My Top Five-Most Popular and Widely Read Blogs-An Update as of Today

I started blogging in 2008. I started with one blog about Marinduque-my second home in the Philippines. Then I started writing my autobiography. The rest is history.

 

My primary goals for writing is to inform, to entertain and perhaps inspire.  My secondary goal was to earn pocket money thru Adsense. The first year I earned about $100 from Adsense. I decided it was not worth it, so I cancelled it on my second year. 

 

Today, I have been blogging for 15 years. I write on any topics/subjects that comes to my mind, my daily activities, families, tourism, gardening, cooking, Filipino culture, life in the US versus life in the Philippines. I write about senior citizen issues and problems, and the accomplishments of my children and relatives. I also blog to advertise our Beach House-Chateau Du Mer ( currently not in operation) for public use. Most of my clients were from abroad and non-Filipinos.

Currently, 21% of my blog readers are from the US. About 5% from the Philippines. The rest are from 25 countries around the world. 

Recently, I wrote about my life here at the Heritage Downtown(THD), Walnut Creek. This month most of postings are related to Filipino-American activities celebrating Filipino-American History month here un the US.      

 

Based on the comments I have received, I realized that my blogs do indeed inform and sometimes entertain. In a few cases I have inspired readers. Writing blogs keep me busy and sharpen my memory and thus making me feel useful and young.  

 

I have ten blogs but here's the top five, most popular and most commented.

The first column is All Time Views, number of Post and Number of Comments as of today.

 

1. Becoming American-Total Views(993,489),# of Post (2670),# of Comments(304) 

2. The Intellectual Migrants-Views(900,114),# of Post(2478), #of Comments(221)

3. Marinduque Awaits You-Views(782,096), #of Post(2671), # of Comments(203)

4. MRQ My Island Paradise-Views(671,096),#of Post(2519),# of Comments( 121)

5. Chateau Du Mer Beach etc-Views(466,101),#of Post(2577),#of Comments(249)

 

Top Ten Most Popular Posts as of Today:

Lagen Island Resort, El Nido, Palawan

Posted by David B Katague

205

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Found A New Home-The Heritage Downtown, Walnut Creek, Ca

Posted by David B Katague

10

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Two of My Favorite Netflix TV Series-Beef and the Night Agent

Posted by David B Katague

8

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The Current Housing Market Trends in Fair Oaks, California

Posted by David B Katague

7

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Azilect (Rasagiline) and its Side Effects-An Update

Posted by David B Katague

5

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Are You Aging Gracefully?

Posted by David B Katague

4

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Things that My Mother Had Taught Me

Posted by David B Katague

4

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Confession of a Porn Sex Addict- Part 3-The Relapse

Posted by David B Katague

4

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Does it Matter Where You Go To College?

Posted by David B Katague

4

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2. Places Outside the United States that Macrine and I had Visited-Spain

Posted by David B Katague

I hope you continue reading my blogs. Your comments and suggestions for improvement will be highly appreciated. 

My Quote of the Day: There are two things to aim for in life: first to get what you want; and after that, to enjoy it.  Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.  Logan Pearsall Smith-1865-1946, American-Born British Wit, Writer and Critic. 

Meal Times Conversations Here at THD-Homelessness and Medical Missions

 Last month, I had the pleasure of joining two ladies for dinner here at THD. Our meal times conversations were stimulating and educational. We discussed the homelessness in Walnut Creek as well as in the State and what Governor Newsom and the mayors of big cities are currently doing to alleviate this problem. Sacramento, my former home have the most number of the homeless compared to other big cities in the State. Here's the latest news from the New York Times and Asian Journal dated September 20, 2023 and October 10, 2023 respectively.

Between 2020 and 2022, the number of homeless people in Sacramento County increased by 68 percent, to 9,278, according to the latest federal data. By comparison, San Diego County’s homeless population increased by 10 percent, and Los Angeles County’s by 2 percent. Sacramento County now has more homeless residents than San Francisco.

“Across the nation, Sacramento was one of the places where homelessness grew the most,” said Marisol Cuellar Mejia, a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, which analyzed the data

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/11/us/california-homeless-spending/index.html#:~:text=Across%20the%20country%2C%20homelessness%20is,unhoused%20people%20now%20live%20here.

https://asianjournal.com/usa/california/california-takes-action-to-tackle-homelessness-2/

However, the topic that aroused my personal interest was the medical missions in the Philippines. One of my lady dinner -mate informed us that her nephew(MD) had been involved with MEDICAL missions in the Philippines, specifically facial and hare-lip surgeries for the needy in the rural provinces in the Philippines every year. I told the group, I have been personally involved with medical missions in the Philippines in the island of Marinduque- our second home.  

Macrine (RIP) and other Volunteers Help in the Distribution of Free Medicines to the Needy

Allow me to repost some of my previous blogs on our ( Macrine and I) involvement with this humanitarian activity for our former fellow province mates.      

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2016/06/my-involvement-with-medical-missions-in.html

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-notes-conducting-and-organizing.html

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-heart-melted-and-i-cried-again.html

 I volunteered as a Translator for our Non-Tagalog Speaking Doctors. I was also acting as Treasurer during the Medical Mission, while Macrine was the over-all coordinator. 

My Quotes for Today: You Give but Little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. Kahlil Gibran, 1883-1931, Lebanese Poet, Artist and Mystic

Travel with Me to the Two Most Beautiful Places on Planet Earth

Tiger's Nest in Bhutan and Meteora in Greece 

Photo Credit: Dodie Katague Face Book Page: In case you have not heard of Meteora, Greece:

Five weeks ago I got an e-mail from Dodie ( my oldest son) who was vacationing in Greece with his wife Ruth. He send me several photos including Meteora. A week before that, I was also reading the Face Book page of Yong Nieva (Macrine's first cousin) with the picture of Tiger's Nest in Bhutan. The similarity is astounding.        

My actual traveling days are over. I have been to several countries in Europe, in the Caribbean, Mexico, Far East and North Africa 💥. This was during my younger days.

 Last month, as I comfortably look at my huge PC screen, I enjoyed traveling digitally to the two most beautiful places on Planet Earth. They are located in different continents but look similar. Here they are: Enjoy with me the mesmerizing scenery.  

The Meteora is a rock formation in the regional unit of Trikala, in Thessaly, Greece, hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, second in importance only to Mount Athos. The six (of an original twenty-four) monasteries are built on immense natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area. Between the 13th and 14th centuries, the twenty-four monasteries were established atop the rocks. Meteora is located near the town of Kalabaka at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains.

Meteora was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988 because of the outstanding architecture and beauty of the complex, in addition to its religious and artistic significance. The name means "lofty", "elevated", and is etymologically related to meteor( From Wikipedia).

This is the second place I virtually travel last month. It is taken from Yong Nieva (Macrine's first cousin) FaceBook page

Paro Taktsang  also known as the Taktsang Palphug Monastery and the Tiger's Nest), is a sacred Vajrayana Himalayan Buddhist site located in the cliffside of the upper Paro valley in Bhutan. It is one of thirteen Tiger's Nest caves in historical Tibet in which Padmasambhava practiced and taught Vajrayana.

Tiger's Nest in Bhutan- Photo Credit-Yong Nieva

A later monastery complex was built in 1692, around the Taktsang Senge Samdup cave, where Guru Padmasambhava meditated and practiced with students including Yeshe Tsogyal before departing the kingdom of Tibet in the early 9th century. Padmasambhava is credited with introducing VajrayanaBuddhism to Bhutan, which was then part of Tibet, and is the tutelary deity of the country. Today, Paro Taktsang is the best known of the thirteen taktsang or "tiger lair" caves in which he and his students meditated.

The shrine dedicated to Padmasambhava, also known as Gu-ru mTshan-brgyad Lhakhang or "the Shrine of the Guru with Eight Names", refers to Padmasambhava's Eight Manifestations and is an elegant structure built around the cave in 1692 by Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye. It has become the cultural icon of Bhutan. A popular festival, known as the Tsechu, held in honor of Padmasambhava, is celebrated in the Paro valley sometime during March or April. (From Wikipedia)

💥https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-places-we-have-visited-outside-us.html

Have You Heard of the AAPI Organization?

If this is your first time to hear about it, read this posting. This posting is inspired when I received these 3 photos of my youngest daughter Ditas Katague on her recent activity in the Washington DC political life/scene. 

https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/ditas-katague-appointed-associate-director-communications.html

If you are following my blogs you know, I have been a proud Papa of my children and grand children accomplishments. 

 https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2021/09/my-four-children-accomplishments-in.html

Here are two photos of Ditas recent involvement with the AAPI organization Summit with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.   

Ditas posted a thank you note in her FaceBook page to U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for inviting her to address the convening of the AAPI trusted messenger ecosystem of New York State.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are an integral part of the American cultural mosaic, encompassing a wide range of diversity. AAPI communities consist of approximately 50 distinct ethnic groups speaking over 100 languages, with connections to Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, Hawaiian, and other Asian and Pacific Islander ancestries.

As of the 2020 Census, 24 million people identified as Asian and 1.6 million identified as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, either as their only identity or in combination with another identity.

Ethnic and communal identity is considered a notable protective mental health factor for many AAPIs. The sense of communal identity, connections, belonging and family bonds is a strong predictor of resilience while facing life’s challenges. Studies have shown that a strong sense of ethnic identity is linked to lower suicide risks and predicts higher resilience in the face of racial discrimination, which is, unfortunately, an issue for many in this population.

On the other hand, second-generation AAPI immigrants may face challenges in their cultural identity, struggling to balance their familial ties to traditional cultural values with the pressure to assimilate to mainstream American society. Additionally, an emphasis on community identity can create a strong burden of expectations, which may increase stigma and shame if a person doesn’t meet those expectations.

Reference: https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/Asian-American-and-Pacific-Islander#:~:text=Asian%20Americans%20and%20Pacific%20Islanders,a%20wide%20range%20of%20diversity.

Scoring with Hongkong Style Mahjong and the Philippine Style Variation

Hong Kong Mahjong Scoring and the Philippine Style Variation 

Playing mahjong with Dinah, Alix and Brendan, Dublin, California October 29, 2023  My Winning 7-pairs Hand without a Joker- The last time I had a hand like this was 5 years ago. I started playing mahjong Philippine style when I was only 5 years old. My mother had a mahjong group and they play every weekend. At times one of their players can not make it and my mother allowed me to play as a "sub". I still remember playing in my short pants and have a hard time reaching for the tiles in the center and playing against my teacher and my mom's adult mahjong buddies. However, I never learned how to feel the tiles with my touch except for the jokers and the white dragon and the one circle or dot tiles. Here are some scoring with the Hong Kong style ( 13 tiles-no joker) versus Philippine style ( 16 tiles with 2 to 3 jokers( wild tiles).     Hong Kong Mahjong Scoring

In addition to the scoring system above, there are also the following special hands which are difficult to compose but rewards the player with maximum payout!

1. Seven Pairs - 16 points + components  Hand containing any seven pairs.  2. Hidden Treasure - 64 points  Four Pungs, any pair, all concealed, and win by Self-Drawn.  3. Three Great Scholars - 64 points  Pung or Kong with all three dragons, any chow, pung or Kong, and any pair. May all be melded.  4. Little Four Winds - 64 points  Pung or Kong of three Winds, a pair of fourth wind, any other set completing the hand. May be all melded.  5. Big Four Winds - 64 points  Pung or Kong of each Wind, and any pair. May all be melded.  6. All Honors - 64 points  Four Pungs or Kongs and a pair of Dragons and Winds. May all be melded.  7. All Terminals - 64 points  Four Pungs or Kongs and a pair of 1's or 9's. May all be melded.  8. Nine Gates - 64 points  Three 1's, a sequence of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and three 9's, all of the same suit, and any other tile of the same suit completing the hand. The hand must be concealed (the winning tile can be a discard). No Kongs are allowed. The Philippine style we called it the Escalera ( stair case). The pairs could be of other suits.  9. Thirteen Orphans - 64 points  One of each Dragon and Wind, 1 and 9 of each suite and 14th tile forming a pair with any of these. The hand must be concealed (the winning tile can be a discard). The Philippines style we called it Devil's hand.  10. All Kongs - 64 points  Any four Kongs + any Pair.  11. Jade Dragon - 64 points  Jade Dragon: Pung or Kong of Bamboos and a Pung or Kong of Green Dragon.  12. Ruby Dragon - 64 points  Ruby Dragon: Pung or Kong of Characters only and Pung of Red Dragon.  13. Pearl Dragon - 64 points  Pearl Dragon: Pung or Kongs of Dots only and Pung or Kong of White Dragon.  14. Heavenly Hands - 64 points East declares "Out" with the dealt hand (after supplement tiles, if any) 15. Earthly Hands - 64 points Non-dealer goes out on dealer's first discard (supplement tiles are allowed) Philippine style that I learned when I was a Child. A hand with same suits is called PURE.( $4x) A winning hand with one suit with either a dragon or wind Pung is called PLACIS ($3x).  The one who declares mahjong gets to score fan (points). These fan are based on the contents of the winning hand. Once the fan is calculated, it is then converted into a payment amount based upon a payment table called "fan-laak" table. The losing players will in turn pay the winning player based upon this payment table.  Below is the payment table: Fan Points By discard Self drawn 0 1 1+1+2=4 chips n/a 1 2 2+2+4=8 chips 4+4+4=12 chips 2 4 4+4+8=16 chips 8+8+8=24 chips 3 8 8+8+16=32 chips 16+16+16=48 chips 4, 5, 6 16 16+16+32=64 chips 32+32+32=96 chips 7, 8, 9 32 32+32+64=128 chips 64+64+64=192 chips 10+ 64 64+64+128=256 chips 128+128+128=384 chips If a player makes a faulty declaration of out - the deal is abandoned and the offender shall each of the other players 100% of the Limit (i.e., full laak, which in the rules described here is 64 points). If the faulty declaration was made in context of a claimed tile, the discarded gets double the amount. The deal normally passes after a faulty declaration of out. Personal Note: Mahjong could be addicted and can be a gambling activity or as source of income activity. When I was still residing in Fair Oaks, my home-care aide who was a Filipina-American played regularly mahjong for money in a friends house nearby. Sometimes she informed me she loses $60 for a 4-5 hour session. But, it is her only recreation, so she plays every week. The host charges each player a fee ( flat) and a commission for every winning hand. The host provides food and drinks. So the more players, the higher income for the host for every session. The bets could ranged from $1 to $5 per game plus additional fee for special hands mentioned in my article above.

All Saint's and All Soul's Days in the Philippines

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-do-filipinos-celebrate-all-saints.html