Flammende Sterne 2012

Me, my hubby and my little girl just love fireworks. Since we moved here, we make it a point that we get to watch at least one fireworks show every year. I guess my love for fireworks shows began when I went to Japan and witnessed the Hanabi festival for the first time. I've been fascinated by it since then.

Flammende Sterne 2011: Chinese musical fireworks show

One of our favorites is the Flammende Sterne, which is a three-day event and showcases musical fireworks from three different countries. This year's Flammende Sterne will be take place on Friday until Sunday, August 17-19, still at the Scharnhauser Park in Ostfildern. Since it is on it's 10th year, I am sure it will be another special and spectacular fireworks show. Three countries who will compete will be England (Friday), Spain (Saturday) and Germany (Sunday). The musical fireworks itself lasts only for about 30 minutes but the program starts at 6:00PM, with a "flamy" birthday show, live music and food. 

We do not really go inside the event area since we are there just for the fireworks. What we do is find a spot outside the event area where we have a good view of the sky. A good spot is the parking lot near the park. Then we just bring pizza and drinks and some picnic blankets so we can relax and won't go hungry while waiting for the fireworks to start. I didn't get good photos last year since I didn't know how to set up my camera but I hope I will be able to take some good ones this year. If you know what settings are best for a Nikon D5000 when taking fireworks shots, could you kindly leave me a comment? I highly appreciate it!

And oh, to get to the Flammende Sterne, just take the U7 line from Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof going to Ostfildern and get off at any of the three stops: "Kreuzbrunnen",  "Scharnhauser Park" or "Parksiedlung". Hope you find yourself a good spot! Enjoy this year's Flammende Sterne. I am so looking forward to it!

Tweet

Writing Can Also Be Tough

I can breath a little bit easier now since I just finished the last batch of my experiments for my master thesis. I had a consultation with my direct supervisor before she left for Lebanon to work on a part of her PhD last week and I showed her my outline for the thesis report. I still have a long way to go on the writing part though since I only managed to write some subchapters for each chapter in my report. Looking at how many sub-chapters still need to be written, I realized that I need to write fast if I want to present my master thesis on time. I also need to make an impressive powerpoint presentation, which I will need to show to the examiners via epson projectors, and make a good job at presenting it to them.

Now comes the dilemma of presenting my data in such a way that it will not be confusing to the people reading it. Although I have a specific audience - people who are knowledgeable in wastewater treatment in general and anaerobic digestion in particular - I still want to write it in such a way that even those who don't have a background information on the subject will also be able to understand what my thesis is all about. And I need to be objective and analytical... two things that one needs when writing an effective technical paper. It has been so long since I wrote a technical paper. I have been so used to expressing my opinions through blogging that I am afraid that I won't be able to be as objective as I can be. Indeed, writing can also be tough.

Tweet

I ♥ Berlin: Craving for Dunkin Donuts

Dunkin' Donuts is one of the things that I miss about the Philippines. There's a lot of franchise stores there and it was one of my favorite hangout areas way back in high school. There's just something refreshing about the sugar-coated toppings, and the lightly-salted ham and egg and cheese sandwich. 

Sadly, there's no Dunkin' Donuts here in Stuttgart but I was happy to learn that in Berlin, there is! Some 23 stores if I am not mistaken. So during our trip to Berlin last end of April on the occasion of my birthday, we went to a Dunkin' Donuts store located at the Sony Center along Potsdamer Strasse for refreshments before continuing on our sightseeing tour.

The taste hasn't changed... But there are some assortments missing that I think is only available in the Philippines. It was a delight though to select my favorite flavors like Boston Creme, Bavarian Creme, Chocolate Coconut, and Double Chocolate. There are other variants too that my little girl chose and enjoyed eating. It was a wish come true... a Happy Birthday indeed!

When we left Berlin, we also bought a box of donuts as pasalubong for our friends in Stuttgart. I guess no matter where you are in the world, Dunkin' Donuts will always be "pasalubong ng bayan!"

Tweet

No Pain, No Gain

Gaining weight is so very easy. You just have to eat a lot, sit in the couch the entire day and do nothing. Do this everyday, and you will be sure to gain weight in just a few days. Losing weight on the other hand is another story. It takes determination, discipline and lots of hard work to get your butt moving and allot at least an hour of your time sweating it out. But once you've formed the habit, it is not so difficult anymore.

There are of course lots of aid to help you lose weight. And depending on what you want to achieve: lose fat, build muscles in a specific area, trim down your tummy, thighs and arms, there is a particular exercise that you can use.

Supplements such as protein drink, fat burner, and fat binder pills are also a good idea to reach your goals. But these supplements should always be coupled with an exercise program and a diet plan to be effective. Once you achieve your goal, it would also be wise to continue with the exercise routine so you don't bounce back. Of course, living a healthy lifestyle is the best way to maintain a healthy body.

Tweet