It was a great sight to see.   My friend Gilbert was hugging his son Marc, both in tears, and all of us standing behind also couldn’t hold our tears from escaping our eyes.      

Marc successfully graduated from United States Navy recruit training at RTC Great Lakes on the 29^th of May.  His younger brother Glynn graduated about a month ahead on the 24^th of April.  Finally and after 26 years, I am very happy to see that my friend Gilbert fulfilled his dream of being in the US Navy, indirectly, through his children.    

If you have been following this story, I mentioned on my blogs “Just an introduction” and “The Oath”  what happened over 26 years ago.  Both Gilbert and I went to take the US Navy advancement examination.  Both of us passed the test and interview.  However, due to minor administrative circumstance, I was sent home before the contract signing period.  My head down and all disgusted, I thought I had lost  all the opportunity. In a cut-throat and low percentage enlistment selection process in the Philippines, if you snooze you loose.  Fortunately, Gilbert was there, volunteered to inform me to return the next day to complete my processing.  I really appreciated Gilbert’s perseverance and big heart to help a fraternal brother.  Sadly, it was until I left for boot camp that I found out about Gilbert not able to leave for recruit training due to medical reasons.     

Wow! Twenty-six years to hear a prayer.  God really knows how to write a story line.       

For Marc and Glynn, you fulfill your Dad’s broken dream.   Make your parents proud.  Excel in your fields.  Write your own stories and create your history.  I was so honored to enlist you both in the US Navy and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Fair winds and following seas…

I must thank Southwest Regional Maintenance Center for the quickest turn-around to get the Mayor’s retirement paperwork ready in less than 12 hours. Over 40 people attended his retirement, many from SWRMC whom he worked with and trained to be Ship Superintendents and become better Port Engineers, many from his past, both family and friends. There was not a dry eye in the crowd. One could see the swelling of emotion in the Mayor’s face. He chose not to take his morphine drip pain killer so he can be fully aware and savor each minute of his retirement. As the ceremony came to a close, ENCS(SW) Cervantes stood up as tears fell from his face, placed his hand over his heart as he faced each section of the crowd and then extended both his arms forward in a speechless act of gratitude and love. He did this several times and was filled with joy and happiness!Last Saturday, Ramon talked to his wife, Crispina after dancing with the local parish priest and said, “Mahal, I am tired and I am ready.” (”Mahal” is the Filipino term of endearment for, “Love.”) Those were his last words.

Master Chief Jaime Velasquez, MRCM(SW/AW) retired, also another alumni from SWRMC and I visited Mayor last night. He was resting peacefully on his bed, breathing heavy, his eyes closed but keenly aware of his surroundings. We played the video from his retirement, he could not open his eyes but garnered all his strength to faintly smile and gave the thumbs up with his right hand. Masterchief Velasquez and I hugged him as he laid peacefully on his bed. We left his home, and knew in our hearts that this may be our last time together.

It is with great sadness that our friend and fellow veteran, ENCS(SW) Ramon “Mayor” Cervantes passed away in his sleep early this morning.

Our prayers and deepest sympathy are bestowed upon our friend, mentor and veteran. Rest in peace, ENCS(SW) Ramon “Mayor” Cervantes. You are in a better place. We love you!

It has been a while since my last post.  I have no excuses and with the economic turmoil, I was looking for a great topic to write….I was searching for something that everybody else could make use of….however, I am still on the look out since I have no proven nor successful story to share…especially about the housing crunch- a big transition to everyone affected. 

Anyway, let me just share you one of my recent experience… not related to the economic situation nor the housing crisis… but something more up close and personal… 

I just came back from a three week exercise in Korea this month.  I volunteered for this duty since it would be a great opportunity to have a short experience of joint training and individual augmentation tour.  Much more, I volunteered because it is in Korea. 

Let me give you a quick snapshot of my experience: 

Our augmentation instructions stated that we will be serving in field conditions, i.e. living in tents and eating field rations.  I was originally assigned to go to Daegu enclave, however I received a change notification one week prior to my trip assigning me to a camp in the heart of Seoul….Yongsan Garrison. So I was hoping and had a positive feeling that I may be out of the field condition situation. Travel time to Incheon airport took a total of 17 hours that included a stop over in San Francisco, another three hours of in-processing time and travel time to the Yongsan Garrison to get me into my berthing assignment.  Throughout this time I was hoping for a much better accommodation.  It was cold, still feeling aweful since I caught the flu the weekend before this trip, and it was really late in the evening in Seoul.   I was assigned to berth in “The Tent City.”   

There were several tents put up in the heart of Yongsan Garrison smacked in the heart of Seoul. There were about 15 porta potties in the end of one row of tents and a shower facility with about seven working stalls, all to serve maybe close to 400 or so augmentees.  WOW!  I was still hacking, coughing, sneezing, and with high fever that evening.  I checked in the Emergency Room to get antibiotics before tucking in to my new place of abode for the next three weeks. 

Heck!  Why am I complaining?  I volunteered for this and I have been in a much worse situation before.  I know that I can easily adjust, and most of all… it is only for three weeks.   

I waited till the morning to see the complete lay of the land. 

The promise stipulated in our reporting instruction was delivered: field conditions, possibly living in tents.  I am stuck! 

But I have no reason to bitch.  This condition is far better from the conditions my brothers in service are dealing with while serving tours in Iraq and Afganistan with bullets “zinging”, bombs detonating, mortars exploding, etc. etc.  

For all of those in service and most especially in harms way, “I Salute You” and may you all be safe and be back to your family soon. 

I have no reason to bitch since there are so many poor people living in shanties in several third world countries with no porta potties to use, no water to drink and shower with, and they are living these conditions everyday.   I have no reason to bitch. 

As I go through the exercise, I had plenty of time to think… to reflect.  It is inherent for all of us to complain.  It is also our nature to forget.  The lap of luxury takes us a notch up and away from our previous experiences thinking that we never have to go through them again.  However, life is a cycle.  One way or the other, each of us may have to relive our past experiences.  Going through these experiences over and over makes each of us better and much improved each time. 

This three weeks stint in Korea gave me an experience to remember.  I met great people from various walks of life.  I developed new friendships.  I gained joint military experience and learned a lot about how field exercises work.  Of course the shopping and tours that we went to, at every opportunity we could get, added more depth to the experience. 

I could say that my “Tent City” experience was rated 4-star!

 As for all the young one’s out there in cyber space, have you ever thought that you are living in the wrong place. Did you ever had the feeling that the city or town you’re living in has held you back. I had that thought and feeling while I was growing up in a city called Olongapo in the Philippines.

 The city I grew up in was a little progressive than most towns or villages in the Philippines but while I was there, I thought it was backwards compared to Metro Manila. Coming from a family that was migrant to Olongapo, I often dreamed of the day I can actually leave. Although the city wasn’t bad, it was the culture that I had a hard time dealing. Most of my mother’s family were in Manila at that time and my roots were deeply planted there.

 The problem I think for Olongapo at that time was the city was trying to cater too much to the American Servicemen who were stationed at Subic Naval Base. The music the youth listened, the clothes we wore as well as the food served at the countless bars and restaurants were for the American taste.

 Here I was, who enjoys listening to jazz, wearing finely crafted leather shoes and plays football (soccer) , was like an alien in my own city. I can’t find a classy restaurant that serves traditional filipino or european cuisine. Fine dining with wine was an oddity. It was the beer and pizza crowd that crowds the numerous nightspots. As for my sports, forget it, not a single soccer team nor field in the whole city.

 The High School I went to didn’t even have an athletic team for it’s students to support. We didn’t have a prom instead we had to settle for a field trip to the big city. You are probably wondering how I survived.  There was one thing that was great about that place, the people. I found some great friends that helped ease the inconvinience I was suffering.

 I guess the most important part in living anywhere are the people you share those days with. Family, friends and relationships are what’s important and everything else is irrelevant. Take it from someone who lived 18 years of his life in a place he hated, the people carried me through and made my stay a memorable one.

 So if you are troubled with your hometown, remember that it’s just as good as what you make out of it. Get out and enjoy the people and things will get better, I can assure you that.

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What a day! 23Jul2008 was indeed a day to remember. 

It is my distinct pleasure and great honor to enlist in the United States Navy: Marc Gil Lipumano Baltazar (21 yo) and Glynn Reich Lipumano Baltazar (17 yo).  Marc and Glynn are the sons of my fraternal brother in DeMolay, Gilbert “Fred” Baltazar,  and batchmate in Saint Joseph’s High School Olongapo City, Melinda Lipumano-Baltazar.  Marc signed up for five years, will go to recruit training in April 2009, and will attend Storekeeper “A” School right after bootcamp.  Glynn signed up for four years, will go to recruit training in March 2009, and will attend Ship’s Serviceman “A” School right after bootcamp.  I wish both Marc and Glynn the best.  ”Fair Winds and Following Seas.” 

Video: Taking the Oath of Enlistment

Now let me take you back 25 years….

I,_________,do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

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What a week!  I just attended the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) 23^rd Annual Congressional Seminar and National Leadership Training Conference and Exhibits held in Brooklyn, NY.  It was a very enlightening experience.  During this week I had the opportunity to meet a lot of people, started networking with various Federal Agencies, and found more opportunities for all.  I wish everyone was afforded the same opportunity and was able to attend. 

 All I could say was WOW!  I could not believe that I was in the presence of a number of outstanding Asian Pacific Americans (APA).  I was able to meet in person The Honorable David S. C. Chu Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness), General Peterson of the USA, MG James Mukoyam (ret.) of the USA, RADM Harry B. Harris of the USN, Brig Gen Jim Chow of the Air National Guard, Brig Gen Robert Chu of the USAF, Capt Myles Esmele of the USN, Capt Ken Barrett Head of the Navy Diversity Directorate, Grant Ichikawa a WW II Veteran, Joseph Hudson a Iraq POW, and many more outstanding citizens of Asian Pacific American descent who are proudly serving our country.  They just have infused more energy in me so I can do more for our country and also continue helping and mentoring in the APA community. 

A highlight of my week was the opportunity to talk in length with Joseph Hudson- a Filipino-American Veteran and Iraq POW.  I am so proud of Joseph and was humbled to hear about his experiences.  It was a great honor to meet him.  I am hoping that Joseph Hudson will take the time to write about his story here in GoodBro.com. 

 I was so amazed and frankly it was quite an educational experience to learn and understand the different functions of the various agencies in the Federal Government.  Having been in the military service for more than 24 years, all I have known mostly is about Department of the Defense and the United States Navy.  Serving the country to me is serving in uniform.  Unknown to all of us, there are a number of civilian personnel also serving our country through Federal Service.  Are you all familiar with the Department of Justice, Labor and Employment, Education, Transportation, Energy, Agriculture, Treasury, State,  Homeland Security, National Security Agency, Internal Revenue Service, NASA, Veteran Affairs, Health and Human Services, Defense, and many more? There are just so many Federal Agencies out there.  Just think of any personal service you receive from the government and a corresponding Federal Agency is providing that service.  Are you aware of the jobs you can apply for in these agencies?  Are you interested to serve your country?  Each agency has different job requirements, but I would say that there are only two very basic qualification requirements from job applicants: must be a US citizen and willingness to serve the country.  Click the links above to get more employment specifics for each agency.  Furthermore, take a look at the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government website to find out more of the other federal agencies where you can serve.

SO, did I bring up your interest to serve in the Federal Government? USAJOBS, the government’s official job web site provides access to more than 30,000 job listings daily as well as applications, forms, and employment fact sheets.  Job postings are updated daily and are available to job seekers in a variety of formats to ensure accessibility for those with differing physical and technological capabilities.  You can search for jobs by location, job category, and agency.  Use the “Jobs in Demand” feature to identify positions that agencies are trying to fill quickly.  These listings link directly to the announcements, which allow you to complete and submit your application directly to the agency online.

There are vast opportunities in Federal Government and there are no boundaries – an equal opportunity employer.  A huge wave of baby boomers will be retiring in the next 10 years that will leave a void that can suck all of us in at anytime especially if we start knocking the doors NOW.  This means numerous employment opportunities for all of us.  Additionally, the Federal Government is also hiring the younger generation into federal service. There are vast opportunities for student interns and even the young professionals to serve.  Why not!  Our young folks will continue the Federal Service legacy in the years to come.  Check out Studentjobs.gov to get more information about the employment opportunities for students within the Federal Government. 

As an Asian Pacific American, I am so honored to be able to attend the FAPAC Congressional Seminar.  It was a very gratifying and timely experience indeed.  Now I am eyeing on various job openings in several Federal Agencies after I retire from military service.  I encourage my fellow APAs to attend the next year’s FAPAC Leadership Seminar to be held in Houston, TX.   Most of all, I encourage everyone to get involved with these type of organizations and attend any leadership conferences to open up more opportunities not just to yourself but also to other people as well.  Good luck to all of us! 

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San Diego, CA (June 7, 2008).  A 19-year-old driver was killed in a rollover crash on Interstate 15 in Miramar early Saturday, authorities said.   Romnick Menta, of San Diego, was driving his father’s Lexus southbound on the freeway at a high rate of speed when he lost control as he exited onto Miramar Way, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office. The car rolled and crashed into a light pole.   Menta, a student, died at the scene about 2:20 a.m., the Medical Examiner’s Office said.

I was informed about this tragic accident around 0840 Saturday morning 06/07/08, when cousin Flora called me to say that they were all in her elder brother Mario’s house.   She mentioned about a fatal accident involving Romnick, Mario’s youngest son.  “What???” was all I could muster to say.  I was so shaken I did not bother to ask for the details. I just told her we would be coming over.   I hang up the phone, still in complete shock.

I hurriedly informed my wife, and we walked towards our kids bedrooms.  Our 20 year old son, JP,  grew up with Romnick.  They were baby sat together by our uncle during their early years.   We woke him up. With tears rushing down our cheeks, we informed him about the accident. We then proceeded to the adjacent bedroom and woke up our younger daughter Janine to tell her the sad news.  Our kids were terribly saddened. They sat on their beds with disbelief, staring at the ceiling.  We told them to get ready so we could join the rest of the family.

What a heart breaking, life-changing TRAGEDY! We could not imagine how Myrna and Mario would take this. We learned that Mario just left for Spain the day before and was still in the air when the accident happened.

This is absolutely every parent’s worst nightmare. I am sure that the sight of a Peace Officer on the porch in the wee hours of the morning, would make our knees tremble without even hearing what he had to say. It is something each of us would not be ready to face ever.

For those of us who have kids, especially teenagers, we pray night after night for their safe travel and return. Unlike when they were younger, they stayed home most of the time, and patiently await Dad and Mom to come back from work every night. However, as they grow up and start flapping their own wings, they become more independent and tend to take more risks, thinking they were invincible.  I am sure we parents never miss a beat to advise them how to make responsible decisions in life.

Romnick was a sweet, caring and fun-loving adolescent.  He was a very good son, brother, and friend.  He had plenty of friends. They were all grieving and upset.  I could not express in words the pain and suffering us all went through.  I would not be able to decipher how his parents would go through life without him… how much their hearts were torn apart.

Why did this happen? Was he drunk?  Was he on the cell phone while driving at excessive speed?  What is the point of this accident? Why Romnick?  And more unanswered questions…  As we laid Romnick into his final resting place, I can’t help to think what this tragedy has to offer.  I am sure with Romnick’s wonderful life would leave us all a very powerful message.

Listen! All of you out there!  Would you wait until it really came close to your heart?  Would you take action now or wait until it is too late?

To all parents:  * Show your love and care every time.   * Never cease to remind and provide guidance to your children.   * Know their friends.  Love and care for their friends as well.   * Know the differences between being supportive, being protective, and giving it all.  Know how to make the balance.    

To all children (especially teens):  * Listen to your parents.    * Yap! Life is too short, but do not be stupid to live your life like there’s no tomorrow to make it much shorter.    * Make wise and responsible decisions.    * Status symbol is short lived.  It’s not worth your life.    * It is OK to say NO and be different.  Learn not to succumb to peer pressure.    * Laws are there to protect, not to make things harder.   

To us all:   * Use peer pressure positively.   * NO means NO.  Support each other.   * Experience life, but be wise and smart in your decisions.    * You are responsible to yourself and the friends around you.   * In a gathering, someone should always be assigned as a watchdog for safety and clean fun.  

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It was 8:00 one gloomy rainy morning in March. I just drove out of my driveway in Chula Vista.  Unlike my typical Monday mornings, I felt terribly stressed before this day even started. I failed to set my alarm to get ready for an 8:30 interview with the VP of a local biotech company. This was for a job I was eyeing for months. Traffic was moving slowly, and I was sure it would take an angel and miracle for me to be in Sorrento Valley on time.

During the drive, I got a call from my Mom reminding me of this interview. “Yes, Mom! I am on my way”. Then, I started trying to call the company to tell them I was running late. Yeah, good first impression to a VP, huh!. I dialed, and dialed, and kept trying but somehow I couldn’t get through. Several times, I almost struck somebody’s car.  

I was approaching Sorrento Valley at around 8:25, still hoping to make it. I convinced myself that IF I am late 10 minutes max that it wouldn’t be such a big deal. Yes, it was a big IF. I arrived for my interview at exactly 9:00. Why???? Thanks for this f—ng Hyundai driving in front of me at 10 miles/hr, driver talking in cell phone traveling in TRALALA land. The VP cancelled the interview. AAAAghhh!

Aside from my irresponsibility, I blamed it all on “Celling and Driving”. Although the advent of cellular phones have made life easier  and has become a necessity for many, cell phones also have created problems causing traffic accidents, and creating a form of nuisance to others.  As always, with innovation come great things with some negative effects.  “Celling and Driving” is like drinking and driving. This phenomenon is as deadly.  Statistics can very well attest this theory.    That is why the government promulgated some laws to help prevent or minimize traffic accidents.  The cellular phone law goes into effect July 1, 2008.

This is a change! A transition to how we normally do “Celling and Driving.” Attached is DL2007-53 “Cellular Phone Q & A” I downloaded from the DMV website.

 Cellular Phone Questions and Answers

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This is a story of my ongoing battle with a rare illness called Trigeminal Neuralgia. Through all the agonizing pain, i have learned to appreciate every minute that i feel better, and make each and every second worthwhile.

Having this illness has made me learn to categorize my days; from Diamond Days to Golden Days to Sucky Days to Zombie Days. My Diamond Days obviously is the best. I can smile widely, chomp food with gusto, drink from bottled water, talk a mile a minute, and laugh heartily. A zombie day is when I have more than 5 attacks a day and I cannot move an inch or I’ll risk another painful episode. This is when I’m an emotional mess and just whimper and cry my pain away. But one thing I realized is how to really appreciate my diamond days. We always tend to take for granted the small things. But now whenever I am able to smile, I say a small prayer and thank God for giving me the ability to show how I feel. I savor the laughter shared with Mikee & Kami (my toddler nieces). I relish each bite when I eat, and I take pleasure every moment with my significant other. I bask in happiness whenever I can brush my hair and wash my face thoroughly, knowing that there will be days that I cannot do them without the fear of bouts of pain.

Today is not a very good day. It is way beyond a zombie day. Earlier, my episode lasted for almost 45 minutes. That was a first. Usually it just takes 15 seconds of agony, and I cannot believe how I was able to make it after almost an hour of pain. It was like a drum session; there are slow beats and fast beats, hard hits and soft hits. I’ve already recited a set of rosary, prayed the Prayer for the Sick countless of times, imagined myself where I want to be, like sunbathing in Boracay with Jonah’s Mango Milkshake in hand, finally getting my own apartment here in US and arranging the interiors, getting another apartment in the middle of Makati, traveling by train all over Europe. I felt like a hundred movies had already played in my mind but the drum session is still not over. I cannot even figure how it hurts to even blink! And the feeling of a single tear rolling on my cheek makes the pain worse.

My mom found me while I was at the peak of the attack. She gave me tissue to wipe my tears but I used it to cover my face so she won’t see how bad I feel. It was actually pretty funny, because no matter how I try to hide my face, she will just find another angle where she can watch me. I mean, c’mon Mom, I would like to suffer in dignity! That was the first time she really saw how I am during an attack. I have always managed to hide whenever I felt an episode is coming.

I hope tomorrow is a better day. I have come to accept that my bed is my best friend. For now.

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    It was a dark & rainy Thursday morning 6.21.07 and I have prepared myself to drive to the corporate office (30 miles from my company location) to attend the Mentor Program Kick-off Celebration.  I hate to admit this ‘coz it’s kinda odd & funny but, it was my 1st time to drive alone on a freeway.  Just passed the driving test a couple of weeks ago.  I’m usually spoiled by my passengers who are always kind enough to read the highway signs & direct me to the right exit.  Plus, there had never been a need for me to use freeways on my daily course to work or my weekly route to shopping malls.  So I was excited & a bit restless but very optimistic I would reach my destination though, 1 slight wrong turn would lead me to another state. Uh-oh, should be real careful and alert this time..

    As I enter the ramp to the highway, my eyes could not believe the long line of bumper-to-bumper traffic caused by a 3-car accident.  Three lanes were shut down from the 5-lane Texas mile-wide freeway.  The result: A total disaster!   As soon as I got into my senses,  I was wishing to turn my wheels backwards.  Alas, I was already part of this misery.

    After turning a 5-min drive into a 30-min ride, I finally made it through the traffic bottleneck.  It was all smooth until the time of changing lanes and then of freeways.  I was coming from the outer most (right most) lane going to the inner most (left most) acceleration lane on a .8-mile distance.  Considering that I might end up in a different state on a single wrong turn, I drove aggressively.  There was actually 1 lady who honked at me b’coz of the way I switched lanes.  [Sorry missy, but I didn’t wanna miss my exit.]

    I was running 70 mph on a 60 mph speed limit freeway and to my surprise, I was at the rank of 3rd place –> to the LAST!  OMG, vehicles were flying on a wet road with an average rate of 90 mph.  They didn’t care whether it was raining or not.  It didn’t matter to them what kind of automobile they were using: may it be a sedan, SUV, or even a fully-loaded trailer.  For them, we were all there just sharing the same pathway to reach each individual’s destination on a specific period of time.

This whole thing is indeed a good learning & rewarding experience.   It gave me an absolutely wonderful feeling — some kind of fulfillment and a BIG SMILE.  As I relate it to life, FREEWAY symbolizes our quest here on earth.  Every now and then, we will encounter different kinds of drivers (people who have crossed our path).  Some may share the same pace (those who have touched our lives) and others who don’t (plain acquaintances).  But what matters the most is that:

1. We know the rules of driving (Moral principles of life)
2. We know our destination (What we want in life)
3. We should be cautious/defensive drivers (Careful & dignified)
4. Have fun driving (Appreciate & enjoy every minute of life)

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