Snowbirds Living in the Philippines : Pier 1 Lunch Excursion and Candlelight Concert

Sunday, June 30, 2024

Pier 1 Lunch Excursion and Candlelight Concert

Yesterday, sixteen Senior Residents of THD, Chaperon By Cidney Carbah with our capable and efficient driver, Nancy enjoyed this 5-hr Excursion from the Oakland Ferry Terminal to San Francisco Pier 1. We left THD at 10:30AM. The day was perfect, sunny skies, no wind and temperatures in the High 60's.

After our arrival at Pier 1, we were on our own and instructed to be back at Gate G at 1:40PM. The place was crowded and all restaurants have long lines. Luckily, Mary Ann DeWald, Jay Pollack and I were able to get a seat without waiting at Gott's Roadside. Mary Ann and I ordered the Chili and garlic fries. Jay indulged himself with the chicken sandwich. Mary Ann had white wine and I had draft beer. As usual Jay has his soft-drink, since he does not indulge in alcoholic drinks.

Thank You Mary Ann and Jay for your company at lunch time. Special mention to Mary Ann for giving me a few minutes of arm support when I felt a little bit dizzy after walking for 10 minutes in the Farmer's Market after lunch. I took several pictures that I am posting today.

Our trip back to THD was uneventful, except that we almost lost 2 seniors, Martha M

and Eileen B. They unboarded the ferry early at the Port of Alameda instead of the Port of Oakland.

Another event that could have been disastrous was that Farna W, almost fell on the uneven walkway at the Farmer's Market. A Good Samaritan was at the right time to catch her from falling to her face.

My suggestion to THD Activity: If this Activity be Repeated, It is best to do it on Weekdays instead of Saturdays where the crowds are humungous and overpowering. Perhaps the lines at the Restaurants in Pier 1 will not have a 1-2 hours wait on Weekdays. I would have love to dine at the Hog Island Oyster Company, but I have no time to wait for 2 hours. My Congratulations to THD Activities for sponsoring this enjoyable Excursion- one of the best ways for us senior citizens to get out once in a while from our GILDED CAGE.

Lastly, Don Hoffman's Candlelight Concert last night was a musical evening I will always treasure and remember during my stay here at THD. His repertoire was perfect, starting with Some Enchanting Evening from South Pacific and ending with When You Walk Alone from Carousel. In between the one -hour of heart warming of musical genius singing various genre of music is an event I will never forget. His bass-baritone voice that did not need any amplification filled the Activity Room with such booming and melodious sounds one is willing to pay hundreds of dollars. But it was free to us, residents of THD. Thank You Galen and hopefully Don will be back soon. I could listen another hour with his music in spite of the not too comfortable seats in the new activity room.

Two other favorite pieces of music that Don sang was Old/Man River from Show Boat and the Toreador song from the Opera, Carmen. He also sang an Elvis Priestly song.

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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.