Grill at Elena's Place

Summer has arrived and when the weather is nice, one of the great joys is outdoor grilling.The germans probably are the most enthusiastic grillers in Europe. Yesterday, we grilled some meat, steaks and sausages at Elena's terrace combined with carrots salad, tomatoes with mozarella and other vegetable salads. Somehow, its a bonding moments for our respective partners and girlie activities for the girls.

Today, we have our lunch at the chinese restaurant, a late birthday treat from our close friend, madam jo and a dessert of ice cream.

The Ice Girls

An Afternoon in Horse Stable

After our city adventure yesterday, we did go to Legelshurst to pick up Dirk's daughter, Janine. She had horsebackriding lessons in the morning and in the afternoon she had to clean the horse and stable as part of horse caring.

Another bonding moments for mutti and me inside the horsebackriding training area

After our work today, we had our lunch at Cecille's place. Look at our yummy yummy pinoy foods, dilis, lumpia, hipon and tinolang manok (not in picture) so how could we lose weight?? anyway the would-be fairytale wedding that we're suppose to attend on 08.08.08 had been cancelled, so forget the diet.

Mutti's Visit

Today, i received an early christmas presents from Mutti. It's her last day here in the black forest and we take the opportunity to spend the day with her shopping, dining and just walk around the city. Shopping genes is really in my blood and my loots today are esprit, gerry weber & puma bags and a hush puppies sandal etc.


Lunch at Guglhupf, a german restaurant in the city. For three days that mutti is with us, we always eat in restaurant and i liked it a lot because i don't have to cook.

Sumptuous Dinner

Mutti, dirk's mother is visiting us for three days before she fly to Egypt for a much needed vacation again. She is still very fit at 78, and almost travelled around the globe. She plays golf and do a lot of activities with her friends in Köln. She liked very much luxury cruising ship and always travel on an organized tour.

She arrived yesterday and we have dinner at Gasthaus Engel near our place and today our dinner is at chinese restaurant together with Janine, dirk's daughter. There are lots of foods like sushi, mongolian, thai, german and other asian dishes in the buffet table.

Dirk with the 3 important women in his life, his mother, daughter and me

Hotel Towels

Every hotel in the world has suddenly become environmentally conscious. There is an information card in the bathroom reminding guests to save the environment by re-using the towel. But because its summer, guests tend to shower everyday of their stay so the towels are very wet.


As part of the housekeeping, we usually changed the used towels to keep our guests happy and satisfied with our service. Laundering towels in the hotels where we work uses an enormous amount of water. Imagine the millions of gallons of hot water that are used everyday to wash hotel towels. Some guests take those home too and that way the hotel doesn't have to wash them.

A Busy Friday

Dirk is back on his feet. He was in Salzburg, Austria two days ago for his business appointment with Hipp, a baby food company. I told him to slow down because he was not yet fully recovered from his appendectomy.


Despite his operation, he was able to packed packages to be shipped to the Philippines with the help of Edgar, a family friend. I'm tired as well because i was the one who packed the big boxes. The contents are mostly house stuff and some materials needed for the construction of our house.



Look how big my box is and what's inside. Take note of the toilet paper, i always bring some whenever we're on vacation.

NAIA 3 Opening

After 6 years of waiting, the NAIA 3 finally started partial operations for domestic flights amidst contract controversies and building safety concerns. It is a welcome reprieve and a major change for local and tourists passengers. Hopefully the legal battle will be settled soon so that it will be open to international flights as well. With the new airport, you will feel comfort, safety, pride and confidence.

Offenburg Adventure

Today, the ever gracious and helpful Lani picked up my extended family in Lahr and drive them to Offenburg for a tour of the city and some shopping. I later joined them for snack in Palazzo, an italian restaurant serving the best apfelstrudel and hot waffel with vanille ice cream.

It's their first time in Germany and we toured them around from expensive stores to one euro shop. Then, we have dinner at the Chinese Restaurant in which i ordered again my favorite crispy fried duck in thai-curry sauce. After dinner, the group call it a day and drive back to Lahr.

I also saw Jon and Analyn and joined their group for some drinks but i decline when they invited me to have dinner in another italian restaurant owned by a friend. It's really nice if you have lots of friends, but for me, i choose my friends.

Absentee Mother

I would say that i am one of those remote mom playing a dual role of being a home maker here in Germany and a provider for my family back home. I have to work to earn a living to support the educational needs of my children.


I know my children understand and miss my living presence in which i'm trying to compensate through financial, material things and balikbayan boxes, in which deep in my heart is not enough. I've been here for only 7 years and I'm proud that i've been with my kids during their formative years, the years that they need most a motherly presence and guidance.


I always think of my children when i see nice places, hoping that they could also see what i saw or when i eat a sumptuous meal. It's really hard because i also worry for their safety and my wish to share the pain in their time of failure and celebrate with them in time of victory.


Cool Mom and Daughter Rosebelle in Luxemburg, my daughter who stayed here for almost a year have been to big cities in Germany, Holland, Sweden and France.


In Sweden with my first cousin Rose and her family


Boracay trip with my daughter Astrid, Thomas and Amabel

Thank God that I met Dirk, who is very loving, responsible and very supportive for my family. Fulfillment on my part as an absentee parent is to ensure a better home and a good future for all of my 7 children.

Dirk with my grandaughter Daphne Antonette

Annika's Baptism

Yesterday, we attended the baptismal of Annika in which Dirk is the godfather. Three babies were baptized in the catholic church in Lahr and Annika behaved well throughout the ceremony.


Annika had only one set of godparents unlike in the Philippines where you can have as many godparents as you like. Here, baptismal are more of family affair unlike back home, relatives, neighbors, co-workers and friends are invited and its really a big event with lots of gifts for the baptized baby.

We then proceeded to Thomas house for coffee and cake and a dinner of cordon bleu, schnitzel, salat and spätzle.


Group picture outside the church


Annika with immediate families and Lani (in white dress), her godmother


Annika's german oma's and opa

Busking

Life is hard nowadays that the number of street performers to earn a living are increasing. Everywhere we go especially in big cities, there are really lots of buskers. Busking is the practice of performing in public places for donations. It can be just about anything that people find entertaining like musical performance, acrobatics, clowning, street art, etc. Many people are unemployed and its much better this way than to engage in any illegal activities.


Cafe buskers in front of DM where i shopped for some toiletries today


Living statue in Berlin where we watched the musical Blue Men Group


The musicians in Sevilla,Spain, mutti searching for coins in her purse

The Bandage Couple and Family Visitors

Today i have an appointment again with my doctor because of my pain in my left elbow. She suggested that first we will try the pain reliever ointment before resorting to other treatment. I thought its just an ointment but the nurse covered it with a bandage which make it hard for me to drive on the way home. Dirk is also recovering from his wrong appendicitis operation and every other day, he had to report to our doctor for bandage change. We call ourselves now, the kaputt bandage couple.


My poor bandaged arm

Dirk's bandaged operation

A VISIT FROM KRIZ, DEICHELBOHRER AND BONDOC FAMILY


Also today, we have 3 families who visited us at home. I prepared a combination of german and philippine foods for my extended family.

They liked very much my relyenong bangus, imbutido, pansit, ginisang munggo and ginataang hipon sa kalabasa, baked chicken and for dessert, leche plan, ice cream and fruit salad

The Filipino Bread

No one can deny that pandesal is Filipinos most favorite breakfast meal. It is a rounded bread made of flour, eggs, lard, yeast, sugar and salt. I've been eating pandesal all my life and it can be eaten as is or with butter, jam and peanut butter. Pandesal before are really big and cheaper, now it is getting smaller everyday and more expensive.



Just like rice, it is expected to increase its price again. Pandesal has been a part of our lives and the price increase would surely affect our poor countrymen.

Been there, Done that (on motherhood)

The other day, i saw Sabine, one of our hotel staff (on leave) with her baby girl. I suddenly remember myself many years back doing the same. Raising a child is one of the hardest, most responsible, satisfying task and the underlying sense of responsibility that goes with this is tremendous.



Each person's knowledge on how to bring up a child usually comes from their environment and their own upbringing. This may results in patterns from the parents own experience being repeated and passed on to their children.


Cool mom with kids and first grandson (photo taken in 2002)

Summer Sale

Here in Germany, there are lots of stores that offers big discounts on basics and casual wear. I always make the most out of summer sale and think ahead by buying only items that are necessary. Call it sign of the times but i noticed that eventhough there are sale everywhere, people are thinking twice before buying the item. We, the consumer are not just facing higher food prices but also higher energy costs which is a worrying combination.

Thomas Birthday

Yesterday, Thomas celebrated his 40th birthday with family, close friends and TESA colleague in attendance. It was a very organized party transforming his newly built garden into a party atmosphere. Amabelle, his wife and my niece is lucky to have Thomas as a husband. He is very responsible, understanding and a doting father to Annika. He even invited Mabel's family to come here in Germany to attend to his special day and Annika's baptism next week.

Thomas and Amabelle crossed paths because of me and Dirk. We introduced her to him and eventually fell in love with each other and started a family. We already played cupids to at least 4 couples and so far had successful marriages.

Ate Billy and Kuya Boy (mabel's parents with me & my friends)

Mabel with her sister (sitted beside her), Riza, Lani and her father-in-law

From cool mom an2nette, Happy Birthday Thomas and wishing you more success in business and family life

Samba Festival Offenburg

The yearly samba festival in offenburg started yesterday, 10th of July and will end tomorrow. It is an open air festival of latin american music and dancers. Music styles such as reggae-funk, soul, salsa, merengue and many more are performed during the 3-day fest. The festival each year draws around 38,000 inspired music lovers. Unlike last year that the entrance fee is 12 euro, now its free and hopefully there will be an increased in the number of visitors.

There are also lots of stalls selling their stuff around the festival area.