My Autobiography: David Balleza K(C)atague

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Help in Restoring Google Adsense Account

Last week when I was checking my Adsense earnings, I accidentally checked an update account button that resulted in the following no reply letter from Google.

"Your application has been successfully reviewed. Now you need to create your first ad unit and place the ad code on www.chateaudumer.com to fully activate your account. Note that before your account is fully activated, only blank ads will appear on your pages. Once your account is fully activated, you’ll receive a confirmation email and begin to see live ads. Please don't click on your live ads, even to test them -- doing so isn't permitted by the AdSense program policies. Sign in to Google AdSense to create your first ad unit and get fully approved. For further information, please visit the Your guide to AdSense". Do not reply to this E-mail!

Unfortunately, I no longer own www.chateaudumer.com so I can not create my first ad unit as instructed above. As a result, I can not read any ads in my other sites hosted by Blogger.com. My 7 other blogspot sites are active and I see all the new ads but It does not read in the blog post. So, I have zero earnings for the last week.

I can not have an e-mail access to the Adsense Help because I do not earn at least $25 per week. There is no telephone line for help. I followed all the Instruction in the Help Desk as well as the community forum. So far no luck. I have blocked www.chateaudumer.com., in my list of active sites.

I earn only about $10 per month, so this is no big deal. However if you are familiar with problems associated with Google Adsense, I will appreciate Help! It is very frustrating that I can not have direct or talk to a live person for help.

Monday, September 5, 2016

When it Rains, It Pours!

Carenna at top of the World-Hawaii, 2016

I am not talking about the weather here in Northern California. It had not rained here for the last six months. I am talking about my two daughters ( Dinah and Ditas) and two grand daughters ( Elaine and Carenna)visiting Macrine during this past week. Macrine was beaming with happiness after she got a visit from Ditas and Carenna yesterday. The other day she was also visited and taken shopping by my other daughter and grand daughter( Dinah and Elaine) as I described in my recent posting.

This is the first time since she was diagnosed with Parkinson Disease that she felt loved and not forgotten by her children. And most of all two visits in one week- a very rare occasion. Macrine then blurted out-When it Rains, it Pours!

Ditas and Carenna KT ( Katague-Thompson)

In my case I understand if my children and grand children do not visit us often. They have their own lives and busy with their own activities and they do not live near or just across the street. I am happy to hear from them during Holidays ( Thanksgiving and Christmas), Mothers Day, Fathers Day and our birthdays. But for Macrine due to her PD, she feels isolated and not loved ( side effects of her many medications), so she welcome a telephone call more often.

Thus after Ditas and Carenna visit giving her chocolate covered macadamia nuts( gift from their vacation from Hawaii last week), I was not surprised when she blurted out, I am so happy today!. I asked her why? Well, she said I got two visits this week and I heard news from my other two grand daughters, Alix and Marina. Alix and Marina are our oldest son( Dodie) daughters. I asked Macrine if Dodie call her recently? Macrine said No! Dodie calls me only on Mothers Day.

Alix Katague at the Cornell University Gardens, 2014

Evidently, Macrine asked Ditas if she heard from Dodie. Ditas told her Marina is now in her second year of College at San Luis Obispo Poly Technic University and Alix is in her senior at Cornell University.

The good news about Alix is that she had accepted a job offer from a Hi-Tech Company based here in San Francisco. She will work for the company( I know the name of the company) after her graduation next year. Alix had worked for this company this summer as part of her Internship program. The company must have been impressed of her summer internship, they did not hesitate to offer her a job, even before her graduation. Alix is majoring in Computer Engineering. Congratulations, Alix!

Saturday, September 3, 2016

A Welcome Relief from My Duties as a Primary Care Giver

The other day, my daughter and grand daughter, Dinah and Elaine(photo above) visited us. They stayed overnight and the next day they took Macrine shopping in our local mall. Macrine my spouse of 59 years has stage 2-3 Parkinson Disease. Her tremors and movement problems are controlled by medications. However, there are side effects of her medications. One of the side effect beside numerous others are her feeling of isolation and not loved. So, Macrine welcomes a telephone call and even better a personal call from her friends and relatives.

As my wife's Primary Care Giver (PCG), I need relief once in a while for my own health and sanity.

A week before, Dinah during her weekly call had already discussed this visit. Macrine was super anxious of the visit and keep asking me when the visit would be. She insisted I prepare a good breakfast and lunch. She insisted I buy Linguisa( Portuguese sausage) besides fried rice, and huevos rancheros for breakfast as well as La Sagna and Hawaiian bread rolls for lunch.

On the day of the visit, the three ladies went to the mall for shopping ( shoes and watch). Macrine was planning to buy only a pair of shoes. She went home with three pairs. She said there was a buy one get one free sale. They went shopping for 3 hours and was back home in time for her next medication. This was a welcome relief and reprieve for me. During this 3 hours I had time for a leisurely bath and shower and time for cooking lunch. What a relief not too hurry taking a shower. I had also time to write this posting.

Once again, my million thanks to my Daughter and Grand Daughter for the visit and taking time from their own hectic schedule to visit and take Macrine for shopping. This was a much needed relief from my duties as a PCG.

Macrine enjoyed this visit very much, they have already scheduled a date for the last week of October, when Dinah can take a day from work.

Thursday, September 1, 2016

My Second Year Anniversary Writing for Hubpages.com

Last week was my second year anniversary writing for HubPages.com(formerly from squidoo.com). As of today,I have written 32 articles (hubs) on almost all subjects except politics. My total reader's views as of today is only 17,772. I have also on record only 200 comments and only 58 followers. I earned a few dollars per month, just enough to buy me a cup of coffee. However, I enjoy writing for Hubpages even if it is not a money making activity.

HubPages is a user generated content, revenue-sharing website. On December 7, 2013, the website published data that showed that the website consisted of 910,106 "Hubs" (magazine-style articles on a specific topic), 73,969 published users, and 2,498,967 forum posts. Two years ago it acquired a famous content publishing website Squidoo. Hubpages has currently 24 employees and based in San Francisco.

Hubpages give scores for articles and authors separately. The scores for articles and authors varies from 50 to 100. I am happy and glad to report that the average score of my 32 hubs is 71 and my author score varies from day to day from 80 to 86. The lowest hub score I have now is 67 and the highest 81. My highest scoring article is about my childhood experiences during the American-Japanese War in the Philippines filed under Commercial and Creative writing. My two most widely read hubs are Caste System in the Philippines ( over 2500 views) and My Bucket List-101 Things to Do before I Die( over 8200 views).

Today, however, not all of my 32 hubs are featured because of low traffic (readership). I will appreciate if you help me re-featured the hubs listed below by reading them and if possible write a comment. Your comments positive or negative will be published and much appreciated! The following are my hubs not featured due to low traffic.

http://hubpages.com/relationships/most-memorable-new-year-s-eve-escapade
http://hubpages.com/relationships/the-secret-of-long-term-marriage
http://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/premonition-of-death-and-extrasensory-perception
http://hubpages.com/games-hobbies/bridge-is-my-card-game
http://hubpages.com/education/the-day-the-world-trembled
http://hubpages.com/travel/the-philippines-nation-of-fiestas-and-festivals
http://hubpages.com/travel/marinduque-philippines-my-second-home
http://hubpages.com/money/My-Personal-Experience-on-my-Application-for-Home-Refinancing
http://hubpages.com/health/joys-and-activities-after-retirement

My hubs are filed under:
http://hubpages.com/@chateaudumer

Monday, August 29, 2016

Dust Thou Art, To Dust Thou Shalt Return

Last Sunday was the Interment and burial services of my younger brother, Atty. Erico B Katague, Sr. He passed away last August 15 and was 80 years old. The following are some of the photos during the funeral services, Jaro, Iloilo, Philippines. Rest in Peace, my dear brother!

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Only in Marinduque, Philippines-An Update

Chateau Du Mer Main House, Amoingon, Boac, Marindque,Philippines-Our Winter Retreat

Just recently, I posted in my blogs an article written by a friend discussing his recent trip to the Philippines as a Senior Citizen. The article reminded me of my own experiences as a snowbird resident in our second home in the Island of Marinduque. The following is the article I wrote more than two years ago March 3, 2014 to be exact just in case you have not read it.

"This morning a door to door service woke me up at 4:30AM. I was in deep sleep when I heard the newly installed buzzer in our front gate. I thought the kids in the neighborhood were playing with the buzzer as in previous years. The bell rang two more times and I realized is time to wake up and see who is ringing the door bell . I walked barely awake to the front gate about 20 meters and asked what time is it and who is ringing the buzzer in this early morning hours.

I heard an apologetic response, door to door service Sir. What time is it? 4:30AM Sir. Why so early? Please be patient with us Sir. We are still delivering to Buenavista. Our load of fresh vegetables are rotting, that is the reason for this very early delivery.

I opened the gates, 4 small boxes and a long side table with glass top was delivered in my back porch. After checking that the glass top was not broken, the door to door service with another apology went on their way to Buenavista about 45 minutes away. The delivery was part of the mop and pail package that my sister in-law purchased for me in Manila. It cost 600 pesos. It is needed to clean our marble floors in the main house and the tile floors of the conference Hall. The glass top side table and other boxes were for my sister-in-law beach house and cottage.

Thank you dear sister-in-law for ordering the mop as well as my new PC and monitor, but hopefully the next delivery will not be early in the morning as this one.

Another item I want to mention is the dental service in this poor island with no air service from Manila. In general the dental services here are comparable to US standards and are much, much cheaper than the dental cost in California. I had ordered two new dental partials last year. The other day, one of the teeth in my lower partial broke after I eat a small piece of lechon skin ( roasted baby pig).

I tried to call my dentist in his land line several times. His telephone kept on ringing but no one is responding. I got tried ringing his phone, so I decided that my driver and I just drive to his office. Luckily, he was in his office and was able to fix my partial after leaving it overnight. I realize he does not answer his land line. He only respond to his cell phone that I did not have at that time.

Update: Just recently, Macrine had her teeth fixed ( a crown) and it cost us a fortune. As they say when you open your mouth to see a dentist here in US you also open your wallet. Like most Americans, we do not have dental insurance.

The third item I observed that is only in the Philippines is the special check out line for senior citizens in the grocery stores. During our 4 day stay in Manila prior to our land and sea trip to Marinduque, we purchased about a 2 weeks supply of grocery staples, fruits and vegetables. I was accompanied by my sister-in-law who has a senior citizen card and booklet. I was surprised to see a special check out line with seats for waiting only for senior citizens. I believe we got a 5% discount for certain basic food items, but not for alcohol and tobacco. Not much discount, but every penny here in the Philippines counts. There is no such line in the US.

Finally, I want to emphasize that I am really enjoying our 90 days snow birding time here in Marinduque so far. The mornings are cool but in mid day it is getting hot and humid- a sign that the hot summer season in the island Paradise is getting near ".

Update: The weather here in Northern California had been beautiful this past week. Cool in the morning ( in the 60'S and not too hot in the afternoon), sunny and not a single drop of rain!

About Me

David B. Katague is an online memoirist and cultural essayist whose writing has appeared on HubPages and Blogger since 2007. His work reflects a sustained interest in Filipino heritage, family history, senior living, art, community life, and the cultural meaning found in everyday experience. Through memoir, reflection, and essay, he explores the personal and historical dimensions of identity, memory, and belonging. His writing seeks to preserve lived experience while offering thoughtful commentary on the traditions, values, and social realities that shape individual and collective life. As a Filipino-American writer, he brings a distinctive cultural perspective to his work, drawing on personal experience and careful observation to create writing that is both reflective and engaging. His online essays and memoir pieces continue to document a lifelong commitment to storytelling, cultural understanding, and the written record of experience.

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: