The Pinole, California Years, 1974-1990

My Picture was used by Stauffer Chemicals to advertise the Richmond Research Facility. Part of the wordings in the brochure reads, "At our Richmond Research facility, more than 300 scientists helped develop new agricultural products for the growing hungry world-products which help nature improve the yield and quality of vegetables, fruits and grains. Stauffer Chemical Company is a pioneer in products for agriculture. Over the years, company researchers have developed a remarkable number of successful farm products. But more importantly, the measure of our work at Stauffer is how well we improve the quality of your life....and that of our neighbors and around the world."

When Shell Development Company closed in Modesto, I was forced to look for another job. At that time job was plentiful for those who have doctorate degrees. I have several offers both from the Federal government and private industry. During this interval of my professional life, I did seriously considered working for the federal government because of stability concerns. However, compared to private industry, the wages offered by the government was about 10% less than the corresponding salary in private industry at that time. Since my family is on the stage when I will need extra money for their education, I chose to work for Stauffer Chemicals in Richmond , California. I started as a Research Chemist and after 10 years (1984) reached the position of Principal Research Chemist. This is the highest technical position ( without supervisory duties) attainable in the company. In 1986, a mass of layoffs occurred at Stauffer Chemicals. The company was getting out of the pesticide business. I was one of 60 employees relieve of our duties after just one day of notice. I just can not described the feeling of being laid off after 12 years of service and good performance. You feel betrayed and unappreciated, and envious of the other employees not fired. How I wish I took the Federal job offered to me at the time when I accepted the position at Stauffer. But they say “No crying over spilled milk”.

After recovering from the shock of getting laid off (with 90 days severance pay),I started contacting my network of friends including friends in church, and in the community. A week later, I have a job offer from Chevron Chemical Company also in Richmond. I guess, GOD was guiding me. My new supervisor is a friend I met at our church. We both are parish council members and also also Eucharistic ministers for the St. Joseph Catholic Church. This is an example, that developing a network of friends is very important. You never know when your network of friends could help you. My youngest daughter had learned from my experience. The last two jobs she had were through her network of contacts both in private industry and in the state government.

The twelve years we resided in Pinole were filled with community involvement for both Macrine, the children and myself. In 1976, I started taking night classes( one subject every semester) at the UC Berkeley, Extension Division. In 1980, I graduated with a Master's Certificate in Business Administration.

Macrine and I also got involved with the Filipino-American Association of Contra Costa County
One of our activities was published in the local paper, The Independent and Gazette, dated July 21, 1976. An excerpt of the article is as follows:

“A Filipino dinner, fashion show and program of community singing and folk dancing will be hosted for the public by the Filipino-Americans of Contra Costa, Inc. Donations is $4 per person and proceeds will go to St. Joseph Catholic School. Prior to the dinner, there will be a 5:30 PM mass. Part of the mass will be in Tagalog, the filipino national language. Dr and Mrs David Katague of Pinole and Mrs Oty Balagot are in charge of the liturgy. Mrs. Macrine Katague will sing “ Ave Maria”.

Menu for the dinner is lechon (roasted pig), chicken adobo, lumpia ( the filipino version of the Chinese eggroll), pancit ( similar to Chinese Chow mein). There will also be salad and dessert.

Filipino folk dances will include the “ Fandango Sa Ilaw ( Dance of Lights), performed by Dr. and Mrs David Katague. Other folk dances will be performed by various members of the association.

Loreto C. “Al” Almazol is general chairman of the Filipino Night and Gus Gutierrez, president of the Filipino-Americans of Contra Costa County, is in charge of decorating the Hall. Assisting him will be Mrs Macrine Katague, Mrs Connie Refre and Mrs Betty Almazol.”

The article had three photographs of Filipina dresses to be modeled and picture of the Katague's dancing the Dance of the Lights.

One of our other community involvement that was published in the West County Times, dated October 11, 1978 was a fund raising party for our local Children's Hospital Fund. An excerpt of the gala event titled “ Evening in Paris at Hilltop Mall” is as follows:

Pre-event parties are being planned throughout the East Bay in anticipation of "You..and... The Night and the Music”, the grand evening of dancing and entertainment being planned by the Hemlock Branch of Children's Hospital this Saturday from 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM at the Hilltop Mall.

Mr. and Mrs Jeffrey Blumenfeld of Orinda, owners of Jerri B's , will entertain a group in their home before the night's festivities begin. Mrs. Blumenfeld is a director in the Hilltop Merchants Association.

Another lively group promises to be those arriving from Mr and Mrs Steven Johnson's pre-party in the Napa Valley. Home-made Won-Ton soup will be the menu at Dr. and Mrs. David Katague's of Pinole.

Other hosts and hostesses welcoming guests for the evening of merrymaking will be Mr. And Mrs Ron Jeha of El Sobrante, Mr. And Mrs. David Waterworth, Mr. And Mrs. John Benone, all of Pinole. Mr and Mrs Len Stalhandske will travel from Portland, Oregon to attend the event.

This article in the same subject was published in the Independent and Gazette, September 27, 1978.
The title of the article, CHAMPAGNE KICKOFF TO HEMLOCK GALA

Hemlock Branch that rising star among fund raising auxiliaries of Children's Hospital Medical Center, will hold its champagne kickoff for “You.....the Night and the Music” and has been themed “ An Evening in Paris” this coming October 14.. About 2,000 guests are expected at the spectacular evening of dancing, entertainment and hearty feast of hors d'oeuvres catered by Narsai's of Berkeley.

The party is expected to raise over $10,000 for CHMC, topping by $2000 proceeds from the same event, launched for the first time last year. From 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM, guests may dance to Ernie
Heckscher's Fairmont Hotel orchestra, imbibe at our no-host cocktail bars, disco with “Disco Don”, and enjoy such hors d'oeuvres as prime rib sandwiches, crab puffs, teriyaki chicken, pate and eggplant with caviar wrapped in pita bread.

Chairmen Mrs Goy Fuller and Mrs. Albert Toretta, both of Pinole, said there will be a complete theatrical production featuring French songs, mime and Can Can dancing. Tickets ( $17.50 per person) may be obtained by sending checks, payable to Children's Hospital Branches, Inc or to Mrs....etc.......
The article has a photo of Mrs amd Mrs Albert Torretta and Dr.and Mrs. David Katague toasting champagne.

Dave and Macrine were also involved with the University of the Philippines Alumni Association,(UPAA) Berkeley Chapter. I was elected president of the association ,1989-1990. An article was published in the Philippine News dated June 6, 1989. The article was titled

UP ALUMNI SPONSOR KULINTANG ARTS CENTER

Berkeley, Ca- Dr. Dave Katague, president of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association, Berkeley Chapter, announced the opening of the Mindanao Exhibit of the Philippine Kulintang Center on June 4, at 3:00 PM at the 5th floor of the Philippine Consulate Building, 447 Sutter St in San Francisco.

Some of the interesting pieces on the exhibit will be the “ULOL” or canopy under which weddings and other joyous occasions are held; the intricate and geometrically designed “pis” and the “banig” or mat woven by the Tausugs of Jolo. Highlights of the afternoon's program will be the performance of ethno
musicologist , Danongan Kalanduyan on the kulintang (musical instrument) accompanied by Musiban Guiabar on the dabakan (drum). The article contained four photos of the exhibits, myself and other officers.

On September 5, 1989 the Philippine News published an article on my induction as president of the UPAA. In the article is a photograph of the incoming officers. A Hawaiian Luau held in my rambling house in Silvercrest Street was the setting of the induction ceremony. An excerpt of the article titled

HAWAIIAN SETTING FOR UP ALUMNI CHAPTER INDUCTION

Pinole, California—In colorful Hawaiian setting, the new officers and board members of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association , Berkeley Chapter will be inducted on September 9, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

Consul Teresita V. Marzan of the San Francisco Philippine Consulate will be inducting officer of the affair which will be held at the lovely garden of the residence of incoming president Dave Katague, at 2638 Silvercrest , in Pinole.

Serving for the calendar year 1989-1990 are the following:

President: Dave Katague
Vice President: Charito Rosete
Secretary: Norma Villarente
Treasurer: Andrea Las Pinas
Auditor: Edna Victorino
Parliamentarian: Cleotilde Balagot

Appointed members of the board are: Minda Azarcon, membership chairperson, Charito Rosete, program/protocol officer, Norie Villa and Cora Yabut, Public and Press Relation Officers in charge of Newsletter. The permanent board of advisers are: Dr. Mellie L Lopez, founder, Atty Juan G. Collas, Jr, legal counsel of the UP Foundation and past president, Cleotilde Balagot.

Sometime in the middle of May, 1990, I donated several volumes of technical journals from the duplicate copies from Stauffer Chemical library that were about to be burned and discarded. I was able to salvage several volumes of hard bound copies of Journal of Chromatography, 1971-1976. Also included in my donation were dozens of volumes of hardbound copies of BioChemistry ,1969-1984. The value of the donation was about $1500. Shipping was arranged through the Commission on Filipinos Overseas ( CFO). On May 23, 1990, I received a thank you letter from Alfredo Perdon, Executive Director of CFO,as follows:

Dear Dr. Katague:

The Commission on Filipino Overseas acknowledge with thanks the donation of five boxes of technical journals to the Institute of Chemistry, University of the Philippines.
Your donation is a manifestation of the willingness of Filipino overseas to be actively involved in the development efforts of the country. Such participation through the Commission's “ Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino” or “ Linkapil” likewise serves to strengthen the linkages between Filipinos overseas and their countrymen.
Needless to say, these books will be a most welcome addition to the journal collection of the UP College of Science Library and will certainly be useful to the thousands of students in the said university. Best Regards and thanks you again for your donation.”

In January, 1986, I participated in the United Nations Development Program at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. The program was for two weeks of consultancy ( lecture and management of research) at the U.P. Natural Sciences Research Institute( NSRI). My round trip fare was paid by UN and I also received a substantial amount of per diem during my consultancy period of two weeks. It was satisfying to give at least two weeks of my "Know-How" to my Alma Mater. The program at that time was called TOKTEN ( Transfer of Know-How through Expatriate Nationals). Today, it is called Balik scientist program.

During this time, we were not only active in the community but also in the parish school (where our three younger children were attending),as well as our church. I was elected to the parish council representing the Filipino-American parishioners. Macrine and I joined the choir and were also Eucharistic ministers.

In early 1990 Chevron Chemicals announced the closing of the Agricultural Division. The company gave us six months to look for another job. This time I swear, I will never work in private industry. I have two choices, work for the State or the Federal government.

On the first week of May, I received an offer to work for the Food and Drug Administration as a Review Chemist, Center for New Drugs, Division Of Anti-Infective Drugs in Rockville, Maryland.

On May 22, 1990, I received a farewell note from our parish priest. Rev Fr, Paddy Bishop and all the members of the St. Joseph Parish Council. The letter made me shed a tear or two. It reads:

Dear David,

It is always difficult and emotional to bid adieu to a friend and fellow laborer in the “vineyards”. In your case, it is doubly hard for you have been such an active participant in the affairs of the Parish of St Joseph.

The Council will miss you. You have been a source of ideas and suggestions vital to the functioning of a body such as this. We were gratified when you made a commitment to serve the council. We are sad you are leaving us.

You and Macrine have been pillars in our community. We shudder as we contemplate our ministries without you. At the same time, we share in the excitement of your new job and home and surroundings. Our prayers will go with you as you begin this new phase of you journey.

We thank you for all of your contributions, and send you forth with our prayers and hopes for the future. We are confident that you are much loved; by each of us, by the parish family, and by our Lord and brother Jesus Christ.

Signed by Fr. Bishop, Fr Morrison and and twelve parish council members. One of the parish council member is Jim Leary, my supervisor at Chevron and the one who hired me without hesitation, when I was laid off at Stauffer Chemicals in 1986. My next entry will be our life in Maryland and my professional career with the FOOD and DRUG ADMINISTRATION- the Federal job, that I have wanted for a long, long time.

Life in Modesto, California, 1969-1974

Citizenship Party, The Modesto Bee, May 17, 1972

From Kansas City, Missouri we moved to Modesto California, when a head hunter found me a job as Research Chemist at Shell Development Company, Agricultural Research Division. I was not unhappy with my job at Chemagro Corporation. But the lure of warmer climate and a 20% automatic salary increase were enough incentives to uproot my family from our comfortable new home in Platte Woods , Missouri. My boss at Chemagro wanted to retain me by offering me a 10% raise. I told him I will get a 20% salary increase and he said he will not be able to match that and wished me good luck in my new position. All our moving expenses were paid by Shell Development Company.

Six months after we settled in Modesto, Macrine and I organized the MABUHAY CLUB, a Filipino-American organization in Stanislaus County involved in social, educational and civic activities. There were only twelve of us( 6 couples) and they elected us the first couple President. Today, the organization has more than 400 members.

The whole family were also involved with community fund raising activities for the needy. The kids were active in the community theater ( music and folk dancing) and Macrine and I were involved with country club activities, party bridge and tennis. I taught cathecism classes (CCD) to high school students in the evening. In 1972, Macrine and I (and Dodie) became United States citizens. Our citizenship party was published in the May 17, 1972 issue of the Modesto Bee. Excerpts from the article is as follows:

Katagues Are Proud to be American Citizens by Laurelie Mullen

“ The party was as American as apple pie....everything was red, white and blue and the honorees were pleased as punch to tell the world they are a part of Uncle Sam's family. Instead of singing “For He is a Jolly Good Fellow” when the star-spangled cake was cut, everyone sang “ God Bless America” ...with feeling and a proud tear or two.

The occasion ? A citizenship party given by Dr and Mrs Dave Katague of Modesto, who are so delighted at finally becoming American citizens, after living in this country for more than 12 years, they just had to have a party to celebrate.

The Katagues and their oldest son Dodie, 13, all were born in the Philippines, but their other three children were born in the United States. “ It's such a joyous thing for us all to belong to one country”, Mrs Katague said to her 40 party guests, whom she had fed an authentic homed-cooked Filipino dinner consisting of six courses, not including the American cake, a gift from Nilda Valdez, herself a Filipino.

Katague is a research chemist for Shell Development Company near Salida. Their other children are Dinah, David III and D'Macrine.”

My career with Shell Development ended in 1974, when the company decided to close the facility and moved to Houston, Texas. It was time for me to look for another job.

During our five year stay in Modesto, we have purchased two homes. The last one was a country house at Skittone Road with a pool where Macrine had also a gift shop specializing in Philippines handicrafts and goods.

On August 1974, we gave a farewell party – a Hawaiian Luau complete with lechon( roasted pig) to the neighbors and friends. The party was published on the August 2, 1974 issue of the Modesto Bee. An excerpt of the party is as follows:

FAMILY LEAVES WITH ALOHA LUAU

“Saying “Aloha” is never easy, but Dr. and Mrs David Katague, made it easier for themselves by giving a farewell luau for some 60 friends.

The Katagues residents of Modesto for 5 years are moving to Pinole , where Mrs. Katague will soon open a gift shop, similar to the one she has just closed here and her husband will join the staff of Stauffer Chemicals. He has been with Shell Development Company in Salida since moving to Modesto.

The gardens of Katague home on Skittone Road were lighted with tiki torches, setting the scene for a typical Polynesian feast, which included a pit roasted pig and several Filipino entries.

The Katague Children entertained with traditional dances. They are Dodie, 15, Dinah, 13, David III, 11 and D'Macrine 9. The article include 3 photographs, two of the lechon and Dave and Macrine in their Hawaiian outfits.”.

Note: this blog will continue with life in Pinole, Ca and my new employer Stauffer Chemicals of Richmond, California

Social Life in Kansas City, 1965-1969

The Lechon (Roast Suckling Pig) at Ditas Baptism Party

In addition to our involvement with the church and the Christian Family Movement (CFM), our life in Kansas City also involved our participation with the Filipino-American Association Of Greater Kansas City social activities.

One of our Christmas parties was featured in the Kansas City Dispatch dated January, 1969 and titled "The Nipa Hut- Right Here The in Northland". We purchased our first house in Platte Woods, Missouri and named it "The Nipa Hut" in 1967.

An excerpt from Mary Jane Peironnet(reporter for the Dispatch) article is as follows:

"Its many thousand of miles from Manila P.I. to Platte Woods, U.S.A., but at 5701 N. W Linden Road, on the edge of the southern Platte community, there's home which the Filipino owners have called a nipa hut-after the thatched palm leaf huts typical of their native land".

" In this self-styled "hut", now surrounded by snow and wintry weather 70 or 80 degrees colder than that of the tropical Philippines, Dr. and Mrs. David Katague are carrying on many of their native customs while bringing up their four children in the American ways of their neighbors and classmates at Chin School."

" The gold-lettered "nipa hut" sign in the Katagues' front door causes much comments from guests, Mrs. Macrine Katague says, because the family filipino friends know the meaning of the term and understand the reason for calling the 4-bedroom 3-bathroom rambling ranch house in an acre of land, a hut."

" Especially during the holiday season do the transplanted Filipinos, carry on with the tradition of their birthplace. Family and church observances began nine days before Christmas and they will continue through Jan 6, known in this country as Epiphany, but celebrated in the Philippines as the Feast of the Three Kings for the three wise men who visited infant Christ 12 days after his birth".

" Tuesday night, Dr and Mrs Katague climaxed their holiday entertaining with a New Year's Eve party for nearly 30 of their countrymen, members of the Filipino Association Greater Kansas City. The year's end festivity was a colorful affair, where the women in their bright "ternos", native gowns characterized by butterfly sleeves, and the men in "Barongs" embroidered silk shirts worn with dark slacks, assembled to wish each other " Maligayang Pasko at Bagong Taon", the tagalog version of Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

"As the clocked ticked off the last minutes of '68, the Katagues and their guests toasted the new year with San Miquel beer sent from the Philippines by some of their families. Soon after midnight, a traditional repast was enjoyed by the party-goers. Rice cakes( known as puto), pancit ( noodles), cheese balls ( keso de bola), leche flan ( egg custard), dinuguan ( bloody pudding), ginger tea and chocolate were among the food and drinks served during the party."

The rest of the article described why we immigrated to US and how the family are adjusting to the typical American life in the suburbs of a midwestern city. Pictures of Macrine in her terno and me in my barong, as well as of Ditas highlighted the article. Ditas looked exactly like Carenna, when Carenna was also four years old.

Another party at our residence was also published in the local paper, a baptismal party for Ditas. The article was published in the the Kansas City Star, dated June, 1965. Here is the full article in the society page titled

"On the Kansas City Scene."

"When a child is baptized in the Philippines, it is an occasion for celebrating. Like so many other religious holidays and festivals,it calls for an all-out project in the kitchen.

Last Sunday in Gladstone the fourth child of Dr. and Mrs. David B Katague was baptized at the St. Charles Catholic Church. Late that afternoon, a full blown luau took place in the baby girl's honor although in typical American fashion, 2-month-old Ditas Macrine Katague quickly became the charge of her baby sitter.

The young Philippine family moved here last year after Dr. Katague had completed his graduate study at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Among the American and Filipino friends on hand to share the family occasion were the baby's godmother,
Mrs Jose Liwag who came from Chicago with her husband, and Senora Maria Elena Cobian de Rojas, whose home is Mexico City. There were about 30 in all.

The unanimous choice for starring role in the food department was a roast suckling pig that stole the whole show. It cooked slowly, deliciously all afternoon while a watchful host tended the spit. When it was crisp on the outside and succulent inside, it was then ready to be brought with pomp to the table.

Chopping the food is the hardest and slowest task of all, Mrs Katague commented on the many courses she prepared to accompany the pork. Mixing the ingredients, takes only about a half hour, she said. "But unlike party dishes that can be prepared well ahead of time, these must be put together just as the guest are arriving."

Sweet and sour peppers were one of the native appetizers she served with Hawaiian punch, spiked with rum. Some more typical American hors d'oeuvres found their way to the table, as well. One other dish served was an elaborate noodle, chicken and shrimp dish flavored with spices. Another delicacy was pea pods with shrimps. For dessert, a special rice cake was served with coffee.

Later in the evening several guests took a turn at the piano, some playing classical, others concentrating on popular music and jazz. "It was nostalgic when we sang some of our native tunes", the filipino mother reminisced.

All the while the guest of honor slept blissfully through it all!

Life in Chicago and Kansas City in the 1960's

Christian Family Movement Logo
The book (bestseller in 1960) that inspired me to write, Christmas Story. Here's a short video of the movie made of the book in 1963 starring Marlon Brando. Enjoy the trailer of the movie.


In 1959-1960 I went to the US to accept a teaching assistantship and tuition scholarship at the University of Illinois in Chicago, after teaching chemistry at the University of the Philippines for four years. I went ahead and left my wife and oldest son in the Philippines. That first year was the loneliest time of my life. Not only did I had to adjust to the cold winters of Chicago, but also did missed my family especially on Holidays and during the Christmas season. Fortunately, I had some "ugly Americans" classmates. Ten of them, gave me the best Christmas present in my life at that time. My ten classmates contributed enough money to pay for a long distance international call from Chicago to the Philippines. They pre-arranged the call so that it would coincide during our Christmas party. One of my classmates, Dr. Lee Gardella of Chicago was the mastermind of this surprise. He requested his mother who at that time was working for the local telephone company, to arrange this call without me knowing it. They wanted to surprise me. Boy, was I surprise when at the middle of the party, they called me, I had a telephone call. Tears flowed in my eyes and my heart pumped with joy as I heard my wife's voice from the Philippines. As a graduate student I was very poor. I did not have enough money to call my wife. Although my tuition is free, my stipend of $190 a month was barely enough to support me. I was paying already $89 for my apartment and the rest for food and incidentals. I wrote an essay about this surprise gift while I was working for Stauffer Chemicals in Richmond, California . The essay won a $75 award as one of the top ten Christmas story from its employees. I titled the essay A Christmas Story- The Ugly Americans".

In 1964, I graduated with a Ph.D. degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. My first job was with Chemagro Corporation located in Kansas City, Missouri. My wife and I at that time had already three children, two of them courtesy of U. Illinois hospital. My oldest son, was born in the Philippines. Our youngest daughter was born in 1965 in North Kansas City Hospital,a year later.

I had another true story on the birth of our son- third child in 1962. In order to save money, I moved the family from the University apartments to a student housing subsidized by the state. The housing was about five miles from the university.

One night while Macrine was preparing thanksgiving dinner, she started labor pains. I was so excited,I did not realized I was driving about 70 miles in a 40 miles speed zone. So there goes the police car with the blinking lights and loudspeaker. I stopped by the side of the road, blurted to the police " I am going to have a baby". The policeman looked at me and answered back," No you are not! your wife is ! Come follow me to the hospital". So we have a police car with his blinking lights and siren escorting us to the emergency room of the University Of Illinois Hospital.

Our community involvement were with the Catholic Church, the local country club and with the CFM ( Christian Family Movement) in the Kansas City Diocese.
Here's a short video about the Christian Family Movement for your information.

We have our first discrimination experience, the first time we joined a country club near us. Macrine and the kids would swim at the country club twice a week. The first day, they were there, she overheard the conversation from two middle-aged ladies. She heard, a comment of the first lady to her friend, "look we are getting invaded by blacks already". Macrine look around, there were no black families around; she and the kids were the only colored ( brown) relaxing and swimming in the pool area. Needless to say, the second year, after we become more active and known to the community, I was elected by the members of the club as treasurer for two years. I was handling the payroll of three employees and collecting the membership fees of the 300 members. The cure for discrimination is education and ignorance is the mother of discrimination.

Macrine and I organized the first ecumenical CFM group in the Kansas City Diocese. CFM was founded by Pat and Patty Crowley of Wheaton, Illinois. While we were in Chicago, we were very fortunate to be invited to their home along with other foreign students studying in the Chicago area. These social events were welcome by us, because we meet other students from other parts of the world; we have a lot things in common to talk about. Thus, after graduation, we made it a point to get involve with the local CFM group. We wrote the Crowley's of our impressions of America as students. It was published in the ACT MAGAZINE dated May, 1968 as follows:

" Not long ago we received an interesting letter from Dave and Macrine Katague. In the early part of this decade they spent four years as graduate students at the University of Illinois in Chicago. As native of the Philippines, they were in a strange city and a strange land. They would not have learned very much about it, had it not been for the hospitality extended by CFM groups as well as Executive Secretary Couple Pat and Patty Crowley. Reflecting upon their past experiences, Dave and Macrine Katague wonder about the attitudes of those who spent times in the States, but did not learn to know the people of our country." They write:

Our Impression of America

" During our first year in Chicago, we never received an invitation to participate in the hospitality program. Our name was probably buried in the list of foreign students or perhaps our foreign student adviser was sleeping in her job. During these first year of adjustments to the American way of life, we formed a very wrong impression of Americans. Asides from our daily contacts with fellow students in the school rooms or dormitories, our only other social contacts were people in the streets, subways, buses, department stores, supermarkets and other public places. These were all artificial contacts, giving us an impression that Americans are unfriendly, artificial, insincere, apathetic,intolerant and above all ignorant.The latter adjective was quite true, since the ordinary or typical American does not have the vaguest idea where the Philippines, Japan or even Puerto Rico is located in the map.

" However, in our second year, we began receiving invitation to spend a weekend in suburban homes as well as dinner nvitations in city homes. At first, we were reluctant to accept the invitation, however with our adventurous spirit, we said yes.
From then on, "we have the whole world in our hands". We are thankful to CFM, the YWCA and the Hospitality Center of Chicago for making our stay filled with pleasant memories.

"On the other hand what impressions could we have brought back to the Philippines, if our stay was limited to one or two years ( true for exchange visitors). How many visitors and exchange scholars brought home with them the wrong impressions and attitude towards the American people in general? I knew there were a few foreign students in the dormitories who were disillusioned about the United States. One of them was a former dorm mate from Chile. He received an invitation, but never did conquer his apprehension of accepting one.

" At present as couple leader of the first interfaith group in our diocese, we will do our very best to reciprocate, promote, and encourage hospitality programs to foreign students and scholars in our area. We believe that opening our homes and our hearts on weekends and holidays, is one of the best ways of promoting world peace and understanding. Let us then make it possible for foreign students and scholars get the true picture of America and its people. Let us give them the opportunity to share with us our way of life. Let us get busy as a group or perhaps join other groups in order that we can show to the future leaders of the world, how sincere, friendly and aware we are of other human beings in other parts of the world. This is one of the many ways we could be more Christlike, we believe".

This letter was published by CFM in their monthly magazine, ACT, for all their members worldwide. We will appreciate comments on this blog!

Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler, B.C., Canada

Three other places that my wife and I have visited a few years ago were Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler, B.C., Canada. 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's a short video 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 the WAY to Whistler, BC, Canada-photo by people.uleth.ca
We highly recommend the above three places in Western Canada for a relaxing and enjoyable vacation.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas at Paris-Night Time

Members of the Marinduque International, Inc Pre-Medical Mission Meeting in Las Vegas



Las Vegas is one of my favorite cities in US. For gamblers, this is the city where they enjoy their fantasy of becoming a millioner. For the non-gambler, it is the city for entertainment and food ( daily buffet served in all of the casino hotels at reasonable prices). For me, although I am not a slot machine addict, I still enjoy an occasional game of pai gaw poker. For my wife, a slot machine enthusiast, this place is heaven until all her money is gone for that day. Anyway, I love Las Vegas. The two pictures were taken showcasing the MGM Hotel Casino( at night) and New York, New York Casino Hotel. These two photos were taken two years ago during our annual meeting( Marinduque International, Inc) finalizing plans for our medical mission to Marinduque. If you decide to go to Las Vegas, bring a lot of money whether you want to gamble or not.
Here's another photo in front of the Mirage Hotel and Casino
Here's a video of New York, New York Casino Hotel, Las Vegas, NV.