My First Ski Experience

In life, there are many first encounters. From our birth onward, our parents lovingly noted when we had our milestones: first steps, first laugh, first tooth, etc. These many firsts were a result of our persistence and perseverance. As we grow older, we encounter more profound, fun and sometimes painful firsts: first love, first hearbreak, first kiss, first job, first paycheck.

A happy but exhausted me during our break.

I had my first ski experience on the first week of the first month of the new year 2012. Together with family and friends, we set off to the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) to get a taste of snow and all the fun it could bring. I decided to try skiing for the first time. I had a dreadful feeling when I tried on my ski shoes because the fit isn't good. Putting them on was really weird but as you get used to it, you realize and begin to understand why the ski shoes are like that. They are so designed to protect your foot and your ankles from injury. But it was REALLY difficult to walk with them on.

Learning how to ski using the carousel.

Since I did not do any training or exercise before the ski trip, I really had a hard time when I had my ski lessons because I kept falling down. The falling down part is easy, since you just need to land on your butt and back (big laugh). The difficult part is getting back up on your feet. Being big and having no exercise, well you can just imagine what happened. I felt sorry for my poor ski instructor since he had to use up a lot of energy just to pull me up. :D But despite the numerous falls, I managed to stand up (with help of course) and continue with the lesson. The children who took the same course fared better than me. I guess that is always the case. Children learn faster than adults.

I cannot count the number of times I fell during the duration of the ski lesson. But I remember that I managed to be on my skis three times. During that short span of time, I managed to learn how to glide, how to walk on my skis and turn, ski down the kiddie slope and how to brake. A very helpful advice that my friend gave me: do not look down on your skis but straight ahead. I gave up when we transfered to the beginner's skilift (which moves faster) and I was delaying everyone because I keep falling down.

Maybe next time, we can go skiing again and I will be ready by then. I already know what to expect and it will be more fun if I can really ski.

Off to Schwarzwald for Winter Fun in 2012

The New Year 2012 is just a few days away and I am excited because I know it is going to be a great one! I don't know the challenges that may come our way but I am confident and secure knowing that I will not face them alone. I have a wonderful husband and a bubbling little girl and a great God to back me up after all.

Another thing that I look forward to is our first family outing for the year 2012. We are going to skiing baby! Together with a friend's family, we are going to Schwarzwald and try our luck skiing or snowboarding. I am sure it is going to be fun... cold but fun! We will be staying in Pension Haus Inge, located in Aitern in the South of Schwarzwald (Black Forest) and just near the Belchen Ski Region. We initially wanter to stay in a Ferienwohnung (holiday flat) but all of them are already fully booked for the winter season. I guess I will have to book a little earlier if we want to go skiing again in the next winter season. Near the pension house is a ski and snowboard school where we can learn the basics. There is also the Rodelbahn Hasenhorn where we can go sledding if we get tired of skiing or snowboarding. Even our wooden sleds are now ready! Wheeee!!!!

And what's with summer? Well, I wouldn't mind going on an all inclusive vacation caribbean! That would really be great since I miss going to the beach and having fun in the sun. But since it is winter, having fun in the snow is a very great idea indeed!

Our 2011 Christmas Meal

This year's Christmas meal consisted of healthy and simple Filipino dishes, mainly seafood. It has been over a year since we feasted on tuna kinilaw so that we bought some fresh tuna at Elma's Fischhandel. If you live in Central Europe, eating fresh seafood is a rarity but if you know where to find them, you are lucky! So I guess we are lucky too.

So here's what we had: garlic shrimps, deep fried fish, tuna kinilaw and vegetable spring rolls.

The shrimps and the fish, we also got from Elma's.We love shrimps with the head and shells on because it is more tasty compared to the shelled ones. I bought Langustino shrimps, the large ones for the garlic shrimps, and Dorade Rose fish and deep fried them. The vegetable spring rolls was relatively easy to make. I sauteed onions, some ground pork, mung bean sprouts, carrot strips, and beans together  and flavored to taste. Then I wrapped them in spring roll sheets, which I got from Asian shops, and then fried in vegetable oil.

For dessert, I made chocolate muffins. My little girl helped decorate them with lady bugs and flowers.

I finished preparing for our Christmas meal in no time. It was a simple but glorious meal, shared with the family.

Hope everyone had a beautiful Christmas celebration too!

More info on Elma's Fischhandel at http://elmas-fischhandel.com.
Location: Neckarwiesenstr.5, 70188 Stuttgart(Großmarkt)
Opening Hours: Mondays: closed,
Tuesdays-Fridays.: 5:00AM-6:00PM, Saturdays: 5:00AM-2:00PM