JOY CHRISTMAS: Our Twelve (12) Prayers & Worldly Wishes in 25 Words.

As we celebrate the joy Christmas, we will avoid to make it a cliche by just saying a simple, “we wish you a Merry Christmas” (and whatever spicy words to dress it up).  We want to be MORE specific in what we WISH for US and YOU this Christmas.  May this worldly wishes come through to you & from Tony, Sam & Myla (here at home in Norfolk, Virginia).  Using a random Christmas photos we took from our Facebook timeline here is the J.O.Y. C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S. wishes for you.

1. Job Excellence - material blessings we need by excelling in our job daily.
2. Outstanding Network - increase social connection on relationship with others.
3. Youthful Body -  stronger metabolism through healthy lifestyle & good habits.
4. Charismatic Presence - be influential and lead many people through our presence.
5. Happier Family -  keep family together away from sickness and more joy at home.
6. Radiant Spirit - show the light of God through our presence as role models of society.
7. Inspiring Thoughts - inspire others through our words in writing and speaking our minds.
8. Superb Thinking (make our minds alert, focus & always make the right decisions.
9. Talents Used - focus use our skills and talents to benefit others, ourselves & the society.
10. More Blessings - material & spiritual gifts that we may use and share as needed.
11. Active Network - that we may not live on our own sharing our blessing around others.
12. Serious Christ Relationship - strengthen our relationship with our Savior by developing our habits on quiet time, prayer, relationship with other people  and more reading of His words.

10 Things we Liked So Far and 10 Things we are Missing (California) after 10 Days in a New Place (Virginia)

After over 3,000 miles of road trip from the west coast to the east, it is time to evaluate what we have Learned, Loathe, Love here in Norfolk so far and so good.

Loathe about Norfolk

1.       Traffic – never in my entire Navy life I have to drive within traffic during rush hours since my yuppie days in Manila.

2.       Temptations – living near the city gives us access to many shops and other temptations.

3.       Temperature – not as cold as Chicago or Connecticut (where we lived in Gales Ferrry, CT for 3 years), we finally have to use our thick jackets now (again).

4.       Tree’s Dead Leaf – back to raking on falls.

5.       Tons of Navy & Military people –most likely we will bump to someone who is in the military at Chili’s or Lowe’s still asking for military discounts.

6.       Take Three – this is our third move as a couple and we hated every unpacking and possibly packing again in three years.

7.       Trapped – we live inside the NATO / Joint Forces / Staff Base where about almost Admiral’s headquarters sits and so security is very difficult to go inside the base.  No more Pizza delivery and if ever we invited a guest to our home, we will need their birth date and social security to get them a base pass.

8.       Tarnished – yes, being in a city have pros but being dirty is one of those cons.

9.       Total Chaos – well besides the traffic, we expect the roads and downtown to be full of unsightly population unlike those places we lived in Port Hueneme, Groton or Lemoore.

10.   Taped – there is at least 3 red tapes we encountered so far.  One is to get a visitor into our base housing – must have their birthday and social security (so much for hosting a party).  Another big example is the required age to use the Base gym basketball court.  Since Sam was not even 2, I have taken him to Port Hueneme, Groton and Lemoore base gym to play basketball and this biggest Navy base in the world with the biggest gym only allows 10 years or older and here our housing at Joint Forces must be 14 years old.  Sam suddenly wishes “I wish we’re back in California” just to use the gym for our usual bonding.

Time will tell - being here for only 2 weeks won’t really tell us if this is going to be our final place to live as Navy or Retiree.  The anxiety of not knowing where our future here makes us loathe it.  Norfolk is a diverse community but not as diverse in most towns in California which is predominantly Filipino and Mexicans but still balance with other cultures, not as balance here in Norfolk which is dominated by only few cultures. 

Love about Norfolk, Virginia

1.       Convenience – few miles to everywhere we need to go.

2.       City Life – finally get to live in the city again - being both of us growing up in Manila.

3.       Character – not a boring moment.  Most buildings are old but it has a true character.

4.       Cafes – plenty of places to eat, hangout and explore.

5.       Cheap Deals – all the shops you can think of including the best deals.

6.       Casual lifestyle – no one cares if what you would do or wear, being in a city.

7.       Children’s Education – we picked this place primarily for Sam’s future education if ever we decide to live off base and find my next civilian job here in Norfolk.  It’s consistently better in children’s public education compared to most states in the West Coast.

8.       Church –we’ve been to 2 churches (ICC and Upward) so far and we both liked it and almost like our old South Valley Church in Lemoore:  contemporary music, very progressive, diverse and cool people.

9.       Community –We feel some of the southern hospitality here in southern part of the East Coast compared to folks back in the Northeast to be slightly friendlier.

10.   College – easy access to pursue Myla’s and myself on college on an actual campus and who knows for Sam’s future education as well.

Learned from our Trip from California to Virginia

1.       To explore your options.

2.       Connect with other people even from those 3,000 miles away – you never know if you will connect with them somehow – again.

3.       Plan your trip but be open to changes.

4.       Listen to your friends’ advice but pray about it.

5.       No matter where you go, it is not the community that can affect you, it’s you who can affect the community and only you who can control this.

TO BE CONTINUED.

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Happy Thanks & Giving: Just Four (4) from so Many of What we are Thankful For

We missed the usual Thanksgiving dinner tradition but we are so thankful for the last 2 dinners & visit & welcome from our old & new friends & family in Norfolk Virginia (you know who you are).  Just to get into the tradition without the bird & the ball, here are 4 things in general that me and my family are thankful for:

1.       Faith – Christ in our life is the air & blood that keeps us going through good times and bad.  Thank you my Father for your forgiveness and saving us.

2.       Family – God does not bless people with things but with His love – in our ups and downs and we see that in having a true loving family.  No matter how we celebrate a holiday as long as we are together with my son Sam & my wife Myla – we feel the blessings.  We are also thankful to our family in Christ who loves us not as much as Christ loved us but enough to know that Christ is within and among us.  Thank you.

3.       Friends – from acquaintances to true friends – you know who you are – we will not mention names but these are the ones who open their home (from Lemoore California to Norfolk Virginia) for us on times of celebration and in times of depression.  Thank you.

4.       Facebook – what I meant is technology.  Thanks for this avenue of connection; we can share the good and the bad in any distance.  Thank you Facebook friends.

12 Tips and Things to Take when Traveling (On a Road Trip)

We always look forward at least once a month to see the beauty of America.  Who needs to get out the country when the United States itself is a cross cultural & cross historical on it's own.  I am so glad that I did not take that overseas duty when Sam is growing up because in this way we get to see the "world" by visiting each states at least in my every 4 years of rotation while I am in the Navy.  Living in 12 years in California as single from 1993-2005 (after almost 3 years in Japan) cannot equal the number of places we visited when we moved back to California from Connecticut and live there from 2008-2012.  We probably have visited at least 75 different places around California alone in 4 years vs probably 25 when I moved there as single.  It is because we appreciate what God gave us:  a playground.

Here are 12 things I learned I should take with me when traveling:

1.  Save time:  Don't take your vacation leave just to see another state, 2 days in a weekend should be enough time to explore one of the National Parks or cities near you and if there is a 3 day weekend go even further.  Plan.

2.  Use the technology:  We have come along away and some of the most useful applications I have used are:
- Kayak:  To search for the best price in hotels and plane tickets. (Phone apps available)
- AAA Trip Tik:  Gets you routed smartly on your destination and checks the nearest attractions, lodging and military installation.
- AAA Membership:  $85/year is really worth it even if you have this car services in your insurance.  We canceled the services offered by AAA on our USAA Car Policy such as towing and rental.  We get free unlimited guidebook, travel services, discount card using our AAA Discount card.
- Grocery Membership: Some membership on SAM's Club or BJs to get your discounted gas (slightly cheaper), we get ours in COSTCO.
- Trip Advisor:  Get this application on your phone to download the top 5 attractions in the area.
- Yelp:  Find the best place to eat.
- Weather.com: Get the right outfit and transportation.
- Oh Ranger - the National park phone applications gives you direction.


You can search all them on Google.com to go the the website.

3.  Investigate the Place:  Don't just visit a place because one person told you it's a must see.  I use the book 1,000 Places to Visit Before you Die (World and USA edition) to see if the place is worth the visit.  I also frequently use Trip Advisor to get the unbiased reviews on the places we are planning on visiting.

4. Get the camera:  It is not just to document the place you have been and remember the finest moments you have together as a family but to share the beauty of the places around the world and realized that those places you never appreciate comes to life and you become appreciative of everything around you by looking on it at a different perspective:  in a photograph.

5.  Laptop & Other Gadgets:  You would say, what is the use of vacation when you bring your house with you.  I bring at least the following to save my memories (pun intended) and explore the place around me:
- Extension Cord:  to plug and recharge all your gadget.
- Laptop with WiFi - to get the latest information.
- Camera with extra battery & SD Card.
- Cooler box:  to store your leftovers and cool your drinks.
- Emergency and medicine kit.

6.  Lodging (Military):  if you are in the military, take advantage of staying on Air Force Inn or Gateway Inn.  They are not the typical barracks anymore.  You can get an apartment hotel for a low as $45 and only $10/day additional if you have a pet.    Plus the convenience of near the Exchange, commissary, galley, cheap gas and other services.

7.  Lodging (Off Base):  We have used Hotel.com and if we have a definite plan use Hotwire (cheapest but non-refundable).  This time we have used La Quinta Inn and get us a pet friendly room and free hot breakfast.  Get those hotel rewards membership to accumulate points - thats how we got some free stay and other goodies.

8.  Share the Experience:  What is the point of traveling if you just keep it to yourself.  Show them and encourage them to travel.  It is not bragging or some would think as flaunting.  Thanks to social media Facebook, we can update the family and tell everyone to get out of the couch and see the world.

9.  Budget:  Save up enough money and use them as soon as you find a good deal.  Use applications like Groupon to find deals and Mint.com to place a budget.  You don't need to stay on a 5 star or resort hotel - most of them don't have the real convenience of WiFi or Microwave or even refrigerator.  Plus you don't go to a place to stay in your room all day anyway.  A $65 La Quinta in Shreveport Louisiana was a steal versus a Ramada for $100.  Do your homework, Bed & Breakfast motels sometimes are the best deal but not all cheap hotels are worth it either.  Check out the regular price and if the 5 star hotel is 75% off then take it.  It won't hurt to splurge once in a while.

10.  Talk to Locals:  Don't ask the concierge of the hotel, visit the local community like church (we love attending church services of locals), grocery attendant and other locals to give you the unbiased ideas on what to see at the moment.

11.  GPS:  use it smartly.  We constantly use the "current route" mode to see the attractions in the area (never use near are because it may take you back to where you already passed)  then verify them on Trip Advisor or Yelp if it's worth the trip.

12.  Use your discount card:  We have both AAA and our military card to get the best deals on museum, restaurants and parks. 


Of course there are more than 12 tips but for now, we just want to share to you how we are doing in our current road trip we started in November 1 (now 9) and so far we explore the best of Las Vegas, New Mexico, Tucson, Dallas and now Shreveport (we thought New Orleans was the #1 city to visit, it was Shreveport) and have not even used any of my vacation time because we were authorized to travel 12 days to my final duty station:  Virginia.

 Read the BONUS tips below on "What you DON'T Need"

 Bonus tips:  What you don't need when to have a great vacation:


1.  RV:  I think would be the worst investment.  You are stuck maintaining this oversize vehicle and having to worry about the storage, parking and monthly expense.

2.  Time Share: Another waste of money and worst investment.  Have you realized why those time share Realtors are so aggressive in selling this kind of properties - get a clue.  I know some just got sucked into this because of the free 4 day stay in Marriott or ticket to a concert just to attend a Time Share presentation - be wary - we got out of it but got a free Lion's King Broadway show.

3.  A Vacation Leave:  You don't need to postpone a vacation because of time constraint, if you have 2 days that should be enough to explore the world outside your house or computer.

4.  A Large Sum:  You should save money for a rainy day but you don't need more than $100 to see Yosemite National or Sea World (both free to military).  Go to local grocery, buy a meat and grill them in the park.

5.  A Plane Ticket:  of course you need them out of continental US but there is also MAC Flight or Space "A" that we took advantage when we went to Hawaii almost 2 years ago.  You and your family just need the motivation and love for travel to get you started.

6. Overrated Adventure or Team Park:  We have visited both Disneyworld and Disneyland but those annual pass is really not worth it even if you plan on visiting them twice again or they say you get free upgrades because if you do, then you are focus on just revisiting them and spend at least 2 hours just lining up for a 30 second roller coaster ride.  Visit once, then visit something else.

7.  Tourist Guide Book:  Don't use them or those coupons - they are lure to tourist traps.  Use them just to guide you on what is going on in the area.  Always go to real people's review like Yelp or Trip Advisor and sometimes AAA Guide or Fodors Travel book.

15 Things We Will Miss Living in Lemoore & California

We have about 15 more days before we make our final farewell to California for a long time before we return.  The beauty or beast of my job in the Navy is to move around and meet new people, places & pleasures.   The biggest and most important thing we will really miss are the people around us during the entire 4 years we were here (even on my deployments & helping Myla and Sam in my absence) but we cannot mention them all.   We have about 15 THINGS we are so THANKFUL for in our 48 months (minus my deployments & underway) of living in Lemoore.  These are just the few that we can think of right now:  The 15 People, Places and Pleasures we will miss in the Valley.

1.  South Valley Christian Church

The best church from coast to coast.  All the pastors were on top of their game and the community have kept us focus in service to the community and God through worship and networking.  We love you and we will miss the Vacation Bible Adventure, Praise Team and our weekly sermons from pastor Jeff.

2.  Neutra Elementary School
From kindergarten to grade 3, from Spelling Bee winner to Top 3 student, he develop himself into a true academic and team player at the very young age.  We are so lucky to get him in one of the best school in California.


3.  Navy Base Housing Convenience
After 18 years in the Navy we took the hook of staying in Navy Housing and it was an amazing 4 years of convenience.  The hospital, mini-mart, Fleet and Family, McDo, Parks, Pools, Spuds and all conveniences are all walking distance from our home.

4.  Pacquaio Party with the Amores & Other Pinoy Parties & Pinoy Turo-Turo
From San Diego to Port Hueneme to Hanford - there is always pinoys everywhere in California.  From Jolibee in Bay Area to Seafood City in San Diego to Zeny's of Lemoore.  We will miss my kalahi, katropa and kabayans. If you want to blend in, California is the place to be.


5.  Utilities
There is no doubt we save a lot of money, time and stress from the hassles of being a homeowner for once.  We should have tried this before but it was an experience and eventually we have to face reality that we have to be on our own so we will not be spoiled again by living in housing again, but it was a great experience.

6.  Yosemite and Sequoia National Park
Many knows we love to travel and our favorite is going through God's playground:  the beach, the mountains, the lake and parks.  Two of the best National Park we have been through from coast to coast is the Yosemite and Sequoia and we are so lucky to be in the central valley for 4 years and an annual park card holder - it's worth the trip.


7.  "Shoveling the Snow - Free" Winter
Yeah, everyone in the upper East Coast can relate to what we've been through when we were in Connecticut for few years, we did not miss the shoveling in our front yard but we never really hated the snow.  We did miss the white Christmas but we will surely miss checking in at the beach motel in Point Mugu on Christmas in California.

8.  Mortgage and Maintenance Free Navy Housing
Living in military housing was a benefit not many appreciates specially those who are already in the military.  We enjoyed it after 20 years in the Navy, the last 4 years was the only time we live in housing and we enjoyed the convenience of not worrying about home owners, maintenance and other hassles of owning a house.

9.  Sam's Daily Sports
Basketball, Baseball, Swimming, Football, Soccer - those sports that Sam enjoyed, developed and excel in the last 4 years help him stay out of video games and kept him alert and strong and prepare him for bigger discipline later.  The coaches were great and attending every single one of them was really a pleasure (well not really on the hot summer above 90s).  He also excel in playing Tennis, Walleyball with us and he is great in Karate as well.  The Navy base have great and active program sports for Sam and we will miss it.

10.  *** Friends and Neighbors ***
I will not mention every single names but you know who you are.  The meetings and parties were truly memorable and when we need a quick sitter for Sam, you are always there for us. 

11.  Business Contacts
Finally, Myla can say that we actually had more business profits here in Lemoore versus Connecticut in our MVOSS Creation printing business.  Although we may lose some of the clients due to our move, we develop our contacts and business skills from team sports shirts and retirement souvenirs and church uniform and special promotional products.  What a great time for business.

12.  Small Town Community 
It was shocking at first for us who grow up in the city and living in a suburbs for awhile in Ventura and New England when we first move to Lemoore whose mall is basically Kmart unless you drive further to Hanford.  The cattle of cows & goats, garlic and cotton field in all our drives daily from work to home was a sight we may miss when we move back to the city.   

13.  Day trips to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, Santa Barbara, Silicon Valley
Some of the most sophisticated city (next to our ultimate favorite Chicago and NYC) are a pleasure to visit and a sure treat for us "city people".  We will miss the shops, the museums, the concerts and other crowds unique to cool California.

14.  Weekend trips to San Diego, Las Vegas & Friends in Ventura County
Point Mugu is home with all my friends and my mom and never get tired of seeing some of the best people in our life.  We have some of the most memorable moments in San Diego where 2 of my last squadron deploys onboard Lincoln and Nimitz.  San Diego coast, Kona Kai Hotel, Balboa Park, Zoo, Legoland and SeaWorld are just some of Sam's favorite parks and Myla's getaways.

15.  Monthly road trips to Pacific Coast Highway
Morro, Pismo, Laguna, Huntington, Avila, Santa Barbara and all the beautiful beaches in PCH - cold but Sam can tolerate them even without the wet suits

But don't be sad our Lemoore and California friends, there is always this blog and Facebook to get us connected.  I am pretty sure that stocks for Facebook is still viable and will last for another 5 years to be a means to get connected.  Get those Androids and iPhones in your hand everyday and you will be with us everyday unless you're not on 4G LTE or have a strong WiFi.