Are You Celebrating New Year with Alcohol?

If you plan on celebrating New Year's with a drinking party outside your home, please insure you have a DD ( Designated Driver) in your party. If you are alone, take a taxi home. It may save your life.

Here in Northern California if you get a DUI( drinking under the influence) citation or conviction, it may cost you at least $2000 versus a taxi fare of around $60 to $200 depending in how far is your home from the bar or party venue.

The Katague's will be celebrating New Year EVE in their residence with just a glass of champagne and watching television. Unlike our New Year Eve escapade in 1970 ( excerpts attached in this posting), our NY eve celebration will be quite and relaxing and no driving in the California tule fog.

Again, To you my readers from 166 countries all over the world, I wish you a Safe New Year. May 2013 bring you Peace and Happiness. I also hope you continue reading and supporting my blogs( by clicking on my ads) for at least another year.



Our New Year Escapade,1970:

"The New Year's Eve of 1970 was one of the most memorable events in my life in the United States. It was a peculiarly distinct night that I endangered us, me and my wife Macrine, by driving into the unknown, for a chance to celebrate a late dinner out. It was also the night we got to meet and know friendly strangers, who invited us to celebrate the New Year's Eve in their lovely home.

In September of 1969, I found a new job with Shell Development Company in central California. It was an attractive job offer which was difficult to turn down. Our family relocated to Modesto, California, and we were excited about living in a new community, meeting new friends and getting to know new neighbors.

The city of Modesto is located right in the heart of the central valley of California. It is the land of fruits and nuts, and also the agricultural region of the state. The central valley is also known for its sinister side, its tule fog during winter, which covers much of the central valley in poor visibility mist. The locals called it the "soup". The tule fog is a thick ground fog that forms and settles in the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys of California's great central valley. This spectacle is named after the tule grass wetlands or tulares, as they are called, found in the central valley. Vehicular accidents caused by the thick and zero visibility tule fog, are the leading cause of weather-related casualties in central California.

During the last four months of 1969, we were occupied settling down and adjusting to our new home and community. We found a new school for our children, church, grocery, shops and parks. My life was thinly spread between my new job and home. We had no time to join any local group, and had no friends except for our neighbors.

Before the New Year's Eve, my wife and I wanted to find social interaction in our community, but we had no friends or family to visit nearby. We decided to go out for a late dinner in one of Stockton's nicer restaurants, to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. It is about twenty miles north of Modesto.

We reached the restaurant at about 9:30 pm, and the place was filled to capacity. We didn't realize that many couples had the same wonderful idea for the last night of the year. We had to wait in the bar before they could offer us a table. At the bar was another couple who was also waiting to be seated. They were a little bit older than us. The lady was of Asian ancestry and the man was Caucasian.

The couple appeared friendly, so me being the extroverted, outgoing and friendly individual, I started the introductions. I made small talk which initiated an animated conversation to pass away the time. We felt relaxed talking with the couple, and when we were called to be seated, we decided to get a table for the four of us together, instead of two separate ones.

Our dinner of steak and lobster was enjoyable. The conversation flowed freely, loosened by two bottles of wine. Based on our rapport and discussion, it appeared like the four of us were long time friends. We learned that the lady had Filipino ancestry. The couple is also Catholic, and has resided in Stockton for the last ten years. They had no children and had plans of adopting a child from the Philippines.

Their house was in a property near the restaurant, and a short drive away. We finished dinner and dessert at about 11:30 pm. Our new found friends decided to invite us to their home for an after dinner drink, and to avoid driving home in the highway at midnight, the New Year's Eve. With our adventurous spirit, Macrine and I trusted these strangers, and accepted their invitation without any fear or hesitation.

When we got out of the restaurant, the fog was already thick with only a few feet of visibility. I was not alarmed since the couple's residence was nearby. The house was tastefully furnished and decorated with several Philippine antiques that the lady had inherited from her Filipino grandparents.

We had a bottle of champagne at midnight and celebrated the arrival of the New Year. I only took a sip since I was the designated driver. We stayed at their home chatting and getting to know each other better. We talked about our families, interests, places we've lived and visited, and about the central valley. We ended the party at 1:00 am, and decided to go home.

As we stepped out of the warmth and comfort of their house, the cold air and the soup welcomed us outside; we could see nothing in front of us. It started to sink in my mind, whether we should proceed and drive through this very thick fog or not. I remember thinking; maybe we should pass the time somewhere, and let the fog go away before driving home. On the other hand, we could not delay the trip home to our children, and the babysitter also had to get home to her family.

I decided to start the car, drive slowly through the thick fog; my eyes open wide, a little bit nervous and anxious. We glanced at each other; my wife had the look of concern on her face. I remember her saying "this looks dangerous, and how will you see the road or the other cars on the highway". Seeing her worried look increased my growing apprehension of the peril of driving through zero visibility. The fog was so thick, my car's fog lights were useless, and we could only see a few feet away.

With arrogance, I was telling myself this was nothing to worry about. I've driven through blinding snowstorms, and snowy and icy roads in the Midwest. This would be easy; there is no rain or snow on the highway. I would manage this by driving slowly and totally focused on the road. Besides, at this time of the night there are few people and cars on the road.

Silence pervaded during the whole trip. No one dared to speak of negative thoughts. Both our minds were already consumed with thoughts of angst. I remember how distressing it was with all the worries racing through my mind. It made me imagine of graphic images of car wrecks, bloody and mutilated crash victims, and disturbingly, orphaned children left behind by foolish parents.

It took me a full hour to finally reach the safety of our home. It was a huge relief to find our children at home asleep. I was thanking all the saints in heaven that we were home safe and sound despite the danger that we just went through. The baby sitter was also pleased to see us back at 2:00 am.

Reflecting back to this experience, I cannot imagine that Macrine and I allowed ourselves to get to know and visit the home of complete strangers, who later on became our close friends. We continued our friendship with the couple until 1974, when we moved to the San Francisco bay area. I lost my job from Shell Development Company when it closed the agricultural research facility in Modesto.

This was definitely one New Year Eve's escapade that we will always remember for as long as we live."

Time to Say Merry Christmas in Different Languages

It is time to say Merry Christmas to all my FaceBook friends and blog readers all over the world. My stats indicate that I have readers from 165 countries, but this list include only 114 languages. Please add your own language if it is not included in this list via the comment section of this article. I hope you continue reading my articles/blogs and help support it by clicking on the ads. Again, Happy Holidays! LANGUAGE TRANSLATION AFRIKAANS geseënde Kersfees ALBANIAN gëzuar Krishtlindja ALSATIAN gleckika Wïanachta ARABIC ميلاد مجيد (miilaad majiid) ARMENIAN Shnorhavor Surb tsnund AZERI Noel bayraminiz mubarak BASQUE Eguberri on BELARUSIAN З Божым нараджэннем (Z Bozym naradzenniem) BENGALI subho baradin BOSNIAN sretan Božić BRETON Nedeleg laouen BULGARIAN весела коледа (vesela koleda) BURMESE Christmas nay hma mue pyaw pa CATALAN bon Nadal CHEROKEE ulihelisdi danisdayohihvi CHINESE 圣诞快乐 (shèng dàn kuài lè) CORNISH Nadelek lowen CORSICAN bon Natale CROATIAN sretan Božić CZECH veselé Vánoce DANISH glædelig jul DHOLUO bedgi sikuku maber DUTCH vrolijk Kerstfeest ENGLISH merry Christmas ESPERANTO gojan Kristnaskon ESTONIAN häid jõule FAROESE gleðilig jól FINNISH hyvää joulua FRENCH joyeux Noël FRISIAN noflike Krystdagen FRIULAN bon nadâl GALICIAN bo Nadal GEORGIAN Gilotsavt Shobas GERMAN frohe Weihnachten / fröhliche Weihnachten GREEK Καλα Χριστούγεννα (kala christougenna / kala xristougenna) HAITIAN CREOLE jwaye Nowel HAWAIIAN mele Kalikimaka HEBREW חג מולד שמח (hag molad saméa'h) HINDI Krismas ki subhkamna HUNGARIAN boldog karácsonyt ICELANDIC gleðileg jól IGBO annuri Ekeresimesi ILOCANO naragsak a paskua INDONESIAN selamat Natal IRISH GAELIC Nollaig shona ITALIAN buon Natale JAVANESE sugeng Natal JAPANESE merii kurisumasu KABYLIAN tameghra tameggazt KHMER រីក​រាយ​បុណ្យ​ណូអ៊ែល (rik reay bon Noel) KINYARWANDA Noheli nziza KIRUNDI Noheli nziza KOREAN 즐거운 크리쓰마쓰 KURDISH Noela we pîroz be LAO souksan van Christmas LATIN felix dies Nativitatis LATVIAN priecīgus Ziemassvētkus Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Filipino ( Tagalog) LIGURIAN bón dênâ / bón natâle LITHUANIAN su Kalėdomis / linksmų Kalėdų LOW SAXON vrolik Kersfees LUXEMBOURGEOIS schéi Chrëschtdeeg MACEDONIAN среќен Божиќ (srećen Božić) MALAGASY tratry ny Krismasy / arahabaina tratry ny Krismasy / arahaba tratry ny Krismasy MALAY selamat hari natal MALAYALAM Christmas ashamshagal MALTESE il-milied it-tajjeb / milied hieni MANX Nollick ghennal MAORI meri Kirihimete MIZO Krismas chibai MONÉGASQUE bon Natale MONGOLIAN zul sariin bayariin mend hurgie NORWEGIAN god jul OCCITAN bon Nadal OROMO baga ayyaana dhaloota Kiristoos isin ga'e PAPIAMENTU bon pasku PERSIAN کریسمس مبارک (Christmas mobaarak) POLISH wesołych świąt bożego Narodzenia PORTUGUESE feliz Natal ROMANI baxtalo Krečuno ROMANIAN un Crăciun fericit RUKIGA Noheiri nungi / webale Noheiri RUSSIAN С Рождеством Хрисовым (S rozhdestvom Khristovym) SAMOAN ia manuia le Kerisimasi SARDINIAN bona pasca’e Nadale (logudorese) / bona paschixedda (campidanese) SCOTTISH GAELIC Nollaig chridheil SERBIAN Христос се роди (Hristos se rodi) SHONA krisimas yakanaka SILESIAN Radosnych godów SINDHI Chrismas joon wadhayoon SINHALESE suba nattalak wewa SLOVAK vesele vianoce SLOVENIAN vesel božič / vesele božične praznike SOBOTA dobro dedek SPANISH feliz Navidad SRANAN switi Krisneti SWAHILI heri la Krismasi SWEDISH god jul TAGALOG maligayang pasko TAHITIAN 'ia 'oa'oa e teie Noera TAMIL கிறிஸ்மஸ் தின நல் வாழ்த்துக்கள் (Krismas dina nal vaagethoukkal) TELUGU Krismas shubhakankshalu THAI สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส (souksaan wan Christmas) TONGAN mele Kilisimasi TSWANA (SETSWANA) Keresemose sentle TURKISH Noeliniz kutlu olsun UDMURT Shuldyr Ymuśton UKRAINIAN З Різдвом Христовим Z Rizdvom Khrystovym VIETNAMESE Mừng Chúa Giáng Sinh WALOON ("betchfessîs" spelling) djoyeus Noyé WELSH Nadolig llawen WEST INDIAN CREOLE jénwèl YIDDISH אַ גוטע ניטל (a gute nitl) YORUBA e kun odun Keresimesi ZULU UKhisimusi omuhle Reference: www.freelang.net

Spiral Honey-Baked Ham for Christmas, Again

Our main dish again this year for our Christmas Dinner is the spiral honeybaked ham. This has been our family tradition since my retirement to Northern California in 2002. I have purchased a 5 lb ham ( we will have only 8 adults and one child for dinner this year) three days ago, to avoid the long lines. But I was mistaken. I still waited for 45 minutes to be served since there were about 100 customers ahead of me. If you wait to buy your ham today, expect a line from 1 to 3 hours.

I was wondering why this ham is very popular compared to other hams. The reason is explained in this short posting from the Honeybaked ham website as follows: "The spiral ham had its origins at HoneyBaked Ham Company over 50 years ago. Harry J. Hoenselaar opened the first HoneyBaked Ham Company store in Michigan. He made hams one at a time - and made sure every one met his exacting quality standards. He'd start with only the best quality bone-in ham, marinate it in his secret curing recipe, smoke it for as long as 24 hours over select hickory embers, slice it and then glaze it with his now-famous honey sweet and crunchy glaze. At that time, the spiral ham was born, Harry patented the unique spiral slicer he invented and the rest is history.

There are a number of benefits to spiral sliced hams. For one, spiral slicing is convenient. You don't need to worry about carving your ham when you buy a HoneyBaked spiral ham. Secondly, spiral slicing creates uniform, perfectly sized servings of our moist and delicious ham. Third, the spiral cut makes the ham more attractive when it's placed on your table. Plus, because Harry spiral sliced his ham first and then added his delectable sweet glaze, none of the glaze is lost during the slicing process".

I have tasted Chinese ham and other brand of smoked hams before. They are more salty compared to the honey baked which has a sweet taste and indeed really delicious. I paid about $6 per pound for the ham I purchased three days ago, not a bad buy. Of course besides the ham we will have other dishes such as Dungeness crab omelet, chicken macaroni salad, Filipino noodles ( pancit), chicken adobo with salad greens, mango ice cream, peach pie, Hawaiian rolls and steam rice. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Safe New Year.

Yesterday, the World Did not End, but....

Yesterday, the world did not end here in Northern California, but....

If you ask me now, I would have been happy if the world ended yesterday. The day started with freezing temperature, no sun and a very, very gloomy day. At 9:30AM, it started to rain. It feels like freezing rain when my wife requested me to buy our Honey Bake Ham for our Christmas Dinner.

On my way to the Honey Bake Ham store, I was praying since it is still three days before Christmas Eve, that the lines will not be too long. I was mistaken. The parking lot of the store was filled and I could see customer lines way at the front door of the store. Since it was raining, I stayed in my car and waited for a parking space. Luckily, I waited only for about 10 minutes. When I entered the store, there were around 100 customers ahead of me. There were 5 servers and it took only 45 minutes before I was served

In the previous years, we buy our ham on December 23 with the impression that the ham will not be fresh if purchased earlier. This impression is wrong. According to the store manager, the Ham will be edible and will not rot in the refrigerator from 5 to 7 days after purchased. This was confirmed last Thanksgiving Day when we purchase the Ham 5 days before Thanksgiving Day. It stayed in the refrigerator for a week, before it tasted stale, although not rotten. There was no line in the store that day.

After I purchased the ham, my errand for the day is to buy two additional cans of fruit cocktail and a few other items, we forgot to buy the other day. The lines in the grocery store was also long, but since I bought only a few items I was able to check out in the Express Lane. The rain started to get harder as I was going to my car and I almost fell since it was a little slippery. Luckily, I did not, since I already slipped on my knees last week, while we were in the restaurant in downtown Sacramento, celebrating my grand daughter second debut as a professional child actress in a play, The Christmas Carol.

After I got home, my wife asked what sized of ham did I purchased. I said 4.5 lbs, since there will be only 9 adults for our Christmas Dinner. My wife indicated this might not be enough and my blood just went to a boil, I felt like screaming but I did not. I just said if it is not enough, then I will not eat any ham. Please note that besides the ham, we will have noodles, chicken macaroni salad, vegetables, chicken adobo, fruit salad, a cake, and Dungeness Crab omelet, rice, Hawaiian bread, peach pie and mango ice cream . I know that the 4.5 lb of ham will be adequate, because there are other dishes. This is the reason why I am so mad( my trip to the store on the freezing rain was not appreciated and my decision to buy only a 4.5 lb ham instead of a 10 lb was questioned).

So today, I really do not care if the world ends. Note: I feel better after writing this post!

Ten Things that I Dislike about the Philippines

City Traffic and Pollution In my previous posting, I listed the ten items that I love about the Philippines. Since there is no perfect place in the world, the following are the ten things that annoys me of my second home-The Philippines The ten items that annoys me about the Philippines are listed below and in no particular order of annoyance.

1.Traffic and Pollution ( in big cities) There is always traffic congestion almost 24 hours a day, especially in big cities. The only time of the day when there is no traffic congestion in Manila and suburbs is between 2 to 4 AM. This is a good time to go to the airport to be in time for your 6AM flight.

2.Jeepney and Bus drivers: They drive like maniacs. They pick up and drop passengers in the middle of the road. Most provincial drivers drive like maniacs. They will overtake private cars on the wrong side of the highway and even on dangerous curves.

3.The long lines in the banks and ATM machines and people cutting-in the lines

4.The noise of crowing cocks and the barking dogs at 4AM or even earlier and loud karaoke music and out-of -tuned and horrible singing of the neighbors.

5.When you invite one in your party, he or she brings one or two others, without advising you ahead.

6.Filipinos seldom RSVP an invitation or answers their e-mails in a timely manner. Some have Face Books accounts , but seldom or never opens it. ( why open an account if you do not open it at all ?)

7.The heat and humidity during the summer months especially the months of March, April and May.

8.The smell of fish and Durian-(probably only in Davao) in the wet markets.

9.Litering on the streets and on the beaches, parks and urination in public places.

10.Frequent brown outs/ black outs, typhoons and torrential rains in the provinces. You could probably add more items, but the good things outnumbered the annoying things. Do you have any items to add to the list above. Please share! Again as snowbirds, my wife and I are happy whether we are in the Philippines or United States. We believe that “HOME IS NOT A PLACE, BUT IN THE HEART!”.

Ten Things that I love about the Philippines

Photo from anton.blogs.com If you are one of my blog readers from 165 countries, you probably know that my wife and I are snowbirds. You also probably know what the word snowbirds meant. Just to refresh your memory, we call ourselves snow birds, because when it gets cold here in US ( winter) we fly to tropical Philippines where it is warm and no snow. So why did we choose the Philippines and not some other tropical countries? Here are my ten reasons: These ten items are not in order of importance.

1.The cheap standard of living:The cost of food and services with the exception of electricity is cheap in the Philippines specially services. For example haircuts, massages , pedicures and manicures is much cheaper in Philippines than in US. A specific example are Mens’ haircut. I pay between 60 to 100 pesos in Marinduque, but here in Northern California, I pay between $12 to $14 for a haircut. For $1500-$2000 plus or minus 10% a month, my wife and I live like a Queen and King here in Marinduque. The current exchange rate is about 41 pesos for one dollar as of this writing date. For fast conversion from pesos to dollars or vice versa, use “40” as the factor.

2.The simplicity and peaceful life in the provinces. The locals are easy going and do not hurry for their appointments. There is not much traffic in the provinces and in small towns. (http://marinduqueonmy mind.blogspot.com).

3.The abundance of fresh meat and seafood, vegetables and fresh fruits ( papayas, mangoes and bananas) at a reasonable prices as well as the Filipino delicacies ( lechon, lumpia and pancit) and desserts ( bibingka , leche flan and Halo-Halo).

4.Accessibility to the beaches, mountains, caves , rivers , islets for picnicking, bathing, snorkeling, scuba diving or just relaxing ( I am talking about Marinduque, not the big cities).

5.The social support system is fantastic. The presence of friends and relatives specially during Christmas and Easter seasons is an experience one can not forget. The Philippines celebrates Christmas five months every year starting from September 1 to January 31. (http:/planningtovisitthephilippines.blogspot.com)

6.Availability of all modern amenities, good restaurants, international food , modern health services in Manila, Iloilo, Cebu and other big cities and five stars vacation resorts all over the islands.

7.The dry and cool weather, ocean sea breezes ( at Chateau Du Mer )during the months of November to February. (http://chateaudumer.blogspot.com)

8.The numerous Fiestas and Festivals the whole year round, specially during the months of January and May. (http://lifeinus1960present.blogspot.com).

9.The hospitality of the people and their attitudes toward foreigners and visitors.

10.Historical and Cultural heritage we have as a nation from Spain , such as our old churches, folk dances, Kundiman music, Putong, Kalutang and respect for our elders and freedom of the press and speech and educational opportunities we had from the United States.(http://theintellectualmigrant.blogspot.com).

Watch out for my next posting listing the ten items I dislike about the Philippines Note: Today is my 78th Birthday. I thanked the Lord for all his blessings and to you all my readers from 165 countries of the world, my special thanks and appreciation for your support by continuing to read my blogs.

Improve Your Sex Life by Dancing the Argentine Tango

Yong and Ivy Dancing the Argentine Tango-Photo by Jun Punzalan

I was reading yesterday issue of the Philippine Inquirer- Philippine national daily newspaper with world wide readership. In the Lifestyle Section, there was an article titled Argentine Tango Hits Manila. In that article,Macrine's ( my spouse of 55 years) first cousin and his wife, Young Nieva and Ivy Almario were featured as Argentine Tango practitioners and enthusiasts. The article also hinted that the sex life of the Nievas are much better with their Argentine Tango activity. I would tend to agree, since dancing is a form of exercise. Exercise improves ones health, thus ones sex life.

Allow me to quote an excerpt from that article written by Marge Enriquez. “Interior designer Ivy Almario and husband-restaurateur Guillermo “Yong” Nieva were awed by Halley’s lithe and graceful presence when she performed the Argentine tango in her birthday party. They invited their traveling group, composed of happy couples, and took some lessons with Ogie Mendoza. They also danced the tango by the sea in Halley’s beach house. Almario had never danced in her life. She kept fit with gym workout. A natural dancer, Nieva would yank her out from her desk and get her to dance at 9 a.m. “I like to distract her from her work. If not, she will keep on working for hours,” he says. “Ivy is the biggest miracle. She’s a quick learner. Now if you get her a DI, she will twirl and dance nonstop.” Almario’s main advantage is that she is dancing with her significant other.

While most women dancing with a DI will feel a certain connection, this couple is euphoric about the intimacy that it brings. “Our energies are so together that even when we stop dancing, I still feel it,” says Nieva. Asked how dancing together has enhanced their sex life, Almario replies, “Why, does it need help? Seriously, if you’re fit, the sex is always better.” The article above reminds me of my teenager days in the 1950's, when my father( now deceased) was teaching us how to dance the tango ( not Argentine), the rumba and the jitterbug. The tango taught by my dad is similar to the current American smooth tango.

Do you know that there are five styles of Tango? They are the Argentine, French, International (Smooth), American, and then one that is still danced in the lower class sections of Argentina. Each of the styles is its own, but there are many similar movements for all styles. I love watching Dancing with Stars. In this TV program, the Tango Dances are a mixture of International style and American style depending on the professional. The main difference between the two is that in International style, the couple stays in a closed frame, while in American, they separate more often.

Below is a video from the show featuring Shawn Johnson. Speaking of Dancing with Stars( one of my favorite TV shows), last night episode was the first day of a 2-day dancing finals. The finalist were all women. My prediction is that Shawn Johnson and her partner Derek Hough will win.

My Failures Inspired Me for Success

The White House Tour and Annual Christmas Card Greetings from the Clinton's during Bill Clinton Administration were two events in our life here in US that my wife and I will always cherish and remember.

Have you ever looked back in your past and remembered your failures? Have you realized that without those failures you could not have succeeded? The common saying that you have to fail in order to succeed applies to the following past events in my life.

The first event in my life to support the above statement 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.

The second event in my life illustrating the statement "you have to fail in order to succeed" was during my graduation with my Bachelors degree in Chemistry from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City in 1955. When I missed graduating cum laude (with Honor) by just 0.24 points, I told myself I would pursue my Ph.D. in the United States to show my professor in Differential Calculus who gave me a "4.0" (condition) grade when I received only 69% in the final exam(I missed 1 point to get a C). I took a retest and passed it with flying colors.

In my chemistry class, there were only 15 of us and only one graduated cum laude. That showed how hard it was to graduate with honor in chemistry at that time. That grade of "4" certainly did deflate my ego and self-esteem. Two years later, my self-esteem was redeemed when I passed the National Board Examination for Chemists, taking 3rd place nation-wide.

My four years average including the "4.0" that I got from Differential Calculus was included in the calculation (not my passing grade of 3.0 after a retest the next day) turned out to be 1.99 (not high enough for honor). But if you calculate my four year average with the 3.0 that I got after the retest, my four year average turned out to be 1.74, enough to receive the cum laude (with honor) award.

When I found this out, I was so furious, I wished my calculus professor be run over by a car or misfortunes fall on her every day of her life. When I saw her in the hallway, I gave her a stare of hate (like an arrow that pierced her heart that did not stop bleeding until she died).

But I vowed to the whole world, I will obtain a Doctorate Degree in the United States to show to my Professor in Differential Calculus what she did to my ego. Looking back, I think I should thank her for what she did, because there were numerous times during my first year in Graduate School, that I wanted to quit. But once I remember the incident, it reminded me of the vow I made to myself not to quit at any cost.

The third event in my life illustrating you have to fail in order to succeed was the culmination of my 22 years of experience working for private industries here in US. I lost my first job in industry of my own free will. I wanted to receive a 20% raise in income as well as move to a warmer climate (West Coast of the US).

The second private industry job that I lost was due to the company moving and closing their agricultural research division and also consolidating their research facility in one location to save money. I lost my third job in private industry because the firm wanted to save money and also wanted to get out of the pesticide business.

My fourth job loss was the most heart-breaking episode in my career. I had only one day of notice. After working for the firm for 12 years with good performance, it took management only one day to tell me that they not need me any more, good bye, and to look for another job.

That feeling of anger, loss of ego, shock and envy (for those who were not fired) was indescribable and humiliating. I vowed I would never worked for a private firm again in my life. My determination to work for the Federal Government was achieved when I worked for the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) in the Fall of 1990. David III and Me at the Portico of the White House Waiting for the Private Tour of the White House, 1995 Inside and Outside envelop of Christmas card from the Clinton's, 1995.

Working for FDA was the best move I have ever made in my career. My 12 years in the FDA was filled with awards, accomplishments and personal growth. Our life in the suburb of Washington, DC was filled with civic involvements, social and cultural activities, humanitarian projects and pleasant memories. The highlight of our stay in the Washington, D.C area was a private tour of the WHITE HOUSE.

Receiving a Christmas card from the White House for four years during the Clinton administration was the ultimate fulfillment of a Filipino student dream. Working for the Federal government was icing on the cake. Had any one of the four private firms not failed me, or had retained me as an employee, I would not have had the courage and incentive to work for Food and Drug Administration. Fireplace inside the White House with me and Macrine in our winter Outfits

The above three events in my life showed that you have to fail in order to succeed. How about you? Can you recall a past experience in your life that inspired you to success? I will be delighted to hear from you.

Are you curious why my wife are in the Christmas list of the Clinton's during the Clinton-Gore Years? Not because we were registered Democrats but I believe because our youngest son was then working in the Office of the President Management and Budget and my youngest daughter was a Presidential Intern in the Vice President Office. Those days are gone and I believe we will never be in the Christmas list of any President or Vice President of the US now or in the future.