PINAY KALEIDOSCOPE SA ALEMANYA

A German-Pinay Hopeful for Euro-Vision in Baku

2012-01-22T12:12:00.000+01:00

(Photo: dpa/Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger)We were having our regular Meet and Eat in one of the famousKölsch breweries in the city when a Pinay friend told us aboutRachel, the daughter of our Pinay acquaintance. She is a favoritein this search for Germany's representative to the yearly Euro Visionto be held in Baku. Wow! I remember her singing in one Christmasparty of the Filipino Catholic Community in Cologne some years ago.She has the voice, stage presence.Hopefully she will make it to Baku.Imagine she will be competing with other Pin@ys from other Europeancountries. That will be the event of the year.Found another article on the preliminary competition for the Euro Vision.Wish you luck, Rachel!

Eres Tu

2012-01-19T15:17:00.001+01:00

http://youtu.be/cRiQWXI3Izc"Eres Tu (Touch The Wind)"(Juan Carlos Calderon)Como una promesa, eres tu, eres tuComo una manana de veranoComo una sonrisa, eres tu, eres tuAsi, asi, eres tu.Toda mi esperanza, eres tu, eres tuComo lluvia fresca en mis manosComo fuerte brisa, eres tu, eres tuAsi, asi, eres tuEres tu como el agua de mi fuente(Algo asi eres tu)Eres tu el fuego de mi hogarEres tu como el fuego de mi hogueraEres tu el trigo de mi panComo mi poema, eres tu, eres tuComo una guitarra en la nocheTodo mi horizonte eres tu, eres tuAsi, asi, eres tuEres tu como el agua de mi fuente(Algo asi eres tu)Eres tu el fuego de mi hogarEres tu como el fuego de mi hogueraEres tu el trigo de mi panEres tu...[English translation]Like a promise, you are, you areLike a summer morningLike a smile, you are, you areLike that, like that, you areAll my hope, you are, you areLike fresh rain in my handsLike a strong breeze, you are, you areLike that, like that, you are[Chorus:]You are like the water of my source(Something like that, you are)You are like the fire of my homeYou are like the fire of my bonfireYou are like the wheat of my breadYou areLike a poem, you are, you areLike a guitar in the nightMy whole horizon, you are, you areLike that, like that, you are(Source: The lyrics I found in the internet)Thanks to Jinky Lozano-Kühne for the videoand many thanks to UST Singers for the rendition of thisbeautiful song. Mabuhay kayo!

It's More Fun in the Philippines!

2012-01-08T10:17:00.001+01:00

From Wow Country to It's More Fun in the Philippines!Welcome to the new slogan of the Department of Tourism of the Philippines.Soon after the official release of the slogan this week, humour-blessed Pin@ys have beendeluding the cyberspace with their own photos, caricatures and interpretations of whatcould be fun in the Wow Country. I'm sharing my own photos here with the best intention to show you thatPin@ys are really fun-loving people. The famous Fs in our culture:Faith, Family, Face, Fiesta and Fun!Love us for our virtues. Finay von Alemanya

Befana Giving Gifts to Children

2012-01-05T22:07:00.000+01:00

Befana, the gift-giving witch who reward good children with sweets and toys on theeve of December 6, the Feast of the Three Kings in Italy

Carbone Dolce or sweet coal now the sweet version for the coal for naughty children

Witches hanging all over

You will see them all over in Italy, these hanging witches especiallyafter new year. They are called Befana, an old witch who bringchildren gifts like candies, toys just like Santa Claus bringinggifts to children on Christmas Day. I encountered the word Befana during a stay with migrantfamilies in Padova. One Pinay was asking a little girl whatshe got from her Befana, and the little child proudly showed her new doll.Reading about it, I learned that Befana comes from the wordEphiphany, the Christian feast of the Three Kings whenthey came to visit the Infant Jesus bringing him gifts.According to some beliefs, the old woman was invited by thethree kings to join them in looking for the baby but shedeclined the invitation saying she had still to clean and domany other things. Soon after, she realized her mistake andtried to follow the three kings but they were gone.Since then, the witch has been giving gifts to good childrento pay for the lost opportunity. Good children get sweetswhile the misbehaves have to be contented with black coal asthe belief goes. Moral of the story: There are more essential things todo than just cleaning. And if there are three kings invitingyou to a happening, never ever decline the offer.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T19:23:00.000+01:00

Not in the Mood to Celebrate a Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T17:18:00.001+01:00

Photo: Mandulog by Dingus Gustilo

Photo: Mandulog by Dingus GustiloTo remember this Christmas season of 2011, I am posting some photosI downloaded from postings I saw in FB. I'm trying to find thesource of the other photos posted by friends.What could one still say while watching the photos?How could I say Merry Christmas this time?

Hanging Love Padlocks in Hohenzollern Bridge

2011-12-11T14:09:00.000+01:00

When I saw some years ago these padlocks hanging in the steel nets of Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne, I thought they were padlocksfor the bikes. Once we held a conference for Babaylan Europe, our hotel and conference site was across the bridge comingfrom the main station and this gave me many chances to see the steel nets of padlocks again and observe at a close rangethe romantic ritual of kissing, hugging, hanging the padlocks and throwing the keys to the river. Of course, with muchcamera clicking as you can imagine. Nope, not for their bikes but for their love as I learned later. This is the famous Hohenzollern Bridge where lovers come, bringing their padlocks, kiss and swear love to each other,hang the padlocks and throw the keys to Rhein (river Rhine) below. If you have extra time when visiting the Dom City, go near the bridge and enjoythe view of the river and the old city. True friendship could also be symbolically sealed with padlocks before you indulge in not so much romantic activities like drinking famous Kölsch and eatingGerman sausages and pork knuckles.And when lovers spats break out later for whatever reason, remember your relationship has beensealed in this lovelock and the key is never to be found again.

SCD or Santa Claus Day in Germany

2011-12-06T08:57:00.001+01:00

Santa Claus, Sinterklaus or Sankt Niklaus is coming to town.

2nd Sunday of Advent

2011-12-04T09:39:00.001+01:00

Apfelstrudel to go

Weihnachtsmarkt near Cologne Cathedral

More rounds of Glühwein. In English translation, it iscalled mulled wein or wein which has been heated with spicesand sugar. Better take some aspirins before you indulge indrinking mugs of the season's drink.

Marlys and Michael showing me mugs of hot chocolate with rhum knownin Muenster as Lumumba. We decided to call it Mandela for theKölner version of this comforting drink.Second Sunday of Advent for this year but the weather is notfitting to the season. It's grey, stormy and raining, not a greatday to venture to the Christmas market to smell roasted almondsand drink hot chocolate with rhum.The start of the week was beautiful though giving mechance to visit another Christmas market in the centerof the city, near the famous Kölner Dom and meet a visiting couple of bloggers who taught me whatLumumba is. Now, let me see if I could do my own concoctionwhile staying domestic this second Sunday of Advent.

First Sunday of Advent 2011

2011-11-27T08:13:00.001+01:00

The First Sunday of Advent or the weekend of:The first Christmas decoration to thinkwill it be just an intant buy of holly wreathsred or green candlesviolets and silverwill it be a plastic Christmas treethe one forgotten in the cellarMade in ChinaChristmas cards (who are the loyal friends whostill think of sending classical paper greetings?)I opted for my traditional mix of edibles,fruits and nuts mixed with found purple stuffsin my search for the ceramic angels neatlyprotected in a box ready for displayfor cozy winter nights;The first visit to the traditional WeihnachtsmarktThe first weekend of stress preparing pasalubongs of chocolates for someone visiting the "Maderland"The first weekend of Adventof the season of love and giving.

11.11.11 The Season Begins

2011-11-13T15:52:00.000+01:00

Alaaaaaaaaaaaaaaf! It's November 11 at 11:00 and the season for merrymaking hasofficially started. It's Carnival season in this region. If you're new to thecity, don't be surprised that everyone is coming to work in crazy costumes forthe day. Old city would be full to the last street, and the main station wouldbe converted to a huge dancing hall. This season of dancing, drinking and orchestrated jokes telling willlast until Ash Wednesday next year culminating on the so-called Rosenmontagor Rose Monday.So either you join the fun, get crazily dressed or leave the cityand be a so-called Carnival refugee and spend your holiday somewherestarting the weekend of Weiberfastnacht(Thursday)until Tuesday beforeAsh Wednesday.Beer will flow, romance will fill the air and some loud Germans becomeeven louder during this season. Alaaaaaaaaf!

Two Birthday Celebrations

2011-11-06T13:25:00.000+01:00

Happy Birthday
Dear Mamang Mina

Happy Birthday
Dear Erma G.

2011-11-02T12:56:00.001+01:00


UST Singers

University of Santo Tomas Performing in Lindenholzhausen
on Sunday, 6. November, 2011 at 19.30
Konzertsaal des Dorfgemeinschaftshauses Lindenholzhausen

Mit dem Abschlusskonzert des Harmonie-Festivals präsentiert der Chor einen letztenHöhepunkt im Festivaljahr: Am Sonntag, 6. November, geben die "Universityof Santo Tomas Singers" aus Manila unter der musikalischen Leitung vonProfessor Fidel G. Galalang jr. um 19.30 Uhr ein Konzert imDorfgemeinschaftshaus Lindenholzhausen. Der Chor von den Philippinen ist einesder weltbesten gemischten Chorensembles und gewann allein im Jahr 2010 aufseiner Europa-Tournee 23 Preise bei internationalen Chorwettbewerben. Der Chorwar bereits zweifacher Preisträger des Harmonie-Festivals und zweimaligerGewinner des Wettbewerbs "Choir of the World" des internationalenChorfestivals in Llangollen (Wales). Die "Harmonie" als Gastgeberwird sich bei dem Konzert unter anderem mit Werken von Robert Sund und FranzSchubert präsentieren.

Eintrittskarten gibt es im Vorverkauf im DorfgemeinschaftshausLindenholzhausen, in der Wendelinusapotheke Lindenholzhausen, in derNassauischen Sparkasse Lindenholzhausen und in der KreissparkasseLindenholzhausen. Kartenvorbestellungen per E-Mail unter information@harmonie-festival.deoder Telefon: (0 64 31) 7 32 68.nnp (nnp)

Source: http://www.lindenholzhausen.de/aktuelles/2007-philippinischer-chor-singt-in-lindenholzhausen

Please consult other site for detailed info about UST and the performance:

http://www.harmonie-lindenholzhausen.de/html/konzertankundigungen.html

All-out-Justice in Mindanao?

2011-10-30T20:10:00.001+01:00

Displaced Muslim Women in Zamboanga

(Photo Source:

Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Every Day

War is no longer declared,

but rather continued. The outrageous

has become the everyday. The hero

is absent from the battle. The weak

are moved into the firing zone.

The uniform of the day is patience,

the order of merit is the wretched star

of hope over the heart.

It is awarded

when nothirng more happens,

when the bombardement is silenced,

when the enermy has become invisible

and the shadow of eternal weapons

covers the sky.

It is awarded

for deserting the flag,

for bravery before a friend,

for the betrayal of shameful secrets,

and the disregard

of every command.

Ingeborg Bachmann

(translated from the German by Peter Filkins)

Want to retrospect but it turns to experimenting

2011-10-23T15:09:00.000+02:00

Testing this new format. I just want to blog and I'm doing again experimenting here with the new settings. Will this continue...where will the photos go. Below are the "pasalubongs" from Central Asia brought by the peripatic Kabiyak ng Puso. You have to learn a bit of Filipino to understand my bloggings. I teach it, btw. So if interested, get in touch.

The cheese cake coming in flown from New York for the Anuga.
Thanks Noel!
The text below I photographed when I was in Berlin. The small
note explains that the text was seen in an Apple outlet in Manila.

Berlin, Berlin in Photos

2011-10-16T13:09:00.005+02:00

A long weekend in autumnal October in Berlin meeting the new
Philippine Ambassador to Germany, Madam Ambassador Maria Cleofe
R. Natividad and dialogue with Filipino Organizations in
Germany regarding qualification careers for unemployed migrants
aged 25+ with German language skills equivalent to B1; meeting
the new chaplain of the Filipino Catholic Community in Berlin,
Fr. Simon Boiser, SVD; watching the performance of the University
of Santo Tomas Singers for three consecutive days; getting to
know other members of UPAA-Germany and the best part of the
long weekend was discovering restaurants. Weather was not
really friendly but our mood was summery and enthusiastic for
next visit.

Erntedankfest-Thanksgiving in Germany

2011-10-02T13:30:00.004+02:00

Thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest. With permission from my
dear neighbor Ursula S., I'm posting here the decoration in
her terrace. Below is a poem about Thanksgiving.

Giving Thanks

For the hay and the corn and the wheat that is reaped,
For the labor well done, and the barns that are heaped,
For the sun and the dew and the sweet honeycomb,
For the rose and the song and the harvest brought home --
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the trade and the skill and the wealth in our land,
For the cunning and strength of the workingman's hand,
For the good that our artists and poets have taught,
For the friendship that hope and affection have brought --
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the homes that with purest affection are blest,
For the season of plenty and well-deserved rest,
For our country extending from sea unto sea;
The land that is known as the "Land of the Free" --
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!
(Author Unknown)

For our Children - Rights of Children

2011-09-25T16:44:00.008+02:00

(News taken from Kölner Stadt Anzeiger)

Every year in September, we remember especially this month for the
rights of children. For this year, Fr. Shay Cullen of PREDA
was invited to give a talk at the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum
about the "Lost Children of the Philippines."
Together with the famous actors of Tatort, Klaus J. Behrendt
und Dietmar Bär, they presented the project of supporting the
work for children's rights by patronizing dried mangoes and juices
coming from the Philippines and sold by the so called
One World shops (Eine Welt Laden)and in Globetrotter shops Germany.
To support the work of PREDA
please see their site and the site for Tatort-Straßen der
Welt e.V.

Pope in Germany-September 22, 2011

2011-09-22T17:57:00.002+02:00

(Photo Source: FAZ.Net)
He is the first pope to address the German Parliament.
On this especial day in Alemanya, I'm reposting a copy of
his speech which I "grabbed" from FAZ.net in German.

Papst Benedikt XVI.
Die Ökologie des Menschen
Erstmals hat ein Papst im Deutschen Bundestag eine Rede gehalten. Wir dokumentieren den Wortlaut der Rede von Papst Benedikt XVI. in der vom Presseamt des Heiligen Stuhls veröffentlichten Fassung.
22. September 2011
Es ist mir Ehre und Freude, vor diesem Hohen Haus zu sprechen - vor dem Parlament meines deutschen Vaterlandes, das als demokratisch gewählte Volksvertretung hier zusammenkommt, um zum Wohl der Bundesrepublik Deutschland zu arbeiten. Dem Herrn Bundestagspräsidenten möchte ich für seine Einladung zu dieser Rede ebenso danken wie für die freundlichen Worte der Begrüßung und Wertschätzung, mit denen er mich empfangen hat. In dieser Stunde wende ich mich an Sie, verehrte Damen und Herren - gewiss auch als Landsmann, der sich lebenslang seiner Herkunft verbunden weiß und die Geschicke der deutschen Heimat mit Anteilnahme verfolgt. Aber die Einladung zu dieser Rede gilt mir als Papst, als Bischof von Rom, der die oberste Verantwortung für die katholische Christenheit trägt. Sie anerkennen damit die Rolle, die dem Heiligen Stuhl als Partner innerhalb der Völker- und Staatengemeinschaft zukommt. Von dieser meiner internationalen Verantwortung her möchte ich Ihnen einige Gedanken über die Grundlagen des freiheitlichen Rechtsstaats vorlegen.
Lassen Sie mich meine Überlegungen über die Grundlagen des Rechts mit einer kleinen Geschichte aus der Heiligen Schrift beginnen. Im ersten Buch der Könige wird erzählt, dass Gott dem jungen König Salomon bei seiner Thronbesteigung eine Bitte freistellte. Was wird sich der junge Herrscher in diesem wichtigen Augenblick erbitten? Erfolg - Reichtum - langes Leben - Vernichtung der Feinde? Nicht um diese Dinge bittet er. Er bittet: "Verleih deinem Knecht ein hörendes Herz, damit er dein Volk zu regieren und das Gute vom Bösen zu unterscheiden versteht" (1 Kön 3,9). Die Bibel will uns mit dieser Erzählung sagen, worauf es für einen Politiker letztlich ankommen muss. Sein letzter Maßstab und der Grund für seine Arbeit als Politiker darf nicht der Erfolg und schon gar nicht materieller Gewinn sein. Die Politik muss Mühen um Gerechtigkeit sein und so die Grundvoraussetzung für Frieden schaffen. Natürlich wird ein Politiker den Erfolg suchen, der ihm überhaupt die Möglichkeit politischer Gestaltung eröffnet. Aber der Erfolg ist dem Maßstab der Gerechtigkeit, dem Willen zum Recht und dem Verstehen für das Recht untergeordnet. Erfolg kann auch Verführung sein und kann so den Weg auftun für die Verfälschung des Rechts, für die Zerstörung der Gerechtigkeit. "Nimm das Recht weg - was ist dann ein Staat noch anderes als eine große Räuberbande", hat der heilige Augustinus einmal gesagt. Wir Deutsche wissen es aus eigener Erfahrung, dass diese Worte nicht ein leeres Schreckgespenst sind. Wir haben erlebt, dass Macht von Recht getrennt wurde, dass Macht gegen Recht stand, das Recht zertreten hat und dass der Staat zum Instrument der Rechtszerstörung wurde - zu einer sehr gut organisierten Räuberbande, die die ganze Welt bedrohen und an den Rand des Abgrunds treiben konnte. Dem Recht zu dienen und der Herrschaft des Unrechts zu wehren ist und bleibt die grundlegende Aufgabe des Politikers. In einer historischen Stunde, in der dem Menschen Macht zugefallen ist, die bisher nicht vorstellbar war, wird diese Aufgabe besonders dringlich. Der Mensch kann die Welt zerstören. Er kann sich selbst manipulieren. Er kann sozusagen Menschen machen und Menschen vom Menschsein ausschließen. Wie erkennen wir, was recht ist? Wie können wir zwischen Gut und Böse, zwischen wahrem Recht und Scheinrecht unterscheiden? Die salomonische Bitte bleibt die entscheidende Frage, vor der der Politiker und die Politik auch heute stehen.
In einem Großteil der rechtlich zu regelnden Materien kann die Mehrheit ein genügendes Kriterium sein. Aber dass in den Grundfragen des Rechts, in denen es um die Würde des Menschen und der Menschheit geht, das Mehrheitsprinzip nicht ausreicht, ist offenkundig: Jeder Verantwortliche muss sich bei der Rechtsbildung die Kriterien seiner Orientierung suchen. Im 3. Jahrhundert hat der große Theologe Origenes den Widerstand der Christen gegen bestimmte geltende Rechtsordnungen so begründet: "Wenn jemand sich bei den Skythen befände, die gottlose Gesetze haben, und gezwungen wäre, bei ihnen zu leben . . ., dann würde er wohl sehr vernünftig handeln, wenn er im Namen des Gesetzes der Wahrheit, das bei den Skythen ja Gesetzwidrigkeit ist, zusammen mit Gleichgesinnten auch entgegen der bei jenen bestehenden Ordnung Vereinigungen bilden würde . . ."
Von dieser Überzeugung her haben die Widerstandskämpfer gegen das Naziregime und gegen andere totalitäre Regime gehandelt und so dem Recht und der Menschheit als Ganzer einen Dienst erwiesen. Für diese Menschen war es unbestreitbar evident, dass geltendes Recht in Wirklichkeit Unrecht war. Aber bei den Entscheidungen eines demokratischen Politikers ist die Frage, was nun dem Gesetz der Wahrheit entspreche, was wahrhaft Recht sei und Gesetz werden könne, nicht ebenso evident. Was in Bezug auf die grundlegenden anthropologischen Fragen das Rechte ist und geltendes Recht werden kann, liegt heute keineswegs einfach zutage. Die Frage, wie man das wahrhaft Rechte erkennen und so der Gerechtigkeit in der Gesetzgebung dienen kann, war nie einfach zu beantworten, und sie ist heute in der Fülle unseres Wissens und unseres Könnens noch sehr viel schwieriger geworden.
Wie erkennt man, was Recht ist? In der Geschichte sind Rechtsordnungen fast durchgehend religiös begründet worden: Vom Blick auf die Gottheit her wird entschieden, was unter Menschen rechtens ist. Im Gegensatz zu anderen großen Religionen hat das Christentum dem Staat und der Gesellschaft nie ein Offenbarungsrecht, eine Rechtsordnung aus Offenbarung vorgegeben. Es hat stattdessen auf Natur und Vernunft als die wahren Rechtsquellen verwiesen - auf den Zusammenklang von objektiver und subjektiver Vernunft, der freilich das Gegründetsein beider Sphären in der schöpferischen Vernunft Gottes voraussetzt. Die christlichen Theologen haben sich damit einer philosophischen und juristischen Bewegung angeschlossen, die sich seit dem 2. Jahrhundert v. Chr. gebildet hatte. In der ersten Hälfte des 2. vorchristlichen Jahrhunderts kam es zu einer Begegnung zwischen dem von stoischen Philosophen entwickelten sozialen Naturrecht und verantwortlichen Lehrern des römischen Rechts. In dieser Berührung ist die abendländische Rechtskultur geboren worden, die für die Rechtskultur der Menschheit von entscheidender Bedeutung war und ist. Von dieser vorchristlichen Verbindung von Recht und Philosophie geht der Weg über das christliche Mittelalter in die Rechtsentfaltung der Aufklärungszeit bis hin zur Erklärung der Menschenrechte und bis zu unserem deutschen Grundgesetz, mit dem sich unser Volk 1949 zu den "unverletzlichen und unveräußerlichen Menschenrechten als Grundlage jeder menschlichen Gemeinschaft, des Friedens und der Gerechtigkeit in der Welt" bekannt hat.
Für die Entwicklung des Rechts und für die Entwicklung der Humanität war es entscheidend, dass sich die christlichen Theologen gegen das vom Götterglauben geforderte religiöse Recht auf die Seite der Philosophie gestellt, Vernunft und Natur in ihrem Zueinander als die für alle gültige Rechtsquelle anerkannt haben. Diesen Entscheid hatte schon Paulus im Brief an die Römer vollzogen, wenn er sagt: "Wenn Heiden, die das Gesetz (die Tora Israels) nicht haben, von Natur aus das tun, was im Gesetz gefordert ist, so sind sie . . . sich selbst Gesetz. Sie zeigen damit, dass ihnen die Forderung des Gesetzes ins Herz geschrieben ist; ihr Gewissen legt Zeugnis davon ab . . ." (Röm 2,14 f).
Hier erscheinen die beiden Grundbegriffe Natur und Gewissen, wobei Gewissen nichts anderes ist als das hörende Herz Salomons, als die der Sprache des Seins geöffnete Vernunft. Wenn damit bis in die Zeit der Aufklärung, der Menschenrechtserklärung nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg und in der Gestaltung unseres Grundgesetzes die Frage nach den Grundlagen der Gesetzgebung geklärt schien, so hat sich im letzten halben Jahrhundert eine dramatische Veränderung der Situation zugetragen. Der Gedanke des Naturrechts gilt heute als eine katholische Sonderlehre, über die außerhalb des katholischen Raums zu diskutieren nicht lohnen würde, so dass man sich schon beinahe schämt, das Wort überhaupt zu erwähnen. Ich möchte kurz andeuten, wieso diese Situation entstanden ist.
Grundlegend ist zunächst die These, dass zwischen Sein und Sollen ein unüberbrückbarer Graben bestehe. Aus Sein könne kein Sollen folgen, weil es sich da um zwei völlig verschiedene Bereiche handle. Der Grund dafür ist das inzwischen fast allgemein angenommene positivistische Verständnis von Natur und Vernunft. Wenn man die Natur - mit den Worten von H. Kelsen - als "ein Aggregat von als Ursache und Wirkung miteinander verbundenen Seinstatsachen" ansieht, dann kann aus ihr in der Tat keine irgendwie geartete ethische Weisung hervorgehen. Ein positivistischer Naturbegriff, der die Natur rein funktional versteht, so wie die Naturwissenschaft sie erklärt, kann keine Brücke zu Ethos und Recht herstellen, sondern wiederum nur funktionale Antworten hervorrufen. Das Gleiche gilt aber auch für die Vernunft in einem positivistischen, weithin als allein wissenschaftlich angesehenen Verständnis. Was nicht verifizierbar oder falsifizierbar ist, gehört danach nicht in den Bereich der Vernunft im strengen Sinn. Deshalb müssen Ethos und Religion dem Raum des Subjektiven zugewiesen werden und fallen aus dem Bereich der Vernunft im strengen Sinn des Wortes heraus. Wo die alleinige Herrschaft der positivistischen Vernunft gilt - und das ist in unserem öffentlichen Bewusstsein weithin der Fall -, da sind die klassischen Erkenntnisquellen für Ethos und Recht außer Kraft gesetzt. Dies ist eine dramatische Situation, die alle angeht und über die eine öffentliche Diskussion notwendig ist, zu der dringend einzuladen eine wesentliche Absicht dieser Rede ist.
Das positivistische Konzept von Natur und Vernunft, die positivistische Weltsicht als Ganzes ist ein großartiger Teil menschlichen Erkennens und menschlichen Könnens, auf die wir keinesfalls verzichten dürfen. Aber es ist nicht selbst als Ganzes eine dem Menschsein in seiner Weite entsprechende und genügende Kultur. Wo die positivistische Vernunft sich allein als die genügende Kultur ansieht und alle anderen kulturellen Realitäten in den Status der Subkultur verbannt, da verkleinert sie den Menschen, ja, sie bedroht seine Menschlichkeit. Ich sage das gerade im Hinblick auf Europa, in dem weite Kreise versuchen, nur den Positivismus als gemeinsame Kultur und als gemeinsame Grundlage für die Rechtsbildung anzuerkennen, alle übrigen Einsichten und Werte unserer Kultur in den Status einer Subkultur verwiesen und damit Europa gegenüber den anderen Kulturen der Welt in einen Status der Kulturlosigkeit gerückt und zugleich extremistische und radikale Strömungen herausgefordert werden. Die sich exklusiv gebende positivistische Vernunft, die über das Funktionieren hinaus nichts wahrnehmen kann, gleicht den Betonbauten ohne Fenster, in denen wir uns Klima und Licht selber geben, beides nicht mehr aus der weiten Welt Gottes beziehen wollen. Und dabei können wir uns doch nicht verbergen, dass wir in dieser selbstgemachten Welt im Stillen doch aus den Vorräten Gottes schöpfen, die wir zu unseren Produkten umgestalten. Die Fenster müssen wieder aufgerissen werden, wir müssen wieder die Weite der Welt, den Himmel und die Erde sehen und all dies recht zu gebrauchen lernen.
Aber wie geht das? Wie finden wir in die Weite, ins Ganze? Wie kann die Vernunft wieder ihre Größe finden, ohne ins Irrationale abzugleiten? Wie kann die Natur wieder in ihrer wahren Tiefe, in ihrem Anspruch und mit ihrer Weisung erscheinen? Ich erinnere an einen Vorgang in der jüngeren politischen Geschichte, in der Hoffnung, nicht allzu sehr missverstanden zu werden und nicht zu viele einseitige Polemiken hervorzurufen. Ich würde sagen, dass das Auftreten der ökologischen Bewegung in der deutschen Politik seit den 70er Jahren zwar wohl nicht Fenster aufgerissen hat, aber ein Schrei nach frischer Luft gewesen ist und bleibt, den man nicht überhören darf und nicht beiseiteschieben kann, weil man zu viel Irrationales darin findet. Jungen Menschen war bewusst geworden, dass irgendetwas in unserem Umgang mit der Natur nicht stimmt. Dass Materie nicht nur Material für unser Machen ist, sondern dass die Erde selbst ihre Würde in sich trägt und wir ihrer Weisung folgen müssen. Es ist wohl klar, dass ich hier nicht Propaganda für eine bestimmte politische Partei mache - nichts liegt mir ferner als dies. Wenn in unserem Umgang mit der Wirklichkeit etwas nicht stimmt, dann müssen wir alle ernstlich über das Ganze nachdenken und sind alle auf die Frage nach den Grundlagen unserer Kultur überhaupt verwiesen. Erlauben Sie mir, bitte, dass ich noch einen Augenblick bei diesem Punkt bleibe. Die Bedeutung der Ökologie ist inzwischen unbestritten. Wir müssen auf die Sprache der Natur hören und entsprechend antworten. Ich möchte aber nachdrücklich einen Punkt noch ansprechen, der nach wie vor weitgehend ausgeklammert wird: Es gibt auch eine Ökologie des Menschen. Auch der Mensch hat eine Natur, die er achten muss und die er nicht beliebig manipulieren kann. Der Mensch ist nicht nur sich selbst machende Freiheit. Der Mensch macht sich nicht selbst. Er ist Geist und Wille, aber er ist auch Natur, und sein Wille ist dann recht, wenn er auf die Natur hört, sie achtet und sich annimmt als der, der er ist und der sich nicht selbst gemacht hat. Gerade so und nur so vollzieht sich wahre menschliche Freiheit.
Kehren wir zurück zu den Grundbegriffen Natur und Vernunft, von denen wir ausgegangen waren. Der große Theoretiker des Rechtspositivismus, Kelsen, hat im Alter von 84 Jahren - 1965 - den Dualismus von Sein und Sollen aufgegeben. Er hatte gesagt, dass Normen nur aus dem Willen kommen können. Die Natur könnte folglich Normen nur enthalten, wenn ein Wille diese Normen in sie hineingelegt hat. Dies wiederum würde einen Schöpfergott voraussetzen, dessen Wille in die Natur miteingegangen ist. "Über die Wahrheit dieses Glaubens zu diskutieren, ist völlig aussichtslos", bemerkt er dazu. Wirklich? - möchte ich fragen. Ist es wirklich sinnlos zu bedenken, ob die objektive Vernunft, die sich in der Natur zeigt, nicht eine schöpferische Vernunft, einen Creator Spiritus voraussetzt?
An dieser Stelle müsste uns das kulturelle Erbe Europas zu Hilfe kommen. Von der Überzeugung eines Schöpfergottes her ist die Idee der Menschenrechte, die Idee der Gleichheit aller Menschen vor dem Recht, die Erkenntnis der Unantastbarkeit der Menschenwürde in jedem einzelnen Menschen und das Wissen um die Verantwortung der Menschen für ihr Handeln entwickelt worden. Diese Erkenntnisse der Vernunft bilden unser kulturelles Gedächtnis. Es zu ignorieren oder als bloße Vergangenheit zu betrachten wäre eine Amputation unserer Kultur insgesamt und würde sie ihrer Ganzheit berauben. Die Kultur Europas ist aus der Begegnung von Jerusalem, Athen und Rom - aus der Begegnung zwischen dem Gottesglauben Israels, der philosophischen Vernunft der Griechen und dem Rechtsdenken Roms entstanden. Diese dreifache Begegnung bildet die innere Identität Europas. Sie hat im Bewusstsein der Verantwortung des Menschen vor Gott und in der Anerkenntnis der unantastbaren Würde des Menschen, eines jeden Menschen Maßstäbe des Rechts gesetzt, die zu verteidigen uns in unserer historischen Stunde aufgegeben ist.
Dem jungen König Salomon ist in der Stunde seiner Amtsübernahme eine Bitte freigestellt worden. Wie wäre es, wenn uns, den Gesetzgebern von heute, eine Bitte freigestellt wäre? Was würden wir erbitten? Ich denke, auch heute könnten wir letztlich nichts anderes wünschen als ein hörendes Herz - die Fähigkeit, Gut und Böse zu unterscheiden und so wahres Recht zu setzen, der Gerechtigkeit zu dienen und dem Frieden.
Text: F.A.Z.
Bildmaterial: dapd
Source: www.faz.net

Note: Will try to find the English version later.

September in Copenhagen Part 1

2011-09-18T11:11:00.007+02:00

Catching the guards' turning towards our direction can take minutes
and it was a windy morning. Brrrrrrrrrrrr!

Guards at Amalienborg Palace, the queen's residence.

"Meeting the Little Mermaid, the most famous statue in Scandinavia.
This bronze statue "Den Lille Havfrue" was inspired by Hans Christian
Andersen's The Little Mermaid, of the world's most famous fairy tales.
Edvard Eriksen's sculpture, unveiled in 1913, rests on rocks right off
the shore. In spite of its small size, the statue is as important
a symbol to Copenhageners as the Statue of Liberty to New Yorkers."
(Frommer's Europe by Train)

The best way to see this city founded by Bishop Absalon in 1167 is
getting into one of those Hop On-Hop Off bus tours. We paid for
a two day pass with Tivoli entrance for DKK 220 per adult which is
roughly 40US$.

Visiting friends posing in Amalienborg Palace

Feeling like travelling in The Netherlands with so many bikes all over.

Arriving in Koebenhavn H (main station), these huge ceiling
lamps never fail to impress me everytime I come to this city.

A comfortable Danish train. Can't believe it can float!

You would just not believe that such ferries carry trains, trucks,
trailers, hundreds of cars, motorbikes, campers and travellers.
It takes about 45 minutes to cross from German Puttgarden to Roedby.
I paid from Cologne main station to Koevenhavn H return 167.10 Euro
with Bahncard 50. Check offers from German trains especially
starting from Hamburg.

One of the famous landmarks of the city - Carlsberg. In 1847, the famous
beer was brewed in this brewery in Valby.

Bella Italia Sojourn-Other Images

2011-09-04T14:51:00.007+02:00

You will not miss them.
They will offer you everything. When it is raining, they have umbrellas.
They have hats to protect you from the burning heat of Italian sun
and weather. They have fans, flashlights, toys and posters.
They are so patient, will engage you in conversation when you
try to bargain. Ten Euro worth of summer hat becomes eight Euro
and you become so delighted. Then they have to run as soon as
the policemen really show interest in them and start confiscating
their goods. Where do you all come from? All the colors of humanity
in this cosmopolitan city of tourism, history and culture?
How much will you be able to keep after a hard-day of hawkings
and running? How much will your family get from this 8Euro per hat
goods you offer? How long will you work today while we complain
about the heat, about the 5.50 Euro worth of a small bottle of
water we ordered from this "tourist trap" restaurant in front
of the Colosseo. Will you have a place to go home to? Will you have
to live in constant fear of being arrested for not having the right
papers, for not having the "right" color of skin to enjoy Bella
Italia? How do you feel looking at us waving to us your hats,
fans, umbrellas and shawls while we look down upon you still not
certain whether to get one fan or not until the tourist bus leaves
and we forget all about you, and we are just confronted with
our own discomfort, budget and safety.
Ah...how I wish I could one day tell you all, okey today you
will all take a rest from your work. I will buy all your goods
or you could keep your wares but enjoy a holiday today. See the
city with another eyes, without your fear, without your anxiety.
At least one day to enjoy Bella Italia!

Italian Sojourn August 2011

2011-08-28T11:47:00.004+02:00

Bella Italia!
This time with one of my BFFs and her daughter and a quasi
last minute travel planning. I paid for my Cologne-Milano
Europa-Spezial with reservation for 103.50Euro. Check especial
offers by Die Bahn but you need at least three days before
the actual travelling day. We left Cologne at 10.53, reached
Zuerich at 5pm to get our connection to Milano. We reached Milano
at about 9.10pm with some 20 minutes delay.
Our Travel Schedule:
August. 18 - Travel to Milano, Overnight Milano
August 19 - Travel to Padova, visit to St. Anthony
overnight with Cecil S. in Padova. We were instantly
invited to join an instant party of Pinays with adobo,
sinigang na baboy and pasta with crabs and ube cake.
August 20 - Tour of Venice...what a hot day!
August 21 - Travel to Rome - Vatican City overnight in 3-star Hotel
for 120 Euro for three persons. Air-conditioning was super!
Check Euro Star Italia for special free ride for children
below the age of 12 travelling with parents. Could be
a real treat.
August 22 - Tour of Rome with the Hop on - Hop off for
20Euro per adult. Also especial treat for children but
be sure you have hats and fans as Rome is unbearable in the
month of August. Compare offers of the different tours before
booking. Other Hop on-Hop off companies include night
tours, a bit more expensive but you see more.
August 23 - Train travel to Pisa...ah what tourists do to get
photos of the leaning tower.
One hour train to Firenze to see David,ate expensive ice cream
and then took the train back to our hotel in Milano.
August 24 - tour of Milano's Duomo and the shopping alley
but stayed inside hotel as heat was getting unbearable.
We were also just feeling sooooooooooo exhausted.
August 25 - took our booked train back to Alemanya
and we reached Cologne at 7.25 pm hungry for German food!
We would like to return soon to Bella Italia but maybe
not during the hot days of August.
Buona Giornata!

Meet, Eat and Learn

2011-08-14T17:25:00.005+02:00

My status says in my other site says:"Have a Meet and Eat date with
my Muslim girlfriend today at 17:00. Looking at the how to get to
her place sketch, I think it will be just about 20.39 when I reach
her flat...sunset in Germany. We can eat.”
The delay of the train gave me a plus point.I managed to be just on
the time she wanted us to be in her apartment. Was ahead of the other
women and had time to try on some batik loose blouses from
Indonesia left to her by her friend.
Then our starters of sliced baguettes with German red cherries and
American yellow cheeries which we easily finished with sparkling wine
brought by another woman guest to post celebrate her birthday.
Weather was grey looking like the sun has set early that day.
Kani informed us that she could break her fast as she was not feeling
well so my fear of getting the first bite only after 8.30pm that day
was unfounded.
Soon she was calling us to her kitchen/dining room and surprised us
with a festive serving of Nasih kuning or yellow rice with
accompaniments of rendang ayam (chicken rendang,) semur or beef
cooked in soya sauce, serundeng (roasted spicy coconut) gado-gado,
steamed vegetables with peanut sauce and krupuk - prawn crisps.
For our dessert: Sweet potatoes and bananas cooked in coconut milk
and Rujak, mixture of tropical fruits i.e. mangoes, pineapples,
carambola (balimbing) sprinkled with grounded peanuts and drizzled
with spicy tamarind sauce.
Between our bites and second servings, we talked about Indonesian
languages, rituals in Bali, about the existing caste system in
Indonesia and the status of homosexuals in Germany and in the home
countries of the invited guests.
Kani even patiently taught each one of us how to weave pandan leaves
used as decoration for the offerings to the different gods and spirits.
And as especial treat, every woman brought home a doggie bag of her
festive meal. What a thoughtful hostess. I asked her what she would
be doing and cooking at the end of Ramadan. Sneaky me!
Terimah Kasih, Kani! Salamat! Danke! Thank You!

Pinay von Alemanya

Big Treat from Rose of NL

2011-08-07T10:17:00.005+02:00

Good that I responded to her message and we settled to meet up.
I cancelled my planned trip to see the Gay Parade in Amsterdam
as weather report showed "Precipitation 70%." It rained heavily
too in Rotterdam but we found our way through the weekend
market buying cherries, cheese and dates. She suggested
a restaurant named Amigo especializing in Mexican food. She said
it would be her treat. Ay! Talagang Hospitality Ala Pinay.
And what a treat! Thanks a lot. I will always associate this
restaurant Amigo with my Amiga Rose...Hasta Luego!

Instant Lunch-Within the Budget

2011-08-05T16:21:00.006+02:00

Every seasoned traveller knows it...how to live on within the
planned budget for the day. In my case, it was just an incident
that I saw this chicken shop while searching for an Indian shirt
in this multicultural part of Rotterdam. So I thought why not try
itm and instantly I thought of my friend Min who goes crazy
looking for the Colonel when she visits me. We don't have this
chicken shop in our city but instead a rolling chicken on grills
comes every Thursday but for her it's the Colonel's or nothing
at all.
I took this 3 piece Box menu costing 8.45Euro.
Converted into the current rate, it is roughly 508.83pesos.
It was filling I should say but too big for an Asian woman's
stomach. I found the coleslaw not so tasting like what I
expected and the chicken...well crumbly but not that especial.
I still would prefer the especial fried chicken of my friend
Yvonne...she should be called General and not just Colonel for
making her own version of crusty, delicious fried chicken.
Hope she reads this blog and make me a fried chicken when
we do our Meet and Eat day.

Summer in Rotterdam

2011-08-03T12:26:00.004+02:00

Buwan ng Agosto, Buwan ng Wikang Filipino

2011-08-01T15:28:00.004+02:00

(Source:internet)

Buwan ng Wikang Filipino. Unang araw pa lang ng Agosto, nagsimulang
sumikat ang araw. Mga tatlong linggong halos di nakita ang araw.
Walang tigil ang ulan. Panahon ng tag-lamig sa kainitan.

Mahirap din magsulat sa sarileng wika. Ang pagiisip ay halo-halong
salitang banyaga.
Di ko alam para bang ako'y nagsusulat ng tula
Lahat ng salita ay parang inuugma (wow ang lalim)

Anong gagawin sa unang araw ng Agosto
Nasanay na yata ako sa lamig at ayaw na sa init.

Pinagmamasdan mula sa bintana
mga nagdadaang tao may dala-dalang kundi aso ay bata
pero mas maraming may dalang tuta.

Ang summer job ko ay gumawa ng libro
Sa pagaaral ng wikang Filipino
Ang mga pahinang di pa napupuno
malibang sa Ano pong pangalan ninyo.

Ay buwan ng Agosto
Huwag kang masyadong iinit
Sapagkat ako'y sanay sa lamig.

Kaunting ulan hiling ko sa yo
Para sa aking mga tanim na self-supporting
Kaunting init laban sa depression
Kaunting hangin parang de abaniko
Habang naglalakad o nagshoshoping
Para di uminit ang ulo
sa taas ng mga presyo.

Tapos na muna dito ang blogging
Kontrata ng trabaho
Ay dapat isipin.
Susunod na pahina,
Kumusta po kayo
Mabuti naman
Anong Status ninyo?

Dogs Day

2011-07-28T15:10:00.002+02:00

I was posting the other day the short encounter I had with
a German woman who was strolling with her poodle. "Paula, don't
stop on the middle of the road. Go, move futher," she was telling
her curly-haired white poodle. Actually, it was an encounter
with her poodle and not with her as Paula refused to move
and kept on staring back at me...on the middle of the road.
Good there was not much traffic that day. Most probably all gone
to get tanned and escape the German winter this summer.
A day later, (see the photo above)in a neighboring Dutch
village, I met this friendly woman with her flock of Shih Tzu
and other equally "fierce" looking puppies. She agreed to my
shooting her dogs, digital that is, and the puppies showed more
cooperation, stopped and stared back at me.
What could she be telling them later after I said thank you
and praised her flock? "Now, don't be too friendly to
strangers, little puppies. She might post you and you don't
get your royalties."
This is by the way, the day when the Philippine AZKALs,
strayed dogs lost to the national team of Kuwait.
A dog day afternoon.

Shopping in Germany

2011-07-22T16:36:00.003+02:00

Sure you know that brand. It starts with B. Sandals or clogs,
good for your feet, good for your health, damageproof. For many
years, they have been identified as "official" footwear of German
developmental workers;alternative, sturdy, practical. Worn with socks,
they made a good piece of conversation among the onlookers but
that's another story.
I don't want to give shoes as gifts so I'm buying someone
a pair or two as she claims she couldn't walk comfortably with
other brand of shoes. I tried some pairs and I felt like
I'm a personified Donald Duck...too wide, too long and
felt like I couldn't control my direction. But I have to get
the ordered shoes.
Price ranges from 39.95 to 89.95 depending on the style.
I was so busy looking for the sizes that I didn't see
that they were not all really Made in Germany even if the store
logo says Made in Germany, Tradition since 1774. I realized it
only when I was trying them again at home and read the labels.
Made in Spain, licensed by B. One pair has the label B, Made in
Germany which I got on summer sale for only 24.95Euro It used to
cost 49Euro. Will they get cheaper in winter, I wouldn't know.
The cheapest stuff, pink slippers are Made in
China for 9.99. Very light, a must if you're using public showers
for the holidays. Needless to say, not when you're going to
China. Such stuffs are freebies, you could bring them home
as souvenirs.
The next door leads to an outlet of another German brand; no, not
the one with the monkey which guarantees jobs for Germany.
Posh, too. But I won't say the brand. I didn't get my size.
Besides, how would a personified Donald Duck or Daisy
look like with that designer's suit walking with B'stock?

Cross-posting: Pin@ys in Greece

2011-07-21T22:23:00.002+02:00

I got this posting in another site...well in Facebook actually.
I would like to share it with you. Thanks Margie.
Posted by Kasapi Hellas
Dear Mr Theodorakis,
When will the lack of awareness end?
I’m sure you consider my question to be impertinent, but I’m actually being quite polite when you consider the feelings that are not being expressed. What I really want to say is that your statement in Naoussa on June 27th when you claimed that Greece had become the “Filipineza” of the troϊka and the IMF is thoughtless, hurtful and racist. I also know that to continue expressing my feelings in this way would be both useless and damaging.
I don’t want to make things worse. My aim is not to insult or to stand as your judge, but to attempt to make you understand what you have actually said. I would like to give you the opportunity to see how hurtful and unjust your statement is. I’d like you and others like you to realize that Greece cannot move forward by trampling on others. Filipinos are a just people. They are your allies and stand in solidarity with Greeks in the hope of finding common solutions. They deserve and it is their right to be treated better.
The truth is that you are a good man. I know you have worked all your life for justice and the good of your people in the best way you knew how. You have bravely spoken out with integrity in times when the risk to your own freedom was high. You have been a freedom fighter as an individual, as a musician and as a politician giving courage, hope and inspiration to people around the world. Your personal story is more than impressive.
And yet you have no awareness whatsoever of the racist attitudes that you are reinforcing while attempting to speak for your own people. Why should a floundering nation of Greeks be compared to Filipinas? How can you callously categorize Philippine women in a way that ignores their individuality, their intelligence, their strengths and their charms? How can you use hard-working and courageous people as a symbol of everything that you find humiliating, a symbol of servitude?
Is your hurt as a Greek so deep that you cannot see that you are being oppressive towards people who themselves have been badly used by both the Greek and the global economy. Just the fact that you choose Filipinas to show your indignation means that you know something of the injustices that these people face. This does not give you the right to humiliate them in trying to express your own humiliation in the face of the measures being forced on Greece during the current economic situation.
I know Greek people use the word “Filipina” as a catchall term for a domestic worker, but that doesn’t make it right. Babiniotis, who compiled the well-known and very comprehensive dictionary for the Modern Greek language, distanced himself from all responsibility for the entry “Filipineza” by stating that he was merely recording the common usage given to the word by the Greek people themselves. He rightly claimed that he was not responsible for giving words their meaning. However, while defending himself, he obviously felt no obligation to attempt to right the wrong that has grown within the Greek language that he claims to love so well.
Surely, Mr Theodoraki, you remember that no one is free until everyone is free. Surely, men like you and Babiniotis, who have the attention and respect of so many millions of people, can use that attention to influence positive change rather than adding to the injustices.
Think about what you have said. Think about your indignation at what is happening in Greece and then think about the indignation of the Filipino people and how they have been used over the years. If it weren’t for globalization, you might never have met a Filipina in your life. Filipinas do not want to leave their families or their country to come and work in your homes. The global economy forces them to do so. However, regardless of the necessity, they come with their dignity intact, knowing who they are and how to cope with every situation.
Greece would be lucky indeed to be able to truthfully compare itself to these people who have migrated from the Philippines in search of a better life. Their search has always added greatly to the richness of every country they enter!
Sincerely,
Margie Doyle Papadopoulou

TGIF! Marketing on Friday

2011-07-08T12:00:00.004+02:00

This is not an ad for any product nor study on the current prices
of groceries. I just took an hour or so from my paper works to fetch
from our Friday market what I've been wanting to eat since the other
day. I have been craving for cherries for days but won't give in
to the temptation and buy from the regular fruit store selling
imported huge, round cherries for 11.90Euro a kilo.
While waiting for my turn in this long line of faithful
"Suki" buyers of this most patronized fruits and veggies
stand in this Friday market,I could enjoy hearing the small
talks of the locals: Greetings, "Guten Tag", "He has a stroke and
now in hospital," "She has amaurosis," (I tried hard to remember
the word so I could google it later but I could also have misheard
what the woman has said.),"Korea, that country is poor, isn't it?"
(They were talking about the latest news on the doping case of two
North Korean football players in the Women's World Cup games
happening currently in Germany.), etc, etc, etc. Wish I could tape
all the talks while waiting to get my cherries.
For the purchase of blackberries, strawberries and a kilo
of cherries (see photo above), I paid only 7.40Euro. TGIF! It was
worth waiting for Friday marketing.

Internationales und interkulturelles Kultur-und Begegnungsfest 2011

2011-06-26T11:43:00.005+02:00

Freude.Joy.Joie.Bonn
Internationales und interkulturelles Kultur-und Begegnungsfest
Freizetpark, Rheinaue
Rain, shower or sunshine, the festival went on. The bad weather in
the region didn't hinder people coming to the annual festival
featuring international groups and associations with cultural shows
and food booths. The event took place in June this year instead in
September with 100 different associations and initiatives participating.
I missed my Pin@y Buchi (buns filled with mongo beans)though and
giant papayas normally sold by an African group. I bought some
homemade chitcharons (cracklings) and got pabaon of homemade achara
(pickled papaya and suman (ricecake wrapped in banana leaves).
Consolation for the headache the next day due to exposure to the
uncooperating bad weather that day. Would it be better to have it
again after summer, in September? Calling the City of Bonn.

AZKALS Come to the City of Dueren

2011-06-16T11:54:00.004+02:00

They named themselves "AZKALS", a construct from Aso meaning dog(s)
and Kalye, street. You can't miss the meaning;dogs roaming in
the street without owners. I read somewhere that they chose this
name as the team from the start has no financial support from the
government and has to fight for its presence in the basketball-crazy
land of the Pin@ys.
I associate football as games of the boys coming from Catholic
schools especially from the expensive ones. Players are so rich that
they refuse to obey their coaches and would rather indulge in
inter-schools brawls than learning techniques.
The first player (he was wearing the team jersey) I talked to
comes from Ilo-ilo. Didn't even see his number but he was very
nice and said that he likes it here in Dueren; "Tahimik dito",
peaceful here.
Soon the rustical football field was filled with screaming
voices of women and hearty Pin@ys "kantiaws". I heard one Pinoy
saying like "ayan na si Bulitlit" (here comes the small one),
"si Bisaya yan" (he is Bisaya), "makulit yan" (he's insistent),
"Banat" (more force) and "magaling yan, kaya lang nag-iisa yan!"
(he's brilliant but he's the only one!). Life in this German
football field on this summery day in June.
Enjoy the photos. My camera is not fit to take fast moves
of the visiting AZKALS. Wish them more wins and luck.
Mabuhay kayo! Awooooooooooooooo!

Araw ng Kalayaan - June 12 - 113th Philippine Independence Day

2011-06-12T11:15:00.004+02:00

(Photos taken from google search)
Araw ng Kalayaan ng Pilipinas

In celebration of the 113th Philippine Independence Day,
please enjoy this especial arrangement of one's love for
the Motherland as rendered by the University of Santo Tomas
Singers during their performance at the Maritime Hotel
in Frankfurt per invitation of the Philippine General
Consulate on June 6, 2011.
Pilipinas Kong Mahal

Noam Chomsky in Cologne

2011-06-08T18:17:00.010+02:00

It was like being able to shake hands with a Rock Star...a polit rock.
We were surprised how big the crowd was waiting for him at the
University of Cologne. While our dear Merkel was receiving
the Medal of Freedom from Obama in USA, we were listening to his
interpretation regarding America's real foreign policies.
What a brilliance, what a man! I won't forget I met him even
so briefly despite the protection of the Men in Black surrounding
him as bodyguards. Thank you for your brilliance, Mr. Chomsky!

Independence Day Celebration in Germany

2011-06-07T15:58:00.004+02:00

Invitation to the 113th Philippine Independence Day Celebration
at the Philippine General Consulate in Frankfurt
featuring the University of Santo Tomas Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cL5fta2i8E

Wearables this summer 2011

2011-06-04T10:47:00.002+02:00

Roses Outside Our Windows

2011-05-29T21:01:00.005+02:00

Beetrose - Sweet Dream

English Old Rose

Rumba

Summer Song
"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of
us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose
garden over the horizon - instead of enjoying the roses that are
blooming outside our windows today."
D. Carnegie

My first purchased rose for this summer is named Rumba, followed
by another pot of Gertrude Jekyll English old rose. Inspired by
the blooming roses in my neighborhood, I got this time a climbing
rose with dark orange color. The card says roses would later smell
deliciously of chrysanthemums, banana and tea. When the dear neighbor
drove me to a garden center where I saw more collections of roses
in all colors and scents, I took another pot of beetrose with
the name, Sweet Dream. I'm thinking of going back to the garden
center and get the pinkish Leonardo da Vinci.
The magical rose garden is not over the horizon...it's just
outside my windows. Hope the magic will last long.

It's All About Food

2011-05-22T10:45:00.006+02:00

"Eat to Live not Live to Eat"
Talks and news since the last two weeks have been focussed on two main
subjects: Food and Weather. While waiting for the real rain to fall,
the price of groceries has gone up even up to 43% as reported by
some German tabloid newspapers. I learned it first-hand when I bought
a whole rhabarbercake and must paid 30 cents more, 25 for the cake
and 5 for the paper bag. When I asked the saleslady why the sudden
increase in price, she answered back with a question,"Lesen Sie
nicht die Zeitung?"..."don't you read the papers, everything has
increased, sugar, oil, flour." I wanted to answer back not the kind
of papers you have here in your bakery but I let it go otherwise
I won't get any cake at all. It's not worth my time to engage in
small arguments with a saleslady...get the bread or cake and keep
your cool, I told myself.
Some days later, the food subject spread to massive waste
of food and bought groceries landing in garbage bins.
This week, it was food in restaurants and specifically on
restaurant hygiene. To learn more on this new regulation of
granting restaurants "traffic light" evaluation of their
hygiene stand starting next year, read on the article
I posted below taken from "der Spiegel".

Getting the Green Light for German Restaurants
Consumers worried about filthy kitchens full of rotting food will soon know just how clean German restaurants are thanks to a new hygiene rating system set to begin in 2012. A "traffic light" scheme will show which eateries are spick-and-span -- and which have nasties lurking under the cupboards.

Finding a random hair in an entrée can be distressing enough, but there are a host of other potential hygiene dangers that are often invisible to restaurant customers, hidden behind closed kitchen doors.
But soon there won't be quite as much guesswork involved in choosing one's next dining experience, at least in Germany. On Thursday, consumer ministers from Germany's federal states, with the exception of the southern state of Bavaria, agreed to institute a color-coded hygiene rating system that will be clearly posted at the entry of every restaurant in the country.
"This is a milestone for consumer protection," said Bremen's health minister Ingelore Rosenkötter.
The "traffic light" scheme will indicate how closely each restaurant adheres to health standards. Green rankings will go to eateries with the highest marks for cleanliness. Yellow will indicate some concerns, and red will point to grave violations. The exact graphic incarnation of the ratings remains undecided, though. "The important thing is that it will be easy to understand at first glance," Rosenkötter said.
The decision came after more than a year of internal wrangling over whether the scheme should mirror Denmark's food safety "Smiley system," which has been in place since 2001. A similar pilot project has been tested in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and in Berlin's Pankow district since 2009, complete with smiley faces. Pankow's progam has been received with particular interest thanks to its monthly online publication of their "negative list," which details the worst hygiene violations using photos of the restaurants in question (see photo gallery) and which has been wildly popular among locals. Berlin has since announced its intention to implement the smiley labels city-wide in July 2011.
Restaurants and Beyond
It now lies with the federal government to create the legal foundation for the new system, which the state-level consumer ministers hope will begin in early 2012. Beginning with restaurants, it will later include bakers, butchers, grocers, commercial kitchens and weekly markets. Pizza delivery establishments, to which customers have little direct contact, will be rated online.
Federal Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner pledged to help implement the new program, but also called on each of the country's 16 states to ensure they had enough public regulations employees on hand to make it a success. "Only when the level of regulation is high in all states and the monitoring results are current does this barometer make sense," she told the regional daily Stuttgarter Zeitung.
Reaction to the announcement was mixed. While consumer organizations were largely in favour of the meaasure, food industry advocates said it threatened to destroy business.
"Exemplary establishments can use their rating to advertize, while those that aren't as good have incentive to improve, and the black sheep have nowhere to hide," the national association of consumer initiatives said.
The German Federation for Food Law and Food Science (BLL) said the program could only http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifwork if states were willing to conduct more frequent tests and spend more money.
Meanwhile heavy criticism came from the national hotel and gastronomy association DEHOGA, which said current regulations are sufficient. "This system is built to endanger people's existence," they said in a statement.
kla -- with wire reports
(Source: der Spiegel

Red-Yellow-Green
Green-Yellow-Red

The Colors of Hygiene in your fav restaurant next year and don't
be color-blind please.

Do You Like Schwarzwaelder Torte or Black Forest Cake?

2011-05-19T22:35:00.006+02:00

When travelling to Germany, don't miss ordering these gems of
German cakes, Schwarzwaelder Torte or Black Forest Cake. If you
are not in Germany and have time to experiment on baking,
here's one recipe I found in the internet courtesy of CD Kitchen.

Ingredients
2 eggs -- separate out yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup cake flour, sifted
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup salad oil
1 cup milk, divided
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

***CHERRY FILLING***

1 can (20 oz.) tart cherries -- drained
1/2 cup port wine
1 tablespoon kirsch
3 drops almond extract

***CHOCOLATE MOUSSE***

3 ounces semisweet chocolate
3 tablespoons kirsch
1 egg, well beaten
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

***FROSTING***

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 package (16 oz.) confectioner's sugar -- sifted
1/4 cup light cream
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

PREPARATION:

CHERRY FILLING: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate overnight.
Drain thoroughly.

CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour 2 nine inch round cake pans. In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add in 1/2 cup sugar, beating until soft peaks from again. In a large mixer bowl sift together flour, 1 cup sugar and salt. Add oil and 1/2 cup milk.

Beat for 1 minute at medium, on electric mixer, scraping down side of bowl often. Add remaining milk, egg yolks and chocolate. Beat 1 minutes longer, scraping down sides of bowl frequently. Gently fold in egg whites. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30 - 35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes then remove from pans and allow to cool completely on racks. Split each layer in half, horizontally, to make 4 thin layers. Set aside.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE:
In the top of a double boiler, combine Kirsch and chocolate. Stir until melted and smooth. Slowly stir into egg. In a mixing bowl whip cream with sugar. Fold cream into chocolate. Refrigerate and chill for 2 hours.

FROSTING:
In a large mixer bowl cream butter and gradually add in half the sugar. Beat in 2 tablespoons cream and the vanilla extract. Gradually blend in remaining sugar, adding enough cream to make it a spreading consistency.

CAKE ASSEMBLY:
Spread 1/2 cup frosting on the cut side of a cake layer. With remaining frosting make 1 ridge, 1/2 inch wide and 3/4 inch high around the outside of the layer you just frosted. Make another ridge 2 inches in from the outside edge. Chill 30 minutes.

Fill the space between the two ridges with the cherry filling. Spread second layer with chocolate mousse and place unfrosted side atop first layer. Chill 30 minutes. Whip 2 cups whipped cream with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Spread third layer with 1 1/2 cups whipped cream and place atop second layer. Top with fourth layer. Frost sides of cake with 1/4 cup whipped cream. Sift confectioner's sugar over top. Garnish with dollops of remaining whipped cream, maraschino cherries and chocolate curls. Chill 2 hours before serving.
This recipe from CDKitchen for Black Forest Cake serves/makes 8

And if you wish to bring them home as sweet souvenirs, here's
an interesting development on the richest and most famous
German cake. Why not ask for canned Black Forest Gateau.
See this feature on this legendary German Black Forest Cake
with the Deutsche Welle.

Guten Appetit!

Price Hike for Groceries and Food Shopping for a Day

2011-05-12T16:28:00.000+02:00

On my way to the city to fetch groceries, I saw the headline in a local
newspaper this morning. It says "Prices for Foodstuffs Increase
up to 43%. Aha,I was telling myself, as a legendary economical wife,
this means I must also increase the household allowance up to 43% at
least for the basic groceries. Would this entail another marital
discussion about my stuffing the pantry with goods which would be
forgotten and found only past their expiry dates?
Earlier today, I planned to have a fruit day either with
fresh pineapples with kiwis and bananas but soon changed my
mind when I passed by my favorite Turkish grocery and saw
huge, ripe papayas attractively piled up in their white lacy
anti-dent nets along with water melons and plastic boxes of
delicate raspberries.One whole piece of papaya costs 7.99 Euro
(why they won't round off the price remains a big riddle to me)
which is still cheap compared to the price of imported
fruits sold in the city center. Luckily, we have localities in
this city which I would also call as areas with migration
background where one could still freely touch and smell
fruits without getting scolded by the shopkeeper.
And passing by the Moroccan fish dealer minutes later, I knew I
just had to forgo my fruit day for a another date.
I bought a kilo of fresh sardines for 5.99 Euro(again no
rounding off)and paid after a small talk with the friendly
Moroccan man. He assured me that I could freeze, grill,
cook the sardines and they would taste fresh from the
seas. Did he say Atlantic Ocean? I don't remember but
I paid him 6 Euro for my sardines. He rounded if off, finally.
So for the day, I spent all in all for one piece of papaya,
one kilo of sardines, one bunch of parsley, a pack of green peppers
and a bunch of young green onions - 16.76 Euro. I love this
shopping streets with migration background but I won't think
of them in our marital discussion about increasing the
food allowance. It's official...43% more. Basta!

MOM ...More on Mothers, Mother's Day Celebration

2011-05-08T12:46:00.005+02:00

Photo Taken from
http://www.garten-literatur.de/Kalender/muttertag/muttertag_oberhausen1.JPG

While waiting for my turn in this long line of bouguet hunters and payers in
our village flower shop,it came to my mind to check again on the original
date of the celebration of Mother's Day. I am very grateful for wikipedia
for the fast answer and other links relevant to this tradition of giving
honour to mothers. See the posted info from wikipedia.
"One of the early calls to celebrate a Mother's Day in the United States was the "Mother's Day Proclamation" by Julia Ward Howe. Written in 1870, it was a pacifist reaction to the carnage of the American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. The Proclamation was tied to Howe's feminist belief that women had a responsibility to shape their societies at the political level.

Mother's Day Proclamation
by Julia Ward Howe in 1870

Arise, then, women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts,
Whether our baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:
"We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."
From the bosom of the devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own.
It says: "Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace,
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God.
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And at the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.

Celebration of Mother's Day in Germany

In the 1920s Germany had the lowest birthrate in Europe, and it was still declining. It was attributed to women's participation in the labor market. At the same time, all influential groups in society (politicians in both Left and Right, churchwomen and feminists) thought that mothers should be honored, but they couldn't agree on how to do it. All those groups agreed strongly in the promotion of the values of motherhood. This resulted in the unanimous adoption in 1923 of the Muttertag, the Mother's Day holiday as imported from America and Norway. The head of the Association of German Florists cited "the inner conflict of our Volk and the loosening of the family" as his reason for introducing the holiday, and he expected that it would unite the divided country. In 1925 the Mother's Day Committee joined the Task Force for the recovery of the volk, and the holiday stopped depending on commercial interests and it started being about the level of population Germany.[34]
The holiday was now seen as a means to get the women to bear more children, and nationalists saw it as a way of rejuvenating the nation. The holiday didn't celebrate the individual women, but an idealized standard of motherhood. The progressive forces resisted the implementation of the holiday because it was backed by so many conservatives, and because they saw it as a way to cut the rights of the worker women. Die Frau, the newspaper of the Federation of German Women's Associations, refused to even recognize the holiday. Many local authorities made their own interpretation of the holiday: it would be a day to support economically larger families or single-mother families. The guidelines for the subsidies had eugenics criteria, but there is no indication that social workers ever implemented them in practice, and subsidies were given preferentially to families in economic needs rather that families with more children or with "healthier" children.[34]
With the Nazi party in power during 1933–1945, this all changed radically. The propaganda for Mother's Day had increased in many European countries, including England and France, and Nazis increased it from the moment they entered into power. The role of mothers was unambiguously promoted as that of giving healthy sons to the German Nation. The Nazi party's intention was creating a pure "Aryan race" according to the nazi eugenics. Among other Mother's Day ideas, the government promoted the death of your sons in battle as the highest embodiment of patriotic motherhood.[34][35]
The Nazis quickly declared Mother's Day an official holiday and put it under the control of the NSV (National Socialist People's Welfare Association) and the NSF (National Socialist Women Organization). This brought conflicts with other organizations that resented Nazi control of the holiday, like the Catholic and the Protestant churches and local women organizations. Local authorities continuously resisted the guidelines from the Nazi government and kept assigning resources to families that were in economical need, much to the dismay of the Nazi officials.[34]
The government started issuing in 1938, an award called Mother's Cross (Mutterkreuz), with different categories depending on the number of children. The cross intended to encouraging having more children, and recipients had to have at least 4 children. For example, a gold cross recipient (a level one) had to have eight children or more. Since having fewer children was a recent development, the gold cross was awarded mostly to elderly mothers with grown children. It promoted loyalty among German women and it was a popular award even if it had little material awards and it was mostly empty praise. The recipients of honors had to be examined by doctors and social workers according to genetic and racial values that were considered beneficial to the volk. The friends and family were also examined for possible flaws that could disqualify them, and they had to be racially and morally fit. They had to be "German-blooded", "genetically healthy", "worthy", "politically reliable", and they couldn't have vices like drinking. Criteria against honors were, for example, "family history contains inferior blood", "unfemenine" behaviour like smoking or doing poor housekeeping, not being "politically reliable", or having family members that had been "indicted and imprisoned". There were instances where a family was disqualified because a doctor saw signs of "feeblemindedness." Even contact with a Jew could disqualify a potential recipient. Social workers had become disillusioned from the Weimar Republic and supported Nazi ideas personally as a means to "cure" the problems of the country. Application of policies was uneven, as doctors promoted medical criteria over racial criteria, and local authorities promoted economical need over any other criteria.

Happy Mother's Day!

Inter-cultural Dialogue

2011-04-10T15:13:00.004+02:00

Some light years away, in our discussion with fellow Pinays, we came
out with three most asked questions when we were talking with
Germans. We agreed on the three most asked questions:
1. How did you come to Germany?
2. What are you doing here?
3. When do you go home to your country?

The piece of paper with the written question was
from a recent inter-cultural dialogue I had with
some young German professionals.I found it quite
amusing to know that it has not changed. Maybe it
was a pure interest on the part of the participant why
a Pinay would choose to leave her country and live in
Alemanya where she has to learn new language, adapt to
the "German standard" of living and experience some not
pleasant encounters with the natives. From this simple
inquiry on how I came to Germany, our discussion went
around on the topics of feminization of migration,
OFWs,"Heiratsmigrantinnen" and just on anything about
diaspora.
This week, I got an email with an info on a recent talkshow
in German tv featuring a German man in his search
for the partner of his life. He went to Cebu and
met young Pinays hopefuls of coming to Germany through
marriage. I don't know how other Pinays reacted when
they saw the video clip but I thought it was both
"nakakahiya", shameful for both parties. Desperate men
and women looking for ways to be happy.
When I found this piece of paper again after watching
the video clip, I thought that it would be
interesting to meet up again with my Pinay friends
and talk especially to the newly arrived Pinays and ask
them how do they find their stay or living in Germany.
How could I start with the most asked question:
"How did you get to Germany?"

Rebirth of the Anti-Nuclear Energy Movement

2011-03-27T19:41:00.002+02:00

Some 200,000 in Germany protest nuclear power

By Juergen Baetz
Associated Press
First Posted 02:31:00 03/27/2011

Filed Under: Nuclear power, Protest, Safety of Citizens, Europe

BERLIN — Tens of thousands of people on Saturday turned out in Germany's largest cities to protest the use of nuclear power in the wake of Japan's Fukushima reactor disaster, police and organizers said.

In Berlin alone more than 100,000 took to the capital's streets to urge Germany's leaders to immediately abolish nuclear power, police spokesman Jens Berger said.

Organizers said some 250,000 people marched at the "Fukushima Warns: Pull the Plug on all Nuclear Power Plants" rallies in the country's four largest cities, making them the biggest anti-nuclear protest in the country's history.

"We can no longer afford bearing the risk of a nuclear catastrophe," Germany's environmental lobby group BUND said.

The disaster at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear facility triggered Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative government last week to order a temporary shut down of seven of the country's older reactors pending thorough safety investigations. Officials have since hinted several of them might never go back into service.

Protesters shouted "Fukushima, Chernobyl: Too much is too much!" or "Switch them off," urging the government to shut down the country's 17 reactors for good. They also held a minute of silence to remember the victims of Japan's March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

In the northern port city of Hamburg some 40,000 turned out and more than 30,000 were on the streets in southern Munich, police said. Cologne police did not provide a figure and referred to the organizer's estimate of 40,000 protesters.

BUND, in turn, said some 120,000 turned out in Berlin, 50,000 in Hamburg and 40,000 in Cologne and Munich each.

Saturday's turnout easily topped rallies last April following safety incidents at a northern German nuclear power plant near Hamburg that had seen 140,000 people taking to the streets, BUND spokesman Thorben Becker said.

Nuclear power has been very unpopular in Germany ever since radioactivity from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster drifted across the country.

A center-left government a decade ago penned a plan to abandon the technology for good by 2021, but Merkel's government last year amended it to extend the plants' lifetime by an average of 12 years. In a complete U-turn, the government has now put that plan on hold.

The cascade of failures at Japan's Fukushima plant has reignited the political debate on the use of nuclear power in Germany, Europe's biggest economy, and many opposition lawmakers have called to shut down all reactors even before 2020.

Germany — which stands alone among the wold's leading industrialized nations in its determination to overcome nuclear power — currently gets some 23 percent of its energy supply from its reactors, 17 percent from renewable energies, 13 percent from natural gas and more than 40 percent from coal. The Environment Ministry maintains that renewable energy will be able to contribute 40 percent of the country's overall electricity production in 10 years.
(Source:)

Nasaan ka Ama

2011-03-19T19:46:00.003+01:00

Nasaan ka ama
di man lang tayo nagkita
lumisan kang matahimik
tulad ng buhay mong isang salita,
isang ngiti, puno ng pagkukumbaba
at sa iyong mga awit
na huni ng ibon ang siyang magbabalita
sa 'yong pagpananaw sa balat ng lupa
nag-aawitang mga pipit
dito sa Alemanya
nag-aadya ng bagong panahon
tag-lamig ay wala na
luntiang dahon ay babalik
bagong panahon
bagong sigla
ano't pinili mong lumisan
iniwan kaming nagdurusa.

March 19, 1987

BIUTIFUL

2011-03-18T15:01:00.003+01:00

Biutiful is a love story between a father and his children. This is the journey of Uxbal, a conflicted man who struggles to reconcile fatherhood, love, spirituality, crime, guilt and mortality amidst the dangerous underworld of modern Barcelona. His livelihood is earned out of bounds, his sacrifices for his children know no bounds. Like life itself, this is a circular tale that ends where it begins. As fate encircles him and thresholds are crossed, a dim, redemptive road brightens, illuminating the inheritances bestowed from father to child, and the paternal guiding hand that navigates life’s corridors, whether bright, bad – or biutiful
(Source:Biutiful)

A must see film!

March 8, International Women's Day

2011-03-08T19:19:00.004+01:00

(Photo:ML)

On the celebration of the 100th year of International Women's Day,
I am posting here a special feature on Filipinas in diaspora.
The article appeared today, March 8, 2011 in International Herald
Tribune, The Global Edition of the New York Times.

From Afar, Moneymaker and Mother
By KATRIN BENNHOLD

PARIS — When Maridel Sagum left her twin daughters in the Philippines to work as a nanny in France, they were 8 years old, two bubbly girls who climbed into bed in the mornings to snuggle up to her.

Twelve years and some €100,000, or $140,000, in bite-sized monthly payments later, the twins are young women with college degrees and Ms. Sagum, 47, whose French residency permit is at last being issued this month, will soon see them again for the first time since 1998.

“I’ve looked after other people’s children to give my own children a better future,” she said, pondering a portrait of her daughters that dominates her 14 square-meter, or 150 square-foot, rental room in Paris. “It was the hardest thing I ever did. But it was the right thing.”

Across the world, millions of mothers have made this sacrifice for their children — forgoing a life with them in hope of ensuring a better life for them. These women venture far, often into the uncertain world of undocumented domestic work that in effect keeps them hostage in their host countries. Often, they toil six-day weeks, send home much of their meager earnings and — now, in the digital age — say goodnight to the children on Skype or by instant messenger.

It is a tale of emotional hardship, but also of female empowerment. Just as women in rich countries now often outnumber men in the work force and in education, women from poor countries are the majority of migrant workers in developed countries and send a greater share of their income home in remittances. In all, the World Bank says, remittances totaled $325 billion last year, or three times official development aid. Women, who formerly migrated mainly as dependents of male migrants, now increasingly move on their own and are the main breadwinners in their families, challenging traditional roles.

Strikingly little remittance data is broken down by gender, but to those who have studied the issue this much seems clear: Eleven years into the 21st century, women migrants have become a formidable force for development — and for the rise of women in developed countries whose careers depend on affordable child care.

“It is one of the biggest untold stories of this century,” said Purnima Mane, deputy executive director of the United Nations Population Fund. “These women make a huge contribution but their contribution doesn’t show up in an official database and so too often we ignore it.”

More than money

Edna Pena left her son Mark Jaycee in the Philippines when he was just one. Unlike the two children she looks after in Paris — 6-year-old Oscar and 8-year-old Olivia — she never saw him take his first steps, say his first words or have his first day at school. When she went back for the first time in almost 14 years after getting her papers in 2008, he was about to graduate from high school.

But by sending home about €700 every month, she put him through the best private schools near her hometown and recently bought a condominium for him near the campus where he now studies industrial communications engineering. She pays a maid to do for him what she does in Paris.

And after 16-plus years in France, this staunch Catholic, who serves on the pastoral council of her church in Paris, has no qualms about telling her son and his girlfriend to use birth control. “I told him, ‘Do you think people in France have babies at 18? Get your diploma first,”’ she said.

On their travels, migrant mothers also acquire attitude. In Germany, a coalition of immigrant women groups lobbied the government to make forced marriage illegal among the country’s 2.5 million Turkish immigrants. In France, African women have organized a network of migrant associations that help new arrivals learn about French society and pools aid to home countries.

Mary Lou Hardillo-Werning runs the German chapter of the Babaylan Philippine Women’s Network in Europe. The Babaylan, she explains, were wise women of the Philippines, healers and priestesses who were demonized and often killed as witches by Spanish invaders after 1521. Based in Germany, Ms. Hardillo-Werning travels across Europe teaching their story to Filipino migrants.

“We’re trying to keep the spirit of these strong women alive,” said Ms. Hardillo-Werning, who is of Filipino ancestry herself and is married to a prominent German expert on the Philippines. “The Filipina immigrants I meet are just as strong. They are the purse-holders, and their work is giving them self-confidence.”

“They are feminists,” she added. “They just don’t call themselves that.”

Remittances and Development

One reason the impact of migrant women is not much on the development agenda is that remittances themselves are a relatively recent discovery.

When Dilip Ratha wrote a now well-known chapter on remittances in a World Bank report in 2003, the link between migration and its potential impact on development was little studied. Governments, which had underwritten the Millennium Development Goals only three years earlier, were shamed that the sum of micro transfers from migrants was greater than their combined development aid.

Mr. Ratha discovered two more aspects: By cutting out institutions and (often corrupt) governments, remittances more nimbly addressed needs like raising birthweight or lowering number of school drop-outs. They were also a powerful cushion in times of conflict or natural disaster, when remittances tended to increase, driven by an empathetic diaspora. While not available to the very poorest who cannot afford to send family members abroad — Ms. Sagum paid a “recruiter” $3,600 in 1998 to get a one-month tourist visa to France — remittances save many households from collapse, Mr. Ratha said.

“It was an eye-opener,” he said. “The development community suddenly woke up to the fact that remittances provide a lifeline.”

The Philippines is the fourth-largest recipient of remittances in the world, after India, China and Mexico, receiving $21 billion last year, World Bank estimates show, or more than half its national budget. In some countries, remittances are a significant share of G.D.P.: In Tajikistan, for example, they account for 35 percent of the whole economy.

Gender matters

But if the power of remittances is now established, women’s role is not: The 2011 World Bank fact book on remittances has no mention of gender patterns because government data are not broken down by sex.

“Women as earners, movers and remitters are largely invisible,” Jean D’Cunha, global migration adviser at U.N. Women, said at a U.N. conference on remittances in Geneva last month.

And yet, in developed countries, female migrant workers account for 51 percent of the total. Smaller U.N. case studies and surveys of female migrants from countries including the Philippines, Indonesia and Lesotho, consistently hint at some important differences between female and male remitters. Women tend to earn less than men and thus send less money back on average, the studies suggest, but they tend to send a higher share of their income. Their remittances also appear to be more frequent, regular and reliable even in times of crisis.

“There has always been this assumption that it’s the men who send the money home, but in many cases it’s actually the women,” said Leon Isaacs, managing director of the International Association of Money Transfer Networks, whose members include Western Union and several banks. “What I’m hearing from our members is pretty unanimous: Women ultimately contribute equally and perhaps more than the men.”

Spending priorities also appear to differ: While men are on average more likely to invest in land or a satellite dish, women seem to focus more on needs like food, healthcare and education.

Mr. Ratha at the World Bank warns that much of this evidence is anecdotal, given the limited scope of surveys. But there is no shortage of anecdotes.

Migrant women tell of frequent disagreements with their husbands about money. In dozens of interviews in France and Germany, mothers eager to give their children the best education said their husbands often lobby to buy land or property. Many complained about their husbands wasting precious earnings on drink and “other girls.”

Natasa Bucanovic, a Serbian cleaner-turned-entrepreneur in Frankfurt, recalled how angry her husband was when she spent €500 a month on phone calls with their daughter Danijela, whom she left when she was seven and is now putting through medical school back in Serbia. “‘You are throwing a brand new TV set out of the window every month’ he used to tell me, and I said: ‘I have to check on our daughter, this is the only way I can be a mother,”’ Ms. Bucanovic said.

Hidden Costs

When you are thousands of kilometers away from home, are you still a mother? “Many of these children don’t really know their mothers, they only know them as money angels,” Ms. Hardillo-Werning said.

Before Skype, Ms. Sagum could afford to call home once a month. She worried so much that her daughters would forget her voice that she sent voice recordings by mail. Ms. Peña sought to ease the pain by cutting out a picture of herself and gluing it onto a photograph of her husband and son.

Ms. Bucanovic, who has been able to see her daughter twice a year, still worries that she was never quite as happy as other children. “It was like there was a weight on her soul,” she said. “She told me: ‘Mama, behind the other children are always their parents, behind me are always my grandparents.”’

“Sometimes I fear that I’ve lost my chance with my child,” she said. “I can give her money, but I can’t give her love.”

If the benefits of female migration are underdocumented, so are its hidden costs. In the Philippines, migration is known as the “Filipino divorce.” And some studies have linked youth crime and drug abuse to children growing up without their mothers.

Migrant mothers know this. “I was very lucky that my children were good,” said Ms. Sagum, who in addition to the twins has three older children.

Her family still paid a steep price for the five degrees she funded for her children and the rice paddies and fish pond she bought her husband. In her 12 years gone, Ms. Sagum has missed her father’s funeral and the birth of three grandchildren. Recently, her arthritis started flaring up, the result of too many hours of hard work.

Most worrying is that while all five children excelled and got professional degrees, only three have jobs. One of her twins, who has a management diploma but no work, recently asked if she could join her mother in Paris. “I told her, ‘Why do you want to come to Paris? To work like a maid?”’ Ms. Sagum said. “I said no.”

All too often that happens, said Arlie Hochschild, a sociology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-editor of “Global Women,” a book that looks at the costs of female migration.

“Remittances alone are not a solution to third-world development. If they were, the Philippines would look like South Korea today,” she said. “These women do educate their children, but there are no jobs for them and often, they end up becoming domestic workers who themselves leave their children to work abroad. It’s become a system.”

Governments could help minimize the costs of female migration, she said. Wealthy nations which rely on migrant women to meet their care deficit should introduce legal and social protections for domestic workers, loosen entry and exit rules and make it easier to obtain work permits, thus allowing migrant mothers to bring children along or to see them regularly. And lowering the fees on money transfers — currently an average 8.7 percent of the amount sent, the World Bank says — would bolster female remittances, which are more vulnerable because more frequent.

“We have to stop looking at these women as victims, start recognizing their contribution and help them maximize it,” said Ms. Mane of the U.N. Population Fund. “These women have done much to empower themselves. We should do our bit to help them get more empowered.”

I would like to thank Ms. Katrin Bennhold for the feature.

The link to the article: Motherhood in Migration

March Fool's Day - Domestic Goddess' Blues

2011-03-01T18:27:00.005+01:00

This week has been neatly planned. I would do a general
cleaning, throw more papers, clear up clutters and try a cake
recipe. For the last plan, I bought myself a new kitchen timer,
in the form of a white boiled egg with the top removed, the
yolk looks so ready for breakfast.

After checking out what pans and other baking gadgets
I might have, I took the new kitchen timer and set the time
for 15 minutes. It made two or more tick tocks and stopped.
I touched the egg timer and it started "ticking and tocking"
like a normal kitchen timer should do. But as soon as I left
it standing on the table, it refused to work, no tick tocking
at all.

It was a sunny first day of March this year with the temperature
to go as high as 11°C. Why should one spend such a beautiful
day sorting out papers and scrubbing?

What a good thing that the kitchen timer was not functioning.
I could leave the flat without guilt for not keeping the
planned cleaning agenda.

Meanwhile, the radio was broadcasting the news on the resignation of
zu Guttenberg who has been under heavy pressure even in his own
CSU Party for the plagiarism affair in connection with his dissertation.
Tja..."Adel verpflichtet," as the expression goes. Was it the pressure
or his own realization that the only decent thing left now is to
leave the political arena. Maybe for the meantime. Who knows?

In Saturn, where I bought my egg timer, I told the saleslady that
the kitchen timer must have a design defect. It is actually
a shaker as it won't tick tack if not shaken. She was not
amused, I had the feeling. I got a replacement.

Now I can't help but smile thinking what if I set the egg timer
and it starts jumping?

Remembering EDSA Revolution of 1986

2011-02-22T06:15:00.004+01:00

(Photo Source:congress.ph)

Die Rebellion gegen den philippinischen Präsidenten Ferdinand Marcos beginnt
22. Februar 1986

Als Ferdinand Marcos in einer schwül-warmen Februarnacht mit einem amerikanischen Hubschrauber über die Bucht von Manila Richtung Hawaii geflogen wird, lässt er viel hinter sich: mehr als 20 Jahre Regierungszeit, die 3.000 Paar Schuhe seiner Frau Imelda - und ein zu Tode erschöpftes Land.

Die Philippinen stehen Anfang 1986 am Rande eines Bürgerkriegs: Das 7.000-Insel-Reich ist bankrott, die politischen Eliten korrupt, die Unterstützung des "großen Bruders" in Washington schwindet. Als sich nach einer brutal manipulierten Präsidentschaftswahl auch die katholische Kirche von Ferdinand Marcos abwendet, scheint hunderttausenden Philippinos ein Ende seines Regimes greifbar nahe.

Schließlich wechseln am 22. Februar der Verteidigungsminister und der Chef des Generalstabs die Seiten. Damit ist das Schicksal des alternden Diktators besiegelt. In nur vier Tagen wird die Herrschaft des Marcos-Clans beendet: durch einen friedlichen Umsturz, der als "Revolution der Rosenkränze" in die Geschichtsbücher eingeht.

Autorin: Ulrike Römer
Redaktion: Michael Rüger
Themen: Geschichte, Länder/Völker
Altersempfehlung: Ab 15 Jahre

Source: WDR Dictator Marcos

For You created in love...

2011-02-14T16:02:00.003+01:00

(Photo taken by Emi)

Always remember who you are and why you are here…

For you, created in love, are truly a spark of divinity…and
Your most sacred task in this lifetime is to open fully your spirit,
That you may find and use your unique gifts for the benefit of all…
To grow ever more deeply into your own inner wisdom…
And to learn to love yourself and those around you as
Compassionately as possible…
And thus, shall your inner light radiate forth,
Spreading warmth and beauty wherever you go…

Caroline Joy Adams

Happy Valentine's Day!

Pwera Bati! Pasalubong from Turkey

2011-02-13T12:50:00.005+01:00

My dear neighbors came back from their holiday in Turkey and
brought me these pasalubong.
The blue and white looking like brooch is a decorative ceramic
magnet sticker. It is called nazar boncuk,
an amulet which protects someone against evil eye, and as you could
very well imagine, one of tourists' favorite souvenirs visiting the
beautiful country of Turkey. Who wants to carry around a carpet
as Pasalubong?
The other wrapped piece is an assortiment of Lokkum, sweet,
sticky so-called Turkish delights filled with different nuts.
Thank you thoughtful neighbors. By the way, do you have a similar
amulet against my dentist?

Little Things Mean a Lot

2011-02-11T16:56:00.003+01:00

Dear Seth,
I want you to know how much you made me happy with
this drawing. You have such a talent and your
memory is just fantastic. Keep well!
Love from Tita Alou!

The Things They Save Here in Alemanya

2011-02-09T15:54:00.005+01:00

This is not really new to me...urine saving. My mother used to
collect cans of urine to water her plants but it was so revolting
to see the cans piled in our small garden ready for use. The smell
was also equally revolting when one passed by the potted plants
even with their beautiful flowers in full bloom. I'm just wondering if
this urine-diversion system is used now in the Philippines.
What a big help if they could install them all over the country
with a big poster saying..."Di Bawal ang Umihi Dito."
Help conserve energy.
Below is a small info on the use of eco-san toilet or simply urine-
diversion system.
How do the urine-diversion toilets work?
The urine-diversion toilets have two separate compartments in the toilet bowl: one for urine and one for faeces and water (together also called brownwater). The urine is collected without flush water, by means of a valve located inside the toilet seat. When the user is seated, the valve is opened by pressure on the toilet seat, allowing the urine to flow to the storage tank. The valve closes again when the user stands up, so that the subsequent flushing water does not enter the urine pipe but drains off through the brownwater outlet in the rear.

Is the collected urine being reused at the moment?
Yes, complete reuse started right now within the BMBF-funded research project SANIRESCH. The urine is used for fertilising experiments as well as for MAP precipitation. Till now, on some occasions urine was collected by various universities in the vicinity (Bonn, Aachen, Giessen) for research purposes. SANIRESCH has six research partners and started in July 2009 to investigate urine, brownwater and greywater treatment and reuse.
Info taken from gtz.de

All about Quota on Women in Top Management

2011-01-31T18:48:00.004+01:00

Following a discussion on the introduction of laws regarding
setting of quota on women in top management in Germany, I found
this article "In the Philippines, women bosses rule," and would
like to give my readers a brief report on the situation of Pinays
in the big business world back home. Very surprising to see the
rank of Germany when it comes to women in top management.
Here's the article.

In the Philippines, women bosses rule

MANILA - NINE out of 10 supervisors at Anxa, a French-owned software development
company in Manila, are women. And it is no coincidence.

For Mr Fabrice Boutain, the company's general manager, Filipino women are more motivated, handle responsibility better and are much cooler under pressure than men.

'We have been in the Philippines for five years, and practically all our managers are women,' he said.

Proportion of women in top management

* Philippines: 50%
* Brazil: 42%
* Thailand: 39%
* Hong Kong: 35%
* Russia: 34%
* China: 32%
* Botswana: 31%
* South Africa: 29%
* Taiwan: 29%
* New Zealand: 24%
* Malaysia: 23%
* Poland: 23%
* United States: 23%
* Armenia: 22%
* Australia: 22%
* Sweden: 22%
* France: 21%
* Greece: 21%
* Ireland: 21%
* Singapore: 21%
* Mexico: 20%
* Canada: 19%
* United Kingdom: 19%
* Spain: 17%
* Turkey: 17%
* Argentina: 16%
* India: 14%
* Italy: 14%
* Netherlands: 13%
* Germany: 12%
* Luxembourg: 10%
* Japan: 7%

SOURCE: GRANT THORNTON

Anxa may be an extreme example, but nowhere else in the world do women occupy as many supervisory and management positions than in this country.

A recent survey by business consultants Grant Thornton International revealed that half the senior management positions in the Philippines were held by women.

This compared with a global average of just under a quarter, including in Singapore.

Philippine government figures give an even stronger indication of the trend. The latest Labour Department data showed that women in executive and supervisory roles not only outnumbered men, but also indicated that the gender gap had been widening steadily over the past five years.

So, why are Filipinas making such big strides in the workplace?

One reason, managers and business organisations said, is that Filipino men mostly do not mind having women bosses.

'Mothers are very dominant figures in Filipino society,' said Ms Dina Salonga, managing director of SQL Wizard, a software company she set up just over a decade ago with four male partners.

'Historically, we have always had strong women in the Philippines. Women are certainly not in the background here, either in the home or in society.'

Mr Dan Roces, chief researcher at the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP), agreed.

'Filipino men tend to be closest to their mothers and do not generally have a problem taking orders from women,' he said.

In a recent study for the Philippine Centre of Investigative Journalism, writer Jaileen Jimeno said boys were more pampered at home and did fewer chores than girls. As a result, women were simply better prepared for multi-tasking and other rigours of the workplace.

Labour and Employment Secretary Arturo Brion attributed the rise in the number of women managers largely to education. One in five employed Filipinas had completed college or higher education, compared with only one in 10 employed men, he noted.

It is not only in the workplace that women are making their mark in the Philippines.

Running the country, of course, is President Gloria Arroyo, the second woman president since democracy icon Corazon Aquino replaced Ferdinand Marcos in 1986.

However, the country's legislature is still predominantly male, with women making up only 20 per cent of the House of Representatives.

It was during the 1980s that women started making their presence felt in senior management. And government data showed that between 2004 and last year, the number of women executives and supervisors rose by 97,000 - six times more than for men.

At the end of last year, there were 2.26 million women in these jobs, compared with 1.63 million men.

Not surprisingly, 97 per cent of Filipino respondents to the Grant Thornton survey, which polled 7,200 companies in 32 countries, said women occupied senior positions in their companies.

In East Asia, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand came in at more than 80 per cent. Singapore scored 69 per cent, and Japan, which pulled down the regional showing, was last with only 25 per cent.

'It is encouraging to see some of the Asian economies leading the way. North American and European businesses, in particular, continue to disappoint,' said Ms April Mackenzie, Grant Thornton's executive director for public policy.

One factor enabling working mothers in the Philippines to pull long hours in the office is the abundant supply of cheap domestic help to look after the children.

But while women are landing senior jobs, men still get paid more. PMAP's Mr Roces said the median management salary is 100,000 pesos (S$3,351) for men and 75,700 pesos for women, although the gap narrows considerably at higher levels.

In larger companies, he said, career ladders for women aiming for senior management positions tended to be in the human resources and finance departments.

Mrs Nina Lim worked in the finance departments of two foreign airlines before joining the Manila office of American software vendor Oracle, where she has been finance director since 2000.

Now in her late 40s, she said: 'Equal opportunities in the workplace need to be backed by corporate policies, and I have been lucky in that respect.

'But as a woman, you still have to come across as a figure of authority and establish the respect of your male colleagues.'

And women should keep on doing that, observed congressman Lisa Maza of the Gabriela Women's Party, which advocates women's issues.

'There have been considerable gains in equal opportunities over the past 20 years, but women still have to keep on asserting themselves in the workplace,' she said.

'And then there is the enduring attitude that those who got to the top did so by either being rich or being a bitch, or they slept their way there.'

Article taken from Asiaone

Sharing News: Angehörige pflegen macht krank

2011-01-30T13:42:00.003+01:00

This is a news item taken from a local newspaper in Germany.
Angehörige pflegen macht krank

Von Daniel Baumann, 28.01.11, 09:55h
Wer Angehörige pflegt, muss sich viel häufiger als andere Menschen in medizinische Behandlung begeben. Das geht aus einer Studie hervor, die dem „Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger“ vorliegt. Pflegende bekämen mehr Medikamente und Kuren verschrieben.
Pflege

BERLIN - Einen Angehörigen zu pflegen ist eine enorme Last - und macht häufig krank. Pflegende Angehörige müssen sich deutlich häufiger als andere in medizinische Behandlung begeben müsse. Sie bekommen mehr Medikamente und Kuren verschrieben. Dies geht aus einer Studie der Siemens Betriebskrankenkasse hervorgeht, die dem „Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger“ vorliegt.

Die Ausgaben der Kasse für pflegende Angehörige sind demnach 18 Prozent höher als für andere Versicherte. Besonders hoch ist die Zahl der chronischen und schwerwiegenden Krankheiten. Sie liegt der Untersuchung zufolge 51 Prozent über dem Durchschnitt. Zum einen ist es die körperliche Belastung durch das Heben und Umheben der Pflegebedürftigen“, sagt Franz Billinger von der Siemens Betriebskrankenkasse. „Das ist jedoch der kleinere Teil. Das weit größere Problem sind seelische Belastungen“, fügt er hinzu.

Oft Depressionen

Die Untersuchung zeigt, dass 17 Prozent der pflegenden Angehörigen unter Depressionen leiden. Das sind dreieinhalb mal so viele wie in der Normalbevölkerung. Den Angehörigen fällt es der Studie zufolge deutlich schwerer, geistig kranke Menschen zu pflegen als körperlich beeinträchtigte. „Das schwierigste ist der Umgang mit der emotionalen Belastung, vor allem bei Demenzerkrankungen“, sagt Pflegeexpertin Claudia Brinner von der Caritas.

Experten sind sich zudem einig, dass Pflegende häufig in eine große soziale Isolation gerieten, der Austausch mit anderen Menschen fehle oft völlig. Fast zwei Drittel der Pflegebedürftigen in Deutschland werden zu Hause von ihrer Familie betreut.

Going Bananas

2011-01-23T15:27:00.004+01:00

As promised to my friend, Beate, I'm posting something about the
old notes I found this week while keeping my New Year's resolution
to clear clutter away at least 10 minutes a day.
With a heavy heart, I threw the fading piece of paper and
retyped the notes to a folder named Diary Collection.
So here's what I found:
Im Jahre 1892 biss der erste Deutsche in die Banane.
90% alle Bundesbürger – einmal in der Woche,
9.5kilogram Pro Kopf jährlich
Gegen Raucherbein, Haarausfall, oder Fettleber.
Aus: Die Banane – "Dokumentation einer außergewöhnlichen Frucht“
Informationsgemeinschaft Banane. Müenchen, 100Seiten, 15 Mark

Rough translation:
In 1892, the first German bit into a banana.
90% of Germans eat banana once in a week, consuming about
9.5 kilos per person annually.
Banana is good against "Raucherbein" (literally, smoker's leg)or
hardening of the arteries in the legs due to excessive smoking.
Further googling defined it as PAOD, Peripheral Arterial Occlusive
Disease or simply leg gangrene which hopefully scares many smokers.
Banana is also good against hair loss (have you seen a hairless
monkey?) and fatty liver.
Taken from:
"The Banana - A Documentation of an Exceptional Fruit"
Banana Information Team. Munich, 100 pages, 15 Mark

I must have noted this info just a year before we started to pay
our bananas in Euro. As could be seen in the photo, the cost is
about 1.09Euro per kilo. I paid roughly 72.60pesos for the six
pieces, and this is the cheapest price one could have in my city.
Bio-shops and other city supermarkets demand higher prices for
the same imported goodies.

What I do with my bananas?

I mix it with breakfast cereals, make smoothies, do Banana split,
make turon, fry and shower it with white sugar or eat it with Adobo, a national dish from my home country with rice
or with any fried fish...with rice, of course.
There are some taste freaks who mix banana with peanut butter for
their sandwiches and I'm one of them, doing it for breakfast.

What I won't do is offer banana as dessert to some visiting
Pin@ys coming straight from a Banana Republic. Reason?
I don't want that comment once said to me: "How can you eat
banana here? They taste like medicine!"

Below are added scribblings on that fading piece of paper.
I have no idea why I included them in my notes on that same day:

Sepharden – orientalische Juden in Israel
Ashkenasim – europäische Juden

But I was not going bananas, definitely!...not!

Have Porsche, will have some fun.

2011-01-16T14:43:00.005+01:00

(Photo:taken from pagenstecher.de)
The last week started with the purchase of a second or a third hand
Porsche by President Nonoy which stirred not a few comments on
the private business of PNoy. My FB friend Naomi promised to
invite me sometime to share some myths she knows about Porsche
drivers. Waiting for that date, I would like to spend this
sunny Sunday afternoon to blog some posted stuffs about Porsche.
Enjoy them! And if you contemplate on buying one, I won't hold
it against you. Can I have a hitch, Please?

Porsche Driver Abducts a Child

Published: 18 May 10 13:57 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20100518-27269.html
A 47-year-old man is under investigation for abducting a young boy and hauling him to a police station for throwing dandelions at his Porsche, Lower Saxony police reported on Tuesday.
Around 8:10 am on Monday, a local bus driver called emergency services after witnessing a man force a boy into his car in the town of Hittfeld, just south of Hamburg.
But as officers were beginning to start a manhunt for kidnapping, the Porsche driver arrived at the station with a “totally terrified” eight-year-old boy, police spokesman Jan Krüger said in a statement.
The man had reportedly been driving down the street when the boy and another eight-year-old friend threw dandelions at his fancy car.
“Out of rage over this ‘dangerous joke’ the man quickly stopped and dragged one of the boys in his car to bring him to the police,” Krüger said. “He only realised later just how badly he scared both eight-year-olds.”
Both children were “somewhat” comforted by their parents at the station, he added.
Now police have instigated criminal proceedings against the testy Porsche owner for false imprisonment.
Krüger also commended the 50-year-old bus driver for her quick reaction to the incident, saying it would have been vital in the case of real kidnapping.
The Local

And another one below showing who drives Porsche car:

Materialism

A Londoner parks his brand new Porsche in front of his company’s Northern office in Matlock to show it off to his colleagues up there.
As he is getting out of the car a lorry comes speeding along, far too close, and takes his driver’s door clean off before zooming away.
More than a little distraught, the Londoner grabs his mobile 'phone and immediately calls the police.
Five minutes later, the cops arrive, but before the policemen have a chance to ask any questions, the man starts shouting and screaming hysterically, "My Porsche!” he cries. “Just look at my beautiful silver Porsche. It’s ruined. No matter how long it's at the panel beaters, it'll never be the same again."
To which the policemen shake their heads in disgust. "We can't believe how materialistic you bloody Londoners are," says one. "You lot are so focused on your possessions you don't notice anything else."

The Porsche driver is aghast. "How can you say such a thing at a time like this?"
The policemen reply, "Don't you realise that your arm was torn off at the socket when that truck went past?"
The Londoner looks at the bloody stump by his shoulder for the very first time and screams, "'Aghhhhh! My watch! My watch! Where's my bloody Rolex?"
theedgemag.co.uk

An acronym for this flashy German car reads:

PORSCHE: Piece of Rubbish Saps Continually High Expense

And the last for a big liberating laugh:

Q. What's the difference between a porcupine and a Porsche?
A. A porcupine has the pricks on the outside!

K, walang pikonan hah?

Film: Couscous mit Fisch

2011-01-14T00:19:00.003+01:00

"La graine et le mulet" - the original title of this French film
by Abdellatif Kechiche.
At the port of Sète, Mr. Slimane, a tired 60-year-old, drags himself toward a shipyard job that has become more and more difficult to cope with as the years go by. He is a divorced father who forces himself to stay close to his family despite the schisms and tensions that are easily sparked off and that financial difficulties make even more intense. He is going through a delicate period in his life and, recently, everything seems to make him feel useless: a failure. He wants to escape from it all and set up his own restaurant. However, it appears to be an unreachable dream given his meager, irregular salary that is not anywhere near enough to supply what he needs to realize his ambition. But he can still dream and talk about it with his family in particular. A family that gradually gives its support to this project, which comes to symbolize the means to a better life. Thanks to its ingeniousness and hard work, this dream soon becomes a reality...or almost....
Written by Venice Film Festival

Our Daily Food, "More Colorful, More Poison"

2011-01-09T15:16:00.004+01:00

(Photo Source: Ksta.de.8.9.Januar 2011 Nr. 6)
News are all carrying items now on food contamination.
People are getting anxious if they could still enjoy their
breakfast eggs.
After reading the local papers this Sunday while waiting for the
"Sternsingers" to come singing in front of our door, am posting
the English translation of what one finds in one's daily food in
Germany:
* food additives
* trans fatty acids
* dioxin
* emulsifiers
* pesticide
* food coloring
* heavy metals
* flavours/aroma
* flavour enhancers
So what's glorious left in food, glorious food?
I'm planning to have Sinigang na Salmon for a late dinner or
soup emulsifier with trans fish fatty acids wrapped in
heavy metals.
Guten Appetit!

Like Brand Things? How About Brand Eggs?

2011-01-05T11:11:00.004+01:00

(Photo taken from Deutsche Welle

After finishing my power palitaw, news came in warning people
about eating eggs in Germany as they are dioxin-loaded. Uuups,
thought of hundred of Pin@y friends and their especial dessert
for important celebrations-Leche Plan. How many eggs have we
been consuming lately, hidden in many holiday cakes. How many
scoops of deliciously prepared yolks dressed with cream in
leche plan?
More on this dioxin loaded eggs, see the news taken from
Deutsche Welle.

...and this is just a tip of the iceberg. Ei!Ei!Ei!

First Posting on 1.1.11, Power of Palitaw

2011-01-01T16:52:00.008+01:00

"When poets...write about food it is usually celebratory.
Food as the whole thing-in-itself, but also the thoughtful
preparation of meals, the seving of meals, meals commonly
shared: a sense of the sacred in the profane."
Joyce Carol Oates

This is not a poet writing on food but just posting what
I had for brunch on the first day of the new year. I had
some pieces of delicious Palitaw. To give an authoritative
definition of what palitaw is and how to do it, Wiki described it as "a small, flat, sweet rice cake eaten in the Philippines. They are made from malagkit (sticky rice) washed, soaked, and then ground. Scoops of the batter are dropped into boiling water where they float to the surface as flat discs - an indication that they're done. When served, the flat discs are dipped in grated coconut, and presented with a separate dip made of sugar and toasted sesame seeds. Sounds easy you might think.
Palitaw is a common delicacy in the Philippines but it gets a special
status when prepared, cooked and eaten on the first day of a new year.
Like other round objects to wear, decorate and eat to celebrate the
coming of a new year, Palitaw is a symbol for luck. The word litaw
means to float, to appear and it conveys a meaning of getting
above, getting lighter: above problems especially financial worries
as many people believe or would love to believe.
My hubby said that I might be very unpredictable in many ways
and things but preparing palitaw on the eve of a new year becomes
a part of a sacred ritual.
Many years of experiencing how to make it have given me palitaw
of different sizes and textures:sometimes too thin that they
would melt upon hitting the boiling water or too thick they
would not float above which would not serve the meaning of
having them in the first place. My fingers would be sticky with
the batter and dusting them with the flour would send hubby into
a violent fit if he would actually see me in action.
I could claim now that I could do palitaw, delicious ones, and one
could eat my own version and feel that they bring good omen for
the new year. Proof? Hubby eats them now voluntarily,
commenting that my Palitaw get softer, tastier and the sesame
with sugar toppings do taste like sesame and not burnt residue.
Prosit! Cheers to the New Year!

Getting Ready for the New Year 2011

2010-12-31T15:56:00.008+01:00

In between the last minute general cleaning, blogging call
has not been forgotten. Posting here photos of good luck
bringers in Alemanya:
Chimney Sweeps with mini clover
Piglets
Back home, people are preparing all sorts of round fruits
to decorate the dining table as round things are believed
to bring luck. This is a consolation for those who are
getting the round figure...carrying luck all the time.
So as the Germans greet each other on this day,
I say, "Guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr...
Welcoming the new year, 2011!

O Holy Night of December 2010

2010-12-25T15:08:00.006+01:00

Something different this year with my Noche Buena in Alemanya.
In addition to the now called "century snow" in Germany making
this year's Christmas a truly white one, my sister-in-law thought
of surprising us with her new menu. She served wild boar, baked
and tamed with peaches and prunes cooked in white wine. Instead
of having the dreamed lechon - roasted suckling pig (Spanferkel
or Milchferkel) for Noche Buena, I had my first tasting of "baboy
damo", a wild boar. Grunt, grunt, grunt on a holy night this
December.

Pumpkin soup as starter.

Potato gratin and red cabbage as side dish.

For dessert, sister-in-law treated us with her all-time winner
dark and white chocolate mousse with vanilla ice cream and raspberry.
O Holy Night
in a Peaceful Land
Peace on Earth and to Men and Women of Goodwill and ...taste.

Christmas Letter Through the Post...a treasure

2010-12-23T08:53:00.008+01:00

It came as a surprise, the letter. I was just saying the other week
to my hubby that we don't have many Christmas cards anymore
this year as compared to other years when he came inside our flat
with newly delivered letters and cards - Christmas greetings, the
yearly cards sent by organizations and companies, some with
enclosed bank forms for donations.
And with the pile of papers is this letter from cherished
friends who keep contact despite their hectic work schedule and
distance. These are cherished friends who would drop whatever
they're doing (not when Heike is cooking her soup) and welcome
us in the warmth of their nest.
Nice, thoughtful and cherished friends.
I love this letter, this is a treasure.

You're all I want for Christmas

2010-12-22T12:32:00.003+01:00

(Photo: Shows a Pinoy cook preparing puto bumbong, Christmas
delicacy made of sticky rice steamed in bamboo tubes or
cylinder and served with freshly grated coconut and red
sugar)
If I would have the means, I would like to have my dining table
on Christmas filled with these goodies:
* Sweet jamon
* Queso de Bola (from the Philippines)
* Pandisal
* Dinuguan (spicy murky soup...only for Pin@ys)
* Puto - rice cake
* Sweet spaghetti with grated Kraft cheese
* Puto Bumbong with freshly grated coconut
* Bibingka with grated cheese and salted egg
* Lechon Kawali
* Buco Salad
* Ube Halaya
* Leche Plan with Macapuno
* Red grapes with bits of ipa (rice husks)
* Roasted chestnuts from Chinatown

But if you insist to give me something, I would
not say no to "little things mean a lot" surprises like
an E Book reader, a new laptop, a flat screen tv,
microwave oven, Blue or blackberry or IPhone.
To my dear KnP, I hope you would be moved by
my "Parinigs" and not tell me again you don't believe in
the spirit of Christmas.

2010 Weihnachtsmarkt/Christmas Fair in Cologne

2010-12-20T18:43:00.004+01:00

Fourth Sunday of Advent

2010-12-19T14:13:00.002+01:00

Glass balls and glowing lights.
Dead tree in living room.
Killed to honor birth.

Ron Loeffler
Taken from Haiku for People

Granada, I'm falling under your spell!

2010-12-15T14:51:00.005+01:00

"Granada, I'm falling under your spell. and if you could
speak, what a fascinating tale you would tell." So goes the
song but I'm not posting here about the city but about one of my
favorite winter fruits - Granada, Pomegranate or Granatapfel.
Turkish fruits stands start displaying them starting
early September, some still yellowish and small. The
displayed fruits go rosier, redder and bigger as the year
ends.
I love these fruits. Just looking at them brings me back
to my childhood memory of my neighbor's one Granada tree
with its few hanging fruits, and how this woman neighbor of
ours would looked at me suspiciouly the moment I stopped to
admire her rare tree with such a dramatic name.
I would love to believe to this day that as a little marauding
child I really imagined what would happen if the fruits would
open up and how would they taste?

What tales do they bring?
Here are the perks of eating these Granadas as explained in
the fruit tags accompanying these miracle fruits:
*Balances your blood pressure
*Protects your heart and helps it work regularly
*Protects and increases your resistance against infections
*Gives energy and removes fatigue
*Strengthens your immune system and protects
against diseases
*Regulates your cholesterol and blood sugar levels and
prevents them from increasing
*Prevents diarrhea and helps its treatment
*Good for the skin and provides a smooth appearance

Now, don't take cover. Grab your Granadas and
keep yourself under their spell.

Raclette Dining and bits of discussion on Pin@y Identiy

2010-12-12T12:50:00.003+01:00

For our Eat and Meet Group, we decided to hold it in a private
place to be hosted by Christie. Every guest brought something
for the raclette dining: steaks for grilling, marinated chicken
meat,cooked shrimps, champignons,cornichons, red,green and
yellow paprikas,bottled asparagus,aioli sauce, baquette rolls,
cheese for raclette dishes, red and white wine.
Our hostess prepared for the Eat and Meet women squash soup,
potato gratin, drinks, sausages, tiramisu and cheesecake.

While Cologne city was shaking with Shakira's Wakawaka, we were
getting heated in the room from the raclette pan and the instant
discussion on our identity as Pin@ys, regionalism, history of the
country, why Philippines has not moved up as compared with
other similarly colonized countries in Latin America,
on Heiratsvermittlung or marriage/introduction bureaus,
and who is to be blamed for the "backwardness" of the country
we left behind...the government or the people? Quite an evening
of chewing, drinking and emotionally loaded rounds of individual
viewpoints and insights.

End part of the raclette dining...instead of the traditional
exchange gift, Christie introduced a game of throwing the dices
to get the brought gifts comprising of gifts, new ones and
recycled items.
I got an even number which allowed me to get one gift for
that round. At the end of the game, I won a free brunch
courtesy of Sol but with an addendum saying it is either in
her place or mine. Next Christmas Eat and Meet, I will
vehemently suggest to have one traditional exchange gift
and one "stealing" the gift game to keep the spirit of
giving - and receiving.

The Big Freeze Holiday in NL...Day Three

2010-12-03T20:44:00.005+01:00

Some wintry days in Rotterdam...what to do

2010-12-02T21:14:00.009+01:00

What's this Asian food doing in this blog on some wintry
days in Rotterdam? I finally braved the drizzling snow outside
to look for this Korean eatery to have a late lunch of bibimpap,
a rice dish made with shredded beef and carrots, spinach, fried
egg, mixed with spicy peppery red sauce and served with
a typical miso soup and kimchi. A piping hot Ginseng tea made
one forget the bitter wintry temperature raging outside, all for
10Euro only.

On Saturday, this open space would be filled with all sorts of
stands and shops selling wares from fresh Tilapia (wonder where
all the freh fish would come from with this kind of weather?)to
old used photo frames.

As a dessert not only on such bitterly cold day, try poffertjes -
Dutch mini pancakes served hot and dolled up with butter and
covered with caster sugar to go with creamy hot chocolate
or your favorite tea, all for 5Euro.

It's December and time for this traditional George's
ad hanging in many European parks.

It's December and time for these delicious but notoriously
fatty Oillebollen-oily balls rolled in caster sugar.
Each delicious mini ball costs around 85 cents. What a cheap
way to get heavy on equally heavy wintry day in Holland.

A version of snow storm hitting Europe since decades

2010-12-02T12:12:00.003+01:00

Global warming is surely not the issue this week
when Europe has been under snow since the start
of December. I'm posting a short video clip
here to record this wintry day in Rotterdam.
TV says winds from the east bringing more
snow. Brrrrr.
Here's the short video.

Getting Creative on First Sunday of Advent

2010-11-28T11:48:00.003+01:00

Was in the market the other day thinking of what to buy to
add a bit of festive spirit in my flat now that the first
Sunday of Advent is coming. As usual, just a bit of greens
and some commercial candles of all possible colors cost
a fortune and they all look the same. Prices range from
15 up if one wants a good to look at holiday decor just
in time for the start of Christmas.
I normally make my own simple Christmas decor using
nuts, fruits, greens and candles. This time I have two
Kakis ready to eat for the Sunday brunch. Next Sunday,
I might have oranges or apples...pineapple might be too
huge for the Teller (plate) but maybe you have bought
the new breed good for Christmas decoration and flown in
just for the season.
Advent, Advent, the season of expectation, of waiting
and here's a quote I saw this morning regarding
expectation:
Brian Tracy: Expectation Quotes
"Your attitude is an expression of your values, beliefs and
expectations."

Send me some photos of your own creation. Let's share
them. Have a wonderful Sunday!

Celebrating Nov. 25, International Day Against Violence Against Women

2010-11-25T22:06:00.003+01:00

Wir Fordern Die Nacht Zurueck! Reclaim the Night!
With this political slogans, women in Cologne celebrated
the International Day of Elimination of Violence Against
Women on November 25.
For the protest march, they were shouting:

Wir sind Frauen
wir sind viele
wir haben die Nase voll!

We are women
We are many
Fed up are we!

Frauen, hoert ihr Frauen schrei'n
lasst die andere nicht allein...greift ein!

Women, if you hear woman screaming
Don't leave her alone
Strike back, help her!

Wir sind Frauen, welch ein Glueck,
wir fordern uns die Nacht zurueck!

We are women and lucky we are
We want to reclaim the night!

Frauen gemeinsam - sind nicht einsam
gemeinsam sind wir Stark!

Women together are not lonely
Together we are mighty!

The protest march was organized by the women network
Lila-in-Koeln and supported by the Frauenverband Courage
and rhythms of resistance Koeln.

Please see the attached video of the protest march of Nov. 25.

Visit to Koelner Dom/Cologne Cathedral

2010-11-21T18:58:00.002+01:00

If you're around in the city and want to hear a high mass
with all heavy and heavenly church music, then come to
Koelner Dom just beside the central station or Hbf...very practical
as one tourist commented.
High Mass is on Sundays at 10:00. Check also the site
I participated this morning at the Holy Mass and
was able to film partly the Gottesdienst. Secretly, of course.
Here's my short video.

Supporting the neighborhood economy

2010-11-15T18:57:00.005+01:00

My first act when I returned to my village after a brief holiday
in Budapest was to buy a kilo of these locally harvested
walnuts. I saw the sign Walnuts for Sale for 3.50Euro per kilo in
front of a house on the street near our local post office.
I thought time has really changed. Even my neighbors are now
selling nuts from their backyard. But the nuts taste really
fresh, sweet as compared to the imported nuts from USA which
cost only about 2Euro a pack from the supermarket. The ones
from the USA are bigger and cleaner but taste a bit old and
moldy. I wonder how long have they been stored in some German
import houses and released just in time for Christmas season.
Well, I have my locally harvested nuts for consumption and the
US nuts could be used as Christmas decors. Nothing is lost.
Bayanihan ala Alemanya. The difference is that I paid for the
nuts. Didn't get it free, didn't work for it either.

Integrationsknigge: New Word Learned "Eiersollbruchstellenverursacher"

2010-11-07T09:44:00.006+01:00

(Source of Photo:googleimage)

Just in time for the renewed debate on integration of foreigners
in Germany, I learned a new German word while attending
a seminar on "Internationale Handlungskompetenz". A seminar in
English with this topic could include: decision making and
responsibility, negotiating skills, hands-on expertise,
performance capabilities, occupational competence,
leadership skills, action competence, authority to do,
professional skills, social and inter-cultural communication
talents, etc.
For my fellow migrants in Germany, don't worry, this is not
a required seminar to get a permanent permit of stay nor
a part of that compulsory integration course.
Yes, you might think this should be rather a compulsory
seminar if not a course for many public and government
officials who are back to making capital out of
the renewed integration debate. Remember a high ranking
CDU official who had the gall to say "Lieber Kinder als
Inder" (better have children than have Indian migrants)
during a debate on the granting of especial migrant
visa status for IT experts for Germany.
For an updated info, see this link for the current state on the
debate on integration.
Now back to what I really want to blog on the newest
German word I learned...Eiersollbruchstellenverursacher
a word which came out of my friend's mouth
during our brunch after our seminar on hands-on
expertise i.e. Handlungskompetenz.
It is a compound word consisting of egg and cause of breaking
point which is just impossible to translate. Minutes later, I found
this English translation, not egg tickler nor beheader but
an egg clacker.
Eiersollbruchstellenverursacher.
Who needs it?
If it's one item on the language proficiency exam for
obtaining a German passport, I get one correct answer.
At least hindi itlog sa exam!

Looking for a MOB ...Mail-Order-Bear

2010-10-31T12:54:00.005+01:00

(Photo: Taken from Wikipedia)
Remember Knut? Saw the other night a feature on him on a German
TV. It said the zoo is now looking for a partner for this
media star polar bear who seems to be having stress with female
bears. See the posted news below I found in
Stern magazine.

Eisbär Knut: Noch ein langer Weg bis zum neuen Zuchtbullen

Knut hat es nicht leicht. Zuerst der Ärger mit der Münchener Eisbärin Gianna, die ihn mit einer krachenden Backpfeife begrüßte. Und jetzt setzt ihm ein älteres Damen-Trio zu. Aber es gibt Hoffnung: Die Direktion sucht in ganz Europa eine junge Gespielin für Knut.

Sorgen um Eisbär Knut: Dem Publikums-Liebling im Zoologischen Garten Berlin geht es nicht gut. Seit seinem Umzug auf den großen Bärenfelsen sieht sich der vierjährige Jungbär gefährlichen Attacken des betagten Damen-Trios Nancy (21) Tosca und Katjuscha (beide 24) ausgesetzt. Aus Angst vor Bissen und lautstarken Drohgebärden kauert Knut meist allein und in die Ecke gedrängt auf einem winzigen Felsvorsprung. Manchmal zittert er und wirkt verschreckt. Die Fans leiden mit dem Liebling, der aus ihrer Sicht zum Mobbing-Fall geworden ist. Den Erwartungen der Zoo-Leitung, als eine Art Zuchtbulle für Nachwuchs zu sorgen, entspricht Knut jedenfalls noch nicht.
Anzeige

Bären-Betreuer Heiner Klös gibt Knuts weltweiter Fangemeinde jedoch einen Hoffnungsschimmer. "Wir sind intensiv dabei, in ganz Europa eine jüngere Gespielin für ihn zu suchen. Wir schaffen das und sind auf gutem Weg", sagte er am Dienstag der Nachrichtenagentur dpa. Einzelheiten nannte er nicht.

Es sei ihm schon zu Ohren gekommen, "dass die Kritiker sagen, wir würden Knut bei den alten Schreckschrauben verheizen", räumt Klös ein. Doch der Eindruck sei falsch: "Wenn Gefahr bestünde, würden wir die Tiere nicht zusammen ins Gehege lassen", sagt Klös. Gewisse Raufereien seien normal. Ziel des Zoos bleibe weiterhin, was Direktor Bernhard Blaszkiewitz vor einigen Wochen so formulierte: "Knut wird unser neuer Zuchtbulle."

Im nächsten Frühjahr soll der von bisher mehr als zehn Millionen Menschen besuchte Publikumsmagnet Knut eigentlich die Rolle seines Vaters Lars übernehmen, der alle drei Eisbärinnen gedeckt und mehrfach für Nachwuchs gesorgt hatte. Lars war an den Zoo Wuppertal abgegeben worden, wodurch der Platz frei wurde für Knut.

Doch mit den drei jetzigen "Damen vom Zoo" wird es wohl nichts - und das liegt nach Expertenansicht nicht daran, dass eine davon, Tosca, Knuts Mutter ist. Der Eisbär sei mit seinen jetzt 270 Kilo auch noch zu schmächtig. "Um sich im Revierkampf Respekt zu verschaffen, muss er noch einigen Speck drauflegen, es fehlen ihm noch die Muckis", sagt Klös. Die Körpersprache der molligen Eisbärinnen hingegen ist klar: Das Trio hat sich gegen Knut verbündet. Sie streifen zu dritt, Fell an Fell, stets eng zusammen im Felsengelände umher und thronen demonstrativ auf dem höchsten Punkt. Von dort beäugen sie Knut am Wasser, gut sechs Meter unter ihnen. Fachmann Klös: "Das ist das typische Königsspiel, wer sitzt oben?"

Das Gehege ist wie aufgeteilt, wobei Knut nur eine bescheidene Fläche in unteren Regionen bleibt. Dort posiert er wie früher allein fürs Publikum und sucht stets Kontakt mit den Menschen. Für Klös sind die Fans an der tristen Situation nicht ganz unschuldig. "Für die Leute baut Knut Männchen, wie er es gewohnt ist. Er ist da, wo die Menschen sind." Die Bärinnen spielen dabei keine Rolle.

Der im Dezember 2006 geborene Knut war von seiner Mutter Tosca nach der Geburt verstoßen worden. Er wurde von einem Pfleger mit der Flasche aufgezogen und stieg bald darauf zum Medienstar auf. Sogar zusätzliches Fressen, meist Croissants, wurden ihm immer wieder zugeworfen, obwohl es verboten ist. Doch selbst die Futterlage hat sich für Knut verschlechtert. Als pünktlich um 11.30 Uhr der Tierpfleger mit großen Eimern kommt, Fische, Fleischstücke und Brötchen, ins Gehege wirft, bedienen sich die Bärinnen zuerst. Knut muss warten und kommt als Letzter dran.

See also this posted news info taken from The Daily Telegraph

Polar bear girl gang bully Knut

* From: AFP
* October 20, 2010

KNUT, the polar bear in Berlin's zoo that shot to global fame as a cub, is reportedly being bullied by a trio of older females, causing the country's media to worry about the superstar's love life.

"Knut, the public's favourite, has become a heap of misery," said Germany's mass-selling daily Bild. "Instead of enjoying himself with the three ladies, he cowers fearfully in a corner," added the more staid Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

For several weeks, the three-year-old bear has shared his zoo enclosure with his mother, Tosca, and two other females, Nancy and Katjuscha.

But hopes that Knut might form a romantic attachment with one of the females appear to have been dashed as stories emerged of violent maulings.

One video posted online showed Katjuscha hurling herself at Knut's throat, in an apparent attempt to bite him, before tipping him into the water.

"These sad images of Knut are pulling the heartstrings of people around the world," said Bild.

But Heiner Kloes, Knut's keeper, downplayed the affair, telling AFP it was "only two minutes in the life of a bear."

"It was a small altercation that is completely normal among bears," he said, underlining that the four bears were still getting used to living together.

"For the time being, Knut is not yet an adult male and doesn't yet know how to get respect like his father did. But day by day, he is imposing himself and with time, this type of problem will go away," he said.
End of the news.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Don't let Knut be mobbed. Find him a MOB...even if this means
a mail-order-bear. Spread the news!

Ecumenical Conference on Filipinos in Diaspora

2010-10-18T18:41:00.003+02:00

26th Ecumenical Philippine Conference
in Eisenach, Thueringen
Theme: Filipinos in the Diaspora
Important Agents in the Social Development of Their Home Country?

Congratulations to Hagen Rether, Winner of Deutschen Kabarett Preis 2010

2010-10-06T15:10:00.003+02:00

(Photo taken from www.lerone.net)
"Mit zwölf Jahren ist man in Asien zu alt zum Teppichknüpfen, weil die Finger zu gross werden. Du darfst aber erst mit 14 bei Nike anfangen, Turnschuhe zu kleben. Da entsteht eine Versorgungslücke von zwei Jahren, die meistens durch Prostitution gestopft wird... Oh Herr, wir haben keine Ahnung von Sklavenhandel mit Kindern, Zerstörung ganzer Volkswirtschaften durch Börsenspekulationen, und Umweltkatastrophen durch Ressourcenausbeutung. Herr, wir wissen nichts von Hermes-Bürgschaften für Staudämme und Turnschuh-Produktionen in Südostasien. Herr, die meisten von "uns" sind froh, wenn sie sich ihr Autokennzeichen merken können. Kein Schwanz kennt aus dem Stehgreif den Zusammenhang zwischen Aktienkursen und Leitzinsen, wir kennen ja noch nichtmal unsere Blutgruppe. Herr, wir sind so degeneriert, dass wir nicht bezahlen können, weil wir uns die vierstellige EC-Kartennummer nicht merken konnten, Herr. Herr, wir sind so hohl - wie wir voll sind. Die anderen hoffen auf Frieden - und wir hoffen, dass man uns im Urlaub nicht entführt. Die haben Angst, dass ihre Kinder verhungern, und wir haben Angst, dass unser Deo versagt, und dass man uns beim Telefonieren im Auto erwischt. Oh Herr, wir kaufen ihre Frauen und behaupten, sie würden uns unsere Arbeitsplätze wegnehmen. Unsere Beichtväter sind die Steuerberater, und Unicef ist unser Ablass. Oh Herr, mach hoch die Tür, die Tor mach dick- und die Mauern zu. Denn es kommt ein Heer von wütenden kleinwüchsigen Analphabeten und Hungerleidern über uns. Die Tutsi und Hutu werden sich gemeinsam gegen uns verschwör'n, und die nicaraguanischen Kaffeebauern und die Schafhirten aus Kaschmir und die kampferprobten Kindersoldaten aus Sierra Leone... Sie alle werden kommen, über die NATO-Zäune krabbeln und uns hinwegfegen wie El Niño. Sie werden uns mit Basmati Reis bewerfen, und mit Naturreis und mit Parfum-Reis, mit Wildreis und mit Langkornreis und mit Milchreis und mit Uncle Ben's Beutelreis und mit Puffreis. Sie werden in unseren Hobbykellern Dart spielen und in unseren Swinger-Clubs swingen, sie werden von unseren Tellerchen essen und mit unseren blonden Töchtern in unseren Ikea-Bettchen schlafen, sie werden auf unseren Teakholz-Möbeln gammeln, Cohibas rauchen, Darjeeling schlürfen und "wer wird Millionär" gucken. Oh Herr, sie werden mit unseren Geländewagen im Stau stehen und über die Öko Steuer fluchen. Herr. Wie kriegen wir in ihren Drittweltschädel rein, dass du ein Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender bist? Machen wir es uns gemütlich vor dem Herrn, lasset uns beten. Vater unser, der Du bist im Himmel. Gereinigt werde Dein Name. Wir sind steinreich (komm, ey). Unser Wille geschehe, wie in Chile, so auch in Schweden. Deren täglich Brot gib uns heute. Und vergib Du ihnen doch ihre Schulden, wie auch wir vergeben unsere Kredite. Und führe keine Untersuchung, sondern gib die Erlöse uns von den Börsen. Denn wir sind reich, haben die Kraft und die Herrlichkeit. Und die bleiben immer die - in Ewigkeit - Armen."
(Source: Youtube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k5LbtS4SXM

Inter-cultural Women Coming to Dinner

2010-09-25T19:10:00.008+02:00

It was not planned to coincide with the approaching Inter-cultural
Week which is celebrated in Germany around this time. Our coffee
and cake women's group had just met barely two weeks before but
I scheduled this late "Merienda pow-wow" this Friday as the nest
would be "sturmfrei Bude" i.e. free. As you may imagine, it would
be free for all sorts of women's sharing: cooking, telling stories,
some instant dancings, music and lots of candles burning to reduce
the intensity of the delicious smell of exotic cooking coming
from the kitchen.
Despite my coughings and obviously miserable condition, my
friends came with me to my nest and we were ready to start
our own mini intercultural weekend.
As expected, the small kitchen was filled with laughters while
food preparation was going on. I learned how to sharpen my
knives professionally as the main guest cook was complaining
about my blunt knives.
We had Martabak, a traditional Indonesian
omelette with spiced ground meat, Empanadas or Panadas in Bahasa Indonesian with chicken meat.
We had djap jae, a Korean version of Pin@y chop-chuey in two
separate dishes to please our vegan friends. A bottle of iced-cold
Federweisser to toast was surprisingly welcomed and enjoyed by
these women of colors and tastes, and faith.
There was food for all preferences: for "non-beefer", "non-porker"
veggans, and possible Tee-totallers.
For dessert, my Indonesian girlfriend made Dadar, Indonesian rice pancake with sweet coconut fillings and
dipped in black chocolate sauce while I served turron , sweet bananas wrapped in egg roll wrappings and deep-fried.
When they left, I took another glass of Federweisser, put the
left-overs in the fridge, took a warm shower and cuddled my
laptop to bed.
It has been a wonderful dinner meeting. I coul still hear
my friends'laughters but also the faint coughings and
sneezings of some.
Mea Culpa!

Internationales und interkulturelles Kultur-und Begegnungsfest 2010

2010-09-12T18:59:00.006+02:00

One summery Saturday on September 4, in Bonn Rheinaue:
international encounter of games, languages, food and
infos on the different concerns and themes presented by the
different organizations and networks around Bonn region.
Babaylan Germany/Philippine Women's Forum participated in
this yearly inter-cultural event. Here are some photos from
the event:

Un Brioche e un cappuccino, per favore! Brunch in Bar

2010-08-20T16:19:00.008+02:00

Un Brioche e un cappuccino, per favore! I should say my first
Italian sentence or one of the many first expressions I learned
after those vivid and dramatic Italian swear words. My day won't
be completewithout this set of typical Italian breakfast taken
either directlyat the counter or on a table which calls for extra
table charge.
A set like the one above cost normally 2.60Euro(served on the
table)and 2.30Euro hurriedly consumed at the counter. I prefer to
have my B and C set on a table and enjoy it while watching the
traffic of people coming in and going out of the bar, ordering
coffee and brioche.
What would I do when I return to the local nest and won't have
any more brioche for brunch? Maybe I will try to use my
Plan B (Brioche) Baking as souvenir from this summer sojourn.
Here's a version I found today. Who will bake it for me?
Will provide the cappuccino. The found recipe is completed
with ice cream...not too bad an idea for brunch. O Dio!

Reprinted with permission from Gelato!: Italian Ice Creams,
Sorbetti and Granite by Pamela Sheldon Johns. Copyright 2000.
Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.

Here is a delicious eggy breakfast bread, perfect for accompanying
sorbetto on a hot summer morning. A nice variation is to knead
in 1/2 cup raisins soaked in 1/4 cup rum, just before the last rise.
Makes 1 dozen rolls

Brioche

Ingredients
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm milk (105 degrees to 115 degrees F)
• 1/2 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 egg yolks
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg white
Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk. Stir in
1 tablespoon of the 1/2 cup sugar and the olive oil. Set aside
until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Whisk the egg yolks into the yeast mixture until well blended.
Whisk in 1 cup of the flour, the rest of the 1/2 cup sugar, and
the salt. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place
for 1 hour.
Whisk in the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, switching to
a wooden spoon when necessary, until too stiff to stir. Turn the
dough onto a floured work suface and knead until smooth, about
5 minutes, adding more flour 1 tablespoon at a time as necessary
if the dough is sticky.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn the dough to
coat it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in
a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Divide the dough into 12 portions, shaping each into a ball. Place
each ball in a muffin cup and let rise in a warm place until doubled,
about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk the egg
white and sugar just until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
Bake the rolls for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Remove from
the oven and brush with the egg white mixture while still warm.
Let cool in the pan.
To serve, slice in half and fill with a scoop of sorbetto.

Printed from FoodNetwork.com on Fri Aug 20 2010

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/brioche-recipe/index.html

Summer Camp under the Tuscan Sun

2010-08-18T16:00:00.004+02:00

Photos to share from my summer camping with dear friends,
Cecil, Irene, Laarni, Nads, Lorenzo and Amanda.
For whatever reason, photos won't post.
How about just a photo?

Maria Went to Town Project ni Jecay

2010-07-25T08:29:00.005+02:00

(Si Jecay habang nagbabakasyon sa Pinas in action)

Sharing here an a short info about a project initiated by Jecay
who lives in NL. We met in one of Babaylan Europe's trainings some
light years away about migrant women's empowerment. She is now
involved in one of the projects of her many networking groups
dealing with this theme migration and development. Wish you
more energy,inspiration and success in your projects, Jec.

Eto yun sharing ng aking kaibigang Jecay.

Hello my dear!I was really happy that you came last Saturday!Masaya din ako na mag-invest ka ki Maria4MDGs!I hope na maging successful itong proyekto na ito. It is a big one but I always think positive. Kung ang karamihan na mga diaspora ay katulad mong mag-isip na tutulong sa kapwa natin doon sa hometown natin maging productive ito at malaking maitutulong sa development not only in terms of women empowerment ma-improve din ang kanilang pamumuhay!.Busy din ako ngayon sa bagong proyekto ko sa baryo namin. May mga mothers na mga asawa ng mga rice growers na gustong magtayo ng panahian. So far, may pito na ka mga dressmakers na nakatanggap ng certificate as Dressmakers at gusto na nilang magtatayo ng sariling dress shop. Awa ng Diyos aktibo ang mga asawang na membro sa Samahang Nayon at may isang building na hindi nagamit at doon sila tatanggap ng mga customers. Marami na silang natahi like last March mga toga at pina-rentahan nila ito at may income na din sila. I gave them starting capital to buy the materials and we shared the income.I was also able to sollicit and sent 8 sewing machines. Mid of May they will open the "PACHADA Tailoting and Dress Shop" a livelihood program of Samahang Nayon, Purok 4, Barangay Cabubuhan, Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental. Maraming naghihingi ng tulong talaga! Ay naku! Isa-isahin ko lang muna pero kung pupunta ka sa aming baryo doon mo makikita ang iba-ibang proyekto ng Damayan, BisDak at personal kong proyekto.I am so proud of you din uy!...

Susunod na email ni Jecay:

Kumusta ka na?Maganda ang panahon daw ngayon pero uulan mamayang gabi (sana naman hindi malakas, ano?Maganda ba yong report ko or just a short background of what I did.Sa tingin mong magandang i-share ito sa ibang mga kababaihan, why not no?Personal initiative ko lang ito pero pangangailangan ito sa aming baryo at kahit sa aming bayan walang-wala talagang tailoring at dress shop. Tuwang-tuwa na nga ang mga kababayan ko dahil mayroon na silang papuntahan at may magtatahi na sa kanilang mga uniforms lalo na sa mga high schools students at mga government employees. Ito ang kwento: Last year may nagbigay na dalawang secondhand na makina galing sa matandang tinutulongan ko at at ang isa ay galing sa matalik na kaibigan kong Dutch at galing din yon sa kaibigan niya.Dahil wish ko talga na makatulong sa kapwa kababaryo pinadala ko itong dalawang makina doos sa suki ko na professional dressmaker. May sulat akong pinadala sa kanya at sabi ko na nag-promised ako sa kanya na padalhan ko siya ng makina dahil ang ginamit nya yong local na sewing machine at ang daming tatahiin nya na halos hindi niya kayang tapusin at hindi masagot ang mga pangangailangan ng mga customers.At sabi ko na ibibigay ko ito basta tutulong siya sa mga kapwa niyang mga mothers through magbibigay ng sewing lessons. Last June 2009 nag-offer ang isang professional tailor na matanda na at may tahian sa kabilang barangay at sabi niya sa mga taga Samahang Nayon Rice Growers na willing siyang magbigay ng lesson every Saturday. Nangyari yong at every Saturday nagsipuntahan ang 12 na mga mothers at natutong magtahi ng mga pantalon, short ants at polo shirts. Nagbayad din ang mga participants ng P20.00 para ibigay sa teacher nila for honorarium pero hindi kasya so ang ginawa ko nag-sponsor ako for few months.Pagka-August nag-start ang dressmaker sa pagbigay ng sewing lessons until December. In between nag-sollicit ako at naghanap na sponsors para makapadala ng mga secondhand na makina para may magamit sila. Salamat nalang na may mga kaibigan akong may negosyong balikbayan boxes (HOLPHIL Trading) at napadala ang mga anim na makina at may 2 computer pa para sa Samahang Nayon at sa isang coop na nasa kabilang barangay.Last end of December graduation nila and it was held at the barangay hall. Mayroon silang fashion show (pinakita nila ang mga tinahi nila through fashion show )at na-touched daw ang mga puso ng mga mothers na kahit na daw payat, matanda na sila naging successful at na-achieved ang kanilang mga dreams na mayroon silang sariling kaalaman at magagamit ito at may hanap-buhay na sila.May prizes na bingay at umiyak ang nanalo ng first prize dahil may natanggap siyang Singer sewing machine. Ang suki ko ditong sewing machine store ay nag-donate ng isang very heavy duty na sewing machine!Out of 12 participants 7 lang talaga ang nakapasa at itong pitong mga kababaihan ang magtatayo ng "Pachada Tailoring and Dress Shop, alivelihood program ng Samahang Nayon Double Action Asso. at busy sila ngayon sa pag-asikaso ng mga papeles para maging isang cooperative.As of now, maghahanap akong mga sponsors para makabili sila ng mga materials lalo na ngayon na bakasyon at maraming magpatahi ng mga school uniforms. Nag-start talaga sila ng zero.Dito ko rin mag-start ng investment ko. Mag-start ng maliit hanggang lalaki ito. Step by step! Hinay-hinay basta kanunay!Sa June mag-start ang second batch at itoy mixed talaga mga nanay at tatay!I need more sewing machines to send to my home barrio. A little thing makes a big difference!Share some of the blessings what we receive from God to our kababayan especially those who are in need!Have a very nice day!

Jecay Ligan van Olanda with luv!

Events sharing: Ruhr valley region as Capital of European Culture 2010

2010-07-19T12:40:00.005+02:00

(Photos taken from www.spiegel.de)

The event this summer, July 2010. Celebration in Ruhr valley
region. Gathering of millions in A 40.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,707246,00.html

Le Collectif Lemhadong au Musee du Quai Branly

2010-07-15T17:24:00.004+02:00

Photo: www.borislelong.fr

Cross-posting. Have time to see this performance of this authentic
group of T'Boli people who performed at Musee du Quai Branly.
Thanks to Hans Brandeis for the info and the link to the
performance.

http://liveweb.arte.tv/fr/video/Le_collectif_Lemhadong_au_Musee_du_Quai_Branly/

The info about the Collectif Lemhadong:

Filmé le 26/06/2010 à Le Musée du Quai Branly

* Production : musée du quai Branly

Description

Les musiciennes et artisanes du collectif Lemhadong résident dans le village de Dekolon, sur une colline surplombant le lac Sebu aux Philippines. Ayant appris la musique en observant les adultes lorsqu'elles étaient enfants, elles disent n'avoir jamais reçu d'enseignement, si ce n'est parfois d'une fée apparue en rêve...

En effet, le mythique récital organisé par le héros Tudbulul à Lemhadong ne rassembla pas seulement des humains : les gardiennes de la forêt furent également attirées, et la musique les passionna à tel point que depuis, elles s'introduisent dans les songes des musiciens pour les encourager. Ainsi, d'après les femmes de Lemhadong, ces fées sauvages et mélomanes guideraient leur talent.

Pour les plus prosaïques d'entre vous, on se contentera d'ajouter que ces femmes sont les dépositaires d'une culture forestière en voie de disparition, à la fois en termes de musique (découvrez avec elles le luth hegelung, les gongs smaggi ou la guimbarde kumbing) mais également d'artisanat. Et qu'elles interpellent chacun d'entre nous sur notre rapport à notre environnement.

Wow, I'm wishing the group would also perform here in
Alemanya! Any possibility?

Wunschkinder: Status und Rolle philippinischer Frauen

2010-07-09T14:39:00.019+02:00

Babaylan Europe Training in Paris Photo@Mary Lou H.W.

Bevor die Spanier kamen, sahen Status und Rolle philippinischer
Frauen wesentlich anders als heute. Männliche wie weibliche
Säuglinge wurden mit gleicher Sorgfalt aufgezogen (Valladolid,1975); sie wurden unabhängig von ihrem Geschlecht akzeptiert. Frauen waren ebenso
erbberechtigt wie ihre Brüder und konnten sowohl vor wie
nach ihrer Heirat ihre Eigentumsrechte wahrnehmen. Vielfach war
die Frau weit mehr als nur Partnerin ihres Mannes; sie war
Familienoberhaupt. Sie verwaltete ihren Besitz unabhängig vom
Mann, konnte Verträge abschließen und Geschäfte tätigen, ohne
ihn um Rat fragen zu müssen (The Asian, 1971). Sie war ihrem
Mann ebenbürtig, behielt ihren Mädchennamen und erhielt die
gleichen Ehrungen wie er (Alzona, 1934). Ihr Mann fragte sie im
Blick auf seine eigenen Angelegenheiten um Rat.
Bei Unternehmungen und Verträgen suchte er ihre Zustimmung.

Photo@Mary Lou H.W.

Nach Berichten des spanischen Historiographen Loarca konnten
Filipinas im 17.Jahrhundert sogar allein entscheiden, ob sie ein
Kind wollten oder nicht - auch außerhalb einer Ehe. Und wenn es
ihnen notwendig erschien, konnten sie sich scheiden lassen
(Castillo, Marie C.,o.J.).
Auch auf dem Gebiet der Politik und der Religion war die Frau dem
Mann völlig ebenbürtig. Alte malaiische Herrscher wie Marikudo,
der Häuptling der Panay, fragten vor wichtigen politischen
Entscheidungen ihre Frauen um Rat. Wenn ein männlicher Erbe
fehlte, konnten Frauen ihren Männern oder Vätern als
Stammesführerinnen nachfolgen.
Auch waren es vornehmlich Frauen, die in der animistichen
Religion priesterliche Funktionen ausübten. Sie waren die
Zeremonienmeisterinnen, pflegten den Kontakt mit den Geistern
und heilten die Kranken.

(Photo Taken from Internet.Author Unknown)

Als die Spanier kamen, ums uns unter dem Vorwand der Christianisierung
eine koloniale Kultur überzustülpen, verschlechterte sich die Lage
der Frauen. Das spanische, vom römischen abgeleitete Rechtssytem
betonte die männliche Überlegenheit. Märchen von weiblicher Hiflosigkeit,
die auf männlichen Edelmut angewiesen ist, wurden in Umlauf
gebracht. Das spanische Recht schusterte eine neue Ethik für die
Frauen zusammen. Ab jetzt gehörte sie ins Haus. Geschäfte durfte
sie nicht mehr ohne Wissen und Zustimmung des Mannes tätigen
und über ihren eigenen Besitz nicht mehr verfügen.
Man ermunterte sie, passiv und fromm zu sein.

Während der amerikanischen Besatzungszeit hat sich an diesen
gesellschaftlichen Bedingungen nicht viel geändert.
Während der gesamten Kolonialepoche spielten Frauen bei
Massenbewegungen und Aufständen eine bedeutende Rolle - auch
währen der philippinischen Revolution von 1896.
Die ursprüngliche Kultur der vorspanischen Zeit fiel der
aggressiven Kolonialkultur zum Opfer. Die Sozialethik, die Sitten
und Traditionen, denen wir heute anhängen, sind die, die von den
Kolonisatoren gebilligt wurden. Die aufgepropfte Kultur sowie die
Übernahme fremden Sitten und Lebensgewohnheiten ebneten den
Weg für die ökonomischen und politischen Strukturen des
Westens. Diese wiederum haben die bereits vorhandene soziale
Ungleichheit noch verschärft.

Heute leidet die Mehrheit der philippinischen Frauen unter der
gleichen Ungerechtigkeit wie ihre philippinischen Brüder. Es ist
eine Ironie des Schicksals, daß die derzeitigen Emanzipations-
bewegungen der Frauen genau die Errungenschaften erstreben,
deren sich ihre Ahninnen erfreuten. Fast sieht es so aus, als ob
die Kolonisatoren die Filipina auf eine lange Umlaufbahn
gebracht haben, auf der sie am Ende wieder da ankommt, wo sie
vorher schon einmal gewesen ist.
Wenn die Filipina ihren Kampf, ihre Geschichte und die wahren
Auswirkungen des westlichen Einflusses auf ihr Land und auf sie
selbst wirklich begreift, kann sie ihre eigene Befreiung in
Angriff nehmen.

Übersetzung: Klaus Schmidt
Original Text from : Friends of the Filipino People,
Maryland Ave. Ne. Washington, DC 20002.

From Babaylan Germany/Philippine Women`s Forum Archives

...i just want to say...

2010-07-04T22:05:00.008+02:00

When Germany was about to start its match against Argentina on
July 3, 2010 with warnings on gusty winds to pass North-Rhein
Westphalia, we were enjoying lechon (roasted pork), pansit
(noodles), lumpiang shanghai (fried egg rolls), chapatis
with vegetable curry, tabule in celebration of a dear friend's
birthday.

And just before we attacked the dessert of almond
jelly with lychees, tarts and leche plan, Cecil told us to get
ourselves glasses for the traditional toast. So you
could see here what happened. It was the best part of the gathering,
tell you.

Thanks Lourdes for the wonderful Saturday. Wish you many
returns of lovely years. Thanks Cecil for giving us liberating
laughs! Cheers!

Visiting a Townmate and Other New Places: Photos

2010-06-27T00:33:00.002+02:00

Visiting a Townmate and Other New Places

2010-06-26T23:37:00.006+02:00

There was this email circulating once in the internet said to be
authored by the Dalai Lama encouraging readers to visit at least
one unknown place once a year. I did that last week but only
after I met up with a townmate whom I have not seen in years.
I discovered Linda M., my townmate through FB but her phone
number was given to me by her brother when I was visiting the
home country last year. How funny that we live in the same state
but really have not met in all the years that we are both residing
in Alemanya. We have to renew contact, exchange more stories
and keep in touch. Some of those perks in keeping an account
with such social networking: sharing funny incidents in the
past, in the village where we both spent our childhood,
recalling names of people and events, and exchanging some
heartaches and frustrations about the situation back home.
Could we imagine settling there for good? I think we both have
the same thing in mind just like other migrant women.
In the meantime, we will follow what the Dalai Lama is sending
through the internet...go somewhere where you've never been
to before...at least once a year.

Concert with the University of Santo Tomas Singers

2010-06-16T15:44:00.004+02:00

For a change...Germany in the midst of football fever, we found out
that a visiting Philippine choral group was to give a concert in
Grevenbroich. Emma B. and Manang Agnes arranged for the
reservation of the tickets with lunch and merienda at the home of
one Ella T. in Rheydt. Lunch with concert! A rare treat. Kare-kare
with fried fish and guinataang sari-sari. Concert was not in
Grevenbroich but in Korschenbroich...also with broich but
definitely another place in NRW.
To keep the story short as I have to see another match, Spain vs.
Switzerland, I'm posting a video clip of one of my fav songs
rendered by all visiting choral groups...Waray-Waray...the song
of the strong Waray-Waray women.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvdCGbXkJcI

60th Anniversary of DIG, Deutsch-Indonesische Gesellschaft e.V.

2010-06-08T18:45:00.004+02:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-yVoNx4mbg

In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of DIG,
Deutsch-Indonesische Gesellschaft e.V. (German-Indonesian Society),
a series of cultural program has been initiated by the association
since the start of the year 2010. The latest event organized by DIG
was a benefit concert to support an alternative program for girls'
football training in West Papua.
Here's a snippet of news on the benefit concert as published by
the local newspaper, KSTA.

Musik und Tanz fürs Nationalteam

Von Norbert Ramme, 07.06.10, 18:16h, aktualisiert 08.06.10, 12:34h
Balinesische und kölsche Klänge gab es bei einem Konzert zugunsten des Mädchenfußballs in der indonesischen Provinz Papua. Die Brüder Rainer und Timo Scheunemann hatten zeitweilig das indonesische Frauenteam trainiert.
Frauenfußball in Indonesien

Bestseller-Autorin Sabine Kuegler (2. v. l.) und Straßenmusiker Klaus der Geiger teilten sich das Programm in der Musikhochschule mit den Tänzern (v. l.) Wayan Pica, Nyoman Sukahajai und Monica van der Haagen-Wulf. (Bild: Rakoczy)
Frauenfußball in Indonesien

Bestseller-Autorin Sabine Kuegler (2. v. l.) und Straßenmusiker Klaus der Geiger teilten sich das Programm in der Musikhochschule mit den Tänzern (v. l.) Wayan Pica, Nyoman Sukahajai und Monica van der Haagen-Wulf. (Bild: Rakoczy)
Köln - Mit balinesischen Tempeltänzen und kölscher Straßenmusik wurde in der Musikhochschule für den Mädchenfußball in Papua geworben. Fußball zählt in dieser Provinz im Osten Indonesiens zu den beliebtesten Freizeitbeschäftigungen. Und aus Papua stammten kürzlich auch einige Mitglieder der indonesischen Frauennationalmannschaft, die zeitweilig von dem evangelischen Pfarrer Rainer Scheunemann („Ich hab die B-Lizenz der Uefa“) und dessen Bruder Timo Scheunemann (besitzt den A-Schein des DFB) trainiert und betreut wurde. Trotz einiger Erfolge - die Mädels hatten sich nach einigen Siegen bei Turnieren in der Weltrangliste auf Platz 68 vorgearbeitet - wurde das Projekt Nationalmannschaft vor einigen Monaten wieder eingestellt. „Das hängt auch mit der Korruption im indonesischen Fußballverband zusammen“, sagt Pfarrer Scheuneman. „Wenn kein Geld fließ, lässt man es lieber sein.“

Um die Begeisterung der Frauen und Mädchen auf Papua für den Fußball weiter zu unterstützen, hatte die in Köln beheimatete Deutsch-Indonesische Gesellschaft (DIG) um den Vorsitzenden Karl Mertes , die in diesem Jahr ihr 60-jähriges Bestehen feiert, in der Musikhochschule eine Benefiz-Veranstaltung organisiert. Motto: „Kicken für die Zukunft.“ Während Schriftstellerin Sabine Kuegler einige Passagen aus ihrem Bestseller „Dschungelkind“ vorlas und mit dem Publikum diskutierte , stimmte Scheunemann zur Gitarre Volkslieder aus Papua an und erläuterte die Hintergründe der Fußball-Initiative: „Ziel ist, diesen Mädchen durch Fußball zu Selbstbewusstsein und Selbstwertgefühl zu verhelfen und gleichzeitig ein Nationalteam aufzubauen.“

Dazu zeigten Nyoman Sukahajai und Wayan Pica Tänze aus Bali, Monica van der Haagen-Wulf präsentierte traditionelle Tänze mit Masken und Klaus der Geiger stimmte einige seine bekannten Protestsongs an. „Das ist hier ein buntes Programm für ein sinnvolles Projekt. Da mache ich gerne mit.
http://www.ksta.de/html/artikel/1273823380676.shtml

www.dig-koeln.de

Bhutan, Heilige Kunst aus dem Himalaya

2010-05-25T01:02:00.004+02:00

The kingdom of Bhutan, wedged between the major powers of India and China, is the only country in the world where Tantric Buddhism is the official religion. The government does not merely measure its achievement in terms of economic growth, but has made “Gross National Happiness” for its roughly 700,000 inhabitants and the protection of the environment its most important guiding principle.
This exhibition was realised after five years of preparatory work by a team of American experts under the aegis of the Honolulu Academy of Arts in cooperation with the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs of the Royal Government of Bhutan and the leaders of the monastic body. The exhibition will present sacred objects from monasteries and temples which are still in active use in Buddhist rituals. For this reason they are only accessible to the general public on special ceremonial occasions. The 117 objects from the 8th to the 20th century comprise Thangkas (religious scroll paintings) executed in bright mineral colours, gilded sculptures and ritual objects. It will be the most representative and comprehensive exhibition of sacred art from Bhutan ever shown.
In Europe, these sacred objects from the Himalayan kingdom will – after their first stop in Paris – be shown only at the Museum of East Asian Art in Cologne and the Museum Rietberg in Zurich. Two monks from Bhutan will accompany the exhibition and offer visitors the rare opportunity to experience the ritual practices of Tantric Buddhism at first hand in Buddhist cleansing ceremonies, which will be conducted twice daily. In addition, the monks will create a sand mandala in the exhibition rooms over a period of several weeks. The ritual Cham dances – another aspect of religious life in Bhutan – will be presented in impressive video displays.
Taken from
http://www.museenkoeln.de/museum-fuer-ostasiatische-kunst/default.asp?s=240