When I had my military schooling in the US Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia, taking up the Infantry Officer Advance Course during the Winter-Spring Course (November 1983 to May 1984), it was my first time to buy and taste this Ice Cream. And every time I would visit and buy grocery at the Post Commissary Store, I would buy one pack which would last me for my next visit to the store every two weeks.
One Pack Of Klondike Ice Cream
Since then, every time I visit the United States for a vacation or run a marathon race or any running event, I always make the effort to buy one or two packs of this Ice Cream. It brings good memories during those 6-7 months stay in Fort Benning, Georgia.
I have yet to see this Ice Cream in our grocery stores in the Philippines. I hope I am wrong. If anybody knows where to buy this Ice Cream outside the United States, it would be a good news or information to share.
I was not asked by ANA if I am vaccinated or have tested negative on the Covid-19 Test before the flight while I was processed at the Departure Counter. This scenario is totally different from the time I travelled to the US in July 2021. I had to present my vaccination card, should be negative on the Covid-19 Test at least 72 hours before departure, bought a Covid-19 Insurance Policy to cover my medication expenses while abroad, and to register Online with the Immigration Office of California/USA about my trip. All of these were all gone and I guess, everything is coming back to normal just like those days before the Pandemic.
On my trip last July 2021, the first thing that I did was to have my Covid-19 vaccine a day after my arrival in Los Angeles, California. Even if I was vaccinated with Sinovac months earlier in the Philippines, my daughter advised me to have my Covid-19 shots in the US. So, I had my complete dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Los Angeles. My Vaccine Card was updated and the staff removed my Sinovac Vaccine as my first Covid-19 vaccine. Pfizer is considered as my first Covid-19 vaccine after all.
I had my booster shots with Pfizer in the Philippines last May 2022 but my 2nd booster shot did not materialize until the time I scheduled my latest trip to the US. I have it planned last November or December but I simply forgot all about it.
Now that I am here again in the US, my daughter brought me to the same Medical Center for my Bivalent Booster Covid-19 Vaccine.
Bivalent Booster Shots Boxes
I gave my Covid-19 Vaccine Card to the Medical Staff and she updated my record/file for a few minutes. She asked me to choose the Vaccine Brands available and I asked her the Moderna Bivalent Booster Vaccine which happens to be the latest Covid-19 Vaccine to be produced so far.
I can say the injection is more painful on the Moderna as compared to Pfizer. It has been a week after the vaccine but I can still feel a bit of pain from my left shoulder. Actually, the plaster or medical tape that covers the injection part is still on my shoulder. However, I did not feel any after effects of anything on my body from the Moderna vaccine.
The medical staff who attended me was kind enough to update and issue me an updated vaccine card with all the vaccines I got starting with the Pfizer I got last July 2021 up to the present. All in all, it took me less than 20 minutes stay in the said Vaccination Room as I was the only one being attended to during that time.
My first day in Los Angeles was very fruitful and rewarding.
While browsing on the Facebook Page of Mayor Michael Keon after watching his Live Interview with Pinoy Athletics in the past few weeks, I found this particular post or story on the Mayor’s FB Page. This story answers the question why he resigned from the Project Gintong Alay.
My snappy salute to Mayor Michael Keon for his conviction for the good of the Philippine Sports during those days when the Project Gintong Alay was at its peak and success.
My last trip to the United States was in July 2021 and stayed there for almost two months. The Covid-19 Pandemic was still on its highest peak in terms of casualties but it was a fulfilling trip.
My last trip abroad before the Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown was my participation in the Kota Kinabalu 105K Ultramarathon Race and our plane back to the Philippines was the last plane out of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia and one of the few flights that I arrived when the Lockdown was implemented last March 2020.
My trip in the US in July 2021 has a lot of travel requirements but after almost two years, traveling abroad is back to normal. Of course, I am fully vaccinated with Covid-19 vaccines and boosted with Pfizer in the US and in the Philippines and had never been infected with the said disease.
Took the ANA via Japan
With my trip in 2021, I took the Philippine Air Lines as my carrier as it was not allowed yet for transit passengers in other countries, thus, every passenger going abroad should take a direct flight and there was no other choice than to take the PAL flight. The fare was very expensive and there was no other way or choice. And on my arrival back to the Philippines, I have to take a 10-day Quarantine stay in an Authorized Hotel which added more expenses in my trip.
At present, the fare is a bit lower in ANA and the travel requirements like Covid-19 test before Departure; Covid-19 Travel Insurance; Vaccine Card; and restriction on Transit Flights are all gone! There is a semblance that the pre-Covid-19 days are back and the economy is slowly peaking up.
ANA, a Japanese carrier, was recommended to me from a friend who had his experience flying in it few months ago. The story is very inspiring and I grabbed the opportunity to experience flying with the said carrier. I am glad I did it. My experience with my flight with ANA to Los Angeles, California was great! The inflight movies are A-okey and I was able to watch 2 movies for the whole flight. The meals and snacks are very nice and filling to my stomach. Their wine and fruit juices were soothing. And I did not know that there was a Free WiFi onboard! Hahaha! My best experience is having a Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream served after a Meal!
What I hate most in my International Flights is to see the Inflight Toilets to be scattered with used tissue papers or toilet papers on the floor. Whether it is a Korea Air or PAL flight, there are always passengers who just throw their used toilet papers on the floor or stuck on the lid/cover of the trash bin near the faucet/sink area. I really don’t understand why passengers could not dispose their trash or waste into the bins properly. However, in all the ANA toilets that I have used during the duration of my flight to Japan and then to the USA, the toilets are very, very clean! This is my first time to see a clean toilet every time I use them during a flight. Great! What a big change from the other international flights that I have experienced.
When I asked for a cup of hot coffee at the back of the plane while I was stretching from the stewardess, she immediately offered me one by grabbing the coffee pot from the array and rows of cabinets and put some in a paper cup and asked if I need sugar and cream with it. I said, I want my coffee black and she was smiling as she handed me the hot coffee! Wow! In most of my past flights, if I ask for coffee when I am standing near their serving starvation, stewardess would simply instruct me to get my coffee and cup from the rack and serve by myself. ANA and the Japanese stewardess are simply amazing and very helpful.
After passing through the Immigration (another post will be written about this), I was surprised again that two of their Flight Stewardess are in the Baggage Pick-up Carousel attending to all the passengers getting their Baggage, making sure 100% that are are getting your right baggage! Wow!
By the way, in the Check-In Counter at the Manila International Airport, the processing was very quick and fast! And the counter staff did not even ask for my carry-on luggage to be weighted on the weighing scale! I asked and requested for an aisle seat and I was given which was almost very near to the Business Class area. Sweet!
And here is the thing that some Filipino passengers with connecting flights to the US would complain about. ANA would strictly enforce and advise that passengers going or disembarking in Tokyo, Japan would leave the plane first before everybody else. I really don’t complain about this. If this is their policy, so be it. They give first priority to passengers going to Japan!
As for the boarding process and protocol on ANA flight, I have observed that boarding passengers are grouped from Group 1 to Group 5 and ones designation is printed and shown on the Passenger’s Boarding Pass. I am from Group 5 and our group was seated at the back most portion of the Boarding Area. I think Group 1 are for the First Class Passengers and Group 2 are for the Business Class Passengers. I came to realize why I was at Group 5 when I was seated already in my assigned seat. I think Group 3 passengers are for those who are seated at the Window Seats; Group 4 are for those who are seated at the Middle Seats; and Group 5 are for those seated at the Aisle Seats. Group 3,4,5 are in the Economy Class! See? It makes sense! The Japanese people are really organized and disciplined people. Their is no stress and chaos in boarding and settling yourself inside the plane. This is my first time to experience such kind of boarding in a plane since the time I started traveling by air.
Traveling In Style
I always travel in style and properly well dressed. As a Senior Citizen, I don’t want to be “profiled” as a “working class”. I want the other passengers to know that I am a constant traveler and from the TSA and Immigration personnel that I am a professional and decent traveler.
Traveling with an ANA Flight for the first time was a very memorable experience. I highly recommend this Japanese Carrier to everybody. You will not regret it! Thanks for reading! Bye for now!
As I mentioned in my previous post, I became interested about US Heritage Boots during the Covid-19 Lockdown Period last year and it was in September 2020 that I started to focus on my readings and research on the Internet on a particular brand which is the Red Wing Shoe which is based in Red Wing, Minnesota, USA. I found out about this shoe brand from a Facebook Page carrying the title with the name of the shoe brand and I started to make a research about the brand on the Internet. Their almost daily posts on the said Facebook Page had attracted my attention and I found out that there is only one store in the Philippines (Grind Store) that is an Authorized Dealer (AD) of the said brand. But the branch of the said store that was very active (until this time) in advertising their Red Wing Shoes Models was their store located at Glorietta 3 Mall, Makati City. In one of those days, I decided to contact through Messenger the Sales Representative (Abby Gonzaga) and asked her about the availability of the different Models in their Store. And the rest is history!
Last October 9, 2020, I bought my first Red Wing Shoe which is the Iron Ranger 8111 Amber Harness. Personally visiting the store once the Covid-19 Lockdown was downgraded to a lesser restriction was the best decision I have made to purchase the said boots. Through my readings and research, the most asked question among new buyers is the correct sizing for the boots. The best way for me to determine my proper size with the Iron Rangers is to personally try each shoe size that is near to my usual shoe size in boots and dress shoes. I usually use Size 9 1/2 in my running shoes (whether they are road or trail shoes); Size 9 in my Dress Sneakers like Converse, Onitsuka Tiger, and NIKE Basketball Sneakers; and Size 8 in my dress shoes and dress boots. Since these Heritage Boots are considered as Work Boots, I thought I need a bigger size since they are made of leather. Finally, I was able to “zero-in” my correct size with the Red Wing Iron Ranger which is Size 8 D (Medium width).
Being a retired military man, I have been familiar in using Boots as it is part of our Combat Uniform. However, my size on Combat Boots had been one size bigger which is Size 9D which allows much toe space for thicker socks and tendency for the feet to expand in prolonged marching, hiking, and standing. Almost 2/3 of my military service, I have been using Combat Boots and I know the feeling how to walk, hike, march and even jog/run with them. Actually, two years after I retired, I bought a Dress Boots from Cole Haan which has the size 8D and with a shaft length of 5 1/2 inches. The said boots had been used for so many years that it was only last month that I needed them to be resoled and polish them again. I think there is truth in the observation that retired or former military personnel would always go back wearing their boots again in their civilian lives! Those boots would be dress boots, work boots, heritage boots, or simply replica or copy of their service boots.
So, the Red Wing Iron Ranger 8111 Amber Harness is my first Heritage Boots which is Made In The USA. I really love them as I was able to naturally “break them in” as weeks of wearing them go by. By the way, Red Wing Shoe is a family-owned business company that was founded in Red Wing, Minnesota, USA in 1905. The Iron Ranger Model got its name when the said boots was made for the iron miners in those times. The leather that composed the boots was thick and sturdy which became popular among the workers in the first decade of the 20th century.
Red Wing Iron Ranger 8111 Amber Harness
Here is the description of the Red Wing Iron Ranger Model as I have copied from their Website:
“The Iron Ranger was originally built for iron miners in the 1930s. In the decades since, it has grown indispensable for owners from all walks of like, thanks to its iconic style and longevity. The six-inch boots signature feature is a leather toe cap that is as distinctive as it is durable. Each pair develops a personalized fit and custom comfort over time thanks to leather insoles and a cork midsole that form to the feet. The boots are built with a Goodyear welt and Puritan triple-stitch construction, and brass speed hooks provide precision lacing and a visual hit of hardware. The Iron Ranger is anchored with a Vibram 430 Mini-Lug outsole.“
In the next posts, I will tell you about my review on this Heritage Boots. Thank you for reading.
Starting today, February 11, 2021, this blog will be anything under the sun. Aside from running and my outdoor lifestyle and experiences, I will be making some stories of anything I can think of, whether it is about fashion, food, news and current events, my personal opinion on events, and maybe some repost of things that I want to share to my readers.
I think this will a way and good reason for me to write again in this blog. As I grow and become older, I have been not so consistent with my daily runs as my runs had been transformed to hiking/walking in my backyard and within my playground. After I have finished a 4-month “virtual race” last year, I had to rest and instead of going back to running, I have managed to do some hiking for the past months. Such hikes would last up to 2 hours as my longest duration and on regular basis, a short hike lasting for one hour. Sometimes, I would carry a backpack with weight in it for more effort and challenge.
Since September 2020, I became interested with Heritage Boots which by chance was able to discover them on Facebook. After one month of reading and researching about the history of Heritage Boots in the Internet, I became interested in them. Luckily, there is a popular brand which is the “Red Wing Shoe” that is locally available in my country. Through a Facebook Page, I finally decided to try the said brand and bought one pair of boots.
With my subscription with You Tube and being able to revive my Channel, I found out that there is a lot of videos about the Red Wing Shoe Heritage Boots. Maybe, this could be one of the reasons why I finally decided to buy my first pair of such brand. On October 9, 2020, I bought my first pair of the said brand with their Iron Ranger Model 8111. I have posted two videos of this particular Heritage Boots Model in my You Tube Channel since then. I will post a link of these videos in the next days to come.
Having bought an Iron Ranger 8111 Amber Harness (colored brown) in an Authorized Store of the said brand in Metro Manila had given me the comfort and peace of mind of getting the right size for my feet. Sizing of new users of the Red Wing Shoe is always the most discussed topic in the Internet. Whether in FB Pages, Groups and Internet Forum, this “sizing” topic (how to get the right size) would always flood the comments section in the You Tube Channel and other Discussion Groups. Because I was able to try different sizes in the said store, I was able to zero-in my right size. Just like in any other International Shoe Brands, I shoe size is 8D! Most of my Signature Brand Shoes are size 8D except for my Corcoran Jump (Combat) Boots which is 9D, the Combat Boots that I used on the last 10 years of my active military service. I think I will have a separate story about my Corcoran Jump Boots which is also considered as one of the Heritage Boots that is Made In The USA.
Since my purchase with my first Red Wing Iron Ranger 8111 Amber Harness, my interest now is being directed to Heritage Wear or Vintage Wear and their respective stories that go with them.
As I don’t want to create another blog site for this topic (Heritage & Vintage Wear) and for my personal opinion and other things that I could think of, I decided to use this website just to continue with my subscription with WordPress. So, practically I am back to blogging again.
In the past few days, I have read in my Facebook Newsfeed about a question being raised/posted by a Filipino who is based in the United States on what is the protocol to expect and follow once an arriving passenger gets into the Manila International’s Airport.
Through the experience related to me by a Filipino Tourists who was stranded in the United States for almost six months due to the pandemic brought about by the Covid-19 virus and through the experience of a friend (US Citizen) who arrived from the United States (also) due to an emergeny situation to attend to in the Philippines, the following are the steps/procedures to follow once a passenger arrives at the airport.
Tourists have to take a Covid-19 Rapid Test/Swab Test which is paid by the tourist once he/she arrives or exit from the airplane. The cost for each test is about US Dollars 95.00. One has to accomplish some form stating you Name and e-mail address or contact number where the Rapid Test Result will be sent once the result is available.
After the Rapid/Swab Test, tourist has to arrange for his Hotel Accommodation at the Airport where he will be transported immediately. Car or Taxi Services are available in the airport to provide the necessary transportation to your Hotel of choice. Hotel Accommodation and Taxi Service are not FREE for tourists.
Tourist is advised to stay inside his Hotel room until the result of the Rapid Test/Swab test is sent to the passenger. Usually, the test result will be released and sent to the passenger in a few hours through the e-mail address stated in the Form filled-up during the Test.
If the Test is Negative, you can already the leave the Hotel and proceed to your final destination. If your final destination is within Metro Manila, you can take the Taxi services available at the Hotel. If you are Positive, you can have the option to stay longer in the Hotel or take some advise from authorities of the Department of Health on what are your available options to be able to observe and strictly implement the 14-day Quarantine Period for you.
If you are an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) returning to the Philippines, the Rapid/Swab Test is FREE at the Airpot. After the Swab test is done, the OFW will then be transported to a government-designated accommodation facility/Hotel for them for FREE. Just the same with the tourist, they will wait for the release of the result of the Covid-19 Test. If the test is negative, they can leave the Hotel and proceed to their Final Destination. If found positive, contact the Department of Health for further steps for your immediate 14-day Quarantine Period to a Government designated facility or have the option to stay in your residence and follow the 14-day Quarantine protocol.
Just in case, the tourist has a connecting flight from Manila to another destination in Visayas or Mindanao, he/she should have made made the travel arrangements during the time when his/her ticket was purchased for Manila. If not, this travel connection should be made once he/she arrives at the Manila International Airport. A Travel Pass from the Philippine National Police (PNP) is a requirement for this trip. (Note: There is a PNP Desk at the Airport where to ask for information and request for this Travel Pass)
The Travel Pass will facilitate a coordination with the Local Government authorities in your final destination for your trip from the Local City Airport to your final place of destination. You will be asked to strictly adhere to the 14-day Quarantine Period in your Final Destination.
Always observe the wearing of face mask, face shield, no talking in enclosed space, washing of hands with soap and/or alcohol (after touching or holding anything not in your possession) and social distancing (of at least, one meter apart)
For further information, please click the links below:
The International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) invited the Philippine Association of Ultrarunners (PAU), the National Ultramarathon Federation of the Philippines, to join the 2020 6-Hour Global Virtual Solidarity Run which was held last August 29-30, 2020. This event was attended by more than 40 member countries with a total of 426 athlete-runners throughout the world.
Team PAU was composed of 9 Male and 9 Female runners coming from the different regions of the country. Due to the Covid-19 Lockdown restrictions, all the runners were advised to do their running in their place of residence, whether on the outdoors or indoors (on treadmill machine). Team PAU represented the country in this event.
Here is the Video of Team PAU during the event:
Team PAU Video @ 2020 IAU 6-Hour Global Solidarity Run
Thank you for watching. Cheers!
(Note: Please subscribe to my You Tube Channel for more running adventures and stories in the Philippines. Thank you!)
Seven months before I retired in the military service, I started to write my stories on running on WordPress. Since then, it has been 13 years that I have posting my running experiences and adventures to my readers. Those past years were great where I was able to inform, share, and inspire others to start running as part of a healthy lifestyle. I hope this blog had contributed to what I have intended to do since then.
At the present, writing my stories in this blog is my way to motivate myself to go out in the outdoors to maintain my physical fitness through running and hiking and to maintain a healthy mental fitness/attitude by writing my personal stories and other information/stories that I would share to everybody. As I grow older, writing is becoming my daily habit to exercise my brain and thinking ability. And since last week, I have extended or expanded my stories to any information that are happening around me and to the environment.
Thank you, WordPress for this opportunity to share my stories as told by an old and ordinary average runner. Thank you also to my subscribers throughout the world, a gratitude coming from a blogger in the Philippines!
Cheers for more stories in the future! Thank you for reading this blog. Stay safe always!
Months before the conduct of the 2020 London Marathon Race, it was announced that the scheduled April event will be held despite the Covid-19 pandemic situation and it will be held on October 4, Sunday, with the participation of selected world elite athletes coming from selected countries. Most significant in the announcement was the participation of the two of the fastest marathon finishers in the world: Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya who is the reigning world record holder in the marathon with a time of 2:01:39 hours in the 2018 Berlin Marathon and Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia who is the world record holder and Olympian record holder in the 10,000-meter event with a time of 26:17:53 minutes and second fastest time in the marathon with a time of 2:01:41 hours which he set in the 2019 Berlin Marathon, two-second slower than Kipchoge’s time.
Aside from the World’s Men’s Elite runners, the World’s Women’s Elite runners were invited to join the race. This is to include the Elite Marathon Runners from Great Britain. The rest of those who are supposed to participate and had been picked in the lottery to join the 2020 London Marathon had been asked to join in a virtual run and be able to complete the run within a period of 24 hours. Unfortunately, I registered for the third time in this marathon event and as usual, I was not been able to be picked up in the lottery.
In the months, weeks, and days before the London Marathon, there were so many information on the social media and printed media about this “duel” of the two fastest marathon runners in the world; Kipchoge and Bekele. With its hype, I tried to research on the Internet on the past competitions where these two great long distance runners had joined and competed with each other. Bekele was already a World and Olympic “Star” in the 2000s while Kipchoge was trailing behind him in the Oval Track Competition Races. However, during the 2010 and later years, both runners had shifted to road running on marathon races. Kipchoge started to shine and perform consistently in Marathon Races in Europe. However, Bekele had also his winning races on the road until he was sidelined with some injuries. Bekele is 38 years old while Kipchoge is 35 years old. But, these two runners had been always pushing the bar for the world record in marathon up to this time. The sub-2:02-hour time in the Marathon Race are being held by these two greatest runners in the world.
Kipchoge & Bekele Poster (From Google/Facebook)
In my past blog, I posted and predicted that Eliud Kipchoge will win over Kenenisa Bekele in the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon. However, I was still confident to predict that the winning time will be within the 2:02-2:03-hour range knowing how the place looks like when I had the chance to visit London in 2018. The London Marathon was held along the streets surrounding the St James Park near Buckingham Palace which is a loop-course covering a distance of 1.33 miles for each loop. Runners have to complete 19+ loops to finish the Marathon distance of 26.2 miles while is completely flat.
Two days before the race, Bekele announced to the media that he was withdrawing from the race because of an injury on his left calf muscle which he got two weeks before on a sprinting session. With this news, I was confident that Kipchoge would win the said race.
I watched the LIVE coverage of the London Marathon in the evening of Sunday, October 4, 2020 (Manila Time) after I found out that Brigid Kosgei of Kenya won the Women’s Championship with a time of 2:18:58 hours. She is the current Marathon World Record Holder with a time of 2:14:04 hours which she achieved in the 2019 Chicago Marathon Race. Worthy to note in the women’s race is the “sprint run” of Sara Hall on the last 50 meters to pass Ruth Chepngetich to the finish line winning the race as the First Runner-Up in 2:22:01 hours. This is Sara Hall’s Personal Best in the Marathon.
On the last loop of the Marathon, Eliud Kipchoge could not react on the blistering pace of the faster runners and he did not win as I had predicted. Tola Shura Kitata of Ethiopia won as the Overall Champion of the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon with a time of 2:05:41 hours. He was the First Runner-Up in the 2018 London Marathon where Eliud Kipchoge won as the Champion. Eliud Kipchoge finished the race in 8th place with a time of 2:06:49 hours and he said in his post-race interview that his ears got blocked during the last loops that he could not concentrate and focus with his run. However, he was gentleman enough to accept the result of his performance. Kipchoge and Bekele will be back!
Thank you for reading. Have a good day and week ahead of us.
Bald Runner 
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