This might not be the typical expat blog, written by a German expat, living in the Philippines since 1999. It's different. In English and in German. Check it out! Enjoy reading!
Dies mag' nun wirklich nicht der typische Auswandererblog eines Deutschen auf den Philippinen sein. Er soll etwas anders sein. In Englisch und in Deutsch! Viel Spass beim Lesen!
You plan to move to the Philippines? Wollen Sie auf den Philippinen leben?
There are REALLY TONS of websites telling us how, why, maybe why not and when you'll be able to move to the Philippines. I only love to tell and explain some things "between the lines". Enjoy reading, be informed, have fun and be entertained too!
Ja, es gibt tonnenweise Webseiten, die Ihnen sagen wie, warum, vielleicht warum nicht und wann Sie am besten auf die Philippinen auswandern könnten. Ich möchte Ihnen in Zukunft "zwischen den Zeilen" einige zusätzlichen Dinge berichten und erzählen. Viel Spass beim Lesen und Gute Unterhaltung!
Visitors of germanexpatinthephilippines/Besucher dieser Webseite.Ich liebe meine Flaggensammlung!
Berlin – In Teilen Deutschlands fühlte es sich am Wochenende mit bis zu 18 Grad schon nach Frühling an. Jetzt meldet sich der Winter zurück – mit jeder Menge Schnee!
Laut Meteorologe Karsten Brandt von „donnerwetter.de“ wird es am Mittwoch im Süden des Landes richtig winterlich. Bis zu 30 Zentimeter Neuschnee inklusive!
Die Wetterkarte zeigt: Am Mittwoch fällt im Süden Deutschlands jede Menge Schnee
Die Wetterkarte zeigt: Am Mittwoch fällt im Süden Deutschlands jede Menge Schnee
Foto: Donnerwetter/Metmaps
„Besonders stark betroffen ist der Alpenrand und vor allem das Allgäu. Hier zeigen unsere Wetterkarten gegen 15 Uhr nachmittags extrem starken Schneefall“, erläutert Brandt.
Ein Blick auf die Wetterprognosen zeigt: Ausläufer sind sogar bis knapp vor München zu spüren, auch im Südosten Baden-Württembergs und im Osten von Freiburg fallen die weißen Flocken vom Himmel.
Die nächsten Wochen werden trocken
Muss jetzt das ganze Land vor einem erneuten Wintereinbruch zittern? „Aufgrund der Basis unserer Modelle lässt sich dieser Trend nicht vermuten“, sagt Brandt.
Stattdessen bleibt das Wetter in der aktuellen und kommenden Woche in den meisten Teilen Deutschlands trocken – bei durchschnittlichen Tagestemperaturen zwischen vier und acht Grad.
Aktuell anhaltende Ostwinde sorgen für mildes und trockenes Wetter in Deutschland
Aktuell anhaltende Ostwinde sorgen für mildes und trockenes Wetter in Deutschland
Foto: Donnerwetter/Metmaps
Das liege laut Brandt an aktuellen Ostwinden, die auch noch anhalten werden. Dazu seien die Nordsee und der Atlantik aktuell verhältnismäßig warm, weswegen nicht mit einer plötzlichen Kältefront zu rechnen sei.
Heißt: Der März bleibt laut aktuellen Prognosen weitestgehend mild und trocken, lediglich mit Bodenfrost müsse man auch in den kommenden Wochen in weiten Teilen Deutschlands noch rechnen.
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Berlin – In parts of Germany it already felt like spring at the weekend with temperatures of up to 18 degrees. Now winter is back – with lots of snow!
According to meteorologist Karsten Brandt from “donnerwetter.de”, it will be really wintry in the south of the country on Wednesday. Up to 30 centimeters of fresh snow included!
The weather map shows: A lot of snow will fall in southern Germany on Wednesday
“The edge of the Alps and especially the Allgäu are particularly badly affected. Here, our weather maps show extremely heavy snowfall around 3 p.m.,” explains Brandt.
A look at the weather forecasts shows: foothills can even be felt just outside Munich, and white flakes are also falling from the sky in the southeast of Baden-Württemberg and in the east of Freiburg.
The next few weeks will be dry
Does the whole country now have to tremble before another onset of winter? “Based on our models, this trend cannot be assumed,” says Brandt.
Instead, the weather will remain dry in most parts of Germany this week and next week - with average daily temperatures between four and eight degrees.
Currently persistent easterly winds are ensuring mild and dry weather in Germany
According to Brandt, this is due to the current easterly winds, which will continue. The North Sea and the Atlantic are currently relatively warm, which is why a sudden cold front is not to be expected.
This means: According to current forecasts, March will remain largely mild and dry, with only ground frost to be expected in large parts of Germany in the coming weeks
The e-travel website has been updated! Let's take a dive into this new registration process!
All passengers bound for the Philippines must register to E-TRAVEL:
https://etravel.gov.ph/
Tutorial Guide on how to register to e-Travel (ENGLISH): • FOREIGN NATIONALS & FORMER FILIPINOS ...
📍Philippine Exit Requirements for Foreign Tourists, Balikbayans, Duals, and Filipino Residents Abroad: • THINGS THAT IMMIGRATION MAY ASK ONCE ...
Recommended Travel & Medical Insurance: https://www.safetywing.com/a/24818256
📍Foreign Tourists, except those covered by Balikbayan Privilege, may be required by airlines and immigration to show an onward/exit ticket within 30 days of arrival. You may rent a ticket here to satisfy this requirement for just $16: https://onwardticket.com/jennifer
📍Everything You Need to Know about Customs (What Items You Can Bring to the Philippines): • PH CUSTOMS: ITEMS YOU CAN & CAN'T BRI...
📍Want to stay longer than 30 days? It’s easy!: Online Extension Step-by-step Process: • GOOD NEWS! NEW SYSTEM LAUNCHED BY IMM...
🤑 SENDING MONEY TO THE PHILIPPINES? This is what I personally use for quick transfers: https://www.worldremit.com/en/r/JENNI...
The first transfer is FREE plus you get a $20 voucher! 💸
( FYI - The links above are affiliate codes/links. This means I may get a reward at no additional cost to you when you use them. Thanks in advance because it helps support the channel :)
Hey there! I'm Jennifer Terri, a 27-year-old from Tagum City, Philippines. Since June 2020, I've been your go-to gal for all things Philippine Travel News & Updates on YouTube.
From left: Reigning Miss Supranational Andrea Aguilera of Ecuador; Alethea Ambrosio, who was crowned The Miss Philippines 2023, was proclaimed Miss Philippines Supranational
Earl D.C. Bracamonte - Philstar.com
The Miss Supranational Organization (MSO) has announced the dates and venue of the Miss and Mister Supranational 2024 competitions.
The male pageant will unfold on July 4th, while the distaff competition unravels on July 6th. Both pageants will take place in Malopolska.
In a statement, published on social media, MSO president Gerhard Parzuthka von Lipinsky wrote, "We are excited to share this special year for us with the candidates - who will represent their countries at the Miss/Mister Supranational 2024 experience - and to our license holders, friends, viewers, and supporters from all over the world. The beautiful region of Malopolska will once again welcome all our candidates with true Polish hospitality."
Alethea Ambrosio, who was crowned The Miss Philippines 2023, was proclaimed Miss Philippines Supranational, while Mister Pilipinas Worldwide 2023 winner Brandon Espiritu was also proclaimed Mister Pilipinas Supranational by the Miss/Mister Philippines national organization. Both titleholders will fly to Poland's Festival of Beauty in early July.
Reigning Miss Supranational Andrea Aguilera of Ecuador will crown the 15th titleholder at the culmination of the crowning ceremonies, while reigning Mister Supranational Ivan Alvarez of Spain will crown the pageant's eighth winner.
Welcome, Linguaholics! Today we will take a deep dive into German sayings…and there is definitely a lot to be explored here! If your native language is English, some of these sayings might sound familiar while others most certainly won’t ring a bell.
So, without further ado, let’s get right to the point! We will start with German saying Nr. 1….and will end this rollercoaster ride when we arrived at German saying Nr. 34! Fasten your seatbelt and let’s goooo!
The Best German Sayings
brüllen wie am Spieß
dumm wie Bohnenstroh
in den sauren Apfel beißen
um den heißen Brei reden
die Nase (gestrichen) voll haben
aus dem Nähkästchen plaudern
ins Gras beißen
Schnne von gestern
Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund
Lügen haben kurze Beine
Butter bei die Fische
mit der Tür ins Haus fallen
wer A sagt, muss auch B sagen
etwas im Schilde führen
auf großem Fuß leben
die Katze im Sack kaufen
den Braten riechen
kein Blatt vor den Mund nehmen
in den Sand setzen
jemandem Löcher in den Bauch fragen
Krokodilstränen weine
übers Ohr hauen
auf Wolke 7 schweben
sich einen hinter die Binde kippen
Mein Name ist Hase, ich weiß von nichts
Mit jemandem ist nicht gut Kirschen essen
man muss die Kirche im Dorf lassen
sich auf die Socken machen
auf dem Holzweg sein
Schlafen wie ein Murmeltier
wie Pilze aus dem Boden schießen
da scheiden sich die Geister
auf dem falschen Dampfer sein
1. brüllen (schreien) wie am Spieß
If what you are doing is “Brüllen wie am Spieß” you are most likely in pain, be it physical or mental. The German saying “Brüllen wie am Spieß” literally translates to ‘roar like on a roasting spit (pike)’. Now, in German, we got the noun “Spieß”. This “Spieß” could either be a roasting spit but it could also be a “Spieß” that was used in war times, something along the lines of a ‘war pike’.
In fact, the etymology of this German saying is pretty unclear. But we know for a fact that it has been around for quite a long time, since the 16th century, to be more exact. So, that also sort of increases the probability that this German saying is actually related to war (pikes used in war).
In German, there is also the verb “aufspießen,” in English ‘to impale’ which refers to the brutal act of spearing someone with a spear.
So how do you put “Brüllen wie am Spieß” to good use in German? You can use “Brüllen wie am Spieß” in a metaphorical way when someone is either in deep physical pain but also if someone, usually a child, is crying very heavily because of something (not necessarily related to physical pain).
Example:
Als ich ihm die Schokolade weggenommen habe, fing er an zu Brüllen wie am Spieß
Translation:
When I took away his chocolate, he started screaming like a banshee
Literary fiction is often a misunderstood term, with some equating it to thick books of turgid prose. Here are some recent titles that know how to be playful yet display considerable depth and creativity, with some even dabbling in the genre of Crime Fiction.
Here In the Dark by Alex Soloski
Vivian Parry, a published theatre critic and self-proclaimed workaholic, resorts to using sex and psychotropic drugs to numb herself and navigate through life. The plot thickens when she receives a call from David Adler, a purported graduate student working on a thesis about critics. He requests an interview with Vivian. Soon after, a woman named Irina contacts Vivian, claiming to be David's girlfriend/fiancée. Irina reveals that David has disappeared, and the police are dismissing the matter. Now perceived as the last person to have seen Adler alive, Vivian discovers through her inquiries that David also worked as a programmer for an online gaming site. Rumors circulate about his possible firing or accusations of skimming off the top.
But, of course, the real issue is whether Adler is still alive. Against her better judgment, Parry gets involved and decides to conduct her own investigation. She goes to the extent of adopting a separate identity and applying to the online gambling office where David worked, taking on the role of a receptionist to learn more about his disappearance. Even someone like you or me could have advised Vivian that this would lead to no good. And, sure enough, it isn’t long before she bites off more than she can chew. It doesn't help that she has a cavalier attitude about sex, becoming involved with a stage production designer, a police investigator, and practically seducing her boss at the gaming site. If it's twists, turns, and crazy revelations that would entice you to read this Manhattan noir novel, you're in good hands with Soloski..
Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford
Spufford, the author of Golden Hill, sets the stage for what kind of research and writing quality can be expected in this new novel. However, it's more than just that, as Spufford delves into alternative historical fiction. In his 1922 USA, Cahokia is an industrial metropolis where the indigenous American Indian population holds sway. The society is divided into takouma (persons native to the continent), taklousa (persons of African ancestry), and takata (persons of European extraction). On the surface, different races and creeds coexist harmoniously, with the takouma occupying most positions of ultimate power. Yet, everything is on the brink of change as we enter this alternative world. The discovery of an eviscerated body of a takata, investigated by two detectives, threatens to tarnish this Golden Age.
Phin Drummond and Joe Barrow serve as the two detectives, with Barrow being a transplanted takouma who doesn’t speak Anopa, the ancestral language. Barrow essentially acts as our moral compass throughout the unfolding narrative. The plot is intricate and captivating: a takata conspiracy seeks to use the Klan to undermine the Cahokia hierarchy. Simultaneously, within the takouma world, steps are taken to fortify their position, and readers will be surprised to discover at what cost they're willing to 'prune' their own branches. A complex web of morality and the accumulation of dubious, compromised values is woven within the various strands of the plot. Barrow serves as our guide through this intricate narrative, starting off as someone who goes with the flow, a perceived insider who is, in reality, an outsider. However, he transitions to becoming a fulcrum for the events that unfold, ultimately providing resolution. \
The Last Word by Elly Griffiths
Griffiths is a multi-awarded crime fiction writer, and what sets her books apart is the fullness and diversity of the characters she creates in her stories. We were introduced to Harbinder Kaur, a Sikh female detective, in The Stranger Diaries, and we avidly followed her in two succeeding novels. In The Last Word, a stand-alone installment, Harbinder is relegated to the sidelines as we follow the exploits of Natalka and Edwin, and the Shoreham detective agency they set up in the wake of assisting Kaur in her cases. If you recall, Natalka is a Ukrainian emigre, now girlfriend to Benedict, an ex-monk who’s a seashore barista. Edwin, is an 84-year old pensioner, and he runs the agency with Natalka, taking on divorce cases while hoping for something meatier to fall on their laps.
When local writer Melody Chambers is found dead, a string of dead writers who have in common that they all attended a writers retreat, sets in motion an investigation that beguiles and entrances us, the readers. Edwin and Benedict posing as writers at the retreat is a hilarious interlude, and there’s Kaur making a cameo, as she’s called upon to help offer sage advice to her friends. As is often the case with Griffiths, there are clues, red herrings, plot twist abs turns aplenty, and we enjoy every moment as we’ve invested in her protagonists. Added to the cast here are Natalka’s mother Valentyna who just arrived to escape from the war in the Ukraine. Dmytro, the brother flew back to his wartorn country to help, so there’s the added suspense of what’s happening to him. A strong mystery thriller!
The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer
If you want to talk about odd couples, read this first novel from veteran comedian Bob Mortimer, and you get to meet one of the oddest trios you can uncover in a mystery novel. It’s not exactly crime fiction; as you’ll soon discover there may or not be a crime committed as such. But if you want surreal, precious, and off the normal plane of things, this book is meant for you. Gary, Grace and Emily, along with the disappearing Brendan are the main characters you need to know. Gary is Mr. Non-Descript, Grace his best friend from next door, and Emily the woman Gary meets in a bar. Of course, he’s smitten, and everyone, including Gary, are of the opinion that Emily is a class of girl way above Gary’s league, we’re charmed as he bumbles his way into getting to know her better.
And of course, getting to know her better doesn’t really solve anything. She’s enmeshed with a boyfriend who’s part of a South London syndicate that includes corrupt police and shady investigators. So what’s a bumbling legal assistant like Gary going to do with all these shenanigans going on, and the girl of his dreams complicit in the matter? Grace is a character herself; the elderly neighbour who’s cranky, has a pet dog that loves to do his business in the children’s play area, and with a dark family secret of her own. It’s following these three on their surreal adventure that propels the charm quotient of this book. Admittedly, it’s not for everyone, as it’s more about character and personality, then it is about plot or mystery-solving. But do give it a try!
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
When we first encounter Cyrus Shams in 2015, he's a student at Keady University in the Midwest USA. A drunk, an addict, and a poet, Cyrus is consumed by an obsession with martyrs. Of Iranian origin, his father, Ali, works in the poultry business, while his mother tragically died in a bizarre plane accident in 1988. This incident occurred when a US ship in the Gulf mistakenly launched two missiles at a passenger jet, believing it was a military plane. This senseless accident prompted Ali to emigrate, taking his young son with him. Since the death of his father, Cyrus has spiraled into a vortex of depression, addiction, and alienation. By chance, he comes across the story of an artist in a Brooklyn gallery whose art involves dying in the gallery and helping people cope with her terminal cancer. For Cyrus, this represents martyrdom of a different order.
Akbar, primarily known as a poet, ventures into the realm of novels with this debut. Profane, funny, and adorned with incandescent prose, it won’t be long before Akbar gains as much fame as a novelist as he does as a poet. While the majority of the narrative focuses on Cyrus and his friend Zee, the novel's structure is intriguing. Independent chapters seem to exist, featuring late mother Roya as the narrator. Additionally, there are chapters portraying imaginary conversations that Cyrus creates to cope with his depression. One such conversation involves Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with Beethoven Shams, Cyrus’ imaginary younger brother—named after Cyrus watched a dog movie and unrelated to the famous composer.
The Living and the Rest by José Eduardo Agualusa
Daniel and the pregnant Moira live on a Mozambique island. The couple have organized the island’s very first literary and arts festival, with artists coming from Angola, South Africa, and Nigeria. Moira is an artist by profession, and there’s much at stake in making this first iteration of the festival a success. But unfortunately, nature isn’t ready to cooperate, as the coast is hit by a cyclone, rendering impassable the one bridge that connects the island to the mainland. Internet and phones are down, and so in a real sense, the island is now cut off from civilization and the rest of the world. What are creative people, writers and poets, going to do while living in this "limbo," in a state when the distinction between fiction and reality can easily blur?
What Agualusa imaginatively accomplishes is the painting of portraits for the various poets and writers attending the Festival. These depictions are vivid and rich, capturing individual idiosyncrasies and personality traits. If there's a common thread in how these artists interact, it's the exploration (or lack thereof) of an African identity as they unleash their creative energies. They engage in passionate debates about the necessity for this identity, or the alternative desire to simply be recognized as a writer without qualification. As Agualusa subtly introduces, the days of being cut off from the rest of the world extend, and there's a softening of the membrane we refer to as Time. The present, the past, and the future start to merge in a dizzying facsimile of reality within the confines of this novel. It's a precarious juggling act that Agualusa manages with flying colors.
K-pop girl group TWICE achieved their first ever No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart with their new mini-album “With YOU-th.”
The album, released on Feb. 23, debuted at No. 1 on the March 9-dated Billboard 200 chart “with 95,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 29, according to Luminate, largely from traditional album sales. It’s the fifth top 10 for the Korean pop ensemble in total, all earned consecutively,” Billboard reported.
TWICE (JYP Entertainment)
“The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album,” it added.
Of the 95,000 units earned by “With YOU-th,” the “album sales comprise 90,000 (it’s the top-selling album of the week, as it debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales; it’s also the largest sales week for an album in 2024), SEA units comprise 4,500 (equaling 6.33 million official on-demand streams of the set’s six songs) and TEA units comprise 500.”
“As With YOU-th is mostly in the Korean language, it is the 24th mostly non-English language album to hit No. 1, and the first of 2024,” according to Billboard. This is TWICE’s first No. 1 album on Billboard 200 in over eight years since their debut in 2015 and extends their own record for the most top 10 albums on the chart for a female K-Pop act with five.
Next month, TWICE will be heading to Las Vegas for a one-night-only encore performance of their fifth world tour "Ready To Be” in the US–“Ready To Be Once More”--at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on March 16. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased HERE.
Women, health workers, MSMEs thank Senators Alan and Pia for timely assistance
A total of 1,000 beneficiaries from the province of Rizal received vital and timely assistance from the offices of Senators Alan and Pia Cayetano on March 4, 2024.
Celebrating Women’s month, the office of Senator Pia gave aid to women and bolstered the health sector in Antipolo City.
“As barangay health worker po na nakatanggap po ng pinansyal, malaking bagay po ito para sa amin. Salamat po sa patuloy na kalinga sa BSW [Barangay Health Worker],” said Analiza Cabahug, one of the 500 beneficiaries from the event in Antipolo City.
As a health worker, Analiza is responsible for ensuring that the children in their community receive vitamins on time and monitor their height and weight. The aid she received is vital and helpful to her work, she said.
Cedie Ampol, another barangay health worker in Antipolo City, said the assistance will help her start up a sari-sari store.
“Nagpapasalamat ako kay Senator Pia at Senator Alan sa pagbigay sa amin, kahit papaano ay makatulong sa pamilya namin. Sa ganitong program, marami silang natutulungan, hindi lang sa amin, sa ibang tao rin,” he said.
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) owners also benefited as the office of Senator Alan provided necessary assistance to a total of 500 beneficiaries in Rizal Province, enabling them to increase and improve their livelihood.
The recent disbursement activity was done in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.
AICS aims to provide timely and vital support to people in a difficult situation, aiding their recovery during challenging times.
The recent disbursement activity in Antipolo City and Rizal province were made successful due to the extended efforts and participation of Rizal Province Governor Nina Ynares, Antipolo City Mayor Jun Ynares, Councilor Susan Say, and Former Mayor Andrea "Andeng" Ynares.
This is not the first time the sibling senators have reached Antipolo City and Rizal province. Last month, more than 2,000 residents in Rizal Province also received vital aid to boost their livelihood.###
