This week has been busy in our house Beng is practicing badminton every chance she gets. Almost every evening around 8 PM she hits the kitchen door sweating out breath from practicing with her badminton buddies, who are getting ready for a tournament contest for this up coming Saturday. And Junior is practicing for another school champion contest every night and just before his Mom he hits the same door, not only is he tired and hungry and ready to eat almost anything and everything in sight. The first thing I heard upon his arrival is the refrigerator door open and close. In the meantime leaving Rudy and I to watch television (yes, no Filipino soaps) while waiting for my wife and Junior to arrive back home. I like the idea of Beng playing badminton because she been keeping her on me since I went to the hospital last March; not playing as she had did before she began putting extra pounds on. I hope she can start losing all those fat cells! As far as Junior and is ever continuous school extra activities I’m not sure if I like the idea. It seems to me there is far too much time spent on the band practice and other after hour’s school activities then the three Rs – reading, writing and arithmetic. On to some other news, last week in Cebu Beng purchased me a new fancy Nokia 2600 Classic cell phone, so far I haven’t figured out all its functions but that’s okay. I thought it was the one of greatest things to happen to mankind when the pager first came out, now look at my new cell phone it can even sing a song! 

A lazy afternoon                                                         Waiting to go to Cebu

Danao' landmark Catholic Church                                 The newly built Civic Center

 The newly built Terminal                                              Street Vendors             

 Fiesta Time                                                                  Fiesta Time

In 1970 I remember moving and living in The Dalles, Oregon which is right next to Columbia River and where the summers are very hot and where the winters are very cold, and with short springs and falls. Except for fruit bearing orchards very few trees could be found. It is not at all like the Philippines. Now as I set here at my lap top I reflect back those distance years so long ago when I lived in The Dalles. I still the water being so cold in the winter that my teeth actually hurt when I drank a glass of water, much like eating ice cream when it gives a person a tooth ache. And in the middle of summer a person could fry an egg on the sidewalk. In fact as an experiment ex-wife did just that! Since all those years have past now I have some nice and warm memories of times spent there. As I especially think back to those times; when my oldest son Tobe had his first tooth, first Christmas and when his Grandpa whom is he named after and his wife Helen came down driving on the icy roads from Seattle to spend Christmas with his namesake… and then on his first Halloween he dressed as Pa Kettle with a far too big metal pot topping on his head. His baby sitter Patty taking him out to trick or treat in the neighborhood while we stayed home to pass out candy for those who came to our door. Afterwards he came back home after spending an hour or so, cold yet holding a big bag of treats.  And his brother Thomas was born there and boy was he hungry. In April 1972, in fact on the day before Thomas was born Tobe, I and our neighbor went and saw a one ring circus while my pregnant ex-wife stayed home working on her rose brushes. It was warm spring sunny day and we sat on the first row so we could take the show all in. It wasn’t big circus and I think the whole thing was a one family operation from old Mexico. But that didn’t matter how big or how small the circus was because Tobe’s eyes lit up watching all the different acts. Throughout entire time I filled him up with candy cotton, peanuts and butter popcorn but he never got sick. It was a real fun day afterwards we came home and we had dinner then off to bed my two year went and then sometime after midnight his brother came into this world. The next morning Tobe awoke having a new brother named Thomas. Our house was painted yellow and two stories high with four bedrooms and it had only one bathroom. As I recall then it was well over thirty years old and had been remodeled before buying it. We paid $15,000 for the yellow painted house with a rock cliff behind with a 20 year loan from the local bank. Sometimes today I wonder if the house is still standing. There happen to be a little girl who was about the same age as Tobe was then, who lived directly across the street from us; he’d stand in our living room’s large bay picture window and both would stare and wave and smile each other. His baby sitter Patty half brother lived in the small house with his wife and their little daughter.  Before forget we had a family dog named “Peanuts.”  Tobe and “Peanuts” one time got into trouble by taking out of the stuffing out of our bed and another time his Mother caught him and his dog setting on top of the kitchen roof. I guess he and his dog had somehow opened the second story hall window and climbed out through it and watched the next door neighbors working on their large garden. I think he gave his poor Mother a heart attack. When I came home from work I’d rock him by the hour in a red spring chair that sort of rocked. He loved to be rocked his whole body would rock back and forth, from head to his toes. He’d never ask but would climb next to me and then setting together and we’d rock together. Sometimes if I had some extra money on Sundays we’d all go my ex-wife, Tobe and me would walk to a small neighbor café and have pancakes for Sunday morning breakfast. He loved strawberries on his pancakes with butter and maple syrup spread over them. For the life of me I can’t remember what his Mother had but I can remember what my two year liked the best, me I liked pancakes with two eggs sunny side up with two or three cups of coffee and of course smoking afterwards. The whole didn’t cost too much, three or four dollars as I recall now. And none that fast food stuff either! Afterwards we walk back home taking our time enjoying the morning. I remember those mouth watering pancakes were delicious, like a home cooked meal or even better. They seemed to melt your mouth!  Where ever we went to, he then hated to walk, there was no way he was going to walk so we’d bring the stroller and take turns pushing him or I’d carry him in my arms. Tobe loved to go but hated to walk – there was no question about it.

I admit I am a pizza lover. Since 1955 when I first my first slice of pizza while stationed with US Navy in New Jersey I’ve been addicted to its taste and aroma. I especially like New York and Chicago style pizzas. Since living in the Philippines I’ve searched high and low for either style but yet to find one of those mouth watering pizzas of my youth. But never fear my search continues. But in the meantime I’ll settle for Pizza Hut. Mr. Chuckchuck

By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 19:45:00 07/22/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Cinemalaya Best Actor Baron Geisler said winning was “surreal”; Best Actress Mylene Dizon found it “overwhelming.” Interviewed by Inquirer backstage at the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), where the awards show for the independent film festival was held Sunday night, Baron was shaking; Mylene had to sit down after her acceptance speech. Mylene, who won for portraying a cancer patient in “100,” was worried that her speech sounded incomprehensible. “There was not one complete sentence,” she noted. “I just arrived from Hong Kong, went straight to the birthday party of [friend] Claudine’s son Santino. Then I rushed here [to the CCP].” Baron, who played the gay producer of a TV reality show in “Jay,” said winning was sweet vindication, having figured in a sexual harassment scandal recently.

It might not look like it, but the University of the Philippines Diliman campus is a haven of affordable, restaurant-quality cuisine. In the Shopping Center alone (near the UP Chapel and the infirmary), establishments like Rodic’s have been serving signature dishes (tapsilog) for decades - and they’re still a big hit among students today. Filipino food isn’t the only kind available in the Shopping Center, though. One of the newer restaurants is called Mashita and as you can guess by the name, they specialize in Japanese and Korean dishes.

Baron Geisler won an award finally. He was really a great actor despite the many controversies he has gotten himself into. He won the Best Actor award for his role in the indie film, “Jay”. Mylene Dizon was hailed Best Actress in her performance in “100″.

She may still be here as per required in promoting her first ever album under Star Records, come September 22, and she will be off again. The Little Big Star alumni sets her feet to perform overseas as she is invited to perform in Andrea Bocelli’s natal day concert.