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!
Rapidly starting to think of myself as a “citizen of the world” because I have lived or spent significant time in 5 countries and can see the good and bad in each of them. I love to travel, because I enjoy learning from different cultures, and enjoy opening myself up to different ways of doing things, not just mine.
Politically a centrist - I know this because those on the right say that I must be a socialist and the ones on the left say I am a political conservative, so I know I must be doing something right (and no, no amount of bullying will change how I choose to self-identify).
Religiously agnostic - I very much respect people’s rights to believe whatever they want, as long as they can respect mine.
I will let labels describe me, I will not let labels define me. If you are going to judge me based on your understanding of what the few things I have shared above mean, then we probably aren’t going to have much of a constructive discussion.
Originally Answered: Why is the German language to needlessly complex?
There are 38 languages that have masculine and feminine nouns, including French, Spanish, and Italian. 37 have 3 grammatical genders, including German, Dutch, Latin, Russian, Norwegian and even Old English, and 12 languages have more than 3 - the most being Shona (spoken in Zimbabwe) with 20.
So if that is the criterion you are using to indicate complexity, then German is far from being the worst.
As for its use - it’s a very good way to distinguish between similar-sounding words, for one.
For what it’s worth, Germans say that English is incredibly complex to learn to speak properly. With German you have a set of rules and very few exceptions to them (like irregular verbs) - with English there are fewer rules but lots of exceptions, especially in things like correct word order. Pronounciation is also a thing - in German, if you know how it’s spelled, you know how to pronounce it - in English you have to learn how to pronounce it for the different meanings. In German if you hear it you can usually spell it, in English you often can’t.
Examples are words like “enough” and “through”; “too” and “to”; “sew” and “threw” - so many examples. That becomes incredibly complex.
The greatest story ever told comes to life on the big screen this Christmas season. "Journey to Bethlehem," an upcoming Christmas musical starring Fiona Palomo, Milo Manheim and Antonio Banderas as King Herod, opens in Philippine cinemas in December.
The movie weaves classic Christmas melodies with humor, faith, and new pop songs in a retelling of the greatest story ever told.
The movie weaves classic Christmas melodies with humor, faith, and new pop songs in a retelling of the greatest story ever told.
The movie retells the story of a young woman carrying an unimaginable responsibility, a young man torn between love and honor, and a jealous king who will stop at nothing to keep his crown with a twist.
This live-action Christmas musical adventure for the entire family weaves classic Christmas melodies with humor, faith, and new pop songs in a retelling of the greatest story ever told — the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus. A unique new entry into the collection of holiday classic movies, this epic Christmas musical is unlike any before it.
Directed by Adam Anders, with screenplay by Adam Anders and Peter Barsocchini. Produced by Brandt Andersen, Adam Anders, Ryan Busse, Stephen Meinen, Alan Powell, Steve Barnett.
Fiona Palomo, who plays Mary, and Milo Manheim, who plays Joseph, are joined by Omid Djalili, Rizwan Manji, Geno Segers, MŌRIAH, Joel Smallbone, Lecrae, Stephanie Gil and Academy Award nominee Antonio Banderas.
A 5.9-magnitude earthquake rocked Davao de Oro province early Friday morning, Oct. 20, said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Phivolcs said the earthquake, which struck at 2:58 a.m., had its epicenter 35 kilometers (km) southeast of New Bataan, Davao de Oro.
It occurred at a shallow depth of 13 km beneath the epicenter.
Phivolcs said the quake was felt at Intensity V (strong) in Caraga in Davao Oriental and New Bataan, Maragusan, and Pantukan in Davao de Oro.
It was also felt at Intensity IV (moderately strong) in Nabunturan, Compostela, Monkayo, Mawab, Montevista, Laak, Mabini, and Maco in Davao de Oro; Intensity III (weak) in Davao City and Tagum City in Davao del Norte; and Intensity I (scarcely perceptible) in Bislig City and Tandag City in Surigao del Sur.
Phivolcs said the earthquake was tectonic, which means it was caused by the movement of an active fault near the area.
It also said that there may have been damage caused by the earthquake and warned the public about potential aftershocks.
In the past years, we've seen the line between the tech and fashion industries blur. We saw how AI can influence a designer's creative process and how the digital space continues to create new landscapes for retail to explore. This time, their colliding worlds produce something wearable.
At Adobe Max 2023 in Los Angeles, software company Adobe unveiled its latest innovations, from photo and video editing to 3D designs. During its “Sneaks” segment, it presented its take on the future of fashion, which is a dress can change its patterns with just a click of a button.
Under the “Project Primrose,” the cocktail dress is made of sequin-like pieces that are reflective light-diffuser modules" which have tiny liquid crystals commonly used in smart window applications.
“Project Primrose blurs the line between technology and fashion, demonstrating the potential for flexible textile displays—and turning clothes into creative canvases,” as per Adobe. “This interactive dress can offer infinite style possibilities, displaying content created with Adobe Firefly, After Effects, Stock,and Illustrator.”
Christine Dierk wearing her digital dress (Stills from Adobe/Youtube)
Leading the presentation was Adobe researcher Christine Dierk, who crafted the dress. As she modeled the digital dress, it shifted its color from cream to metallic silver with just a press of a button. The dress can also present different patterns like stripes and chevron, among others.
“Unlike traditional clothing, which is static, Primrose allows me to refresh my look in a moment,” Christine said during her presentation.
Apart form its changing looks, the dress is also animated. Its body sensors allowed the patterns to be in motion as Christine moved her body.
“Fashion doesn’t have to be static, it can be dynamic and even interactive,” Christine said. “And we’re excited for a future where there’s more ways to express yourself.”
PLDT drew strength from Savannah Davison as it denied Akari’s third-set fightback, 25-16, 25-16, 25-23, for its first win in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Second All-Filipino Conference at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City, Oct. 19.
PLDT drew strength from Savannah Davison as it denied Akari’s third-set fightback, 25-16, 25-16, 25-23, for its first win in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Second All-Filipino Conference at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City, Oct. 19.
Savannah Davison powers PLDT. (PVL Images)
The High Speed Hitters bounced back after their sorry opening game loss against the Cignal HD Spikers and hung tough until the end to turn back the Chargers for a 1-1 record.
Davison poured 19 points on 14 attacks, three blocks and two service aces to lead the balanced production of PLDT.
Dell Palomata and Erika Santos delivered 13 and 12 points, respectively, while Royse Tubino finished with 11 markers of her own.
Trailing 12-16 in the third set after Palomata’s back-to-back points, Akari went on a 6-2 counter to put the match in its first deadlock.
The game was tied four more times and even saw the Chargers take over the lead thrice before Mika Reyes ended it for the last time with a drop ball, 22-all.
From there, the High Speed Hitters took control with a 3-1 finishing kick capped by Davison’s crosscourt shot.
Meanwhile, Akari absorbed a 1-1 record as its third-set surge fell short, failing to carry over the momentum from its impressive opening victory over the F2 Logistics.
Faith Nisperos and Dindin Manabat led the way for the Chargers in the losing end with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Oh, that’s a tough one. There is no word that matches the meaning exactly. The verb might be easier to grasp if you look at the corresponding noun, “Gönner” = a person who “gönns”. It can mean sponsor, patron or benefactor but it also has a demeaning ring to it as in “sugar daddy”. “Gönnen” always happens from a higher status to a lowe one, like granting someone’s wish just because you have the power to, allow a person to enjoy something although you have to power to disallow it.
It’s also used in a self-referential way which creates a slight ironic undertone:
Ich bin auf Diät, aber ich gönne mir das Eis jetzt.
I’m on a diet but I allow myself to enjoy the ice cream now.
When used in the negative, it means being jealous, begrudging someone, envy someone:
Infectious disease expert Rontgene Solante said influenza-like illness (ILI) cases, characterized by cough, body aches, sore throat, and occasional fever, are prevalent in most regions of the Philippines due to changes in weather patterns.
Photo from Pixabay
"This is brought about by reasons na medyo malamig na, medyo maraming days na tag-ulan (that it is quite cold and there are quite a few rainy days). It’s also the same pattern of increase in the cases as we had last year," Solante, who is also the president of the Philippine College of Physicians, said in a televised interview on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
He pointed out that the country consistently experiences an increase in ILI cases from August to November, with elevated numbers continuing into early January.
Photo from Pixabay
How flu spreads
"We have to remind everyone na just like Covid-19, madaling magkahawaan 'yan through droplets or aerosols. So ibig sabihin 'pag mayroong isa dyan o dalawang nagkakasakit, and then 'yung physical distance, hindi na natin na-observe ngayon, especially sa mga paaralan, sa mga public areas, mataas talaga ang risk ng infection or transmission (It easily spreads through droplets or aerosols. This means that when there are one or two sick individuals, and physical distancing measures are not being observed, especially in schools and public areas, the risk of infection or transmission is significantly high)," Solante explained.
He emphasized the importance of public education on wearing facemasks as a barrier to infection, particularly for vulnerable populations, as severe cases of ILI can occur.
"Kung sino man 'yung mga may sintomas, we highly advise na 'wag munang papasok, you have to rest, sa bahay lang muna (Whoever has symptoms, we highly advise not to go to work or school for now. You need to rest and stay at home)," he added.
Solante said ILI symptoms typically disappear within three to four days, but staying at home is important to protect others and prevent the spread of the illness.
He also highlighted the growing challenge of distinguishing between Covid-19 and influenza due to their increasingly similar symptoms, with the new omicron variant of Covid complicating the diagnostic process.
“Nandito tayo sa ganitong klaseng stage ngayon na Covid cannot be differentiated from influenza; napakaimportante pa rin na we have to protect ourselves (We are at a stage now where Covid cannot be differentiated from influenza; it's still very important that we have to protect ourselves),” he pointed out.
Solante further explained that the public should be aware of the differences in complications between Covid-19 and influenza.
He noted that Covid-19 can cause long-term complications, also known as "long Covid," particularly in vulnerable populations.
Vaccination encouraged
Solante emphasized the importance of the influenza vaccine, particularly for children and the elderly, noting that the DOH has launched a community-wide awareness campaign to promote vaccination against this illness.
“Isa 'yan sa mga una nating advocacy ngayon na sana magpabakuna na ng influenza at this point in time para maiwasan ang pagkakahawaan (One of our primary advocacies right now is for people to get vaccinated against influenza at this point in time to prevent the spread of the disease)," he said.
DOH on Wednesday said 151,375 cases of ILI have so far been recorded this year.
This is 45 percent higher compared to 104,613 ILI cases reported during the same period last year. (Zekinah Elize Espina)
How much do our young—and even the older generations—know about the great sacrifices many Filipinos have made for love of the Philippines?
HEROES OF THE NATION From top clockwise: General Gregorio del Pilar , Josefa Escoda, Apolinario Mabini, Leon Kilat, Chief Justice José Abad Santos, Brigadier General Vicente Lim, General Antonio Luna, and Diego Silang
“Unhappy is the land that needs a hero” is a famous line from the play Galileo written by Bertolt Brecht, a German playwright. This is not the case with us. Our nation has bred many heroes. The problem is we don’t know our heroes fully well.
Ask any young Filipino student to enumerate names in our pantheon of heroes, he will probably stop after Rizal, Bonifacio, and maybe Tandang Sora. If you’re lucky he will probably remember General Luna and Gregorio del Pilar because he was required to watch their respective biopics as a school assignment. So how can we expect our young generation to feel a sense of reverence for them?
Even if they can name names, do young Filipinos appreciate what makes them heroes? What exceptional deeds did they accomplish? What was so noble about the causes they died for? What is their relevance to us?
This sad realization came to my mind when recently my good friend and National Artist Fides Cuyugan-Asensio sent me a Viber message relating how she was appalled to discover that the portraits of national martyrs, namely, former Chief Justice José Abad Santos, Josefa Llanes Escoda, and Vicente Lim, have been replaced by the “face of an eagle with a punk hair-do”(sic) on the new 1,000 peso bills. She was, in her own words “very, very angry!”(sic). To her, this development is an act of “perverted consciousness... to erase the heroic sacrifices of our martyrs” and amounts to “historical bankruptcy” (sic).
I could see where she was coming from. Reading her message, I nodded in agreement and told her so in response.
Indeed, we lack historical consciousness. We don’t have a deep sense of our past.
Is it because we are a relatively young nation compared to China, Egypt, Japan, Iraq, or Iran? So young that we never had grand empires in our history to speak of? Is it because we don’t have Great Pyramids, a Great Wall, a Machu Picchu, or even an Angkor Wat or a BorobudurTemple or similar magnificent ancient structures to give us a reason to be proud.
I remember that in our history subjects in high school and college, we had textbooks that we never bothered to read. Our teachers failed us by not being able to inspire us to be interested in history, much less our own Philippine history.
My theory is that part of the reason is that our culture is not a reading culture. We are more visual than textual. We prefer pictures. Give the student a booklet in comics form about Diego Silang or Apolinario Mabini and he will most likely read it from cover to cover.
The problem is compounded by the fact that the Millennials and Gen Z-ers are now immersed in what is called “digital space,” which is a dominantly visual world. The digital screen is where they live, play, and get their information.
This is where the visual and performing arts must come in. We need artists who can make history come alive through the technique of storytelling in the various digital art forms, such as film, anime, and even video games. Let’s craft plays and musicals that will depict the lives of great Filipinos and significant turning points in our history.
It must be a whole-of-country project, involving all regions. Let’s tell our budget allocators to set aside funds for grants to have special classes in history writing and spur young writers to compose well researched biographies of our heroes or even engrossing historical fiction as long as they are factual. These can be later be adapted into popular TV drama series. Maybe we can hold a college festival of short plays on unknown regional heroes. For crying out loud, why not an exhibition of paintings portraying historical events and historic characters?
If we can persuade the Department of Education, the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, and the National Historical Commission to join hands and contribute to a common fund to be solely used to produce professional digital videos—live action or anime format—of great historical events and persons and then put them on streaming and social media platforms, imagine what this will do to make our history come alive within the hearts and minds of the Filipino youth.
For heroes, I recommend giving special focus on heroes from the Visayas and Mindanao who have been long overlooked. It’s time we bring them into the light. Off hand, I can name Leon Kilat, the Visayan hero of the Philippine Revolution, and Apolinar Velez of Maguindanao who led Filipino natives to resist the invading American forces during the Phil-American War.
There’s nothing like the performing arts and cinema to breathe life into characters and situations. Every time a high school student or an ordinary Filipino watches a digital video about the life of a hero, it inculcates a deep love of country, patriotism, justice, freedom, and all the other values dramatically depicted through the power of sight and sound.
In this way, perhaps, we will build a reservoir of respect and reverence so deep that we will avoid making thoughtless and ill-considered decisions to erase our heroes from our official money bills as well as public buildings or, God forbid, our textbooks.
We have to preserve whatever little cultural legacy we possess right now. Let’s harness the arts to awaken a new generation of Jose Rizals, Andres Bonifacios, Josefa Escodas, and Sultan Kudarats!
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