Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

This is Part 2 of a series of articles on places that Macrine and I had visited outside the US since 1960. Part 1 (No 1 to 30) were places that we either had resided or visited in the US including the Hawaiian Islands. This article is number 1. The series will include our trips to Spain, Morocco, Rock of Gibraltar, London, Rome, The Vatican Cancun, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Cuernavaca, Mexico and the Bahamas.

One of the fifteen places that my wife and I have visited outside the US was our trip in August, 2005 to Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler, B.C., Canada. . This was in connection with another Grand Reunion of Marinduque International, Inc- a non-profit organization organized to give free medical missions to Marinduque, Philippines. It was one week of Fun and Relaxation that we will always remember.

British Columbia is on the western coast of Canada. The climate of Vancouver is Mediterranean similar to San Francisco, California. Vancouver is about 2 hours drive north of Seattle, Washington and has also a large Filipino-American community. We enjoyed Stanley Park, Queen Elizabeth(Sunken Garden) Park and Exotic China Town. Historic Gas Town and the drive along English Bay Drive was great. We took a sunset dinner cruise along Vancouver Harbor passing through English Bay, False Creek, Burrard Inlet and under the Lions Gate bridge(photos above).


We took a tour of Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. The tour started from Vancouver via a 90-minute ferry ride across Georgia Strait and the beautiful Gulf Islands. Included in the tour is an admission to the world famous Butchart Garden (photo above). Here's a short video of the Butchart Gardens, one of the most beautiful gardens in the world.

The tour included a 30 minute drive along Beach Drive with views of Juan De Fuca strait and the Olympic Mountains. We also passed by the Upland and Oak Bay Streets residential areas, the Royal Victoria Yatch Club and the University of Victoria ending at the Victoria Harbor. Photo of Victoria Inner Harbor at Night-from thelifeofluxury.com

The next day, we took a one-day tour to Whistler, site of the 2010 Winter Olympics. The scenic tour started with a relaxing drive up the Sea to Sky Highway which overlooks majestic Howe Sound with its panorama of mountain lakes and glaciers. Along the way we stopped at Shannon Falls, one of North America's waterfalls at the Squamish Forest Reserve.

Oo our way to Whistler, Canada-Photo from www. people.uleth.ca

We highly recommend the above three places in Western Canada for a relaxing and enjoyable vacation.

Note: This No.1 (Part 2) of a series of articles on places that Macrine and I had visited outsice the US since 1960.

Seattle, Washington and Vicinity

The Space Needle
I attended another American Chemical Society (ACS) Meeting in the early 1990's. The main guest speaker was Bill Gates of Microsoft. His topic was of course the Future of Computers. It was a standing room only session and this meeting was one of the most informative meeting that ACS has sponsored for it members. I stayed in a
Victorian downtown hotel (Mayflower Park Hotel) adjacent to a shopping mall(West Lake Center) and of course StarBucks. I eat lunch at the revolving restaurant at the Space Needle and viewed the salmon runs ( Ballard and Chittenden Locks) facilities, went to the fish market(Pike Place) and did a little souvenir shopping in the adjacent mall to my hotel.
Salmon Jumping Upstream to Spawn and Die

Do you know that Seattle is the headquarters of StarBucks and Bill Gates(the riches man in the world) resides in a multi-million mansion in the Seattle suburb of Medina?

Here's a description of Gates residence in Medina, Washington. The world's richest man and family lives in the exclusive suburb of Medina, Washington, in a huge earth-sheltered residence in the side of a hill overlooking Lake Washington. The residence encompasses more than 66,000 square feet which is equal to 1.5 acres.The major rooms include 7 bedrooms, 24 bathrooms, six kitchens, and six fireplaces. The address of the mansion is 1835 73rd Ave NE, Medina, WA 98039.

The Residence is a very modern, 21st century residence in the "Pacific lodge" style, with advanced electronic systems everywhere & great interior design. In one respect though it is more like an 18th or 19th century mansion, It has a large private library with a domed reading room. While it does have a classic flavour, It has many unique qualities. Among the many genius marvels that are integrated into the home for the latest in modern conveniences are revolving works of art.

The floors are pressure sensitive, at any given time family member or security can know who is in the residence by the weight of their footsteps. Lights would automatically come on when you came in. Speakers would be hidden beneath the wallpaper to allow music to follow you from room to room. Portable touch pads would control everything from the TV sets to the temperature and the lights, which would brighten or dim to fit the occasion or to match the outdoor light.

Visitors to the residence are surveyed and given a microchip upon entrance. This small chip sends signals throughout the home, and a given room's temperature and other conditions will change according to preset user preferences. In 2009, property taxes on the home were reported to be US $1.063 million on a total assessed value of US$147.5 million.
Bill Gates Home of the Future
Inside this luxury home plan you will find Swimming pool size 17 × 60 foot (5.1 × 18.2 metre). The 17-by-60-foot swimming pool has an underwater music system and a floor painted in a fossil motif. Swimmers can dive under a glass wall and emerge outdoors by a terrace. Locker room off the pool has four showers and two baths.

Towering Douglas fir beams support the stainless-steel roof and are surrounded by walls of glass, concrete, and stone. While much of the residence is buried into the hillside, windows on the lakefront side provide views of Seattle to the west. There are 84 steps down from the entrance to the ground floor. The vertigo-inclined can take an elevator.

The Theater with apx 20 seat, Size: 1,500 ft. The 20-seat art deco theater is outfitted with plush chairs, couches, and a popcorn machine. The Screen is HDTV capable. The Library, Size: 2,100 sq. ft. The ornate, paneled library has a domed reading room with oculus (light well), fireplace, and two secret pivoting bookcases, one containing a bar. It's the fitting home for Leonardo da Vinci's 16th-century notebook, the Codex Leicester, which Gates bought for $30.8 million.
Aerial View of Bill Gates Residence in Medina, WA
The Formal dining room, Size: 1,000 sq. ft. Up to 24 guests can dine by the fireplace while enjoying the sweeping view from the third level. Nearby commercial-grade kitchen is 39 feet by 23 feet. The Reception hall capacity more than 150 people at a time,Size: 2,300 sq. ft.

Partly below ground, the reception hall can seat 150 people for a sit-down dinner or hold 200 for a cocktail party. A 6-foot-wide fireplace, faced in limestone, commands one wall. Another wall is dominated by a 22-foot-wide video display made up of 24 rear-projection television monitors, each with a 40-inch screen. A second commercial-grade kitchen serves the reception hall.

The Exercise room, Size: 2,500 sq. ft.It includes sauna, steam room, separate men's and women's lockers, and a trampoline room with a 20-foot ceiling.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, the median American residence size is slightly more than 2,000 square feet. Microsoft founder residence is more than 30 times that size. Inside the Garage, you'll find a 1999 Porsche 911 Convertible and 1988 Porsche 959 Coupe. Steven Ballmer drives a 1998 Lincoln Continental. In fact, due to the 959’s questionable emissions and unknown crash ratings, it took a federal law signed by President Clinton to legally drive his 959 on American roads.

Its every One's Curiosity to know how world's richest man lives, Having net worth over 57 Billion Dollars.

I would not mind residing in a residence similar to Bill Gates. Just wait, If I win the Lotto, I will built one better than the Gates residence in Boac, Marinduque, Philippines.

Here are two videos on some tourists attraction in the Seattle area.



Note: This is No.30, last of the series of articles on places that Macrine and I had visited in the US since 1960. I hope you enjoy this travel series. Part 2 will be places that we have visited outside the US.

Gettysburg Battlefield Park and National Military Cemetery, Pennsylvania

Macrine and I have visited this historic site a couple of times when we had visitors from the Philippines when we were still residing in Maryland (1990-2002). This is a must see place for history enthusiasts and students. It is only about 75 minutes drive from our residence in Colesville, MD. The ride from Colevilles, Maryland to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is very rural with scenic farms along the local highway.

Gettysburg Battlefield was the site of the Battle of Gettysburg, fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the county seat of Adams County, which had approximately 2,400 residents at the time. It is now the site of two Federally owned and administered areas: Gettysburg National Military Park and the Gettysburg National Cemetery. The Gettysburg Battlefield Historic District partially overlaps and partially protects other privately held properties.

Gettysburg, home to the Battle of Gettysburg (1863) of the American Civil War, draws in large numbers of tourists every year to visit the historical sites around the small community as well as the battlefield itself. Gettysburg has many activities and tours to offer to vacationers and tourists that are interested in the Gettysburg area and the history of the community and the battle. A narrated tour via double-decker bus and tours of the Jenny Wade house are two examples. Ghost tours are also popular with tourists, profiling various locations reported to be haunted. One of the most popular times to visit Gettysburg is in the Summer and early Fall months, about June through October.



A popular attraction in Gettysburg is the reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg which is held every summer for the three days around the Fourth of July. Events include tours, ghost stories and reenactments.

The Dobbin House Tavern, which is one of the most famous restaurants in Gettysburg, was once home to Reverend Alexander Dobbin in 1776. The restaurant has since been authentically restored and provides an ambiance that was once present during the historic days of Gettysburg. The Dobbin House is lit by candles while the wait staff serves authentic foods from two centuries ago dressed in Civil War attire. Other historical attractions are the hotels and bed and breakfasts around the borough. The Gettysburg Hotel is a popular destination for tourists because of all the history that the hotel holds. The Gettysburg Hotel is located in the heart of downtown Gettysburg, within walking distance to historical sites, restaurants and shopping.



We drove around the military park and cemetery with a rented cassette from the Parks Office discussing the historical events that took place in that 3 day battle of July 1-3, 1863 during our first visit in the mid 1990's. On the second visit in 2001, we learned that the movie in the Visitor's Center( Birth of a Nation) shown prior to your tour is more informative than the audio cassette.

Note: This is No.29 of a series of articles on places that Macrine and I had visited in the US since 1960.

Best 12 Cities to Visit and Amazing Places on Earth

Paris Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
How many of cities in the video below have you visited? I have visited four of the twelve cities listed, New York City, Las Vegas, Honolulu and Vancouver, Canada. The videographer did not specify the reasons why these are the cities he selected. I will add San Francisco, San Diego, New Orleans and Chicago of the US to this list. In addition, I will add London, Rome, the Vatican and Costa del Sol in Spain to this list from Europe. How about you, what cities will you add to this list? Enjoy these videos!

Best 12 cities to visit if you have the time, the energy and the money, before you die or too old to travel.

Amazing Places on Planet Earth

I like being Old, It has set me Free !

I just received this article from my e-mail today. I love sharing it with you, specially to all of you who are about my age!

"I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for
eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avantegarde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat,to be messy,to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to
those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things. Sure, over the years my heart has been broken .. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car ? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray,and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver. As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think.. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong. So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free.

I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day(if I feel like it).

MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!
Pass this message on to your precious and true friends.
Suzie Kurz ( suzie_fred@kurzdesign.com)

Sugar Land, Texas and Vicinity

Dave and Macrine as Cowboy and Cowgirl in Sugar Land, Texas

In the summer of 2007, Macrine and I attended a Grand Reunion of Marinduque International,Inc (MI) held in Sugar Land, Texas. We flew to the Houston International Airport and was picked up by a member of MASTEG, and delivered to our hotel. During the day, we had meetings discussing preparation for our next medical mission to Marinduque (www.marinduqueinternational.org), but in the evening we were free to see the sights of the surrounding area. We did not see much of Houston and did not feel like getting out of our hotel, because it was so hot and humid outside just like the Philippines in the months of April and May. Some of our members went to San Antonio for a day tour. But since I had been to San Antonio, we did not joined the tour. We did have a night tour of Houston at night similar to the video below.


Sugar Land is a city located in Fort Bend County in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas, having grown more than 158 percent in the last decade. In the time period of 2000–2007, Sugar Land also enjoyed a 46.24% job growth. In 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that the city's population was 79,943, with a median family income of $110,327 and a median home price of $272,151.

Founded as a sugar plantation in the mid-19th century and incorporated in 1959, Sugar Land is the largest city and economic center of Fort Bend County. The city is the third-largest in population and second-largest in economic activities of the Houston area.

Sugar Land is home to the headquarters of Imperial Sugar and the company's main sugar refinery and distribution center was once located in this city. As a nod to this heritage, the Imperial Sugar crown logo can be seen in the city seal and logo. The city also holds the headquarters for Western Airways and a major manufacturing facility for Nalco Chemical Company. In addition, Sugar Land has a large number of international energy, software, engineering, and product firms.

The Town Center

Sugar Land has the most master-planned communities in Fort Bend County, which is home to the largest number of master-planned communities in the nation—including First Colony, Sugar Creek, Riverstone, New Territory, Telfair, and many others.

Sugar Land holds the title of "Fittest City in Texas" for the population 50,000–100,000 range, a title it has held for four consecutive years.

In 2006 CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Sugar Land third on its list of the 100 Best Cities to Live in the United States.

In 2007, CQ Press has ranked Sugar Land fifth on its list of Safest Cities in the United States (14th annual "City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan American").

In 2008, Forbes.com selected Sugar Land along with Bunker Hill Village and Hunters Creek Village as one of the three Houston-area "Top Suburbs To Live Well", noting its affluence despite its large population.

Note: This is No. 28( Part 1) of a series of articles on places that Macrine and I had visited in the US since 1960.

Hawaiian Islands-O'ahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island

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Macrine and I at the Maui Ocean Center and Aquaruim

Macrine and I had visited four out of the seven inhabited islands in the Hawaiian Chain of Islands. This was made possible through our International Interval(II) Vacation Exchange Program. We stayed for one week each in the Big Island, Maui, and Kaua'i and one day in O'ahu. We have stopped at the Honolulu Airport a number of times as a connecting airport during our annual trip to the Philippines from the US. We loved Hawaii, since it reminds us of Marinduque, Philippines. Our first trip was in the summer 1979 where we stayed at Kona Village Resort, Kaupulehu, Kona, the Big Island for one week. This resort was nestled on the fabulous secluded Kona Coast away from the big crowds. This was my treat to Macrine for passing her Nursing Board Exam to practice nursing in the State of California. The second one was our one week stay in Maui through our exchange Program via II in the mid 1998. Our third visit was one week stay in Kauai in September 2003 also via II. We stayed at Hanalei Bay Resort in Princeville. Our two bedroom suite has the view of the Bali Hai Mountain made famous by the broadway musical, South Pacific. In this vacation, we were joined by Ditas and Nick and their baby, Carenna, only about five months old. The latest Hawaiian visit we had was in Honolulu, O'ahu just last year just for one day on our way to the Philippines.


The eight main Hawaiian islands (also known as the Hawaiian Windward Islands) are listed here from east to west. All except Kahoʻolawe are inhabited

1.Hawaiʻi often times called as The Big Island

2. Maui also known as The Valley Isle

3. Kahoʻolawe also known as The Target Isle( not inhabited)

4. Lānaʻi also known as The Pineapple Isle because of the pineapple plantations

5. Molokaʻi also called The Friendly Isle

6. Oʻahu also called The Gathering Place where Honolulu is located

7. Kauaʻi is also called The Garden Isle

8. Niʻihau known also as The Forbidden Isle


Photo of Fish from the Maui Aquaruim and Marine Center

Hawaii is tropical but it experiences many different climates, depending on altitude and weather. The islands receive most rainfall from the trade winds on their north and east flanks (the windward side) as a result of orthographic precipitation. Coastal areas in general and especially the south and west flanks or leeward sides, tend to be drier.
In general, the Hawaiian Islands receive most of their precipitation during the winter months (October to April). Drier conditions generally prevail from May to September, but the warmer temperatures increase the risk of hurricanes.

Rainbow as viewed from our 6th floor Condo in Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii

Temperatures at sea level generally range from highs of 85-90 °F (29-32 °C) during the summer months to 79-83 °F (26-28 °C) during the winter months. Rarely does the temperature rise above 90 °F (32 °C) or drop below 60 °F (16 °C) at lower elevations. Temperatures are lower at higher altitudes; in fact, the three highest mountains of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Haleakala often receive snowfall during the winter.
Here's a video of the sights and sounds of this Tropical Paradise

One distinctive feature of Hawaii’s climate is the small annual variation in temperature range. This is because there is only a slight variation in length of night and day from one part of Hawaii to another because all its islands lie within a narrow latitude band. The small variations in the length of the daylight period, together with the smaller annual variations in the altitude of the sun above the horizon, result in relatively small variations in the amount of incoming solar energy from one time of the year to another. The surface waters of the open ocean around Hawaii range from 77 °F (25 °C) between late February and early April, to a maximum of 83 °F (28 °C) in late September or early October. With water temperatures this mild for hundreds of miles around, the air that reaches Hawaii is neither very hot nor very cold. Temperatures of 90 °F (32 °C) and above are quite uncommon (with the exception of dry, leeward areas). In the leeward areas, temperatures may reach into the low 90’s several days during the year, but temperatures higher than these are unusual.
The other reason for the small variation in air temperature is the nearly constant flow of fresh ocean air across the islands. Just as the temperature of the ocean surface varies comparatively little from season to season, so also does the temperature of air that has moved great distances across the ocean; the air brings with it to the land the mild temperature regime characteristic of the surrounding ocean. In the central North Pacific, the trade winds represent the outflow of air from the great region of high pressure, the North Pacific High, typically located well north and east of the Hawaiian Islands. The Pacific High, and with it the trade-wind zone, moves north and south with changing angle of the sun, so that it reaches its northernmost position in the summer. This brings trade winds during the period of May through September, when they are prevalent 80 to 95 percent of the time. From October through April, the heart of the trade winds moves south of Hawaii; however, the winds still blow much of the time. They provide a system of natural year-long ventilation throughout the islands and bring mild temperatures characteristic of air that has moved great distances across tropical waters.

Note: This is No.27 (Part 1) of a series of articles on places that Macrine and I had visited in the US since 1960.

We are One Filipino-A Movement

I was surfing on the net and accidentally discovered the following videos. If you are a Filipino-American or an American with Filipino heritage these are must videos to see.


We Are One Filipino by Calvin Keen

Who are you? Every generation has to answer this question for itself, and ours is no exception. Self-realization for some is born out of war, as it was for our grandparents; for others, it takes place out of cultural and economic shifts, as it was for our parents. How will it happen for ours? We live in an age of extraordinary change on every level – technological, political, cultural, and economic. As a consequence, our generation uniquely struggles with that perennial question. Every morning, we wake up to a Filipino face; every night, we think of our Filipino family; and throughout the day in between, we struggle with the question of who we are in this world but somehow fail to answer it to our own satisfaction. This has been our experience as Filipinos in every state of life – man or woman, young or old, rich or poor – but the time for change has come.

We believe that the fundamental reason that we struggle to answer this question is that we, as a generation, have yet to claim ownership and responsibility for defining what it means to be Filipino for ourselves. We have, in large part, surrendered this responsibility to other people, whether they are in the media or in show business, in government or in a slum, on a bus taking tourists hostage or elsewhere. However, it is not their responsibility, it is ours. And it is with boldness that we make this declaration of independence to take as our own the duty to redefine Filipino.

We are a movement, not an organization. No one authoritative group sets our direction; no one person charts our course. We are united in purpose but free to express it in our own ways, wherever we are, whenever we want. Every one who claims it has equal ownership of its direction. Through our own creative excellence and our active participation in the life of the global Filipino family, we will take it upon ourselves to show through our own lives the excellence of the Filipino.

We are only one generation removed from a very different life. We trace our roots to another country, another place, where because of circumstances outside our own control, our parents or grandparents felt it necessary to come to America so that we would have a greater opportunity to become whomever God meant us to become. We are the fruits of our parents’ labor and the legacy of their love. Beneath their shadow and surrounded by rapid change, how can we measure up? The time has come to let our light shine.

Now you must ask yourself: Do you believe that being Filipino is merely a label to accept or deny, or do you believe that being Filipino is being the best at who we are and sharing that with our communities and our world? If you believe the latter, then join the chorus of voices whose sounds will forge a new path for our people and a greater destiny than we could have ever imagined. This is the cause of our generation.