Cooking Asparagus on My Own

 Feeling that my kilo asparagus is lighter than I bought, I wanted to see how much is lost after the paring done by the fruit shop.

 The peelings weigh about 200 gms. Next time I buy Asparagus, will add about 300gms just for the peelings to save on frustration or will peel them myself and include them to make asparagus soup.

I placed the asparagus in a big pot with water, a bit of sugar, slices of lemon and let it cook for more than 35minutes. The man vendor told me I only need 10 minutes to cook them. Hah! Potatoes were cooked with skin on to save on work and not to forget, the nutritious part is found in the skin. Asked hubby to check whether potatoes are done. I have rice cooker but no potato cooker so I need an authentic potato eater for the OK sign. That took about 25 minutes of boiling and hubby said another minute then it would just be fine, a technique he learned from his mother. The technique is that he always tell me one more minute no matter how long I cook the potatoes.

Then I prepared the scrambled eggs adding milk in it while beating. For sauce, I melted a whole bar of good (they always say here good) butter. Nothing is so frustrating for me than having so little sauce while eating asparagus with potatoes. I love them swimming either in Hollandaise sauce or plain melted butter with smoked ham. A glass of chilled white wine should not be forgotten when indulging in asparagus. 

"I stick to asparagus which still seems to inspire gentle thought." 

Charles Lamb

Market Criers in Action

 

Market Criers in Action

A especial attraction for this city one weekend in April when Marktschreier or market criers come to cry their goods from sausages, cheese, exotic plants to tropical fruits. See the video on this screaming sausage crier who teases his audience by throwing rolls of sausages, showering them with cuts of  smoked sausages while crying the prices for the bags of smoked meat from 10Euro to 20Euro. 

How Not to Cook Won-ton, Wun tun, Wan-Tun or Wan-Tan Soup

Frozen  wan-tan or won -ton

 A BFF (best friend forever), one of the chosen ones I have inspired me to make wanton soup. Hermie comes from Ilo-ilo which is home to the national  pride of Bachoy La Paz, a soup which I always thought of as a local version of wanton soup, and Hermie has always this soup ready when we visit her in NL. I thought of preparing my own wanton soup while shopping in an Asian supermarket in a local Chinatown in Rotterdam. I wanted only to inquire  if they have frozen wakame (seaweeds salad) but ended up buying wanton and pechay leaves instead. For the soup, one needs also chicken meat, pepper, salt, garlic and chives.

Left, boiled won-ton  and right, fried won-ton

 Heat oil, add garlic and stir-fry the chicken pieces. Then add water and cook chicken until tender. Normally, I add the frozen wontons in the boiling broth followed by pechay leaves and the spices. One can garnish it with fried garlic, chives, young garlic or chopped coriander leaves.
My other BFF, Jeh (and she is The Cooking friend I have) has tasted once my soup which I have been boasting to friends around. She commented that my wontons are over-cooked and suggested that I cooked them separately and just mix them in the soup when ready to serve. Did she say cook in oil or fry in oil? Anyway, I tried first frying the wonton pieces and to my frustration, they turned soon crispy. Did I get her instruction rightly? Jeh, help! Then I boiled the remaining pieces from the mother broth and set them aside for serving. They were all sticking to each other after awhile.

Fried won-ton parcels with chilli-garlic sauce

 So what to do? I was thinking either I have a merienda of fried wonton parcels with the potato salad or plunge them into the chicken broth. How will they taste crisply fried in hot soup? I returned the won-ton pieces back to the frying pan and fried them until they were all real crispy and ready to eat as starters and not as ingredient of the main course which is Chicken-Won-ton Soup. Found a bottle of banana sauce with an expiry date of November 1911 together with this bottle of chilli and garlic sauce. The chilli sauce has not yet expired luckily and it went fantastic with the crispy won-ton pieces. I sprinkled a bit of peanut oil to the other bowl of boiled wontons thinking it might keep them separated but it didn't help. They were all still clinging to each other in pairs or in groups. Tja. What to do?  I chose some isolated won-ton parcels, placed them in a bowl, add two pechay leaves but left out the chicken pieces as I have enough of the fried stuffs as starters. I garnished the soup with black peppers and squeezed a lemon in it. Added a bit of fish sauce (also not expired but the bottle is almost empty) and enjoyed it even without chopped coriander and chives, and hot, hot it was. I was searching for

frozen fruitsalad or ice cream in my host's freezer as first aid to my burnt tongue. This time, I won't even look for the expiry date.

A small joke about this soup. I can't help but remember this joke which I heard on the radio so many light years away. "How do you call it when someone vandalizes a Chinese restaurant?
Answer? Wanton destruction

Tulips

Tulips

By A.E. Stallings

The tulips make me want to paint,
Something about the way they drop
Their petals on the tabletop
And do not wilt so much as faint,

Something about their burnt-out hearts,
Something about their pallid stems
Wearing decay like diadems,
Parading finishes like starts,

Something about the way they twist
As if to catch the last applause,
And drink the moment through long straws,
And how, tomorrow, they’ll be missed.

The way they’re somehow getting clearer,
The tulips make me want to see—
The tulips make the other me
(The backwards one who’s in the mirror,

The one who can’t tell left from right),
Glance now over the wrong shoulder
To watch them get a little older
And give themselves up to the light.

Source: Poetry (June 2009).

Happy Easter!

"Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time."
Martin Luther

Wish upon Stars in April

                                                    (Source: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger)

Or would you like to swing on a star

Carry moonbeams home in a jar

and be better off than you are.

             Johnny Burke

The 6th Season Has Started - Asparagus Time

  What's this woman doing in this ad for asparagus, I asked the waiter. He said it is a beautiful thing to look at which can compare to that feeling while eating delicious asparagus. Imagine if that will be a photo of a muscular man posing in adoration of a huge asparagus. It won't surely drive that same effect. Or even George Clooney and asparagus...it does not fit somehow. Right?

Sunny days are here again! With it starts what I term the 6th season after winter, spring, summer, fall, Carnival and now Asparagus time from March to June.
We wanted just to have the normal German fav when we saw the offer of this village restaurant for the whole season:
"Spargelschlacht" for 4 Persons for 59.90Euro which includes non-stop eating Asparagus, plate of  potatoes, porkchops, ham, scrambled eggs, turkey steak and a bottle of white wine. Wow! Was tempted to get the especial menu even if we were only two.  We might still do it considering the length of the season of this white gold in German restaurants.

"I stick to asparagus which still seems to inspire gentle thought."  Charles Lamb

English Mass in a Filipino Community/Holy Week 2012 Observance

Come to Cologne City every last Sunday of the month if you wish to attend a Holy Mass. The Filipino Community of Cologne holds its monthly mass at the church of St. Michael in Bruesseler Platz every 5 pm with lively community music and entertaining homily.
I like the current prayers of the faithful with some lines like these:
"Inspire our elected officials to build a world of peace and goodness and show concern for the good of all. We pray: Father, listen to our prayers.
Make our love grow deeper every day, so that we may share with others their joys and sorrows.
We pray: Father, listen to our prayers."
For the observance of the Holy Week, the community is inviting faithfuls to join them in the activities below:

Pinoy Semana Santa Schedule 2012
April 1 (Palmsonntag), Mass of the Palm Sunday, 12:45 - St. Winfried Pfarrkiche, Bonn
(Choir-Shalom)

April 05 (Gründonnerstag)
Magdamagang Pabasa ng Pasyon and Opportunities for Confessions and Counselling
Elohim Center, Bonn-Bad Godesberg

April 06 (Karfreitag) Good Friday
Stations of the Cross - 13:00 Uhr in Apolinariskirche, Remagen
Celebration of the Lord's Passion 16:30 Uhr - in St. Winfried Pfarrkiche, Bonn
Siete Palabras (while Confessions are going on)
Veneration of the Cross and Communion (choir Loved Flock)

April 08 (Ostersonntag)
Mass of the Risen Lord
12:45Uhr - St. Winfried Pfarrkiche, Bonn
Special Features: Bridges Choir to sing Halleluia
Easter Fellowship at the Unterkiche after the Mass

Of Food, Women and other Topics

As our traditional gathering to celebrate IWD, International Women's Day, we planned to treat ourselves to a brunch which was changed later on to a dinner to make space for many working women friends. We found a Chinese restaurant specializing in Sichuan food as a venue for this special Meet and Eat on IWD. What we didn't expect was that the restaurant is also catering to Chinese groups of tourists. It will be easy for you to imagine the mood of the place with our circle of women with the equally noisy and hungry tourists but despite our noise and the confusion of the sole waiter, we were able to get our orders and shared the spicy food eventually. One Pinay was reminding the poor waiter named Sonny (whom we were calling with that song, "Sonny, yesterday my life was filled with rain") not to forget that she ordered not a spicy soup while another Pinay was complaining it was not hot enough so please more chilli sauce. The night ended up with another round of coffee and cake inside the main station and with another Eat and Meet (a birthday treat) planning for next Monday.
****************************************************************
Was reading today the local newspaper Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, and in the Panorama section, I found this column "Die Liste, Wie Kinder heißen," The List, How Children Are Named. The most loved names for children in Germany are Sophie/Sofie for girls and Maximilian for boys according to the "Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache" (Society for German Language).  The five most loved names are the following:

1. Sophie/Sofie  -  Maximilian
2. Marie - Alexander
3. Maria - Paul
4. Mia - Leon
5. Sophia/Sofia - Ben

(Source: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger 10./11.März.2012)

Celebrating International Women's Day

Turkish dinner to celebrate International Women's Day. G gave each one of us to read this piece:

Women's Cry: Not free Even in a Name

When we examine the names given to us,
it makes feel down-hearted and degraded.

We call ourselves females,
look closely the males are there.

Know as we women,
but the word men is annexed.

We pride ourselves as being ladies,
look the word begins with lad.

Be on your grand against being called madam,
because it carries the word Adam.

What about being a human,
a bitter pill again, man is still there.

Chairperson is a feminist coinage,
sadly it ends in son.

Even in simple title like Mrs.,
why should it be derived from Mr.

Look at the word mothers,
is made of others,
who are these others, if not men again.

(Author Unknown)

A Journal of a Party-thrower

"Hospitality, n. The virtue which induces us to feed and lodge certain persons who are not in need of food and lodging."Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary, 1911 

6:30       morning call

7:30       Prepared first Sauce for the Koftas which I prepared the 
              night before.

8.20       2^nd Sauce with Thai spicy parcels

9.20       Cleaned Guest WC using a miracle stain remover which sent me
              crying out to the terrace to get fresh air. Went out to fetch TP.
10.25     Someone called up but cp was  low-bat. It turned off and I 
              couldn’t find my pin code. Continuation of Domestic Goddess role.
14.30     Went out for the second time to buy drinks, chips and ice cubes.   

15.46     Washed hair, took shower.
16:00     Start of preparing finger goodies, deep frying Thai spicy parcels,
              heating koftas cutting veggies and preparing dips with my hair 
              wrapped in towel. I don’t want to smell like a walking egg roll.
18:10     Arrival of first three guests: two blondes, one black hair;
              followed by another one. More telephone calls for the direction 
               of the nest. One guest called up as she was controlled by the
               police, and she had to return back home to fetch car documents.
               A surprise visit from a guest who told us she became
               grandma that day. More reasons to celebrate, it’s a girl!. 
               Dinner: drinking, eating, entertaining, inter-active cooking with 
               Je, our dear friend from Thailand. More jokes and wine. 
               One friend asked me if I informed my eighbors about the 
               party. No, I said. We are well-behaving anyway. Singing of
               birthday songs in three languages. Cutting of the (ikea) cake by 
               the three birthday celebrants of the OTAP, 
               (Organization of Truly Attractive Pinays!). 

  

Vicky, Marilou and ML

01:10   Last guest to leave. One BFF stayed overnight to catch 
            an early train to NL. We shared a  round of Dao,
            Portuguese red wine. Too strong, BFFsaid, we needed 
            steak for the drinks.
07.30   Woke up to ensure BFF gets up to catch the early train to
             NL. Went back to sleep.
09:45    Found a beanie cap left by one BFF. Poor her, 
             it was freezing cold in NL. 

11:05   Called up the owner of the beanie cap. Started clearing stuffs away.

11:45    Finished hovering and hearing crunchy sound of dropped 
             nuts and chips. Collected pink feathers of a polyester flamingo.
12:05    Time to enjoy Fado and started to relax a bit.

12:35     Reheated “Tiramisu” of “iPad” Thai noodle for lunch. 
              Washed wine glasses, More cleaning up. Returned boxes of glasses
              and party pan to cellar.

14:20     Siesta finally! Journal closed. Until the next party to throw.

Pre-Valentine's Day Cooking from Hubby

Another hubby's instant mix tonight. Recipes which he does only once.

It looks so tempting that I asked him how he did it. 

Ingredients:

• Spaghettini
• Straw mushrooms
• Sausage
• Thai Mix
• Chinese bean oil
• Mixture of instant chicken broth 

He cooked the pasta in water with spoonfuls! of Thai mix (dried red chillies).  At this point, he didn't know yet whether he would make a soup or dried pasta. Decided not to have soup so he discarded the spicy broth. Added sausage, instant chicken broth, hot bean oil to the pasta and lastly the straw mushrooms. A bit of olive oil and another drizzle of the Thai mix completed his dinner which he gladly shared with me. A fiery pre-Valentine's Day dinner. He's going out to fetch a bottle of sparkling wine while I am helping myself to a bowl of joghurt with banana and prunes to pacify my stomach. A super hot dinner. Only for the brave hearts, tell you.

Integration Attempt: Attending Mass in a German Community

 Weather says it's about -3° to -7° today. I thought I could also do some minutes of power walking and visit our local church instead of taking the train to the city.  To which church this time, I thought; to the Evangelicals or to the Catholics? Shall I support the small Protestant church this time or see what's new inside the Catholic church? I decided to attend the Catholic mass seeing that the Protestant chapel was not yet lighted while cars were filling up the parking space of the Catholic church.
I learned that they hold extra "Gottesdienst" (divine service) for the small children with their parents in the parish hall while the regular mass is celebrated inside the church. Just imagine a church full of screaming and laughing children when the priest delivers its homily; you could then very well imagine how masses are held in the Philippines or among the Filipino communities abroad or in what they sometimes call now diaspora.
I wonder why Germans don't hold hands while praying the Lord's Prayer? Too uncomfortable gesture of faith for the pious Germans while Pin@ys in their churches give their hands willingly, feeling at home with one another?
In this particular mass, I noticed that I was the only foreigner, I mean non-European as this community is getting over populated with pious migrants coming from Eastern Europe. Surely, the freezing temperature was a big hindrance to keep the Lord's Day holy or my "kababayans" were thinking there would be another mass in this month where the weather would be friendlier, where they would feel more at home, more integrated and more anticipative of the post-mass "Salo-salo" or shared meals among friends and acquaintances. Feast be with you!


 

Ramblings and Updates in January

Eighth day of the Chinese New Year "Another family dinner is held to celebrate the eve of the birth of the Jade Emperor. However, everybody should be back to work by the eighth day. All government agencies and business will stop celebrating by the eighth day. Store owners will host a lunch/dinner with their employees, thanking their employees for the work they have done for the whole year." (wiki) Will SM owner be treating his employees for their loyalty and hard work? *** Went to bed early tonight with three films to watch. Managed one beautiful film…Rachel Getting Married. *** "Too long concerned with marble floors/ And pillars tangent to the sun/ I quite forget beyond my doors/ The carnival of life is run." - Apology (1935) by Angela Manalang Gloria (I saw this on a site from another Pinay) *** The Pin@y way of keeping SIR...smooth interpersonal relationship. Attended a birthday celebration to where some of our "common" friends were not invited. I want to say funny, interesting that we are concerned how would we react to them if they find out that they were not invited. Why can't we not just take it lightly that it's the celebrant's decision and not ours. *** Got up from what KnP said as a record-breaking sleep. Good Morning FB World. LatteMac time. and if I haven't told it lately...a good start this Saturday morning (hearing Van Morrison, Have I Told You Lately that I love you.) *** Getting up to hear Winter Sales, Discount up to 70% reduction and earn extra 15Euro, etc, etc. Welcome to affluence and consumption terror. Good that I'm not interested...for today. *** Back to the nest after hours of liberating laughters with our "Maedels" group for our regular international Meet and Eat. Host for the ME is Germany, Ms. Mar. She could cook! Thanks also to Kani for the wonderful fresh lumpias. *** I read that our Fil-germ Pinay bet for Baku Euro Vision didn't make it to another round. Just watched the video now. Think she is too classy and jazzy for such a show. At saka baka "Kuri" ang mga Noypi Community. Who will have the energy (naks!) to pay 50 cents for every call to keep one's fav on the top? This kind of talent competition with money should stop. It makes only tv stations rich. *** Wonder Woman...is wondering where she put her notes! Zettelwirtschafterin! First, LatteMac. It's the 4th day of the Chinese New Year...well back to normal business. Good Morning FB world. Listening now to a discussion on the radio on socialnetworks and googling. Turn it off, turn it off! *** Gosh! It's 2.35am, and I'm still working. So what's today for the 3rd day in Chinese new year? *** "The third day is known as Chìkǒu (赤口), directly translated as "red mouth". Chìkǒu is also called Chìgǒurì (赤狗日). Chìgǒu means "the God of Blazing Wrath" (熛怒之神). It is generally accepted that it is not a good day to socialize or visit your relatives and friends." (Source:wiki) In other words, stay at home but don't socialize? No calls, no FB? Got to catch up some sleep. 'nite! * "The second day of the Chinese New Year, known as kāinián (开年, "beginning of the year")[15], was when married daughters visited their birth parents, relatives and close friends. (Traditionally, married daughters didn't have the opportunity to visit their birth families frequently.) *** It is also the God of Wealth's birthday. During the days of imperial China, "beggars and other unemployed people circulate[d] from family to family, carrying a picture [of the God of Wealth] shouting, "Cai Shen dao!" [The God of Wealth has come!]."[16] Householders would respond with "lucky money" to reward the messengers. Business people of the Cantonese dialect group will hold a 'Hoi Nin' prayer to start their business on the 2nd day of Chinese New Year so they will be blessed with good luck and prosperity in their business for the year. * Some believe that the second day is also the birthday of all dogs and remember them with special treats." (Source: wiki) * Hmmmm, birthday of all dogs. Remembering now dogs I have known and the happy moments spent with Tom Jones, Cutie, Lovebug, Maglie, Bush, Bella, Blondie, Ayka, Einstein, Kruegger and Secret. Oh yes, there are other kinds of Tutas, past and present, named Chuchus and Sipsips. I remember them with especial PWEH! * Watching this ARD feature about H & M and I remembered what I was telling my girlfriends during lunch that I'm thinking of buying sewing machine and learn to sew. Seeing the condition of workers in Bangladesh producing stuffs for H & M, I think now of H & M as Huwag Mamili! I think I really need to sew my own stuffs! Harinawa! * KIK shop!!! Sa tingin pa lang makatí na. *

Mochi on Chinese new year. Kitchen Goddess should be pleased with the offering of sweets...not to mention the chockies in the pantry. * First day of Chinese New Year. "On this day, it is considered bad luck to clean." (wiki) OK! Kung Hei Fat Choi! * Red light blinking on the dishwasher, and dishwasher stopped working. Kaputt! Oh Mist, and it's Sunday. Getting panicky, KnP, too. Shall we call the nice neighbor on Sunday? KnP said, "call technician tomorrow." I said, "no. Let's read the manual." I read the manual on problems arising when dishwasher is on, and the owner is facebooking (hehehe). Found the problem and remedy. Oh goodness, a button, a metal button from my jeans blocks the mini water ventillator or something inside the dishwasher. Ay naman, where did it come from and how? Next time, will move the laptop to the kitchen. * It's the Dragon Year...Puff, the Magic Dragon * Instead of defining your success by what you have achieved or acquired, why not begin defining your success by how much you are growing each day? Barbara DeAngelis, PhD. (From Women of Character) * Happy Chinese New Year! * Imagine there will be many more European-Pin@ys competing for Euro Vision. Wow! * Brunch with my favorite Swedish 'Pandisal'. Ordered then once as pasalubong via friends visiting Sweden but they told me it's unheard of in that country. You know this bread * Good timing for my Sunday brunch. (Reading a photo where it says Pag hindi umalsa ang masa, walang tinapay sa lamesa. From Gabriela) * Early dinner of sashimi of fillet of salmon with sushi rice and nori. I marinated first the salmon pieces in soya sauce, sake, ginger and loads and loads of garlic, so not really eating raw fish. We first had warm sake. KnP praised me saying I created 'unintentionally' the best Japanese dinner. I asked back and why 'unintentionally'? He is still thinking why he said that. Lost in Translation. * Recalling where, from which film I've heard this beautiful song. Thought not from Bagdad Cafe or? (Posting Calling You song) * Looking forward to brunching outside the nest despite of the windy weather. Would love to have fresh salmon to make Friday sushi...emphasis on would love to have. Good Morning! * This is an answer to that woman passenger who was claiming that the crew didn't do anything at all. (Posting a video clip how Pin@y seafarers helped passengers of the Costa Concordia) * Just thinking, if there would be heavy winds and rains for days and can't go out to buy food, what do I have in my nest? Firstly, I have one piece of Camote, now cooking and will have it as a late lunch: wine, checked; nuts, checked; frozen shrimps, checked; English sausages, indeed; frozen fruit salad, yes; instant soups, 5 packs; chocolates, 5 bars; cheese, vacuum-packed, and most importantly, one Nice Neighbor and wifi connection! * On days like today...ikaw lamang posting UST video singing Eres Tu * Your greed, we don't need! (On SM cutting trees in Baguio City) * Ayaiyai! Woke up to another grey, windy and showery morning. Domestic Goddess Day, this will be. More old papers to sort out or stack in the cellar or photograph them for documentation of rough drafts. Why is it so difficult to throw old papers away? But first, LatteMac with Swedish bread topped with my fav almond paste. * Sharing this. Baka may gustong tumulong. (Reposting a call for help for a rollator) * So paano na pag walang Wiki? (On SOPA/Blackoutpage) * I get my bad moods from outside influence. what to do? * Have to keep up with the terms circulating now in some FB walls. Found a link explaining SALN. FYI * "To implement this 1955 law, Congress passed the SALN law, Republic Act 3019, popularly known as the Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net worth law on August 17, 1960 requiring "every public officer, within thirty days after assuming office and, thereafter, on or before the fifteenth day of April following the close of every calendar year (to submit) a statement of the amounts and sources of his income, the amounts of his personal and family expenses and the amount of income taxes paid for the next preceding calendar year." * Let's do run run. Or walk, fast walk at least three times a week. Hmmm, promise sa summer. * Bought a kilo of frozen Black Tiger shrimps in Asian shop today. I told the Vietnamese owner that I want to cook them and if he could give me a good sauce for the shrimps. What do you think he gave me? A packet of Mama Sita's Sinigang with Tamarind, what else? Shrimps now in freezer. I opened a can of turkey in curry sauce and warmed it. Served it with mango chutney, one banana and dinner was ready. * Cantuccini ng Pilipinas. Wheew, like biting small pieces of stones. * Hallo! I found this email in my box. This German guy is looking for contacts with Chinese women. He said that he didn't want to ask the service of dating pages as he feels he would be ordering a ware. He is a cook and I don't know why he is looking for Chinese women. I 'm wondering how these men looking for brides found my email as I often get such emails asking for help. I'm not a matchmaker, Mr. Lonely Heart. Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, bitte entschuldigen Sie, wenn ich mich an Sie wende, doch ich habe eine Frage die Sie mir vielleicht beantworten, oder vielleicht auch weiterhelfen können. Ich bin seit längerem auf der such, auf gutem legalen Weg eine Liebevolle Frau aus China kennen zu lernen. Ich habe mich bislang immer von diesen ganzen Datingseiten ferngehalten, da es mir auf diesen Seiten vorkommt als würde ich eine Ware bestellen. Ich kann mich mit dieser Art einen Menschen kennen zu lernen nicht indendifizieren. Deshalb versuche ich es auf dem normalen Weg eine Liebvolle treue Frau kennen zu lernen. Einen Menschen zu finden, kennen zu lernen um dann festzustellen, ob man eine Gemeinsame Zukunft gestalten und aufbauen kann. Ich will auch etwas zu mir sagen, ich bin von Beruf Küchenmeister und Kaufmann, stehe mit beiden Beinen im Leben bin gerade 50 geworden 180 cm groß. schlank. Bin ein Liebvoller immer gut gelaunter mann, mit Anstand Selbstachtung und guter Erziehung, ein mann der weis was die Worte gegenseitige Achtung und Respekt bedeuten. Können Sie mir helfen, oder eine möglichkeit aufzeigen, wie ich mich verhalten muss, oder wohin ich mich wenden kann um Kontakt zu in Deutschland lebenden Chinesischen Frauen zu bekommen. So dass ich mich dort mit meinem Profil vorstellen kann um zu sehen ob es einen Menschen gibt, der interesse hat m,ich kennen zu lernen. Ich würde mich freuen wenn sie mir weiter helfen können. Mit freundlichen Grüßen (I removed his name as you could very well imagine.) * Family-oriented Captain. Patatawarin 'yan. * Population in Germany increases without babyboom through migration from Poland and Hungary. * This is not only for journalists but even for our day-to-day encounter. Dare to be factual. * Philippines: No. 8th (World’s Friendliest Countries-Forbes) * "Princess Isabelle: The king desires peace. William Wallace: Longshanks desires peace? Princess Isabelle: He declares it to me, I swear it. He proposes that you withdraw your attack. In return he grants you title, estates, and this chest of gold which I am to pay to you personally. William Wallace: A lordship and titles. Gold. That I should become Judas? Princess Isabelle: Peace is made in such ways. William Wallace: Slaves are made in such ways. The last time Longshanks spoke of peace I was a boy. And many Scottish nobles, who would not be slaves, were lured by him under a flag of truce to a barn, where he had them hanged. I was very young, but I remember Longshanks' notion of peace. " Memorable lines from the film Braveheart Source: imdb.com * Hmmmm, due to miscommunication, I'm having a dinner of pork and beans with two toasts. Red wine comes with the nuts while watching late movies. A simple reward for the hard week. TV or CD-DvD. Pin@y o Aleman/Alemon kaya. Enjoy your Saturday! * Was looking for my fav Primitivo or Tempranillo in this wine outlet. AySauce, I saw again this couple tasting wine and eating bread regularly in this wine outlet. Hmmm, I think it's their weekly excursion to this wine cellar. Mukhang Lashing na lashing na yun mama pero cool and maputla pa naman yun woman companion niya but they still couldn't decide on which wine to take. Cheers to spirit! * A beautiful shawl from Laos from Anke T. * Back to the grey weather of the German nest. Will we have snow soon? * "PALAMBING NAMAN AKO SA YO KAPATID...Puede akong magsolicit s yo 4 additional fund? May field trip kmi s PALAWAN w/ my SR. CTZENS KLSMATE on Jan 30. KULANG P FUNDS KO, NGSOLOCIT N AKO S MGA CHIGREN NAMIN." Ahahay, first text this morning when I woke up. * Waiting for dinner and I found out I have wifi access. Great! * http://opinion.inquirer.net/20953/the-sacred-and-the-profane "But the deed is soon controverted and rendered meaningless by the profane and wanton littering that follows in the wake of the holy procession. It is astounding to see how the devotees mortified their bodies and purified their hearts but could not care less that they were dumping all their trash along the procession route and in front of the church that serves as the Nazarene’s home." * Good Morning FB World. Thanks to Ka-Babaylanes Weni G. who shared this video info. (Sharing Isabel Allende’s Tales of Passion) * It says " Ihre DNS Konfiguration ist korrekt." Hay, Salamat! * "Let's work passionately in a creating a perfect world." I. Allende * Consumers goods against God's creation. * Vital Statistics not to be given away! * Additional F to the Filipino cultural Fs of Faith, Family, Face, Fiestas and now Fun! * And for the richies, it is washing machine and tumble-drier Christianity. * Dioskomio naman, bakit pa tayong mga banyaga masyadong maingay sa loob ng tren...sobrang lakas magCP. Apat na incidences at apat na iba't ibang lahi sa sandaling oras. Parang mga bingi. Nagtitinginan ng yun mga Aleman pero siyempre walang magsabi ng puede bang hinaan mo lang kasi baka masabing racial slur. For instance, salita nang salita kanina yun isang mama..."nambarderlam na, nambarderlam na"...taga-saan kaya siya? Gusto ko talaga malaman kung saan tong salitang to. Hmmmp, kung NayPi yun, baka di ako makatitiis, susutsutan ko siya. (Pero siyempre, will look first kung mas malaki sa akin, hehehe.) * FB is MORE FUN IF YOU WORK FIRST. SIGE! * The Three Wise Men (Sternsinger), all boys knocking today at our door singing: "Wir kommen daher aus dem Morgenland, wir kommen geführt von Gottes Hand. Wir wünschen euch ein fröhliches Jahr: Kaspar, Melchior und Balthasar." I prefer girls doing this collecting of donation for the poor children of developing countries. They have more colorful costumes, sing and smile longer, and have prepared chalk to write 20 *C+M+B *12 meaning Christus mansionem benedicat or Christ bless this mansion (our flat). The boys, well, they're boys, as you know. BTW, the theme for this year is "Knock on the Door, Insist on Your Right." * Aua!Aray!Ouch! Wanted to have Pin@y brunch with adobong chicken and sunny-side up egg. Natalsikan ng mantika sa left eye, forehead at fingers. Ano ba yan! Next time won't forget the sunglasses and gloves when frying eggs...gosh, only eggs and so much drama for brunch. * my own version for just for fun * Two nights keeping one of the resolutions...no nuts in the evening. It is working. Little things mean a lot. * After Skyping with one BFF, I have a late dinner of siomai and chicken soup: enjoying now a bar of Swiss choc and drinking Cava. Sabi ni KnP it is a traditional drink in the Southseas made out of mulberry tree! No, it's sparkling wine Cava from Espana. Cheers! Happy Three Wise Women Day! * Just chatted with one BFF who returned from her holiday in the States. She said in the States, Immigration officers are friendly, smiling and even joking with you and wishing you to enjoy your stay. She added that why our own Immigration officers are so dead serious, won't even be greeting back and looking angry at your travelling companion. It's more Fun in the Philippines? * Credit Wulff...feeling as a victim? Pwe! (Sabi ni KnP...aba parang si GMA na siya kaya lang mas makapal si GMA.) * Swirl for lunch and then Crémant de Loire...my world is swirling! * Whooooooo, waking up to an "orkanic" morning, trees swaying to the strong winds. Tja, no sightseeing but windwatching for today. Of course, reading mode and mood. * There's someone who must have found his arsenal of firecrackers unfired during the first hour of 2012. He/she is/they're using them now to our delight. * Watching them this morning, (the two birds in the cage) Good resolution for the second day of the new year. I choose…to live by choice, not by chance;To make changes, not excuses;To be motivated, not manipulated;To be useful, not used;To excel, not compete. I choose self-esteem, not self pity; I choose to listen to my inner voice Not the random opinion of others. * This is it! KnP is preparing brunch. I'm just directing. * Ready to brunch. Will look for "tiramisu" oliebollen and palitaw. Day of working on some papers. Screaming to KnP, "Hoy Gising." * Watched the video of the musical film Emir. Would be a good project to show it here in Europe. * Eating Palitaw (sticky rice sweet dumplings with coconut and sesame seeds) and Oliebollen and drinking Champagne on the first hour of 2012. It should be a good start of the new year. Cheers! * Welcome 2012! Wishing my FB friends a prosperous, healthy and love-filled 2012. Cheers! Mabuhay!

A German-Pinay Hopeful for Euro-Vision in Baku

(Photo: dpa/Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger) We were having our regular Meet and Eat in one of the famous Kölsch breweries in the city when a Pinay friend told us about Rachel, the daughter of our Pinay acquaintance. She is a favorite in this search for Germany's representative to the yearly Euro Vision to be held in Baku. Wow! I remember her singing in one Christmas party 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 European countries. 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

http://youtu.be/cRiQWXI3Izc "Eres Tu (Touch The Wind)" (Juan Carlos Calderon) Como una promesa, eres tu, eres tu Como una manana de verano Como una sonrisa, eres tu, eres tu Asi, asi, eres tu. Toda mi esperanza, eres tu, eres tu Como lluvia fresca en mis manos Como fuerte brisa, eres tu, eres tu Asi, asi, eres tu Eres tu como el agua de mi fuente (Algo asi eres tu) Eres tu el fuego de mi hogar Eres tu como el fuego de mi hoguera Eres tu el trigo de mi pan Como mi poema, eres tu, eres tu Como una guitarra en la noche Todo mi horizonte eres tu, eres tu Asi, asi, eres tu Eres tu como el agua de mi fuente (Algo asi eres tu) Eres tu el fuego de mi hogar Eres tu como el fuego de mi hoguera Eres tu el trigo de mi pan Eres tu... [English translation] Like a promise, you are, you are Like a summer morning Like a smile, you are, you are Like that, like that, you are All my hope, you are, you are Like fresh rain in my hands Like a strong breeze, you are, you are Like 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 home You are like the fire of my bonfire You are like the wheat of my bread You are Like a poem, you are, you are Like a guitar in the night My whole horizon, you are, you are Like that, like that, you are (Source: The lyrics I found in the internet) Thanks to Jinky Lozano-Kühne for the video and many thanks to UST Singers for the rendition of this beautiful song. Mabuhay kayo!

It's More Fun in the Philippines!

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 been deluding the cyberspace with their own photos, caricatures and interpretations of what could be fun in the Wow Country. I'm sharing my own photos here with the best intention to show you that Pin@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

Befana, the gift-giving witch who reward good children with sweets and toys on the eve 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 especially after new year. They are called Befana, an old witch who bring children gifts like candies, toys just like Santa Claus bringing gifts to children on Christmas Day. I encountered the word Befana during a stay with migrant families in Padova. One Pinay was asking a little girl what she got from her Befana, and the little child proudly showed her new doll. Reading about it, I learned that Befana comes from the word Ephiphany, the Christian feast of the Three Kings when they came to visit the Infant Jesus bringing him gifts. According to some beliefs, the old woman was invited by the three kings to join them in looking for the baby but she declined the invitation saying she had still to clean and do many other things. Soon after, she realized her mistake and tried to follow the three kings but they were gone. Since then, the witch has been giving gifts to good children to pay for the lost opportunity. Good children get sweets while the misbehaves have to be contented with black coal as the belief goes. Moral of the story: There are more essential things to do than just cleaning. And if there are three kings inviting you to a happening, never ever decline the offer.