WITH BEETHOVEN UNDER PALMS (XI): Dancing in Germany

CHAPTER XI: Dancing in Germany

My story of a German-Filipino mixed marriage life in Germany began. A life especially with elements of dance and music. The Broadway Dancing and Music Show at the Theater des Westens in Berlin was an unforgettable experience for Rossana. Sure, for me too. I love classical music. I love Jazz. Until now. 

The same evening we got home, she looked at me and asked, "Can you imagine that we will start a Filipino Cultural Dance Group here in Berlin? Just like my Manisan Dance Group in the Philippines?" I saw her shining eyes... .

"Sure, I will try and support your plan and idea", I replied. But before that, I would like to introduce more classical music. 'The Merry Wifes of Windsor' followed. An opera by  German composer Otto Nicolai. Rossana got a headache. Beethoven followed. She smiled... .

The weeks passed. I really got very busy in the office. Overtime at home. "If I could help you finish the layout and proof-reading", Rossana asked me. "You have to be able to master the German language very well", I replied. "Where can I learn German?" Rossana asked me. The German Cultural Center, the Goethe Institut had its office in Berlin near our residence. Rossana enrolled as soon as possible and finished her studies with the C2- exam (the highest language level for applying for German citizenship) after 1 1/2 years. 

During this period, she started several jobs as a babysitter in a family of a French soldier. During that time too, West-Berlin was divided in the three western sectors British, French and United States. Later, she would work in the Stars and Stripes Bookstore at the American Airbase at the Military Airport Berlin-Tempelhof. No entry even for me!

In the meantime, Rossana and I were able to set up the "New Manisan Dance Group Berlin". Several performances followed. Several talk shows too. I was very proud that the Berlin Theater Club arranged a performance for us as talk members at the Berlin Intercontinental Hotel.  The Annual International Tourism Fair Berlin allowed Rossana and our dance ensemble to perform as Philippine representatives.

And another aspect helped Rossana delete her loneliness. The Philippine Community Berlin and its chaplain, the legendary Father Gene, Professor Dr. Hermogenes Bacareza, author of the book "German-Philippine Relations", my major mentor in future. In the next few years, he "opened all doors for me", especially for journalistic work in the Philippines, while we were still living in the Philippines. My first column was published in "Tinig ng Bayan" (Voice of the Nation), a global mission-oriented publication based in Abra. Father Gene would visit us already in 2000 and blessed our house and lot in Davao City.

Our honeymoon took us to Switzerland. And then: a big visit from the Philippines had been announced. Vice President Laurel and family. Huge excitement in the Philippine community Berlin.

(To be continued!)

Why do so many relationships break down?

Since the pandemic hit us, many people have changed. From depression until aggression and indifference. Actually  "Relationship" comes from the Latin "referre" or "relatum", which means "to bring back". Some might say: That's of no importance to me. That doesn't worry me at all. There is even no need to worry about it. Yes, sometimes, we wish people around us weren't so thoughtless.

In one of my penultimate columns I tried to explain, "when to keep our mouth shut"! Silence is also an answer - sure! But some of my readers posed the question, if also broken relationships can be only restored by silence or waiting. My answer is YES and/or NO!

Sometimes it's a wonder, what a small dose of determined silence can do. Relationships are ALWAYS worth restoring, because life is all about learning how to love and how to value relationships and make the effort to maintain them instead of discarding them whenever there is a rift, a hurt, or a conflict. The bible told us that all of us have been given the ministry of restoring broken relationships.

Broken or cooled down relationships can be noticed at any corner. Restoring them is equal to peacemaking or peacekeeping but also not avoiding facing conflicts. Running away from a problem (and then keeping the mouth shut!), pretending that the problem doesn't exist or being too afraid to talk about it, that's how the hypocritical coward acts.  Some people love to downplay everything: Things aren't too bad - they could be worse! 

I always love to talk to God before I talk to a person. Later, I can find the right moment and take the initiative to restore broken relationships or face the problem. I can even look out for others' interests first. I can use "my telescope of life" (from the Greek word "skopos") and play close attention. I can start with sympathy but not with great solutions right away. I can confess my part of a possible conflict.

Paul said in Romans 12:18: "Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody!" In resolving conflicts, a word not to be spoken may be the choicest word of all, or IF WE TALK, HOW we say it, is important.

The US-author Rick Warren confessed in one of his books; "We can establish a relationship even when we are unable to resolve our differences. Christians often have legitimate, honest disagreements and differing opinions. But, we can disagree without being disagreeable. The same diamond looks different from different angles. God expects unity, not uniformity, and, we can walk arm-in-arm without seeing eye-to-eye on every issue!"

Typical Filipino (VI) - Typisch Philippinisch (VI): "Tingi" - der Mini-Einkauf

 

Typical Filipino (VI) - Typisch Philippinisch (VI): "Tingi" - der Mini-Einkauf

Waren gehen auch in kleinsten Mengen über den Tisch: als einzelne Zigarette, Knoblauchknolle oder einzelne Kaugummis, eine Tasse Essig oder ein Klacks Fett. Und der Jeepneyfahrer, der eine Zigarette kauft, läßt sich diese dann auch noch gern anzünden. Während große Supermärkte den Einkauf größerer Mengen natürlich fördern, scheinen eine Reihe Verbraucher auf den Philippinen eher geneigt zu sein, stets eine minimale Menge zu erwerben.

Even the smallest quantities of goods are sold: a cup of vinegar, a garlic bulb or a dollop of fat or a single chewing gum. And the jeepney driver, who buys a cigarette, is happy, if the seller lights it. While large supermarkets encourage larger quantities to be purchased, a number of consumers in the Philippines seem to be more inclined to always purchase minimal quantities.

Facebook, Google, TikTok, Twitter express support for DOH’s campaign vs COVID-19 misinformation

by Analou de Vera, Manila Bulletin

Technology companies Facebook, Google, TikTok, and Twitter expressed their support to the campaign against misinformation on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and vaccines, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday, April 7. 

The DOH on Wednesday launched “Check the FAQs”  campaign that emphasizes the “importance of accurate information in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and encourage the public to fact-check information that they come across.”

“Playing an important role in championing media literacy on vaccines, Facebook, Google, TikTok, and Twitter have committed to support the campaign which includes helping build awareness for the initiative,” the DOH said in a statement. 

“As COVID-19 vaccination becomes top priority across the globe, we must also race to fight disinformation and misinformation surrounding COVID-19 vaccines and the pandemic. Spreading the right information can save lives,” said Beverly Lorraine Ho, director of the DOH’s Disease Prevention and Control Bureau and the Health Promotion Bureau. 

The DOH said that a “Check the FAQs” page on its website was put up in order  for “Filipinos to have a source of trustworthy information about COVID-19 and its vaccines.”

“Whenever you see or hear new information, we encourage everyone to #ChecktheFAQs. With the campaign and by promoting this single message on social media platforms, we hope to urge every Filipino to always verify any information regarding the vaccines they may come across,”  said Ho. 

Facebook  will “make it easy for people to find authoritative COVID-19 and vaccine information” among its users, said Facebook Philippines’ Public Policy Head Clare Amador. 

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve connected over 2 billion people to resources from health authorities through our COVID-19 information center and pop-ups on Facebook and Instagram. We are also taking action against accounts that break our COVID-19 and vaccine rules—including reducing their distribution or removing them from our platform. While misinformation is complex and always evolving, we continue using research, teams, and technologies to tackle it in the most comprehensive and effective way possible,” she said. 

Google, meanwhile, committed to protect its platforms from “misinformation and connecting more people to information they can trust,” said Google Philippines Director Bernadette Nacario.

“That includes taking down harmful and misleading content across our products, raising authoritative information on Search and YouTube, providing ad grants, and supporting quality news reporting on vaccines,” said Nacario.

“Globally, more than 700,000 videos related to dangerous or false COVID-19 information have been removed and our information panels on YouTube have been viewed 400 billion times, making them a valuable source of credible information,” she added. 

Misinformation and disinformation that continue to spread about immunization can cost lives, said  Kristoffer Rada, TikTok Philippines Head for Public Policy.

“At TikTok, we are committed to minimizing the spread of potentially misleading COVID-19 vaccine content. We take the responsibility of helping counter inauthentic, misleading or false information. To combat these, we’ve collaborated with fact-checking partners to determine whether the content shared on the platform is false,” said Rada. 

Twitter, meanwhile, has committed to protect the public’s conversation with regards to COVID-19, said Twitter Southeast Asia Head of Public Policy, Government and Philanthropy Monrawee Ampolpittayanant.

“We also recently implemented new policies to apply labels to the Tweets that may contain misleading information surrounding COVID-19, in addition to our continued efforts to remove it,” said Ampolpittayanant.

 

Typical Filipino (V) - Typisch Philippinisch (V) : Faith Healer - Wunderheiler

Selbst Patienten aus Europa und Amerika haben sich in die Hände philippinischer Wunderheiler begeben, denen man übernatürliche Heilkräfte nachsagt. Angeblich können sie ohne Instrumente Operationen durchführen und Wunden verschließen, ohne Narben zu hinterlassen. Sie beten mit göttlicher Hilfe. Zeigt ihre Behandlung keinen Erfolg, so liegt dies, wie man sagt, am Verlust ihrer Fähigkeiten. Das wird damit erklärt, daß sie zum Beispiel der Gewinnsucht anheimfielen oder ihre Energien erschöpft haben. Ein bekannter Wunderheiler zögerte nicht, sich im Krankenhaus am Blinddarm operieren zu lassen, und das mag - oder auch nicht - etwas über Wunderheilung aussagen. Ich habe andere, positive Erfahrungen machen können. Auf jeden Fall besteht die Tradition schon seit mehreren Jahrhunderten.

Even patients from Europe and America have placed themselves in the hands of Filipino faith healers who are said to have supernatural powers. Allegedly, they can perform operations without instruments and close wounds without leaving scars. They are praying with divine help. If their treatment is unsuccessful, it is said to be due to the loss of their skills.This is explained by the fact that they e.g. have fallen victim to profitability or have exhausted their energies. A famous faith healer did not hesitate to have an appendix operated in the hospital - and this says - or not a lot about faith healing. I have had other, positive experiences during the last 30 years. In any case, the tradition has existed for several centuries.

Typical Filipino (IV) - Typisch Philippinisch (IV): "Tampo" - der große, leise Seufzer

 

"Tampo" - der große, leise Seufzer

Da Filipinos Ärger oder Verstimmung oft nicht gern offen ausdrücken wollen, äußert  sich das in der Form von stiller Mißbilligung und dem Vermeiden der sonst üblichen Fröhlichkeit in Anwesenheit jener Person, über die man sich ärgert. Solche Signale sollten genügen, um den Übeltäter zu veranlassen, die Harmonie wieder herzustellen, nicht notwendigerweise durch ein Gespräch über das Problem, sondern indem er sich über das Wohlergehen der verletzten Person besorgt zeigt.

Es ist wichtig, auf diese Zeichen mit freundlichen Angeboten zu reagieren, andernfalls werden die Beziehungen sich weiter verschlechtern. Filipinos lassen sich meist einige Zeit zum "Abkühlen" und antworten dann mit freundschaftlichen Annäherungsversuchen.

Since Filipinos often do not want to express anger or disgruntlement openly, this is expressed in the form of silent disapproval and avoiding the usual cheerfulness in the presence of the person they are angry about. Such signals should be enough to induce the culprit to restore harmony; not necessarily by talking about the problem, but by showing concern for the injured person's welfare.

It is important to respond to these signs with kind offers, otherwise the relationship will continue to deteriorate. Filipinos usually take some time to "cool down" and then respond with friendly advances.

WITH BEETHOVEN UNDER PALMS (X)

 

Chapter X: I married a family

Rossana and I invited 100 guests for our wedding reception. But more then 300 guests came. That was learned Filipino tradition. I felt very comfortable between all the many people. For some minutes, I missed "my" Ludwig van Beethoven" ... .

The farewell after our wedding was a mixture of sheer party happiness and many, many farewell tears. For the picture taken at the airport, one quickly shed all tears and smiled. We didn't know when we would come back to Davao City.

Our stay at the German Embassy in Manila lasted only 10 minutes. Rossana got her visa for Germany.

April 1983. Our 10-hours-flight from Manila to Frankfurt wasn't a problem. But my obligatory phone call at home Frankfurt. My mother had successfully survived the cancer operation but stayed in our best friends' house. My father had left.

After the connecting flight Frankfurt - Berlin, Rossana and I rushed to my apartment. A typical 1-room Bachelor apartment with bathroom, kitchen and balcony somewhere in the middle of the Berlin city. 

"I am hungry", sighed Rossana. "Don't you have rice or fish?" There was only canned Ravioli and bags of soups. " I like roasted chicken", replied Rossana. I was really too tired to go with her to a restaurant. She ate some of the Ravioli... . The first part of her culture shock had started.

Just a week later, my beloved Lola died. I almost got my heart out of my body. Rossana didn't get a visa for the other - the communist Eastern part  of Germany - the German Democratic Republic. My mother and I made us alone on the way to the funeral. It rained the whole day. "I hope one day I will get to meet your Asian wife!" Those were Lola's last words on my visit a week before my Philippine journey.

Rossana was getting more and more lonely in Germany. I was trying to help her.

"Your friends only speak to me in English, but I would like to speak in German", Rossana told me one day. Summer 1983, she enrolled in a German language course. Daily six hours Mondays until Fridays.

She liked our balcony and took care of the plants and flowers. 

"Would you like to go to the theatre one day?" I asked. As a member of the Berlin Theater Club, I got tickets for stage plays, classical music concerts and Musical performances. Rossana replied, "Yes. When?" " I have two tickets for a Broadway Dance Revue", I told her. Of course, it was not Beethoven and Co. But, it was exactly Rossana's style as a dancer.

(To be continued!)

GIVING WHILE LIVING

Philanthropy is a very interesting topic. Philanthropy comes from the Greek "philein" (to love) and "anthropos" (man) and means a desire to help mankind, especially as shown by gifts to charitable institutions.

Philanthropists are loving and seeking to do well to their fellow men (and women) and are paying more attention to how they give their money away. Especially during this pandemic, if more and more people get jobless and businesses crash down.

In times of pandemic, political crisis and corruption, we might only observe our own pockets becoming emptier and emptier, while others' slop over. Giving while living? Of course not, getting and receiving as much as possible seems to me the motto many times. 

One of the Bible's books of poetry, the Proverbs really offers advice on every imaginable area of life. The style of wise living described here leads to a fulfilled life. Proverbs 28:27 say:"He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses!"

In view of a feature in an old issue of the magazine "The Economist" I learned that Andrew Carnegie ("The King of Steel'', 1835-1919) would surely have approved of Lord David Sainsbury. The supermarket tycoon turned politician was one of Great Britain's richest men. It was reported that he not only intended to give away at least $ 1.83 billion during his lifetime, but to insist that this charitable foundation spent both its income and capital before he passed away.

Few rich donors have yet gone this far. But Lord Sainsbury's decision was part of a broad trend among a new generation of philanthropists to play an active role in seeing that their money is very well spent. Such efforts should be applauded. In his great 1889 essay on wealth, Carnegie, who gave away about $7 billion in today's money - argued that the rich had the duty to use most of their money to benefit the community, and should do so actively during their lifetime. Let's look around if we can still find such donors and patrons in our daily life.

Typically Filipino (III) - Typisch Philippinisch (III)

"Aswang"

Aswang ist eine böse Kreatur der Unterwelt, die bisweilen die Gestalt eines Schweines oder eines Hundes annimmt, manchmal auch die eines Nachtvogels namens TIK-TIK. ASWANG mag jeder Person schaden, doch bewegt dieses Wesen schwangere Frauen, da menschliche Fötusse seine Lieblingsspeise sind.

Aswang is an evil creature of the underworld that sometimes takes the shape of a pig or a dog, sometimes that of a night bird named TIK-TIK. ASWANG may harm everyone, but this creature moves pregnant women as human fetuses are his favorite food.

Weekly oil price hikes: Profit-making or genuine market dynamics?

by Manila Bulletin

As consumers complain of dizzying hikes in oil prices, or at times, unsatisfied at the amount of rollbacks in recent weeks, the oil companies are consequentially suspect of profit-taking.

The deregulation of the downstream oil industry is already traversing roughly 23 years — yet the fires of controversies are still very much focused on the same concern — pricing.

Battle lines though may have been shifting a bit as industry competition gets tougher and the players’ trump card now hinges more on aggressive strategies to corner patrons and gobble up rivals’ market shares.

And in a legitimate sense of price competition, that would be a very acceptable proposition. However, recent swagger of big-time price hikes undoubtedly snitched thunders, and tugged all the other industry players into the ‘defensive’ side. Subsequently, politicians as well as advocacy groups are back in vilifying them – some want freeze in price hikes; while lawmakers and the Department of Energy (DOE) have been batting for more transparent pricing; hence, they’re urging the oil companies to itemize the cost components of their products retailed at the pumps.

With prospects of economic recovery post-COVID, the main question in consumers’ mind is: how are prices headed in the coming days? No one has a crystal ball; but there are pricing benchmarks and intervening factors that the industry has been analyzing weekly relative to their price adjustments.

The industry previously reached a consensus on weekly price movements referencing on the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) or the moving average of prices of oil commodities traded in Singapore. Even refiner Petron Corporation adheres to MOPS-based pricing because that assures it of competitive pricing versus finished product importers.

Another factor influencing price movements is the fluctuation in peso-dollar exchange rates. Beyond these, competitive forces could be held as the strongest element affecting price movements. For example, if an oil company estimates price hike to be at P1.00/liter but its competitor station nearby is selling even lower, that player will be forced to match the price of the other firm so it will not lose customers – in the context of market competition, that is typically called “destroyer pricing.”

And since the Philippines is heavily dependent on importation for its oil supply, it is inextricably hostage to developments that have been affecting supply-demand balance and international price swings that are either triggered by geopolitical factors (i.e. weather conditions, terrorist assaults in oil-producing countries) or market speculation (including economic recovery forecasts). Other pricing pressures are traced to fluctuations in the consumption or the rise-and-fall in oil inventories of major economies, like the United States and China, which are closely monitored as these affect market fundamentals especially if there are depressing news, such as the lingering impact of the pandemic and slower economic growths.

So why would an oil company choose to stay in the market amid the rough patches? Beyond business, perhaps, it is because of the challenge of providing Filipinos such a basic commodity and in becoming part of an industry that supports the economic growth of the country.