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!
From Olivia Rodrigo’s Swarovski crystal-embellished gown to Selena Gomez’s romantic scarlet dress, here are some of the best style moments seen on the #VMAs' pink carpet
The brightest stars of the music industry got together to celebrate the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. But before Olivia Rodrigo performed on the stage and Taylor Swift took home nine “Moon man” trophies, all eyes were on its pink carpet as music artists presented their best garbs for the occasion. Below are some of our favorite looks.
Olivia Rodrigo (Photo by Jason Kemping/Getty Images via AFP)
Olivia Rodrigo
“Guts” singer Olivia Rodrigo donned a handmade gown featuring over 150,000 Swarovski crystals by Paris-based maison Ludovic de Saint Sernin.
Taylor Swift (Photo from @donatella_versace/Instagram)
Taylor Swift
The night's big winner, Taylor Swift, merged class and contemporary with her black Versace gown adorned with gold buttons presenting the brand's iconic Medusa emblem.
Selena Gomez (Photo from @oscardelarents/Instagram)
Selena Gomez
Romantic was Selena Gomez in her custom hand-beaded scarlet halter gown with floral tendril skirt by Oscar de la Renta.
Shakira (Photo from @donatella_versace/Instagram)
Shakira
Shakira was a true gilded beauty wearing a sultry metallic gown by Versace.
Nicki Minaj (Photo from @nickiminaj/Instagram)
Nicki Minaj
The bells rang for Nicki Minaj's pink bridal look for the VMAs courtesy of Dolce and Gabbana.
Tomorrow X Together (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty via AFP)
Tomorrow X Together
South Korean boy band Tomorrow X Together's members Yeonjun, HueningKai, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Soobin were extra dapper in their Dior ensembles.
Cardi B (Photo from @iamcardib/Instagram)
Cardi B
Hundreds of hair clips were used by Dilara Findikoglu to create Cardi B's armor-like dress.
Megan Thee Stallion (Photo from @brandonblackwoodnyc/Instagram)
Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion's look was all about the body, thanks to the black sheer garb designed by Brandon Blackwood.
Doja Cat (Photo from @monsemaison/Instagram)
Doja Cat
Always up for the bizarre and unusual style is Doja Cat. This time, she wowed everyone with her draped hand-knitted spider web gown by New York-based brand Monse.
Saweetie (Photo from @area/Instagram)
Saweetie
Saweetie wore a pink couture piece straight from New York-based maison Area's fall-winter 2023 collection.
Stray Kids (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty via AFP)
Stray Kids
Stray Kids' Changbin, I.N, Han, Felix, Lee Know, Seungmin, Hyunjin, and Bang Chan wore coordinating black-and-white looks as they graced the pink carpet of the VMAs.
From the beginning of the shoot until post-production, Alessandra was involved as the main character and producer.
Alessandra de Rossi as Billie in the film 'What If?' (Images courtesy of Netflix)
Aside from working as an actress in various films and TV series and receiving recognition from award-giving bodies, Alessandra De Rossi takes on her producer/actress side as she stars in a new movie, "What If," with JM De Guzman, now streaming on Netflix.
During an exclusive roundtable interview with Alessandra last Sept. 6, Alessandra explained how she came up with the story during the pandemic.
"During the pandemic naka-isip ako ng what if siguro nakalock sa bahay, tapos, minsan dun mo lang malaman yung ugali ng isang tao, so naisip ko paano yung couple na hindi masyadong nagsama and then nalock kayo on your honeymoon, parang interesting yun," Alessandra said.
(During the pandemic, I wondered if you were locked in the house; you only get to know someone's behavior occasionally. So what about the couple who didn't get along well and were locked out during your honeymoon? That sounds interesting)
From the beginning of the shoot until post-production, Alessandra was involved as the main character and producer.
"As a producer, talagang hanggang post production nandun ako, from the heart na yung trabaho ko kasi gusto ko syempre bantayan lahat and alagaan si JM ng tama and alagaan ang itsura ko," she said.
(As a producer, I was there until post-production. My work is from the heart because I want to watch over everything, care for JM properly, and care for my appearance.)
Aside from her current film, she also co-produced previous projects, such as "Through Night and Day" with Paolo Contis (co-written by Noreen Capili) and "My Amanda," with Piolo Pascual, which was her directorial debut.
JM de Guzman (Jecs) and Alessandra de Rossi (Billie) team-up in 'What If?'
"What If?" is directed by Emmanuel Quindo Palo. The movie follows the story of newlywed musicians Billie and Jecs who get trapped in a storm on their honeymoon island. They must face difficult truths that could tear their marriage apart.
Teaming up again after their first film, "Lucid," in 2019, the award-winning actress compliments JM's presence while doing the film together.
"Nagustuhan ko yung presence niya, yung parang uy okay pala katrabaho ito, walang arte, masarap ka chika ganyan, kaya one thing na nadiscover ko kay JM is hindi siya makabitaw agad, pero ang maganda kay JM kahit lines anong ibato mo sa kanya kaya niyang saluhin," she added.
(I liked his presence. I was like, he's an excellent actor to work with, he has many stories to tell, etc. One thing I discovered about JM is that he can't let go immediately, but the good thing about JM is that any lines you give him, he will deliver.)
JM also shared that working in a film for the second time with Alessandra was good because it's like working with a friend.
"Si Alex ay isang mabuting kaibigan and katrabaho, kasi kahit anong problema ko mapawork or personal si Alex ready na siya makinig, kaya I'm very happy that I get to work with her again on this film," JM shared.
(Alex is a good friend and co-worker because no matter what problem I have at work or personally, Alex is ready to listen, so I'm delighted that I get to work with her again on this film.)
Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, Mid Sweden University
55,555 followers
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Industrial- and Transportation Designer, innovation professional, lecturer, researcher; lived here and there and done this and that. Harmless, unless there is food involved. I appear to have what I call chronic innovation disorder; show me what you will, I will have a better idea.
My one big passion in life is to uphold the flag of high civilisation. Smaller passions include cats of all sizes, American vintage cars, obtuse movies, photography, and musing randomly on social media.
As a speaker of High German, I would rank the extent to which the other Germanic languages are commonly understandable as follows:
Dutch, 40%; to me, Dutch sounds a bit laboured, as if the speaker is trying to speak while also eating an entire mouthful of baked potatoes; but it is peppered with things that sound so clearly German every now and then that it makes me jump;
English, 10%; English, when I first heard it, sounded very soft and curiously frog-like. The 10% overlap are more on paper than in spoken words, because the pronunciation is very different, except for things like house (= Haus), mouse (= Maus), etc;
Swedish, 10%; here, a strange thing is going on; maybe it’s just me, but when I first heard and read Swedish, I was overwhelmed by how many words are actually identical with German ones, and what’s truly weird is: the ones that aren’t still make total sense to me. Like, skog (= Wald). I can not explain this, but there is something oddly intuitive even about Swedish words that have absolutely zilch similarity with German ones. It’s as if some kind of Germanic, ancient memory is revived or something; the way the language sounds though makes it hard for an unprepared German speaker to get it, because Swedes “sing” their words very melodiously, and that melody has nothing at all to do with the words themselves, so it sounds all like the Elves from the Lord of the Rings;
Norwegian, 10%; so similar to Swedish, I am sometimes unsure which of the two I am hearing; there is a curiously “uppity” quality to Norwegian that makes it sound like they are somehow making one extraordinary point after another;
Danish, 10%; again, similar - but this time, entirely in written form, because the pronunciation is so soft and even slurred that it gets really hard to distinguish any recognisable features.
A modern, efficient, and sustainable transport system is essential in the life of a metropolis. Population growth and urbanization have a tendency to choke modern cities that in turn reduce the quality of life of its residents. More people are leaving their rural hometowns and living in cities. According to the United Nations 4.4 billion people live in cities. That is a staggering 56 percent of the total world population! And to think that in 1950 that rate was only 25 percent. The UN further projected that by 2050 “nearly seven of 10 people will live in cities.”
This is the reason why cities need to be planned and managed such that economic growth is balanced with good quality of life for all inhabitants. One key element of building a modern and sustainable city is by providing efficient railway transportation. Railways can efficiently move people and goods so they can promote growth. At the same time, railways can be environment-friendly as it cuts greenhouse gas emissions. When managed well, rails are a clean and compact way to promote growth and maintain good quality of life for residents.
I have been thinking about this as I began imagining the city of my dreams — Villar City. This city of my dreams is a 3,500-hectare masterplan that I envision to become Metro Manila’s new center of gravity, an integrated development that will traverse 15 satellite cities where economic, lifestyle, cultural, and leisure activities converge. I realized that in order to avoid the mistakes of previous urban developments, we need to ensure that it is built with an efficient road and railway network. There is a need to plan ahead and anticipate the needs of a burgeoning metropolis rather than dealing with urban problems when it is there already.
We have recently acquired the ₱3.8-billion, four-kilometer Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway that links Daang Hari and Daang Reyna to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). We have also inaugurated Villar Avenue, a 10-kilometer, 10-lane road that we envision will help decongest traffic and reduce travel time from Las Piñas City to portions of Bacoor and Dasmariñas in Cavite province. It will connect the 15 satellite cities of Villar City, and will feature dedicated bike lanes as well as a bus rapid transit (BRT) system.
We want to build our first ever railway project that will link Metro Manila to Villar City. And this will come at no cost to the government and I really think this is doable because since I own the land there will be no right-of-way issues that tend to get in the way of some infrastructure projects. During an interview with some business reporters, I said that trains are a real estate play. It’s not a transportation play. I said this because railways are more than just a form of transportation that moves people from point A to point B. It has a positive impact on property values and more importantly, when done properly an efficient transport will lead to new and vibrant neighborhoods, opportunities for small businesses, and the conservation of open space. This is all part of my vision for my legacy project.
I remember the first time I saw a Philippine National Railway (PNR) train at the historic Tutuban Station. I was amazed by the sight and the sounds of this behemoth of a transport system. Nowadays, trains are more modern and more efficient. I never thought that one day I will be building railways in a city from the ground up. Or maybe I did. Maybe I daydreamed about it in one of those childhood afternoons I spent looking outside our Tondo house while my brothers played on the street. I do not know. What I know for sure is that this project has got me all exhilarated like a kid on his first day of school or a fresh graduate on his first interview. Is that butterflies in my stomach or fire in my belly?
For comments, please send email to: mbv_secretariat@vistaland.com.ph and/or http://www.mannyvillar.com.
Current Miss Universe titleholder R’Bonney Gabriel INSTAGRAM PHOTO/MISSUNIVERSE
By Christina Alpad
September 13, 2023 190
THE Miss Universe pageant — considered the largest and most prestigious beauty pageant — is removing the age limit of 28 years old to all candidates beginning 2024.
"Starting then, every adult woman in the world will be eligible to compete to be Miss Universe," the pageant posted on its Instagram account @missuniverse Wednesday morning.
A link to the post showed that current titleholder, R'Bonney Gabriel, made the announcement at Tanner Fletcher's spring 2024 New York Fashion Week show on Tuesday.
In 2022, MUO also started allowing mothers and wives to compete for the pageant.
"It's a bold group of women in charge over here, and you know what, a lot of people tend to follow what we do — it's nice to be a standard-bearer, and I'm proud that we get to do this," Gabriel told WWD.
The 72nd Miss Universe competition is set on November 18 at host country El Salvador. Michelle Dee will represent the country in the upcoming pageant.
The Global Chef Challenge itself had amassed a record number of participants for the association, with 51 chefs from 11 different member countries engaging in this Philippine leg.
MEETING OF THE MINDS Willment Leong, WORLDCHEFS continental director for Asia, speaks in a closed-door meeting with WORLDCHEFS' presidents
The Philippines hosted this year’s WORLDCHEFS Asian Presidents Forum (WAPF), welcoming delegates and presidents from 16 member societies, two associate member groups, as well as organizational heads of the World Association of Chef Societies (WORLDCHEFS). This was the first time the event was held in the country, with the last occurring in Bangkok in 2019.
Co-organized by the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines (TPB) and LTB Philippines Chefs Association, the WAPF kicked off with an opening ceremony at Conrad Manila. Forum events aimed to bring together culinary experts from all over Asia to share culinary heritage, industry best practices, and sustainability goals through knowledge-sharing sessions, competitions, and outreach programs scheduled throughout the weeklong conference.
Philippine Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco shared that the event was a good showcase of the country, saying that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. “envisions the Philippines to have a more primary role in Asia in terms of being able to reintroduce itself to the world, not only on the aspect of fun and adventure, but most importantly, to allow you to get to know the heart and soul of the Filipinos that lies in our history, our heritage, our identity, and our living cultural traditions, including and especially, our culinary traditions.”
TPB chief operating officer Marga Nograles appreciated the unique opportunity to listen to and learn from experts about developments in the culinary field. “The world is more connected, now more than ever, and this has vastly influenced and changed the way we look at food, especially in recent years,” she said. “People from all over the world are constantly seeking new gastronomic experiences.”
Attending member societies include LTB Philippines, Association of Culinary Professionals Indonesia, Cambodia Chefs’ Association, Chefs Association of Pakistan, Chefs Guild of Lanka, Chefs Guild of Maldives, China Cuisine Association, Hong Kong Chefs Association, Indian Federation of Culinary Associations, Korea Chefs Association, Mongolian Chefs Association, Professional Culinaire Association of Malaysia, Singapore Chefs’ Association, Taiwan Chefs Association, Thailand Chefs Association, and The Saigon Professional Chefs’ Guild.
The associate member groups Penang Chef Association and Karachi Chefs Association were also present. “So many presidents and so many representatives from WORLDCHEFS member countries, [who] are here in the room, shows that Asia is one of the powerful forces in WORLDCHEFS,” said Chef Thomas Gugler, WORLDCHEFS president.Also in attendance to give talks on Filipino food heritage and food sustainability in hospitality establishments were food historian Felice Prudente Sta. Maria and chef Meik Brammer. LTB Philippines’ chef Fernando Aracama hosted a panel discussion with chefs Stephan Duhesme, Carlos Villaflor, and Jordy Navarra about the Philippine culinary scene.
Chef KK Yau, WORLDCHEFS assistant vice president, gave an update on the association’s “Without Borders’ Chef Social Responsibility” efforts in Syria while chef Alan Orreal, WORLDCHEFS Young Chefs chairman, spoke about the necessity of bridging the gap between young chefs and the old guard of the culinary world.
Chef Rick Stephen, WORLDCHEFS Culinary Competition Committee chairman, gave a rundown of culinary safety and competition standards. “We’ve always wanted to be able to showcase Philippine hospitality to our Asian neighbors ...” said chef Carlo Miguel, LTB Philippines president. “We can show them how advanced we are in our culinary skill through the Philippine Culinary Cup as well.”
Organized by PEPTarsus Corp., the World Food Expo (WOFEX), a long-running Philippine food trade show, was held last month at SMX Convention Center and World Trade Center. WOFEX hosts the only WORLDCHEFS-accredited culinary competition in the country, the Philippine Culinary Cup, which in early August along with the semifinals of the WORLDCHEFS’ Global Chef Challenge.
According to Chef Willment Leong, WORLDCHEFS continental director for Asia, the Global Chef Challenge itself had amassed a record number of participants for the association, with 51 chefs from 11 different member countries engaging in this Philippine leg.
Leong also facilitated the launch of the WORLDCHEFS e-book Food of Asia, Soul of Asia, available on the WORLDCHEFS website, featuring authentic recipes across the continent crafted by member association chefs. Joel Pascual, PEPTarsus president, spoke about the benefits of MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) events such as the WAPF in boosting local trade and travel. “We are indicating that the Philippines is open for business,” he said.
Chef Leong said, “Hospitality from the Philippines is unbelievable … This [has been a] tip- top, world-standard forum .. We look forward to [coming] back to this beautiful home we call the Philippines.”
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