WEDDING OF GIOIA AND GIOVANNI - GROTTAMARE, ITALY - 19 AUGUST 2006

PAINTING THE SKY - PORTO RECANATI, ITALY - AUGUST 15, 2006

TRAVEL NOTES FROM DEAN - CHINA

All 27 in the group said they tremendously enjoyed the guided tour of China (October 19 - November 1, 1998).

Beijing - first stop. World’s largest McDonald restaurant and largest public square (Tien An Men), “Forbidden City” with Temple of Heaven and palace complex. Took a few steps on the 3,000-mile long Great Wall, still China’s No. 1 attraction. Tombs of some emperors of Ming dynasty. Summer palace. Chinese opera which I did not understand what it was all about since there was no translation in English; so, I slept off the second half of the show.

Xian. Archeological discovery site of terracotta Emperor guards, many on horseback (life-size). Digging has continued for 21 years already. Bell Tower and Wild Goose pagodas.

Shanghai. The “Bund” (German for river bank) of Shanghai river with busy boat traffic. Jade Buddha. Arts and Craft Center as well as Children’s Palace (a children’s special school). Breathtaking acrobatic show of juggling, balancing, card tricks with a touch of comedy (I did not sleep in this one at any time).

Guilin. Six-hour cruise on Li River with mountains of well-defined pointed peaks, water buffalos and ducks wallowing on water, villagers fishing or washing clothes. Stalactites and stalagmites at Flute Cave, short climb to Fubo Hill which gives a bird’s eye view of the verdant city.

Guangzhou. Most important seaport of south China. Ornate shrine of Chen’s family and Memorial Hall of Sun-Yat-Sen, founder of the China Republic.

Hong Kong: Three-hour night train ride to Hong Kong. Victoria Peak for a breathtaking view of the former British colony. Aberdeen with so many sampans and scenic Repulse Bay, Stanley Market to shop for bargains of name brands (the shopper’s heaven). Many went crazy (shopping!). They dug deep into their pockets to buy jade rings, earrings, bracelets, cameras, clothing, picture cards, scarves, and what-have-you. So, if you want to have a jacket for just one U.S. dollar, welcome to China! All I bought was one bottled water and ½ pound of chestnuts. I held tight to my wallet, resisting the shopping fever and not losing my head. At every meal including buffet breakfast, not less than 12 courses were served. Although food was a great temptation, I pledged to nail my weight to 126 pounds, m weight before the China trip.

Since the first time (1984) we toured China but with a different group, there has been visibly a giant leap to progress in China. There are more high-rise buildings for offices and for residence than in Los Angeles. The Hiltons and the Sheratons are a far cry from China’s recently-constructed hotels. The people in the cities are well dressed, many of them (men and women) in suits, even if they ride on bicycles. Evident also is a marked increase in private cars and public buses, but bicycles are still clearly “king of the road.” You have to be an expert and have a strong heart to drive in crowded traffic of private cars, public buses, motorcycles and bicycles.

Some are saying they would like to go back, primarily to shop! Some want to go to Scandinavia. So Scandinavia, here we come! In the year 2000, God willing…

SOME PEOPLE ARE NEVER HAPPY

On a chain of beautiful islands in the middle of nowhere, the following people are stranded:

- Two Italian men and one Italian woman
- Two French men and one French woman
- Two German men and one German woman
- Two Greek men and one Greek woman
- Two English men and one English woman
- Two Bulgarian men and one Bulgarian woman
- Two Japanese men and one Japanese woman
- Two Chinese men and one Chinese woman
- Two Irish men and one Irish woman
- Two American men and one American woman

One month later, on these absolutely stunning deserted islands in the middle of nowhere, the following things have occurred:

+One Italian man killed the other Italian man for the Italian woman.

+The two French men and the French woman are living happily together in a ménage a trois.

+The two German men have a strict weekly schedule of alternating visits with the German woman.

+The two Greek men are sleeping with each other and the Greek woman is cleaning and cooking for them.

+The two English men are waiting for someone to introduce them to the English woman.

+The two Bulgarian men took one look at the Bulgarian woman and started swimming to another island.

+The two Japanese men have faxed Tokyo and are awaiting instructions.

+The two Chinese men have set up a pharmacy/liquor store/restaurant/laundry, and have gotten the Chinese woman pregnant in order to supply employees for their store.

+The two Irish men divided the island into North and South and set up a distillery. They do not remember if sex is in the picture because it get somewhat foggy after a few liters of coconut whiskey. However, they're satisfied because the English aren't having any fun.

+The two American men are contemplating suicide, because the American woman will not shut up and complains relentlessly about her body, the true nature of feminism, the equal division of household chores, how sand and palm trees make her look fat, how her last boyfriend respected her opinion and treated her nicer than they do, and how her relationship with her mother is the root cause of all her problems, and why didn't they bring a goddam cell phone so they could call 911 and get them all rescued off this god-forsaken deserted island in the middle of nowhere so she can get her nails done and go shopping.

You don't stop laughing when you GET OLD! You GET OLD when you STOP LAUGHING!

PINOY JOKES

Husband: Lagi mo pala dinadala ang picture ko sa bag mo pag pumapasok ka sa office. Baket?
Wife: Pag may problema ko, kahit gaano kabigat, nawawala kapag nakikita ko ang picture mo.
Husband: Sabi ko na nga ba talagang mahal na mahal mo ko.
Wife: Tinitingnan ko lang ang picture mo tapos sinasabi ko sa sarili ko na WALA NG PROBLEMA NA MAS HIHIGIT PA DITO.

Lola hinoldap.
LOLA: Wala akong pera!
HOLDAPER: Alam ko kung nasan pera mo. (sabay pinasok ang kamay sa bra ni lola)
LOLA: Tuloy mo pa. Me cheke pa sa baba!

Pulis: Bayad ko sa kape, o.
Intsik: Aba, bakit ka bayad?
Pulis: Utos na ni Lacson, wala nang kotong.
Intsik: Aba sige, simula ngayon hindi na ako dura sa kape mo.

WIFE: Hudas ka! lagi kang umuuwing lasing. Naaasar na tuloy ako sa mukha mo.
HUSBAND: Pero mahal, kung hindi ako lasing, ako naman ang maaasar sa mukha mo!

LUCIO TAN: 25% Fillipino, 75% Chinese.
HENRY SY: 20% Fillipino, 80% Chinese.
ERAP: 30% Fillipino, 70% Alcohol.
MANOLING MORATO: 50% Filipino, 50% Filipina.

Sinner: Father, forgive me for I have sinned. I'm sexually preoccupied and often read dirty jokes and graphics from my cellphone.
Priest: My child ... can we be textmates?

Anak: 'Nay, puede na ba akong magbra? Nay, kinse na po ako, puede na ba?
Ina : Hoy! Joselito! tigilan mo nga ako!!!!

Man: Doc, help me uminom ako ng baygon
Doc: Bakit, magsusuicide ka?
Man: Hindi. Nakalunok kasi ako ng buhay na ipis.
Doc: Tanga! Dapat kumain ka na lang ng tsinelas.

Anak: Dear Itay, padalhan mo ako ng pera kasi ang mga damit ko pinagkakain ng mga daga.
Itay: Dear Anak, wala akong pera. Kung gusto mo, meron dito pusa.

Isang babae bumili ng asukal. Inabot ng tindera, pero sabi ng babae,
"Miss, asin itong binigay mo sa akin."
Tindera: Hindi, asukal yan. Minarkahan lang naming "Asin" para hindi langgamin.

Ngongo dictionary:
CATTLE - dun nakatira ang printeta at printipe
MELT - yun ang sinusuot sa mewang
EFFORT - dun nag-la-land ang efflane
STATUE - ikaw ba yan?

ANAK: 'Tay, anong pagkakaiba ng Supper at Dinner?
ITAY: Anak, pagkumain tayo sa labas, Dinner 'yun. Pag dito tayo kakain ng luto ng Mommy mo Suffer yon!!

Maganda daw mapangasawa CANADIAN, kasi pwede mong sabihin:
Maglaba CANADIAN!
Magsaing CANADIAN!
Hubad CANADIAN!
Tuwad CANADIAN!
Ano, okay CANADIAN?

M'AM: Inday, sa susunod, ayokong pinakikialaman mo ang condom namin ng sir mo!
INDAY: M'am, hwag kayong magbibintang! Di kami sanay ni Sir gumamit niyan! Sobra kayo!

MRS: Lolokohin ko mister ko. Magpapanggap akong pick-up girl ako. Pagkita kay Mister: Hi Pogi! AVAILABLE ako ngayon....
MR: Ayoko sa yo!! Kamukha mo misis ko!!

TRAVEL NOTES FROM DEAN

My permanent room-mate Elena has organized a group of about 20 to tour mainland China, Hong Kong, and Tokyo for two weeks come October. We had this kind of tour back in 1984 with a different group of friends. Besides the two of us, the group will include our older daughter Nancy and her younger son Rex, our younger daughter Lulu and her husband, and her husband’s sister. As usual in the return trip, luggage will be heavier because of irrepressible impulse shopping round and round in Hong Kong stores by the women (yeah, men too!).

This itch for travel abroad started when we went to Mexico in 1976. It was as fascinating as first love. So, we followed it up with tours to the Orient in 1978, Western Europe four times in the 80’s and 90’s, and the Scandinavian countries in the 90’s. One reason for this frequent globe-trotting is the encouragement given up by our children. They told us not to think of leaving them our inheritance, and instead spend our money on travels. Another reason is we are getting old, and as the saying goes: “Make hay while the sun shines.” These travels have become what fairy tales are to a child. This reminds me of the opening lines of a Frank Sinatra son: “Fairy tales can come true, it may happen to you if you’re young at heart.”

Some relatives and friends ask us this nagging question: “Are you going back to the Philippines to spend the rest of your lives in old age?” Unhesitatingly, we reply with a resounding “NO!” When we left the Philippines to immigrate, we had already decided to make America our new home and be buried in American soil. We had burned the bridges behind us. We have bought burial plots in a beautiful cemetery about 12 minutes drive from our house. There is no iota of regrets for sticking it out here in the U.S. The reason? Not to deride the country where we were born, but in there we cannot have as much comforts of California lifestyle that we presently enjoy. California has a variety of geographical features: mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers, ocean, and deserts. Among the 50 states, California ranks first in population and third in area after Alaska and Texas. If California were a country, it would be the seventh richest in the world!

Los Angeles, 26 June 1998

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

"3" Steps. Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

1. *Ask the individual to SMILE.

2. *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

3. *Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. ... It is sunny out today)

If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call paramedics immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. After discovering that a group of non-medical volunteers could identify facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the general public to learn the three questions. They presented their conclusions at the American Stroke Association's annual meeting last February. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

BE A FRIEND AND SHARE THIS ARTICLE WITH AS MANY FRIENDS AS POSSIBLE, you could save their lives.