 

Last but not least is my potted pineapple plant with fruit in my front porch

 Meanwhile enjoy this video of the Veritas Group singing the Lord's Prayer

 

My Childhood Years Memories for StoryWorth

My Childhood Years Memories was the first question on my StoryWorth Subscription-A Father's Day Gift from Ditas and Carenna.

StoryWorth is a service that collect your dad’s or any relative favorite stories and memories and preserve them in a beautifully bound book. StoryWorth is a service that aims to capture these precious memories — even the ones that are hard to talk about — over the course of one year, culminating in a gorgeous book.

Before, I answer this first question, allow me to thank Ditas and Carenna for this Father’s Day Gift, 2021.

I was born on December 20, 1934 in the city of Jaro, Iloilo, Philippines. I was a sickly child having had polio until I was two years old. Luckily, I recovered only with a slight limp on my left foot. My parents informed me that I was a precocious child since I started reading local magazines when I was only three years old. By the time I was 5 years old, I mastered playing mahjong and pangingue ( a card game similar to gin rummy) with adults in the neighborhood. I remember clearly, that we live in big house at Arguelles Street where my father has his dental office. The front yard has several plumeria trees( kalachochee)and a big mango tree at the back.

We resided in Arguelles St, where my father had his dental office. I was in 2nd grade when the Japanese-America war started. I had a Nanny that spoiled me and was very protective and did not allow me to play with children of my age in the neighborhood.

Bombing of Pearl Harbor-Start of the Japanese-American War in the Philippines
 

I was only 7 years old when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941. The attack lasted less than two hours, but it took an incredible toll of four battleships sunk, 188 aircraft destroyed, and 2,403 Americans killed. On the other hand, Japan lost only 64 men and 29 planes. Life Magazine wrote in its December 15, 1941, issue, “World War II came with startling suddenness to America. With reckless daring Japan aimed this blow at the citadel of American power in the Pacific. World War II lasted four more years, until Germany surrendered in May of 1945. Japan surrendered four months later, in the wake of America’s destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The attack on Pearl Harbor, rather than a great Japanese victory, turned out to be an act of belligerent folly that, in elemental ways, guaranteed the Land of the Rising Sun’s eventual defeat”.

This day always reminds me of my childhood experiences of the Japanese-American War in the Philippines. I wrote an article on this subject in one of my blogs and today I am delighted to re post so that we will not forget the horrors of war. There are no winners in war, everyone are losers!

Life in the time of war is a difficult experience for a child. All school and play activities are interrupted. Survival amidst the chaos becomes a paramount goal in life. Our family had to uproot ourselves from the comfort of home and move several times to the hard life in the countryside. We had to avoid the conflict and the bombing in the city.

We chose a life of peace and quiet away from the invading Japanese troops. Due to the language barrier, the Japanese instilled order and dominance of the conquered using fear, by hurting or killing innocent civilians, resulting in the rise of the resistance movement. For every day that passes, there was the dream of peace, but during the lengthy war period, one had to expect the worst before anything good happened.

Before the war started, we lived a comfortable life in our home in the city of Jaro, Iloilo located in the central Philippine island of Panay. My father had a dental practice and we had our farm landholdings around the province.

    On that evening, Japanese planes had taken off to attack several targets in the Philippines, which was then an American colony. It was the start of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, and the reign of fear was about to begin.

    I was in 2nd grade at the Jaro Elementary School when Japan started bombing the bigger cities of the country. When we heard the terrifying news, my parents became concerned for our safety and decided to get out of the city, a possible bombing target.

    They chose to move to our farm in the small town of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, my mother’s ancestral town 60 kilometers north of Jaro. It was a time of panic, chaos and fear over what was to happen in the city. We were about to leave our cherished home and anxiously head to the unfamiliar and unknown.

    Within a couple of days all the essential items we could bring were already packed. All the furniture and the huge and heavy items were left behind. My mother had all her china and silverware buried in the backyard for safekeeping.

    We found out later that our house was bombed and totally destroyed. All the furniture were either destroyed or stolen. All the china and silverware was dug up and stolen. Despite the losses, we were grateful that we made a wise decision and survived unharmed.

For a short period we settled in a small farm house of our tenant in a remote district of town. As the war progressed, we were informed that the Japanese forces had penetrated most of the big cities in the country and were starting to occupy smaller towns. My father was a captain and dental officer of the newly organized Philippine guerrillas, an underground resistance movement to fight the Japanese. As a precaution, he decided to move our family a second time, to the jungle in the interior of Panay Island.

We had to walk for three days through the woods of the jungle, cross over numerous creeks and climb over mountains with the help and guidance of our farmer tenants. Our trek ended and we settled in a hidden valley lined by a creek with clean running water. Our tenants built us a hut for shelter made of bamboo and nipa palm, an outdoor kitchen and a dining area.

They used a bamboo cart pulled by a water Buffalo to bring us supplies of rice, salt, sugar and other spices regularly. In the valley we cleared the land to plant vegetables, corn and sweet potatoes. We also raised chickens and ducks for eggs, pigs for protein and goats for milk.

One of the scariest events while living in the jungle was when our pig livestock were preyed upon by a python snake measuring about 30 feet long. It was pitch black at night when we heard our two pigs squealing out loud in fear. My father instructed our helper to inspect the pig pen using a kerosene lamp.

He saw the snake strangling one of the pigs. He struck and killed the python using his machete and a piece of wood, sadly, our small pig also died. That whole week we had protein in our meals. It was proof that the jungles of Panay are inhabited by dangerous pythons.

We had no pet with us. I chose the chickens and the goats to become my pets. I raised one of the chickens; it slept with me, got attached to me and kept trailing me wherever I go. My mother tolerated my unusual pets because I had no peers my age aside from my younger brother.

To continue with our education, my father home schooled us together with two of my older cousins. For four hours each day we were taught arithmetic, spelling and history. We were lucky to have brought with us a few books on Philippine and US history. Whenever our tenants brought us food supplies, they would update us on news about the status of the Japanese occupation.

Late in the war when the Japanese brutality and atrocities appeared to have stopped, we moved again from the jungle to a seaside village. We stayed at the house of another tenant. My father warned us not to talk to any stranger, and if asked, to avoid giving our real last name of Katague and instead provide an alias which was Katigbak.

There were unverified rumors that the Japanese had a list of names of all the guerrillas, which might have included my father. Some traitor Filipinos worked as spies for the Japanese by pinpointing the guerrillas in exchange for favors.

One day, we saw a platoon of uniformed Japanese soldiers armed with guns and bayonets passing by our village. My brother and I watched them march while hiding in the bushes. I knew their brutal reputation towards the natives, and I was afraid of us being seen and getting in trouble. I was relieved that nothing happened and they continued with their march to the next village.

A terrible incident happened to about 30 of my maternal relatives while we were living in the jungle. They were similarly hiding and living in the jungle on a mountain ridge next to us. They were killed by the Japanese soldiers who discovered and penetrated their location with the help of the spies.

A handicapped relative in a wheelchair was spared. During the massacre, she fell on the creek and must have been left for dead. She lived to tell the tragic story. This is only one example of many atrocities that was committed by the Japanese to the Filipino civilians.

When General MacArthur landed in Leyte on October 1944, it was the happiest day for the Filipinos, the Americans were back to save us from the Japanese tyranny. The Japanese troops started to retreat and surrender. The chance for peace in the Philippines was welcomed with excitement. The schools were planning to reopen. There was no more need to live in hiding and in fear, and to lie about one’s name. We were able to live free from the oppressors.

From the seaside village we moved to another district much closer to town where we built a bigger house. At the back of the property was a hill, and on a clear day, from the top of the hill you could see the nearby island of Negros.

We used it as an observation hill where we could watch the Japanese and American planes flying and then fighting each other. My brother and I witnessed two planes attacking each other, with one plane being blown to pieces and burning as it fell from the sky to the sea between Panay and Negros islands. It was a thrilling dogfight show to watch, although we never found out the victor.

When school reopened, we were required to take a test to determine which grade level we would qualify for. I passed the test for a 4th grade level. I was merely in grade 2 when war broke out. In short, I completed six grades of elementary in only four years of schooling. In class, I was two years younger than most of my classmates. I was thankful for the result of my father’s patience in home schooling us while living in the jungle. At last we were able to go back to our school, new home, and live the life of what was left of my childhood years in peace.

Erico ( my younger brother) and Me, April 2, 1937, Jaro, Iloilo City, Philippines

This is a continuation of my memories of my childhood years. It is Chapter 2 from my autobiography: Memories of Romblon Islands

Map of the Romblon Islands

In late 1945, just after the end of American-Japanese War in the Philippines, my father who was a captain and dental officer for the Philippine-US army took me and my Mom for a month to Romblon Province. He was in-charged of all the dental needs of army personnel in the whole island of Panay as well as in Romblon. I remember we took a PT boat owned by the US navy from Iloilo to Romblon. I was only about 11 years old that time, but very knowledgeable of US history. One of my hobbies was to read US history. I have memorized all the 48 capitals of US states( yes,at that time there are only 48 states in US). My father’s dental assistant was a white sergeant from Oklahoma City. He used to quiz me of my knowledge of the capital city of all the US states. If I get it right he gave me chocolates and cookies as a prize. There came a time when he ran out of chocolates, since I have never made a mistake. One capital I almost made a mistake was the capital of California. Most people think at that time the capital city is either LA or San Francisco. Even today, there are still a lot of Filipinos that do not know that Sacramento is the capital of California. The same thing with the capital of Illinois. Most Filipinos at that time believe it is Chicago( the biggest and most populated city in Illinois).

Back to my memories of Romblon. As we enter the harbor, the picturesque view of the mountain so close( all white with marble) almost took my breathe away. It was so beautiful that until today, it is still vivid in my memory. I have not been to Romblon since then, so I do not know if the view is still the same. Anyway we stayed in Romblon Island for 2 weeks. Every day my father took me to his dental office. All of his patients talked to me about their lives and towns/cities in US. That was the beginning of my life-long dream to visit and live in US someday. I did accomplished that dream, having studied, lived, worked and raised a family here in US since 1960.

After two weeks in Romblon Island, my father’s assignment was one week each at the two other big islands of the province, Tablas and Sibuyan Islands. The trip to Tablas Island from Romblon took only about 30 minutes by PT boat. I remember, it was so fast, that we arrived about one hour early at the port of Badajoz ( now known as the town of San Agustin). The PT boat went back to Romblon and we waited by the side of the sea under a coconut tree for a jeep from Odiongan, capital town of Tablas Island.
We were hungry and thirsty, but there was no store (tiange) or restaurant in the area. We saw a several residents in the several nearby houses, staring at us, but no one said hello or even offer us a glass of water. As I remember these memories, I felt that if this incident happened in Marinduque, at least one person will probably offer us a glass of water and perhaps even invite us to wait in their house instead of outside under the sun ( luckily there were a few coconut trees providing us with shade). My father explained later why the town was called Badajoz. He said it means “bad hosts”. I am glad the town is now called San Agustin.

Our week stay in Odiongan, Tablas and later in Cajidiocan, Sibuyan went pretty fast. Before I realized,it was time for me to go home to Iloilo and back to school.

Sibuyan Island and Mt Guiting-Guiting in the background
My memories of Odiongan and Cajidiocan - it was the most rural place on earth and the roads were bad. It felt like driving in the craters of the moon.

Romblon today is known for its marble products. The products are popular to both local and foreign tourists.

Marble products-I have several marble products from Romblon including a bench, three round tables,and two table lamps.

My Elementary and High School Years Memories for StoryWorth

Last Father's Day Ditas and Carenna gave me Storyworth as their gift. I have been enjoying the service, since all the questions I can easily answer since most of them are already published in my blogs and autobiography.  What is StoryWorth?

StoryWorth is a service that can collect your dad’s favorite stories and memories and preserve them in a beautifully bound book.

StoryWorth is a service that aims to capture these precious memories — even the ones that are hard to talk about — over the course of one year, culminating in a gorgeous book.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/27/cnn-underscored/storyworth-review/index.html

Here's the latest question regarding my elementary and high school years.

 

My high school experiences will not be complete if I do not mention some events during my elementary school years. I should mentioned that during my time ( I believe it is still true today) that elementary school years in the Philippines is only for 6 years ( 6 Grades only) not 8 years as in the US. When the Japanese-American War in the Philippines ended in 1945 school was resumed. We were given a test and based from the results you are assigned your grade level.

When the war started in 1941 I was only in 2nd grade. After the war my test level indicated I was capable of 4th grade, thanks to the schooling/teachings  I received from my Father while we were hiding in the jungles of Panay. Thus, I completed elementary school years for only 4 years instead of six. I was 2 years younger than my classmates.  In my autobiography, I wrote 3 events in my life, illustrating the statement that your failures motivates you to succeed. One of that event occurred during my elementary school days. 

When I did not receive the first honor award (I got 2nd honor award) during my elementary school graduation both my parents and I were very disappointed. My parents even contemplated filing an official complaint to the school superintendent against my teacher and principal for nepotism since the valedictorian was a close relative of the teacher and principal.

However, I convinced my parents not to do it. I told them I would work harder in high school to be number one, to show the teacher and principal they made a mistake in the selection process. The whole four years of high school, I competed with the top five honor students from my elementary school. Needless to say, I graduated valedictorian of our high school class. My classmate who was the valedictorian in my elementary school got the salutatorian award (second place). I was happy and felt vindicated. My teacher in elementary school congratulated me but without looking straight into my eye, when my parents invited her to my high school graduation party at our house.

One of the highlights of my elementary school years was my participation in Our School District Declamation Contest.

I was in 6th grade, when I participated in a declamation contest sponsored by our school district. There were ten schools in our district from three neighboring towns. If you have not heard of a declamation contest: It is just public speaking contest reciting and acting poetry, a short story or an article. My English teacher was my coach. I remember memorizing for 4 weeks, a short story titled "A Yankee in Love". The short article were filled with American slang words that I could barely understand. The piece was more suited to an older teenager, possibly someone who has already fallen in love. As a result I delivered my declamation piece without any feelings or emotion but with an American accent taught by my coach. But I was surprise to win 4th place ( among 10 contestants). The gold medal winner was from the school in the next town and I remember very well her declamation piece was Jose Rizal famous poem, My Last Farewell( Ultimo Adios in Spanish). Jose Rizal is Philippines number one national hero. December 30 is Rizal Day in the Philippines.

Here's the first and last stanzas of this patriotic poem both in its original Spanish and an English translation. The poem has 14 five-lines stanzas and has been translated into 30 languages. I will never forget this poem as long as I live because of the Declamation Contest that I lost during my elementary school days in the Philippines.

Mi Ultimo Adiós.

Adios, Patria adorada, región del sol querida,
Perla del Mar del Oriente, nuestro perdido Eden!
A darte voy alegre la triste mustia vida,
Y fuera más brillante más fresca, más florida,
Tambien por tí la diera, la diera por tu bien.

Adios, padres y hermanos, trozos del alma mía,
Amigos de la infancia en el perdido hogar,
Dad gracias que descanso del fatigoso día;
Adios, dulce extrangera, mi amiga, mi alegria,
Adios, queridos seres, morir es descansar.

An English Translation-My Final Farewell

Farewell, dear Fatherland, clime of the sun caress’d
Pearl of the Orient seas, our Eden lost!,
Gladly now I go to give thee this faded life’s best,
And were it brighter, fresher, or more blest
Still would I give it thee, nor count the cost.

Farewell to you all, from my soul torn away,
Friends of my childhood in the home dispossessed!
Give thanks that I rest from the wearisome day!
Farewell to thee, too, sweet friend that lightened my way;
Beloved creatures all, farewell! In death there is rest!

The last phrase, "In death there is rest" ( morir es descansar) is appropriate in Rizal's Life. Dr. Jose Rizal who was executed by the Spanish colonizers of the Philippines on December 30, 1896 for his alleged role in the armed revolution against Spain. He was in prison and on the night before his execution, he wrote this poem as a final statement to his fellow Filipino countrymen. Here's a partial video of the poem sang in English and Tagalog translations.
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUjqJzq8YhE

The "Mi Ultimo Adios"(My Last Farewell) was originally written in Spanish. I feel that the English translation loses the depth of emotion Dr. Rizal felt at the time he wrote it. The poem is so inspiring, I do not get tired reading it again and again.

My elementary and high school years were in the town of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo. Here's a brief description of the town.

Barotac Viejo, Iloilo(BVI) is a 3th class municipality about 60Km North of Iloilo City. Iloilo is one of the four provinces in Panay Island. Panay Island is part of the Western Visayas Region of the Philippines. The Visayas Region is the Central Part of the Philippine Archipelago. 

BVI is the town where I grew up. It is the town where I finished my elementary school years. It is also the town where I finished high school. In 1951 I graduated valedictorian of my high school class. It is the town where I have both pleasant and unpleasant memories of my childhood and teen-aged years.

My childhood memories of the American-Japanese war occurred in the town proper, foothills, seacoasts and jungles of this town.
 

When I left BVI in 1951 to pursue my college degree in Iloilo City and later in Diliman, Quezon City, BVI was a 4th class town with less than 5000 residents. In 2015, Wikipedia states that is now a 3rd class municipality, with a population of  around 45,000. When I left BVI in 1955, there was the elementary and high schools, public market, Cockfighting Arena, the Catholic Church, the Post office and one gas station, a couple of hardware stores, a Chinese bakery and may be 100 residential homes in the town proper. 

Today this 3rd class town has more buildings both for business and private homes. The local high school was named a national agricultural high school. Part of the land for the school was donated by my uncle ( Jose Balleza) and my mother Paz Balleza . When I left the town in 1955, the mayor of the town was Luis Tupas, a relative of my mother. Today the local politics, are still controlled by the Tupas family and their clan. When I left the town, my parents bestowed me a 12 hectare parcel of rice land as part of my inheritance. Today that land has been land reformed and I have not received a single centavo from the Philippine government. What was left of my inheritance is a 2-hectare parcel in the upland area without water irrigation and not suitable for rice growing. 

In 2005, my wife and I accompanied by my sister visited our parents grave site .Me and Macrine(RIP) with sister Amor at the Cemetery.

Our old house (located at the back of the Post Office) was gone. The only thing that remained was the foundation stone with the engraving Dolce Building, 1952.

Tears from my eyes flowed like a gentle rain, when I saw that foundation, recalling the pleasant memories of my teen-age years. The house is gone but my memories of BVI will live forever.

 

Our ancestral Home-The Dolce Building, 1953- My Home during my elementary and high school years in the Philippines.   

Here are some photos of my high school years (1947-1951).

 

My High School Graduation- 1951. I am in the front row Second from the Right. 

National High School Conference for Visayas and Mindanao, Iloilo City, 1949

Delegates to the National High School Conference. I am in the front row knelling second from the Right

 

Taking Care of Ditas Indoor and Outdoor Potted Plants this Summer

Ditas and Carenna plan to travel during the months of July and August. To insure that her indoor and potted outdoor plants survive the hot summer days of Northern California, she moved her succulents/cacti and other plants in my backyard. I welcome this task since I enjoyed gardening/ watering and other chores when it comes to light gardening. Here are some photos of Ditas succulents and cacti plants.

 

Meanwhile, enjoy these photos - my first okra and tomato fruits and the beginning of the full blooms of my dark red crepe myrtle in my front yard as well as my potted pineapple plant in my front porch.

 

 

I harvested my first okra this year! Looking forward for my ampalaya and tomato harvest. Happy Gardening!!
 

 

The Minari Plant and the Award Winning South Korean-American Movie

Minari Plants- South Korean watercress/celery

I just finished watching the award winning movie Minari. I enjoyed it very much. The rent was for $5.99 and the three of us ( David III, Dinah and I) were enjoying the movie. After watching the movie I immediately searched for the Minari plant. The description of the plant is below. If you have not seen the movie, here's the trailer and summary.   

Minari (Korean: 미나리 [minaɾi], transl. "water celery") is a 2020 American drama film written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung. It stars Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Youn Yuh-jung, and Will Patton. A semi-autobiographical take on Chung's upbringing, the plot follows a family of South Korean immigrants who try to make it in the rural United States during the 1980s.

Minari had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2020, winning both the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award. It began a one-week virtual release on December 11, 2020, and was released theatrically and via virtual cinema on February 12, 2021, by A24.

The film received critical acclaim, with many declaring it one of the best films of 2020. It earned six nominations at the 93rd Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor (Yeun), and Best Supporting Actress (Youn), with Youn winning for her performance, making her the first Korean to win an Academy Award for acting. It also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, and earned six nominations at the 74th British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film Not in the English Language.( From Wikipedia).

Plot and Story:

In 1983, the Korean immigrant Yi family moves from California to their new plot of land in rural Arkansas, where father Jacob hopes to grow Korean produce to sell to vendors in Dallas. One of his first decisions is to decline the services of a water diviner and he digs a well in a spot he finds on his own. He enlists the help of Paul, an eccentric local man and Korean War veteran. While Jacob is optimistic about the life ahead, his wife Monica is disappointed and worries about their son David's heart condition; he is frequently told not to run due to this. Jacob and Monica work sexing chicks at the nearby hatchery and argue constantly while David and his sister Anne eavesdrop.

To help watch the children during the day, they arrange for Monica's mother Soon-ja to travel from South Korea. David, who is forced to share a room with her, avoids her because she does not conform to his idea of how a grandmother should be. Still, Soon-ja attempts to adjust to life in the States and bond with the children.

The well that Jacob dug runs dry. Jacob is reluctant to pay for county water, but eventually is forced to do so. He runs into additional difficulties, such as the vendor in Dallas cancelling their order at the last minute. Even so, he perseveres despite Monica's vocal desire to return to California. This brings their marriage closer to breaking point.

Meanwhile, Soon-ja takes David to plant minari seeds by the creek. She tells them how resilient and useful the plant is, and predicts plentiful growth. David finally begins to warm to his grandmother after she teaches him card games, bandages his wounds, and soothes him to sleep. Soon-ja also encourages him to do more physical activity, something his parents discourage, but she says that he is stronger than they think.

Soon-ja suddenly suffers a stroke overnight. She survives with medical treatment, but is left with impaired movement and speech.

Jacob, Monica, Anne and David head to Oklahoma City for David's heart appointment and to meet a vendor to sell Jacob's produce. Although they learn that David's heart condition has dramatically improved and Jacob makes a deal to sell vegetables to a Korean grocer, Jacob also indirectly admits to Monica that the success of his crops is more important to him than the stability of their family. Following an emotional argument, the two tacitly agree to separate.

However, Soon-ja accidentally sets the barn containing the produce on fire in their absence. Upon arriving home, Jacob rushes in to save the crops, and Monica soon follows. Eventually, the fire grows out of control, and they decide to save each other while leaving the barn to burn. A distraught and confused Soon-ja begins to wander off into the distance, as Anne and David call for her to come back. Seeing that she is not responding to them, David breaks into a sprint to meet her, blocking her path. Soon-ja seems to recognize David for a moment, and reaches for his hand and the grandchildren lead her back home. The family is asleep on the floor, collapsed from the fatigue of the night before. Above them, Soon-ja is awake, in a chair, watching them sleep with a subdued expression.

Some time later, Jacob and Monica are with the water diviner who finds a spot for a well. They mark it with a stone signifying their intention to stay on the farm. Jacob and David then head to the creek to harvest the minari, which had grown successfully, with Jacob noting how good a spot Soon-ja had picked to plant them.

What is minari Plant?

A species of water dropwort, minari, also known as Korean watercress, water celery, water parsley, or Java water dropwort, is a vegetable found in temperate and tropical climes across Asia. As in the film, it grows rampant along the banks of streams and over damp ground, requiring little attention. According to Irene Yoo, writing for Slate, it is also believed to have medicinal properties, with a detoxifying effect. Importantly, there are several other species of water dropwort that are extremely poisonous, so it is unwise to forage unless properly trained.

In South Korean cooking, it is commonly the stems of the minari plant that are used as a vegetable and herb in kimchi, bibimbap, fish stews, and a variety of namul (a category of side dishes made with leafy green vegetables). Though some suggest substituting parsley, which looks similar to minari, the flavor is quite different.

Minari can be found in many Korean grocery stores when it's in season, typically in early spring. It also may be available in other local produce markets serving Chinese, Japanese, or Korean communities. Or if you live near a stream, try buying some seeds and growing it yourself. You might be surprised by the results, particularly if you can wait a year.

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Once you get your hands on a bundle of minari, there are countless ways to prepare it. Try it in this classic napa cabbage kimchi, or this particularly light haemul pajeon, perfect for spring. Or keep it simple, and serve it as a namul along with rice and other banchan.

The Minari plant reminded me of the Philippines Kangkong ( water spinach) that also like to grow on moist places (in rice paddies and river beds) wild or cultivated. For some recipes, here's the link:

https://www.beyondkimchee.com/minari-korean-water-dropwort-salad/

Meanwhile enjoy this rendition from the 2Cellos of The Trooper's Overture. This would wake you up if you are still sleepy. 

 

 

 

A Father's Day Outing at Rudy's Hideaway LobsterHouse

Yesterday was one of the happiest Father's Day Outing I have experienced in my aging years. It was the first time in 12 months I was out of the house without mask and saw more than 50 people inside a restaurant without social distancing. Ditas treated me for an early dinner to a 4.7 Star Lobster House( see photo above) in Rancho Cordoba only about 5 miles from our house.  We had an early dinner reservation at 4:15PM.  When we arrived at the restaurant, the parking lot ( around 100 cars) was almost full. We were seated right away and served our order in 10 minutes. Below is the menu for Father's Day.

The food was excellent, but after the Boston clam chowder and the Calamari appetizer, I was so full, I was not able to eat my entry. However, but we took it home. The soup was delicious and SF sourdough bread was warm and taste perfect.   

Besides my first post -vaccination and without mask outing in the crowd, yesterday's is the Father's day, I will always remember- because all my children called me and extend their greetings. 

The Rudy's Hideaway Lobster house reminded me of Spangler's Sea Food Restaurant in Berkeley that Macrine (RIP) and I used to patronized in the 1980's when we were still residing in Pinole, California. Ditas informed me Spanglers is now closed.

Here's a brief description and Customer reviews of Rudy's Hideaway Sea Food Restaurant for your information.  https://www.opentable.com/rudys-hideaway  Home Food Delivery is also available via Door Dash. The regular menu is not as pricey as the Father's Day menu above.

Meanwhile enjoy Hauser's cello rendition of Meditation by Thais- one of my favorite classical piece.

 

The Paintings of Fernando Amorsolo

 

Photo Credit: Wikipedia: Detail from Fernando Amorsolo's 1945- Defence of a Filipina Woman's Honour, which is representative of Amorsolo's World War II-era paintings. Here, a Filipino man defends a woman, who is either his wife or daughter, from being raped by an unseen Japanese soldier. Note the Japanese military cap at the man's foot

Fernando Amorsolo y Cueto (May 30, 1892 – April 24, 1972) was one of the most important artists in the history of painting in the Philippines. Amorsolo was a portraitist and painter of rural Philippine landscapes. He is popularly known for his craftsmanship and mastery in the use of light.

 

Four days after his death, Amorsolo was honored as the first National Artist in Painting at the Cultural Center of the Philippines by then-President Ferdinand Marcos. The volume of paintings, sketches and studies of Amorsolo is believed to have reached more than 10,000 pieces. Amorsolo was an important influence on contemporary Filipino art and artists, even beyond the so-called "Amorsolo school." Amorsolo's influence can be seen in many landscape paintings by Filipino artists, including early landscape paintings by abstract painter Federico Aguilar Alcuaz.

In 2003, Amorsolo's children founded the Fernando C. Amorsolo Art Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving Fernando Amorsolo's legacy, promoting his style and vision, and preserving a national heritage through the conservation and promotion of his works.

During the post-war period, Insular Life commissioned Amorsolo to create a series of paintings of historical events for their offices (and which were subsequently used in Insular Life calendars from '50s to '80s). 

In Wellesley, Massachusetts, two original 1950s paintings by Amorsolo, The Cockfight and Resting Under the Trees, were bought by a New Jersey collector for $36,000 and $31,500, respectively. During a 2002 episode of Antiques Roadshow, a Sotheby's antiques appraiser estimated that an attendee's signed 1945 rural landscape painting by Amorsolo could fetch between $30,000 and $50,000 at auction. At a 1996 Christie's auction, Amorsolo's The Marketplace went for $174,000. In April 2002, Portrait of Fernanda De Jesus was bought for US$377,947.

On November 30, 2009, the Family Gathering Fruit sold for US$77,257 at Christie's. In December 2009, Fruit Gatherer was auctioned off in Maryland, in record-breaking manner, topping 19th- and 20th-century European and American paintings. In May 2010, the highest priced Amorsolo painting was auctioned off at Christie's for about US$440,000. 

Photo Credit: Geringer Art, LTD: Amorsolo's- Philippine Village Life-1954

I do not owned an Amorsolo painting but I have a Jesse Santos Painting

  The Nipa Hut by Jesse Santos-1974

Meanwhile: Here's an appraisal of one of his paintings

https://www.pbs.org/video/appraisal-1948-fernando-amorsolo-oil-painting-7agt7r/  

 

Have You Heard of the town named Balleza in Chihuahua, Mexico?

Balleza is one of the 67 municipalities of Chihuahua, in northern Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Mariano Balleza. The municipality covers an area of 7,073.6 km². As of 2010, the municipality had a total population of 17,672, up from 16,325 as of 2005.

(San Pablo Balleza)
Town
Coordinates: 26°57′N 106°21′WCoordinates: 26°57′N 106°21′W
Country	Mexico
State	Chihuahua
Municipality	Balleza
Founded (mission)	1640
Population  (2010)
• Total	2,087

Mariano Balleza is a town in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, close to the border with Durango. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Balleza.

History

It was in this vicinity that Juan Fontes founded the first Jesuit mission to the Tarahumara in 1607, however that mission was abandoned during the Tepehuan war against the SPanish starting in 1616.

This specific settlement was founded as a Jesuit mission, with the name San Pablo Tepehuanes, in 1640, as part of the efforts to evangelise the local Tepehuan people; this was one of the earliest missions in that part of New Spain. In 1830 the State Congress renamed it in honour of Fr. Mariano Balleza, who fought alongside Miguel Hidalgo in the War of Independence. The town is still informally known as San Pablo Balleza.

 

Personal Note: My mother's maiden name was Paz Barrido Balleza. My own full name is David Balleza Katague, Jr.  For My Balleza and Tupas ancestry from the Philippines visit:

 https://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/search?q=balleza+ancestry

Meanwhile enjoy these photos of the first blooms of my okra, ampalaya and tomato plants

  The yellow okra flower ( bottom left of the picture)

The small yellow flower in the center of the picture- Ampalaya 

Look closely at the small yellow flowers on top of picture

Question: Do you know why the flowers of these three plants are yellow?

 

My Friendly Neighbor and the Latest News in the Neighborhood

Yesterday, my friendly neighbor, DR gave me some summer squash/zuchini( photo above) from his garden. I was surprise because I did not expect it. He suggested I just steamed it and seasoned it with butter and parsley/onion salt and it should taste good. Do you have any recipe you can share?

I was eager to talk to him because I wanted to know why our other neighbor are selling their house. DR informed me they are down sizing since both of them are now fully retired. They have purchased another house (smaller) in Wilton, a more rural community and where homes are still cheaper and affordable. The house they are selling was sold in 7 days for $10,000 more of the asking price. It is a 4BR 2bathroom house with around 2000 sq foot and a beautifully landscape yard. It has a swimming pool, sauna, hot tub and an RV parking space in the backyard.  When I searched the house in Zillow.com, it was listed for $579K. I heard from DR it sold yesterday for 589K.  This is the photo of the backyard from the Internet.

 

DR also informed me that all our neighbors are fully vaccinated. However, he said our mailman is not. I asked him if he knows the reason. DR said he is not sure, he thinks the guy is just lazy and think he does not need the vaccine because he is healthy. DR also joked that the mail man is a Trump cult follower.   DR statement reminded me of how I sad and shocked I was when I learned last month that a closed relative who is highly educated does not want to be vaccinated because the vaccines are experimental innoculants.   

Meanwhile enjoy these photos I took from my yard just recently

My side yard- a View of my Neighbor Flowering Pink Crape Myrtle Tree, my storage house and Lombardy poplar pine trees as screened trees. 

 My mini-succulent Garden and last but not least my potted pineapple plant 

   

 

It Feels Good to Know You are Loved

To All my Relatives and Friends: Thank You for your Love and Support during the last stages of my life-my aging years.  Special mention to those who have visited me, send me messages and cards( my birthday and on Father's Day), bringing me food or just calling me to just say Hello. I will not mention names, but you know who you are. This posting is dedicated to all of you.

It feels good when you know a family member loves you. I am talking about love from nephews and nieces and from grand children as well as from my children.

Last week Macrine's(RIP) niece and her family visited me and brought with them a delicious Pinoy lunch.  I felt good and to me their visit meant I am loved and not forgotten.

The following day, my nephew from Australia sent me a FB message(conversation) as follows:

Hellooo Tito

Hope you’re doing well. Was just thinking of you and wanted to say hello.

Maybe we can do a chat again soon on computer. I’m about to go to a meeting with a client, but just wanted to reach out!

 

My Response: How thoughtful of you. You realized that a short chat, email or FB messages from relatives is very much welcome in my late stages of life. How's your work, It must be picking up? How's the family especially your Dad and Mom?

Nephew Response: Things are become great again. Let’s organize a call and I’d love to chat and get to spend some time with you. Love you Tito

My Response: Love you, too! Take Care!

 

Last but not least here's some FaceBook messages( conversation) from my grand daughter studying abroad.  

Grand Daughter: Hi Lolo I miss you!! Having a very difficult time getting through this week

 

My Response: Remember, if you feel like talking, just message me, Take Care! Love, Lolo. 

 

I heard you will be home in July. That is great, just hang in there for 6 more weeks and see you soon, I love you, Hugs and kisess. Lolo

Her Response: I love you too Lolo

 

Saying the three words "I Love You" is not the only way to show love. Actions like calling or sending messages just to say Hello is as powerful and effective as the three words, I love you.

 

This recent visit from a relative reminded me of one event during my childhood years in the Philippines.  I remember that day when my mother and I visited an aging relative living alone in her house. We visited her and brought some food and fruits. After our visit, she cried and told us her tears are of joys and not of sorrows.    

Finally to my younger relatives, I hope that when you grow old,  your children and younger relatives as well as your future grand children will also visit you during your aging years.

 

Meanwhile enjoy this video by Hauser- one of my favorite cellist 

This song (Song from the Secret Garden) and the Tiki torches in the beach reminds me of our Chateau Du Mer Beach house in the Philippines. Have a Great week and enjoy this Perfect weather here in Northern California.