My Autobiography: David Balleza K(C)atague

Sunday, May 5, 2024

A Filipino Lunch Excursion Plan for June

One of the numerous activities enjoyed by a number of THD residents are the monthly lunch excursions to the numerous ethnic restaurants here in Walnut Creek. Unfortunately, there is zero Filipino restaurant in Walnut Creek. The nearest Filipino restaurants are in Concord, Pacheco, San Ramon and Pittsburg. However, these restaurants are not really great for a seat-down semi-formal enjoyable lunch as they are targeted for the take-away crowd (TO GO). One of the filipino restaurant recommended by a friend is the FOB Kitchen in Oakland at 5179 Telegraph Ave ( Temescal District) 💚💚https://www.yelp.com/biz/fob-kitchen-oakland.

Here's a write up of the Chef and Owner of FOB Kitchen from the website, FOBkitchen.com

Janice Dulce (she/they) is the Chef and Owner of FOB Kitchen. She was born into a large Filipino family and grew up in the Bay Area and Guam. Her favorite childhood memories involve “handaan” dinner parties, where food was always plentiful. In 2015, Dulce flew to the Philippines to cook alongside her mother and grandmother, learning and mastering the recipes from her youth. When she returned to the Bay Area, FOB Kitchen was born, first as a weekly pop-up, and three years later into a permanent residence in Oakland, CA. Dulce received the StarChefs Rising Star Community Chef award in 2019 and most recently was selected to be a 2021, 2022 and 2023 California Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide. She consistently receives recognition from the SF Chronicle, including Top 100 and Top 88 Restaurants List in 2019 and 2020, and 2021’s Top East Bay Restaurants. She has also received write-ups from noteworthy publications including Forbes, East Bay Express, and Berkeleyside.

Since I have not been to FOB Kitchen, Galen and I are planning to have a Taste- Lunch Date sometime this Month. If we like it, Galen plan on organizing a Lunch Excursion opened to all THD Residents in June if not earlier. 💚💚The Menu is listed on the website above.

Important Note; Filipino Food is designed to be a Family Dining Experience and like the Chinese Dim Sum has to be shared so that a variety of dishes can be enjoyed by all. However, if you insist dining American style, that is your own choice and we will not question your decision.

Here's one of the latest reviews about FOB Kitchen.

Apr 21, 2024

Came here with some friends for Oakland restaurant week. It was a miracle that we were able to get seated almost immediately for a group of 4, and service was consistently kind and attentive throughout even though they had all tables full!

The restaurant itself is also beautiful, the tables are spacious, and tables are spaced far enough apart that you can actually enjoy conversation with your friends. I loved all the plants on the shelves above us, made it feel so tropical and airy.

The food itself was incredible, and I loved how vegetarian friendly it was (half our group was vegetarian). We got pretty much everything on the restaurant week menu, and each course impressed us. Standouts were the two salads (some preferred the jicama, others the eggplant), the pancit sotanghon, and the turon dessert. It was interesting that each one of us had a different favorite dish--the hallmark of a place that's super special and executes well. And indeed, all the food felt beautifully and thoughtfully constructed. Definitely coming back!!

https://theintellectualmigrants.blogspot.com/2024/03/thirteen-best-filipino-restaurants-in.html

Saturday, May 4, 2024

Cinco De Mayo Celebration- A Resounding Success

Photo Credit: Karen Kopp, Ole! Ole!

Dean Elias with his Sombrero that match his Shirt. I had a red sombrero that matched my red 49er wind-breaker jacket that I wore during the Cocktail Hour.

The beautiful music of the Monumental Mariachi Band reverberated thru the Liberty Pavilion with the sharp sounds of the two trumpets. It was accompanied by two guitars and a violin with and vocalist singing Mexican Classic songs. The marching band started and ended the Cocktail Hour with the Classic Cielito Lindo💚-one of my favorite Mexican songs. Margarita and chips with salsa and avocado dip flowed freely during this happy musical hour on a perfect sunny afternoon here at the THD Liberty Pavilion. Veronica and I danced with the salsa music along with Marsha, Martha, Galen, Karen and Yefem.

Incidentally, the wall mural had been updated with several animals( ducks) and a small farm house by the river. Thank You Trenton for the beautiful details added to the wall mural.

The Cocktail/Happy Hour was followed by an authentic Mexican Dinner.

Here are some photos I took during dinner with Marsha Kefer, Dean Elias and Jay Pollack. I had the Chili Relleno. Martha had the Fish Tacos, and Jay had the Chicken Ensalada. Dean had the Taco Bowl and Chicken Tortilla soup. No one ordered the Beef Fajitas. Here are the photos:

The Chicken Tortilla Soup

My Chili Relleno-Yummylicious!

The Taco Salad Bowl

The Chicken Ensaladas and Fish Tacos

I had the Mexican Flan ( Custard ) to Go that I ate later before I retired for the evening.

Churros with Chocolate Sauce- I had this in my Fridge a couple of days ago.

A special Paper Placemats for our Special Mexican Dinner, Friday, May 3, 2024

💚💚"Cielito Lindo" is a Mexican folk song or copla popularized in 1882 by Mexican author Quirino Mendoza y Cortés (c. 1862 – 1957). It is roughly translated as "Lovely Sweet One". Although the word cielo means "sky" or "heaven", it is also a term of endearment comparable to "sweetheart" or "honey". Cielito, the diminutive, can be translated as "sweetie"; lindo means "cute", "lovely" or "pretty". The song is commonly known by words from the refrain, "Canta y no llores", or simply as the "Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay song".

Commonly played by mariachi bands, it has been recorded by many artists in the original Spanish as well as in English and other languages, including by Tito Guizar, Pedro Infante, Vicente Fernandez, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Eartha Kitt, The Wiggles, Menudo and Ana Gabriel. It also featured prominently in the iconic Mexican film Los tres Garcia.

There is some debate as to whether the song's lyrics refer to the Sierra Morena, a mountain range in southern Spain, or the similarly named Sierra de Morones, in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. However most Mexicans believe that this is a misrepresentation of the lyrics and is intended as "la Sierra, Morena", "Morena" is a common term of endearment, and with the comma, it now means he is directly speaking to the woman in the song instead of a specific place.

It has become a famous song of Mexico, especially in Mexican expatriate communities around the world or for Mexicans attending international events such as the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup.

Here are some photos taken by Karen: Thanks Karen for the beautiful photos.

Here are Photos taken by Galen

Galen, I love this photo of Me!

I Learned Something New Today-The Name Dusan

The other day, I introduced myself to a new resident here at THD. His first name is Dusan. I saw him eating alone at Newton's and his face was not familiar at all. After my introduction, I learned he is a local and his name is Dusan and this was his first meal at Newton.

I must admit my ignorance, because this was the first time I heard of the name Dusan. I guessed it was Slavic. My guess is correct.

I did some search and here's what I learned about the Name Dusan from Wikipedia.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dušan
Origin
Pronunciation	Czech: [ˈduʃan] Serbo-Croatian: [dǔʃan] Slovak: [ˈduʂan]
Gender	male
Language(s)	Slavic
Language(s)	Slavic
Word/name	duša "soul"
Derivation	duš- (root) + an (suffix)
Region of origin	Slavic
Other names
Pet form(s)	Dule (in Serbian)
Related names	Duško (in Serbian)

Dušan (Serbian Cyrillic: Душан) is a Slavic given name primarily used in countries of Yugoslavia; and among Slovaks and Czechs.^] The name is derived from the Slavic noun duša "soul".

Occurrence

Name	Count people (Rank)	State	Date
Dušan	14,972	Czechia	2016^[3]
Dušan	40,191 (57rd; 19th man's)	Slovakia	2000-10^[4]
Dušan	7,660 (33rd)	Slovenia	2021-01-01^[5]
Dušan	5,656	Croatia	2011^[6]

In Serbia, it was the 29th most popular name for males, as of 2010.

And Now for my Name David. So far I am the only Resident here at THD named David. There are 20 male residents here at THD.

David is a common masculine given name. It is of Hebrew origin, and its popularity derives from King David, a figure of central importance in the Hebrew Bible and in the religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Etymology

David (Hebrew: דָּוִד, Modern: David, Tiberian: Dāwîḏ) means "beloved", derived from the root dôwd (דּוֹד), which originally meant "to boil", but survives in Biblical Hebrew only in the figurative usage "to love"; specifically, it is a term for an uncle or figuratively, a lover/beloved (it is used in this way in the Song of Songs: אני לדודי ודודי לי, "I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me"). In Christian tradition, the name was adopted as Syriac: ܕܘܝܕ Dawid, Greek Δαυίδ, Latin Davidus or David. The Quranic spelling is دَاوُۥد Dāwūd or Dā'ūd.

David was adopted as a Christian name from an early period, e.g. David of Wales (6th century), David Saharuni (7th century), David I of Iberia (9th century). Name days are celebrated on 8 February (for David IV of Georgia), 1 March (for St. David of Wales) and 29 December (for King David), as well as 25 June (St. David of Sweden), 26 June, 9 July (Russia), 26 August, 11 December and 30 December (Hungary, Latvia, Norway, Czech Republic).

Hypocorisms

The oldest, most popular and most commonly used diminutive form in the English speaking countries of David is Dav, which first appeared in written form in the 16th century. The nickname Dav or Dave has been used as a name in its own right in the 19th and 20th centuries, at least in the United States. At the height of its popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s, the name Dave was bestowed upon more than 3,000 infants each year.

Other common English-language hypocorisms of the name David are Dave, Dav, Davey, Davie, Davo, Davs, Davis, Daviey, and Davy. The Welsh Dafydd is also abbreviated Dewi, Dai and Daf.

In Ashkenazi Jewish culture, common hypocorisms of Dovid are Dovi and Dov. Dudi is a common hypocorism in Modern Hebrew.

Davo is also used as a nickname, and is quite common in Australia and Armenia, while the nickname Dato (for Davit) is popular in the country of Georgia.

https://www.ifate.com/name-meanings/meaning-of-the-name-david.html

Once again, may I reiterate that you never stop learning no matter how old you are. One of my goals in my late stages of my life here in Planet Earth is to learn new things every day. I hope you have the same goals with me.

Friday, May 3, 2024

The TV Series, Fallout-My Review

I just finished Episode 1 of this New series from Amazon Prime. I am hooked. I binged-watch the 8 episodes of Season 1. Each Episode is about 30 minutes. Season 2 is planned. There is violence, slight nudity, cannibalism and of course robots and a love story. This is a TV series worth your time and entertainment. However, it is not geared for Seniors but the younger generation of TV viewers.

I am one of the 65 million viewers who enjoyed this series and described in the following write up from pushsquare.com. I have never played a video game, but I love the series specially the sound track of 1940-1950's music. The music soundtrack of the Fallout series is composed of both licensed music from the mid-century's Jazz Age to the Space Age, as well as original scores by Mark Morgan, Matt Gruber, Devin Townsend, and Inon Zur. The series also features original songs and covers commissioned for the games as diegetic music heard in the world of Fallout.

Here's a short write up of the second most popular show from Amazon Prime Videos.

The TV series was based on one of the greatest video games of all time, Fallout is the story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there’s almost nothing left to have. Two Hundred years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the incredibly complex, gleefully weird and highly violent universe waiting for them above.

"The Fallout TV adaptation continues to go from strength to strength as Amazon has revealed the series has received 65 million viewers, making it the second most-watched show in the streaming service's history. It's also the most popular series on the platform since The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power debuted in 2022.

Details include the show proving popular amongst the 18-34 age demographic, where it's Amazon Prime's most popular series ever. Sixty per cent of overall viewership came from outside the USA, with the UK, France, and Brazil all engaging with Fallout more than most. The firm has already confirmed a second season will be shot as Fallout fans return to the games in their droves having finished the TV show. They've proved so popular these past few weeks that Bethesda has recorded five million players in a single day across all its titles.

In our Fallout TV Show review, we concluded: "In accurately capturing the overall direction of the games, it forges a new path the series can take without a controller in your hands, all the while replicating its tone and bringing back those classic tunes you had hidden away on your iPod more than a decade ago. We don't want to set the world on fire, but if Fallout is the aftermath, then maybe the LA wasteland isn't so bad."

Are you one of those 65 million viewers? Let me know in the comments section of my blog. For complete details visit:

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/04/fallout-tv-show-marks-huge-success-with-65-million-viewers

Here one review of the show that I can concur:

The series has the ability to appeal to both gaming enthusiasts & newcomers alike. Even if you've never picked up a controller, the richly developed characters & intricately woven plotlines will draw you in effortlessly. The series doesn't rely solely on its gaming roots to carry it forward; instead, it stands confidently on its own merits, offering a fresh & immersive experience for all viewers.

The casting choices are spot-on, breathing life into characters that fans of the Fallout franchise have come to love & new viewers can instantly connect with. Ella Purnell's portrayal of Lucy MacLean is nothing short of captivating, bringing depth & resilience to the character as she navigates the harsh realities of the wasteland. Aaron Moten as Maximus, a squire of the Brotherhood of Steel, delivers a performance filled with both strength & vulnerability, showcasing the complexities of survival in a world ravaged by nuclear fallout. Walton Goggins as The Ghoul/Cooper Howard, is a scene-stealer, infusing the series with charisma & mystery that would keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

It's a shining example of how a game adaptation can not only do justice to its source material but also transcend it, carving out its own place in the pantheon of great television.

In conclusion, if you're looking for a riveting series that seamlessly blends action, drama, thought-provoking themes, look no further than Amazon Prime's Fallout. And as for the next potential game adaptation, I couldn't agree more a series based on BioShock would be an absolute dream come true. Here's hoping that someone out there is listening & ready to bring Rapture to life on the small screen.

Meanwhile, here's a photo of my purple okra from my Gardens in my previous residence, Fair Oaks, CA and my own recipe for okra sauteed.



 https://myfavoritepinoydishes.blogspot.com/2022/08/eleven-ways-to-cook-okra-my-own-okra.html

Highlights of My Professional Career

In my more than 40 years of professional career, I have experienced both working rank and file, as well as supervising the work of subordinates. I have worked in four private firms and the Federal Government, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where I retired. I enjoyed the challenges and difficulties of both types of job situations. This is the highlights of my work experience story.

My first job after completing my doctorate degree was a Chemist for Chemagro Corporation in Kansas City, Missouri. It was a subsidiary of Bayer Corporation, a German conglomerate. I worked for the analytical chemistry department comprised of about fifty people; half that number was either chemists or biologists. My specific task was to develop analytical methods for the detection of pesticide residues in plant and animal tissues. I worked on my own, similar to six other bench chemists, and we all reported to the same supervisor.

The firm sponsored my visa conversion from a student to a permanent resident, and I was able to legally work and reside in the United States with my family. The company generously took care of its employees. At the end of each successful year, everyone received a 13th month salary bonus. The employees and their families celebrated wonderful annual Christmas parties in a downtown Kansas City hotel, with dancing and free drinks for the whole night.

Inasmuch as I enjoyed and loved working for Chemagro for five years, I found a new job which offered a substantially higher pay. Due to my exemplary work performance, my supervisor preferred and lobbied for me to stay with the company. I had to turn him down because they could not match the package presented by my new employer. It was also a chance for me and my family to move and live in the US west coast, where the mild winter climate is bearable compared to the Midwest.

My next job was at the agricultural research division of Shell Development Company in Modesto, California. I was a Research Chemist, and again I worked individually, same as five other chemists who all reported to a supervisor. My specific duty was similar to my previous job. I worked for them for five years, until the company decided to get out of the pesticide business. They closed their research facility affecting the jobs of more than 200 employees.

My third industrial job was with the agricultural research division of Stauffer chemical company, located in Richmond, California. I was a Senior Research Chemist doing the same project as my two previous jobs. I worked for twelve continuous years for the company, with outstanding annual job performance. I became a Principal Research Chemist, the highest attainable non-supervisory position.

One day in 1986, my supervisor informed me that my job had been eliminated, and I had one day to vacate the facility. It was the most dreadful lay off experience in my life. I felt anger, sadness and humiliation to be dismissed from work with one day notice, after all the years of hard work invested for the company. This was an unforgettable incident and was the gloomiest point in my professional career.
The company terminated sixty research employees, who were upset of the bad news.

One of the chemists was distressed and expressed his outrageous anger by threatening the company and its workers. He told his supervisor of his intention to bomb and burn down the laboratory. He was immediately escorted by the security staff out of the building and into his car. He was informed to leave behind his personal belongings; they will be mailed to his residence. He was warned never to show up again near the company premises or risk getting arrested.

My supervisor was kind and allowed me to take my time to pack up my belongings. It took me two days to clear up my workplace, after toiling for a long period in the same jobsite. We were provided clerical help and office space, in preparation to look for another job, such as updating our resumes, and using the computer and copy machine. We were given six weeks of separation pay plus benefits.

Fortunately, with the help of a friend who is a Church parishioner, I found another job thirty days after leaving Stauffer chemical company. He hired me as a senior research chemist and as a group leader with two technicians to supervise. It was in the same field as my expertise in my previous three jobs spanning the last twenty one years. My new employer was Chevron Chemical Company, and which was located in the same area as my former employer.

This job gave me the introduction and basic knowledge of managing the work of subordinates. I worked for Chevron Company for four and a half years. The company decided to consolidate their research facilities in Texas, and lay off all its research employees. This time I had enough distress and agony from working, and eventually getting laid off from several private companies. To avoid going through any more miserable layoffs, I made a vow that I would never again work for a private company.

In my work experiences, there were noticeable and unavoidable jobsite occurrences. One can never miss the office romantic relationships between co-workers, both illicit and permitted. Though it was frowned upon, there was a boss and staff relationship, which was used as a ploy to get ahead in the company. Some relationships had chemistry, no pun intended, but some never worked out. Oftentimes, there was a sense of distrust among bench chemists for some workers who unjustly obtained preferred work assignments.

Some employees resorted to bribing superiors to get special privileges, such as being able to attend choice conferences and meetings in exciting venues or locations. Likewise, politics was always present at the worksites. It was during an era when various forms of harassment, equal opportunity and discrimination laws were not yet enforced in the workplace. Occasionally, an unexpected chemical explosion happens in a laboratory setting, where luckily no one got seriously hurt.

In the three private companies I worked for, I was able to publish scientific journals for some of the research studies and analytical methods which I developed for the respective companies of Chemagro, Shell Development and Stauffer.

After deciding and making a vow to avoid working in the private sector, I made my new goal which was either to work for the state of California, or the Federal government in Washington, D.C. Four months after I lost my job in Chevron, I was lucky and joyful to be hired by the Food and Drug Administration as a review chemist in the fall of 1990.

In 1994 I was promoted as an Expert Research Chemist with a GS-14 rating. My expertise was on Anti-malarial and Anti-parasitic drug products. In 1997, I was again deservingly promoted to Chemistry team leader, supervising the work of six Chemistry reviewers including five with doctorate degrees.

As team leader, I was responsible for prioritizing, assigning, and assuring the technical accuracy of all chemistry, manufacturing and control issues for all new drug applications submitted to the Division of Anti-Infective Drug Products, Center of New Drugs.

It was part of my responsibility to give advice, instruct and promote high morale and teamwork in my group. My work in the FDA is confidential, until the drug patent on the products I worked on has expired. There are manufacturing supplements that I have approved that are now open for the public in the Internet.

In 1998, I won the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Award. The citation reads, “For outstanding accomplishments in fostering the objectives of the EEO Program by hiring minorities and encouraging their professional growth while providing excellent leadership.” I have received numerous certificates of appreciation, awards in leadership and communications, commendation for teamwork and excellence in the accomplishment of the FDA mission. I have also received several letters of appreciation from private industry for my review work.

There are many good things working as rank and file while enjoying doing one’s job individually. It is a humbling, satisfying and productive experience, if one can work in harmony with one’s immediate supervisor. Working individually develops one’s skills in goal setting and scheduling. But in general, the financial rewards are less than a person who has supervisory responsibilities.

Managing the work of others has its challenges. Moreover, it develops one’s skill in handling and developing people, and the compensation rewards and benefits are better. Due to additional duties, responsibilities and leadership, supervisory work can be more stressful than working as a subordinate. However, supervisory jobs give one more personal growth and satisfaction, based on my personal experience. My work in FDA as a team leader managing the work of six scientists had been the happiest and rewarding work experience in my career in Chemistry. You might also like: