Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Recent Comments to My Blogging Activities

The Most Beautiful Sunset Picture I Have Taken- It Parallels my Life Here at THD-My Gilded Cage💘

Here are a few reactions/comments regarding the deletion of some e-mails that I believe are inactive in my THD Distribution list. Persons in my old Distribution list that have not commented either verbally or written, positive, neutral or negative comments in my blogs for the last 6 months will no longer be in my current revised distribution list as of today. I also have general comments and specific reactions to a specific article on my blogs. It's all anonymous for privacy reasons.

These comments inspire me to continue blogging and makes my life here at THD a very pleasant and joyful experience since this is the last Chapter in my on-going and published Autobiography. It will be Chapter 20 in my Autobiography. I appreciate comments that exudes positive vibes and feeling. Here are 21 recent comments of my postings/e-mails. It is not arrange chronologically but written at random for your reading pleasure.

1. Count me in! David, your communications are truly inspiring. Reaching out to people, attempting to bring Joy, is what we wish the whole world would do. Thanks David.

2. Hey David…please keep me on your list…you are an inspiration !

3. I enjoy reading your blogs on Suggestions for Improvement of the Quality of Life here at THD. It was positive, well-written and not demanding.

4. I agree with your “evaluation” of last nights video concert( Great Performances-France).

5. Wow wow wow! Come talk to me.- reaction to my suggestion to feature the Philippines in our Travel Series for June.

6. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful array of our neighbors' art: a wonderful gift for all of us.

7. I want to second (and third) David's expression of gratitude for the work the maintenance crew and management performed to reconstitute our water system yesterday: I was awed and delighted by how quickly and effectively the work was performed. Many many thanks!

8. Thanks for the presentation, David: I appreciate your window into the world of the Philippines. . . and I'm so glad to have you as a neighbor!-Reaction to my Talk about the Philippines last October.

9. Beautiful, David, and wonderful windows into our world here in THD, and your worlds before and during your residency here! Many many thanks.-Reaction to my Christmas Posting and Pictures of THD Residents.

10. My wife and I would be excited to celebrate Filipino Heritage Month here at THD with food. As we have shared with you, we have in-laws from the Philippines and love Filipino food and hospitality!

11. Thanks, David. Words well spoken…..particularly adding a positive attitude!

Had a really good sleep last night….finally! -Reaction to my article on the benefits of massage therapy.

12. David, sounds like really good news! …….my sense is that with your background & experience, you’re optimistic as well! In spite of a degree in science….it’s so over my head! My forte is cheerleading!-Reaction to my article on Antibiotic Resistance.

13. Great jobs as always , thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement it means a lot.

14. Thank you for your continuing 🎄spirit… we now have a poinsettia in front of our elevator🤗.

15. David - Your comments on addiction today are really good and I plan to briefly refer to them as I begin my Opioid Addiction presentation on Saturday. I have to ask if it was entirely a coincidence that your blog today focused on addiction - or in some way did my talk being scheduled this week have anything to do with it. Again, thanks for your continued blog effort.

16. I took a liberty of sending a picture with me in it to my son in Japan to show him I am in the very good place.-Reaction to my blog-Taste of Japan.

17. I appreciate your blog! I hear you are a pretty good dancer. As someone who is totally uncoordinated I would enjoy reading about dance on your blog. Maybe THD should have a dancing with our star blogger contest. Just an idea thrown in with. I like your blog and please keep me on the mailing list.

18. Thank you for taking such interest and good care of Jay, and you certainly come from handsome ancestry! Thanks, also, for letting us know we moved to #3.- Response to my blog on Jay Pollack and THD Internet Presence

19. Yes, I’d love to stay on your list! I enjoy reading your blog and seeing your photos! You put your heart and soul into sharing your stories. I also appreciate your positive and special stories about THD.

20. Thank you David. Great way for us to celebrate this time of our lives- Response to my posting on Another Week of Fun Activity Here at THD.

21. I read your blogs. Just too busy to comment 😔. I do give it a thumbs up or the heart emoticon. I hope that counts 🙂-Response to my e-mail on my THD Inactive DL.

Meanwhile, Here are some of my favorite photos of THD activities and its Residents,Staff and Guests,

My Mahjong Buddies-Susie Bramson and Hisako Tanaka

Me with colorful shirt and pin stripe Jacket with Martha Rodriquez- Halloween Party

Me and Dean Elias-Octoberfest Party

Me during our Hawaiin Luau Party with Susie and Hisako

Brochure for my Talk Celebrating Philippine-American History month last October

Jane Mowry with Tall and Handsome Grandson, Adrian ( visiting her)

New Year's Eve Main Lobster Dinner with Cosette Mitchell, Mary Reiser and Jane Williams

My Chair Volley Ball Buddies- Me standing in the Background

My Zumba Buddies with Vivacious Sabrina Monahan- our Zumba Guru

My Corn Hole Buddies after a competitive Game -that I won, and my Ugly Sweater with Susie Bramson during Ugly Sweater Day here at THD.

💘If you have been reading my blogs, you probably know why I called THD-my Gilded Cage. Here's some interesting/inspiring comments to my blogs before my move here at THD.

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2016/06/inspiring-and-interesting-comments-on.html

Monday, March 4, 2024

Another Fun Week of Activities Here at THD, March 4-10, 2024

I am looking forward for another fun week of activities here at THD- March 4 to 10, 2024

This Week Events Highlights-I Plan on Attending the Happy Hour and the Downtown Lunch Excursion

My Favorites shrimp Louie salad, chicken enchilada, grilled hamburger/salmon and eggplant pasta a la norma are in the Menu. Carrot cake and Apple Pie a la mode are in the Desserts menu.

Oscar Week Movies- All Movies are Oscar Awards Nominees

Last not Least will be Oscar Watch Party at the Cinema with Pre Oscar Champagne at the Lobby

Another week that brings joy to the last chapter of my life here in my Gilded Cage.

My Quote of the Day: "One Should never count the years----, One should count one's interests.

I have kept young trying never to lose my childhood sense of wonderment. I am glad I still have a vivid curiosity about the world I live in". Helen Keller- 1880-1968, Blind and Deaf American Writer and Scholar

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Taste of Southern France- March Travel Series Here at THD

The Taste of Southern France, Travel Series Here at THD started with a musical treat last Saturday night at our Cinema. I took some photos during the video presentation as well as the repertoire for the evening. The presentation started on time with introduction from host, Galen Carson, THD Activity Director.

I was a little bit disappointed of the one-hour musical tapes, since I heard better classical music before. The only one I really enjoyed was the violin quartet. Ravel's Pavane I heard before. Another performance of this sad piece of music I am reposting in the following video. It is a violin and piano duo rendition with pianist Carlos Avila( my late wife nephew) and Violinist Gonzales.

carlos avila pianist

Meanwhile, Here's a list of the best places to visit in Southern France
https://www.travelandleisure.com/best-places-to-visit-in-south-of-france-7488163

Bordeaux & Aquitaine – Great for: Vineyards, Foie Gras, Duck, Wine Tasting – Read our Aquitaine Travel Guide

Dordogne – Great for: Wine, Foie Gras, Truffles and Market Towns – Read our Dordogne Travel Guide

Midi-Pyrénées – Great for: Skiing, Wine and Festivals – Read our Midi-Pyrénées Travel Guide

French Riviera – Great for: Mediterranean-style beaches, Nice, St. Tropez, Cannes, Yachting and Festivals – Read our Côte d’Azur Travel Guide

Provence-Alpes – Great for: Mountains to the Mediterranean, Bouillabaisse, Provence and Avignon – Read our Provence Travel Guide

Personal Note: Looking forward to the Taste of France Special Dinner. I am wondering what would be the Entree? Will it be Pot-au-Feu?

The Oxford Companion to Food calls pot-au-feu "a dish symbolic of French cuisine and a meal in itself"; the chef Raymond Blanc has called it "the quintessence of French family cuisine ... the most celebrated dish in France, that honors the tables of the rich and poor alike"; and the American National Geographic magazine has termed it the national dish of France.

pot-au-feu means pot on fire.

Saturday, March 2, 2024

Have You Been to the Bancroft Garden's Recently?

I am not aware that the following are remarkable feat in the Ruth Bancroft Gardens(RBG) here in Walnut Creek. Have you been to the RBG recently?

Question: What remarkable feat marks the Ruth Bancroft Garden's contribution to botanical conservation, and how does its collection stand out on a global scale?

A) It was the first garden in California to use exclusively native plants.

B) It houses the largest collection of aquatic plants in the United States.

C) It was the first garden in the United States to be preserved by The Garden Conservancy.

D) It contains the world's rarest species of orchids.

https://orchidrepublic.com/blogs/news/the-rarest-orchids-in-the-world

From: The Walnut Creek Spotlight Newsletter

The Ruth Bancroft Garden is a 2.5-acre (1.0 ha) public dry garden established by Ruth Bancroft. It contains more than 2,000 cactus, succulents, trees, and shrubs native to California, Mexico, Chile, South Africa, and Australia. It is located at 1552 Bancroft Road in Walnut Creek, California, USA.

For Complete Details visit:

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

Finally some Gardening Quotes:

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. ...
To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower Hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour. ...
A garden must combine the poetic and the mysterious with a feeling of serenity and joy.

Lastly, For my cacti and succulent collections visit:

Some of my Cacti Collections at Chateau Du Mer Gardens in the Philippines

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2021/04/my-cacti-and-succulents-in-philippines.html

Meanwhile speaking of unusual plants, here's the latest news about the Corpse Flower in the San Francisco Academy of Sciences Gardens

'Like a port-a-potty': Bay Area residents line up for 'exceptional' Golden Gate Park event

By Kendra SmithUpdated Feb 29, 2024 10:01 a.m.

A rare Indonesian plant called a corpse flower began to bloom Tuesday afternoon at San Francisco’s Academy of Sciences, and by Wednesday morning, more than a hundred Bay Area residents had lined up to catch a whiff of its elusive scent, which the plant only exudes when it blossoms.

Due to its odor, like that of a rotting corpse, the titan arum is characterized as a carrion flower, and is also known as the corpse flower or corpse plant as translated from the original Indonesian word bunga bangkai (bunga means flower, while bangkai can be translated as corpse, cadaver, or carrion).

https://abc7news.com/corpse-flower-amorphophallus-titanium-mirage-the-san-francisco-academy-of-sciences-48-hour-bloom/14476352/

Friday, March 1, 2024

Special Italian Dinner Last Night-Osso Buco

The Special Italian Dinner last night was a Gastronomic Delight. I particularly enjoyed the Entree-Osso Buco.💥. It reminds me of a Filipino Dish ( Bulalo)💙 that I have been craving for sometime.

THD had a special Italian Dinner celebrating the end of February(29th)- (a Leap Day) in connection with the our Taste of Northern Italy Travel Discovery Series hosted by Galen Corson, Activity Director. Last January we had Taste of Japan, and March Travel Discovery series will be Taste of Southern France. I am posting the Dinner Menu last night featuring Osso Buco as the Entree(above). For those of you who are not familiar with the dish.

💥"Osso Buco" means "hole of bone" because the marrow provides the rich flavor to the sauce. A marrow spoon, one of those long skinny spoons found in old sterling silverware sets, would come in handy with this dish, as the succulent shank marrow can be tricky to extract (I used the skinny end of a teaspoon).

Ossobuco or osso buco (pronounced [ˌɔssoˈbuːko]; Milanese: òss bus [ˌɔz ˈbyːs]) is a specialty of Lombard cuisine of cross-cut veal shanks braised with vegetables, white wine, and broth. It is often garnished with gremolata and traditionally served with either risotto alla milanese or polenta, depending on the regional variation. The marrow in the hole in the bone, a prized delicacy, is the defining feature of the dish. The gremolata (parsley, lemon zest, and garlic) is an important garnish for this dish.

The two types of ossobuco are a modern version that has tomatoes and the original version which does not. The older version, ossobuco in bianco, is flavoured with cinnamon, bay leaf, and gremolata. The modern and more popular recipe includes tomatoes, carrots, celery, and onions; gremolata is optional. While veal is the traditional meat used for ossobuco, dishes with other meats such as pork have been called ossobuco.

Did you enjoy The Italian Dinner last night? If so tell Agustin, our Chef!!!

Here are some photos I took at Dinner Time.

The bone marrow was super delicious and the meat just melt in my mouth!!!What a treat!!!

Hurrah to the Kitchen Staff and of course to THD Management and Activity Director, Galen Corson.

💙Bulalô (Tagalog) is a beef dish from the Philippines. It is a light colored soup that is made by cooking beef shanks and bone marrow until the collagen and fat has been melted into the clear broth. It is mixed with corn and vegetable greens. The bone marrow is super delicious!

To Agustin and THD Management, Could we have Bulalo Soup in the Menu for This Coming June for the Filipino Heritage Month Celebration?

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: