How seahorses came into being...
(Nacherzählt von Jozef Genzor, aus dem Slowakischen übersetzt von Dr. Anna Fialova, herausgegeben und gedruckt in der CSSR; deutsche Ausgabe: Verlag Werner Dausien, Hanau/Main, 1978).
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!
BY MANILA BULLETIN ENTERTAINMENT
Geneva’s citation is a well-deserved reward for her decades of championing environmental awareness.
The multi-platinum singer was chosen as one of the distinguished awardees of the recently held Green Gala Awards, held last Nov. 8 at the Fiesta Pavilion, Manila Hotel.
The Green Gala Awards, organized by the Climate Change Commission in partnership with the Rotary Club of Makati Business District, served as one of the culminating festivities capping Climate Change Week (Nov. 4-8) —a fitting prelude to the month-long celebration of climate change awareness.
Geneva’s citation is a well-deserved reward for her decades of championing environmental awareness. Even during her younger years, as a member of the seminal quartet Smokey Mountain, Geneva and her cohorts were already invoking environmental awareness through their green-themed songs including “Paraiso,” “Earth Song,” “Better World,” and even her solo single, “Anak ng Pasig.”
In more recent years, Geneva had also taken part in other environmental advocacies, such as tree-planting projects in Cavite earlier this year with her fellow Philippine Air Force reservists, as well as beach clean-ups around the country.
She says, “I am humbled and grateful for the recognition of my efforts to make a difference in preserving the planet, and I look forward to continuing to represent the philosophy and spirit of other earth warriors to make the world a greener and more sustainable place.”
Looking back at some of her green-themed songs, she reminisces, “Singing those songs at an early age made us aware enough to make a stand for the environment.”
As a musical artist, Geneva believes that her talent, along with her massive social media influence, is more than enough to create a ripple of awareness for climate change and its harsh realities.
She remarks, “I can only help spread awareness by constantly reading and learning about it, and maybe singing about it because music has a way of communicating with people beyond language, but on a deeper level. And of course, by being a walking, living, breathing example of somebody who cares about the planet.”
Her dreams, however humble, should also inspire like-minded eco warriors like her to mount their own eco initiatives.
She discloses, “My dream is to keep planting trees beginning next year. People don’t know that trees are important because they give us fresh air to breathe, food to eat, and shelter/shade from sunlight and rainfall. Aside from these, many medicines on the market are made from tree extracts. Forests also provide jobs to millions of people. I also plan to grow my own vegetables.”
“I have saved enough money from doing teleseryes and live shows and bought my dream land facing a small river in Tanay, where I will be planting trees before I build a sustainable and eco-friendly rest house. My 9-year old daughter is over the moon and loves the environment as much as me.”
In keeping with the event’s ‘green theme,’ for the awards night, Geneva flaunted a recycled outfit made of plastic starts and plastic sando bags, meticulously crafted by the inmates of the Correctional Institution for Women as their show of support for the environment as well.
Geneva also extends her gratitude to the organizers and reaffirms her support to all their future endeavors.
She exclaims, “My sincerest thanks to Ms. Marichelle Torres-Ackerman, Chairperson of Climate Change Commission Week and Chairperson/Founder of the Green Gala Awards, as well as Mr. Albert dela Cruz, Sr., Commissioner, PH Climate Change Commission. Noble causes like these should be celebrated as an annual event and as often as possible. With so many emerging media platforms nowadays, much can be done to promote and inspire environmental awareness, especially for our youth.”
Among the other Green Gala Awards recipients were her fellow Smokey Mountain co-member Jeffrey Hidalgo, National Artist/sculptor Ramon Orlina, Gov. Tony Leviste, Ernie Lopez, Joyce Hufton and San Miguel Corporation.
WIE DIE SONNE, DER MOND UND DIE STERNE ENTSTANDEN...
By Günter Neessen
Does it depend on the state?
In literature and higher register, “nein" is the word of choice. Regarding everyday speech, I can't answer for whole Germany, but where I come from, the west of the northern lowlands, “nee” is much more often used than “nein". Common people in their own peer group would only use “nee".
The reason is of course that “nee" is the Low German/Low Saxon word for “nein"/”no", and while Low Saxon tends to decline in favour of Standard German, the people integrate traits of it into something one might call “Northern Standard German”.
Edit: Regarding the reactions, it seems that “nee" is widespread within the German realm, not only in the north, but even at least in Central Germany.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Tuesday, Nov. 21 said most of Luzon and parts of Visayas and Mindanao may continue to experience scattered light rains due to the prevalence of the shear line and northeast monsoon or "amihan."
PAGASA said Bicol Region, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan, Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to shear line—an area where the cold northeasterly winds and warm easterlies converge.
The public is warned of possible flash floods or landslides due to moderate to heavy rains in the affected areas.
Due to the amihan, cloudy skies with light rains will prevail over Cagayan Valley and Quezon, while partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains will affect Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.
PAGASA said the rest of Mindanao will also have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers caused by localized thunderstorms.
The public is advised that flash floods or landslides may also occur during severe thunderstorms.
Among the various natural calamities mankind may face, earthquakes stand out as the most perilous due to their suddenness. Despite the possibility of high-magnitude quakes providing subtle warnings, the recent earthquake last Nov. 17, 2023, at 4 p.m. that affected a large area of Mindanao exposed our weakness when it comes to disaster preparedness.
According to a primer from the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS), the earthquake registered a magnitude of 6.8, with its epicenter located 28 kilometers southwest of Sarangani, Davao Occidental. The agency attributed the earthquake to the Cotabato Trench and reported a total of 58 aftershocks by 8 a.m. on Nov. 18.
Online videos depicting the seismic activity reveal the forceful shaking of the land, so strong that even a crane on top of a building collapsed. However, what's worrisome is that people have apparently forgotten the “Drop, Cover, Hold” protocol, a fundamental rule during earthquakes where one must drop to the ground or crawl under a desk, find something hard to cover the head, and hold on to something stable until the shaking stops.
Despite being taught in schools and offices during earthquake drills, this protocol was thrown to the wind as people shouted, panicked, and ran aimlessly. Chaos ensued in public spaces like malls and gymnasiums. When the lights went off in one supermarket, a video showed everyone shouting and elbowing their way to the nearest exit. There were reports of injuries due to these incidents.
This unfortunate scenario underscores a critical issue — disaster preparedness is not deeply ingrained in our “lifestyle.” When faced with a natural calamity, we forget that staying calm is the best way to save our lives — and the lives of others.
The DOST-PHIVOLCS also emphasized another peril during earthquake events: the rapid spread of rumors causing panic. It urged citizens to rely only on information from verified sources such as DOST-PHIVOLCS and respective Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (DRRMOs).
While the full impact of the earthquake is yet to be assessed, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has already activated emergency preparedness and response protocols. The Civil Defense Regional Offices are closely coordinating with affected LGUs to provide real-time updates.
Addressing the situation, the President said, “Following the (earthquake), I assure you that the government is actively responding to ensure the safety of our citizens. In these challenging times, my commitment to your safety and recovery is unwavering, and I have instructed every relevant government agency to fully contribute to ongoing efforts.”
With the government response in place, those affected by the earthquake would find the timely assistance they need. However, this incident should serve as an early warning for the entire country — earthquakes and similar calamities are unpredictable and will not be the last of their kind. Even with the latest technologies, no one knows where and when the next earthquake will strike.
What we can do in the meantime is to make sure that our family, friends, and the community where we belong are prepared for any disaster and aware of early warnings; otherwise, there will be great loss — and greater regrets.
Most of the time, when we eat Bratwurst, it is just a snack, fast food from a street stand, served on a cardboard tray and eaten with fingers.
The bread serves as a holder. And it compensates for the protein and fat content of the sausage.
Or, when we eat our versions of sandwiches (Butterbrot), the bread stands in the foreground. Bread used to be the main food staple for thousands of years. Historically, the word “bread” simply stands for food. Think of the Last Supper.
To make bread more interesting, you may eat it with butter and a slice of sausage. The Butterbrot is probably Germany’s most-eaten food item, for breakfast, in breaks, sometimes even for dinner.
When we eat sausage as a main dish (what we rarely do as sausage is considered a cheap, simple dish) we usually eat it with hash brown, mashed potatoes or potato salad.