Filipino Food is Available at Maymay Cravings in WC

In my previous postings about ethnic restaurants in Downtown Walnut Creek, I mentioned that there is no Filipino restaurant in WC. But I just learned that Mayday Cravings -an Asian Fusion Snack Bar at Locust St opened recently and is offering several filipino dishes and snacks.   

The Beef Kare-kare, Pork adobo, pork Sinigang, and Lugaw are Pinoy Comfort Dishes.    

Maymay's Cravings is on Locust Street between the Gather venue and the Dragon's Arch restaurant. The overall atmosphere is simple but clean. In the store, it has both Maymay's Cravings at the front and a Yifangs a little more inwards, so you can get a drink and a snack, all in one. There's ample seating near the entrance and farther in the store are some tables if you do decide to eat some instant noodles.

This store is honestly my go-to when it comes to instant and convenient food. Almost akin to the Japanese and Korean 7/11s. Whenever I walk in, I'm always greeted with a welcome! The instant ramen selections are displayed next to the onigiris and there's a pretty large selection of both! Ranging from jjajamyeon, to classic spicy, and even tteokbokki from what I remember? I was surprised by the variety! It operates just like those ramen bars where you make the ramen on these machines. You can ask for toppings for your ramen at the register, which is always a plus! I personally haven't tried them, but i've always wanted to. They sell some drinks to be made but if you don't have much time, they also sell some drinks beside the counter if you need something really quick.

The service is very nice. I believe it's a family owned business? Both the owner and the girl operating the business are incredibly nice, going above and beyond in helping the customer and you can tell they work hard. Definitely come by if you're looking for a quick bite before work or during a lunch break!

Here are some Reviews:

1.We tried various inigiri varieties💚: tuna & crab. Both were excellent. The portions of crab and tuna were generous and the price is right. There's easy parking across the street at the Locust garage. 

💚

2. Cute Asian snack spot that opened next to Yifang, replacing the previous ever-abandoned kettle corn business. Maymay's main thing is dressed-up instant ramen, but they also sell onigiri, pudding, boba, and other light bites.

3. Minimal decor, very local vibe. Friendly staff and simple offerings. We got one of their creamy lobster ramens to share, topped with fish ball, egg, and crab stick. Their boiling stations are self-serve-- pretty easy to operate. Overall, the ramen itself is fine. I appreciate the variety. The toppings are good. Nothing you can't find at 99 Ranch. I will note that their onigiris are delicious and more generous with the fillings than other spots in the bay.

I love the concept but the price, whewww :') I get that I'm paying for the convenience, but $3-9 for a pack of ramen then $1+ for each topping? I gotta be in some elevated level of laziness to justify it (spoiler: 60% of the time, I am)

4. We've been wanting to stop by here and finally got to try this place. It did not disappoint! It is located on Locust Street, and it shares the building with Yi Fang. The staff is very friendly, and it looks like the same owner runs both businesses. Parking can be tricky in the area, but there are several parking lots nearby.

We didn't try Yi Fang but we ordered a few things from MayMay. 
-First, the Onigiri was delicious! 5/5. It reminded me of 7/11 onigiri in Japan. It has the right amount of meat and rice. I had the spicy tuna one and it was good. 

-I also ordered the Buko Pandan dessert 4/5. This was surprisingly a very delicious dessert. It comes in a medium-sized cup, suitable for eating with a spoon, like a dessert, but it feels more like it should be in a regular boba drink cup. It comes with jelly but it is runny like a drink. It is sweet and it tastes like coconut. If you don't like too sweet beverages make sure you ask to change the sugar level. Regular is too sweet.

-My husband ordered the Taho 2/5 and this was our least favorite. First it is cold. It also comes with some crystal-type pearls, but being cold was not something we were expecting. The tofu is also a bit hard and it is not sweet. This was something we wouldn't order again. 

The cafe also offers instant ramen and various toppings to add to it. Overall, this place is fun, offering a good variety of items. I only got to try one Onigiri but I want to try others.

My Photo of the Day-Dinah at Tanoshi- 12/23/25

You can order via DoorDash. It is in my plan to order their pork sinigang rice bowl in the near future.   

Here's the top Five News of the Day  

1.China launches record military drills around Taiwan

China has begun its biggest live-fire exercises yet around Taiwan, involving land, sea, air and rocket forces and simulating encirclement tactics — 

a major escalation in cross-Taiwan Strait tensions amid ongoing geopolitical friction. Reuters+1

2. Dangerous winter storm hits U.S., causing widespread power outages
A powerful post-holiday storm has knocked out power to hundreds of thousands and may “bomb out” over the Great Lakes — threatening travel disruptions during the busy holiday season. FOX Weather

3. Jan. 6 pipe bomber confesses he didn’t target Electoral College vote count
A man charged with placing pipe bombs near the DNC and RNC before the January 6 insurrection told investigators he wasn’t aiming at Congress’ certification session, according to the DOJ. ABC News

4. Ukraine peace talks and global security dynamics headline world diplomacy
Discussions between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy are ongoing, focusing on longer-term U.S. security guarantees, while broader geopolitical issues including China-Taiwan tensions feature prominently in global briefings. Financial Times

5. Former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua injured in serious crash
Former world champion boxer Anthony Joshua was hurt in a car accident in Nigeria that killed two people; his injuries are reported as minor

The 49er's vs Bears NFL Game- One Second Left to Victory

One Second Left: Why This 49ers–Bears Game Meant So Much

I have been a San Francisco 49ers fan since the 1980s, long enough to have lived through dynasties, droughts, rebirths, and heartbreaks that linger longer than the final score. I’ve watched this team win Super Bowls with calm precision and lose seasons on a single misstep. And yet, even after all these decades, football still finds a way to surprise me.

Tonight’s 49ers–Bears game was one of those reminders.

With one second left on the clock, the 49ers pulled off a dramatic 42–38 victory, sealing a game that refused to slow down, let alone settle. It was chaotic, thrilling, exhausting and unforgettable. For a lifelong fan like me, it felt like football at its most honest: flawed, fierce, and decided in the final heartbeat.

A Game That Never Let Go

From the opening drive, this game had the feel of a shootout. Both teams moved the ball with confidence, trading scores and momentum as if neither defense wanted to blink first. The Bears played with speed and urgency, answering nearly every 49ers score with one of their own. It wasn’t just about talent, it was about will.

The 49ers offense showed why it remains one of the most dangerous units in the league: explosive plays, smart adjustments, and resilience under pressure. Each time it looked like the Bears might pull away, the 49ers responded. And when the game came down to its final moments, down to a single second, they did what championship teams have always done: they found a way.

That last score wasn’t just a winning play. It was a statement.

Why This Game Felt Personal

When you’ve followed a team as long as I’ve followed the 49ers, every era leaves a mark. I remember the elegance of Joe Montana, the fire of Steve Young, the bruising runs, the West Coast offense changing the NFL forever. Those teams taught us to expect greatness, but also patience.

Tonight’s game reminded me why I never stopped watching.

It wasn’t perfect football. It was emotional football. The kind that keeps you standing in front of the television long after you meant to sit down. The kind that reminds you why Sundays in America still revolve around kickoff times, even as the world grows more distracted.

Football’s Place in American Life

For readers outside the United States, it’s hard to overstate the role professional football plays here. The NFL is more than a sport, it’s a shared ritual. Cities pause. Families gather. Strangers argue like relatives and celebrate like lifelong friends.

Despite changes in media, attention spans, and culture, football remains America’s most powerful sporting language. Games like this one, decided at the very last second, explain why. They offer drama without a script, tension without certainty, and moments that feel communal even when watched alone.

In a divided, distracted age, professional football still has the rare ability to bring millions of people into the same emotional moment.

One Second, Many Memories

When the clock hit zero after that final second ticked away, I didn’t just feel joy. I felt gratitude, for still being here to watch, for still caring, for still believing that a game can surprise me after all these years.

The 49ers won, 42–38. Amazing and Exciting! 

But more than that, they reminded me why I became a fan in the first place. And as long as games like this are still being played, I suspect I’ll still be watching, heart racing, memory full, and grateful for every last second.

Meanwhile, here's the AI Overview of the Above Topic:

The recent 

49ers-Bears game (Week 17, 2025 season) came down to the final second, proving significant for both teams' immediate playoff destiniesand showcasing a thrilling, high-scoring shootout. 

Playoff Implications

The primary significance was the impact on the NFC playoff picture:

• 49ers' Bid for the No. 1 Seed: A loss would have severely jeopardized San Francisco's chances of securing the NFC's top seed and a crucial first-round bye. The win kept them in control of their postseason path, making the game feel like a "playoff game" in itself.
• Bears' Playoff Push: The Bears, an 11-win team, were aiming to clinch the NFC North title with a victory and push for a higher seed (they were the No. 2 seed entering the game). The close loss, while a setback, showed their ability to compete with top teams. 

A Thrilling, Back-and-Forth Contest

The game was a wild, back-and-forth affair, unlike a typical defensive struggle, making it one of the season's most thrilling encounters: 

• High Scoring: The final score was an unusual 42-38 (49ers win), with constant scoring runs and big plays from both sides.
• "One Second Left" Drama: The outcome was in doubt until the very end. The Bears, known for late-game comebacks, executed a hook-and-ladder play to get close to the goal line, but the 49ers defense held on the final play (a pass incompletion) as time expired to secure the win.
• Quarterback Showcase: Both quarterbacks delivered strong performances, with Brock Purdy scoring two rushing touchdowns and Caleb Williams throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, highlighting the offensive talent on both rosters.
• Resilience Tested: The 49ers had to overcome an early pick-six and the loss of key player Trent Williams to injury on the first play, demonstrating their resilience in a high-press
• My Related Articles on American Football:
• https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2019/02/our-love-and-hate-of-american-football.html
• https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2022/02/betting-and-gambling-on-super-bowl.html
• My Photos of the Day- Dinner at Tropa Restaurant, Lafayette, Ca 12-28-25
• 
  Carenna ( youngest grand daughter) with Our Dessert- Plantain Turon with Ube Ice Cream 
  
  
  Our Dinner- Ribs Adobo, Sisig, Lechon Kawaii and Steam Rice
  
  
• Ditas and Carenna-Visiting Me from Sacramento this afternoon
• Lastly, here are the top Five News of the Day:

• 1) Trump & Zelenskyy hold key peace talks on Ukraine war

  U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met at Mar-a-Lago to push toward a peace deal aimed at ending Russia’s nearly four-year war. Both sides described talks as productive, but major issues — especially on territory and security guarantees — remain unresolved. The Guardian

  2) Trump says a peace agreement is close — thorny issues remain

  In related developments, Trump said a peace plan is nearing completion, though critical sticking points persist. He also reported productive discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sky News

  3) Mid-air helicopter collision in New Jersey kills 1

  Two helicopters collided and crashed near Hammonton, NJ, killing at least one person and critically injuring another, authorities say. ABC News

  4) Major gas leak shuts down highway in Los Angeles area

  A significant gas line leak in northern Los Angeles County forced residents to shelter in place as a major roadway was shut down for hours. ABC News

  5) Trump touts ceasefire between Thailand & Cambodia

  President Trump announced a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, claiming the U.S. has mediated multiple global conflicts — a statement that has drawn both support and skepticism internationally. Hindustan Times

Dado Banatao-Bill Gates of the Philippines

Dado Banatao and the Quiet Power Behind the Screen

There are lives that change the world loudly with product launches, keynote speeches, and applause. And then there are lives that change the world quietly, invisibly from inside the machines we use every day. Diosdado “Dado” Banatao belonged to the second kind.

When news of his passing reached me, I paused longer than usual. Not because his name was always in the headlines, it wasn’t but because his story feels deeply familiar, especially to those of us who carry both Filipino roots and an American life.

From a barefoot boy walking to school in rural Cagayan Valley, to a man who once shared ideas and tables with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in Silicon Valley, Banatao’s journey was never about celebrity. It was about solving problems  and doing so at precisely the moment when the world needed those solutions most.

Building the Invisible Foundations

Most people credit the digital revolution to the devices we can see: the personal computer, the smartphone, the screen in our hands. But Banatao worked deeper than that. He built the bones.

At a time when personal computers were expensive, bulky, and inefficient, Banatao helped design integrated chipsets that combined multiple functions into fewer components. That single idea integration lowered costs, reduced power consumption, and made computers accessible to millions.

Because of that work, the PC stopped being a luxury and became a household tool.

Later, through early graphics acceleration, he helped free computers from text-only interfaces, opening the door to graphical environments we now take for granted. Every smooth animation, every video stream, every visual interface owes something to that early shift.

And when networking was still costly and limited, his work on low-power Ethernet chips helped make connectivity affordable. Long before we spoke of the internet as a utility, Banatao helped make it possible.

We rarely think about the people who make progress inevitable. But that is exactly what he did.

The Filipino Story Beneath the Silicon

For Filipino-American readers, Banatao’s story carries a deeper resonance.

We recognize the long walk to school, literal or figurative. We recognize parents who sacrificed quietly. We recognize excellence pursued without entitlement.

Banatao did not shed his Filipino identity to succeed in America. He carried it with him into engineering labs, boardrooms, and eventually into philanthropy.

Through PhilDev, he invested not only money, but belief that Filipino talent belongs at the highest levels of science, technology, and leadership. He understood something many immigrants learn late in life: success gains meaning only when it is shared forward.

Legacy Is Not Noise

As we age, many of us begin to think differently about legacy. Not legacy as recognition but as usefulness. Not legacy as fame, but as continuity.

Banatao’s life reminds us that the most enduring contributions are often unseen. His chips sit quietly inside machines. His ideas live silently inside architectures. His influence moves forward through engineers who may never know his name but benefit from his vision every day.

That kind of legacy feels especially familiar to Filipino culture, where dignity often lives in restraint, and service is offered without expectation of praise.

A Personal Reflection

I think often about how history remembers people like Dado Banatao. Not as icons on posters, but as forces, steady, deliberate, patient forces that bend the future toward possibility.

His passing feels like the closing of a chapter, not just for Silicon Valley, but for a generation that believed education could lift lives across oceans and cultures. For Filipino-Americans, his life stands as quiet permission: to belong fully, to contribute deeply, and to give back generously.

He showed us that you don’t need to be loud to matter. You only need to build something that lasts.  And in the glow of every screen we touch, something of Dado Banatao still does.

A Quiet Benediction

For those of us who have walked long roads, who have raised families, built careers, and now look more often toward meaning than ambition, Dado Banatao’s life offers a quiet comfort.

May we be reminded that a life does not need to be loud to be significant. May we trust that the work we did faithfully, often unseen,  still echoes forward. And may we rest in the knowledge that building something useful, passing it on, and leaving the world a little more open than we found it is, in the end, enough. I am indeed a very proud of Banatoa's accomplishments-a Fellow Filipino-American. May his soul rest in Peace, Amen! 

For Complete Details of His Life Visit: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dado_Banatao

From AI Overview:

Latest on Dado Banatao’s Death and Legacy

Business Inquirer

Dado Banatao, tech trailblazer and Silicon Valley veteran, dies at 79

BusinessMirror

From Cagayan to Silicon Valley: Dado Banatao, Pinoy tech visionary, 79 | Bless Aubrey Ogerio

Asian Journal News

Filipino-American technology pioneer Dado Banatao dies at 79 — Dateline Philippines

Philstar.com

Filipino tech pioneer Dado Banatao dies at 79 | Philstar.com

Manila Standard

Filipino microchip pioneer Diosdado Banatao dies at 79

📰 Who Dado Banatao Was

Diosdado “Dado” Banatao wasn’t just another Silicon Valley entrepreneur, he was a semiconductor pioneer whose work fundamentally shaped the personal computer industry. Born in 1946 in Iguig, Cagayan Valley, Philippines, the son of a rice farmer and a housekeeper, he overcame humble beginnings including walking barefoot to school to rise to global prominence in technology. Wikipedia

• Banatao earned degrees in electrical engineering in the Philippines and at Stanford University, where he also rubbed shoulders with future Apple founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak as part of the famous Homebrew Computer Club. Wikipedia

• He went on to invent or help develop critical semiconductor technologies, including:
  • the first 10-Mbit Ethernet CMOS chip
  • system logic chipsets for IBM PC-XT and PC-AT machines
  • one of the earliest graphics accelerator chips that helped power modern graphical user interfaces. Wikipedia

He also co-founded major tech firms like Chips & Technologies, Mostron, and S3 Graphics, and later became a venture capitalist through Tallwood Venture Capital, supporting generations of tech startups. Wikipedia

🕊️ Death — What Happened

According to official family statements and multiple news reports:

• Dado Banatao died on December 25, 2025, at age 79 in Stanford, California. Wikipedia

• The family confirmed he passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends after complications from a late-life neurological disorder. Philstar.com

• His son also said the family took comfort that “his fight with this disease is over,” reflecting a private battle rather than anything sudden or mysterious. Philstar.com

🧠 Why His Passing Matters

Banatao’s influence goes far beyond headlines:

• His innovations helped make computing more accessible and affordable. lowering barriers to personal computer adoption worldwide. Wikipedia

• He became a symbol of global Filipino achievement, often referenced as an example of how education, determination, and ingenuity can transform lives. PEP.ph

• Through PhilDev and other philanthropic efforts, he invested in STEM education and opportunity for young Filipinos, continuing his legacy beyond the lab and boardroom. Philstar.com

🧾 No Evidence of Conspiracy

Despite bold wording in some social posts or rumors, there’s no verified reporting linking his death to anything other than natural health complications. Major news outlets cite family statements and confirmed details, no unexplained or suspicious aspects have been reported by reputable sources. Philstar.com

Finally: Which Generation are You?