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!
Life is a Journey—Embrace the Beauty Along the Way!
Looking at the breathtaking La Palmera, Columbio, Sultan Kudarat, you’re reminded that life doesn’t always have to be a struggle to be meaningful. Some paths are smooth, some trails are easy, and yet they still lead to incredible destinations. Just like this stunning view, life is about appreciating the journey, embracing every moment, and finding beauty in the simple things.
Not every success comes from hardship—sometimes, it’s about choosing the right path, staying consistent, and trusting that you are exactly where you need to be. Just like how La Palmera’s rolling hills stretch effortlessly into the horizon, your dreams and goals can unfold naturally when you move forward with purpose and positivity.
So take a deep breath, enjoy the journey, and remind yourself that life is not just about the destination—it’s about the moments, the views, and the peace you find along the way. Keep going, stay grateful, and let your path lead you to something truly beautiful.
Life is so unpredictable. We can never know what Is going to happen in the next hour or even next minute.
Being in online classes while teaching but in the daily home office, I experienced a total change when it comes to the digital body language: cues you send – or don't send. Writer David Robson gets to the point in a nutshell: "Online, as in real-life, it's not just what you say – but how you say it".
Think about the last work email that you sent. Did its sentences end with full stops or exclamation marks, or did you forgot punctuation altogether? Was it peppered with emoji – or plain text? And was your response prompt, or did you have to apologise for the time it had taken to reply?
Now, consider your last Zoom call. Did you check your phone or email at least once during the meeting? And did you pause to be sure that the other speaker had finished? Or did you find yourself frequently interrupting their sentences, as you failed to take into account the slight delays in the connection?
According to the leadership expert Erica Dhawan, these are all examples of our “digital body language” – a concept that serves as the title of her new book. Like our in-person physical body language, digital body language concerns the subtle cues that signal things like our mood or engagement, and change the meaning of the words we say – be it in text, on the phone or in a video call.
Following David Robson, it is needless to say, the rise of remote working during the pandemic has only made these issues more urgent, but psychologists have long known that digital communication is ripe for misunderstanding.
So, what can be done? It’s indeed a question of mindfulness, so that we can be sure that our digital body language is intentional and appropriate to the situation at hand.
Do you like emojis?!? Well, first consider written communication, starting with the use of emoji and punctuation marks, like the exclamation point. Stylists may sneer, but many people (and include me in!) argue that they often help to clarify the meanings of the words themselves, much in the same way as a nodding head or a smirk in person. Whether you’re signalling urgency or excitement with ALL CAPS, impatience and irritation with an “?!?” or mutual appreciation with a fist-bump emoji, you are helping your text to convey the feelings you would have embodied in person.
It took me almost a whole year, but right now allow me to tell you: don’t feel shy about adopting these more informal digital cues, where appropriate – and be aware that others may well be expecting them.
Broadly, your use of punctuation and emojis are part of a bigger set of cues that will establish the tone of your exchanges – whether they feel formal or informal, enthusiastic or bored. Other signals will include your greetings (whether you include a friendly “Hello” at the start of the message or simply dive straight in), and your sign off (an emotionally distant “Regards” versus an enthusiastic “Thanks!”).
Honestly, sometimes I'm really getting tired of video calls and zoom meetings. They present their own unique problems. Your body language, manners and level of engagement on video-chat platforms can influence how colleagues see you and interpret your message. Even during my online teaching, I observed some students being absent-minded or even not being dressed well.
Whatever medium you use, you should remain conscious of two factors – trust and power – in all your interactions. These ratings will be subjective, of course, but if you sense there is a clear gap on either of these dimensions, you need to be more cautious.
In the past, the handshake, the smile and the smile gave us many well trusted signals,– but in online communication, our gratitude is often less apparent, or may not be expressed at all. Measures to remedy this could be as simple as sending a follow-up email, after a virtual meeting, to make it clear that you valued someone’s input, or cc’ing a junior colleague on an email to a client, acknowledging the role they played in a project. We can’t just assume that our colleagues will know how much we value them.
Erica Dhawan’s book Digital Body Language, is out now from St Martin’s Press. I learned a lot from her, especially perfecting our digital body language will take practice – but a few moments of thought each day may save hours of anxiety and confusion in the days and weeks ahead.
I am trying to move forward each day every day on my spiritual journey . It’s been a continuous journey not of this birth but of multiple births . We have learned so much about spirituality from outside .
For me my life altering change would be to feel that divine experience within me . Meditation is a slow process or maybe fast. I don't know if it all depends on intensity and your journey. Sometimes it can freak you because you won’t be able to notice any change
Self-taught visual artist Mylene “Myse” Salonga, a beauty from Batangas, has been praised, well, yes, for her movie-star looks, but more importantly for her big heart. This is because the sale of her paintings is always for a worthy cause, for beneficiaries like children in need in the Philippines and in other countries like Uganda and Tanzania in Africa.
The artist is from Padre Garcia town. Her late father was a politician and her mother a businesswoman. Salonga would design the products of their family-run handicrafts business. Thus, from the start she had an aptitude for art, although with no formal education.
She took up marketing and business at the Philippine School of Business Administration (PSBA) Manila, and made the capital city her home after graduating. Later, she had her old house demolished, constructed a more modern residence and filled it with her own paintings.
Artist Mylene Salonga
During the house blessing, one of the guests approached her and said he liked her work and offered to buy one painting. “Oh no,” Salonga replied. “These are my paintings, they are not for sale.” Then the potential buyer and art lover mentioned a steep price.
“It was a price I couldn’t resist,” said the artist, giggling, during a recent conversation at the Manila Hotel’s Champagne Room. Present during the interview was Carmela Geisert, a friend and colleague. The two women artists will participate in the Grand Palais international exhibit in Paris.
But I am getting ahead of the story.
This work, “Timeless,” will be shown in Paris on Feb. 18-22.
200 paintings
That first purchase led to Salonga’s more serious career as an artist. Through word of mouth, her reputation spread among certain art lovers and collectors and within a decade she was able to produce 200 paintings, most of which were sold. One painting was donated to the Philippine Embassy in Paris. The work is titled “Marianne,” a French symbol of womanhood and is part of the embassy’s collection that recognizes the life of an OFW.
Salonga has not joined any major beauty contest. She is not into being a Miss Philippines, a Miss This or Miss That, my impression being she has time only for more important activities. And yet she has won honors related to beauty and culture. She has been crowned “Noble Queen of Culture and Arts” at an international pageant at Cities Events Place, Manila. This is given to individuals who have made significant contributions to society and charitable events.
A Mylene Salonga painting in London’s Waterloo Station
At a charity fashion show in Okada Hotel, Parañaque City, she was acclaimed the “Darling of the Crowd.” And again at Okada last October, she was given the Asean Excellence Achievers Award.
The artist’s oeuvre includes modern abstractions, figurative art, landscapes, seascapes and surrealism. She had one solo show at Camp John Hay, Baguio. She was part of recent group shows in Grand Westside Hotel in Parañaque and in Belmont Hotel in Mactan, Cebu. She’s also had international shows in Singapore and Mayenne, Laval, and Paris in France.
Billboard in New Yorks’ Times Square displays paintings of Mylene Salonga
What impresses one is that some of her works have been displayed as billboards in Times Square, New York, and in London’s Waterloo Station. How did she develop these contacts in the US and Europe? “They saw it on the internet,” she explained. “They just contacted me. I am really into business but I have been blessed, so this is my way of paying back. Most of my activities are associated with charity.”
What are her inspirations? “If I do landscapes, the scenery is my inspiration,” Salonga said. “Actually my greatest inspirations are my clients. It’s not the price, wala na sa akin yon. Basta alam ko na sa puso nila ang paintings ko. (I just know that my paintings are in their hearts.) It’s how they appreciate my paintings.”
Salonga and Geisert Paris exhibit is on Feb. 18-22—they are the only Filipinos in the international show. And there’s another exhibit in Vienna in June.
“What the world needs now is love… it's the only thing that there's just too little of,” so goes an old song whose message remains relevant until today. According to report from Our World in Data, “at least 150 ongoing armed conflicts have been recorded each year recently... There has been no year without armed conflict for centuries.”
We do not have to look at the global picture to know where else “there’s just too little” of love. In the small world of communities, there is also conflict in many homes, while loneliness has become a struggle for many individuals, especially senior citizens.
As we celebrate February as the “month of love,” it would be a good time to think about how we can bring love to our small part of the world through acts of kindness.
It’s important to recognize that love transcends romantic relationships, encompassing various forms that not only enrich our lives and fortify our mental resilience, but also fosters a sense of community and connection.
Love manifests in numerous ways, each contributing uniquely to our – and our community’s – health. The ancient Greeks identified several types of love – romantic love, deep friendship or brotherly love, familial love, such as the bond between parents and children, unconditional, selfless love for humanity, playful, flirtatious affection, practical, long-standing love, and self-love.
While personal relationships are fundamental, extending love to the broader community enriches both individuals and society. Agape love, or selfless love for humanity, promotes community connection, emotional resilience, and reduces stress.
One practical way to cultivate love for the community is designating a “Kindness Day” each week when one commits to performing six acts of kindness. These can be simple gestures such as complimenting a colleague or stranger; donating to a local charity; volunteering one’s time or skills; writing a thank-you note to someone who has impacted your life; helping a neighbor with a task; or leaving a positive review for a local business.
Intentionally engaging in these acts fosters a sense of purpose, strengthens community bonds, and contributes to a peaceful community.
Acts of kindness and empathy release “feel-good” hormones, enhancing mood and well-being which nurtures a robust emotional foundation that supports mental resilience.
Also, love fosters a sense of belonging and purpose, which are crucial components of resilience. Engaging in loving relationships provides emotional support during challenging times, enabling individuals to navigate adversity more effectively.
Connecting with nature is another profound way to experience and express love. Research indicates that hugging a tree boosts oxytocin levels, promoting relaxation and emotional balance. Being around trees can also help to lower blood pressure, slow the heart rate, boost the immune system, and reduce stress and worry.
Last week, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) launched the “Hug a Tree” campaign, encouraging individuals to embrace trees as a form of therapy. Participating in this campaign not only enhances personal well-being but also fosters a deeper appreciation for the environment, encouraging conservation efforts.
This Valentine’s Month, let’s broaden our understanding of love to include its many forms. By nurturing love within ourselves, our relationships, our communities, and the natural world, we build mental resilience and contribute to a more compassionate and connected society, and in our small way, bring love to places where “there’s just too little of” it.
ABS-CBN COO Cory Vidanes spoke on behalf of the ABS-CBN management to expresscongratulationsand appreciation to the blooming idols.
BINI
The nation's girl group BINI has proudly reaffirmed its partnership with ABS-CBN during a contract signing event dubbed "BINI: Kapamilya Hanggang Dulo" held at the ABS-CBN Dolphy Theater in Quezon City.
This event is an important milestone, happening four years after BINI's debut. It shows their growth and ongoing journey in the Philippine music industry.
All BINI members—Sheena, Jhoanna, Mikha, Stacey, Gwen, Maloi, Colet, and Aiah—were present to mark this significant milestone.
ABS-CBN COO Cory Vidanes spoke on behalf of the ABS-CBN management to express congratulations and appreciation to the blooming idols.
“Thank you for your continued trust in ABS-CBN. You entrusted us from the day you auditioned for BINI until today when you signed our new contract. This is a commitment to our shared goal of world-class excellence. Congratulations on all your successes. We are very proud of who you have become and what you have achieved,” she said.
“BINI, you are very special, and you have become a part of Pinoy culture. You rightfully deserve to be called the nation’s girl group and the pride of the Filipino people,” she added.
The group, through Aiah, thanked ABS-CBN for their trust and for allowing them to maintain their individuality and authenticity.
“Thank you because you were the first to believe in us. Thank you because you allow us to become authentic; you allow us to grow at our own pace. We also have our voice, and you don’t shut us down," she said.
The group is also looking forward to more beautiful years together. “We’ve gone through a lot for the first couple of years together at hindi madali with the whole shutdown, pandemic, and everything else. But knowing that we can get through that, ano pa kaya in the next couple of years? And I think what’s going to be beautiful is that we’re all still gonna be there for each other and conquer through all of those,” shared Aiah.
The group’s leader, Jhoanna, meanwhile, thanked their families for being with them in their journey.
“Alam nyo ba, Blooms, na dito sa lugar na ito, dito rin kami unang nag-evaluation. Parang bumabalik lang ang memories at kasama ulit namin ang families namin.Thank you for keeping us grounded kasi sobrang overwhelming yung mga nangyari. Thank you for guiding us na maging humble palagi. (Did you know, Blooms, that here in this place, this is where we first evaluated ourselves. It's like the memories are just coming back, and our families are with us again. Thank you for keeping us grounded, because what happened was so overwhelming. Thank you for guiding us to always be humble)," she said.
BINI also addressed their critics who directed hurtful comments towards them.
“To our bashers, thank you. Hindi po siya madali to see the bashing, hating and all the negativity. Hindi siya madali. Masakit siya pero, you know what? Thank you, Kasi. That's what motivates us to keep pushing, to be stronger, and to give out our all,” said BINI Aiah.
She added: “At least that is something that we can turn into something great,” Aiah remarked.
“Masakit siya pero it also allows us to look at all the brighter things in life and the many things that we could be grateful for.”
“Sa mga bashers, ang sakit niyo magsalita pero thank you pa rin. Because of it, parang mas lalo ako tuloy nagkakapurpose kung bakit it’s always nice to be loving kasi ang daming hate, ang daming negativities so parang you get to see all of it and it makes you have a purpose to keep doing good because people need that love. People need that kindness. (To the bashers, it hurts to speak, but thank you anyway. Because of it, I feel more purposeful because it's always nice to be loving because there's so much hate, so much negativity, so it seems like you get to see all of it, and it makes you have a purpose to keep doing good because people need that love. People need that kindness)," she added.
BINI with ABS-CBN executives
Also present at the momentous event were ABS-CBN chairman Mark Lopez, president and CEO Carlo Katigbak, chief financial officer Rick Tan, head of entertainment production and Star Magic Lauren Dyogi, ABS-CBN Music head Roxy Liquigan, and BINI’s manager for Star Magic Mylene Quintana-Mallari.
Their respective families also witnessed BINI’s latest milestone; some of BINI’s fans dubbed BLOOMs, brand partners, and media members.
On Feb. 13, BINI dropped another refreshing and catchy sound in the single “Blink Twice."
Mikha described the song as an appeal to go straight to the point when expressing or admitting love. “I feel like the song is about hwag na tayong magpaligoy-ligoy pa. Let’s go straight to the point,” she said.
According to Mikha, the song is also slated for international release. “It’s like ‘Cherry on Top,’ and we also worked with international producers and songwriters on this one. Of course, we want to give the best for you guys and we want to reach the international stage.”
The group announced the new music offering at the end of the “BINIverse” tour last year, which sold over 50,000 tickets nationwide and culminated at the three-day sold-out show at the Araneta Coliseum.
“Blink Twice” is the follow-up to their last full English song “Cherry On Top,” which has already amassed over 100 million global audio streams and video views combined.
The pop sensation made their first live performance of “Blink Twice” at the highly anticipated concert, “BINIverse World Tour: Philippines," at the Philippine Arena last Feb. 15.
Through this partnership, Mỹ An has created a musical piece that is both gentle and romantic yet powerful, touching the hearts of listeners with its message of courage and sincerity in love.
Hoàng Mỹ An and Samuel Collaborate
Hoàng Mỹ An officially introduced her audience to Wanna Hear You Say, a pop ballad filled with emotion that tells the delicate and profound story of an unspoken love. This marks her first collaboration with international artist Samuel.
Through this partnership, Mỹ An has created a musical piece that is both gentle and romantic yet powerful, touching the hearts of listeners with its message of courage and sincerity in love.
Inspiration from deepest heartfelt emotions in everyday moments
Wanna Hear You Say is not just a song but a heartfelt portrait woven from everyday moments in which anyone can see themselves. Hoàng Mỹ An shared, "I sang this song based on my own personal experiences, when I could feel love was there, but I didn’t have the courage to express it. It’s a state of contradiction between longing and fear, between longing and silence."
In each verse, the hesitation, internal struggle, and fear of rejection are expressed naturally and sincerely. The gentle melody combined with powerful notes evokes emotions and emphasizes the necessity of bravery in love. Mỹ An added, "I believe this song is not just the story of two people, but a story of millions of hearts waiting to express their love."
A journey of collaboration – The essence of harmony and unforgettable moments
The collaboration between Hoàng Mỹ An and Samuel came about through a shared appreciation for music. Mỹ An recounted, "My music director, Mr. Pabaki, shared the demo of the song, and I was immediately impressed. Coincidentally, according to Mr. Pabaki, Samuel had also heard the demo and was very excited about the song. From there, the idea of a duet between Vietnam and Korea began to take shape."
During the production of the music video, the two created unforgettable memories. One of those moments was when Mỹ An secretly organized a birthday celebration for Samuel right on set. "It was so touching to see the joy in Samuel’s eyes. These are moments that helped us understand each other better and create a more complete musical product," shared Mỹ An.
'Wanna Hear You Say' – A turning point in artistic journey
With Wanna Hear You Say, Hoàng Mỹ An is branching out into the Southeast Asian market, bringing a unique perspective through her collaboration with an international artist.
Following this release, Mỹ An will continue her musical journey with her debut mini-album, set to drop in September. Alongside this, she will embark on a school tour across Vietnam, aiming to inspire and connect with young audiences. As she expands her reach, she actively shares her music with Southeast Asian audiences, delivering heartfelt love stories and emotions to international listeners.
Hoàng Mỹ An’s journey is not just about music but about connecting with people’s emotions. She shared, "I want to build an image of a versatile, strong artist who inspires others to live authentically with their emotions. And Wanna Hear You Say is a testament to that. I hope the audience will find empathy and courage to express what they’ve been holding inside."
Wanna Hear You Say is now available on digital music platforms.
Life is a Journey—Embrace the Beauty Along the Way! 
Tag and share it to someone who needs this reminder today! Let’s inspire each other to live fully and appreciate the journey. 
#LaPalmera #LifeLessons #EnjoyTheJourney #StayMotivated #NatureInspires
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