Monthly Archives: May 2012

It’s more fun in the Philippines


Summer is finally here! Well, officially it’s still Spring time, but the weather temperature has gone up during the last few days, one would think it is already summer. Mister Sun has been showing up a lot lately as well… one would wonder why, eh?

Well, actually, in a month we would have summer officially. Spring here in Germany starts in March till May. Then summer follows from June till August. Summer season is always the busiest. People start going out to parties till the wee hours of the morning. Grill at their gardens or at the park is a very popular leisure activity. Then of course there are the various sports activities: volleyball, basketball league and of course football season. People tend to over-enjoy the sun and the warm weather since we don’t have this the whole year.

In the Philippines, it is totally different. First of all, we have only two seasons to experience: Rainy/Wet season and Sunny/Dry season. Rainy season starts late in May till October. This is the time where most typhoons hit the country as well. Sometimes typhoon would still hit the country till late November. But from December on, the weather would start to be calmer but the temperature would still be lower than 30 degrees. Come January, the heat would slowly seep through again. I love the December till January weather since it is not too hot yet then. By March, the weather would hit up to 38 or 40 degrees Celsius and that’s when it can be really dangerous. Heatwave, sunburn and dehydration are common problems during this times.

So, what do most people do in these times? They go to the beach or to their favorite aqua resorts. Luckily, there are lots of these in the Philippines. First since it is basically an archipelago, surrounded by bodies of water. Second it is very rich in natural resources with its abundant lakes, rivers and waterfalls. Third, by demand, swimming pool resorts are so often visited that it became a popular business venture since way back in the late 80’s early 90’s. I assume until now.

Visit for instance, the Island of Camiguin where you can enjoy the nice beach, diving, snorkeling, or lazing around in one of their several lakes, hot and cold spring pools and enjoy the waterfalls as well. If you want adventure, try trekking up the Hibuk-hibok volacano too. A variety of activities to choose from all in one small island.

To name some nice places to visit in the Philippines:
Some of the beaches that I actually visited. It’s not much but I still plan to add more to this list.

Bohol – Balicasag Island, Alona Beach in Panglao
Boracay
Camiguin
Coron, Palawan
Dakak, Dapitan
Dos Palmas, Palawan
Kalibu
Nasugbu, Batangas
Subic
Underground River, Palawan
Hundred Islands, Pangasinan

Places like:

Caramoan Islands in Camarines
Paradise resort in Davao
Pearl farm in Davao
El Nido Palawan
Rafting in Pangasinan
The pristine white sand beaches in Cebu

… are places that I still want to visit. Given the time and resources, someday, I will explore them all…It’s really more fun in the Philippines!

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Happy Mother’s Day

Mother in different languages:
Afirkaans – Moeder, Ma
Albanian – Mënë, Mëmë
Arabic – Ahm
Belarusian – Matka
Bolognese – Mèder
Bosnian/ Bulgarian – Majka
Brazilian/Portuguese – Mãe
Chechen – Nana
Croatian – Mati, Majka
Czech – Abatyse
Danish – Mor
Dutch – Moeder, Moer
English – Mother, Mama, Mom
Finnish – Äiti
French – Mère, Maman
German – Mutter
Greek – Màna
Hawaiian – Makuahine
Hindi – Ma, Maji
Hungarian – Anya, Fu
Icelandic – Móðir
Indonesian – Induk, Ibu, Biang, Nyokap
Irish – Máthair
Italian – Madre, Mamma
Japanese – Okaasan, Haha
Judeo/Spanish – Madre
Latin – Mater
Macedonian – Majka
Marathi – Aayi
Mongolian – eh
Norwegian – Madre
Persian – Madr, Maman
Tagalog – Ina, Nanay, Inay, Mama
Polish – Matka, Mama
Portuguese – Mãe
Punjabi – Mai, Mataji, Pabbo
Romanian – Mama, Maica
Russian – Mat’
Serbian – Majka
Slovak – Mama, Matka
Spanish – Madre, Mamá, Mami
Swedish – Mamma, Mor, Morsa
Swiss/German – Mueter
Turkish – Anne, Ana, Valide
Ukrainian – Mati
Urdu – Ammee
Welsh – Mam
Yiddish – Muter
Zeneize – Moæ

Moms may be called differently in ways, but one thing is common: their LOVE for their kids/children is unconditional and their role as mother is never ending. And I do believe that being a mother is the hardest job in the whole world. So, to all Mother’s: I salute and admire you all!

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Skin whitening options

Glutha, Metha at ngayon naman BB cream from Korea. Kaloka! I can’t seem to keep up with all these whitening products. Kaliwa’t-kanan ang labasan ng mga adverts nila. Alin nga kaya ang effective sa kanila?

Ano ba? Totoo ba ang himala? Pag gumamit daw nito isang isang tao ay magiging “fair” ang comlexion nito? Pampaputi daw o baka naman mamumutla ka sa mahal?

Simula nung bumalik ako galing Pilipinas, sabi ng mga kakilala ko dito sa Alemanya ay pumuti daw ako. Ano daw ang ginawa ko? At kung nag gu-Gluta nga daw ba ako?

Gluta? Ahh. yung sinabi sa akin ng Tita ko na actually ay supplementary tabs/caps for the liver at iba pang internal organs… at ang side effect daw nito kapag tini take ng matagal ay nagiging fair ang complexion ng tao. Pampakinis din daw ito ng balat.

Huh??? Eh, (kakapalan ko na ang mukha ko ha), matagal na pong makinis ang balat ko! Hahaha… joke lang po. Actually, hindi ako nagte take ng caps or tabs nito. But I do use the Gluta-Milk soap na nabili ko nga sa Pinas. Nung andun kasi ako, masyado naman akong nawili magbilad sa araw, kaya nangitim na naman ang Lolé. Natakot akong tawagin na naman akong “Baluga” nung isang kaibigan namin na Aleman kaya naghanap ako ng makakatulong sa akin na sabon na hindi naman kamahalan. Hindi ko naman po afford ang Bello Essentials at lalong hindi ko afford magpa inject ng ilang beses ng Glutathione or Metathione.. or kung ano pa man yang mga “…ione” na yan.

Mukhang effective naman ang mumurahin kong sabon kasi nabati naman ako ng ibang kaibigan dito sa Alemanya na pumuti nga daw ang kyutis ko lalo na sa mukha. Minsan, tinanong ako kung ano daw ang powder na gamit ko… sabi ko wala po, kasi late na ako nagising at wala na akong time na mag polbo man lang ng mukha. Talaga bare ang mukha ko nung araw na iyon. Ayun nga, kuminis nga daw ang fés ni Lola. Kuminis nga po talaga ang fés ko… pero sa palagay ko ang kailangan ko talagang pag-ipunan ay ang pampa face lift ko. Kasi pansin ko, medyo halos naginging papaya na ata ang mga pisngi ko… o baka naman tumaba na ulit ako…in which case kailangan ko din mag ipon pampa lipo!…(hahaha!)

Vanity—is this a virtue or a sin? Either way, it could make a deep hole in my pocket.

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Teleserye fever

Well, life… i guess wherever we are in this world, no matter in which time zone we happen to live, grow up, study, work or simply exist, our roots never leaves us. People who are uprooted from wherever they came from, separated with their family and loved ones for whatever reasons, tend to adjust in their host country.

Of course, “what to do?”– ika nga ng isang Pinoy na kakilala ko na matagal nang naninirahan dito sa Alemanya. Andito siya “para matustosan ang mga pamilya niya sa Pilipinas. Ang kanyang mag iina at mga magulang at kapatid na rin”. Oh, diva bongga? Ang pinaka gasgas na “linya” o “dialog” nating mga Filipino overseas. Pero, okay lang, kasi kahit papaano nakaka survive naman tayo, kahit san tayo mapunta. Dahil sa pagmamahal natin sa aking mga kaanak. Dahil sa motibasyon at ambisyon. Dahil na rin sa hangad ng magandang buhay sa ating bayan, kung sakali mang kakayanin ng umuwi at doon na nga manirahan ulit sa ating Inang Bayan sa ating pag tanda. OO, maraming mga tao na pre pareho pinag dadaanan sa buhay. Pare-pareho din ang hangad na ambisyon, pero magkaka iba lang ang antas ng hirap at sakit na nag udyok sa kanila na makarating sa kanilang kinaroroonan ngayon.

At saan man nga tayong mga Pinoy mapadpad, salamat sa teknolohiya, may mga Pilipino teleserye na napapanood natin online o naman kaya ay sa pamamagitan ng TFC (The Filipin Channel) subscription na pampalipas ng lungkot at pangungulila.

Dito po ako nanonood ng mga Pelikulang Pilipino online: Sine Pinoy

At sa kasalukoyan, ito naman po ang isa sa kinagiliwan ko at sinusubaybayang teleserye…

Nakaka aliw manood nito. Alam mo na, halo-halong emotion ang nadarama ko kapagnanonood ako nito. Anjan ang kilig, saya, (bumabalik na alala ng aking kabataan), excitement, pagka inis sa mga kontrabida at awa sa naaping bida. Naiinis din ako sa dulo ng bawat episode, dahil ibig sabihin mabibitin na naman ako. Pero excited na ulit na mapanood na naman ang susunod na kabanata nito.

Nakaka loka, pero sa toto lang, ito ang theraphy ko kapag tinatamaan ako ng pagka homesick. Ito at ang iba pang palabas sa telebisyon na napapanood na nga via online streaming.

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Samsung Galaxy S3 fever

It’s out and hopefully by the end of the month it’s already in the market… the Samsung Galaxy S III. I’ve been waiting for this phone since early this year. I lost my smartphone when I was on vacation in the Philippines. So when I got back here in Germany, I had to make do with an antique one.

It’s difficult, coz, i was already very dependent on my smartphone. Calendar schedules, contacts, memos and notes, Navi and of course internet on the go. I must admit, these last few months have been somewhat strange for me going around without my smartphone. I felt like somehow incomplete.

But now, the wait is almost over. My new buddy is already pre-ordered online.

Read more about the specs of the new Samsung Galaxy SIII here.

Watch the event here.

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Kaarawan dapat ka nga bang ipagdiwang?

Sa themang kaarawan, nalalapit na ang ika apat na dekada na anibersaryo ng aking kapanganakan. Sa totoo lang, hanggang ngayon di ko pa rin alam kung mag hahanda ba ako. Bakit kaya ganun? Hindi ba, dapat aligaga ang tao sa paghahanda para sa kaarawan nito? Hindi ba, dapat masaya at maligalig ang tao sa pag iimbita ng bisita nito para sa kaarawan niya?

Nag aalinlangan ako kung maghahanda nga ako. Sabagay kasi hindi ko pa alam kung saan ko dapat idaos ang party. Minsan naiisip ko, gawin ko German style. Mag order ng mga cold cuts na nakapatong sa kahalating tinapay, mga iba’t-ibang klase ng keso, at mga Olives at paprika. Tapos maglagay din ng konting salad, ayos na. Mag imbita ng ilang tao sa isang restaurant for like 3 hours na kainan…tapos uwian na.

Pero, ang aking pagiging Pilipina ay kumokontra sa ideya na ito. Masaya naman kasi maghanda ng open end na party diba? Masa masarap din siyempre ang handang Pilipino. Ang walang kamatayang Pansit, Eskabche, Kaldereta, Humba o kaya Lechon. Isa pang problema, komo autumn baby ako, medyo malamig na sa buwan ng kaarawan ko. Hmmmm….. ano kaya maganda pakulo sa Oktubre?

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A Tulip for May

Last weekend, hubby and I were invited the 60th birthday of hubby’s cousin. They live like 300 kms away from us but it didn’t matter. Anyway, It was a good time to travel since the weather has warmed up a bit.

Also, I thought I should try to abuse my new cam… hehehe. Thing is, I read it somewhere, unless I am invited as the official camera man (woman) for the party, I should not bring my camera to parties. I did anyway, but decided not to take so much photos from the party.

As a photogapher wanna-be, the best place to practice? Where else but at mother-in-law’s garden. I decided to to take advantage the early morning light las Sunday. I like these best.

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