There are many places in the world where you can disappear or vanish without a trace, but the US isn't one of those places. If you live in the US, you should already know that big brother, as depicted in "1984", is alive and well there. You have widespread government wire-tapping, red light cameras, [...]

My wife departed on Philippine Airlines flight number 102 last night at approximately 10 pm. She's now at the Los Angeles domestic terminal for United Airlines, waiting on her flight to Phoenix.

What would you define as government and public services in the Philippines? The obvious answer would be things like water and electricity. The not-so-obvious answer would include residential telephone services and other services that are necessary for the majority of the public (and sometimes a minority of the public). Services do not have to [...]

Unless you're a Filipino or have close ties to Filipinos, you probably don't have a clue what I'm talking about when I mention anything about a balikbayan box. The word "balikbayan" is actually a combination word coined in the 1970s. "Balik" means to go back and "bayan" means home town or home country. So [...]

My wife (Josie) missed her connection to her Philippine Airlines flight at LAX but because Philippine Airlines has excellent customer service, she was re-booked for the next flight with minimal problems.

My wife (Josie) will be arriving for a month-long Philippines vacation on the 27th of August, her birthday. After she returns to the US, the plan is to stay no longer than six months. Her next arrival in the Philippines should be permanent.

For traveling between the US and the Philippines, nothing beats Philippine Airlines. I've used Philippine Airlines on all occasions except for when I was in the military and when flights weren't available. I'll provide some of my experiences after a brief history lesson.