Snowbirds Living in the Philippines : I Left My Heart in Marinduque

Friday, February 7, 2014

I Left My Heart in Marinduque

I have always wanted to write a song about "Leaving my Heart in Marinduque"—a parody of the signature song of Tony Bennett, I left My Heart in San Francisco. My sincere apologies to George Cory and Douglas Cross who wrote, I left My Heart in San Francisco in 1954. This song should be sung to the tune of the famous song in honor of the city by the Bay (San Francisco, California).

Here it is, I hope you like it:

The loveliness of Fair Oaks seems somehow sadly gay

The glory that was Boac is another day!

I've been terribly alone and forgotten in Sacramento

I'm going home to my town by the sea.

I left my heart in Marinduque

Near by the beach it beckons me

To be where the Moriones are

Come, visit wherever you are

The morning sun rise by the sea

I don't care!

My love waits at Chateau Du Mer

Near the blue and calmy sea

When I come home to you, Marinduque

Chateau Du Mer will welcome me!

Note: Chateu Du Mer, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines is our second home. Boac is the capital town of the province. Fair Oaks (an eastern suburb of Sacramento), California is our first home here in the US.

My wife and I called ourselves snowbirds, because in winter time, we fly to tropical Philippines to get away from the winter chills of Northern California.

Marinduque is a small island province in the Philiipines. It is the heart and geographic center of the Philippines. Marinduque is also known for its Morions and the Moriones Festival during Holy Week.

This year and last year, the island has been in the world and national news due to the on-going controversy regarding the election of its lone representative to Congress, presumed but not proven to be an American citizen. Both the Supreme Court and the House of Congress of the Philippines are involved with this case.

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Joys of Retirement

I have been retired from USFDA since 2002. At first, I feel I have lost my identity as an individual or have lost my contribution to society. However, within a few weeks all these feelings were gone. It started when my wife and I started baby sitting one of our grandchildren. As some economics professor states: "Your children are your capital investments, but your grandchildren are your profits. That is why you love your grandchildren more than your children". I really agree with the statement. Retirement also gives you lots of time to do things you like to do, such as your hobbies and of course travel. In my case, I turned my hobby of gardening and landscaping into a small business in the Philippines. This endeavor was planned about five years before 2002. That year my wife and I started construction of our retirement home in Boac, Marinduque , Philippines. The next year we built a beach house, followed by a Conference Hall two years later. Needless to say, planning and executing the landscaping was a challenge and very enjoyable. With the help of local labor, I not only enjoy the time gardening and landscaping, but also help improved the economic situation of the province by providing work and jobs to the local residents. With plenty of time, I have engaged into two specific activities as follows: First, I created a website for my small business. By trial and error, I created and design the website, www.chateaudumer.com I have never been a computer nerd or expert. But with plenty of time and patience, the fruits of my labor could be enjoyed if you visit the website above. The second activity, I have not done before was to utilize on-line activities, such as shopping, paying bills ( save you stamps) and playing computer games in the Internet. I really enjoyed playing duplicate bridge on line. You play with players all over the world and can chat in between games. But be careful, you are not spending too much time in the computer. It is very addictive. With a lots of time, my wife and I devoted more time on our favorite humanitarian project. For the last 15 years, we have been involved with medical mission to the province of Marinduque. For details please visit the website: www.marinduqueinternational.org As a summary, the joy one gets on retirement is very specific for an individual. Some enjoy their free time by learning new activities, getting involved with humanitarian projects or spending more time with their grandchildren. Others hate it, since they missed their former jobs and co-workers. Others with no children still enjoy retirement by traveling, turning their hobbies into business or more community involvement. Of course those that retire and hate it, is believe to die earlier than those that enjoy their retirement years. So, plan your retirement as early as you can. The happier you are on retirement, the longer you will live.