Monthly Archives: January 2011

How would you describe your life in eight (8) words?

Would it be like…

“…trying to distract myself from the everyday misery”

“…unstable, complicated, lonely, confusing, funny, seeking, curious, wanting”

“…aches, pills, relief, friends, phone calls and fast food!”

“…work, sleep, more work, weekend, drink sleep, work”

“…long years wasted trying to please other people.”

or would it be like…


“…I am a lucky, grateful, positive, healthy lady. “

“…saved by Grace through Faith in Christ Jesus.”

“…Saved only by the loving providence of God.”

“…curiousity pushing me to discover new things, always.”

“…an unfolding of a beautiful multicoloured inner tapestry”

My life can be described as:

A life with Hope and Faith in God!

Can you describe your life in 8 words?

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Another Pinoy to be proud of

Since I arrived here in Frankfurt, Germany I only went to two hairstylists. The first one was in Eschborn were I had a normal wash, haircut, blow dry and styling that cost me 89€+ tip. Okay, in fairness, I liked the cut. It was very much 60’s just as I wanted it to be. But it was way too expensive for me. I admit I am a sucker for discounts and whenever I cannot get a good bargain, I try not to go back to the same place anymore–if I can avoid it.

So, the next haircut I had, I went to a Pinoy who was then learning to become a registered hairstylist here in Germany. I liked his style, probably because he knows the Filipino way of pampering the hair and the client. Since then I was hooked. I always asked him to take care of my hair… my shining glory, so to say. I noticed that my hair felt good in this Pinoy hairstylist’s careful, good hands. Back then it was not very difficult to make an appointment with Jezz. One call, as long as it is outside his school hours and practicum time, I managed to get my hair pampering done. And since Jezz is really good at his profession, I started to recommend him to other Filipina colleagues at work, too.

By the way, those who live outside the Philippines, you do know the drill right? The arrangement is that 3 or more ladies would come for the hair treatment. Haircutting schedule is always arranged at somebody’s place where bonding, eating and storytelling (chismiss) are already included.

As the years passed and Jezz finally finished his degree, it slowly became difficult to get appointments from him. He was always on the go, to a wedding, a birthday party or a gala event where he is booked. And of course, he also was employed at a hair salon here in Frankfurt am Main, where some of his customers include TV moderators and models. On top of that, he was also doing his Masteral studies, hence, his schedule was really tight. So, what we did, after every session with him, we would already book the next appointment in six weeks time. Yes, that’s how long we would have to wait. For some, who can’t make it to the said appointment will have to wait for the next one after that. I for one, always had to wait longer because I would always miss the appointments for some spur of the moment reason. Lame, I know..but it always happened.


Anyway, after Jezz finished his Masteral studies, he planned to open his own salon here in Frankfurt am Main. When he was asked when this would happen, he always humbly replied that it would still take some years for his dream to come true. He needed to save up first in order to start on his own. But as luck would have it, the salon where he was working had to close down. So, he took the chance to finally start anew, this time as his own boss.

Right in the heart of Frankfurt am Main, Jezz found a place where he could open his own salon. His clients from his previous work still comes to him. Of course, his Filipino “suki” are more than happy since now, it is definitely easier to make an appointment with him.

Last night, Jezz officially openned his salon. The guest was a mixture of German and Filipino beauties. Jezz hairstyling is finally open for business. The Philippine Consul General, Her Excellency Maria Cleofe Natividad graced us wih her presence. Among others were Jezz’ close friends, ex-colleagues and those valuable long-time clients. So, to Jezz, I salute you. I wish you much success in this new venture of yours. I’m so proud of you sister!!!

Jezz has a cosy two seater salon located at Eschersheimer Landstrasse, 25 in Frankfurt am Main. For appointments, he can be reached at 01741843863. Or visit him at Facebook: Jezz Hairstyling.

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Hitting two birds with one stone…

Loosing weight and getting cleansed internally with the help of a Heilpraktikerin, Frau Martina Kienzle-Schott in Weimar.


HP Martina Kienzle-Schott

Neueröffnung der
Praxis für Naturheilkunde in Weimar am 01. 05. 2011

Das mögliche Therapiekonzept wird nach ausführlicher Anamnese (Gespräch) und gründlicher körperlicher Untersuchung individuell erstellt und speziell auf Sie abgestimmt. Unter anderem kommen zum Einsatz:

* Klassische Homöopathie
* Akupunktur; Ohrakupunktur nach Thews
* Ausleitungsverfahren nach Aschner
* Autogenes Training
* Bachblütentherapie
* Blutegeltherapie
* Darmsanierung
* Eigenbluttherapie
* Energiearbeit
* Fastenwandern
* Gua Sha Fa
* Irisdiagnose
* Schröpftherapie
* Spagyrik
* Tapen nach Dorn
* Wirbelsäulentherapie nach Dorn und Breuss

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Kamusta ka? (How are you?)

A long time friend from high school asked me once: “How are you?” A simple question. For some, just an expression but they don’t really want to know the real honest reply from the person who was asked. For others, it’s just to know if you have a juicy “chismiss” about a certain person whom you are acquainted with and whom the person inquiring is also acquainted to.

So I replied to my long time friend. “I know that you really want to know. I am actually fine. Believe it or not, I am happy. I have peace, I like my job, I have a very undertsanding and loving hubby.  I don’t really have to pretend to others that I am actually contented.”


My only regret is that I did not stay in contact with a lot of my old classmates in high school. It’s not by choice, it just happened like it did. Suddenly, after high school graduation, I just sort of drifted apart to a new beginning. Which is how it is supposed to be, but still, I miss them. My old friends, my best pals. Now, I am just happy that I found them again through online networking. Gosh, even those whom I was not on a regular eye contact level chats with me now.

Ganun nga talaga siguro ang buhay. (Maybe, that’s life.) You live, you conquer, you move on. Then later… much, much later you say, “hey, what happened there?”. Then you start over. You live, make friends, conquer and then move on… the circle of life rolls further. The cycle is never ending. What’s important is to keep your sanity and level mindedness in tact. Be happy with who are now. Keep the old friends and try to make new ones as well. Love and spread love to others.

Only then would the World be a much better place to live in.

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MALAMBOT (Soft)

LP Challenge: MALAMBOT


Clouds… a wide spread of softness in the sky. If snow has been a wonder for me since I arrived  Europe 15 years ago, clouds has amazed me all my life.

I remember way back when I was just a child, I used to play this game with my sibs… where we would stand very still under the full moonlight and then look up to the sky and try to read the images that we see from the formation of the clouds. Try it, it really is great!

One would see an animal; a lion perhaps or dragon. Sometimes one can picture a flower, a face…yes, the face of Jesus sometimes. I am not saying that we where seeing a holy vision. Call it the crazy imagination of a child, pure and without malice or vested interests. The face would just come out.

The last time I did this kind of thing was way back in 1998, in Brussels. One night, hubby, and I we were enjoying a bottle of our favorite white wine out in our garden. I told him the story of what I used to do as a child, doing cloud reading. I encouraged him to do it. He did, but declared he wasn’t seeing anything. He even said, maybe it was the effect of the wine on my head, typical! (hehehe).

Anyway, I don’t get to do that anymore. But each time I get on an airplane, I always prefer to sit by the window so that I could at least enjoy staring at the clouds. Oh, and yes, I still do wonder if it is indeed possible to sit on the clouds like the angels in those storybooks that I read as a child.

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Of all the things….


I saw this trailer last year and since then have been waiting for the movie to come out. I thought it was scheduled for November 2010, but I’m not quiet sure if it really was released. Until now, each time I search for it online, I only get the official trailer of the movie.

So excited about this film. Another Regine-Aga team up. I’m so eagerly waiting for their next kilig scenes in this movie. Can somebody enlighten me on this. Was the film released last year or not? According to this write up naman at movie news, the film is supposed to come out sometime in April 2010. Pero, I still can’t find any online shops where I can order it. Helüp!

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Help

A friend will be celebrating her round double digit birthday! We are planning on giving her a party. A really big one. Unfortunately, we cannot start on the preparations yet, since the most important detail has not been settled yet.

The VENUE! We need a hall with a stage and a kitchen. It should be able to accommodate 250-300 guests, must be situated 10 km around the vicinity of Offenbach am Main and more preferrably will not cost more than 600€.

Do you guys hapen to know of such a place? Please let me know.

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Malamig (Cold)

LP Challenge: MALAMIG

I think this has been the coldest winter I’ve ever experienced here in Germany. Just looking at the eaves of the houses makes me afraid to stand right below it. The icicles could be really dangerous when it falls on a person. Tsk, tsk…deadly weapon, dear!

We went to visit my in-laws and what met us was the roads were all covered with snow 10 meters high. Okay, I may sound exaggerating, but when we shoveled the snow to clear the path right in front of the garage door, it really piled up to as high as a normal car. My tiny Ford Fiesta would be covered totally. Had to search for a higher place where I could park it since the garage was already occupied by the car of my in-laws.

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Planning for the next trip already…

“How about going to an “FKK” Oasis for our next short vacation?”, hubby asked while checking out places where we would go next. That is after our trip to Italy and Gran Canaria. I had to scratch the last one, since I won’t be able to join him on that trip.

“FKK” is short for “Freikörperkultur” ( Free Body Culture). A naturistic approach to community living. It maybe a camp or beach community where people are naked all the time. Yes, a “nudist” community. The principle behind is to enjoy and experience nature in being nude itself. In case you are wondering, it has no direct relation to sexuality or to sex itself. The traditional followers of this culture is called naturist’s or nudist’. Yes, here in Germany, this community is known to exist. You can read more about this culture here.

The thing is, if one wants to go to a place like this, one has to be open enough to walk around naked. As in totally naked. No shred of clothing should be worn. Anyway, if one decides to stay there and does not follow rules, won’t one feel weird because all the others aren’t wearing anything anyway. But I cannot imagine me, a Filipina, doing just that. I heard from my aunt once that she had a Filipina friend who is married to a  German who once went to a place like this. It was really uncomfortable for the couple since the Filipina would not budge in getting out of her clothes. So, they ended up staying in the place for three whole days she fully clothed and him, together with the rest of the people there naked!

I couldn’t imagine myself in her shoes. I would die of shame if I would be forced to do it. I tried to explain this to hubby. Fortunately, he is ok with it and immediately dismissed the idea.

Instead, we agreed to think about the next long vacation that we will be having around the last quarter of the year. It will be in the Philippines of course, but some place where we haven’t visited. Hmmm, I’m thinking the Caramoan Islands in Camarines Sur. (Picture is from the same linked site). I have heard a lot of good reviews about the place. Also, what we normally do on our vacations like island hopping, hiking, mountain biking, scuba diving, snorkelling and kayaking are offered in this place. So why not? Anyway, i still have some time to organize the trip. Way before September, I think we should be able to come up already with a fixed date and Itinerary. Till then I’m still open to other suggestions but “FKK” is out of the question!

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Sunday lunch at the Ronneburg

It finally felt like spring is here last Sunday, the 16th of January. The sun was shining the whole day and it was also not very cold, temp-wise. After weeks of enduring the negative digit temperature, it was nice for a change to have i think almost two weeks of above “0” degrees temperature.

Anyway, hubby and I decided to go for a walk at a nearby palace ruins where we could also have lunch. We’ve been to the place before several times, but this was the first time we tried the restaurant inside the castle ruins. Since we used to go there during springtime or summer, we enjoyed most of the time the garden bar/restaurant that they have outside, but never the Café inside.

It turned out to be a very good decision. The food was just wonderful. The Zander fillet that I ordered was heavenly. Hubby said that the pork meat with mushrooms in rahm sauce that he ordered was also excellent. On the way up to the castle, we passed by some paragliders at the grounds. Apparently, they also have a course offered every Saturday at the castle grounds. “Learn to Paraglide starting at 79,- €”. Not the age, hehehe. That’s something to add to my “to-do” list, but sunny as it was on the day we were there, I would not be caught dead paragliding at 8 degrees celcius. May in the height of the summer season, I will be courageous enough… (here I am procrastinating again), haha! But “thumbs-up” to the two guys who were really going at it for like almost forever. At least, I saw them already from a far on our way up to the grounds of the castle. And, when we left, they were just finishing up. Counting the time we walked up from the parking place until the time we left the castle grounds, that was probably more or less 2-3 hours tops. I wouldn’t stay out in the colds as long as it is not a matter of “life and death” scenario. I can enjoy paragliding anytime in the summer, but not in the middle of winter.

Anyway, the resto has a lot to offer. Aside from the excellent food, the place has a very nice Ambience. More medieval time. They also rent some rooms for private parties. Which I came to the idea. When I reach the ripe age of ___ty which will be in two years time, I would like to have a “medieval era” concept for my birthday party. If the price is right, with costumes and all the props, I may as well do that. Of course, I won’t be able to invite more than 20 guests. I would probably just invite the closest friends. I have to inquire about their price range though. If the price is right… I think I just might “spin the wheel”!

For more info on what the Resto has to offer, check out their website here.

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Please return my muse to me


My muse, my muse.
Give me back my Muse.
If not till sunset today
Then forever she’ll be away.

It has been months,
Or perhaps years
The last time my Muse accompanied me
Through life’s art and poetry.

Those were the days when words came easy,
Those were the days when ideas came in dandy.
It was just a blink of an eye,
Et Voila, presto… my poem danced in my eyes.

Cooking never seemed too messy,
Dancing was just another step for me.
But without my Muse,
Even drawing is a mystery.

So please, please, come back to me,
My Muse if you please, let it all just be.
I need your guidance, I need your direction,
I need your artistic creation!

Photo from Mexican Skies.Com

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Eat, Pray, Love – The Movie

Well, what can I say?

The book is better than the movie.

But, you can decide for yourself. Here is the official trailer of the movie.

The film was released in the USA sometime in August 13, 2010. Here in Germany the release date was September 23, 2010. Click here for more release dates info in other countries.

Thanks to YouTube for this video clip.

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heilpraktiker entry

Several years ago, I was diagnosed as chronically ill. I had an infection in my liver that the doctors could not really find the cause. I had problems like back pain, muscle pains in my legs and was always tired. Some days, I didn’t have so much energy. My cough made it just worst since I had it for more than six months. If it would stop for a while, it was always sure to come back after some weeks. The leg pain went away after an Acupuncture therapy with my general doctor. Since then, it seems like there is no signs of it coming back again. But the infection in my liver was never cured. I had blood tests every three months. Most of the levels were okay, except for one that was always extremely high. And it stayed that way all the time. Whereas for a normal healthy person, that level should only be at 60-80, mine was always at 260 till 400. Once it even went up to 600 for a few months. My doctor could also not explain it. But, I don’t blame him since even the specialists who looked into my illness case, also said there wasn’t anything wrong with me.

Hepatitis was ruled out. I was definitely checked for it.

In one of my visits to my mother-in-law, where we always showed photos of our recent trips, my sister-in-law showed us their photos when she and her husband joined an alternative medicine doctor on a “Fasting and Wandering” tour. Fasting in the sense, that only liquid is taken for the whole duration of the tour. It can be tea, water or clear soup. The insides has to be cleansed as well. With the help of “Glaubersalz” and or Internal irrigation of the stomach and intestines at the beginning of the fasting period. After three days of the fasting begin, internal cleansing has to be performed again. The whole fasting period could take a week or even more. They have been doing it for sometime, my sister-in-law said, and it has been a lot of help for them. Both in keeping themselves healthy and maintaining their desired weight. She suggested that maybe I should also try it just to find out if it would help cure my so-called “sickness”.

I was not totally convinced at first. But hubby urged me to do it, so we did. Anyway, we thought if it doesn’t work out for me, it was at least an experience, another adventure for us both.

Our first “Fasting and Wandering” tour was in Algarve, Portugal. We flew there and met our guide, an Alternative medicine doctor, Frau Wirth. Later at the resort where we stayed, we met 11 others who have been doing the tours for several years already. There were only three of us who are first timers. The group was diverse. Mostly of course, Germans but almost all are well traveled. I was intimadated at first, but they were all very friendly. Our guide was also very helpful in explaining to us everyday what was in the program.

All the “to-do” stuff was explained in exact details. If we needed help, she was there to assist us. It made us really feel comfortable with the group who knew each other before from the previous travels. Suffice it to say, we survived the whole two weeks without eating anything. Yes, it is a wonder, but definitely possible. What I couldn’t really believe myself, was the fact that I really could walk for hours (even without food intake, except liquids) without complaining. I did it! I lasted and the most beautiful part of it is that I lost weight. I lost more than 8 kilos already…the best part is I maintained my desired weight. No yo-yo effect at all. My food intake routine was changed. I can still eat anything I want during the day. But there are some limitations and restrictions about what to eat in the morning and evenings.

After that tour, we had our second tour with my sister-in-law HP Martina Kienzle-Schott as our guide. She is really good. With her personal experience and of course she learned to be one, we don’t need to go to other HP guides anymore. The last tour we, hubby and I did was spring last year. We tried it just the two of us. Okay, we were calling Martina all the time for some questions about the whole procedure which only a legal Heilpraktiker could answer. But in the end we made it. The next schedule tour is in March. I won’t be able to join but hubby enlisted already.

*keeping it up*

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January 2011

2011 started good. I know some friends are moving on. My sister-in-law just finished her schooling and in April will be opening her clinic for Alternative medicine (Heilpraktiker). I will be posting her website address here as soon as it is ready.

A friend who has been helping me in keeping my hair, my crowning glory ever healthy has openned a salon right in the middle of Frankfurt am Main city. I am so happy for him. I will be visiting him in a couple of hours today. The Grand Opening though will still be at the end of the month.

And I have started a new job. A better earning one and definitely less stressful. I still have to wake up at 03:30 a.m. some days, but I can live with that already. I have been doing that for years now, that I am actually much used to that schedule. The thing is, now I only have to go to work four days a week, much better than going sometimes 7 consecutive days to work for a few hours in the morning and then with one day off only. The pay is definitely a big level up from the previous jobs that I had, so I can’t complain.

So, hopefully, the year will continue to bring us all more blessings and better dispositions. Oh,yeah, today is a very special day. It’s 1.11.11 (January 11, 2011). I do believe that the whole year will be really fruitful for everybody!

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Eat Pray Love – by Elizabeth Gilbert

I finally finished reading the book of Elizabeth Gilbert called: Eat Pray Love. It’s been out for a while but what triggered me to read it is that it has a movie version with Julia Roberts as the lead actress. I saw the trailer of the film and thought, ok, I have got to read the book first before I watch the film. Unfortunately, it took me longer to finish the book because I also just started working again. I had to do a training for one whole month so, I didn’t have so much time to read.

Anyway, now I am ready to watch the movie. Hopefully, it will be as hilarious as the book itself. Tonight is the night. I have a date with Liz’ interesting journey through Italy, India and Indonesia after a failed marriage and unsuccessful relationship with David. Let’s see how it will turn out. I am mostly excited if Julia could really portray the role as well as she did on the Erin Brockovitch story.

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