The Road Is for Journey, not Destination

Yesterday, October 2 was the Day of the Guardian Angel.  It is my birthdate.  It must have been providential that I was born on that day.  I am to be a Guardian Angel for people.

Now, I know why I became a teacher and have remained one to this day.  Now, I know why I am deeply involved in and administering the Social Justice Project, a social amelioration program that helps disenfranchised and suffering people, especially the physically and mentally disabled children and old people in Metro-Manila, Philippines.

It is my practice to go to Mass early in the morning on my birthdate.  After Mass yesterday, I came back to my hotel in San Bernardino, CA where I am putting the finishing touches to a charter school petition that Ces and I have been working on.

When I turned on the TV, the King of Siam was on.  The King spoke, "The road is for journey, not destination."  It struck me that I have been on the road for 69 years, on a journey to meet my Creator, my destination!

What am I to tell Him about journey?  What have I got to show Him at the destination?  Heavy thoughts.  I must relax and delve on those thoughts later.

So yesterday was party time with some selected friends at the Knights' Hall in San Bernardino.  I wanted 69 of my friends at the party.  Not all showed up.  There were not 69 guests because you were not there.  You could not make it, but I knew though that you were thinking of me and wishing me well.

The party was subdued and simple.  Here are some photos.  Just place yourself somewhere among them, okay?

 This is a very delicious chocolate cake from Portos, a Cuban bakery in Glendale, CA.

  Oh, this tart from Portos is to die for!  It really has a fabulous taste that takes you to dreamland.

  Let me introduce some of my friends who enjoyed the get together.  From left, Joe Burns, Jane Gaura and Ike Gaura.  Joe is a strong supporter of the Social Justice Program.  So are the Gauras.  In fact, Ike is the Financial Secretary of the newly formed Social Justice Project, Inc.

  John Henry, left, joined the group for dessert.

  From left to right are Mrs. Lobato, Ray Lobato, Bill and Barbara Dickinson.  The Dickinsons, accomplished chefs that they are, thought the food served was totally delicious.

  The big hitters:  From left are Jim Haubner, Bruce Ewing, Kathy Ewing, Angie Haubner and Elena Hamilton.

  This is Jim Haubner, Jr.  An accomplished, pool shooter, he gamely pairs up with me against other players.

  John Rozzi is the Grand Ole Man of the group.  He loves his sweets!

  Jerry Doubek supports the Social Justice Project as well.  He has visited the several programs under the Project during one of his visits to the Philippines.

  Lupe Perez, right, joins us for a drink at the bar.  Gina Reynolds, far left, anticipates the visit to the bar.

  Ahhhh, lumpia!  Lots and lots of lumpia at the party, guests had the opportunity to take some home.

  This rotissiere chicken from Juan Pollo is my favorite chicken.  It tastes much like the old Robinson Farm rotissiere chicken in the Philippines, then.

  The chopsuey went very fast, too.  I had the food cooked to my specifications at the Manila Food Express in Colton, CA because I had no kitchen in the hotel I could use.

  How can a Pinoy birthday party go without PANCIT!  Using miki noodles and shrimp Manila Food Express cooked the pancit to the discerning taste of the guests.

  In addition to the fruit tart and the Parisian chocolate cake, Portos gave us truly sweet and delicious cheese rolls for dessert.

Standing from left are Ted Atencio, Bob Herness and Luis Arciniega.  Seated beside me are Chuchi and Jerry Doubek.

 Around the table, clockwise, are Bob Herness, Luis Arciniega, John Rozzi, Ted Atencio, Chuchi and Jerry Doubek, Me and Bill Sutcliffe.

In case you're wondering why Ces is not in the pictures, just imagine her holding the cameras in front of the subjects and taking the pictures.

Truly, I wish you could have joined us at the party.  The journey goes on!

 

Tags: birthday, party, kofc, fraternity, charity, social justice

Great Times with Friends

The Tres Muskiteros of from left to right Rhante Parrenas, Ted Williams and Rudy Salanga pose at the Hoover Dam at the Nevada/Arizona border on August 24, 2008.

Ngeeeee! was the battle joke throughout the two-day trip of the Tres Muskiteros of the Knights of Columbus to the Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon and Sedona in Arizona.  These places will never be the same again without the Tres Muskiteros DD/PFN/PGK Rudy Salanga of Las Pinas City, Philippines; PGK Ted Williams now of Burbank, CA; and FDD/PGK Rhante Parrenas of Las Vegas, NV messing them up!  Alice Williams and her two children Michelle and Melody, Cora Salanga and Ces Parrenas completed the entourage.

Ted rented this huge 18-seater GMC (?) truck from Los Angeles..  Really  big, lots of room and very comfortable.  I thought it was difficult to drive; turned out to be just like driving a small car when I took over from Ted for the drive from the Grand Canyon to Flagstaff, AZ.!

Immediately upon their arrival in Las Vegas from Burbank at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, August 22, we took Rudy & Cora and Ted & Alice to my hotel and casino, the South Point (You didn't know Ces and I own this place?), for a buffet dinner that featured seafood in addition to the Steak Place, the Italian Bistro, the Mexican Cage, The Mongolian House and the Asian Wok.

Gee, I didn't have to ask them what they wanted to eat.  They could have a feast, a really delicious treat, of whatever pleases their palates.

Poor guys!  They must have been so tired.  They immediately came home with me and slept in their royalty rooms sans their lovely wives who went spending the night at the machines and tables at my casino.  Guess who the ladies' guide was!

Very early in the morning at 8:30  (Ngeeeee! Is that early?) , we drove to the Grand Canyon, via the Hoover Dam for sightseeing.  Here's the Hoover Dam. http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/service/index.html

<FONTFACE=ARIAL size="4">We proceeded on a three-hour turtle drive to Williams, Arizona to register at Fairfield Inn by Marriott for our three rooms.  Fairfield Inn had two queen-sized beds in each room, which was good for all of us to be able to relax.  Check it out. http://www.marriott.com/fairfield-inn/travel.mi

Seeing the Grand Canyon is always a humbling experience for me.  Being the Minister of Tourism for Pinoy visitor friends, I visit this national park at least twice a year!  The hair keeps standing on edge every time I see the grandeur of this place.  God's creation is totally fascinating.  http://www.nps.gov/grca/

Rhante, Ces, Cora, Rudy, Ted and Alice having lunch at Pine Country Restaurant in Williams, AZ on Saturday, August 23, 2008.

Ted, Rudy and Rhante in front of the Desert View Tower, overlooking the mesa of the Grand Canyon.

Rudy and Rhante in front of the Desert View Tower.

Ces, Cora and Alice at the Desert View part of the Grand Canyon where the Colorado River can be seen in the background.

Ted possesses the spectacle of the Grand Canyon in his enthralling smile!

Rhante and Rudy are totally mesmerized by the grandeur of this God's creation.

Hunger struck by the time, we got to Flagstaff, AZ from the Grand Canyon.  We looked for the Himalayan Restaurant that I knew of from a previous visit.  I forgot to ask them not to put MSG in the chicken tekka masala and the tandoori chicken we ordered.  The restaurant must have put in a lot of MSG because I really sufferedwith hypertension that nightand into the next three days.  My head was actually woozy while we enjoyed ourselves in Sedona!

The great company of my friends must have given me the strength to carry on with the expedition to Sedona and the trip back to Las Vegas with utmost glee!

Ted & Alice, Rudy & Cora and Ces & Rhante stop by the roadside on the way to Sedona, AZ to memorialize the visit to the majestically serene red rock formations of Sedona from a distance.

The visit to the Chapel of the Holy Cross on top of one of the majestic red rocks brought solemnity to our visit.

The Tres Muskiteros now stand nearer to the red rocks fronting The Chapel of the Holy Cross.

 Behind and below Ces and me is the huge SUV that Ted rented for us to use on this trip to Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon and Sedona. See the red rocks behind us in the distance?  Fantastic!

I contend that these rock projectiles resulted from God's pushing The Grand Canyon.  As He stepped on the Grand Canyon the rocks erupted up in Sedona!

 See the naughty look on Ted's face?  What do you think he's doing?  Ngeeeee!  This is the entrance to a souvenir shop in Sedona where I bought a collapsible walking stick that I really love.

Ted, Rudy and Rhante stand to record the visit to Sedona, AZ to enjoy the majestic red rocks.

Standing according to height from left to right: Rudy, Ted, Rhante, Ces, Alice and Cora right after an American lunch at the Sunflower Restaurant in Sedona.

Rudy and Cora pause for a breather with some fine sculptures before continuing on with their shopping spree in Sedona, AZ.

A beautiful butterfly flutters around, entertaining us while we went shopping in Sedona.

The Tres Muskiteros enjoy the constructions I ordered to improve the Hoover Dam, especially the Freeway that will bypass the old Highway 93 and afford travelers a bird's eye view of the Hoover Dam.  The crazy U.S. government granted me ownership of this dam out of the blue!  Call me, if you want free electricity! Ngeeeeeee!

Night finally falls in Las Vegas as we parted ways.  Ces and I went to set up her classroom for Monday, August 25 so she could start the new school year right.  Rudy & Cora, Ted & Alice and their daughters Michelle and Melody checked in to the Palazzo Hotel at The Strip.  http://www.palazzolasvegas.com/PINT.aspx?KNC-PAGOOGLESEARCH

The whole trip was replete with non-stop jokes that rocked the huge SUV that Ted drove.  The pinnacle of the joke, of course, was Eddy Arreza's vintage Ngeeeeeee expression!  Eddy is my best friend who is more than a brother.  He is the new District Warden to Rudy who is the District Deputy of the Knights of Columbus in the Las Pinas City District.

This trip has not ended.  It is just the beginning of more trips to come!

 

Tags: Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Sedona, Knights of Columbus

Fear of a Plane Crash

 

Did you ever experience a plane crash?  Hopefully, not.  Otherwise, you wouldn't be reading this blog now, yes?  However, you may have experienced a near crash or something seriously scary while on a plane ride other than the plane shaking violently while going through air turbulence.  I did.  I finally have calmed down to write about one such experience.

On Monday, July 7, 2008, I was scheduled to fly to Iloilo City from Manila, Philippines on Philippine Airlines at 10:00 a.m.  After three schedule cancellations due to what-ever-they-needed-to-do-with-the-plane, I finally was able to fly out at about 1:00 p.m.  The delay did not concern me because I needed to be in Iloilo City to condole with my family at the passing on of my older brother to the second life.

The weather was perfect.  The sky was clear.  There was not a single air pocket turbulence during the flight.  Nearing Iloilo City, the purser announced for us to fasten our seatbelts and get ready for landing.  Looking out the plane window, I could see the verdant greens of the city.  Visibility was great!

As I always do, I prayed the Holy Rosary at take off and at landing.  While enjoying the scenery below, I was praying the Holy Rosary.  The man beside me said some prayers, too, as he made the sign of the cross slowly, most reverently slowly.

The plane started descending, the flaps unfolding to slow the plane down.  I expected a gentle glide for landing followed by the rolling of the tires.

BLAAGGHH came the booming sound!  The green land I was looking at disappeared and was replaced with the horizon.  The plane seemed to have dropped from the sky instead of gliding down.  It bounced off the runway!!  Complete silence enveloped the plane.  Not a single sound came from anyone or anything.  The silence seemed like forever!  Then, I guess after about 10 seconds...BAAGGHH came the thudding sound!  The plane dropped off again!  After another five seconds, SRREeeccchhh... the plane's tires started rolling on the runway.

The man beside me made the sign of the cross so fast, he must have crossed himself a hundred times in one second to thank God for letting us live through the experience!

The purser came on the PA system, "Ladies and gentlemen, we just landed in IL...IL...ILO...ILOI...ILOI...ILOILO City..."  The purser must have been scared out of his wits, too!  The passengers erupted in unison, "You couldn't even pronounce Iloilo anymore!"

Either the pilot named something like Capt. Cabahug is totally inept or high on some drugs or perhaps his co-pilot was practice landing, he scared the living daily lights out of me.  At the moment of impact on the ground, I had no feelings at all.  My mind was also blank.

It was when we started taxiing on the runway that I really got scared, my body shaking, my throat dry and my head woozy.  My imagination went wild...what if the plane tilted and the wing tips touched the runway?...what if...what if...what if...  The what-ifs wouldn't stop.  I imagined the plane bursting into a fireball.  What if?

I had nightmares.  It took me this long...over a month...to get over the what-ifs!  I hope and pray that you will not experience the fear I went through.

Philippine Airlines...Capt. Cabahug or whatever-your-name is...you owe me an apology.

I thank God for letting me live through that experience and giving me more time to serve Him in this world.

 

 

Tags: Fear of Planes

Will you please help the poor?

The Social Justice Project we have been running since the year 2000 for the very poor squatters in the Manggahan area in Las Pinas City really, truly needs your help. Please deny yourself a little bit of a night out expense and donate that amount to our Project.

Doing so, you will be feeding some 200 hungry children every Friday with a simple chicken rice porridge breakfast and an occasional hamburger. You will be teaching them faith in God every Sunday afternoon. You will be able to give them a pair of shorts and a shirt once a year. You will be able to give them toothbrushes and soap and teach them hygiene. You will be able to help their parents learn employability skills in the classes we send them to.

In other words, you will be doing God’s work as the steward of the gifts He has given you and your family.

There is no calendar deadline for our Fund Drive for the need is always there.  Please write your donation in favor of Our Lady of Fatima 9636 and send it to Florante Parrenas, C/O Knights of Columbus, 1729 E. Baseline Street, San Bernardino, CA 92410.

It will be my honor to thank you personally in the name of these hapless children who are counting on you for help.  May you continue to receive blessings of good health, peace and charity for God lives in you!

Tags: Social Justice, Help for the Poor, Charity

Outstanding Taxi Service and Guide

 

                                   Pong Li

o  Neat and very clean taxi

o  Efficient, safe, honest, respectful and  Inexpensive

o  Mobile Phone:  1-362-106-9212

o  No email address yet

If you should ever go to Beijing, call on Li before leaving your country or when you get to Beijing and make arrangements for his service.

Ces and I used a lot of taxi service while in Beijing on May 9-17, 2006.  Li provided the best with his most outstanding and inexpensive service.  He charged us just Y500 ($72) for his whole day service to anywhere we wanted to go!  We wish we had met him before instead of just the last three days of our visit.

Try him.  You will not regret it.

Tags: Best taxi service in Beijing, Best Taxi Service in China, Honest, safe taxi service in Beijing

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Disasters Come in Threes?

The flight back from Beijing to Los Angeles was uneventful until Ces and I arrived and went through U.S. Customs and Immigration.  The two-hour delay in the connecting flight at the Narita Airport did not bother us for we joined up with our friend Philippine Air Force General (Ret.) Julius de la Torre who flew in from Manila.  The long wait for our luggage at LAX did.  We thought the luggage was left behind somewhere.

However, the real problem began when Agriculture Inspectors kept us.  The examiner asked if we had meat products, vegetables, fruits.  We said no to all.  He asked again and again.  Again we said no, we did not have any.

He opened my carry on bag in front of us and DANG, he pulled out a Chinese pear from the front pocket.  I was shocked!  It was one of the pears from the Hyatt welcome amenities we received.  Somehow, one of us put in that pear with the rest of the snacks.  He pulled out the customs declaration we signed and told us failure to declare would now cost us a fine of $300!  We could pay with a credit card, cash, or send a check or money order later.  Egads!  My knees buckled down!  What an expensive pear!

I had to be fast and furious in finding a way out of this debacle!

Thank God for years of dramatic training and stage experience, my eyes started to tear and my body contorted in convulsions.  I pleaded complete innocence, that I had no malice whatsoever.  I showed him my empty wallet.  I told him I use no credit cards...that my meager retirement check as a teacher will not be enough to pay the fine!  He spoke to his supervisor who was watching the drama all along.  He came back saying that we could go this time with a warning...and that we should be sent to the Principal's Office!

We moved out of there faster than lightning!  Whew, we thought that was that!  But NO, that was not to be!

When I clicked on the pudgy, electronic key to my MB Hatchback Kompressor, it wouldn't open the car door.  The battery was dead after nine days of inactivity.  We had to call for help.

The Airport Parking Center at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Century Boulevard where we parked gave us a quick and efficient assistance.  I told the parking attendant that he had to pry the door open.  He smiled and asked for my key.  I told him it wouldn't get into the keyhole for I did not have a real key.  He gave me a smile and still asked for the pudgy key.  He pulled the metal at the side of the pudgy electornic key, and voila, a key came out!  He knew more about my toy car than I did!  With his portable charger juicing my car up, I was able to start it in a blink of an eye!

How lucky can we get?  Ces and I managed to overcome two more would-be tragedies in two days time!

Well, now, we're back home in Las Vegas, exhausted but the better for the experience!  Watch out Beijing.  We're going back to enjoy you one more time...after I find some luck at my favorite casino here in Las Vegas!

Tags: Pears, Disaster, Beijing, Luck

Near Tragedy at Trip's End

Tragedy almost struck at the end of our China Experience today, Friday, May 16, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.  But that is getting ahead of the story.  Let's start from the beginning.

Ces and I woke up excited at the prospect of taking leisurely walks to wind up our seven-night and eight-day China Experience.  We are schedled to fly to Los Angeles tomorrow morning.  As always, we started the day with a hearty complimentary breakfast at Made in China.

Ces opted for a cab ride to the Lama Temple right after breakfast.  The huge Buddha statues and the pilgrims were the main attractions at the Temple.  The pilgrims burned incense and prayed.  Ces joined them in burning incense.

Another cab trip through heavy downtown traffic took us to the Pearl Market where Ces bought designer jeans and shirts, mostly True Religion and Ed Hardy, for friends and our two daughters who ordered them.  What is truly challenging and enjoyable at the shopping sprees here is the bargaining.  It's like playing poker!

For myself, I bought a lime-colored silk Chinese dinner jacket and a blue Chinese dress shirt.  Ces bought herself a beige Chinese dress shirt.  We would have wanted to buy many more things.  However, funds are now getting meager.  Our advice?  Bring a lot of money for shopping when you visit China!

We ventured in to a local restaurant for lunch.  It was easy to order my favorite Pai Gu, a pork rib dish, because I had a Made in China waiter write it for me in Chinese characters.  Through hand gestures and picture pointing we managed to order the rest of the food we wanted to eat.  Hearty and deiicious servings of six dishes only cost us Y114 (approximately $15)!

We deposited our left overs in the refrigerator in our room at the hotel and took a nap.  At 5:00 p.m., we took a short cab ride to the Quanjude Peking Roasting Duck Restaurant, just past the Tien'anmen Square.

This Quanjude, I understand, is the oldest restaurant that serves Peking Duck in the city.  Certainly, the place was clean and very elegant.  Colorfully attired attendants, waiters and waitresses were continually courteous, always attending to our every dining need.  If it is elegance that you enjoy, then this is the restaurant to visit.  However, the Peking Duck served us paled compared to the one we had at Made in China at the Grand Hyatt Beijing.  The duck here did not look shiny.  The skin was not crispy, but mostly chewy.  It served the skin and the meat together, instead of separating them as in Made in China.  A special dip for the skin was also missing here.

Of course, the price was only one-third that of Made in China.  If money is no object and taste is your joy, we recommend that you savor your Peking Duck at the Made in China. The U.S. National Public Radio review in recognizing Made in China as having the best Peking Duck appears to us, with our limited experience, to be true.

The near tragedy occurred right after we left the Quanjude.  We started to take a short leisurely walk to the Tien'anmen Square after dinner.  On the wide promenade, a man pedalling a tricyle offered to take us to the Square.  With pre-written and rehearsed Chinese phrases that Shuping Wang, a teacher at the SB Adult School prepared for me, I asked the man how much it would cost.  He spoke only Chinese but gestured for me not to worry, that it was just going to be (I interpreted) "inexpensively alright." 

Wrong!  Beware the pedal pushers!

So, Ces and I boarded the tricycle with the pedaller in front of us.  After a few yards, I asked him to stop and take a souvenir photo for us.  When he got off the tricyle, it tipped backwards and caused us to fall over on our backs, sprawled on the pavement!  We laughed through our pains (bruises on elbows, hands, and thighs) and embarrassment as passersby helped us up.

We should have stopped then and there!  But, NO, we stupidly continued on.

The man called for back up using his mobile phone.  His handlebar was partially broken.  Another tricycle appeared out of nowhere.  Ces and I were now in two different tricycles as we traversed the streets.  The men pedaled us through the "old" city (Hutong?).  It was a circuitous route to the edge of the Tian'anmen Square.  Eventually, they stopped andlet us off in an enclosed and secluded area, some 30 yards away from the street.

I pulled out my wallet to give them the equivalent of $10.  A taxi ride would have cost only $1 after all.  They got upset and said it was not enough.  They pulled out a laminated paper that indicated the service was going to cost about $50!

With an emphatic voice and the best body language I could muster, I protested emphasizing highway robbery!  The driver of my tricycle grabbed me by the arms.  I moved sideways (remembering my verbal judo training at SBCUSD) which effectively caused him to release my arm.  I raised my walking cane in a defensive stance and authoritatively spoke an emphatic "NO," handed him Y100 bill (about $15), and with gestures emphasized I had no more money to give them!  I asked Ces to start walking ahead and I followed her with the confidence of a Mr. Miyagi!  They continued with their verbal barrage but did not make any moves that I could perceive to be dangerous, so we kept on walking unhesitatingly purposefully, saying emphatic "NOs" with dismissive hand gestures at the same time.

WHEW!  That was a critical event in this China Experience.  For a moment there, I thought it was going to turn ugly.  All through the episode, I was mentally praying for sanity to prevail through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and imploring Him to send our guardian angels to protect us!

He heard my prayers and showered us with His grace!

Advice:  Beware the pedal pushers!  Remain calm, confident and believe in and call on the protection of our Lord God.

We are blessed.  Vivat Jesus.

Tags: Beijing, Vacation, Trip, Tricycle