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!
Batanes sits at the very top of the Philippines where the Pacific Ocean meets the South China Sea. This is the smallest and least populated province in the country, a cluster of ten islands where only three are inhabited, and the wind never really stops blowing. The Ivatan people who have lived here for thousands of years built their stone houses specifically to survive typhoons that would flatten anything made of wood, and those houses are still standing centuries later while modern construction crumbles.
Life in Batanes moves at a pace that the rest of the Philippines has mostly forgotten. There are no traffic jams because there are barely any cars. Crime is essentially nonexistent, and the local honesty store system, where you take what you need and leave your payment in a box, still works because everyone knows everyone and trust is not optional on an island this small. The rolling green hills look more like Ireland or New Zealand than anything you expect to find in a tropical country, and the cliffs drop straight into water so blue it almost does not look real.
What makes Batanes truly extraordinary is how the Ivatans have preserved their culture against impossible odds. Their language, Ivatan, is spoken by fewer than 40,000 people on earth. Their traditional vakul rain capes, woven from palm leaves, are still worn during storms. Their stone-walled villages have been proposed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In a country of 7,600 islands, Batanes proves that the smallest and most remote places often hold the deepest stories.
If you could spend one week anywhere in the Philippines with zero agenda, would Batanes make your list?
Filipina Writer and Matchmaking Consultant at Philippine-Women.Com
What are some Filipino traditions?
As a Filipino, I grew up during a period when a lot of the traditions of our elders are slowly starting to get left behind. Here are some of the notable traditions I personally grew up with, and some that we were acquainted with in school:
Po and Opo
The words “po” and “opo” are examples of Filipino words that don’t have direct English translations. These words are used when talking with the elderly, or with someone of higher rank (student talking to a teacher, employee talking to employer, etc.) to express respect. Opo, I believe, is actually a contraction of Oo po, Oo meaning “yes”, and po added to express politeness. The tradition of using these words is still alive until today.
Bayanihan
The word Bayanihan, as we were taught in school, came from the word “bayan” which is the Filipino word for a collective group of people living in a particular place such as a town or province. Long ago, when our ancestors lived in huts (kubo, in Filipino) and wanted to relocate, the townsmen would gather and literally lift the hut for the owners. This notion of bayanihan is now taken into modern times as the spirit of togetherness, or of helping each other out whether you know them or not.
Panliligaw at Panghaharana (Courtship and Serenading)
In the olden times, being a couple in the Philippines was a big deal. The man would have to prove himself worthy of the woman’s affection before any sort of intimate relationship (so much as holding each other’s hands) is permitted by the parents. This is done by offering services to the woman’s family, such as gathering firewood, fetching buckets of water, or running errands. This goes on for months, if not years. Nowadays, even though the process of courtship has been relatively simplified, it still is a custom for a man to court a woman he is trying to woo for several months before they engage in a mutual relationship.
Panghaharana or serenading is actually related to the old Filipino tradition of courtship. During the days of my grandparents, courtship involves serenading the woman in front of their house at night.
(I do not own the image)
It is said that the woman is supposed to look out the window only after several nights of being serenaded by the man. It also seems that the man who is trying to woo the woman usually brings along some of his friends to play the guitar or any other accompanying instruments while he sings. Kundiman, or traditional Filipino songs that are characterized by poetic and sweet lyricism, were used during panghaharana.
Pagmamano
In English, the word pagmamano is usually translated as “blessing.” I don’t know how accurate of a translation it is, though, but I grew up being taught of it. It is the act of taking one of an elderly’s hand, face down, and leading it onto one’s forehead. Again, this is a gesture of respect and is done by people usually to express respect for the elderly when leaving or entering a household. It is also a common gesture for religious people to perform the gesture when meeting religious leaders such as nuns or priests.
(Again, I do not own the photo).
Fiestas (Feasts)
Fiestas in the Philippines actually rooted from the Catholic religion. These events are conducted for every town, province, or patron saint, during their “feast days”. You’ll know that a place is celebrating its feast when you see banderitas hanging about the streets. These feasts often include a lot of food that are contributed by the different households of the place and shared among everyone, as well as games of various kinds.
(Photo not mine.)
Extended Families
Filipinos are very tightly-knit with their families. So much so that it is acceptable (and fairly common, might I add) for wedded couples to live with their parents, or even including their grandparents, uncles and aunts, and great grandparents. I personally grew up in this setting so you could take it from me. “Moving out” isn’t really and immediate action after finishing high school (or college, because a lot of Filipinos finish college after High School). Personally, I stay with my mom even though I’m a full grown man, not that it’s customary but because it makes economical sense (for me, at least, since I get a lot of free stuff from my mom).
These are just some of the most common and notable traditions I know from the Filipino people. There are a LOT more, I believe, since Filipinos indeed have a rich set of cultures and traditions. It’s sad, though, that modern times didn’t allow for a lot of them to survive.
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Which road do you take right now, my dear readers? Are you sure you’re on the right track?
Sometimes taking the “wrong road” opens opportunities to see things from different perspectives. And because we can never see all the possibilities along any path we choose, very often, a choice we consider to be right in the beginning turns out to be absolutely wrong in the end.
Even if the wrong choice is made in the beginning, the experiences that choice gives us — the feelings, the lessons, the skills — allow us to make better and better choices along the way so that we reconnect with the right road a bit later.
Many times, we compare our life with a path. We talk about “the way.” We describe a determined man as, “He’s on the right (or wrong?) track.” We go about our tracks, but we are reproved if we take a shortcut and not the path across a rice field. We learn that there are many ways of solving problems.
We also don’t want to stand in other people’s way. Sometimes, we prefer to keep out of someone’s way and plan to avoid getting in their way. Often, we try to find the golden middle course. Often — but not always. Sure, that’s life!
Many different ways have been offered to us throughout our lives. How can we choose the right and correct one? Which signs can be trusted blindly? These are urgent and vital questions for all of us and, especially during this time, more important than ever before.
In the past, traditions and customs were the paths we took. Nowadays, we make decisions and long for the correct path — mostly on our own. Are traditions and customs still important to us?
The German atomic physicist Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976) described it very impressively: “The man of today is like a ship’s captain. This ship is made out of iron. The compass needle is no longer able to show the northern direction, as expected, because of the ship’s inflexible iron body. You have one choice only: look up to the stars and study their guiding support!”
We’re all happy and proud when we have every need at our disposal. On the other hand, it only confuses our aims, goals, and objectives in life.
“I am the way” is NOT ONLY a traffic sign — or a shepherd without responsibility — or a religious founder who thinks that “only he is the right way if one follows him.”
HIS way is the only right way. Only His deeds colored our fates. Let’s keep our eyes open for the important signs on our way. Think about unselfish participation in the lives of others!
Do you show courage to uncover prejudice in your surroundings? Are you ready to help the unprotected and defenseless? Where is your struggle for freedom and justice, as well as your commitment to peace?
Most of all: Show and exercise love that does not calculate and count. Love without measurements, boundaries, and limits!
If you can share with others, you’ll know one day in the future that someone walked this way — earlier than you — and FOR YOU!
Which road do you take right now, my dear readers? Are you sure you’re on the right track?
Sometimes taking the “wrong road” opens opportunities to see things from different perspectives. And because we can never see all the possibilities along any path we choose, very often, a choice we consider to be right in the beginning turns out to be absolutely wrong in the end.
Even if the wrong choice is made in the beginning, the experiences that choice gives us — the feelings, the lessons, the skills — allow us to make better and better choices along the way so that we reconnect with the right road a bit later.
Many times, we compare our life with a path. We talk about “the way.” We describe a determined man as, “He’s on the right (or wrong?) track.” We go about our tracks, but we are reproved if we take a shortcut and not the path across a rice field. We learn that there are many ways of solving problems.
We also don’t want to stand in other people’s way. Sometimes, we prefer to keep out of someone’s way and plan to avoid getting in their way. Often, we try to find the golden middle course. Often — but not always. Sure, that’s life!
Many different ways have been offered to us throughout our lives. How can we choose the right and correct one? Which signs can be trusted blindly? These are urgent and vital questions for all of us and, especially during this time, more important than ever before.
In the past, traditions and customs were the paths we took. Nowadays, we make decisions and long for the correct path — mostly on our own. Are traditions and customs still important to us?
The German atomic physicist Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976) described it very impressively: “The man of today is like a ship’s captain. This ship is made out of iron. The compass needle is no longer able to show the northern direction, as expected, because of the ship’s inflexible iron body. You have one choice only: look up to the stars and study their guiding support!”
We’re all happy and proud when we have every need at our disposal. On the other hand, it only confuses our aims, goals, and objectives in life.
“I am the way” is NOT ONLY a traffic sign — or a shepherd without responsibility — or a religious founder who thinks that “only he is the right way if one follows him.”
HIS way is the only right way. Only His deeds colored our fates. Let’s keep our eyes open for the important signs on our way. Think about unselfish participation in the lives of others!
Do you show courage to uncover prejudice in your surroundings? Are you ready to help the unprotected and defenseless? Where is your struggle for freedom and justice, as well as your commitment to peace?
Most of all: Show and exercise love that does not calculate and count. Love without measurements, boundaries, and limits!
If you can share with others, you’ll know one day in the future that someone walked this way — earlier than you — and FOR YOU!
