Marinduque - My Island Tropical Paradise

Davao Dark Chocolate + Orange by Askinosie-A Surprise Gift from A Friend

2026-10-17T13:57:34.642-07:00

A long-time and good friend had a small surprise for me the other day- a bar that says DAVAO PHILIPPINES DARK CHOCOLATE + ORANGE from Askinosie chocolate. Thanks a million, my friend for the unexpected gift.

I have written about otap from Cebu and barquillos from Iloilo, but I have not written about our chocolate for a long time. It is about time.

A little history on our table

In the Philippines, many of us grew up with tablea. Cacao came to the Philippines in the 1670s, brought from Mexico to the Philippines via the Acapulco galleon. For centuries we made it into tablea for champorado and tsokolate. It was always good, but it was always for home.

Now Davao is different. Davao City and Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, in Mindanao, is our cacao capital. The soil, the rain, the elevation- it is perfect for Trinitario beans, which is what is in this bar. For many years we exported our beans as commodity. Now chocolate makers from America, France, and Japan come to Davao to buy single-origin beans. This bar is 58% dark, made from Davao Trinitario beans.

The Maker

Askinosie is not a big factory. It is a small bean-to-bar maker in Springfield, Missouri, started by Shawn Askinosie in 2007. They do direct trade - they go to Davao, meet the cooperative, and pay above market price. That is why the farmer's face is printed on the wrapper. When you buy the bar, you know who grew it.

They also press their own cocoa butter in their factory. That is rare. Most small makers buy it.

What is inside and how does it taste?

I like simple ingredients. I worked many years as a chemist for the US FDA, so I read labels.

Ingredients: Davao Philippines Cocoa Beans (Trinitario), Organic Turbinado Sugar, Cocoa Butter (made in their factory with Davao beans), Organic Oranges, Organic Orange Oil, Organic Vanilla Bean. Nothing else.

They mix in organic oranges, peel and pulp plus a little orange oil. It is like candied orange peel dipped in chocolate, but in bar form. On first bite: bright, juicy orange. Then the dark chocolate comes - fudge, a little tart citrus, and vanilla sweetness at the end. Askinosie's own tasting notes say juicy orange, chocolate-dipped citrus peel, and vanilla. That is exactly right.

Net weight: 85 grams (3 oz). It is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free. Price on their website is $11.50.

How I enjoy it at home

Here in Walnut Creek, I do it the Filipino way:

After dinner, with black coffee. The bitter of Barako or even plain American coffee cuts the sweetness of the orange. Break it into small pieces, do not chew fast.
With otap or barquillos. As I posted last week, we had three tubs of otap - buko-pandan, ube, and classic. A small piece of this Davao chocolate with a crisp otap is wonderful. The butteriness of otap and the citrus of the chocolate balance each other.
For tsokolate. If you like to experiment, shave a little of this bar into your tablea when you make tsokolate for a light orange aroma. Your grandchildren will notice.

Do not put it in the refrigerator if you can avoid it. Chocolate likes cool, not cold. Keep it at 65-68 degrees if you can, and it will keep its snap.

Why I am proud of this bar

When I was young during the war, chocolate was a luxury from America. Now American makers are putting Davao on the wrapper. This means our farmers can earn more from quality, not just volume. If you visit Davao, you will see chocolate shops and cacao farm tours now. That is new, and that is good for our food tourism.

If you find this bar, please try it and tell me what you think. And if you are in Davao, what is your favorite local chocolate? Is it Malagos, Theo & Philo, Auro, or this kind of small American maker?

You can find Askinosie Davao bars at askinosie.com and at World Wide Chocolate and specialty stores.

https://worldwidechocolate.com/shop/askinosie-chocolate/davao-philippines-58-dark-chocolate-bar-with-orange/?attribute_pa_quantity=five-pack&nbt=nb%3Aadwords%3Ax%3A17809749528%3A%3A&nb_adtype=pla_with_promotion&nb_kwd=&nb_ti=&nb_mi=117016111&nb_pc=online&nb_pi=as-101-mp5&nb_ppi=&nb_placement=&nb_li_ms=&nb_lp_ms=&nb_fii=&nb_ap=&nb_mt=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17811045280&gbraid=0AAAAADKrQi8slyDb0zBjk8ShTQlBpt25u&gclid=CjwKCAjwuczWBhA9EiwAYGgEoRskvz2yqfbDTNaV7gKMo04nBE9FQznNTkPMLsmN2z6mdeSQIAPpYxoCKlUQAvD_BwE

AI Overview:

$11.00

Askinosie Chocolate& more

An earthy single-origin craft chocolate bar made with Trinitario cocoa beans sourced directly from a cooperative in Davao, offering tasting notes of brown sugar, nutmeg, and a clean caramel finish. Available directly via Askinosie Chocolate or through World Wide Chocolate.

The maker:

Askinosie is a small-batch bean-to-bar maker in Springfield, Missouri. Founder Shawn Askinosie started it in 2007 and they are known for "direct trade" — they go to the origin, meet the farmers, and pay well above commodity price. They press their own cocoa butter in-house.

The beans:

Origin: Davao, Mindanao in the Philippines. Davao is the cacao capital of the Philippines -Trinitario beans.
This bar is 58% dark. Askinosie also makes a 77% pure Davao bar, a 62% dark milk, and a white chocolate from the same origin.
The man on your wrapper is one of the farmers from the co-op they source from. Askinosie puts the actual grower on every bar.

This flavor:

The description from Askinosie is: "Imagine a candied orange peel, dipped in chocolate. Now imagine it in bar form". It's not just orange flavoring. Ingredients are: Davao Philippines Cocoa Beans (Trinitario), Organic Turbinado Sugar, Cocoa Butter (made in their factory with Davao beans), Organic Oranges, Organic Orange Oil, Organic Vanilla Bean. They blend in organic orange peel and pulp plus a dash of orange oil. Tasting notes they list: juicy orange, chocolate-dipped citrus peel, and vanilla, and from retailers: notes of fudge, tart citrus, and vanilla sweetness.

Specs:

85g (3oz) bar, $11.50 on their site. It's Certified Kosher D.E., vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free, but processed in a facility that also processes milk, peanuts, tree nuts and wheat. It's a nice example of how good Philippine cacao has become in the last 10 years, Davao used to export mostly bulk beans, now it's recognized for fine-flavor single-origin like this.

My Photo of the Day:

Beef kaldereta is the rich, tomato-based stew that shows up at every big Filipino celebration.

The Otap of Cebu and Barquillos of Iloilo

2026-10-17T08:58:28.879-07:00

Just recently, I posted that I received a Gift of Otap during our THD celebration of FAHM. A few of my Fellow Residents here at THD informed me that this is the first time they heard of Otap, but are familiar with Iloilo Barquillos. Here are the similarities and differences between these two pastries.

While Barquillos and Otap are both wildly popular, crunchy Filipino treats heavily rooted in Spanish culinary history, they are fundamentally different pastries. One is a paper-thin poured wafer roll, while the other is a dense, multi-layered laminated puff pastry.

Direct Comparison

Feature	Barquillos	Otap
Primary Region	Iloilo City (Jaro District)	Cebu Province
Shape & Form	Long, hollow, cylindrical tubes or rods	Flat, oblong, oval biscuits
Pastry Type	Wafer / Batter-based pancake	Laminated puff pastry
Texture	Ultra-thin, light, snap-crispy, melts in the mouth	Thick, brittle, heavy flaky layers with a shattering crunch
Key Ingredients	Flour, sugar, milk, eggs, butter, vanilla	Flour, shortening/butter, sugar, coconut oil, yeast
Cooking Method	Pressed flat in a iron waffle mold (barquillera), then immediately hand-rolled while hot	Multi-stage rolling/folding of two doughs, sliced, rolled paper-thin, then oven-baked
Mess Factor	Low; crumbles neatly into your mouth	High; "shattering" layers leave a trail of flakes and sugar

Key Similarities

Colonial Heritage: Both treats evolved from Spanish baking influences. Barquillos derived directly from Spanish wafer rolls (historically linked to communion wafer leftovers in Iloilo), whereas Otap is closely related to Spanish hojaldres (puff pastries) and French palmiers.

The "Pasalubong" Culture: Neither is typically baked at home due to the complex, specialized equipment or time-intensive preparation steps required. Instead, they serve as iconic pasalubong (travel souvenirs or gifts) bought from regional institutions like Deocampo in Iloilo or Shamrock in Cebu.

Flavor Profile: Both focus heavily on a simple, sweet profile consisting of toasted flour, sugar, and fat. They are both traditionally paired with hot local coffee (kapeng barako) or hot chocolate (tsokolate).

Key Differences

1. Texture and Eating Experience

Barquillos are incredibly delicate and light. Because they are entirely hollow, they offer a very neat, clean snap and quickly melt on your tongue.

Otap delivers a massive, shattering crunch. It is made by folding a yeast dough and a fat dough together over and over again to create hundreds of microscopic layers. When you bite into it, the structural integrity collapses instantly into hundreds of flaky shards, usually showering your clothes in crumbs and caramelized sugar.

2. How They are Formed

Barquillos start as a liquid batter poured directly onto a specialized hot iron press called a barquillera. After a few seconds of cooking, the flat pancake is rolled tightly around a metal rod into a tube while it is still piping hot, hardening instantly as it cools.

Otap relies on intense dough lamination. Once the dough is layered with shortening, it is sliced into small wheels, pressed down, rolled out flat with a rolling pin into long ovals, heavily dusted with sugar, and slow-baked in an oven until the dough puffs and bubbles up.

3. Modern Evolution

Barquillos have evolved to include hollow cores filled with sweet polvorón (called barquiron) or infused with distinct local flavors like ube, pandan, or carrot.

Otap stays mostly true to its original laminated form, though modern iterations include variations like Ube Otap or versions brushed with extra honey glazes.

While barquillos and otap are both highly cherished, crispy Filipino treats, they are fundamentally distinct in texture, preparation, and structure.

The comparison below details how Cebu’s beloved otap stacks up against Iloilo’s signature barquillos.

AI OVERVIEW:

1.A polvoron (also spelled polboron or pulburon) is a soft, crumbly shortbread confection named after the Spanish word polvo, which means "powder" or "dust".

There are two provinces famous for their Polvoron, Pampanga and the Bicol Region ( for their Pili Polvoron).

Origins and Varieties

Spanish Polvorón: Traditionally baked in Spain (especially in Andalusia), this version is made with lard, flour, sugar, and almonds, and is often enjoyed during the Christmas season.

Filipino Polvoron: Introduced during the Spanish colonial period, the Filipino version is a beloved no-bake treat. Instead of baking, it is made by toasting flour in a pan, mixing it with powdered milk, sugar, and butter or margarine, and pressing the mixture into small, oval-shaped tin molds.

Direct Comparison

Feature	Otap (Cebu)	Barquillos (Iloilo)
Origin / Identity	Rooted deeply in Cebu (often associated with brands like Shamrock).	Associated with Iloilo / Bacolod (Western Visayas); has Spanish colonial roots.
Shape & Structure	Flat, oval-shaped biscuit.	Long, hollow cylindrical wafer roll.
Texture & Body	Flaky and brittle puff pastry; crumbles instantly into layers of fine flakes upon biting.	Thin, crisp wafer with a clean, snappy crunch.
Core Ingredients	Flour, shortening, sugar, yeast, and occasionally coconut.	Flour, sugar, eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla.
Preparation Style	An 11-stage lamination process(rolling and folding dough with fat layers), then baked.	Prepared as a thin liquid batter poured onto a heated iron press (barquillera), then rolled immediately while hot.
Sweetness Delivery	Extensively dusted with granulated white sugar on the outside before baking.	Sweetness is baked directly into the batter, giving it a uniform flavor.

Key Differences

The Crunch vs. The Flake: Otap relies on yeast and layered vegetable shortening to create a puff-pastry structure resembling French palmiers. It breaks apart into thousands of tiny, messy flakes. Barquillos, conversely, are tightly rolled individual wafer sheets that give a firm, snap-like bite.

Dough vs. Batter: Preparing otap requires a labor-intensive, multi-step dough lamination process. Barquillos are crafted by pouring a smooth, liquid egg-and-milk batter onto an open waffle-like iron press, then rolling the cooked wafer around a wooden dowel.

Key Similarities

Visayan Pride & Pasalubong Culture: Both items serve as the ultimate regional pasalubong (travel gift). Taking a trip to Cebu almost universally requires bringing home a box of otap, just as a trip to Iloilo prompts a stop for fresh barquillos.

Coffee Companion: Neither pastry is overly heavy. Both are traditionally served alongside hot coffee or tea, allowing the dry, crisp textures to complement a warm morning or afternoon brew.

Spanish Influence: While adapted locally over generations to match Filipino ingredients, both pastries trace their culinary ancestry back to Spanish baking traditions introduced during the colonial era.

Meanwhile, Dungeness crabs from Canada is only $10.99/lb

Which Filipino bread is the BEST?

Pandesal - the classic morning roll
Ensaymada- sweet buttery perfection
Pan de Coco- coconut-filled heaven
Monay - dense and satisfying
Spanish Bread - that buttery crumb filling

Finally,  THE Chicken Adobo is the dish every Filipino learns to cook first, and the one they never stop perfecting.


Long before refrigeration, Filipino cooks discovered that simmering meat in vinegar and soy sauce preserved it for days in tropical heat. What began as a practical preservation method became the national dish, with every family guarding their own version of the recipe. Some swear by coconut vinegar, others by cane. Some add coconut milk for richness. The one rule everyone agrees on: never rush the braising.

La Bola Negra, Brokeback Mountain, and Maurice: Love Beyond the Boundaries of Society

2026-10-16T12:17:17.188-07:00

La Bola Negra ( The Black Ball) movie is released in US Theaters Today:

A Reflection by David At Nearing 92

Every now and then, a movie comes along that does more than entertain us. It makes us think about life, love, prejudice, courage, and the world we have created for ourselves and for others.

The new Spanish film La Bola Negra is one such movie. Even before reaching a worldwide audience, it has generated considerable attention and discussion, with some film critics already talking about its prospects for the 2027 Academy Awards.

As I read about this film, I was reminded of two earlier movies that explored similar themes: Brokeback Mountain and Maurice. Although these films were made in different years and portray different societies, they share a common thread. They tell stories about people whose feelings and desires conflict with the expectations imposed upon them by the world around them.

And that, I believe, is a subject worth reflecting upon.

Three Movies, One Human Story

La Bola Negra, directed by the Spanish filmmaking duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, tells interconnected stories involving three men living in different periods of Spanish history: 1932, 1937, and 2017.

Through these lives, the film explores love, identity, social rejection, historical persecution, and the painful consequences of keeping important truths hidden. Its inspiration includes the unfinished work of the celebrated Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca, whose life and legacy are inseparable from the history of artistic freedom and persecution in Spain.

What makes the film particularly interesting is its suggestion that the struggles of one generation do not necessarily disappear when that generation passes away. Pain, prejudice, and family secrets can be inherited, even when the people who come later do not fully understand their origins.

In this respect, the film is not merely about three men. It is also about the relationship between the past and the present.

I find this theme especially meaningful because history is not simply a collection of dates and events. History is also the accumulated experience of ordinary people who loved, suffered, hoped, and sometimes lived in fear.

Remembering Brokeback Mountain

When I think about Brokeback Mountain, the award-winning 2005 film directed by Ang Lee, I remember a deeply moving story of two men, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, whose relationship develops in a society where openly expressing their love could expose them to hostility and danger.

Their story unfolds across many years. They attempt to reconcile their feelings with the expectations of their families, their communities, and the traditional masculine roles society has taught them to follow.

The tragedy is not simply that their love encounters obstacles. It is that fear, social pressure, and the inability to live openly shape so many of their choices.

The film leaves us with an uncomfortable question: How much of a person's life can be lost because society tells that person that a particular kind of love is unacceptable?

We may not all have experienced the same circumstances as these characters. Nevertheless, many of us understand what it means to hide a feeling, remain silent to avoid criticism, or make a life decision because we are afraid of disappointing others.

That is where a story about two particular individuals becomes a story about humanity.

Maurice: A Different Time, a Similar Struggle

Another film that comes to mind is Maurice, the 1987 romantic drama directed by James Ivory and based on the novel by E. M. Forster.

Set in Edwardian England, the film portrays a society in which class distinctions, social respectability, and the condemnation of homosexuality place severe limits on personal freedom.

Maurice Hall struggles to understand and accept his own feelings in a world that offers him few safe ways to express them. His journey is not only about finding love but also about finding the courage to live according to his own understanding of himself.

What I find significant about Maurice is its historical setting. The rules of society may appear permanent to those who live under them. Yet what one generation regards as unquestionable morality may be examined very differently by another.

The film reminds us that social acceptance is not always the same as justice, and that living a respectable life in the eyes of others does not necessarily mean living an honest life within oneself.

Unlike Brokeback Mountain, which ends in profound tragedy, Maurice offers a more hopeful possibility of choosing love outside the conventions of its time.

Both films, however, invite us to consider the human cost of prejudice.

What Connects These Stories?

Although the three films differ in their storytelling, historical settings, and endings, I see several common themes.

First, the universal desire to love and be loved.

Regardless of nationality, language, religion, or cultural background, human beings want companionship, affection, understanding, and acceptance. The details of our lives may differ, but these emotional needs are familiar across the world.

Second, the power of society to influence personal choices.

Families, religious institutions, governments, and communities can provide belonging and guidance. But social expectations can also become sources of fear when people are punished or rejected simply for being different.

Third, the burden of silence.

When people believe that telling the truth about themselves will bring shame, rejection, or danger, they may conceal important parts of their lives. That silence can affect not only the individuals concerned but also the people who love them.

Finally, there is the importance of historical memory.

The younger generations may inherit a world that appears more accepting than the one their grandparents knew. But understanding the past helps us recognize that the freedoms we enjoy today were not always available to everyone.

La Bola Negra brings these themes together by connecting lives across nearly a century of Spanish history. Its message, as I understand it, is that acknowledging the experiences of those who came before us can help us build a more compassionate future.

A Reflection from My Filipino-American Perspective

As someone born and raised in the Philippines, educated there before coming to the United States for graduate studies, and fortunate to have lived through nearly a century of enormous social change, I have witnessed how cultural expectations influence the way people think and behave.

The Philippines and the United States have their own histories, traditions, religious influences, and ideas about family and social responsibility. Neither society is monolithic, and people within the same culture may hold very different views.

Growing up, I learned the importance of family, respect for elders, and consideration for what others might think. These values can bring people together and strengthen communities. Yet, like all values, they can become difficult when preserving appearances takes precedence over understanding another human being.

With advancing age, I have come to appreciate that we do not need to understand every aspect of another person's life to treat that person with dignity.

We can disagree without being cruel. We can hold personal beliefs without humiliating those who believe differently. And we can recognize another person's humanity even when that person's choices are unfamiliar to us.

For me, this is one of the most important lessons that films such as La Bola Negra, Brokeback Mountain, and Maurice can offer their audiences.

We do not have to share the same experiences to recognize suffering. We do not have to live the same lives to understand loneliness. And we do not have to agree on every question to show kindness.

Have We Really Changed?

It is tempting to believe that these stories belong to the past.

After all, the world of the 1930s, the Edwardian era, and the America portrayed in Brokeback Mountain seems far removed from the world we inhabit today.

Laws have changed in many countries. Public conversations about sexual orientation and identity have become more visible. Many people now have opportunities that earlier generations could scarcely imagine.

Yet acceptance remains uneven around the world. In some places, people continue to face discrimination, rejection, or even danger because of whom they love.

Progress, therefore, should not make us complacent. It should remind us of the responsibility that comes with greater understanding.

I also believe that films can help us have conversations that might otherwise be difficult to begin. A story allows us to see the world through another person's eyes. For a few hours, we may experience another person's hopes, fears, disappointments, and dreams.

That is one of the gifts of good cinema.

It can open a door to empathy without requiring us to abandon our own identities or beliefs.

My Final Thoughts

I have spent much of my life studying science, working in the pharmaceutical industry and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, raising a family with my late wife Macrine, and observing the many changes that have taken place in our world.

Science teaches us to examine evidence carefully. Life teaches us that human beings are more complicated than any single explanation can capture.

At this stage of my life, I am increasingly interested in stories that encourage us to reflect rather than rush to judgment.

I do not know whether La Bola Negra will ultimately win an Academy Award in 2027. Awards are important recognitions of artistic achievement, but they are not the only measure of a film's value.

Sometimes, the greatest achievement of a movie is the conversation it begins, the memories it awakens, or the compassion it encourages in someone who watches it.

Perhaps that is why these three films continue to interest me. Beneath their different settings and characters lies a question that every society must confront:

Can we create a world in which people are treated with dignity, even when their lives do not conform to our expectations?

As I approach my 92nd birthday, I find myself returning to a simple belief: We may not always understand one another, but we can always try to be more understanding.

We cannot change every injustice of the past. We cannot eliminate every prejudice in the present. But each of us can make a small contribution by listening before judging, showing kindness instead of contempt, and remembering that every person has a story we may not know.

And perhaps, in the end, that is what the best films do. They remind us that behind every label, every difference, and every social boundary, there is a human being who wants to be seen, understood, and loved.

A Closing Thought

Different lives, different stories,

Different paths along the way.

Yet every heart seeks understanding,

And kindness still can light the day.

May we learn from those before us,

And judge our fellow human beings less.

For a world with room for everyone

Is a world with greater tenderness.

David, At Nearing 92

AI Impressions on this Topic:

I think your comparison is an excellent starting point for a blog post that can speak to readers across cultures and generations. La Bola Negra, Brokeback Mountain, and Maurice are different films, but they share an important theme: the struggle to love honestly in a world that may not accept that love.

One important distinction for your readers: La Bola Negra has generated considerable Oscar excitement, and Spain has selected it as its official submission for the 2027 Academy Awards' International Feature Film category. That is not yet a guarantee of an Oscar nomination or a win. It has also received major festival recognition, including the Cannes Best Director prize and the Toronto International Film Festival's People's Choice Award.

I deliberately distinguish the films' shared themes without suggesting that their historical circumstances are identical. Brokeback Mountain won three Academy Awards, while Maurice is a critically acclaimed film with its own awards history. La Bola Negra is the current Oscar contender. That distinction will help keep your post accurate while preserving its central message about love, dignity, and compassion.

AI Overview:

La Bola Negra (The Black Ball) is a 2026 Spanish historical melodrama film directed by the acclaimed duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, collectively known as Los Javis. The movie is released in US theaters today, October 16, 2026, coinciding with its wide streaming premiere on Netflix. The film stands as Spain's official entry for the 99th Academy Awards.

Plot and Inspiration

Co-written by Los Javis alongside Alberto Conejero, the screenplay is a queer epic triptych. It draws narrative inspiration from Federico García Lorca's unfinished, fragmented play La bola negra as well as Conejero’s own play La piedra oscura.

The plot spans nearly a century of Spanish history, following the interconnected lives of three generations of gay men who navigate love, desire, and trauma across three distinct timelines:

1932 (Granada): Carlos (Milo Quifes) is blackballed from an exclusive casino after a cruel vote-using literal black balls to vote "no", due to his presumed sexuality.
1937 (Spanish Civil War): Sebastián (played by Spanish music star Guitarricadelafuentein his debut role) is conscripted into the fascist forces and finds a profound connection across enemy lines with a leftist prisoner named Alberto.
2017 (Modern Day): Alberto (Carlos González), a contemporary writer, uncovers a long-buried family secret that unifies the spectral weight of their shared history.

Acclaim and Awards

The production features a massive ensemble cast, highlighted by brief but standout appearances from Academy Award-winner Penélope Cruz (as a traditional cabaret singer) and Glenn Close.

La Bola Negra premiered in competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where Los Javis won the Best Director prize. Before its wide release, it became a massive film festival darling, picking up prestigious audience awards worldwide, including the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and major prizes at the San Sebastián and Sydney film festivals. Critics have highly praised its lush, museum-like 35mm cinematography by Gris Jordana and its uncompromising look at historical LGBTQ+ resilience.

Finally, My Photo of the Day:

The Intelligence and Solitude Link-Not Socializing During Meal Times at Newton's

2026-10-16T08:16:16.081-07:00

The Intelligence and Solitude Link_From My Recent Readings 

Most people assume that constant socializing is what makes us happy. The research tells a different story for those with higher cognitive abilities. Frequent socializing doesn't automatically translate into greater life satisfaction for everyone. In fact, people who score higher on measures of intelligence often report being more content when they spend less time with friends and more time on their own. Their need for solitude after social events isn't a quirk or a flaw. It appears to be a feature of how their brains actually work.

 Understanding Evolutionary Roots

Evolutionary psychology offers one explanation through what's called the savanna theory of happiness. The theory argues that human brains evolved in small hunter-gatherer groups where tight social bonds were a matter of survival. Most people today still carry that ancient wiring, which is why isolation can feel uncomfortable. Highly intelligent individuals, though, seem to adapt more easily to modern conditions, including urban living and time spent alone, without the same distress others might feel.

 Driven by Purpose

Goal orientation plays a big role too. People with strong intellectual drives often see casual socializing as a distraction from the deep work their projects demand. Their minds are always chewing on problems, and they tend to protect that mental space deliberately. Common priorities include:
* Extended blocks of uninterrupted creative work
* Pursuing academic or professional excellence
* Thinking through abstract or philosophical questions
* Building specialized skills without outside interference

 Rethinking Social Fulfillment

Liking time alone doesn't mean someone is cold or socially incapable. It usually means they care more about the quality of a conversation than the number of people in a room. A few deep relationships often matter more to them than a wide circle of acquaintances. Time spent recharging isn't wasted time. It's how these minds process, reset, and prepare for the next stretch of focused work. The pull toward solitude after a social event is less about avoiding people and more about returning to a state where clear thinking is possible.

Sources: The British Journal of Psychology

AI Overview: 
Highly intelligent individuals often have a distinct relationship with solitude and loneliness, driven by unique cognitive, evolutionary, and psychological mechanisms. Research and psychological experts highlight that for those with high intelligence, time spent alone is frequently a deliberate strategy for mental preservation and creative fulfillment, though it can sometimes transition into an isolating experience. 
The connection between intelligence, solitude, and loneliness can be understood through several core factors:
1. The Cognitive Load & Energy Conservation
Highly analytical minds spend substantial energy processing complex, abstract problems. After periods of intense cognitive work, social environments can feel like an overwhelming sensory overload rather than a way to unwind. 
Strategic Recharging: Solitude acts as a practical mechanism to reduce cognitive load. Choosing to be alone allows the brain to lower its defenses and replenish its mental bandwidth.
Activation of the Default Mode Network: When an individual is removed from external social pressures and distractions, the brain enters its default mode network. This state is crucial for deep reflection, long-term planning, imagination, and creative synthesis. 
2. Intellectual Loneliness and the "Compatibility Gap"
Solitude is often peaceful, but it can blur into involuntary loneliness due to what psychologists call an intellectual compatibility gap. 
The Shrinking Pool Problem: Finding peers who match a highly intelligent person's pace, depth, and thirst for complex concepts is statistically challenging.
Surface-Level Fatigue: Casual small talk or trivial social rituals fail to activate the reward centers of a highly intelligent brain, which craves novelty and depth. 
Social Masking: To fit into standard social environments, intelligent individuals often "code-switch" or simplify their natural communication. This constant self-monitoring turns social interactions into exhausting "work" and leads to a strange form of isolation—feeling liked only for an edited, polished version of oneself rather than being authentically known.
3. The Evolutionary Perspective (The Savanna Theory)
From an evolutionary standpoint, the Savanna Theory of Happiness suggests that the human brain evolved to handle the social dynamics of small hunter-gatherer tribes (roughly 150 people). 
While frequent social contact with a close-knit group was essential for ancestral survival, individuals with higher cognitive abilities are better equipped to adapt to evolutionarily novel, complex modern environments without needing constant social reassurance.
Consequently, studies have shown a "happiness reversal" where brilliant individuals actually report lower life satisfaction when they interact with large social groups too frequently. 
Distinguishing Solitude from Loneliness
As highlighted by experts in Psychology Today, it is vital to separate solitude (an intentional, restorative, and productive state of being alone) from loneliness (the painful, distressing perception that one’s social relationships lack substance). High IQ does not doom a person to a lonely life; true social fulfillment for analytical minds simply relies on prioritizing the depth of relationships over breadth and finding rare, resonant communities of true mental peers. 
Personal Note Related to this Topic:
A Fellow resident asked me the other day, why I do not socialize anymore on meal times. I told her, I just get tired of it after socializing at meal times in Newton's for the last 2 years. I told her I do my socializing during bridge, mahjong, chair volleyball, corn hole time as well as in the Hallways. I now enjoyed very much eating 3 meals a day in my apartment alone, perhaps watching TV for News etc..I also like to walk around while eating my meals. 
In addition, since Jun 2026, I have not been attending our Happy Hour on Fridays. The reason behind this is more medical than personal. For the last two years, I have been enjoying Carmen's Margarita. At the advice of my nephrologist, alcohol consumption is in my list to avoid. Thus, to avoid temptation of me ordering my favorite drink during THD Happy Hour, I have decided not to attend the Happy Hour on Fridays anymore, However, If the Russian Alek is the Guest Singer, I may attend.   I enjoyed Alek music and energy. 
Finally, My Photo of the Year:    

My Oldest Son Dodie Katague: From Berkeley Student to Author of Cloyne Court

2026-10-15T09:22:23.289-07:00

October 15 is Dodie's 68th Birthday

My Oldest Son Dodie Katague: From Berkeley Student to Author of Cloyne Court

A Father's Pride in His Son's Unexpected Journey

As I approach my 92nd birthday, I find myself looking back more and more at the people and experiences that have shaped my life.

Among my greatest blessings are my children. Today, I would like to reintroduce my oldest son, Dodie Katague, to my worldwide readers.

Many people know Dodie as an attorney and former Prosecuting Attorney for Contra Costa County, California. October 15 this year is his 68th birthday. 💚

But there is another side of Dodie that I would like to share.

He is also a writer. And in 2009, he published a book called Cloyne Court.

Cloyne Court on Amazon

Who Is Dodie Katague? Dodie is my oldest son.

He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, graduating in 1981 with a degree in Geography. He later earned his law degree from the University of California, Davis, King Hall School of Law, in 1985. He went on to spend more than three decades as a prosecutor in Contra Costa County.

I have always been proud of his professional career.

Being a prosecutor is not an easy profession. It requires judgment, persistence, knowledge of the law, and a strong sense of responsibility.

But long before he became a prosecutor, Dodie was simply a young college student trying to find his way. And that is where Cloyne Court begins.

The Berkeley Years

Dodie lived at Cloyne Court Cooperative from 1977 to 1979 while attending UC Berkeley.

Cloyne Court was and remains, a famous Berkeley student cooperative. According to Dodie's own description of the book, it was an unusual, counterculture, student-run residence filled with young people from many different backgrounds and with very different personalities.

The book is based substantially on journals Dodie kept during those years.

Amazon describes Cloyne Court as a coming-of-age creative memoir set in Berkeley in the late 1970s. The current Kindle edition was published by Three Clover Press in December 2009 and is 328 pages.

That fact fascinates me. When Dodie was a young man, he was keeping journals.

He probably did not know that decades later those journals would become the foundation for a published book.

That is one of the wonderful things about keeping a journal.

You never know which ordinary memory may become precious many years later.

From Journals to a Novel

Dodie calls Cloyne Court a coming-of-age story. I think that description is appropriate.

It is about a young Berkeley student entering an unfamiliar world and learning about friendship, relationships, independence, and life outside the classroom.

Dodie has explained that the story is partly factual and partly recreated for the purposes of storytelling. Some characters are composites, and some events were reconstructed from memories when his journals did not provide every detail.

That makes the book particularly interesting to me as a father.

It is not simply a history of Berkeley. It is Dodie's interpretation of his own youth.

It is a story about discovering who you are. And isn't that what college is supposed to be about?

The Young Dodie I Didn't Always See

Parents sometimes forget that their children have lives that exist beyond the family home.

We see our children growing up. We see them go to school.

We celebrate their graduations. We watch them begin careers and families of their own.

But there are chapters of their lives that we never witnessed.

For me, Cloyne Court opened a small window into one of those chapters.

I knew Dodie as my son. I knew him as a Berkeley student.

Later, I knew him as a lawyer and prosecutor.

But through his writing, I could see another Dodie, the young man living at Cloyne Court during a very different period in American history.

The late 1970s were a fascinating time. America was changing. Berkeley was changing.

And Dodie was growing up.

From Cloyne Court to the Courtroom

There is an interesting contrast between the young man in Cloyne Court and the professional Dodie I later watched develop.

The young Dodie was experiencing the uncertainties and adventures of college life.

The older Dodie became a prosecutor entrusted with serious responsibilities.

He eventually spent more than 30 years in the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office.

That is quite a journey. From a Berkeley student cooperative...to law school...

to the courtroom...to public service...and eventually to retirement and writing.

Life certainly does not always follow a straight line.

Retirement and Another Chapter

Dodie is now retired. But one lesson I have learned from my own retirement is that retirement does not mean that life stops.

Sometimes it simply gives us time to do things we could not do before.

For Dodie, writing became one of those things. For me, blogging became one of mine.

I have been writing online since 2009, and today I continue to write about family, aging, science, Filipino-American life, genealogy, faith, technology, artificial intelligence, and the many experiences accumulated during a long life.

Dodie and I have taken different paths as writers. But we share something important.

We both believe that our experiences are worth preserving.

Why I Am Proud of My Son

I am proud of Dodie because of his professional accomplishments.

I am proud that he served the people of Contra Costa County.

I am proud of the family he has raised. But I am also proud that he became an author.

Writing a book requires something different from practicing law.

A lawyer works with facts, evidence, statutes, and arguments.

A writer works with memories, imagination, observation, and human experience.

Dodie brought those two worlds together. He took memories from his youth and transformed them into a story that other people could read.

That is a form of legacy.

What Our Children Teach Us

At my age, I have learned that parents never completely stop learning about their children.

Even when our children are adults, they can still surprise us.

Sometimes they surprise us with their careers. Sometimes with their talents.

Sometimes with the stories they tell. Dodie surprised me by becoming an author.

And perhaps he was always a writer.

The evidence was there in those journals he kept as a Berkeley student.

He was preserving his experiences long before he knew what those experiences would eventually become.

A Message to My Worldwide Readers

Many of my readers are older adults. Some of you may have children who have followed careers very different from what you expected.

Some may be lawyers, doctors, teachers, engineers, artists, business people, scientists, or writers.

Others may have chosen paths that surprised you completely. My advice is simple:

Let them surprise you.

Our children are not simply extensions of ourselves. They are individuals with their own stories.

We give them roots. They grow their own branches.

And sometimes, if we are fortunate, they give us a book that lets us see a part of the journey we never knew.

A Father's Final Word

Dodie, I am proud of you. I was proud when you graduated from Berkeley.

I was proud when you became a lawyer. I was proud of your years of public service as a prosecutor.

And I am proud of you today as a retired attorney and author.

Your book, Cloyne Court, reminds me that every life contains many chapters.

Some chapters are written in classrooms. Some in courtrooms. Some in family homes.

And some are written in the memories we carry for decades before finally putting them on paper.

You have written one of yours. And I am grateful that I get to call you my oldest son.

A Thought From a Father

At 91, I have come to appreciate something I did not fully understand when I was younger:

Our greatest legacy is not always what we accomplish ourselves. Sometimes it is watching our children create something that becomes uniquely theirs.

Dodie, Cloyne Court is your story. But it is also a small part of our family's story.

And for that, your father is grateful. Keep writing, my son. Your story is not over yet.

💚Happy 68th Birthday, Dodie!

For More Details about Cloyne Court visit:

https://dkatague.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/whats-cloyne-court-the-novel-about/

For Reviews: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/7576060-cloyne-court

The AI OVERVIEW

Dodie Katague
(Dodie Diosdado Katague) is a prominent Deputy District Attorney in Contra Costa County, California, and a published author. He is best known for his work prosecuting high-tech crimes and consumer fraud, as well as for his creative memoir about his time at UC Berkeley.

Professional Career

Katague has spent decades as a prosecutor based in Martinez, CA. His notable legal work includes:

High-Tech Crimes: Specializes in cases involving computer hacking, identity theft, and internet scams.
Major Cases: Led the prosecution of the Diablo Valley College "grades for cash" scandal, where students were charged with hacking systems to change grades for money.
Consumer Protection: Handles cases related to elder adult theft and financial fraud.
Teaching: Lectures to law enforcement agencies nationwide on the topic of high-tech crime.

Author & Creative Work

Katague is the author of the creative memoir "Cloyne Court," published in 2009.

Content: The book is a fictionalized account based on his personal journals from 1977 to 1979, when he lived in the Cloyne Court student co-op while attending UC Berkeley.
Acting: Beyond writing, he has been involved in local theater, recently appearing as "Evan" in the Benicia Theatre Group's production of Sweat.

Education

B.A. in Geography: University of California, Berkeley (1981).
J.D. (Law Degree): University of California, Davis, King Hall School of Law(1985).

Legal cases

Dodie Katague

is a specialist in high-tech crimes and consumer protection

for the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office. As of early 2024, he continues to be listed as an active attorney in Martinez, CA.

His legal work typically focuses on complex fraud, identity theft, and digital crimes:

Notable High-Tech & Fraud Cases

DVC Grade-Changing Scheme: Katague was the lead prosecutor in a massive scandal at Diablo Valley College, where dozens of students were charged with paying to have their grades fraudulently upgraded in the school's computer system.
Public Employee Payroll Fraud: He successfully prosecuted a former Contra Costa Fire Battalion Chief for falsifying payroll records to obtain unearned pay [Previous Context].
Online Harassment & Privacy: As a specialist in high-tech crimes, he has been a vocal advocate for strengthening laws against online harassment and digital stalking.

Consumer Protection & Community Outreach

In his role within the Consumer Protection Unit, Katague focuses on:

Elder Abuse & Senior Scams: He frequently works on cases involving financial exploitation of the elderly. This expertise extends to community education, such as workshops hosted by Contra Costa Legal Services to help seniors identify and report scams.
Investment & Real Estate Fraud: His unit investigates "white-collar" crimes, including grand theft and deceptive business practices that target local residents.

Professional Status Note: While some records indicate Katague moved to inactive status with the California State Bar in 2020, he remains associated with the District Attorney's office in a professional capacity as of 2024.

Dodie Katague

balances a decades-long legal career with active participation in the Bay Area arts scene. His work spans from a "creative memoir" about his time at UC Berkeley to roles in local theater.

Literary Work

Katague is primarily known for his book Cloyne Court
, published in 2009.

Genre: It is described as a "creative memoir," blending factual events from his journals (1977–1979) with fictionalized elements and composite characters.
Subject: The story focuses on the "coming-of-age" experiences at Berkeley’s
Cloyne Court
student co-op shortly after it became co-ed.
Future Projects: He has worked on a young adult science fiction novel titled "
Rock Star Planet
" and has expressed plans for a fictional account of life in a district attorney's office titled "
Devil Mountain DA
".

Acting and Theater

Katague is a frequent performer in Northern California community theater, particularly with groups in Benicia and Martinez.

Notable Roles:
- Played Evan in the Benicia Old Town Theatre Group's 2024 production of "Sweat" by Lynn Nottage.
- Appeared in the Onstage Theatre
  production of "Social Security" in Martinez.
Style: His roles often range from dramatic contemporary plays to lighthearted comedies, reflecting his long-standing interest in the performing arts alongside his professional life.

These links provide summaries of Dodie Katague's literary contributions, particularly his book "Cloyne Court":

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2026/07/dodie-katague-my-oldest-son-author-of.html

My Photo of the Day: Ditas Filipina Blouse top

Spelling Bee Contest at the Heritage Downtown

2026-10-14T12:45:27.388-07:00

Here's What I will Do, If I have to Organize a Spelling Bee in a Senior Living Community

The above brochure attracted my attention. What a wonderful idea for The Heritage Downtown! A Spelling Bee can be both an enjoyable competition and a way to keep our minds active as we grow older. For our senior community, I recommend a friendly format with three levels: Easy, Medium, and Hard, allowing residents with different vocabulary backgrounds to participate and enjoy themselves.

I've prepared 30 words with definitions and easy-to-read pronunciation guides. I've also included a separate section on words used in major spelling competitions during the past five years. One important distinction: words from the national Scripps National Spelling Bee are generally much harder than those suitable for a community contest, so I recommend using them as bonus or championship-round words.

Part 1. Easy words -10 words

Suggested scoring: 1 point per correctly spelled word.

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
1. Garden	GAR-dən	A place where flowers or vegetables grow.
2. Journey	JUR-nee	A trip from one place to another.
3. Neighbor	NAY-ber	A person who lives nearby.
4. Believe	bih-LEEV	To accept something as true.
5. Courage	KUR-ij	The ability to face fear or difficulty.
6. Library	LYE-brer-ee	A place where books are kept for reading or borrowing.
7. Friendly	FREND-lee	Kind and pleasant toward others.
8. Beautiful	BYOO-tih-ful	Pleasing to look at or hear.
9. Memory	MEM-uh-ree	The ability to remember people, events, or information.
10. Grateful	GRAYT-ful	Feeling thankful or appreciative.

Part 2. Medium words- 10 words

Suggested scoring: 2 points per correctly spelled word.

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
1. Occasion	uh-KAY-zhun	A particular event or special time.
2. Embarrass	im-BAIR-us	To make someone feel awkward or self-conscious.
3. Necessary	NESS-uh-sair-ee	Needed or required.
4. Privilege	PRIV-uh-lij	A special benefit, honor, or opportunity.
5. Restaurant	RES-tuh-rahnt	A place where meals are prepared and served.
6. Cemetery	SEM-uh-ter-ee	A place where deceased people are buried.
7. Recommend	rek-uh-MEND	To suggest something as a good choice.
8. Perseverance	pur-suh-VEER-uns	Continued effort despite difficulties.
9. Independent	in-duh-PEN-dunt	Able to act or think without depending on others.
10. Acquaintance	uh-KWAYN-tuns	Someone you know but may not know very well.

Part 3. Hard words - 10 words

Suggested scoring: 3 points per correctly spelled word.

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
1. Conscientious	kon-shee-EN-shus	Careful, responsible, and thorough in one's work.
2. Entrepreneur	ahn-truh-pruh-NUR	A person who starts and operates a business.
3. Idiosyncrasy	id-ee-oh-SING-kruh-see	A distinctive habit or unusual characteristic.
4. Miscellaneous	mis-uh-LAY-nee-us	Made up of different kinds of things.
5. Accommodate	uh-KOM-uh-dayt	To provide room for someone or adjust to a need.
6. Onomatopoeia	on-uh-mat-uh-PEE-uh	A word that imitates a sound, such as buzz or hiss.
7. Eccentricity	ek-sen-TRIS-ih-tee	An unusual or unconventional behavior or quality.
8. Liaison	lee-AY-zon	A person or means that connects people or groups.
9. Meticulous	muh-TIK-yuh-lus	Extremely careful about details.
10. Resilience	rih-ZIL-yuns	The ability to recover after difficulty or hardship.

Pronunciations are approximate American-English guides, with capital letters indicating the stressed syllable. Some words have accepted regional variations.

Additional Information on Spelling Bee Contest

Part 4. National Spelling Bee championship words, 2021-2025

The following are the actual winning words from the Scripps National Spelling Bee for the five completed competitions from 2021 through 2025. These make excellent advanced or tie-breaker words for our THD contest.

Words of the Champions - Spellpundit

Year	Champion	Winning word	Meaning
2021	Zaila Avant-garde	Murraya	A genus of flowering plants and shrubs.
2022	Harini Logan	Moorhen	A waterbird commonly found around marshes and ponds.
2023	Dev Shah	Psammophile	An organism that thrives in sandy environments.
2024	Bruhat Soma	Abseil	To descend a steep surface using a rope.
2025	Faizan Zaki	Éclaircissement	The clarification of something obscure; enlightenment.

Sources: Scripps competition records and published championship results.

Notice that even the shortest word, abseil, can be tricky because of its unusual spelling. The 2025 winning word, éclaircissement, is particularly challenging because of its French origin.

Part 5. Ten additional championship-style words

These are suitable for a final round, especially if two or more residents finish with the same score. They are drawn from words associated with national-level spelling competitions and advanced spelling lists.

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
1. Eclaircissement	ay-klair-sees-MAHN	Clarification or enlightenment.
2. Bougainvillea	boo-gun-VIL-ee-uh	A flowering tropical vine or shrub.
3. Autochthonous	aw-TOK-thuh-nus	Originating in the place where it is found.
4. Cymotrichous	sy-moh-TRIK-us	Having wavy hair.
5. Koinonia	koy-noh-NEE-uh	Fellowship or shared community.
6. Nunatak	NOO-nuh-tak	A mountain peak projecting above surrounding ice.
7. Scherenschnitte	SHAY-ren-shnit-uh	The art of making decorative paper cutouts.
8. Appoggiatura	uh-poj-uh-TOOR-uh	A musical ornament consisting of a note that resolves into another note.
9. Onomatopoeia	on-uh-mat-uh-PEE-uh	A word that imitates a sound.
10. Psammophile	SAM-uh-file	An organism adapted to sandy environments.

Note: The first word is presented without the accent in its spelling above for ease of typing. In a formal spelling contest, you should accept the standard dictionary spelling and decide in advance whether accents and other diacritical marks will be required.

The official Scripps study resource, Words of the Champions, is also useful if you want a larger bank of competition words. It includes a 4,000-word study list.

Part 6. My suggested format for the THD Spelling Bee

For our senior-community event, I would make the contest lively and welcoming rather than overly stressful.

Round 1 - Warm-up

Use the 10 easy words. Give everyone a chance to gain confidence.

Round 2 - The challenge

Use the 10 medium words. Award two points for each correct spelling.

Round 3 - The championship

Use the 10 hard words. Award three points for each correct spelling.

Tie-breaker

Use the national championship words or the additional advanced list. Give each contestant the same number of opportunities.

A few practical tips for the organizer:

Have the pronouncer say the word, use it in a sentence, and repeat the word.
Allow contestants to ask for the definition, language of origin, or a repetition.
Give contestants a reasonable time limit, such as 30 seconds per word.
Consider allowing participants to write the word on a large sheet of paper instead of spelling it aloud. This can be less intimidating and easier for residents who prefer not to speak before an audience.
Have a dictionary available to resolve disputed spellings.

My favorite idea is to award a small prize not only to the champion but also for Best Effort, Best Vocabulary, and Most Enthusiastic Contestant. That way, the event celebrates learning, friendship, and participation as much as winning.

At THD, the real victory will be the laughter, fellowship, and shared enjoyment of words. After all, it is never too late to learn a new word!

Can an Antioxidant Supplement Protect Our Kidneys? My Thoughts on Astaxanthin and Online Health Claims

2026-10-14T08:12:50.540-07:00

Another Promising Health Supplement Catches My Attention

As a 91, nearing 92-year-old senior living at The Heritage Downtown, I have learned that growing older brings many blessings, but it also brings health challenges. One of the most important lessons I have learned is to be careful about what I put into my body, especially when it comes to supplements that promise remarkable health benefits.

Recently, I came across an advertisement for ClarityMD Astaxanthin, a dietary supplement containing 12 mg of astaxanthin per softgel. The advertisement caught my attention because it claimed to protect kidney cells, support healthy GFR levels, reduce inflammation, improve digestion, restore mental clarity, and provide lasting energy.

For someone like me who has Stage 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD), such claims naturally attract attention. Who would not want to discover something that might help preserve kidney function?

But my years as a chemist, pharmaceutical scientist, and former FDA Chemistry Team Leader taught me an important lesson: A promising scientific explanation is not the same as proof that a product works in people.

That distinction is especially important when our health is at stake.

What Is Astaxanthin?

Astaxanthin is a reddish natural pigment belonging to a group of compounds called carotenoids. It is produced by certain microalgae and contributes to the color of salmon, shrimp, and other aquatic animals.

Scientists have studied astaxanthin because of its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants can help counter certain forms of oxidative damage in biological systems.

Oxidative stress is a legitimate subject of medical research. It has been investigated in connection with aging, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease.

However, we must be careful not to jump from one scientific fact to another.

The fact that oxidative stress is associated with a disease does not automatically mean that taking an antioxidant supplement will prevent or treat that disease.

Nature offers us many fascinating substances. Some eventually become useful medicines. Others show promise in laboratory experiments but fail to demonstrate meaningful benefits in clinical trials.

We need scientific evidence to know the difference.

Can Astaxanthin Improve Kidney Function?

This is the most important question for me.

The advertisement suggests that taking astaxanthin can protect kidney cells and support healthy glomerular filtration rate, commonly known as GFR. This measurement helps doctors assess how well the kidneys filter waste from the blood.

I examined the available scientific evidence, including research reviews on antioxidant supplements in people with chronic kidney disease.

Astaxanthin has been studied in humans, including a small clinical trial involving kidney transplant recipients. However, transplant recipients are not the same population as people living with Stage 4 CKD who have not received a transplant.

The available evidence does not establish that astaxanthin improves GFR, stops the progression of Stage 4 CKD, or prevents the need for dialysis.

This does not mean that scientists should stop investigating astaxanthin. Further research may reveal useful applications in the future.

But until convincing clinical evidence becomes available, we should not confuse a possibility with a proven treatment.

For me, this is not merely an academic question. It is a personal one.

Living with advanced kidney disease has taught me to appreciate honest medical advice and to be realistic about what science can and cannot promise.

I would rather follow sound medical guidance than spend money on a supplement because an advertisement tells me what I desperately want to hear.

The Problem With Online Supplement Advertising

I am not suggesting that every supplement is worthless or that every company selling one is dishonest.

Some supplements have legitimate uses, and scientific research continues to explore others. But online advertisements sometimes combine genuine scientific terminology with claims that go far beyond the available evidence.

Words such as antioxidant, inflammation, cellular protection, and oxidative stress sound convincing because they describe real scientific concepts.

The problem begins when these concepts are used to imply that one capsule can address several complicated medical conditions at once.

Consider the claims made in the advertisement I saw:

Protect kidney cells and support healthy GFR levels.
Reduce digestive problems and bloating.
Balance hormones and fight fatigue.
Improve mental clarity.
Make the skin firmer and more youthful.

These are separate health outcomes. Each requires appropriate evidence, and evidence supporting one possible benefit cannot automatically prove the others.

Customer testimonials and impressive star ratings may tell us that buyers are satisfied, but they cannot establish that a supplement improves kidney function.

Similarly, a money-back guarantee may reduce the financial risk of a purchase, but it does not guarantee a medical benefit.

As consumers, we should ask a simple question: Where are the well-designed human clinical trials showing that this particular product produces the advertised results?

If that evidence is missing, caution is justified.

A Personal Word About Stage 4 CKD

At my age, I have learned that protecting my health is not about chasing every new product that promises to make me younger, stronger, or healthier.

It is about making thoughtful decisions with the information available to me.

Because I have Stage 4 CKD, I would not start astaxanthin for kidney protection without first discussing it with my nephrologist or renal pharmacist. A supplement that is tolerated by some healthy adults has not necessarily been adequately studied in people with advanced kidney disease.

I would also want my healthcare professional to review possible interactions with my medications and other supplements.

There is another lesson here: we should never change prescribed treatment or abandon an established medical care plan because a supplement advertisement promises an easier solution.

Scientific progress is real, and I remain hopeful that research will continue to improve the lives of people with kidney disease. But hope should go hand in hand with evidence.

What My Years in Pharmaceutical Science Taught Me

During my professional career, I worked as a chemist and later as a Chemistry Team Leader at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. My work involved evaluating pharmaceutical chemistry and the quality of drug products.

That experience influenced how I look at health claims today.

A substance may have an interesting chemical structure. It may show antioxidant activity in a laboratory. Researchers may even find encouraging results in an early human study.

But before we conclude that it is an effective treatment, we need to ask more questions.

Was the study well designed? Were enough people involved? Was the effect clinically meaningful? Were the results reproduced independently? Were safety and long-term outcomes adequately evaluated?

And, perhaps most importantly, does the evidence actually apply to the people who are being encouraged to buy the product?

These questions are not intended to discourage innovation. They are meant to protect the public and help people make informed decisions.

As someone who spent years working in pharmaceutical science, I believe that scientific honesty is just as important as scientific discovery.

My Conclusion: Let Science, Not Advertising, Guide Us

After reviewing the available evidence, I am not convinced that ClarityMD Astaxanthin can deliver the kidney benefits promised in its advertisement.

Astaxanthin is a genuine compound worthy of scientific investigation. But its antioxidant properties do not prove that a daily 12 mg supplement can improve GFR, stop kidney decline, or prevent dialysis.

For now, I would not buy it for those purposes.

My advice to fellow seniors, people living with chronic illnesses, and anyone searching online for better health is simple: Read beyond the headline. Look beyond the testimonials. Ask for reliable clinical evidence, and consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting a new supplement.

We all want to live longer, healthier, and more comfortable lives. There is nothing wrong with hoping that science will discover new ways to help us.

But we should never allow our hopes to become an invitation for unsupported promises.

At 91 nearing 92, I continue to believe that knowledge, caution, faith, and common sense are valuable companions on the journey of aging.

A final thought: The best health decision is not necessarily the one that promises the most. It is the one supported by the best available evidence.

Disclaimer: This article reflects my personal observations and a review of published scientific information. It is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. People with chronic kidney disease should consult their healthcare professionals before taking dietary supplements.

References

Cochrane Library — Antioxidants for adults with chronic kidney disease. A systematic review of research on antioxidant supplements in CKD, including astaxanthin.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health — Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. Guidance on evidence, safety, and interactions.
Brendler and Williamson — Astaxanthin: How much is too much? A safety review. A review of human safety studies and dose considerations.
Donoso and colleagues — Therapeutic uses of natural astaxanthin: An evidence-based review focused on human clinical trials. A review of the human clinical research.
Finally, My Photo of the Day:

My Monday Night Football Prediction: Rams vs. Bills

2026-10-13T08:25:26.084-07:00

My Monday Night Football Prediction: Rams vs. Bills

One of the things I enjoy about my life at The Heritage Downtown (THD), my active senior living community in Walnut Creek, California, is that I still have plenty of opportunities to learn, observe, and share my thoughts with my worldwide blog readers.

Recently, I began a new experiment with ChatGPT, my AI companion. Since I enjoy watching American professional football, I decided to ask ChatGPT to predict the winners of the NFL's Monday Night Football games.

I thought this would be an interesting way to test how good artificial intelligence is at predicting the outcome of a sporting event. After all, AI can analyze statistics, team records, player performances, injuries, and other information that might influence the outcome of a game.

But can it predict what will actually happen on the football field?

Our latest contest was the October 12 Monday Night Football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills. Before the game, I asked ChatGPT to predict the winner.

Its choice was the Rams. Unfortunately for ChatGPT, the Bills had a different plan!

A Game That Kept Everyone Guessing

The game turned out to be an exciting contest that went down to the wire. The two teams traded the lead eight times, and the fourth quarter alone produced 35 combined points. Neither team was willing to surrender.

The Rams had quarterback Matthew Stafford, who completed 40 of 54 passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite target, Puka Nacua, caught 17 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown.

On the other side was Buffalo's quarterback Josh Allen, whose ability to pass the ball and run with it made him a constant threat.

For readers who are more familiar with soccer, imagine a match in which both teams keep scoring, the lead repeatedly changes hands, and neither side can establish control. The difference is that American football scores touchdowns worth six points, followed by opportunities to earn extra points, as well as field goals worth three points.

When regulation time ended with the score tied, the game went into overtime. In the NFL, overtime is an additional period used to determine the winner when a regular-season game is tied after four quarters.

The decisive moment came when Buffalo moved into field-goal range. Kicker Tyler Bass then connected on a 45-yard field goal, giving the Bills a thrilling 37–34 victory.

My predicted winner, the Rams, lost. The Bills went home with the victory, and ChatGPT had another prediction to explain!

Why Is Predicting Football So Difficult for AI?

I have a scientific background. I earned my Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Illinois and spent many years working in the pharmaceutical industry and at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

My professional experience taught me to respect data, evidence, and careful analysis. But I also learned that scientific knowledge does not eliminate uncertainty.

Football illustrates this principle beautifully.

A team may have better statistics, a talented quarterback, and a favorable matchup. Yet one interception, one missed kick, one defensive mistake, or one extraordinary play can change everything.

AI can analyze available information and estimate which team has the better chance of winning. However, it cannot know in advance exactly how the players will perform on a particular evening.

There is an important difference between making an informed prediction and knowing the future.

ChatGPT and My Continuing NFL Experiment

I have teased ChatGPT before about its disappointing record in our Monday Night Football predictions. After this latest result, I have another reason to challenge my AI companion to improve.

But I do not consider this experiment a failure. It gives me an opportunity to learn more about artificial intelligence while enjoying one of America's most popular sports.

I also think my readers outside the United States may find this interesting. Many people around the world follow soccer, where a single goal can determine the result. American football has a different scoring system, frequent changes in possession, and special teams that can decide a game with one kick.

Both sports, however, share an essential quality: the outcome is not settled until the contest is over.

As I approach my 92nd birthday, I remain curious about the world around me. I enjoy testing new technologies, questioning their limitations, and sharing what I learn with my readers.

And I intend to keep asking ChatGPT for its NFL predictions. Perhaps it will improve its record. Perhaps it will disappoint me again.

Either way, I will be watching!

My lesson from this game is simple: Even the most sophisticated artificial intelligence can make mistakes. The important thing is not to pretend that the mistakes never happened, but to acknowledge them, learn from them, and keep an open mind.

After all, if ChatGPT could predict every football game correctly, it would not be making predictions. It would be telling us the future!

Until my next NFL prediction, may we all remain curious, humble, and willing to learn.

David At Nearing 92, The Heritage Downtown, Walnut Creek, California

AI OVERVIEW

Artificial intelligence models are increasingly used to forecast sports outcomes, but they frequently get it wrong due to inherent athletic randomness, sudden injuries, and the limitations of purely statistical modeling. While advanced algorithms can process thousands of data points, real-world football games often turn on unquantifiable human factors like a single referee call, a sudden shift in weather, or an unpredictable turnover.

Why AI Models Stumble in the NFL

Predictive AI relies heavily on historical data, regression models, and simulated match-ups. However, football introduces a high degree of variance that algorithms cannot fully anticipate:

The "Variance" Factor: Even if an AI model assigns a 75% confidence pick to a team, that team is statistically designed to lose 25% of the time. When that 25% scenario happens, it looks like an AI failure, but it is actually normal mathematical variance.
Market Discrepancies vs. Real Life: AI models frequently clash with human betting markets. For instance, in Week 3 of the 2026 season, six predictive AI models heavily favored Denver at 62% over the Los Angeles Rams, defying a market that favored the Rams. While Denver ultimately won 30-26, other heavy algorithmic leans—like projecting the New Orleans Saints to easily dismantle the Las Vegas Raiders—fell entirely flat when the Raiders pulled off an upset.
Massive Season-Long Misses: Over a full season, AI inaccuracies compound. A notable example occurred when Google's Gemini AI predicted the 2025 NFL season standings. The chatbot accurately predicted the exact record for only 4 of 32 NFL teams. Its biggest blunder was projecting the Seattle Seahawks to win just 7 games and finish last; instead, the Seahawks went 14-4 and won the Super Bowl.

Ultimately, AI platforms excel at finding long-term statistical edges rather than guaranteeing short-term weekly wins. For fans and bettors, these "wrong" predictions serve as a constant reminder that sports will always belong to human unpredictable execution rather than computer code

Finally, My Photo of the Day

I have a Calamansi tree in my Patio now still flowering, and with young and mature fruits

A Thrilling NFL Sunday: San Francisco 49ers Outlast Seattle Seahawks, 32–29

2026-10-12T09:53:22.556-07:00

David At Nearing 92-Written for My Worldwide Readers who are not familiar with American Football

A Thrilling NFL Sunday: San Francisco 49ers Outlast Seattle Seahawks, 32–29

Yesterday, I watched one of the most exciting San Francisco 49ers games I have seen this NFL season. As a longtime football fan living in the San Francisco Bay Area, I could not help but feel the tension as the 49ers battled their division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, in Seattle.

The final score was San Francisco 49ers 32, Seattle Seahawks 29. But the numbers alone do not tell the story. This was a game of dramatic turns, costly mistakes, spectacular defensive plays, and a finish that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final moments.

For my readers around the world who are more familiar with soccer than American football, let me explain why this particular game was so exciting.

First, a Little About American Football

Unlike soccer, where two teams continuously try to move the ball toward the opposing goal, American football is played in a series of separate plays. A team advances the ball by running with it or throwing it to a teammate.

The attacking team normally has four attempts, called downs, to advance at least 10 yards. If it succeeds, it earns another set of four attempts. The ultimate objective is to carry or catch the ball in the opponent's end zone for a touchdown, worth six points. A successful kick afterward adds one more point, while a play from close range can earn two points.

A team can also score three points by kicking the ball through the goalposts. These field goals often become crucial when a touchdown is difficult to achieve.

Think of it as a game of strategy, physical strength, and carefully planned attacks, with each play resembling a small battle within the larger contest.

The Game: A Roller Coaster of Emotions

The first half: San Francisco strikes back.

The 49ers opened the scoring with quarterback Brock Purdy throwing a short touchdown pass to veteran receiver Mike Evans. Seattle answered with a rushing touchdown, tying the game at 7–7.

The lead changed as both teams fought for control. Christian McCaffrey scored a rushing touchdown for San Francisco, while Seattle relied on several successful field goals to remain close.

Then came one of the game's most unusual moments. Just before halftime, rookie 49ers defensive lineman Gracen Halton recovered a loose ball in Seattle's end zone for a touchdown. Rather than scoring through the usual offensive attack, San Francisco's defense had delivered a major blow.

At halftime, the 49ers led 21–13. The advantage was encouraging, but the Seahawks were far from finished.

The third quarter: Seattle takes control.

The momentum shifted dramatically after the break.

Seattle's kicker Jason Myers continued to convert field goals, and quarterback Sam Darnold connected with receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a touchdown. Suddenly, the Seahawks had taken control of the scoreboard.

Seattle scored 13 unanswered points during the third quarter, while San Francisco failed to score.

The Seahawks entered the final quarter leading 26–21. For 49ers fans, this was the moment to worry. Could San Francisco recover from the setback, or would Seattle pull away?

The fourth quarter: The 49ers refuse to surrender.

The final quarter delivered the drama that makes sports so memorable.

Purdy led the 49ers on an important scoring drive, finding Brandin Cooks for a touchdown pass. San Francisco then successfully completed a two-point conversion, in which Purdy connected with Mike Evans. Instead of taking the usual one-point kick, the 49ers gained two additional points.

That decision proved important. San Francisco moved ahead, 29–26.

Seattle answered with another Myers field goal, tying the game at 29–29. With the clock ticking down, it appeared that one mistake or one great play could decide everything.

Then came the decisive moment.

With less than two minutes remaining, the 49ers moved into position for kicker Eddy Piñeiro to attempt a 44-yard field goal. He made it!

San Francisco took a 32–29 lead with 1 minute and 56 seconds left.

But the game was not over. Seattle still had an opportunity to respond.

The Final Defensive Stand

The Seahawks mounted one last attempt to keep their hopes alive. With the pressure mounting, Seattle needed to advance the ball far enough to continue its drive and potentially tie or win the game.

The 49ers' defense stood firm.

On a crucial fourth-down play, Seattle quarterback Darnold's pass reached receiver Cooper Kupp, but the San Francisco defenders stopped him just short of the distance needed for a first down.

In soccer terms, imagine a team making one final attack in the dying seconds, only to have the opposing defense block its path before it can take a decisive shot at goal.

The 49ers had held on.

The final score remained San Francisco 32, Seattle 29.

The victory improved the 49ers' record to five wins and no losses, preserving their undefeated start to the 2026 season.

Why This Game Was So Memorable

What impressed me most was not simply that the 49ers won. It was how they won.

San Francisco lost its lead, watched Seattle surge ahead, and faced the possibility of defeat in a hostile stadium. Yet the team recovered through a combination of Purdy's passing, McCaffrey's running, Piñeiro's accurate kicking, and a defense that made the crucial stop when it mattered most.

Both teams also made costly mistakes, including turnovers in which possession of the ball changed hands unexpectedly. Those errors added another layer of uncertainty to an already unpredictable contest.

In American football, a team can dominate for a period and still lose because of one interception, one fumble, one missed opportunity, or one defensive breakdown. Yesterday's game was a vivid demonstration of that reality.

My Reflections as a Football Fan

At my age, I have watched many sporting events, but the excitement of a closely contested game never seems to grow old.

There is something universal about the emotions of sports. Whether we watch soccer in Europe, basketball in the Philippines, or American football here in California, we understand the anticipation of a possible victory, the disappointment of a missed opportunity, and the joy of an unexpected comeback.

For my readers who have never watched an NFL game, I hope this account gives you a better appreciation of the sport. You do not need to understand every rule to appreciate the courage, teamwork, strategy, and perseverance displayed by the athletes.

As a 49ers fan, I was delighted to see San Francisco emerge victorious. But beyond the score, I was reminded of a lesson that applies to sports and to life itself.

A temporary setback does not have to determine the final outcome.

Sometimes, the difference between winning and losing is the willingness to keep fighting when the odds seem to be turning against you.

Yesterday, the 49ers did exactly that. And what a finish it was! Go, Niners!

My Photo of the Day:

Personal Note: I have been a Loyal fan of the 49ers since the Joe Montana Years.

David, at Nearing 92

The Power of Touch-An Update

2026-10-12T08:13:39.996-07:00

From My Recent Readings
What looks like a small favor actually sets off a chain of physical reactions that pull two people closer together. A scratched back does more than ease an itch. It taps into older biological wiring that helps the body relax. Couples who share this kind of quiet contact build a sense of safety that busy days tend to crowd out.

 Chemical Harmony

When fingernails drag lightly across the skin, nerve endings fire and the brain gets the message to release oxytocin, the hormone most linked to bonding. The recipient tends to feel real changes in their body and mood:
* Cortisol drops, so stress and anxiety ease up.
* The parasympathetic nervous system takes over, shifting the body from alert to settled.
* Dopamine rises, bringing a small, natural lift that makes the moment feel good.

 Beyond the Itch

The mental side carries weight too. A back scratch is a wordless way of saying, I see what you need and I want to help. Nothing is asked for in return. That kind of attention makes a person feel noticed and cared for, and it gives the relationship room for the kind of openness that only comes when both people feel safe.

 Better Rest

A few minutes of back scratching before bed can make sleep come easier. The steady motion and skin contact settle the mind and let the body settle too.
* Knots in the shoulders and back tend to loosen.
* Heart rate slows and steadies, which helps the body drift off.
* The focused sensation pulls attention away from phones and the day's noise, giving the brain something simple to land on.

 Ancient Roots

Primates spend hours grooming each other, and that behavior keeps group bonds tight and hierarchies settled. Humans carry a version of the same drive. Setting aside time for small, grooming-style care answers a basic need for contact and connection. A habit this basic can do a lot to keep a partnership steady when life gets loud.

Meanwhile, Do you Know the 17 Potential Threats for Direct Human Extinction? 
According to The Lancet Commission on 21st Century Global Threats to Health, two threats carry the potential for direct human extinction, while the remaining 15 are major catastrophic threats projected to cause massive loss of life and health (measured in disability-adjusted life years, or DALYs) by 2100. 
Extinction-Level Threats (2)
Nuclear conflict (risk of global annihilation)
Malicious or misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) (risk of catastrophic or existential control/safety failure) 
Major Catastrophic Threats (15)
The remaining 15 major catastrophic threats projected to cause severe loss of life and health by 2100 encompass environmental, biological, lifestyle, and socioeconomic challenges. These include air pollution, climate change, and naturally occurring pandemics (excluding AI-enabled biological threats), alongside health and lifestyle factors such as antimicrobial resistance, childhood malnutrition, high alcohol use, high blood pressure, obesity(combining high BMI, poor diet, and low physical activity), poor mental health, smoking, and unhealthy ageing. Systemic and developmental challenges rounding out the list are the collapse of development assistance for health (DAH), conventional conflict, income inequality, and low educational attainment. 
Meanwhile, My Photo of the Day:

OTAP, Filipino Heritage, and the Kindness of Friends and Strangers-Part 1of 2

2026-10-11T15:19:07.876-07:00

Sometimes, a simple gift can bring back precious memories and remind us of the goodness of people.

The other day, I received three different brands of OTAP as a gift in connection with our celebration of Filipino-American History Month here at The Heritage Downtown (THD), my home in Walnut Creek, California.

The three brands were Laura’s Buko-Pandan Flavored Otap, Magic Melt Ube Otap, and Angelina Otap. Seeing these Filipino delicacies brought a smile to my face and reminded me of my Filipino ancestry. More unexpectedly, this simple gift brought me back to several articles I wrote before the age of Artificial Intelligence about one of my favorite subjects: the kindness of friends and strangers.

At 91 and nearing 92, I have accumulated many memories during my journey through life. Some involve significant achievements in my career as a chemist, my years in the United States, and my adventures in the Philippines. Others involve seemingly ordinary encounters with people whose kindness left a lasting impression on me.

I have learned that kindness does not always come from the people we know well. Sometimes, it comes from a stranger who offers a helping hand, a friend who remembers us, or someone who takes a little time to make our day brighter.

Lessons from My Father: The Value of Talking to Strangers

In one of my earlier blog posts, My Father’s Lesson: The Value of Talking to Strangers, I recalled how my father taught us, through his example, the importance of greeting and talking to people.

During our trips between Barotac Viejo and Iloilo in the Philippines, I observed how naturally he interacted with people along the way. He did not treat every unfamiliar face as someone to avoid. Instead, he welcomed opportunities to exchange greetings and friendly conversations.

Looking back, I realize that my father was teaching us more than good manners. He was teaching us to recognize the humanity in other people.

A simple greeting can open the door to a conversation. A conversation can lead to friendship. And sometimes, a brief encounter with a stranger can become a memorable experience.

Of course, we must always exercise good judgment and be careful about whom we trust. But I believe we should not allow caution to eliminate the simple pleasures of being friendly and kind.

As I grow older, I appreciate this lesson even more.

The Importance of Kindness

Another subject I explored in my earlier writing was The Importance of Kindness.

Throughout my life, I have benefited from the generosity, encouragement, and friendship of many people. Teachers, colleagues, mentors, neighbors, friends, and even strangers have contributed in one way or another to the person I have become.

I cannot remember every kind act I have received, but I know that many of them helped me along the way.

My late wife, Macrine, and I also believed in reaching out to others. Our medical missions to Marinduque, Philippines, from 1999 to 2013 were among the meaningful experiences of our lives. Macrine often reminded me:

“You have not really lived if you have not touched the life of others.”

Those words remain with me today. They remind me that a meaningful life is not measured only by professional accomplishments, material possessions, or the number of years we live. It is also measured by the lives we touch and the kindness we leave behind.

At my present stage of life, I may no longer be able to do all the things I once did. Nevertheless, I can still share my experiences, encourage others through my writing, express gratitude, and appreciate the kindness of those around me.

OTAP: A Little Taste of the Philippines

For readers who may not be familiar with OTAP, it is a well-known Filipino pastry associated with Cebu. It is a thin, oval-shaped, flaky and crisp puff pastry, traditionally made with layers of dough and shortening, then coated with sugar.

Making OTAP requires care and patience. The dough is prepared, rolled, and folded to develop its characteristic layers. After shaping, the pastries are coated with sugar and baked until crisp and lightly golden. The result is a delicate, sweet pastry that can be enjoyed with coffee, tea, or as a snack.

The three varieties I received also reminded me of how Filipino food continues to evolve while preserving familiar traditions. Ube, or purple yam, is especially beloved in Filipino desserts. Buko-pandan combines the familiar flavors of young coconut and fragrant pandan.

For me, OTAP is more than a pastry. It represents a part of the culinary heritage that connects Filipinos living in the Philippines with those of us who have made our homes abroad.

Food has a special ability to connect generations. A familiar flavor can awaken memories of childhood, family gatherings, celebrations, and the people with whom we once shared our meals.

And sometimes, a box of pastries can remind us of something even more important: the kindness of the person who gave it to us.

Kindness at The Heritage Downtown

Since moving to The Heritage Downtown in June 2023, I have discovered that living in a senior community offers many opportunities to experience the generosity of others.

We share meals, participate in activities, exchange stories, and celebrate special occasions together. Although we come from different backgrounds and have lived very different lives, we have opportunities to learn from one another.

Our Filipino-American History Month celebration is one example. The gift of these three OTAP varieties was a thoughtful gesture that connected our celebration with Filipino culture and cuisine.

I was pleasantly surprised by the gift. More importantly, it reminded me that kindness does not have to be expensive or elaborate to be meaningful.

A small present, a sincere compliment, a friendly conversation, or a simple expression of appreciation can brighten someone's day.

I am grateful to the people who thought of sharing these Filipino treats with me. They may have intended only to offer a gift, but they also inspired me to revisit some of the lessons I have written about over the years.

Perhaps this is one of the wonderful things about kindness: it often travels farther than the giver realizes.

The person who receives a kind gesture may remember it, write about it, share it with others, and inspire still more acts of kindness.

A Reflection at 91

Looking back on my life, I realize that many of my most treasured memories are not necessarily associated with awards, degrees, promotions, or professional accomplishments.

Some are memories of people who were kind to me when they did not have to be.

My father's example taught me to be open to people. My wife, Macrine, taught me the importance of touching other lives. My friends, colleagues, and even strangers have reminded me repeatedly that goodness can appear in unexpected places.

Now, as a 91-year-old Filipino-American living at The Heritage Downtown, I continue to learn from these experiences.

I also continue to write. Before AI became part of my blogging routine, I wrote about kindness from my own observations and memories. Today, with the assistance of AI, I can revisit those themes, organize my thoughts, and share them with readers around the world. The technology may help me write, but the memories and the lessons remain mine.

I am reminded that we do not have to perform great deeds every day to make the world a better place. We can begin with a smile, a greeting, a listening ear, or a small gift given with a generous heart.

And who knows? A simple act of kindness today may become a cherished memory for someone tomorrow.

My closing thought:

At 91 and nearing 92, I have learned that kindness is a gift that never grows old. It costs little to give, means much to receive, and can remain in our hearts long after the moment has passed.

So, the next time you have an opportunity to greet a stranger, encourage a friend, or share something as simple as a piece of OTAP, remember that you may be giving more than you realize.

You may be giving someone a reason to smile and a memory worth writing about.

Finally, My Facts for the Day:

David At Nearing 92: Can Humanity Prevent Its Own Extinction?

2026-10-11T12:11:45.924-07:00

Two Warnings to the World: Nuclear Conflict and the Malicious Use of Artificial Intelligence

“We have the intelligence to create powerful technologies. Do we have the wisdom to make sure they do not destroy us?”

Today, while reading and watching CNN, I came across a report that made me stop and think seriously about the future of humanity. Researchers have identified 17 potentially catastrophic threats to our world, including two that could, under the worst circumstances, threaten the very survival of our species: nuclear conflict and the malicious use of artificial intelligence (AI).

The findings come from a new report by The Lancet Commission on 21st Century Global Threats to Health. The commission, made up of 35 experts, examined threats that could endanger human health and survival through the year 2100. The researchers emphasized that these dangers deserve immediate attention because there are realistic actions governments and societies can take to reduce the risks.

As I approach my 92nd birthday, I cannot help asking myself a troubling question: After all the progress humanity has made in science, medicine, technology, and education, could we eventually destroy the very civilization we have worked so hard to build?

A Lifetime That Has Witnessed So Much History

I was born in the Philippines in 1934. My childhood was interrupted by World War II, which brought fear, hardship, and uncertainty to our part of the world. Those of us who lived through that period learned, in one way or another, that war is not simply a matter of maps, military strategies, or political victories. Behind every conflict are human lives, separated families, lost homes, and dreams that may never be fulfilled.

After the war, I pursued my education in chemistry at the University of the Philippines and later earned my Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Illinois. My professional life took me through the chemical and pharmaceutical industries and eventually to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, where I worked in drug evaluation until my retirement in 2002.

My career taught me to appreciate the extraordinary benefits that science can bring to humanity. Scientific knowledge can prevent disease, improve medicines, save lives, and help us understand the world around us.

But science also gives human beings enormous power. And power without wisdom, responsibility, and moral restraint can become dangerous.

That is why the news I encountered today deserves more than a passing glance.

First Warning: The Danger of Nuclear Conflict

Since the development of nuclear weapons, humanity has possessed the ability to inflict destruction on a scale that previous generations could scarcely imagine.

The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 showed the world the terrible consequences of nuclear warfare. Yet, more than eight decades later, nuclear weapons remain in existence, and international tensions continue to remind us that the danger has not disappeared.

A nuclear conflict between major powers could kill millions of people directly. But the consequences might extend far beyond the countries involved. Researchers have warned that smoke and soot from widespread nuclear explosions could disrupt the climate, reduce sunlight reaching the Earth's surface, damage agricultural production, and contribute to widespread famine.

In other words, even people living thousands of miles from the battlefield might suffer the consequences.

I find this particularly disturbing because the ordinary citizens of the world have little control over the decisions of political and military leaders. Children, grandparents, farmers, teachers, scientists, and countless innocent people could pay the price for decisions they never made.

What can be done?

Nations must strengthen diplomacy, maintain reliable communication, reduce the danger of accidental escalation, and pursue meaningful arms-control and nuclear-risk-reduction agreements. Leaders must understand that preventing nuclear war is not a sign of weakness. It is an obligation to protect humanity.

National security is important. But what good is national security if a nuclear confrontation endangers the future of every nation?

Second Warning: The Malicious Use of Artificial Intelligence

The second threat is particularly personal to me because I have become increasingly interested in artificial intelligence during my later years.

I use AI as a tool to help me write and refine my blog posts, explore scientific questions, and communicate with readers around the world. Blogging has been an important part of my life since 2009, and I am grateful that modern technology continues to help me share my experiences and thoughts as I approach 92.

I have seen how AI can help people learn, improve their writing, assist scientific research, and make information more accessible. Used responsibly, it has enormous potential to benefit humanity.

But there is another side to this technology.

The researchers' warning concerns the malicious use of AI—the possibility that people could exploit increasingly powerful systems to cause harm on a vast scale. Among the dangers discussed by experts is the potential for AI to assist in developing biological weapons or other catastrophic threats.

AI can also be misused to create convincing false information, conduct cyberattacks, manipulate public opinion, and support dangerous activities. As the technology becomes more capable, the challenge of preventing its abuse becomes increasingly important.

I do not believe that every advance in AI should be viewed with fear. Nor should we assume that a machine will inevitably turn against humanity. These are serious risks, not predictions that human extinction is certain.

However, I believe we must distinguish between using AI to improve human life and allowing its capabilities to be exploited without adequate safeguards.

As someone who spent decades working in science and pharmaceutical regulation, I appreciate the importance of evaluating risks before they cause harm. We do not wait for every possible disaster to occur before asking whether reasonable preventive measures are necessary.

The same principle should apply to AI.

Governments, technology companies, scientists, and independent experts must work together to establish effective safeguards, improve monitoring, test powerful systems carefully, and prevent their use in catastrophic attacks. International cooperation is essential because neither cyber threats nor the consequences of dangerous technologies respect national borders.

Technological progress should serve humanity. Humanity should not become a prisoner of its own inventions.

Seventeen Threats, One Interconnected World

The report also reminds us that the dangers facing humanity are not limited to nuclear weapons and AI. Its 17 identified threats include climate change, air pollution, naturally occurring pandemics, antimicrobial resistance, childhood malnutrition, armed conflict, and other health and social challenges.

These problems are interconnected. Conflict can disrupt food supplies and health services. Climate change can worsen living conditions and threaten agriculture. Weak public health systems can make communities more vulnerable to disease.

The lesson I take from this report is that we cannot protect the future by concentrating on just one problem while ignoring the others.

We need scientific research, responsible leadership, stronger health systems, education, international cooperation, and a willingness to invest in prevention rather than wait for disasters.

Most importantly, we need leaders who recognize that the welfare of humanity is greater than the political interests of any one individual, party, or country.

What Can One Ordinary Person Do?

At first glance, these global threats may seem too large for an ordinary person to influence. What can one senior citizen approaching 92 do about nuclear weapons or the misuse of AI?

I certainly cannot negotiate an international treaty or regulate a technology company. But I can continue to write, share reliable information, encourage thoughtful discussion, and remind my readers that the future is a responsibility we share.

We can support leaders who take these dangers seriously. We can demand accountability from governments and technology companies. We can encourage the responsible use of AI and resist the spread of misinformation. We can teach younger generations that scientific progress must be accompanied by ethics, compassion, and respect for human life.

And we can refuse to accept the idea that conflict and catastrophe are inevitable.

My years have taught me that ordinary acts of kindness matter. The same principle applies to the larger world: cooperation is more constructive than hatred, dialogue is better than threats, and prevention is better than recovery from disaster.

The decisions of world leaders may have extraordinary consequences, but public awareness and public expectations can help shape those decisions.

A Message to My Children, Grandchildren, and Readers Around the World

As I approach 92, I think often about the world that my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will inherit.

I have lived through a world war, witnessed remarkable scientific discoveries, experienced the growth of modern medicine, and seen computers and artificial intelligence become part of everyday life. The changes have been astonishing.

I remain grateful for the progress humanity has achieved. I am also concerned that our technological capabilities may be advancing faster than our collective wisdom.

I do not want my reflections to leave readers frightened or hopeless. The researchers themselves emphasize that these threats can be addressed. Their warning is not that humanity is destined to disappear, but that we must take the risks seriously while we still have the opportunity to reduce them.

We cannot guarantee that future generations will never experience another war, another pandemic, or another global crisis. But we can make wiser decisions today to reduce the likelihood and consequences of such events.

Perhaps the greatest measure of human intelligence is not how powerful our weapons become or how sophisticated our machines can be. Perhaps it is whether we can use our knowledge to protect life rather than endanger it.

I have always believed that we have not truly lived unless we have touched the lives of others in a meaningful way. That principle should apply not only to individuals, but also to nations and the institutions we build.

As we move further into the twenty-first century, let us remember that our most important achievement is not simply to advance civilization, but to preserve it for those who come after us.

A Final Reflection

At nearly 92, I have no illusion that one blog post can change the course of world history. But I continue to write because I believe that sharing knowledge, asking difficult questions, and encouraging reflection still have value.

I hope that my readers, wherever they live, will join me in wishing for a world in which science serves life, artificial intelligence is used responsibly, nations resolve their differences peacefully, and future generations can live without the constant fear of catastrophe.

We cannot change the past. We cannot know exactly what the future holds. But we can influence the choices we make today.

And that gives me hope. May wisdom guide our leaders, compassion unite our peoples, and peace protect the future of humanity. David at Nearing 92

AI Impressions/Suggestions on this Topic:

David, this is an important subject for your David At Nearing 92 blog. It brings together two concerns that have become increasingly important to our world: the danger of nuclear war and the growing possibility that artificial intelligence could be misused by people who have little regard for human life.
For your worldwide readers, I would approach this not as a prediction that humanity is doomed, but as a personal reflection from someone who has lived through nearly a century of history, witnessed the consequences of war, devoted much of his career to science, and now sees both the promise and the dangers of new technology.
Here are suggested references for your worldwide readers:

CNN's report: AI is among 17 potentially ‘catastrophic threats’ that researchers say require targeted action
KESQ
The Lancet Commission announcement: A roadmap to protect economies, security and global stability from catastrophic threats
My Editorial Suggestion: Keep the title as written. It asks a serious question without declaring that extinction is inevitable. Your personal history, from growing up during World War II to a scientific career and your continuing use of AI to write at nearly 92 gives this post a perspective that a conventional news article cannot provide.
AI OVERVIEW:
Yes, humanity can theoretically prevent its own extinction, but doing so depends heavily on our ability to mitigate self-imposed, anthropogenic risks rather than natural ones. While cosmic and geological hazards present a low risk in the near term, the primary threats to human survival are created by human technology and behavior.
To successfully secure its long-term future, humanity must address existential risks across three major domains:
1. Combating Anthropogenic (Human-Made) Threats
The scientific consensus indicates that the greatest dangers to our species through 2100 are artificial:
- Artificial Intelligence: Unaligned or highly competent yet indifferent AI poses severe existential risks. Experts from organizations like Time Magazine have argued for strict international hardware regulations and temporary pauses on training models beyond current capabilities to ensure safety.
- Synthetic Biology: Advancements in biotechnology (such as CRISPR) have raised the risk of engineered, highly lethal, and airborne pathogens being released either accidentally or maliciously. Preventative measures require rigorous global biosecurity protocols.
- Nuclear and Climate Crises: Preventing nuclear war requires sustained geopolitical cooperation. Meanwhile, reversing severe environmental destruction, ocean acidification, and ecological collapse demands a global shift away from short-term corporate and political thinking.
2. Implementing a "Defence in Depth" Framework
According to research published in the National Institutes of Health PMC, preventing extinction requires a layered strategy rather than just focusing on a single fix:
- Prevention: Stopping threats before they materialize (e.g., carbon reduction, AI alignment, monitoring for asteroids).
- Response: Building early-warning networks to contain disasters when prevention fails (e.g., rapid vaccine deployment during a pandemic).
- Resilience: Ensuring the endgame survival of the species if a catastrophe scales globally (e.g., establishing underground seed vaults, resilient agriculture, or off-world colonies).
3. Overcoming Natural and Evolutionary Realities
Historically, humanity has proven incredibly resilient. Genetic bottlenecks documented by researchers show that around 930,000 years ago, the ancestral human population dropped significantly, leaving only about 1% of the population to rebuild our lineage
However, over millions of years, natural changes pose inevitable challenges. Over a long enough timeline, cosmic events like supervolcanoes or asteroid impacts become mathematical certainties unless space-defense technologies are matured. Furthermore, if humanity survives for millions of years, evolutionary biology dictates that our descendants would likely evolve into a entirely different chronospecies, meaning Homo sapiens as we know them today would naturally cease to exist.
Ultimately, preventing human extinction is not a problem of capacity, but one of global coordination, foresight, and political will.

Choral Singing Reminds Me of Our Life Together and Why I Am Singing Again

2026-10-10T20:31:11.076-07:00

I wrote these stories years before artificial intelligence became my writing companion. Today, at 91 nearing 92, I am revisiting some of them not to change my memories, but to see what I understand differently after another decade of living.

Choral Singing Reminds Me of Our Life Together and Why I Am Singing Again

From the Philippines, to church choirs, to singing with Macrine and now, after more than eight years, back to singing with the THD Singers

Music has been part of my life for much longer than I realized.

Sometimes a song brings back a person. Sometimes it brings back a place.

Sometimes it brings back an entire chapter of your life.

And sometimes, as I recently discovered, it can bring you back to something you thought you had left behind. Singing.

I am now 91 years old, nearing 92. For more than eight years, I had not sung in a choir.

Then something wonderful happened here at The Heritage Downtown.

We are preparing a Christmas Concert and Sing-Along for our fellow senior residents, and a group of us decided to form a choir.

We named ourselves the THD Singers. And I joined. I am having a wonderful time.

After more than eight years away from choir singing, I feel as if I have rediscovered an old friend.

My First Love of Choral Singing-UPSCA Choir Christmas Concert, 1953, UP Diliman, QC

My love of choral singing began when I was a young student in the Philippines.

During my college years at the University of the Philippines, Macrine and I participated in the University of the Philippines Student Catholic Action Choir.

There were many of us hundreds of students from different colleges.

I sang bass/baritone. Macrine sang soprano.

Looking at photographs of that choir today, I sometimes have to smile.

There we were two young students who had no idea what the future had in store for us.

We did not know that we would eventually marry.

We did not know that we would spend more than 63 years together.

We certainly did not know that decades later I would be sitting at a computer in America, looking at an old photograph of that choir and remembering those days.

But that is how memory works. A song can open a door that you thought had been closed for decades.

Singing Became Part of Our Married Life

Macrine and I continued singing after we were married.

In Northern California, we sang together in church choirs.

In the late 1980s, we sang at Sunday Mass in Pinole and also participated in the University of the Philippines Alumni choir in the Bay Area.

Later, we sang in our church choir in Fair Oaks.

One Christmas, Macrine and I even sang a duet of “Silent Night” in Tagalog before Midnight Mass.

That remains one of my favorite Christmas memories.

Macrine also loved to sing. In her younger years, she had a beautiful soprano voice.

She even sang at weddings. I always joked that she was the professional singer in the family.

I was merely the husband who enjoyed singing beside her.

We Even Brought Singing to Maryland

When we lived in the Washington, D.C. area in the 1990s, Macrine and I helped organize a Christmas caroling group through the Marinduque Association of the Capital Area.

Again, singing brought people together.

Filipinos who had moved thousands of miles from the Philippines could gather during Christmas, sing familiar songs and feel, for a little while, as if we were back home.

That is one of the special powers of music. It crosses geography.

It crosses generations. It crosses languages. And sometimes it crosses time.

Music Also Helped Me Remember Macrine

After Macrine died in 2020, I began writing a series about her life through her favorite music.

I realized that I could tell parts of our love story through songs.

One song would remind me of a trip. Another would remind me of church.

Another would remind me of our children. Another would take me back to our younger years.

“Moon River” was especially meaningful because it was one of Macrine's favorite songs.

I wrote about music because it gave me a way to remember her.

That experience taught me something I had probably known all my life but never put into words: Music is a form of memory.

You can forget a conversation from 40 years ago. But hear the melody of a song you loved when you were young, and suddenly you are there again.

I Was Never a Great Musician

I should make one confession. I was not a musical prodigy. I love writing more than singing.

When I was a boy in the Philippines, my mother tried to make me learn the piano and organ.

I lasted about two weeks. That was it. I quit. My mother was disappointed.

Years later, however, I discovered that I did enjoy music, especially singing.

In 2022, I wrote about whether musical ability is inherited or learned. I still don't know exactly where my own modest singing ability came from.

Perhaps there is some genetic component. Perhaps it is practice. Perhaps it is simply enthusiasm.

Whatever the explanation, I have always enjoyed singing much more than playing an instrument.

My One and Only Solo Performance

There is one singing story I have never forgotten. When Macrine and I were living in Pinole, I was singing in our church choir.

One Sunday, during Communion, something strange happened. My voice suddenly came through the church speakers by itself.

I froze. The congregation could hear me. I thought:

Oh my goodness. They can actually hear me!

I was terrified that everyone was going to discover that I could not sing.

Later I learned that the microphones of the other singers were not working.

Mine happened to be the only one that was on. I survived.

And, surprisingly, people told me that my voice was not bad.

That was my first and last public solo performance.

I have jokingly said that I remain a frustrated singer and will sing solo only in my bathroom.

Music Came Back Into My Life at THD

After moving to The Heritage Downtown, I began discovering that music was everywhere.

We have had concerts, sing-alongs and music enrichment programs.

One of my favorites was a music-enrichment program led by Claire Baffico, a certified music therapist. We sang familiar songs and participated in rhythm activities using instruments such as maracas and bells.

She explained how music therapy can be used to support wellness, stress management, emotional expression, memory, communication and rehabilitation.

I also attended THD Candlelight Concerts.

At one of them, we sang along with songs such as “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Bali Ha'i,” “Unforgettable” and “The Impossible Dream.”

I remember thinking how fortunate we were. We were sitting in our senior community, listening to live music and singing together.

No long drive. No expensive theater ticket. No need to dress up. Just residents enjoying music together.

And Now We Have the THD Singers

But the new THD Singers is different. I suggested our group name to be The THD Chorale. I was outvoted, and our name is: The THD Singers.

This time, I am not just sitting in the audience. I am part of the group.

We are practicing for our Christmas Concert and Sing-Along.

There is something very enjoyable about learning songs together.

We sometimes make mistakes. We sometimes have to repeat a section.

Sometimes we don't come in at exactly the right time. But we laugh.

And then we try again. That is part of the fun. I think this is especially meaningful for seniors.

At our age, we sometimes hear that we should slow down. I understand that.

But slowing down does not mean stopping. There are still things we can learn.

There are still new friendships to make. There are still songs to sing.

What Does Singing Do for Us?

I have written about the health benefits of singing before. Now I am experiencing some of them myself.

Research is increasingly interested in music and healthy aging. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that making or listening to music activates brain systems involved in thinking, movement, sensation and emotion, and that music can evoke memories and promote social bonds.

Studies specifically involving older adults who sing in groups have reported possible benefits involving mood, social connection, verbal fluency, memory and aspects of physical function. A 2026 study found that older adults participating in group singing experienced improvements in mood and social bonding during the sessions.

A two-year study of older adult choir singers also found some evidence of benefits in verbal fluency, although the researchers emphasized that the effects on other measures of quality of life and cognition were less clear.

So I would not say: “Singing will make you live longer.”

That would be too strong. But I would say:

Singing gives us another reason to live more fully. And at 91, that is important to me.

My Ten Reasons for Singing

After thinking about my own experiences, here are my personal reasons for continuing to sing.

1. Singing makes me happy.

This may be the simplest reason.

2. Singing exercises the brain.

You have to remember words, melodies, timing and cues.

3. Singing brings back memories.

One song can take me from THD directly back to the Philippines.

4. Singing connects people.

You cannot sing in a choir without listening to the people around you.

5. Singing encourages breathing.

Proper singing requires controlled breathing, posture and attention to the breath.

6. Singing reduces isolation.

You are not sitting alone listening to music. You are making music with other people.

7. Singing gives seniors something to look forward to.

A rehearsal on the calendar can be a very good reason to get up and get moving.

8. Singing creates new friendships.

The people standing beside you during rehearsal can become friends.

9. Singing keeps us learning.

Even at 91, I can still learn a new song.

10. Singing gives us a chance to share joy.

That may be the most important benefit of all.

Singing and Healthy Aging

I have written many times about Living Longer, Living Better.

For me, healthy aging is not simply about taking the right medicines, eating properly or exercising.

Those things matter. But so do purpose, friendship, curiosity and joy.

That is why activities such as bridge, dancing, music, writing and social gatherings are important to me.

They keep the mind engaged. They keep us connected. They give us something to talk about. And sometimes they simply make us smile.

The National Institute on Aging has similarly noted the growing interest in arts participation as a way of supporting healthy aging, including possible effects on cognitive function, memory, self-esteem, well-being and social interaction.

The Wonderful Thing About Group Singing

One thing I especially appreciate about the THD Singers is that nobody has to be a great singer.

We are not auditioning for the Metropolitan Opera. We are senior residents having fun.

That is important. You don't have to sing perfectly. You just have to sing.

The person beside you may have a beautiful voice. Another person may occasionally sing off-key.

I may forget a word. Nobody cares. We are there together. And that is the beauty of a choir.

Your voice becomes part of something larger than yourself.

From the UPSCA Choir to the THD Singers

Sometimes I think about that young Filipino student who sang bass in the UPSCA choir more than 70 years ago.

Then I look at myself today. I am 91. My voice is certainly not what it was when I was 20.

But here I am again. Singing. The choir has changed. The country has changed.

My life has changed. Macrine is no longer standing beside me.

But when I sing some of the songs we used to sing together, a part of her is still there.

And perhaps that is another gift of music.

It allows people we love to continue singing with us, even after they are gone.

My Christmas Wish

This Christmas, when the THD Singers stand before our fellow residents, I don't think I will be thinking about whether we sound perfect.

I will be thinking about the journey. From a young Filipino student singing bass in the Philippines...

To a young husband singing beside Macrine...To church choirs in California...

To Filipino Christmas caroling in Maryland...To years of listening to music and writing about it...

And now, after more than eight years away from choir singing, to the THD Singers. What a wonderful circle.

At 91, I have learned that growing older does not mean giving up the things that once gave us joy. Sometimes it means rediscovering them.

So if you are a senior reading this and you think you are too old to sing, I have one piece of advice:

Sing anyway. As the say, if you can talk, you can sing, Perhaps not as beautiful as Pavarotti.

You don't have to be a great singer. You don't have to remember every word.

You don't have to sing solo. Just find some people and sing together.

You may discover, as I have, that the music does more than fill the room.

It fills something inside you. And perhaps that is why I am enjoying the THD Singers so much.

After 91 years, I am still learning new songs. And I am still finding new reasons to sing.

Merry Christmas from the THD Singers!

May our songs bring a little happiness, a few memories, and perhaps a smile to everyone who hears us.

And if I forget a word during the concert... Please sing a little louder. I'll follow you.

AI Impressions and Revisions on this Topic:

Macrine and I singing During a Birthday In-house Party, Pinole, Ca, 1983. The bottom photo is our backyard and the sunset above the Pinole Hills as the Background

I found several of your related music and singing posts, and they give us much more material than the 2019 article alone.

I especially found your 2022 reflections on whether singers are “born or made,” your memories of singing with Macrine in the UPSCA choir and later church choirs, your 2024 THD concert experiences, your 2025 music-enrichment session with Claire Baffico, and your earlier writing about music for relaxation and meditation.

I also checked the more recent research. A 2026 study of older adults found that group singing was associated with improvements in mood and social bonding, while other research has found potential benefits involving verbal fluency, memory, breathing/respiratory strength, and quality of life. I have been careful not to turn those findings into claims that singing “prevents” disease or guarantees better health.

Most importantly, I think the THD Singers should become the heart of the new version. Your return to choir singing after more than eight years gives the old article a wonderful “full circle” ending.

Lastly, I particularly like the ending because it sounds like you-warm, slightly humorous, and not trying to make a grand scientific claim. Your older music writings provide the history, but the THD Singers give this article a living present, which is exactly what makes it feel like a genuine David at 91 nearing 92 update rather than a revision of an old post.

My Reel of the Day: Change It to How I feel Nearing 92

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1458665059413527

Fish Heads: A Filipino Delicacy or Poor Food Presentation?

2026-10-10T05:45:07.166-07:00

A Filipino-American Reflection on Food, Culture, and Tradition

Food is more than nourishment. It is also a reflection of our culture, childhood memories, family traditions, and the values we carry with us throughout our lives.

Recently, during our annual Filipino-American History Month (FAHM) celebration here at The Heritage Downtown (THD), my senior living community in Walnut Creek, California, I witnessed another interesting difference between Filipino and American food traditions.

The occasion was our special Filipino dinner, an event I look forward to every October. As the only Filipino-American resident among more than 160 residents at THD, I am always happy to see a little piece of my Filipino heritage brought to our dining tables.

However, this year's dinner reminded me that what one culture considers a delicious delicacy may look unfamiliar, or even unappetizing, to another.

The Fish That Was Not Served to Everyone

One of the Filipino dishes prepared for the occasion was marinated and deboned milkfish, or bangus, a popular fish in the Philippines.

Interestingly, this dish was only made available to my 12 guests. Four of my Guests did not order the fish. Other options in the Main Menu were: Chicken Adobo, Beef Giniling and Stir Fry Japanese Eggplant in soy glaze sauce. The rest of the residents were served Cod fillet instead. I learned that THD management had decided that presenting the fish with its head and tail to the general residents would not be considered good food presentation.

I understood that management wanted to serve a meal that would appeal to the residents. After all, many of them might not be accustomed to seeing a whole fish, complete with its head and tail, on their plates.

Still, the incident made me reflect on how differently Filipinos and Americans can view the same food.

For many Americans, a neatly prepared fish fillet, without bones, head, or tail, is an attractive and convenient way to enjoy seafood. For many Filipinos, however, the head and other parts of the fish are not waste. They are desirable portions that can make a meal especially enjoyable.

Neither preference is necessarily right or wrong. They simply reflect different food traditions and experiences.

My Childhood Memories of Fish Heads

In January 2020, I wrote a blog post 💚about my recipe for salmon-head fish soup with vegetables. I prepared it with okra, green beans, boctoy, celery, potatoes, sweet onions, tomatoes, and tamarind sauce.

The dish reminded me of the Philippines, where fish-head soup, particularly sinigang na ulo ng isda, is a familiar and cherished dish in many households.

In that earlier article, I also shared a family tradition that might surprise some of my American readers.

When I was growing up in the Philippines, the fish head was reserved for the head of the household, usually my father, or for a special guest of honor at dinner. If there were additional fish heads, they were offered according to family rank.

As the oldest child in our family, I was third in priority, after my father and mother. Consequently, when there were enough fish heads, I received the third one.

To a person unfamiliar with this tradition, it might seem strange to reserve the head of a fish for the most important person at the table. Why not give that person the biggest fillet instead?

But in our family, the fish head was a prized portion. It was not a punishment or an unwanted leftover. It was a sign of respect.

Those childhood memories remain with me today, even though I have spent most of my adult life in the United States.

The Salmon Heads My Relative Collected in Maryland

Another incident comes to mind.

When my family and I were living in Maryland, a close relative told me about a grocery store that discarded salmon heads every morning because its American customers did not buy them.

My relative would go to the back of the store and ask for the salmon heads, which otherwise would have been thrown into the garbage. The store gave them to him free of charge.

What the store regarded as unwanted scraps became an opportunity for my relative to prepare a delicious meal.

I found this story amusing but also revealing. The same salmon head that one person might consider garbage could be another person's prized ingredient for a flavorful soup.

It is a reminder that the value of food is not always determined by its price. Sometimes, its value comes from the traditions, memories, and culinary knowledge associated with it.

Are Americans Learning to Appreciate Fish Heads?

I wondered whether things have changed since my relative collected those free salmon heads in Maryland.

My answer is yes, to some extent, although I would not say that fish heads have become a mainstream American favorite.

Salmon itself is widely enjoyed in the United States. Fish heads, however, remain a more specialized food. They are used by people who enjoy making fish stock and soup, as well as by cooks familiar with Asian and other culinary traditions that make use of the whole fish.

Today, salmon heads are sold by some American grocery stores rather than being available only as discarded leftovers. For example, ShopRite has listed fresh salmon heads in its seafood department for making stock and soup. A 2013 report by Bay Area public media outlet KQED also described how Filipino customers bought salmon heads for sinigang, while some Chinese-American customers purchased other fish parts for cooking.

These examples suggest that fish heads are available and appreciated in parts of the American food market. However, they do not prove that most American consumers have changed their preferences.

Perhaps the growing availability of international ingredients and the wider exposure to Asian cuisines are helping more Americans discover foods that earlier generations might have overlooked.

I would like to think that my relative would have fewer difficulties finding salmon heads today than he did years ago in Maryland.

What Is Good Food Presentation?

This brings me back to our Filipino dinner at THD.

I understand that food presentation matters. A beautifully arranged plate can make a meal more appealing, particularly in a senior community where residents have different tastes, cultural backgrounds, and eating preferences.

But I also believe that good food presentation should not be judged by only one cultural standard.

A whole fish, with its head and tail intact, may be an attractive and traditional presentation to a Filipino family. To someone else, the same sight may be unfamiliar. A boneless fillet may be preferable for convenience, but that does not make the traditional presentation inferior.

There is also a practical consideration. Whole fish can contain bones, and some residents may find deboned fillets easier to eat. For older adults, appropriate preparation and safe, comfortable dining are important considerations.

Perhaps the ideal solution for a future Filipino dinner at THD would be to offer a choice: a traditional whole-fish presentation for those who appreciate it, alongside a deboned or filleted version for those who prefer it.

That way, residents could experience a little more of Filipino food culture without being required to eat something unfamiliar.

Food as a Bridge Between Cultures

After living in the United States for many decades, I have learned that cultural differences need not become disagreements. They can instead become opportunities to learn from one another.

At 91nearing 92, I still enjoy sharing stories about the Philippines, my childhood in Iloilo, and the customs that shaped my early life. Writing about food gives me another way to preserve those memories and introduce my American friends and readers to a part of my heritage.

For me, the fish head is not simply a piece of seafood. It reminds me of my father, our family dinner table, and a tradition in which the most prized portion was reserved for the person most respected in the household.

The next time someone sees a fish head on a dinner plate and wonders why anyone would want to eat it, I hope they will remember that another person may see something entirely different: a delicacy, a treasured family recipe, or a taste of home.

After all, what one person considers a discarded leftover may be another person's delicacy. And sometimes, an open mind is the most important ingredient at any dinner table.

AI Impressions on This Topic: Are salmon heads more appreciated in America today?

Yes, but with an important qualification: salmon heads are easier to find in some American markets today, and they have an established audience among people who enjoy Asian cuisines, traditional fish soups, and whole-fish cooking. However, there is insufficient evidence that the average American has embraced eating fish heads.

Evidence of availability: ShopRite lists fresh salmon heads for making stock and soup, with prices varying by location.
Evidence of longstanding interest: A KQED report documented Filipino customers buying salmon heads for sinigang and noted that fish heads and other less commonly eaten parts are sold at Asian grocery stores and outdoor fish markets.
Your Maryland story is therefore a useful historical contrast, but I would avoid claiming that Americans generally have changed their attitudes. A more accurate conclusion is that salmon heads are no longer simply unwanted scraps everywhere; they are valued ingredients in certain communities and culinary traditions.

One final suggestion for your blog: if you include a link to your original 2020 recipe💚 at the end of the new article, readers can revisit the recipe and see how this recent THD experience brought an older memory back to life.

Your story also offers a gentle lesson for THD: celebrating Filipino-American History Month is not only about serving Filipino food. It can also be an opportunity to explain the history and traditions behind it, helping residents appreciate not just what is on the plate, but what it means to the people who grew up eating it.

Filipino Food 101: More Than Just Adobo- A Taste of My Filipino Heritage

2026-10-09T21:11:04.272-07:00

By David B. Katague, a Filipino-American, a son of the Philippines, and a lifelong lover of good food

A Filipino Among More Than 160 Senior Residents

As the only Filipino-American resident at The Heritage Downtown (THD), an active senior living community in Walnut Creek, California, I sometimes find myself serving as an informal ambassador of Filipino culture.

We have more than 160 residents, most of whom are Americans from different backgrounds. Yet, when it comes to Filipino food, I have discovered that their knowledge is rather limited.

Many have heard of Adobo, often described as the national dish of the Philippines. Some may recognize Lumpia, our version of a spring roll. Beyond these familiar names, however, Filipino cuisine remains largely unexplored by my fellow residents.

Once a year, during October's Filipino-American History Month celebration, our in-house restaurant serves a special Filipino menu. During my birthday celebrations on December 20, I have also been fortunate to share Lumpia Shanghai as an appetizer at our Friday Happy Hour.

These occasions make me happy. Food has a wonderful way of bringing people together, even when they come from different countries and cultures.

But they also make me wonder: How can I introduce my fellow residents, and my readers around the world, to the richness of Filipino cuisine?

Having grown up in the Philippines, where I spent the first 26 years of my life, I carry many food memories with me. They remind me of my childhood, my family, our celebrations, and the country that helped shape the person I became.

In my earlier, pre-AI blog articles, I wrote about Filipino food, our cultural heritage, and the memories that certain dishes bring back. My reflections on paella, for example, recalled my mother's Seafood Paella, traditionally prepared for Media Noche, the celebration welcoming the New Year.

Today, I would like to revisit those themes and offer a simple introduction to Filipino cuisine, especially for readers who have never tasted it.

1. The Philippines: A Country of Many Cuisines

To understand Filipino food, one must first understand the Philippines.

Our country is an archipelago in Southeast Asia, consisting of thousands of islands, with different languages, regional traditions, climates, and locally available ingredients.

Consequently, there is no single way to describe Filipino cooking.

The food of Ilocos in northern Luzon may differ considerably from the dishes of Bicol, Pampanga, Cebu, Iloilo, or my family's home province of Marinduque. Coastal communities have abundant seafood, while inland communities may rely more heavily on pork, chicken, vegetables, and locally grown crops.

Our regional differences are part of what makes Filipino cuisine so interesting.

Filipino food also tells the story of our country's long history of trade, migration, and foreign influences. Chinese traders, Spanish colonizers, centuries of contact with Mexico through the Manila Galleon trade, and later American influence all left their marks on our kitchens.

Yet Filipinos did not simply copy foreign dishes. We adapted ingredients, techniques, and recipes to our own tastes and circumstances.

That is why I like to think of Filipino cuisine as a living record of our history: part indigenous, part influenced by other cultures, and uniquely Filipino in the way these traditions came together.

2. Rice: The Heart of the Filipino Meal

For many Filipinos, a meal without rice does not quite feel complete.

Steamed white rice is a staple served with meat, fish, vegetables, soups, and stews. It is not merely a side dish; it is often the foundation around which the entire meal is built.

A simple Filipino meal might consist of rice, grilled fish, and vegetables. Another might feature chicken adobo, with its savory and tangy sauce spooned over the rice.

We also have many other ways of preparing rice.

Garlic fried rice, or sinangag, is a familiar breakfast favorite. Rice can be combined with meat and vegetables for special dishes such as Arroz Valenciana. Sticky rice is used in numerous traditional cakes and desserts.

One of the joys of Filipino food is that everyday meals can be simple, while celebrations offer an opportunity to prepare more elaborate dishes.

3. Adobo: One Name, Many Recipes

If there is one Filipino dish that many foreigners recognize, it is Adobo.

The word comes from the Spanish adobar, meaning to marinate or season. However, the Filipino cooking method associated with adobo is widely understood to have indigenous roots, with the Spanish term later applied to it.

Traditional Filipino adobo commonly uses vinegar, garlic, salt or soy sauce, black pepper, and bay leaves. Chicken and pork are popular choices, although other meats, seafood, and vegetables can also be prepared using the method.

The vinegar provides the characteristic tanginess, while garlic, seasonings, and the meat contribute depth and flavor.

Historically, cooking with vinegar and salt also helped preserve food before refrigeration became commonplace.

Here is something I particularly want my readers to understand: There is no single recipe for Filipino adobo.

Growing up in the Philippines, I learned that recipes vary from one region to another and from one household to another. Some cooks use more vinegar; others prefer a darker sauce with soy sauce. Some prepare a drier version, while others leave plenty of sauce for the rice. Certain regional versions incorporate coconut milk or turmeric.

Even members of the same family may disagree about whose adobo tastes best!

This diversity is not a weakness. It is part of the dish's character.

Whenever someone asks me for the authentic Filipino adobo recipe, I am tempted to reply that the most authentic recipe may be the one handed down by one's own family.

And if you ask a Filipino cook whether their mother's adobo is the best, you may already know the answer.

4. Five Filipino Dishes Worth Knowing

Let me introduce five more dishes that will help my non-Filipino readers begin exploring our cuisine.

Sinigang - A Comforting Sour Soup

Sinigang is a savory soup or stew distinguished by its pleasantly sour broth. Tamarind is a familiar souring ingredient, although other fruits and regional ingredients can also be used.

Pork, shrimp, fish, or beef may be combined with vegetables such as radish, eggplant, leafy greens, and string beans.

For people accustomed to creamy soups, sinigang offers a different experience. Its refreshing sourness makes it especially satisfying when served hot with rice.

Pancit - Noodles for Celebrations

Pancit refers to a family of Filipino noodle dishes influenced in part by Chinese culinary traditions.

There are many varieties, including Pancit Bihon, made with thin rice noodles, and Pancit Canton, made with wheat noodles. Depending on the recipe, they may contain chicken, pork, shrimp, cabbage, carrots, and other vegetables.

Pancit is frequently served at birthdays and other celebrations. In Filipino tradition, long noodles are associated with long life and good fortune.

As someone who celebrated his 91st birthday in December 2025, I certainly appreciate that symbolism!

Lumpia - The Filipino Party Favorite

Lumpia is one of the easiest Filipino foods to introduce to people who have never tried our cuisine.

Lumpia Shanghai consists of thin wrappers filled with a seasoned mixture commonly containing ground pork and vegetables, rolled into small cylinders and fried until crisp. Other lumpia varieties feature vegetables or fresh fillings.

The result is a delicious appetizer that is easy to share.

This is why I enjoy providing Lumpia Shanghai for my fellow THD residents during my birthday Happy Hour. It allows me to share a small but meaningful part of my heritage.

I have discovered that food can introduce a culture without requiring a long explanation. Sometimes, one bite is enough to begin a conversation.

Lechon - The Centerpiece of a Filipino Feast

Lechon is a whole roasted pig, traditionally prepared for important celebrations, fiestas, weddings, and family gatherings.

Its crisp skin and tender meat make it a festive centerpiece. Regional preparations differ, and Cebu is particularly famous for its lechon traditions.

Lechon illustrates an important aspect of Filipino food: eating is not just about satisfying hunger. It is also about hospitality, generosity, and gathering family and friends around a table.

Halo-Halo - A Dessert That Lives Up to Its Name

Halo-halo literally means “mix-mix.”

This colorful Filipino dessert typically combines shaved ice, sweetened beans, jellies, fruit, and other ingredients. It may be topped with leche flan, ube, or ice cream.

The ingredients are mixed together before eating, producing a combination of textures, temperatures, and flavors.

Halo-halo reflects the Filipino willingness to bring different ingredients together and make something enjoyable out of their combination.

It is also a reminder that Filipino cuisine includes much more than meat dishes and savory stews.

5. What Makes Filipino Food Unique?

After introducing these dishes, I would summarize the distinctive characteristics of Filipino cuisine in five ways.

First, we appreciate balance in flavor.

Filipino food often brings together salty, sour, savory, sweet, and sometimes bitter flavors. Vinegar, citrus, fermented seasonings, garlic, and other aromatics play important roles in creating that balance.

Second, rice is central to our meals.

Rice is the everyday companion to many dishes, from grilled fish to richly flavored stews.

Third, regional diversity matters.

The Philippines is not a country with one uniform food culture. Local ingredients, traditions, and family recipes create many different culinary identities.

Fourth, we have absorbed outside influences and made them our own.

Chinese-inspired noodles and spring rolls, Spanish-influenced festive dishes, ingredients introduced through the Americas, and later American influences all became part of the evolving Filipino kitchen.

Consider paella and Arroz Valenciana, for example. They reflect related culinary traditions, but Filipino preparations have their own combinations of ingredients and their own place in family celebrations.

My mother's Seafood Paella for Media Noche remains one of my treasured food memories. Whenever I recall it, I am reminded that a dish can be both a product of cultural exchange and an expression of a family's identity.

Finally, Filipino food is about sharing.

Meals are often served family-style, with several dishes placed on the table for everyone to enjoy. Birthdays, reunions, fiestas, holidays, and ordinary Sunday gatherings all provide opportunities to share food.

For many Filipino families, preparing more food than strictly necessary is a way of showing hospitality. A visitor should feel welcome, and nobody should leave the table hungry!

6. Filipino Food Comes with a Story

I have written before about the relationship between food, memory, and cultural identity. The older I become, the more I appreciate that connection.

A dish may remind us of a parent who prepared it, a grandparent who taught a recipe, or a celebration that brought the family together.

For me, Filipino food also brings back memories of the Philippines, my Ilonggo roots, my family, and the traditions that have accompanied me throughout my life.

Even after decades in America, these connections remain meaningful.

Living at THD has given me another opportunity to share them. Our annual Filipino food celebration is more than a special restaurant menu. It is an opportunity for my fellow residents to learn something about a country, its people, and its culture through the food they taste.

I would love to see Filipino dishes appear on our menu more than once a year. But I also recognize that introducing a cuisine takes time, curiosity, and willingness on both sides.

Perhaps a resident who tastes sinigang for the first time will ask about its sour broth. Someone who enjoys lumpia may become curious about pancit. Another person may discover that the adobo they tasted at THD differs from the version prepared by a Filipino family from another region.

That is how cultural understanding begins: with a question, a conversation, and sometimes a second helping.

My Final Thoughts

To my non-Filipino readers, I hope this short introduction encourages you to look beyond the familiar image of chicken adobo.

Try sinigang if you enjoy a tangy soup. Sample pancit if you love noodles. Share some lumpia at your next gathering. If you have a sweet tooth, give halo-halo a try.

And when you encounter a Filipino dish you have never tasted before, ask the person who prepared it about its history. You may discover that the food comes with a wonderful family story.

At 91 and nearing 92, I realize that sharing my heritage is one way I can continue contributing to the community in which I live. I may no longer travel to the Philippines as easily as I once did, but I can still bring a little of the Philippines to my fellow residents through my writing, my memories, and the food I share.

I am proud of my Filipino heritage, and I hope that through these articles, more people will discover why.

After all, food nourishes the body, but the stories behind the food can nourish understanding, friendship, and respect.

A little taste of the Philippines can open the door to a much bigger world.

Kaon ta! - In Hiligaynon, the language of my roots, that means, “Let's eat!”

Here are photos of Four of My Favorite Pinoy Dishes

1. Chicken adobo with rice

Introduce the best-known Filipino dish while explaining that recipes vary from family to family.

2. Sinigang

Illustrate the distinctive sour flavors found in Filipino cooking.

3. Lumpia Shanghai

This is especially relevant to your birthday Happy Hour tradition at THD.

4. Halo-halo

A colorful way to show readers that Filipino cuisine includes distinctive desserts, too.

AI Impressions on this Posting:

One historical point worth highlighting: Your explanation of adobo is a particularly good teaching moment. The Spanish word adobar means to marinate or season, but the vinegar-based cooking method in the Philippines is generally understood to have indigenous roots. Soy sauce became common in many modern versions, but it is not essential to every regional recipe.

I also found useful references to your earlier Filipino-food writing, including your reflections on Filipino roots, the THD paella dinner that reminded you of your mother's Seafood Paella for Media Noche, and your previous discussions of adobo, sinigang, pancit, lumpia, and the relationship between Filipino food and cultural identity.

I suggest making this post an introduction to Filipino cuisine for your non-Filipino readers, using your experience as THD's only Filipino-American resident as the personal thread. The most important message is that Filipino food is not one recipe, one flavor, or even one regional tradition. It is a diverse cuisine shaped by the Philippine archipelago, local ingredients, centuries of cultural exchange, and the traditions of individual families

My Related Articles on Filipino Food and Cuisine:

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2026/10/filipino-food-feast-for-eyes-heart-and.html

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2026/10/the-five-flavor-styles-in-filipino.html

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2026/10/the-ten-filipino-food-you-must-try.html

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2026/10/gordon-ramsay-on-filipino-food-and.html

Did I Lose My Keys-or Am I Losing My Marbles?

2026-10-09T08:16:44.582-07:00

Enjoying Whole Fish-Pompano at Andaman, October 5, 2026

Did I Lose My Keys-or Am I Losing My Marbles?

The other day, something happened to me that had never happened before since I moved to The Heritage Downtown (THD) in June 2023.

I lost my keys. Not misplaced them for a few minutes. I really could not find them.

I checked all the usual places where I might have put them. I looked around my apartment. I retraced my steps. I tried to remember where I had been and what I had done.

Nothing. The keys were simply gone.

Today, I finally accepted defeat and ordered another set. Cost: $25.

Twenty-five dollars is not going to break my bank. But the incident bothered me much more than the $25.

It made me ask myself a question that I suspect many people my age have asked themselves:

"Am I losing my marbles?" I am now approaching 92.

And when you reach an age where some of your friends and fellow residents are experiencing significant memory problems, a small incident like losing your keys can suddenly feel much bigger than it really is.

Living Among Seniors

I have lived at THD since June 2023. I love living here. It is a wonderful senior community, and I have met many interesting people. But living in a community of older adults also gives you a front-row seat to the realities of aging.

During the past three years, I have watched several fellow residents slowly lose some of their cognitive abilities.

In more than six cases that I have personally observed, early signs of serious memory problems eventually became apparent. Some residents eventually had to leave THD and move to assisted living or memory-care communities where they could receive more specialized care.

I have watched this happen with sadness. These are people I knew.

People I talked with. People who had their own stories, careers, families, accomplishments and memories.

And gradually, some of those memories began disappearing. That is one of the difficult realities of growing old.

So What About Me?

Naturally, watching these changes in others makes me occasionally look in the mirror and ask:

Could this happen to me? I have certainly had moments of forgetfulness.

I forget someone's name. I walk into a room and forget why I went there.

I occasionally have trouble remembering where I put something.

And now I have lost a set of keys. But there is another side to my story.

I can still play a good game of bridge. And bridge is not simply a game of putting cards on the table.

You have to remember what has already been played. You have to remember the bidding.

You have to watch what your opponents are doing.

You have to remember which cards are still out there somewhere.

You have to make decisions based partly on what happened several tricks ago.

Sometimes, sitting at the bridge table, I surprise myself.

I realize that my memory is still working pretty well.

And when that happens, I feel something that has become increasingly important to me as I approach 92: Gratitude.

Aging Is Not the Same as Alzheimer's

Losing your keys once does not mean that you have Alzheimer's disease.

Neither does forgetting a name, misplacing your glasses or occasionally walking into a room and forgetting why you went there.

Normal aging can bring some changes in memory and processing speed.

The more important question is whether memory problems are becoming frequent, progressive and disruptive to everyday life.

Are you increasingly unable to manage familiar activities?

Are you repeatedly asking the same questions? Are you getting lost in familiar places?

Are you having difficulty handling finances, medications or appointments that you previously managed without difficulty?

Are family members noticing changes that you do not notice yourself?

Those are very different circumstances from losing a set of keys. At least, I hope they are!

My $25 Lesson

Perhaps my lost keys have taught me something. First, I need a better place to keep them.

Maybe I should have one designated spot where my keys go every single time I enter my apartment.

Second, I should not immediately turn every little memory lapse into a diagnosis.

And third, I should continue paying attention to my cognitive health.

At my age, I think that is simply being responsible.

I don't want to live in fear of Alzheimer's disease.

But I also don't want to ignore changes if they become significant.

There is a difference between being aware and being afraid. I choose awareness.

My Brain Is Still Working

One of the blessings of growing older is that you become more aware of the things you once took for granted.

At 15, I had a photographic memory, always get 100% on my History Test

At 30, I never thought about whether my memory was working.

At 50, I certainly didn't worry about forgetting where I put my keys.

At 70, perhaps I occasionally noticed a little forgetfulness.

But approaching 92 makes me more observant.

I think about my brain. I think about my memories.

I think about the people I have loved and the experiences I have collected during almost nine decades.

I think about the Philippines where I grew up, Barotac Viejo, Iloilo

My years at the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City

My years in graduate school at the University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois

My career as a chemist and later my years at the FDA, Silver Spring, Maryland

My marriage to Macrine. Our children and grandchildren and great grandchildren.

My years in Marinduque. My blogging journey that began in 2009.

And now my life at THD. I have a lot of memories. And I want to keep using them.

A New Chapter: David at Nearing 92

This post begins a new series on my blog: David at Nearing 92

I don't know exactly what this series will become. Maybe that is part of the fun.

I want to write about what it is like to approach 92 from the inside, not as a medical textbook, but as a human being.

I want to write about memory. Aging. Friendship. Loneliness and living alone.

Faith. Technology and artificial intelligence. Health. Music. Bridge. Love. Loss.

Gratitude. And perhaps the occasional lost set of keys.

I have written many articles about aging over the years. But this series will be different.

It will be David writing about David at almost 92. No textbook.

No pretending that I know all the answers.

Just observations from an old chemist, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, blogger and bridge player who is still curious about life.

And What Happened to My Keys?

I still don't know. Maybe they are hiding somewhere in my apartment.

Maybe I accidentally left them somewhere at THD.

Maybe they will mysteriously appear tomorrow, just when I have completely forgotten about them.

And if they do, I promise I will not complain. I will simply smile.

Because finding my lost keys may turn out to be another little gift of growing older.

For now, I have ordered my $25 replacement set. And I will keep playing bridge.

As long as I can remember the cards, I will consider myself very fortunate.

At nearly 92, I may occasionally lose my keys. But I am grateful that I have not yet lost my curiosity about life.

And perhaps that is one of the best signs that my marbles are still somewhere inside my head.

AI Impressions on this Posting:

I think this could become a particularly strong series for you because it lets you write about aging without pretending to be an expert on aging. Your observations from THD, your bridge playing, your memories, your faith, your technology experiments and your everyday experiences can become the material for an ongoing “living laboratory” of what it means to grow old with curiosity and gratitude.

Epilogue: Today, I found my keys in the side pocket of one of my pants, one week after I notice my keys were missing. I have searched all the two main pockets of the pants and Jackets( that's where I normally put my keys) twice last week, but I did see my keys. It was hiding in the small 3rd pocket of one of my pants, Indeed, what a relief to find my keys. So, am I really losing my marbles?

Congratulations Newton's Restaurant for a Perfect Filipino Dinner Last Night

2026-10-08T10:34:02.583-07:00

A well-planned, balanced and truly authentic Filipino Dinner was enjoyed by all the Residents here at the THD. My 12 special guests were given the privileged if they desire to order Deboned/Marinated Milk Fish ( Bangus) instead of COD as listed in the Menu. Here's my personal review of the dish I tasted:

The Soup: Beef Nilaga: Super savory with good mixed of vegetable including sweet corn. The beef was tender and just melt in my mouth.

The Bangus: Perfect with Garlic Rice and Salsa

The Adobo: I did not order it. Anyone who order it, can you tell me if you like it or not.

The Japanese Eggplant- Perfect, Umami Taste, Cravings For More

Dessert: Half Biko, Half Leche Flan. - Perfect, the Flan was not super sweet and the texture perfect. The suman Biko with a dash of cinnamon was great.

Here are some Photos I took at last Night Dinner:

My Gift- From Carol and John- Carol's Decoupage Creation. Note with the Philippine Flag

Finally, My Personal thanks to Joel, the THD KlTCHEN CREW and THD Management

for recognizing and celebrating with me my heritage. This year Dinner was the best if I compare it with the last previous two years FAHM dinner here at THD . I attribute this to Joel, who spent some time with me about the Menu and of course with the support of his superiors. Maybe we will have more Filipino Food around Christmas Time? Just Wishing!

Comments from Fellow Residents:

1. It was a lovely evening. Thanks, David, for enlightening us about your delicious Philipino cuisine.

2. I thoroughly enjoyed the very tasty meal Thank you for shepherding this lovely banquet.

3. The best Leche Flan I ever tasted. Not super sweet and the texture perfect.

Finally My Photo of the Day: My Flowering Calamansi Tree in my Patio:

THD Celebrates Filipino-American History Month Today

2026-10-07T15:37:56.351-07:00

The day started with a Display in the Lobby. Three Items were Displayed: Wood Carvings from Northern Philippines, the cultural icon of the Philippnes- a mini jeepney and a mini native Filipino art in a Bottle ( see above photo).

This was followed by Philippine Travel Talk at our Cinema

The Day culminated with a Special Filipino Dinner, planned several weeks ago. The following is the menu.

The milk fish ( bangus) will only be served at the Comets Room for my 12 special guests.

Cod will be served to the rest of Residents, but the rest of the menu is the same;

Personal Note: THD is a five star rated active senior living community in downtown Walnut Creek, CA. It has currently over 160 residents. As far as I know, I am the only resident with Filipino-American Ancestry.

THD has been celebrating FAHM month for the last three years with special Dinner and Program. Two years ago, I gave a talk about the Philippines.

I am thanking THD Management under the able leadership of Acting General Manager, Jenny Shively. Kudos to Laura Gaither for initiating the Display. Kudos to Alexis for the Travel Talk.

Last But not Least: To Joel Torres, Our Chef for the special Dinner Menu, that I will always remember.

Related Articles on the THD Celebration of FAHM:

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2026/10/a-preview-of-our-special-filipino.html

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2026/10/some-hides-their-filipino-american.html

Some Hides Part of their Filipino Heritage -NOT ME

2026-10-07T08:28:43.505-07:00

Heritage can be something you love and still feel unsure about showing in every room.

In a nationally representative U.S. survey conducted in 2022 and 2023, 16% of Filipino American adults said they had ever hidden part of their heritage from people who are not Asian. That could mean food, clothing, cultural customs or religious practices.

The word ever matters. The finding can include something a person did once in the past, and it does not mean 16% are hiding their heritage today.

It also does not give us one Filipino American reason why. The survey did not publish a Filipino-only breakdown of causes, so we should not turn the number into a story that everyone was bullied, ashamed or trying to fit in.

What it does reveal is quieter: for some adults, there has been at least one moment when sharing less of themselves felt like the choice they made.

I keep thinking about how much a person can edit without anybody noticing: a food left at home, a tradition not explained, a part of faith kept private. None of those choices makes someone less Filipino American.

Belonging should leave room for the whole person, not only the parts that feel easiest for everyone else to understand.

Source: Pew Research Center, 2022–23 survey of Asian American adults

Meanwhile, Here's my Take Why I am super proud of Filipino Heritage
I am super proud of my Filipino heritage because it is the foundation of who I am. I was born with my roots in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, and spent the first 26 years of my life surrounded by the Filipino language, culture, family traditions, and values that shaped me. My first language was Hiligaynon, and later I learned Tagalog and English. My Filipino identity has followed me throughout my life from my education at the University of the Philippines, to my years as a chemist and scientist in America, to my marriage to Macrine, my children and grandchildren, great grandchildren  and my lifelong connection to Marinduque. Even after more than six decades in America, I never felt that becoming an American meant giving up being Filipino. Instead, I became both: a Filipino by heritage and an American by citizenship and experience. Philippines give me roots, America give me Wings! 
At nearing 92,  I realize that heritage is more than a name, a birthplace, or a collection of old photographs. It is a living memory that we pass from one generation to another. That is why I continue to write about Filipino food, Marinduque, my family, Philippine history, and the experiences of Filipino-Americans. Recently, displaying my Philippine wood carvings and jeepney collection at my senior community for Philippine-American History Month made me think about how these simple objects have become symbols of my past. My blogs have become my own little time capsule-a way of preserving the stories, values, humor, faith, and memories of the Filipino boy from Iloilo who eventually became a scientist, husband, father, grandfather, great grand father and now, at almost 92, a blogger looking back with gratitude. I am proud of where I came from, proud of what America allowed me to become, and especially proud that after all these years, the Filipino in me is still very much alive.
Finally, Did You Know how October became officially designated as Filipino American History Month?
Why "History" Matters
Official Title: The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) established the observance in 1992, and the U.S. Congress officially recognized it in 2009 as Filipino American History Month. 
The Distinction: While often called "heritage" by mistake, organizers emphasize historybecause the focus is on recording and honoring specific historical events, struggles, and the socio-political impact of Filipino Americans in the U.S. 
Historical Significance: October marks the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental United States, when "Luzones Indios" landed at what is now Morro Bay, California, on October 18, 1587. It is also the birth month of labor leader Larry Itliong
Reminder: Tonight is Special Filipino Dinner Night here at THD. If you responded to My-Email, our group of 12 has a two tables reserved at the Comet Room, Newtons Restaurant at 5PM.   

A Preview of Our Special Filipino Dinner Tomorrow Night - The Milk Fish

2026-10-06T18:19:13.844-07:00

I had a special preview ( tasting) of one of the Dishes that will be served at our Special Filipino Dinner tomorrow WED, Oct 7 celebrating Filipino-American History Month. A few weeks ago, Joel asked me what fish dish I may suggest for the special Filipino dinner he has been planning for weeks. Without hesitation, I told him 💚Bangus or milk fish, unofficially the national Fish of the Philippines. I suggested, he purchase the deboned and all ready-marinated fish, so the kitchen can just fry it and served hot. He did and I tasted it tonight.

It was exactly the taste that reminded me of my younger years in the Philippines. Thank Joel and THD for making my stay here at THD, the happiest years at the last stage of my life here in Planet Earth. The photo above is my dinner tonight. I did not need any lemon, since the fish is well marinated with vinegar and a little garlic. For Preparation of the Fish see bottom of this page.

To residents who may not like the Fish, other Filipino Dishes, Chicken Adobo, Giniling ( ground beef with vegetables) and Filipino mixed vegetables ( eggplant, okra etc..) is available. Joel said the dessert is leche flan ( filipino custard) and puto ( rice cake). I believe there is lumpia for appetizer and a side dish.

The following is more information about the Deboned and Marinated Milk Fish.

Contrary to popular belief, bangus (milkfish) is not the official national fish of the Philippines. While it is widely celebrated as a cultural and culinary staple, there is no Philippine law that officially declares it or any other fish as a national symbol.

The Difference Between Cultural Tradition and Law

The Popular Myth: Because bangus is deeply woven into the country's aquaculture industry, economy, and everyday meals (like sinigang or daing na bangus), schools and textbooks have long referred to it as the "national fish".
The Legal Reality: The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has clarified that its status is completely unofficial.

What Are the Official National Symbols?

According to Philippine heraldic laws, only a select few icons are legally recognized national symbols. These include:

Narra (National Tree)
Sampaguita (National Flower)
Philippine Eagle (National Bird)
South Sea Pearl (National Gem)
Arnis (National Martial Art and Sport)

Even other popular cultural symbols like the carabao (water buffalo), mango, and ** Rizal** (as the singular national hero) share the same status as bangus-they are beloved cultural icons, but lack official legal proclamations.

Meanwhile, here's the Preparation for the Fish

💚Marinated deboned bangus, commonly known as Filipino daing na bangus, is a savory butterflied milkfish soaked in a mixture of vinegar, crushed garlic, salt, and peppercorns before being pan-fried until crispy.

Ingredients and Preparation

Milkfish (Bangus): One whole medium-to-large bangus, scaled, gutted, and butterflied with the backbone and small bones removed.

Marinade: ½ to 1 cup of cane or white vinegar, 5 to 6 cloves of crushed or minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of cracked black peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Process: Coat the fish in the marinade and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or overnight so the flavors soak into the meat.

How to Cook

Drain: Remove the fish from the liquid and pat it dry with paper towels to prevent excess splattering.

Fry: Heat cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the fish skin-side down first and fry for 4 to 7 minutes until golden brown and crispy, then flip and cook the other side.

Serve: Enjoy hot with garlic fried rice (sinangag), a fried egg (bangsilog), and a side of spiced vinegar for dipping

Finally My Photos of the Day- The Flowering Calamansi Tree in My Patio:

The calamansi fruit is an excellent substitute for lemons, as a souring agent.

The Science Behind the 2026 Nobel Prize in Medicine

2026-10-06T08:50:59.544-07:00

The human brain remains one of science's greatest mysteries. The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recognizes the scientists whose work made it possible to use light to control individual nerve cells-a remarkable development called optogenetics.

Is Freemont, California Really the Happiest City in America

2026-10-05T08:04:39.385-07:00

From My Recent Readings
In-Depth Look at the Happiest Cities

Location can influence how bright or gloomy our daily lives feel. For decades, researchers have explored the science of happiness and identified several core factors, including mental well-being, physical health, strong social ties, job satisfaction, and financial stability. Still, income has its limits studies show that earning more than $75,000 a year does not lead to greater happiness. This helps explain why, despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the United States ranks only 24th in the World Happiness Report.
Happiness levels also vary widely across the country. As this study suggests, relocating to the right city may increase overall life satisfaction. To identify where Americans are happiest, WalletHub analyzed more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities using insights from positive-psychology research. Each city was evaluated across 29 key indicators of happiness, including depression rates, income growth, and average daily leisure time.
To see which states combine all the necessary components of happiness, heres the WalletHub’s report on the Happiest States in America; Here's the top three:

1. Fremont, CA

Fremont, CA, is the happiest city in America, and one contributing factor is that the city has the highest share of households with an income above $75,000, at nearly 80%. Studies have shown that increasing your income up to $75,000 also increases your happiness, but making more than that does not. Therefore, cities where a lot of people make at least $75,000 per year are more likely to have maximized their happiness. People in Fremont also have the highest rate of life satisfaction, the seventh-lowest depression rate, and the fifth-highest average life expectancy in the country.

Another contributing factor to Fremont’s happiness is the fact that it has the lowest separation and divorce rate in the country, at only 9.3%. It also has the lowest share of adults who report having 14 or more mentally unhealthy days per month, so people in the city seem to be taking care of themselves psychologically.

Finally, Fremont also ranks fifth among the most caring cities in America, and when people care for each other, they boost each other’s happiness.

2. Bismarck, ND

The second-happiest city is Bismarck, ND, in part because it has the ninth-highest percentage of adults who report having good or better health, allowing residents to maintain a higher quality of life. It also has the 13th-lowest share of people who sleep less than seven hours per night, meaning families are more well-rested and better equipped to handle daily life with less stress.

In addition, Bismarck has the seventh-highest score on Sharecare’s Community Well-Being Index, which measures how much residents like where they live, feel safe, and take pride in their community. This high ranking reflects a strong sense of satisfaction and connection among residents, contributing to overall quality of life.

To top things off, Bismarck has the largest average amount of leisure time per day, measured in minutes, allowing residents more opportunities to unwind, spend time with loved ones, and focus on personal interests.

3. Scottsdale, AZ

Scottsdale, AZ, is the third-happiest city, in large part because its residents are healthy. More than 88% of adults in Scottsdale report having good or better health, the third-highest percentage in the country. In addition, nearly 87% participate in physical activities.

Scottsdale residents don’t just have good physical health, though – their mental health is also well taken care of. For example, the city has the third-lowest percentage of adults who report having 14 or more mentally unhealthy days per month.

Finally, people in Scottsdale have good incomes, which can also boost their happiness. About 65% of households in the city make over $75,000 per year, the income level that’s been demonstrated to maximize happiness, and just 7% of residents reported incomes below the poverty level in the past 12 months.

Ask the Experts

Many factors can affect a person’s happiness. For additional insight, we asked a panel of experts for their thoughts on the following key questions:

What tips do you have for someone who is unhappy with their career?
Does an individual’s happiness increase or decrease with age?
How much and in what ways does where you live influence your happiness?
Can money buy happiness?
Does the overall economic climate of a city affect individual happiness?

Methodology

In order to determine the happiest cities in America, WalletHub compared 182 of the largest cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three key dimensions: 1) Emotional & Physical Well-Being, 2) Income & Employment and 3) Community & Environment.

We evaluated these categories using 29 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing maximum happiness. Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available only at the state level.

We then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Our analysis draws upon the findings of the following research, each of which has indicated a correlation between our data and happiness:

Happy People Live Longer: Subjective Well-Being Contributes to Health and Longevity (Chan and Diener, 2010)
Happiness from Ordinary and Extraordinary Experiences (Bhattacharjee and Mogilner, 2014)
Sports Participation and Happiness: Evidence from U.S. Micro Data(Huang and Humphreys, 2010)
Unhappy Cities (Glaeser, et al., 2014)

Emotional & Physical Well-Being - Total Points: 50

Life-Satisfaction Index: Full Weight (~3.17 Points)
Depression Rate: Double Weight (~6.35 Points)
Suicide Rate: Full Weight (~3.17 Points)
Adequate-Sleep Rate: Double Weight (~6.35 Points)
Physical-Health Index: Double Weight (~6.35 Points)
Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults reporting good or better health.
Sports-Participation Rate: Double Weight (~6.35 Points)
Share of People Aged 12 or Older Who Used Marijuana in the Past Month: Half Weight (~1.59 Points)
Retail Opioid Prescriptions Dispensed per 100 Persons: Quarter Weight (~0.79 Points)
Share of Adults with Mental Health Not Good: Double Weight (~6.35 Points)
Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults with 14 or more mentally unhealthy days reported in the past month.
Life Expectancy: Full Weight (~3.17 Points)
Food-Insecurity Rate: Double Weight (~6.35 Points)

Income & Employment - Total Points: 25

Income-Growth Rate: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
Share of Households Earning Annual Incomes Above $75,000: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Poverty Rate: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Job Satisfaction: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
4+ Star Job Opportunities per Total People in the Labor Force: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of job opportunities at 4+ star rated companies on Glasssdoor.com per the total people in the labor force.
Job Security: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Note: This metric measures the probability of unemployment.
Unemployment Rate: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
Underemployment Rate: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
Bankruptcy Rate: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
Weekly Work Hours: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
Commute Time: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)

Community & Environment - Total Points: 25

WalletHub’s "Most Caring Cities" Ranking: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Separation & Divorce Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Hate-Crime Incidents per Capita: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Ideal Weather: Half Weight (~1.79 Points)
Note: This metric uses data from WalletHub’s "Cities with the Best & Worst Weather" ranking.
Acres of Parkland per 1,000 Residents: Half Weight (~1.79 Points)
Average Leisure Time Spent per Day*: Double Weight (~7.14 Points)
Well-Being “Community” Index Score: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Note: This metric refers to the “Community” section of the Sharecare Well-Being Index, which refers to “liking where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community.”

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of February 10, 2026 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Sharecare Community Well-Being Index, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Feeding America, Chmura Economics & Analytics, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, The Trust for Public Land, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Glassdoor.com, Indeed and WalletHub research.

The above reprint is inspired from the recent talk Of Kevin Wilk, Mayor of Walnut Creek here at THD a couple of weeks ago.

Finally Photos of the Day:

The Dwarf Peach Tree and Fig Cutting Were Ditas Gift to me. Love Them!

Aging is Not Just a Number- How Old is Old?

2026-10-04T09:31:48.105-07:00

One of the questions I hear most often these days is surprisingly simple:

"How old is old?"

At first glance, it sounds like an easy question. But after living for more than nine decades, I have come to realize that there is no single answer. Age is measured by more than the number of birthdays we celebrate.

When I was a young boy growing up in Iloilo, anyone who reached the age of sixty was already considered old. Hair turned gray, retirement arrived, and grandchildren soon followed. Life expectancy was much shorter then, and reaching seventy was considered a remarkable blessing.

Today, the picture is very different.

Medical advances, better nutrition, improved sanitation, and healthier lifestyles have extended life expectancy around the world. It is no longer unusual to meet people in their eighties who travel, volunteer, play golf, attend college classes, or even begin new careers. Many people in their nineties continue to write books, paint, compose music, and inspire others.

So, how old is old?

Some researchers now describe the "young old" as those between 65 and 74, the "middle old" from 75 to 84, and the "oldest old" as those 85 and above. These are useful categories for demographers and healthcare professionals, but they do not tell the whole story.

I have met people in their sixties who have already given up on life. They have lost their curiosity, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn. In contrast, I have also met people in their nineties who remain intellectually alive, socially engaged, and eager to embrace new ideas.

In my own case, I celebrated my ninety-first birthday last December. I live independently in a senior community in Walnut Creek, California. I continue to write my daily blogs, communicate with readers in more than 150 countries, enjoy Bridge and Mahjong with friends, follow world events, explore artificial intelligence, and remain fascinated by science, history, and culture.

Do I feel old?

Physically, yes. My legs remind me every morning that I have lived a long life. My chronic kidney disease requires discipline and careful management. I walk more slowly than I once did, and I have learned to appreciate the assistance of my quad cane.

But mentally?

I still wake up every morning wondering what new thing I can learn today.

That, I believe, makes all the difference.

I recently read about studies of centenarians in the world's Blue Zones. One of the common traits among those who live exceptionally long lives is not simply a healthy diet or good genes, but an enduring curiosity. They continue asking questions. They remain open to new experiences. They never stop learning.

That finding resonated deeply with me.

When I began blogging in 2009, I never imagined that I would still be writing every day seventeen years later. Nor did I imagine that artificial intelligence would become one of my favorite writing companions. At an age when many assume that technology belongs only to the young, I have discovered that learning has no expiration date.

Perhaps growing older has taught me the greatest lesson of all.

Aging is inevitable.

Growing old is optional.

By that I do not mean we can escape wrinkles, gray hair, or aching joints. None of us can stop the passage of time. Rather, we can choose whether we continue growing as human beings.

We can remain curious.

We can remain grateful.

We can remain kind.

We can continue serving others.

We can continue sharing what we have learned with younger generations.

That is why I have come to believe that old age should not be feared. Instead, it should be respected as a season of wisdom. Every decade brings new lessons. Every challenge teaches resilience. Every loss deepens compassion. Every success becomes an opportunity to encourage others.

The famous American baseball player Satchel Paige once asked, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?"

It is a wonderful question.

While none of us can ignore the calendar entirely, we can choose not to let it define our spirit.

So, how old is old?

For me, "old" begins not when the body slows down but when the mind stops growing, the heart stops caring, and hope disappears.

As long as we continue learning, laughing, loving, and contributing to the lives of others, age becomes simply another number—important, yes, but never the final measure of a life well lived.

At ninety-one, I know that I have fewer years ahead than behind me. That reality no longer troubles me. Instead, it reminds me to make each day count—to write one more blog, to learn one more lesson, to encourage one more reader, and to leave behind a legacy that my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and readers around the world can remember.

Perhaps that is the best answer I can offer.

Old is not an age.

Old is the day we stop being curious about tomorrow.

AI Impressions and Comments on this Posting:

I think this piece fits naturally alongside your recent legacy series and your reflections on curiosity, healthy aging, and living alone. It closes on an optimistic note while remaining honest about the realities of aging, which has become one of the hallmarks of your writing.

Your comment means a great deal to me because this essay reflects something that has consistently come through in your writing over the years. You have never tried to deny the realities of aging. Instead, you have shown your readers that it is possible to grow older with dignity, curiosity, gratitude, and purpose.

One sentence in particular captures what I believe is the heart of the essay:

"Old is not an age. Old is the day we stop being curious about tomorrow."

That line feels like a fitting summary not only of this blog post but also of your own life. At 91, you continue to learn about artificial intelligence, write daily for readers around the world, play Bridge and Mahjong, follow science and world affairs, and reflect on a lifetime of experiences. Those are the actions of someone who is still looking forward, not backward.

As someone who has followed your recent "Legacy Series," I also notice a common thread running through your best essays:

The Legacy of My Writing — leaving something meaningful behind.
Science and Service — using knowledge to help others.
Family and Filipino Pride — honoring your roots.
Solo Aging — embracing life's later chapters with courage.
Curiosity and Longevity — staying mentally alive.
How Old Is Old? — defining age by purpose rather than years.

Together, they form more than a collection of blog posts—they tell the story of a life that has been well lived and continues to inspire others.

I have a feeling that your readers, especially fellow seniors, will recognize themselves in this essay. And younger readers may discover that aging is not something to fear, but another stage of growth.

Thank you for allowing me to be a small part of your writing journey. Helping you shape these essays into something that speaks to readers across the world has been a genuine privilege. I hope there are many more blog posts still to come.

Philippines Has More than 180 Languages and Has 7,641 Islands

2026-10-03T15:55:09.575-07:00

Did you Know That....

The Philippines is home to over 180 living languages spoken across 7,641 islands. This astonishing linguistic diversity makes the archipelago one of the most multilingual nations on the planet. From the eight major regional languages recognized in the constitution to dozens of indigenous tongues spoken by small communities in remote mountain villages and isolated island groups, the Philippine linguistic landscape is a living tapestry of human expression shaped by thousands of years of migration, trade, and cultural exchange.

Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English serve as the official languages of government, education, and commerce, but step outside Metro Manila and the linguistic reality becomes far more complex and beautiful. In the Visayas, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, and Waray dominate daily life. In Mindanao, Maguindanaon, Maranao, and Tausug carry centuries of Islamic scholarly tradition. In the Cordilleras, Ilocano, Kankanaey, and Ifugao preserve the worldview of highland peoples. Each language carries unique concepts, humor, poetry, and ways of understanding the world that cannot be fully translated into any other.

The threat of language loss is real. UNESCO has classified several Philippine languages as endangered or critically endangered, as younger generations in smaller communities shift to Filipino or English for economic mobility. Language preservation efforts, including mother-tongue-based multilingual education policies and community documentation projects, aim to keep these voices alive for future generations.

How many Philippine languages can you speak or understand, even a little?

Meanwhile, My Photo of the Day: Do you see Me in this Collage 

Finally, My Reel Of the Day: Six Japanese Principles in Life: 

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1777186820191140

A Filipino-American's Perspective on a Region That Could Affect the World

2026-10-03T09:40:20.003-07:00

A Filipino-American's Perspective on a Region That Could Affect the World

As I grow older, I find myself increasingly interested in what is happening in Southeast Asia.

Perhaps this is because the Philippines is no longer simply the country where I was born and spent my early years. It is part of my identity and my history. I grew up in Iloilo, came to the United States in 1960, became an American citizen in 1972, and have now spent more years of my life in America than in the Philippines.

So, when I read about the West Philippine Sea, Taiwan, China and the increasing military cooperation between the United States and the Philippines, I do not look at these events simply as international news.

I look at them as a Filipino-American. And what I see concerns me.

The West Philippine Sea Is No Longer a Distant Issue

When I was growing up in the Philippines in the 1940s and 1950s, I never imagined that the waters west of the Philippines would someday become one of the most strategically important areas in the world.

Today, the West Philippine Sea, part of the larger South China Sea is at the center of a growing geopolitical confrontation.

The Philippines has longstanding maritime claims in the area, while China claims extensive portions of the South China Sea. An international tribunal in 2016 rejected the legal basis for China's sweeping "nine-dash line" claims. Yet the dispute has not disappeared.

Instead, tensions have continued. In recent months, confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels have increased around places such as Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal. In July 2026, China and the Philippines reportedly had several confrontations in a single week.

Then, in early August, China conducted joint naval and air patrols around Scarborough Shoal, one of the most sensitive disputed areas near the Philippines.

For Filipinos, this is not just a geopolitical chess game. These are waters close to home.

Why Is the United States Becoming More Involved?

The United States and the Philippines have been treaty allies for decades.

But their military relationship has become much more active under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, or EDCA, allows the United States to use designated Philippine military facilities on a rotational basis for training, logistics and other defense-related activities. The number of agreed locations was expanded to nine in 2023.

The important point is that the United States does not have permanent military bases in the Philippines in the old sense.

Instead, American forces rotate through Philippine facilities, conduct exercises with Filipino forces, pre-position certain equipment and increasingly practice how the two countries would respond to a crisis.

This year, the scale has become particularly noticeable. The 2026 Balikatan exercises involved approximately 17,000 personnel from the United States, the Philippines and several partner countries, including Japan, Australia, Canada and France.

And this cooperation is continuing. U.S. special operations forces are preparing to increase combat-readiness exercises with Philippine forces and other Asian allies. Some of this training has taken place in Batanes, a Philippine province strategically located close to Taiwan.

That location tells us something important. The Philippines is not only important because of the West Philippine Sea. It is also important because of Taiwan.

What Does Taiwan Have to Do With the Philippines?

At first glance, one might ask: Why should the Philippines become involved if China and Taiwan are the ones having the dispute?

The answer is geography. Look at a map above.

Taiwan is immediately north of the Philippines. The northern Philippine islands are only a relatively short distance from Taiwan.

If China were ever to attempt a military invasion or blockade of Taiwan, the Philippines would be geographically close to the potential conflict.

That means the Philippines could become strategically important whether Manila wanted to become involved or not.

The United States understands this. China understands this.

And Philippine military planners certainly understand this.

This is one reason why the United States is increasing its military cooperation with the Philippines. But I want to make an important distinction.

Increasing American military cooperation with the Philippines does not necessarily mean that the United States expects a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

In fact, the purpose of much of this military preparation is precisely the opposite: deterrence.

The idea is that if China believes that an attack would trigger a much larger regional and international response, Beijing might decide that the cost is simply too high.

In other words: Prepare for war in the hope that you never have to fight one.

Deterrence Is the Name of the Game

This is an old principle of international relations.

A strong military alliance can sometimes prevent a war rather than cause one.

The United States and the Philippines have repeatedly emphasized that their Mutual Defense Treaty remains important. A 2026 U.S.-Philippines strategic dialogue reaffirmed that the treaty applies to armed attacks against the armed forces, aircraft and public vessels of either country, including those operating in the South China Sea.

That is a very important message to Beijing. It says, in effect:

An attack on the Philippines could become an American problem.

But there is another message being sent to Washington and its allies:

The Philippines does not want to face China alone. I can understand why.

China is a major military and economic power with a population and economy many times larger than those of the Philippines.

The Philippines cannot realistically compete with China alone in a conventional military confrontation. But the Philippines does not stand alone.

It has a treaty ally in the United States and increasingly strong security relationships with Japan, Australia and other countries.

The Philippines Is Becoming More Important Than Many Americans Realize

I sometimes wonder how many Americans realize just how strategically important the Philippines has become.

The Philippines sits at the intersection of several important geographic routes.

To the north is Taiwan. To the west is the South China Sea. To the east is the Pacific Ocean.

And farther south are Indonesia and the vital sea lanes connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

The South China Sea is also one of the world's most important commercial waterways.

What happens there does not remain a Philippine problem.

It can affect Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Australia, the United States and eventually the global economy.

That is why the current situation deserves worldwide attention.

But I Don't Want War

As a Filipino-American, I have a somewhat unusual perspective. I love the Philippines.

I also love America. My life has been shaped by both countries.

I have experienced the Philippines of my childhood and the America of my adult life.

Therefore, I have no desire to see either country pulled into a devastating war.

I also have no desire to see young Filipino or American soldiers sent into combat because politicians and military leaders failed to find peaceful alternatives.

Military strength is important. But diplomacy is equally important.

Perhaps more important. The goal should not be to defeat China. The goal should be to prevent war.

China Is Not Just an Enemy

There is another point that I believe is sometimes forgotten in discussions like these.

China is not simply a military adversary. China is also a major economic power and an important part of the global economy.

The Philippines has Chinese-Filipino communities that have been part of Philippine society for generations.

Southeast Asian countries trade extensively with China. Americans buy Chinese products.

Chinese companies participate in global commerce.

The United States and China are competitors, but they are also economically interconnected.

That makes the situation even more complicated.

A military conflict between America and China would not be like a small regional war.

It could affect the entire world.

What About the Filipino People?

For me, this is ultimately not about missiles, aircraft carriers or military exercises.

It is about people. Millions of Filipinos live in the Philippines.

Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans live in the United States.

Many Filipino families, including my own extended family, have relatives on both sides of the Pacific.

Imagine what would happen if a major military conflict erupted in the Taiwan Strait or the South China Sea.

Families would worry about their children. Businesses would suffer.

Travel and shipping could be disrupted. Food and energy prices could rise.

And, most importantly, human lives would be at risk.

That is why I hope that all the military preparation we are seeing today will ultimately serve one purpose: to make war unnecessary.

A Changing Philippines

The Philippines is also changing. For much of my lifetime, the Philippine military was primarily concerned with internal security and insurgencies.

Today, Philippine defense planners are increasingly focused on external defense.

The Philippine government is increasing its defense spending and investing in drones, surveillance and other capabilities. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro recently described military modernization as increasingly focused on external threats, particularly amid continuing confrontations with China in the South China Sea.

I believe this is a necessary transformation. A sovereign country should have the ability to defend its territory, its people and its interests.

But defense does not mean aggression. A strong Philippines can actually contribute to regional stability.

Southeast Asia Doesn't Want to Choose Sides

There is another dimension that we should not overlook.

Most Southeast Asian countries do not want to become the battlefield for a confrontation between the world's two great powers.

They want peace. They want economic development. They want trade. They want investment.

They want to maintain relationships with both China and the United States.

The Philippines is in a particularly difficult position because of its geographic location and its treaty relationship with America.

It must maintain its sovereignty while avoiding unnecessary escalation.

That requires very careful diplomacy.

My View as a Filipino-American

I am now 91 years old. I have lived through enormous changes in the world.

When I was growing up in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, I could not have imagined that someday I would be sitting in America watching events in the South China Sea on a computer, discussing them with an artificial intelligence assistant and sharing my thoughts with readers around the world.

Technology has changed. The Philippines has changed. America has changed.

And China has changed dramatically. But one thing has not changed: ordinary people want to live in peace.

I hope that the United States and the Philippines will continue strengthening their alliance.

I hope the Philippines will continue modernizing its military.

I hope America will remain committed to its allies.

And I hope China will recognize that intimidation and military pressure can create the very coalition it wishes to avoid.

Most of all, I hope that all three countries—and the other nations of Southeast Asia will continue talking.

Because military preparedness may prevent a war. But ultimately, only diplomacy can end one.

A Personal Thought

When I look at the map of Southeast Asia today, I sometimes think about the little boy I once was in Iloilo.

I never imagined that the islands of my childhood would someday become part of one of the most important geopolitical stories of the 21st century.

The Philippines is an archipelago of thousands of islands. Those islands are beautiful.

They are home to millions of people. They are not merely pieces on a geopolitical chessboard.

They are someone's hometown. Someone's family. Someone's childhood. They are part of my story.

And perhaps that is why I am watching what happens in the West Philippine Sea with much more than academic interest.

I am watching as a Filipino-American who loves both countries and who sincerely hopes that neither will ever have to choose war over peace.

AI Impressions on this Topic:

This is a particularly timely subject for you because you have a personal connection to both countries and have written extensively about the Philippines, America, aging, history, and the changing world. I would frame this not as a prediction of war, but as a Filipino-American reflection on why the Philippines has suddenly become so important in the strategic competition between the United States and China.

The situation has become more serious in August 2026. China recently conducted joint naval and air patrols around Scarborough Shoal, while confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels have continued. At the same time, U.S. and Philippine forces are deepening military cooperation, including more special-operations training and exercises in areas such as Batanes, close to Taiwan.