Tuesday, May 31, 2011

TCP#92: Gone in 60 Seconds

Hello Couchers! Welcome to the 92nd edition of Tuesday Couch Potatoes. Do you feel the rush? Eight more themes to go until our 100th post and I know you are all excited about it. I too don't know yet what our theme will be the 100th post so do you have any suggestions?


Today's theme on TCP is all about "Fast Cars". Before your entries come rushing, let me post my pick, "Gone in 60 Seconds". It is an American action film that came out in 2000 and stars Nicholas Cage, Angelina Jolie, Giovanni Ribisi, Christopher Eccleston, Robert Duvall, Vinnie Jones and Will Patton. This is a very nice fast movie, with lots of modern and vintage cars that would make men and women drool. And aside from the cars, the movie also revolves around the theme "blood is thicker than water" as Cage is forced to go back to stealing 50 cars in 72 hours in order to save his brother's life.

If you haven't seen this movie yet, you should. You will never be sorry. I even watch this with my husband every now and then because it is really entertaining.

Got a Fast Cars movie to share? Enter your link in the linky below then!


Thanks for joining us this Tuesday Couchers! Hope to see you all again next week for the theme "Divas Turned Actresses" where we feature films whose cast love to sing and have a great talent for acting too. Happy TCP everyone and have a great week ahead.



Do You Have The Winning Streak?

Some men are born lucky. Some aren't. Luck can be a good thing if your life depends on it and it can also be a bad thing especially if things don't work out the way you want them to. There are people who are good at doing something and have been winning only to still lose in the end. There are some who are doing so badly and are awkward but still made it because they got, well, lucky.

In life where almost everything is about taking chances, man has designed things that enable him to weigh the stakes and take a chance on it if he sees that the odds are on his side. And this is the reason why sports betting has become an art and a good business at that.

This has become so popular that there are even a lot of movies about it. A few titles that I can mention are Two For The Money, Bookies, Even Money, and Eight Men Out. The ultimate thrill about sports betting? It is gambling money on a few rounds of a sport, be it American football, boxing, basketball, hockey, soccer, horse racing, etc. Perhaps there is indeed thrill and excitement in for example betting on soccer, especially if it is the World Cup. These movies definitely show us an entertaining insight into the world of sports betting. Today, you can even participate in online sports betting. No need to go to actual sports event.



Sunday, May 29, 2011

Happy Birthday Hanhan!

Finally! We are now even! Lol!


You often joke about me being older than you... a month older or shall I say, twenty nine days older than you. And now that it's your birthday, you can't joke about me being older than you because we are now of the same age. Ha!

Now on to the serious stuff. I wish you good health Hanhan. May you fully recover from the nasty dust allergy so that you wouldn't have to feel uncomfortable, even here at home. May God answer your prayers, prayers that I know always includes our family. I thank God for the gift that you are. You have always been our strength and our constant companion and despite your crazy schedule at the office, you still find the energy to make yourself available to others. May you continue to be a blessing Hanhan. Samantha and I love your so much!

Happy Birthday! God bless you always.



I Badly Need A Facial

Since I turned 30 last month, I feel so old. I barely have time to take care of myself so that it would seem that I look older than my age. It really show on my skin, especially on my face. My skin is so dry, the pores are getting bigger, there are blackheads on nose, even blemishes and pigments that never seem to go away. When I look myself in the mirror, I would be sometimes be horrified at the image looking back at me. I look so "losyang", with the youthful glow of my skin gone. And it would worry me to bits, mind you. If I see myself that way, how does my husband see me then? I am sure he would also wish that I looked as lovely as when we got married.

I have always wanted to have a clear skin and it seems that my routine of just washing my face is no longer working. I guess it is high time that I give my face a much needed facial to strip it of dead skin cells and remove the unsightly blackheads. It would also help if I start with a skin care regimen that will nurse my skin back to its youthful glow. And now that summer is almost here, the more I need to protect my skin from the heat and harsh UV rays.


Friday, May 27, 2011

Forgetful Me

I am so getting old I keep forgetting lots of important stuff lately!

I missed my class last Wednesday because I got preoccupied doing household chores here at home so that I totally forgot that Wednesday was the deadline for the submission of our Individual Study Plan. So I was in a rush yesterday to go to the university and submit it to the Examination Office. Thankfully, Mr. N still received and answered a few of my questions.

After my business in his office, I hurried off to the bus stop to catch my bus going to my Thursday lectures. Rummaging through my bag, I realized that my wallet wasn't there, along with my student ID, my semester ticket for the transportation, my money, everything. So without the ticket, I cannot board the bus. I also realized that I have been going to the university since Tuesday without a wallet. I am lucky though that there was no ticket inspections in the trains that I boarded since then.

Then when I got home with my little girl from the Kindergarten yesterday, there was a notice from DHL informing me that I got a parcel from them. I wonder where it is from. Then I remember that I purchased pf flyers shoes last Monday. I wish it were the sneakers that I ordered. I guess it has already arrived. I just hope that I will not forget to bring the notice with me when I claim it at their branch office this weekend or not forget to claim it altogether.

As the days pass, I feel that my memory is failing. And even my husband is becoming forgetful too. Could it be that being forgetful is a contagious thing? Well I hope not!




GT: Latest Summer Fun

Summer is almost here on my side of the planet and I am excited for our next summer getaway. We have decided to do it differently... Instead of going to another country or to another city for sightseeing, we decided to just stay put in one place and enjoy lazy mornings, take strolls, play with sun and sand. We decided to just relax and stay at one of the camping "resorts" that is specially created with kids in mind.


I am talking about Eurocamp's Südsee Camp somewhere near Hamburg. We will be going there during our Pfingstferien and we plan to stay for four nights. I have already booked for it a few weeks ago and now there is no turning back. I hope we will be able to really relax and have fun during our trip. I still need to have our camera fixed since it is not working. There is something wrong with it. Our vacation will not be complete without it. How can one preserve memories without cameras, right?

Here's hoping that we will all have fun, especially my little girl. I am sure she will enjoy swimming and running around the camping area and playing in the playground. Perhaps we can also go on a side trip to Hamburg if time permits.

Girls Talk


Mafia Movies Anyone?

I enjoy watching movies. I guess it is one of the habits that I find hard to break. Even if it is an old movie, I would still watch it to satisfy my curiosity. It doesn't matter if I end up disappointed as long as I get to see it and am able to get an impression of it. Movies are after all, meant to primarily entertain and deliver a message.

One of the movies that never fail to perk up my interest are the Mafia Movies. I always associate it with black hats, wooden canes, big rings and cigars. Now the cigars are always interesting because you had to wonder whether they really smoke it or do they just chew on it. I have never tried a cigar in my entire life but I do know that you can purchase acid cigars online.

But enough of that. Let me share to you a list of the Mafia Movies that I have watched and loved:

The Godfather Sequel
Casino
The Departed
The Dark Knight
Pulp Fiction

And best actor ever to play Mafia roles? Al Pacino, who else? How about you, do you also enjoy Mafia Movies?



Fridays with Mr. Rapf

Fridays is Hazardous Waste and Contaminated Sites Day for most of the WASTE Generation 10 students like me. Well, my usual expectation was that it's gonna be a grueling day just like my Thursdays, since from experience, professors and instructors have the tendency to just drone on and drone. I missed the first Friday class so that when I first attended the second lecture, I was surprised to find it really interesting. I guess Mr. Rapf always brings with him his sense of humor just to perk up everybody's interest and keep everyone awake from 9:45 in the morning until 5:30 in the afternoon, with an hour lunch break and short breaks in between.

Well, this subject is a pretty interesting one if you are studying Waste Management. It's like getting yourself a life insurance if you survive the day's lectures and the final exams that is to come. It is one of the electives that I readily chose when I decided for my electives and I just hope that it's gonna stay interesting as the days pass. It covers Hazardous Wastes and Contaminated Sites, Chemistry of Waste and Sludge Treatment. I don't want to dwell into the details though as it get pretty boring. But I can sense Mr. Rapf's passion about the subject and he is sensitive enough to not dwell too much on some topics that he knows could bore his students to death. And I guess that is one of his strengths, aside from the fact that most of my peers find him cool. :D


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Toys for the Big Boys

I enjoy watching motor shows every now and then. Because my husband also has an interest in this line, I would tag along and watch car or motor shows with him, whether on TV or at exhibits. I guess it is normal for men to love cars. They even have the tendency to drool over them and if they can afford it, would like to have a collection or two.

I have never been to live races before but I know that they can be so thrilling and exciting, especially if the race is at night. There is just something about night races, with the car's head and tail lights beaming into the night. Have you ever seen those big cars driving off to the safari, with their off road led light bar as their guide? I have never been on a safari but knowing that something so bright is there to help navigate into the dark night surely could give you that sense of security and will help you feel at ease.

I guess there is just something about cars that give men that sense of power and masculinity. And if you have good wheels, you can always go a very long way.


Accidents Always Happen

My little girl is still on her toilet training. I guess she has improved in the span of two weeks. Her teacher is even proud of her progress and told me that she can go to the toilet by herself. And it is something that I am really proud of, as a mom. Even here at home, she would tell us if she wants to go to the toilet. She needs help because the toilet seat here at home is a bit high and so she cannot climb it by herself.

She can also tell if she is about to pee or about to poo because she would alert us. But sometimes, accidents can still happen. She can already tell if she is about to pee but sometimes, it is too late and she has already peed in her pants. Just like yesterday when we were eating at this bake shoppe. She told me she wants to go to the toilet and she had that desperate look on her face.. And all of a sudden, her pants are wet. She is of course afraid because we were at a public place. Good thing though because the place was not packed and nobody noticed, except of course me and her. It was also a good thing that I brought an extra set of clothes.

She is still not yet 100% off the diapers as she still wears them when it is time to go to bed. At her age, she will still have the tendency to pee in her sleep. But I know it will only be a matter of time until she will be totally free of diapers.

Way to go Sam!


A Must For Every Adventurer

Going on an adventure is so much fun. There is always the excitement at the discovery of something new, the rush that comes with witnessing spectacular movements, the beauty of encountering new cultures. But what's not so fun with going on an adventure is losing your way and not finding your way back. Although getting lost could be fun in some ways, it is not fun at all if you are going hungry or worse, you are hurt or your companion is hurt. 

That is why it is helpful to always have a gadget that is capable of gps online so that you can always find your way back or you can always be located by family and friends if you cannot be reached through any other means. If you are new to a place and are very bad at reading maps, this gadget will also help point you to the right direction. 

As a family, we always find the gps a very helpful tool in terms of mobility. We can just go and drive anywhere and still find our way back home. No matter where we go, we can always trust that we will arrive at our destination at a specific time. There is no need to worry or bother reading the maps. With a gps, adventures and travels become stressless and allows you to take everything in.


Go Away, Dust! Go Away!

So we have been sleeping Japanese style a.k.a. "sleeping on the floor" for some time now and with the changing of the seasons comes more dust. I also don't have enough time to vacuum the entire house clean so that it is the hubby who suffers the most. He has dust allergy you know and just a small speck of dust will send him sneezing and a multitude of other reactions will follow - coughing, runny nose, asthma attacks. We would sometimes even joke about it, that he could change careers and become a "sanitary inspector" instead, as he could so easily detect if a room is clean or not.

So anyway, since I don't have much time in my hands, I cannot vacuum as frequently as I want. I can only do so when I am not busy with other household chores. Talking about vacuuming, I remember that I still need to order extra dust bags as our current one is almost full. I will just order it online since it is faster and more convenient that way.

Now I am off to cleaning the house. I have a class in less than three hours so I have to do it fast. Have a good day everyone!



WWF Sticker Collection

The supermarket where we usually buy our groceries has another very wonderful promotion, this time it is for kids. It is called "WWF Sammelspaß", and as you can see in the image, it is about the many different species of animals of the world. This is a joint effort of the World Wide Fund for Nature and Rewe.


To participate, one only needs to purchase the album, and with the purchase, €0.50 is donated to the WWF. Then you just need to collect the stickers. And I love the sticker printing with its brilliant colors and very good quality. The fun part is that the collectible stickers are for FREE. You get one pack with 5 stickers inside for every €10.00 purchase. But sometimes, some cashiers will give you 3 packs with your €13,78 purchase so it depends. Hehe!


This is totally one cool way for children and adults alike to learn about the different animal species since it is not just purely stickers. There is a wealth of information about the animals. Do you know for example that the large garden snail has up to 40,000 teeth on it's tongue? Now that's something very interesting.

There are 180 stickers to be collected and we still have a long way to go. The checklist at the back of the album helps a lot to keep track of what we still need. There will be a "sticker trade" this Saturday so we will surely go so that we can trade the stickers that we don't need for the ones that we don't have yet. 

My little girl enjoys the sticking part so much that I see to it that I get to take home even just one pack after I purchase something from the supermarket. This sticker collection is becoming a hobby for us. And its one fun, inexpensive activity too.


Coming Soon: Photoshoot at the Kindergarten

We got word from the kindergarten where my little girl attends that they will be having a photoshoot this coming Monday, June 6. They will be doing the pictorials at the garden / playground of the kindergarten, with "nature" as their background. I am sure it is going to be a fun activity and we are already excited about it.

We even ordered the entire portfolio which consists of the following: 1 13x18 cm size photo, 1 9x13 cm size photo, 4 passport size photos, 8 sticker photos and 1 group photo.

I hope that the photos will turn out just fine and that my little girl will have fun while their photos are being taken. This will be her first ever formal pictorial at the kindergarten and it will be a memento of her first year there. Some of her friends will be gone already to attend Grundschule or Elementary School this coming September so I hope they will also be included in the group photo.


Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Five Exciting Hobbies a Family Can Enjoy Together

As a mother of three beautiful children, I have learned from experience that the best way to keep kids out of trouble is to keep them occupied. Finding hobbies that the whole family can enjoy without breaking the bank can be a challenge but when you consider the alternatives - hours of mind-numbing TV, video games, or just hanging out looking for trouble to get into - it is well worth the effort to discover fun activities to share with the kids. With that in mind, here are five fun, affordable hobbies.

Bubbles! Kids of all ages love to blow bubbles, chase bubbles, pop bubbles. Bubbles are beautiful, easy to make and don’t require cleaning up afterwards. And for the wee ones who don’t have the breath control to blow their own bubbles, there are inexpensive, battery operated bubble guns. Just fill up with bubble soap, pull the trigger, and get ready for tons of giggly fun.

Walking Fido. Believe it or not, if you have a dog and the weather outside permits, taking the dog for a walk isn’t necessarily a chore. The key is to sell the kids on the adventure. Children, particularly the younger ones are naturally curious about their world and will explore the neighborhood with gusto if given the chance. So hook up the leash, grab a couple of plastic grocery bags to pick up the inevitable canine lawn decorations, and set out on an adventure through the neighborhood. Be patient, give kids and pooch time to explore, and take advantage of the opportunity to re-discover the world through their eyes.

Build it with toothpicks. Rome wasn’t built in a day but, if the Romans had thought to use toothpicks and glue, it could have been. Depending on their skill level, kids can use toothpicks to create everything from a model of the Brooklyn Bridge to the leaning tower of Pisa to something vaguely resembling grandma’s house. The keys are imagination and a little hand-eye coordination. Imagination is what kids do best and, as for hand-eye coordination, popsicle sticks work well, too.

Reading is fundamental. Believe it or not, there was a time before television. Back in the day, parents read to their children. The educational benefits of reading to our kids have been well-documented. What we sometimes forget is how fun it can be to share a book with our children. And there’s no reason why reading together as a family can’t continue well past the early years and into adolescence, by which time newspapers, magazines, classic literary works, religious works, can all open the door to discussion, debate and critical thinking.

Shake that booty. Get off the couch, put on some music with a beat and get the whole family moving to the groove by turning the living room into the family dance studio. Anyone can dance and, if Mom and Dad aren’t afraid to start things off by looking a little silly in front of the kids, everyone will soon see that it’s safe to express themselves in a way that not only burns a few calories but, like all the activities listed here, helps strengthen the ties that bind families together.

So gather up the brood, hide the remote control and bring the family together by sharing some fun, affordable hobbies.

Note: This is a guest post written by Kathleen Hubert. Kathleen Hubert is a blogger who writes on a variety of topics. You can read some of her other work at www.autoloan.org.


Monday, May 23, 2011

Wooden House

I was browsing through a friend's photos of her "house on the hill" and find it really beautiful. The roof is made of cogon grass, the walls are massive and made of river stones. From afar, it looks very unique and blends well with the environment. I just know that it is a very comfortable place to live in so that I hope too that one day, we will be able to build our own home, designed to our liking and taste.

I would prefer something that will be made mainly of wood. The narra wood that Filipinos so loved, as well as other hard woods, will be perfect. But I know hard wood these days is difficult to come by, what with the dwindling forest reserves especially where I came from. It would also take some time before they can be used as you first need to saw them. It would take a lot of band saw blades to cut down logs according to your specifications. And of course, the cut wood will need to be dried and pre-treated to preserve it.

Should we opt for a wooden house, I know there will still be a long way to go. It will also be expensive too. But the comfort of living in a wooden house, especially if you live in the tropics is well worth it.


TCP#91: In Her Shoes

Hello Couchers! So it's time for another edition of Tuesday Couch Potatoes. The days just seem to fly by so fast that before I have even found the time to comment on your entries, it is time again to post a new TCP edition. And it's already the 23rd of May, would you believe that? Just where did the days go anyway? Summer is indeed coming very fast!


So this week's theme for Tuesday Couch Potatoes is " The Grannies". My pick will be In Her Shoes, a 2005 film that focuses on the relationship between two sisters and their grandmother. It stars Cameron Diaz as Maggie Feller, Toni Collette as Rose Feller, and Shirley MacLaine as Ella Hirsch, the grandmother they never knew existed until Maggie found an address when she was searching through her father's desk for some money. Maggie and Rose are two very different individuals. Rose is a serious, lonely and responsible lawyer while Maggie is a vivacious, happy go lucky who can't keep a steady job due to her inability to read. When Maggie was thrown out of her sister's apartment because Rose caught them in the act with her boyfriend, Maggie had nowhere else to go but to their grandmother.

It was in her grandmother's nursing home where Maggie discovered what she is really capable of and became a personal clothing shopper for the elderly. She also found a friend in a blind literature Professor who understood her dyslexic condition and encouraged her to read despite her difficulty. Unknown to Maggie and Rose, their grandmother Ella hasn't recovered from their mother's death and partly blamed her granddaughters for her death. For her, the girls contributed even more to their mother's difficulties, who suffered from a mental disorder and refused to take her medication. The three were able to bond and resolve their complicated past though. At the end of the movie, Maggie read a poem for her sister Rose during her wedding and this was the scene that did it for me.

I cried upon hearing the poem's content. It's a real weepie and is a poem by E.E. Cummings.


So what's your Granparent Movie this Tuesday? Come and share it with us here on Tuesday Couch Potatoes in the link below.




Thank you all Couchers for your never-ending support to Tuesday Couch Potatoes. I hope to see you all again next for the theme "Fast Cars". Happy TCP and have a beautiful week everyone!



Friday, May 20, 2011

Beads... Lots of Beads

There was a point in my adult life when I had a fascination and inclination for beads. I would pore over various bead designs and collect them. I literally had a horde of bead designs in my hard drive. Unfortunately, I wasn't really able to work on these beading projects because I had no time to do them. I already had my baby then and so it was impossible for me to pursue these projects. I also lack the basic equipment and of course, a collection of beads themselves.


I have wanted to buy and collect stone beads, wooden beads, glass beads and Swarovski Crystal beads in various shapes and sizes when we were still in Japan because there was a hobby shop near our house. When we moved here in Germany, it was at first difficult to find your way around but now that I've been accustomed to the city and found my way around, I now know where I can get them. There is also this Hobby shop that does not only cater to beading but to other hobbies as well so that it is a little haven for someone like me who has a huge interest in anything hand made.

So just wait till I find the time... there will surely be lots of handmade products to create and explore!


Mommy Moments: Mother's Day

Mother's Day has come and gone and it was no ordinary day as there were other exciting events going on in Stuttgart City on that day. As usual, we heard mass and then went around Schloßplatz afterwards. I blogged about the 125 Years of Automobile History some days ago and that's how we spent Mother's Day - strolling around at the park and looking at the exhibits. It may seem a very ordinary activity but it meant a lot to me as we are together as family and are enjoying each other's company.


The day before Mother's Day, we were invited to the birthday celebration of our friend's daughter. We had a barbeque party and had a lot of fun chatting and meeting our friend's friends. The children also enjoyed the party and with my daughter being the smallest one, she enjoyed the attention given her by her bigger girl friends. It was like a pre Mother's Day celebration for many of us mommies who were there and we all had a very nice time.


This coming Friday, May 27th, my daughter's kindergarten sent out invitations for a joint celebration of Mother's and Father'S Day. There will be a surprise waiting for us parents and I am looking forward to it. Perhaps the children prepared a short number or something like that. We have yet to find out.

As for me, it doesn't matter that I did not receive any material thing from my husband or daughter. Their presence in my life is what matters the most.

mommy moments



Summer Clothes for Little Kids

I was cleaning my little girl's closet last weekend and wanted to set aside the winter clothes as they will no longer be needed. They have also eaten up a lot of space in the chest of drawers because they are mostly thick and bulky. While putting them away, I realized that I have sent most of the summer clothes that she had from last year to the Philippines so that she only has a few left for this summer. And now that she is having toilet training, she will be needing more than a set of change of clothes both in the kindergarten and here at home. Counting the shirts and shorts that she has available, one can say that there is a "major deficit in the supply".


There is therefore a need to buy her some new summer clothes that she will still be able to use in the next summer season. I have been eyeing some baby clothes Personal Creations and found them really nice. My daughter love Elmo and Dora and a bunch of other characters and seeing her name beside these characters will definitely make her happy. I can already imagine her big toothy grin as she wears this red elmo bucket hat with "SAMANTHA" written beside it. This hat will just perfect to protect her face from the scorching heat of the sun and it will be very easy to recognize her from a crowd. This hat and many other items will totally complete her summer clothing.


Thursday, May 19, 2011

Strawberry Season and Coupon Deals

I went to the groceries and found more strawberries on display. And I know that soon, there will be lots of farms that will offer strawberry picking. I haven't gone strawberry picking yet although I have already heard of it for the first time when I was still in Japan. Strawberries are rare from where I came from, the Philippines, because it has a tropical climate and as we all know, strawberries are best well grown in spring because of the weather conditions.


Now I found these large chocolate coated strawberries and although Mother's Day has already passed, this could still make a perfect gift for moms who love both chocolates and strawberries. You can even get a discount by availing of the Shari's berries coupon deals. Wouldn't this make the perfect gift? Whether it is Mother's Day, birthday, anniversary, thank you, baby, business or get well gift, this will just be one of those gifts that will definitely make an impression on the recipient of the gift.

I can dream about being one of the recipients of such a gift. Or I could go pick the strawberries myself and buy myself a chocolate fondue kit and voila, I can have my very own chocolate-coated fresh strawberries, when I want, where I want. It is almost June and the strawberry fields will soon beckon. It should be fun!


Kusudama Origami

I am enjoying origami a lot, thanks to my little daughter who has given me a reason to learn this art of paper folding to keep her busy and entertained at the same time. Although I don't have a lot of time to devote to this art, the internet especially good old YouTube has made it possible for me to create some origami pieces that may be impossible for me to make if I only have a book as a reference.


So armed with YouTube videos, I tried making this Kusudama Origami. At first I thought it was easy but it took me a good deal of time to form the ball. I guess it took me over four hours to complete this one. Thankfully, we had a semestral break so I had some time in my hands. I thought at first that it was easy because it looked easy on the step-by-step video but I was wrong. I even cheated on this one because I glued some of the pieces together in order for it not to fall apart. Bwahaha! Bad me! But doing origami is fun. If you are interested in this art of paper folding, you can always start with the basics. Just type origami on YouTube and hit search and you will find lots of good stuff there. Art has always been something therapeutic for me and whenever I find the time, I always seem to find myself doing something artsy.


Grill Parties?!!! Ugh!!!

Summer is almost here. There's no denying that fact. With the summer comes the grill parties and as early as now, we already received some invitations for garden grill parties. Summer is the perfect time to go and hang out with friends at the park or at their backyard and just grill what is available to grill: meat, sausages, veggies, cheese, fish, even bread. And there are also summer parties scheduled, one with our Filipino Community with the Sto. Nino Group and another one at the university with my WASTE graduate program. So why am I complaining?

Although grill parties can be lots of fun, it also means that I would have an excuse to just eat and eat and eat. And that would not help with my plan to lose weight. I could of course find the easy way out and just look for weight loss pills that work and try them out. If I could have them in my possession, then I could eat barbeque and grilled goodies to my heart's content.  Of course, I have an option to just smell the aroma of slowly cooking barbeque and that's it but that's no fun, right?

Now, who's with me for a grill party?



GT: Favorite Summer Activity

I've been participating in this Girls Talk meme irregularly. I hope Her Kayness will pardon me for the occasional entries. Needless to say, my crazy schedule at the University doesn't afford me much time to update my blogs. I don't even find much time to comment on my TCP participant's entries.

So anyway, GT's theme today is Favorite Summer Activity. I can't wait for June to come because that means I have one week break. It's called Pfingstferien here in Germany and I don't know the proper translation for it. It could be Pentecost holidays or Whitsun holidays or for students, simply put as spring break. And our favorite activity? Traveling of course. But this year, we want to do something different. Instead of visiting a new place and going sightseeing around the city, we will be staying in a camping park and just go hiking, flying kites, swimming if there is a pool, or something like that.

Grill Party last 2009 at Nanay Cata's garden.

Aside from traveling, summer is the perfect time to grill parties. We usually have grill parties with our friends either at the park, or at a friend's garden. There are lots of grill party invitations lined up for this summer and I am excited. Would love to eat Pinoy-style barbeque again... Hihi!

Girls Talk


The Need to Feel Beautiful

For those of you who know me and who have been following this blog, you most probably already know that I am just a simple person with simple needs. :D I don't do makeup or color my hair or paint my nails. For most women, these are a part of their beauty regimen. But I do try to take care of myself and my skin as it is an important part of me.

You know how busy our daily lives can be, especially if you are a working mom or even if you are a stay at home mom or a studying mom like me. You don't have enough time to sleep nor time to take care of yourself and the signs of stress will definitely show on your skin. The skin gets dry and lines begin to show up and you get dark circles under your eyes. Then you look at yourself in the mirror and are shocked to see a tired and old-looking person looking back at you. But of course, there are lots of remedies available to get rid of all these skin problems. Tips on how to remove dark circles and how to keep your skin healthy with very easy steps you need not change your daily beauty regimen or routine are now within our grasp.

All of us, male or female, need to also feel good about ourselves. Despite our busy lives and schedules, we allot a few minutes to groom ourselves. Taking a bath, brushing our teeth, combing our hair, moisturizing our skin and more are simply not just hygienic reasons. They are also meant to make us feel good and look good as we start our day. Even the simplest person would at least take the time to do that.



Tuesday, May 17, 2011

I Want to Learn Japanese Again!

When I was still in Japan, I never really got the chance to really learn the Japanese language. My husband is very good at it considering the amount time he spent learning it and living in Japan. I have had a Japanese class once a week taught by a someone who volunteered to teach us and that was it. I never really used it because I was so dependent on my husband who knew how to communicate and is my official speaker. I also taught English at an English conversation school while I was there so that English was my main mode of communication. In my almost two years of stay in Japan, I only know the very basics: basic greetings, numbers, and a little bit of hiragana and katakana.


Now that we are here in Germany, my interest to learn Japanese is now more intense. Most probably because I want to be able to communicate more with our Japanese neighbor who is so nice to me she even put my laundry in the shade when it was raining very hard last Sunday. I also wanted to learn Japanese because I want to understand the anime series that my husband loves to watch, Naruto Shippuden. There are no English subtitles in most of the episodes that he downloads so that I keep asking him questions about the characters are saying and what is going on general. Most often, I would end up disappointed because we would just end up argiung. I want to learn Japanese most of all because I have the feeling that I will be able to use it someday.

Knowing how to speak a foreign language other than English is something that one should see as a plus factor. Who knows when it may come handy in the future right?

Photo: japanprobe.com


125 Years of Automobile History

The automobile industry, which has been around for more than a hundred years celebrated it's 125 years of history last May 7-8, 2011 here in Stuttgart. A special exhibition took place at Schlossplatz in Stuttgart, Germany and many companies related to the automobile industry showed many upcoming and promising technology.

There was a festive air at the Schlossplatz as there was also another festival going on: The International Animated Film Festival. It was also Mother's Day so that the mood became more festive as people went from one booth to another to get information and collect free items like shopping bags, promotional pens, advertising flags, even buckets. There were also cars of every age, shape and purpose on exhibit at the palace grounds. There's also different surprises for the kids, balloons and small stuffed toys being the most popular.




To get to know more about the history of cars, one can always visit the many car museums here in Germany. There's the Porsche Museum and the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart and the BMW Museum in Munich.



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