Einschulungstag - First Day for First Graders

This is the first day when Abecedarians are sent to schools to start their first formal education in Germany. Children are sent-off to their first day of classes with colorful Schultüte (school cones) accompanied by excited parents, grandparents and relatives or friends of the families. Schools try to cheer up the new arrivals by holding small welcome programs with songs, dances and theater pieces participated by other kids in higher grades. 

Below is short explanation of the German education system as posted in wikipedia.

First Grader with School Cone

The responsibility for the German education system lies primarily with the states (Länder) while the federal government plays only a minor role. Optional Kindergarten (nursery school) education is provided for all children between three and six years of age, after which school attendance is compulsory, in most cases for 11 to 12 years. The system varies throughout Germany because each state (Land) decides its own educational policies. Most children, however, first attend Grundschule from the age of six to ten or twelve.

A Multi-cultural Grade School

So heavy!

German secondary education  includes five types of school. The Gymnasium is designed to prepare pupils for university education and finishes with the final examination  Abitur, after grade 12 or 13. The Realschule  has a broader range of emphasis for intermediate pupils and finishes with the final examination Mittlere Reife,  after grade 10; the Hauptschule prepares pupils for vocational education and finishes with the final examination Hauptschulabschluss, after grade 9 or 10 and the Realschulabschluss after grade 10. There are two types of grade 10: one is the higher level called type 10b and the lower level is called type 10a; only the higher level type 10b can lead to the Realschule and this finishes with the final examination Mittlere Reife after grade 10b. This new path of achieving the Realschulabschluss at a vocationally oriented secondary school was changed by the statutory school regulations in 1981 - with a one-year qualifying period. During the one-year qualifying period of the change to the new regulations, pupils could continue with class 10 to fulfil the statutory period of education. After 1982, the new path was compulsory, as explained above. Other than this, there is the Gesamtschule, which combines the approaches. There are also Förderschulen/Sonderschulen. One in 21 pupils attends a Förderschule.  Nevertheless the Förderschulen/Sonderschulen can also lead, in special circumstances, to a Hauptschulabschluss of both type 10a or type 10b, the latter of which is the Realschulabschluss. Most German children only attend school in the morning. There are usually no provision for serving lunch. The amount of extracurricular activities is determined individually by each school and varies greatly.
Many of Germany's hundred or so institutions of higher learning charge little or no tuition by international comparison. Students usually must prove through examinations that they are qualified.
In order to enter university, students are, as a rule, required to have passed the Abitur examination; since 2009, however, those with a Meisterbrief (master craftman's diploma) have also been able to apply. Those wishing to attend a "university of applied sciences" must, as a rule, have Abitur, Fachhochschulreife, or a Meisterbrief. Lacking those qualifications, pupils are eligible to enter a university or university of applied sciences if they can present additional proof that they will be able to keep up with their fellow students through a Begabtenprüfung or Hochbegabtenstudium. A special system of apprenticeship called Duale Ausbildung allows pupils on vocational courses to do in-service training in a company as well as at a state school.

Two First Graders with Their Families

One father cheering up an anxious first grader

How many kilos to carry to school and back?

Watching the welcome program for them

The Welcome Committee Singing "All Children Are Learning How to Read"

It's a small, colorful, beautiful world we live in.

Oh-oh-oh, what are they singing?

A super school cone for a future footballer

Ausflug nach Hamburg

 

Finally we found a common date for our first excursion but we didn’t realize it would be one of the hottest weekends recorded in Germany. Temperature was going as high as 38+° and so with our excitement. We agreed not to fight, not to have especial wishes and most of all to be tolerant to each other. One for all, all for one.

The train ride from Bonn to Hamburg took about four and half hours which we didn’t feel at all as we were busy finishing a bottle of sparkling wine, homemade cake, bought croissants and salted bagels, strawberries, plums, pieces of honey melons and samosas. One train employee selling coffee even willingly took some of our offered honey melons. We were not bothered anymore as they could see our compartment was turning into an instant dining room. Some women travelers passing by our compartment were giving us the thumb-ups. For the bottle of sparkling wine early morning? Enjoy the photos!

 Samosa

 Rathaus

 Heinrich Heine (1797-1850)

 How did she manage that?

 The new wave in city touring

 Jungfernstieg

 One shopping arcade near Jungfernstieg

 The "Maedels" in Alster

 Thank you for your appreciation

 Honouring the Beatles

 Cyclassics Tournament

 More ice cream to ignore the heat

 Hans Hummel-famous water carrier, a symbol of Hamburg

 Visiting the periphery

 Brunch the next day in SH

Mango Frappiato before taking the train back to Köln

Circle of Friends

Why doI have a variety of friends?..

Why do I have a variety of friends who are all so different in character?  How can I get along with them all?  I think that each one helps to bring out a "different" part of me.

With one of them I am polite. With another, I joke. 
I sit down and talk about serious matters with one. 
With another I laugh a lot. 
I listen to one friend's problems. 
Then I listen to another one's advice for me.
My friends are like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. 
When completed, they form a treasure box. 
A treasure of friends! 
They are my friends who understand me better than I understand myself.
They're friends who support me through good days and bad.
We all pray together and for each other.
Real Age doctors tell us that friends are good for our health. 

Dr. Oz calls them Vitamin F (for Friends) and counts the benefits of friends as essential to our well being. Research shows that people in strong social circles have less risk of depression and terminal strokes.If you enjoy Vitamin F constantly you can be up to 30 years younger than your real age. The warmth of friendship stops stress and even in your most intense moments, it decreases the chance of a cardiac arrest or stroke by 50%.

I'm so happy that I have a stock of Vitamin F!

In summary, we should value our friends and keep in touch with them. We should try to see the funny side of things and laugh together and pray for each other in the tough moments.
Thank you for being one of my Vitamins!

 One of my friends from this international circle of women friends sent me this email after we just spent our hot weekend in Hamburg on this summery month of August when temperature has gone as high as 38.9°. I tried to look for the source but it seems the article has gone viral in the internet and I can't find the original author. Whoever you are, thank you for this beautiful piece and my thanks also to my circle of beautiful friends and especially to our thoughtful Gastgeberin, Angela.

What comes to your mind when I say Philippines?

Asking two young Germans what comes to their minds when 

I say Philippines, they wrote words, cluster of 

words which they associate with this 7,107 islands known as

Republic of the Philippines.

I must say they have been doing lots of reading

or getting information about the country.

Would be interesting to ask them again after their

stay and directly experience living in Wow Country,

and It's More Fun in the Philippines.

Quotation from the Rum Diary

"Human beings are the only creatures on Earth who claim a God, and the only living thing that behaves like it hasn't got one. Does the world belong to no one but you?" And when he said it, I was taken aback. Not because of who was doing the talking. Because I finally understood the connection between children scavenging for food, and shiny brass plates on the front doors of banks."

Paul Kemp (The Rum Diary)

Starring Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Michael Rispoli, Richard Jenkins, Giovanni Ribisi, Aaron Echardt based on the novel by Hunter S. Thompson and screenplay by Bruce Robinson

Bienenstich on One Sunny Sunday

 Caramelized almonds as toppings

German Merienda - Bienenstich or Bee Sting Cake

Bienenstich or Bee sting cake is a German dessert made of a sweet yeast dough with a baked-on topping of caramelized almonds and filled with a  vanilla custard, buttercream or cream.
The cake may have earned its name from its honey topping: according to one legend, a bee was attracted to it, and the baker who invented the cake was stung.
Another source cites a legend of German bakers from the 15th century who lobbed beehives at raiders from a neighboring village, successfully repelling them, and celebrated later by baking a version of this cake named after their efforts.
(Source: wikipedia)

Naalala ko pa mula sa aking ina

Naalala ko pa mula sa aking ina

Naalala ko ang mga damit na yong tinahi

May isang gustong gusto kong isuot

Dilaw na damit sleeveless kung tawagin

Binurdahan mo ng dalawang aso

Kulay kape at mayroon pang nakakabit

Na laso.

Sa aking unang kommunyon

Ginatsilyong bonnet na kulay puti

Ang pinasuot mo sa akin.

Ang aking tanong, bakit ako walang belo

Tulad nang sinuot ng ate ko.

Hindi mo nakita nang ako’y

Nag-anghel sa prusisyon ng salubong

Sa Piyesta ng Pagkabuhay

Nasa bahay ka lang

Nagsilang  ng bagong anghel

Sa aming magkakapatid

At tuwangtuwang ibinalita ko

Ako ang kumuha ng belo.

Maliit pa ako ng tanungin kita

Bakit ka mahirap di tulad ng mga

Ibang kapatid mo

Ano ang kasagutan sa tanong ng

Isang musmos na hindi maunawaan

Bakit may mahirap at bakit may mayamang tao.

Natatandaan ko pa ang ‘yong mga kwento

Na narinig mo kay Lolo Linong mestiso

Tungkol sa mga spiritung gumagala

Sasabihin niya sa inyong magkapatid

Takpan ang inyong mga mata habang

Hindi nalalampasan ang malalaking puno

Habang  ang tatay ninyo’ y nagsasalita

Umalis kayo dyan

Eto’y mga bata.

Natatandaan ko pa din ang malimit mong

Ikwento sa aming magkakapatid

Sa lumang eskwelahan

Maraming dwende naglalaro sa oras ng aralan

Nililigawan ang inyong maestra, hindi naman

Niya nakikita ang dwendeng may gusto sa kaniya

Habang aliw na aliw kayong mga bata

Sa kahahabol sa mga dwendeng

tumutulay sa writing board at kisame.

Mga pamahiin, mga paniniwala

Mula sa yong mga bibig

Pinalaki mo sa amin

Huwag magtapon ng bigas o kanin

At baka magtampo ang spiritu nila

Di na bumalik sa bahay natin.

Pag ang bata ay biglang iiyak

Sasabihin mong ‘maykan, maykan’

Pababalikin ang natatakot at nawawalang

Spiritu ng bata

At kung kami naman’y may biglang sakit ng tiyan

ay dadalhin kami sa kilalang mangangaway

para tawasin at malaman kung sino ang

may kagagawan ng sakit at makahingi ng laway.

Miyembro ka ng Legion of Mary, Sacred Heart,

Catholic Women’s League, at naging katekista

At sa iyong kabataan ay artista pa sa lokal na sarsuela

Tindera, naging Blue Lady at kung ano-ano pa

Tinagurian  Mommy Tonie  

Tagapagdasal para sa mga kaluluwa.

Para sa ‘yo,  Mommy Tonie,

Maraming, maraming salamat

Di man kita napasalamatan lubos

Sa pagiging ina namin

Sa mga bagay na hindi natin pinagkaunawaan

Patawad  ang aking hiling

Alam mong mahal na mahal ka namin.

Mother's Day ...a prayer

Letters from Home with Recipes: Pandisal in Diaspora

 

 This recipe is more than two decades kept in my folder of cuttings or recipes and other rough drafts. It was sent to me by my sister upon my request together with other recipes because I wanted to learn how to cook. I thought I might need the talent to impress my in-laws and other German friends. Todate, my sister is still sending me recipes and some tips and I am still dreaming of being able to come out with real delicious stuffs. Over the years, I have been able to befriend nice Pin@ys who could really bake and cook and since then I have forgotten my ambition. I just have to be a nice, thoughtful friend to these talented Pin@ys. I was reminded of it when I ate pandisal (Filipino buns or rolls) in one of the salo-salo (eating together) of  the Filipino Community in Bonn after the novena to the Sacred Heart and the celebration of the Holy Mass. I was also reminded that I still have some frozen pieces brought to me by my brother as pasalubong from his recent visit to Manila. I took home some of the pandisals from the salo-salo to compare them with the taste of the ones brought by my brother from one of the famous pandisal shops in Manila.

To the left are the pandisals from this famous bakery carried as  hand baggage from Manila. To the right are the pandisals I brought home after the devotion to the Sacred Heart. Notice the irregularity in their shapes as they are made out of love and devotion (according to Lourdes, the Pinay who bake them) but I know of the extra squeezing done to them as they were smuggled inside my handbag. I love eating them hot with crunchy peanut butter or with coco jam. Other Pinays said they taste great with canned sardines. I said better with Spanish or Portuguese sardines produced in Germany but never again with condensed milk. I had enough of that sweet memory of food eaten during childhood. Whatever.

 

 

My tip for the recipe is to have a Plan B, i.e. always have German Brötchen in your freezer as substitutes or install a Skype to get direct supervision from your sisters or brothers who could bake, and or maintain friendly relationship with other Pin@ys cooks living  in what they love to term now as Diaspora.

Tanz in den Mai, Dance, Drink and Demonstrate

 Every night on April 30, one is sure that every beer garden in Germany will be full unless it will be raining cats and dogs. It's the traditional Tanz in den Mai happening...dancing to the month of May.

Our "nice witches" group is the first to grace the dancing hall some minutes after ten in the evening. We are more than willing to work out the calories won eating pasta in the neighboring Italian restaurant.

Dance like nobody is watching you, so said Mark Twain. Yes, we are asking ourselves, where are the Tanz-in-den-Mai fanatics to
join us. Hallo Mr. DJ, could you please change your techno first and let us dance to our danceable beats?

 Then the dancing hall starts to get really full that one couldn't move anymore except raise one's hands, swaying the body to the techno music.

 There's enough space though to take photos. No chance for demonstrating our LA Walk!

   Everybody dance, huhuhuhuhu, clap your hands, clap your hands.  Where are the good old days' disco music? Aren't they playing them anymore?

While you might be forgetting yourself in your dance steps, don't forget that your cigarettes have no right to be smoked here.

The later the night, the younger the crowd gets, hehehe. They normally stay until 6 or 7 am the next morning on the 1st of May, Labour Day.

 My dinner for the evening before dancing...Linguine ai Fruitti di Mare

 The dance hall now getting so hot. Why don't they hold the dancing outside, in the garden?

The other dinner of one of the good witches...Spaghetti con le seppie...octopus or squid? 

Just a short info about Tanz in den Mai taken from wiki. 

In Germany, Walpurgisnacht, the night from 30 April to 1 May, is the night when witches are reputed to hold a large celebration on the Brocken  and await the arrival of spring.
Walpurgis Night (in German folklore) the night of 30 April (May Day's eve), when witches meet on the Brocken mountain and hold revels with their gods..."
Brocken is the highest of the Harz Mountains of north central Germany. It is noted for the phenomenon of the Brocken spectre and for witches' revels which reputedly took place there on Walpurgis night. The Brocken Spectre is a magnified shadow of an observer, typically surrounded by rainbow-like bands, thrown onto a bank of cloud in high mountain areas when the sun is low. The phenomenon was first reported on the Brocken.