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!
Showing posts with label Philippine Daily Inquirer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philippine Daily Inquirer. Show all posts
Scene from "Isang Himala" —CREAZION STUDIOS/YOUTUBE
Just like in the American musical fantasy film “Wicked,” the actors performing in Pepe Diokno’s musical “Isang Himala,” led by Aicelle Santos, each wore in-ear monitors (IEMs), where they all received the music they would be singing to.
This also meant that no music was played on the set while the live vocals were recorded. “We wore lapels, too, so the set had to be really quiet. We would hear the music from the IEMs and what people on the set heard were just our voices,” Santos explained in a recent interview with Lifestyle.
The movie “Himala,” released in 1982, was a collaboration of three National Artists for Film: director Ishmael Bernal, writer Ricky Lee, and actor Nora Aunor. Some years later, Lee turned it into a stage musical with the music of Vince de Jesus. “Himala, Isang Musikal” has been staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines once, and twice in Makati City, featuring Santos and Bituin Escalante. This is the version that Diokno brought to film.
Gifts can be a tangible way to show family and loved ones how much you care. For colleagues and friends, sharing gifts can deepen bonds and create lasting memories. It’s also a way to express our appreciation, fostering a sense of gratitude and generosity.
For those whose love language is giving gifts and meaningful surprises, the joy it brings the receiver also brings happiness to the giver. The anticipation and surprise by themselves bring delight.
From left: Health experts Dr. Francis Pasaporte, Dr. Bien Matawaran, Dr. Rizaldy Pinzon, and Dr. Li Yan of P&G Singapore —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
Many of us are familiar with that tingly sensation we get on our palms in cold weather. Or that rush of pins and needles in our legs and feet that makes us stagger ever so slightly when we abruptly stand up after sitting in an awkward position.
Usually, we dismiss them as random natural body phenomena. And that’s what they are most of the time. But what if these sensations happen, persist, or worsen with no apparent reason?
You may have developed a condition called peripheral neuropathy (PN), a nerve disease that impairs sensation and movement, and whose symptoms include numbness, prickling, and stabbing or burning pain—mostly in the hands or feet.
Life insurance giant Insular Life Assurance Co. Ltd. will buy the Philippine business of Italy-based Generali Life as part of an expansion plan seen to broaden its services in the country.
In a statement on Wednesday night, InLife said it had agreed to acquire 100 percent of Generali’s stake in Generali Life Assurance Philippines Inc. The deal will be finalized in the first half of 2025.
According to InLife, its takeover of the Italian insurance company will bring “key business synergies, reinforce distribution strength and expand the company’s end-to-end corporate product suite.”
The Christmas season is in full swing. The lighting of Christmas trees has started in various city centers. Parol and lanterns are strung up along avenues. Christmas festivals and marketplaces have been set up, enticing Filipinos to go out and shop. Most welcoming of all is that most Christmas sights are free or at little cost. From a usual lack of public leisure spaces, we are suddenly faced with an abundance of lights and decors, with every city boasting its own attraction.
“Make sure to pass by the munisipyo,” reminded my sister-in-law during a hometown visit in Rizal. Sure enough, we were awed by the brightly lit arches and yuletide ornaments. From nondescript government buildings relevant only for business transactions, these buildings now feel like genuine communal spaces, with families spending quality time together after a hard day’s work, groups of teenagers laughing and hanging out, workers sampling holiday food from street stalls.
It makes sense to me that Filipinos celebrate Christmas for as long as they can, from September to January. The more chaotic and challenging our daily life becomes, the more we need Christmas. Filipinos are known to celebrate even in the hardest of times. During disasters, our sense of humor and fun get us through—just look at children going for a swim in floodwaters, a practice now discouraged by the Department of Health due to the risk of leptospirosis and other diseases. When our politics venture into the absurd, we use our uncanny ability to make a meme out of life (a sign of Filipinos’ creativity, despite what the Programme for International Student Assessment says). If there’s even a bit of fun in something, you bet Filipinos can find it.
Rita Avila's first book, "8 Ways to Comfort with Grace" —MARINEL CRUZ
Actress Rita Avila wrote her first book, “8 Ways to Comfort with Grace,” in 2006 as a guide to consoling people who have lost a loved one.
This was after she lost her 3-week-old son, Elia Jesu. “When the tragedy happened, I realized that I share the same sentiments with people who experienced death in the family. So, I thought, ‘Why don’t I write a book on it?’
“The first thing I did was to research whether we already have an existing book on the topic. I found one but from an American perspective. Iba rin naman ang pang-Pinoy,” the actress told Lifestyle.
Rita Avila’s “8 Ways to Comfort with Grace”
Avila said the book received lots of feedback from readers, mostly thanking her for her effort. Some said the eight rules in her book are very useful.
Keeping up with the Joneses” is a popular expression that refers to the pressure to be at par with your neighbor’s wealth and social status. While the origins of the phrase are not certain, one common explanation is that the Joneses were one of the first families from New York who built grand mansions in the Hudson Valley, which spurred other wealthy families to build even grander mansions to show they were of equal or greater status as the Jones family.
The phrase has evolved into a human experience that not just impacts the “ultra-rich” but a burden felt across socioeconomic levels. The social comparison theory asserts that people tend to measure their self-worth based on how they perceive their status relative to others. People are acutely aware of how their appearance and lifestyle are constantly judged by peers, which compels them to present themselves in a way that will enable them to either meet or exceed perceived social expectations.
In the Philippines, this phenomenon is exacerbated during Christmas season—a four-month affair filled with various social obligations and endless rounds of gift-giving (your gifts for everyone plus your exchange gift). These customs serve as a high-stakes arena for showcasing success and prosperity—or, at least, the illusion of it, and different socioeconomic groups experience this pressure in distinct ways.
For lower-income families, the festivities often come at a steep financial and emotional cost. Individuals often grapple with the challenge of wanting to provide a memorable holiday for their families while facing the reality of their financial limitation. This pressure is particularly heightened in urban poor settings where the increased exposure to trending consumer goods combined with the proximity of homes make it easier for neighbors to compare celebrations. Research into local consumer spending habits indicate that in order to avoid holiday-related shame or embarrassment, many families from lower-income household often choose to borrow money from loan sharks despite usurious interest rates (usually 50 percent a month), pushing them further in the cycle of debt and poverty.
While middle-income individuals generally have more resources during this time due to 13th month pay and other bonuses, some feel pressured to resort to social signaling—spending on gifts or experiences that project a higher social status than they can afford. This demographic is also more likely to engage in social comparisons through social media, where curated images of lavish celebrations and experiences can lead to feelings of inadequacy and anxiety about not measuring up. Studies show that middle-income households in Southeast Asia allocate a significant portion of their disposable income to holiday-related expenses, even if it means deferring other financial goals, with many falling into credit card debt to fund their spending.
Remittances during the Christmas season tend to spike significantly, a trend often celebrated for its contribution to the country’s GDP. However, it is important to consider how much of this increase stems from social pressure that many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) face to fund extravagant celebrations back home. While the spirit of the season emphasizes generosity and “giving back,” it becomes problematic when OFWs are obliged by others to send more money than they can comfortably afford for luxuries that they cannot even enjoy or physically partake in.
For higher-income individuals, the pressure may revolve around maintaining an image of success and happiness. While they may not face the same financial constraints, there is still a strong emphasis on presenting an idealized version of their lives. Apart from the pressure to host the perfect gathering or match the extravagant gifts from their peers, this could also include the pressure of having an impressive year-end “report card” of personal and professional achievements.
Experts argue that while comparison is an innate human tendency, we have the power to control and redefine the metrics we use. In Yale University’s famous Science of Well-Being course, students are taught how to “reset one’s reference points.” Rather than dwelling on what we lack and comparing ourselves to more successful peers, psychology professor Laurie Santos encourages us to focus on perspectives that inspire gratitude. This could mean revisiting old moments in life where we had less and celebrating the growth we have experienced through the years, or imagining what it’s like to lose the “small blessings” that we have but may have grown accustomed to and do not appreciate as much.
Despite all the stress and anxiety it brings, many Filipinos find solace in the spiritual and communal aspects of Christmas. The shared experiences of caroling, attending Simbang Gabi, and reconnecting with family and friends create a sense of belonging. The Joneses may have set the bar high for material success, but nobody says we have to chase it. Perhaps the best way for us to have the “perfect Christmas” is to set our own standards, and hopefully, one that values faith and substance over frivolity. This kind of perspective is one we can carry long past the holidays, into a society that desperately needs less comparison and more connection.
