Snowbirds Living in the Philippines : The Chemistry of Happiness and My Photos of the Day

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

The Chemistry of Happiness and My Photos of the Day

This posting is inspired by my recent observation of a friend that was so happy after we attended an event that she loved. She appeared to be in Cloud 9, possibly due high levels of dopamine and oxytocin in her brain.   
Happiness isn’t some elusive secret; it’s built into our biology. Chemicals like dopamine, oxytocin, endorphins, and serotonin connect our inner feelings to the life we live. A warm hug, soaking up sunlight, or sharing a laugh with friends—small moments with big impact. The science behind happiness shows just how connected we are to the world around us.

Here are the four foundation for true happiness, consisting of these basic ingredients:.

A feeling of safety.
A sense of satiation.
A sense of perspective.
Quietude.
Meanwhile here are my photos of the Day

Personal Note: Our Cache Creek Casino Excursion June 10 was one of the most enjoyable activity I have participated here in THD since my move 2 years ago. Thank You, Activity and THD Management for Improving our quality of life and sense of community belonging by hosting this type of activity.

My Lunch at the Asian Cafe was Pork Sinigang. It has the authentic tamarind-sour taste and enough left over for take out. It was yummy! They have Adobo also in their menu. Cache Creek is celebrating their 40 years in business. Two other THD residents were with me along with our capable driver, Liza and excellent host, Camille, Thank you Liza and Camille for the wonderful day excursion! Perhaps, next time we could leave early or go to Graton Casino in Marin County. Here's the leftover of My $120 budget for the trip. I lost but had a grand time! Looking for the next Casino trip excursion soon.

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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.