Is Avocado A Fruit or Vegetable?

Some of My Avocado Harvests from My Fruit Orchard Chateau Du Mer, Philippines 

When I was growing up in the Philippines my favorite ice cream is Avocado Ice cream.  I also enjoyed smashed avocado in condensed milk. So in the Philippines it is considered a Fruit.

However, when I moved to the US in 1960, I have Avocado in My Fish Taco and my Green Salad, so it is a Vegetable here in the US.     

So the Answer the Question is Avocado a Fruit or Vegetable, Read the following.

https://www.rd.com/article/is-avocado-a-fruit-or-vegetable/

You may be surprise of the answer. It is Both! 

Meanwhile enjoy this photo of avocados and other popular Fruits in the Philippines. 

 https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2021/11/some-of-most-popular-fruits-of.html

I have also an avocado plant in a pot now inside my apartment here at THD, but it will moved outside to my patio next Spring.

Here are other photos of avocados in my photo collection

Sprouting Avocado from Commercial Seed- Indoor in Fair Oaks, in my Kitchen Window

 

My Potted Avocado Plant in my bedroom here at THD

My Potted Avocado Plant In My Patio Here at THD 

Meanwhile enjoy Chinese New Year Here at THD

The Chinese Lunar Year Parade in SFO China Town will be tomorrow. Have you personally attended  an event similar to this Celebration?    

Final Note: A Resident told me "I like Avocado and I really don't care whether it is a fruit or vegetable". Can you write on a more serious subjects similar to your previous blogs about THD( suggestions for improvement) or is Biden too old to be President or Skin Hunger and other senior citizens issues.  I do enjoy reading your blogs, though and I am a loyal reader." 

My Response: I write on any subject that comes to my mind except on sex and religion and rarely on politics. 

Another Resident Reader: I do not like Avocado, It has no taste. 

I responded, Have you tasted Avocado ice cream or milk shake?   

U.S. annual avocado consumption 1985-2022That number has increased six-fold to over 2.7 billion pounds of the berry being consumed by Americans in 2022. Per capita consumption has increased from 2 pounds in 2001 to over 9 pounds in 2022.

Lastly, Here's my Quote of the Day: "The mind is its own place, and in itself.  Can make a heaven of hell,  and a hell of heaven"- John Milton, 1606-1674,  English Poet

Suggestions for More Improvement on the Quality of Life Here at THD

Let me start by saying that this is Not a Complaint, But Just a Suggestion.  I am very Happy with my Living Conditions Here at THD. Again Congratulations to THD, A Place For Mom Winner of the Best of Senior Living Award for 2024.   

THD receiving the Best of Senior Living Award for 2024 from the "A Place for Mom" meant that majority of the senior residents and their families are happy and satisfied residing here at THD. 

However, there is no perfect place and there is always room for improvement. There are 109 residents here at THD based on the February phone Book. I have interviewed about 50 of them. My question was:

If you have a wish, what will you suggest to improve the well-being and quality of your life here at THD?

A number of the residents did not answer me right away. They said they are happy and will think about it. Most residents rated The Staff, a perfect 5, mentioned the great variety of activities, good food and excellent housekeeping and transportation services.   

Here are suggestions from some residents :  I am listing it in three categories as (1)Minor and Feasible, (2) May be Feasible and (3) May Not be Feasible because of High Cost and Infra Structure Inadequacy.

1. Minor and Very Feasible; 

a. Serve French Toast for Breakfast and Chocolate Drinks

b. Designate Additional Space for Meetings and More Games ( Billiards and/or Table Tennis)💥

c. Put signs in the Front Gate- the 3 other Addresses for each Building, 1725, 1745,  1765 besides the 1785 Address. 

A number of Delivery Persons are confused of the 4 addresses and just leave packages/Door Dash orders outside the Front Gate. Some of us are lucky if our packages are left in the Front Desk.  When my daughter visited me last year from Washington DC, I gave her the address of 1745 Shuey for the Fairmount Building. The Uber Driver dropped her at the Exit Gate at the back side of Fairmount. She had to walk several blocks with her luggages to the front gate. Needless to say, she was not too happy!  

d. A written history of THD from its start as a Condo about 30 years and its conversion to a Senior Independent Living Community with ratings starting on the average of 3 to its current rating of 4.5.   

2. May Be Feasible: 

a. Add Dance Lessons besides ZUMBA in the Activity Calendar

b. Schedule International Dishes or Soups Once a Month in the Newton's Menu 

c. Extend Lunch Times Another 15 Minutes from 11AM to 1PM instead of 12:45PM. 

d. Form a Resident's Council with two Representatives from each of the buildings and Chaired/Presided by the Resident Liaison or any Designated THD management Personnel.   This should be an umbrella group for the Greeters Program, Library Services and The Herald Newsletter and Activities run by Residents.  HIRE a techie person to help the residents with their computer and cell phones problems.  

3. May Not be Feasible Because of Cost and InfraStructure:

a. Improve Acoustics in the Newtons Dining Room and the Yoga Room 

b. Install Public Address System for Emergency and Special Announcements 

c. Install Generators for the Fairmount and Liberty Buildings for Power Outage Emergency

d. Install a Toilet in the Cinema

Let me reiterate for THD management: I am personally very happy here with my living conditions and all the amenities provided by THD. But again, there is no perfect place and there is always room for improvement.  Would it be excellent publicity if THD received a perfect 5.0 review ratings next year?  

Note: If you have other suggestions not listed here, please let me know.  I have talked to Teresa Nudo, our Resident Liaison  on the suggestions above and she said she will look into it and passed it to her superiors for evaluation.  As they say, to achieve your goal, one does not only Act, but also Dream ( or Wish). Again,  I thank Teresa for initiating a dialog with me about this blog. You are doing a great job as Resident Liaison.     

Meanwhile enjoy this photo of the Swimming Pool and Jacuzzi-Part of the Excellent Amenities offered by THD  

My Quote of the Day:   Old Age is not an illness,  it is a timeless ascent.  As power diminishes,  we grow towards the light- May Sarton, 1912-1995, American Writer and Poet  

💥Table Tennis (ping pong) will give me pleasant memories of my younger years at the Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort and Conference Center, Philippines

Skin Hunger -Benefits of Massage Therapy

In my previous two postings, I mentioned that I pamper myself currently by signing a 10-session - I hour whole body massage from a local reputable massage therapist Darryl Choy ( Indy). Indy comes to my apartment every week and gave me a whole body massage that I really need because of my leg and lower back problems. In the article below I summarize the benefits of massage therapy.
https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2024/01/pamper-yourself-once-in-while-you.html
Here's a summary of an article I read recently on the effects of skin hunger and the need for massage therapy. 
"Skin hunger, or touch deprivation as it’s more commonly known, is the unfulfilled need for receiving touch and physical contact. 

Touch is the first sense that develops in the embryo and research suggests that alongside water, food and rest, we need touch and affection for our bodies to function at their best. Saul Schanberg once said that, “We forget that touch is not only basic to our species, but the key to it.” 

P.N.K Heylings wrote an article in the British Medical Journal, called, ‘The No Touch Epidemic – an English Disease’. It lists a number of symptoms of skin hunger, which include:

• 
  Loneliness, Unusual reactions to being touched or touching others, A sense of insecurity, A reduced ability to communicate with others standing close and by questioning the loyalties of other people. 

While we may not be able to trace the exact roots of this touch avoidant attitude mentioned by Heyling, we know that the issue has become more pronounced given that we’re spending more time with our technology and less time engaging in person. 
The fact that we’re also living through a loneliness epidemic suggests that we’re not receiving the connections we desire, and this is having a knock-on impact on our mental and physical health ". 

So My dear fellow residents, pamper your self by having a whole body massage once in a while. It is not cheap, but at the stage of our life, we do not need to suffer of skin hunger or touch deprivation. If you can not afford a massage, here are some suggestions. Hugs relatives, touched pets ( cats and dogs) and self-massage, hug a pillow or sleep with a weighted blanket. 

Finally, Massage is an excellent substitute for sleeping pills if you are suffering from insomnia.  A substitute for Pain Killers if you are suffering from back aches and pains.  

For complete details on skin hunger read the following.

https://www.rebekkamikkola.com/post/8-effects-of-skin-hunger-that-will-make-you-seek-out-a-nurturing-hug#:~:text=Skin%20hunger%2C%20or%20touch%20deprivation,to%20function%20at%20their%20best.

Meanwhile, enjoy this photo I took of the Daffodils blooming in the THD Court Yard just recently.

My Quote of the Day:  Friendship improves happiness and abates misery by doubling our joy and dividing our grief- Joseph Addison, 1672-1719- English Essayist

You Don't Have to be a Jerk to Succeed

I was reading the Wall Street Journal issue of Feb 3-4 about two weeks ago. An article by Yascha Mounk 💥 with the title above attracted my attention. The article summarized:

 " Pop-Culture Icons celebrated for their sheer nastiness may encourage the idea that bad behavior is the path to Power. But research shows its often the other way around,"  

The author cited examples of the message from award winning TV series specifically " Succession", which just won the Emmy Award for best television drama for the third year in a row. I have watched the first and second seasons, but did not watched the last Season, because I was upset that every one in the series were jerks in order to succeed. The other TV Series similar to Succession are: House, The Devil Wears Prada,  American Psycho and The Wolf of Wall Street.

The article reminded me that a jerk known as DJ Trump may be able to be successful again in this coming election. I am hoping this will not happen. 

The article concluded that contrary to expectations disagreeable people were no more successful in pursuing power in the work place than their more agreeable colleagues.   This was based on a study by Cameron Anderson of the University of California, a professor of Organizational Behavior at Berkeley. 

He measured the personalities of 457 college students and then followed their career trajectory over a period of 14 years. Anderson and his colleagues found that disagreeable individuals were intimidating which elevated their power, however this dominating behavior was offset by the fact that they have poorer interpersonal relationships at work. 

Finally, the article states that powerful people can get away with being jerks much more easily. But it does not follow that being a jerk will help you become powerful. And when you forget this lesson, you are only making the life of your coworkers miserable, but POSSIBLY sabotaging your own well being.

I have personally identified at the above article reflecting on my own professional career with the FDA. 

Do you know of successful individuals that are not jerks? I know of several people who are agreeable but very successful in their chosen fields. But I also know some successful people who are JERKs. 

The most famous example of a Jerk is Donald J Trump. On the contrary a famous example of an agreeable individual is Joe Biden. Do you want a Jerk to run our country next year? I certainly hope NOT!  God Help the US if the Jerk wins the White House this November!  

 https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/02/04/trumps-lead-over-biden-may-be-smaller-than-it-looks   

💥Yascha Mounk is a professor of International Affairs at John Hopkins University.  His most recent book is "The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time."     

Meanwhile, enjoy this photo of the tulips on the THD courtyard I photographed just recently.

Meanwhile here's the current Question of the Year: Is Biden too old to be president?

A special counsel report on Biden’s handling of sensitive documents highlighted his poor memory. “That does not sound like someone capable of executing one of the world’s most important jobs,” USA Today’s Ingrid Jacques writes. But Biden’s old age also means a long, experienced political career. “Aging brains make more connections, perhaps because they have more history to work with,” Bill McKibben writes for The Los Angeles Times.

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2024/01/is-joe-biden-too-old-to-be-reelected.html

Lastly, Donald Trump(2017-2021) tied with Andrew Johnson( 1865-1869) as the 2nd worst President of the US.  The #1 worst President is James Buchanan( 1857-1861).

For Details visit:   https://www.usnews.com/news/special-reports/the-worst-presidents/slideshows/the-10-worst-presidents?slide=11

On the other hand the top five Best Presidents are: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Franklin D. Roosevelt. To honor them we celebrated President's Day yesterday as a Federal Holiday!

Best of Senior Living Awards Criteria

In my posting yesterday I mentioned that THD won an award as Best of Senior Living by A Place for Mom.com for 2024. One of my blog readers ask a question on the criteria of how THD got the award from A Place for Mom.com   I did some search, here's what I found.  

Here are the 3 basic criteria for the award offered annually.

• 1. Receive 25 or more reviews on APlaceforMom.com.
• 2. Attain an overall average rating of at least 4.5 stars for reviews ( max 5.0) or (10 for 10)
• 3. Offer assisted living, home care, independent living, skilled nursing, memory care or continuing care retirement communities.

According to their website about 1-2% of senior communities offering items #3 all over the US received the award annually.  Here in our area, the Heritage Downtown is the only one retirement community that received the award competing with several big, median and small size retiring communities in the East Bay. There are more than 30 senior retirement communities in the East Bay. Among THD competitors are The Kensington, Byron Park, and the several Atria Communities in the Area.  

The ratings from residents and their families are based on the Facility Amenities, Activities, Food and Meal Service, Transportation Services,  Staff ( Friendly or Not) and Location and other Factors. 

Here are the list of Retirement Communities in the East Bay with their Average Ratings for January 1 to December 31, 2023.   https://www.aplaceformom.com/awards/best-of-senior-living

https://www.aplaceformom.com/community/the-heritage-downtown-57903

In my review of THD recently, I gave it a rating of 4.5 out of 5.0 based on the Facility Amenities, Food, Activities, Staff ( Friendly or Not or well-managed ), Location and other factors such as the size of my patio and rooms and transportation and housekeeping services( cleanliness and overall ambiance).   

Marsha Kefer and I doing some Zumba Dancing Exercises-one of the many activities here at THD. You will never get bored here at THD. Activities are both run by Staff or Residents. 

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2024/02/looking-for-independent-living.html

There are 32 senior living communities in Walnut Creek and surrounding Areas as follows:

https://www.seniorhousingnet.com/seniorliving-search/walnut-creek_ca

A Place for Mom, founded in 2000, is a privately held, for-profit senior care referral service headquartered in New York, New York.The company provides personal and professional assistance to families in search of senior care options. Their service is free to families. They are paid by the senior living communities and homecare providers on its platform. A majority of the company is owned since August 2017 by equity capital firms General Atlantic and Silver Lake Insight Partners now owns a minority stake as part of the company's $175M capital raise in January 2022. Previously they used former Good Morning America host Joan Lunden in their advertising.

The Company provides information regarding more than 20,000 senior housing and homecare providers to seniors and their families throughout the United States and Canada through a network of local "senior living advisors". It also serves as a marketing tool for the thousands of senior housing communities and homecare providers it refers to. It is the largest such service in North America.In addition, A Place for Mom owns and operates SeniorAdvisor.com, a consumer ratings and reviews site for senior care providers across the U.S. and Canada.

A few residents moved here because of advertising from A Place for Mom. I learned first about THD from a Place for Mom Adviser. But I made my choice after visiting several retiring communities in the Walnut Creek Area. 

Meanwhile here's a referral offer of $500 from THD management.

ttps://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2024/02/referral-bonus-of-500-available-to-all.html

Meanwhile, here's my quote of the Day: I have learned more from my mistakes than from my successes-Sir Humphry Davy, English Chemist and Inventor    

Photo Memories of My Younger Years -THD Winner of Best of Senior Living, 2024

I came to the US as a Graduate Student at the University of Illinois in 1960. I was only 26 years old. I came with a Student visa.  Before the start of the Fall Semester at UI in Chicago, I visited New York City for the first time. I was at the top floor of the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center, Winter of 1959. Here's my photo taken at the Rockefeller Center with my first winter outfit in the US.

1961- With Other Foreign Students at the University of Illinois during our tour of Central Illinois sponsored by the Chicago Hospitality Center

The third photo I treasured was taken at the University of Illinois Student Cafeteria with Fellow Filipino Graduate students and Research Assistants, Virgie Aguilar and Auring Aro. Virgie and I were in our laboratory coats enjoying our lunch break, 1963

Ditas(my youngest daughter) and Me in 1982. Ditas was elected High School Queen, Pinole Valley High, Pinole, CA 

The 4th photo was my picture featured in the Stauffer Company Ads in 1981

My photo with Macrine -5th Photo taken with a Morion, San Francisco, 1990

The 6th photo I treasured was taken in 1994 during our one week vacation in Cancun Mexico.

Trip to Cancun, Mexico. Ditas and I enjoying the white beach at the back of the Royal Mayan Hotel where we stayed for one week., 1994

Last photo I will always tresure was our 1957 Wedding Day-May 8, Boac, Marinduque. Philippines 

I have more than 500 hundred photos in my blogs and photo albums, but the above photos I will always remember. Pleasant Memories indeed of my younger years!

For Comparative Purposes here's my latest photo of our Zumba Group taken Feb 3. 2024

  Am I still good Looking? 

Meanwhile,THD won again the 2024 Best Senior Living Award by Place for Mom.com-a repeat of 2023

My Congratulations to THD for Repeat Winner of A Place for Mom, Best of Senior Living Award for 2024.  

My Review of the Movie- Past Lives

I finally had a chance to watch the Movie Past Lives. I have read a few positive comments of the movie from friends in my FaceBook page. About 4 weeks ago after reading that the movie has been Oscar nominated for Best Picture and best Original Screen Play, I decided to watch it in Prime Video. 

It was a decision I will never regret. I enjoyed the movie very much, that when I woke early this morning, I still remember a few scenes and story line that touches my heart. 

One of the scenes I identified with was a conversation of the heroine ( a lady writer- South Korean immigrant)  to her Caucasian husband. Her husband asked her if  SHE loved him and not marry him because she just want a Green Card. A green card is a permanent resident visa, a pathway to US citizenship.    

This is not only one scene that is typical on the life of Asian immigrants that I can personally identify with being a former Asian immigrant myself.  The adjustment of Asian immigrants to American society is very close to my heart.         

I would not be surprise if it beats Oppenheimer as best picture for this coming Oscar Award next month. 

 Here's a summary from Wikipedia.

"Past Lives is a 2023 American romantic drama film written and directed by Celine Song in her feature directorial debut. Starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro, it follows two childhood friends over the course of 24 years while they contemplate the nature of their relationship as they grow apart, living different lives. The plot is semi-autobiographical and inspired by real events from Song's life.

Past Lives premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023, and was released theatrically in the United States on June 2, 2023. The film received largely positive reviews and was named one of the top ten films of 2023 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute and received various accolades including five nominations at the 81st Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama. At the 96th Academy Awards, it received nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 280 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 9.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "A remarkable debut for writer-director Celine Song, Past Lives uses the bonds between its sensitively sketched central characters to support trenchant observations on the human condition." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 94 out of 100, based on 51 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

Manola Darghis writing for The New York Times compared the film to French romantic cinema complimenting its restraint in the presentation of its main themes stating: "The movie’s modesty — its intimacy, human scale, humble locations and lack of visual oomph — is one of its strengths. The characters live in homes that are pleasant yet ordinary, the kind that you can imagine hanging out in, the kind you want to hang out in. 

There are few big, look-at-me details, though you might notice a poster for Jacques Rivette’s 1974 classic Céline and Julie Go Boating in Nora’s father’s home office in Seoul." Writing in The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw was fulsome in his praise of the film comparing it to those of Richard Linklater, Noah Baumbach, and Greta Gerwig. He said of the film: "Past Lives is a glorious date movie, and a movie for every occasion, too. As ever with films like this, there is an auxiliary pleasure in wondering how much of her own past life Song has used. It's a must-see."

Filmmaker Christopher Nolan also praised the film and named it one of his favorites, describing it as "subtle in a beautiful sort of way."

Collider ranked it number 7 on its list of the "20 Best Drama Movies of the 2020s So Far," calling it "a story that could only exist because of modern circumstances, but feels timeless in its approach. How does someone choose between two lovers, one that represents the most fruitful days of her youth, and the other someone she has grown to love as part of her reality? Celine Song examines these critical conversations through the perspective of an immigrant story."

For Details visit:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Past_Lives_(film)

I highly recommend this movie. The length is perfect. If you are an Asian Immigrant yourself, the story will touch your heart. It is a love story, but there is no kissing scene in the movie.  There is a cuddling scene but very tame. Again, the movie acting is terrific and its beauty is its simplicity and the emotionally-loaded dialogs between Greta Lee and Teo Yoo in the story.

The movie will be shown at our Cinema on February 18, Sunday at 7PM

As I mentioned above, it is available for viewing at Amazon Prime Video.

Lastly my quote of the day: To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. - Anatole France, 1844-1924, French Writer