Asparagus and Strawberries

It is asparagus and strawberry season in Germany. Spargel is the german name for asparagus and most of it are colored white as it is grown covered in soil in order to prevent photosynthesis. This process prevents the asparagus from turning green and results in a sweeter and more tender taste.

It's perfect when its served with slices of ham and hollandaise sauce.

The german strawberry season had also started. Dirk like very much strawberries picked by neighbors and other locals here in our place. These seasonal foods/fruits are selling like hotcakes in the supermarkets and stalls.

Cool mom in front of the supermarket

Schnitzel and Pommes

Everytime we go to any german restaurant, i always order the same food, fried sliced pork and french fries. Sometimes vegetable salad is included as an appetizer.Take a look at my order below, its really a big portion that you can only eat one slice.


There are some restaurants that allow you to order kids menu and that includes small schnitzel and french fries. With our small built, i think that portion is enough for us, same thing with t-shirts that we can buy in the kids section.

The other schnitzel menu at Gugglhupf restaurant

Meet our Engineers

These are the young but promising engineers of Bestman Builders who are responsible in building our retirement house at southforbes golf city. The two are graduates of Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT) and the other one is from Adamson University. MIT used to be the best engineering school in the country. Since they started with the quarterm, the increase in tuition fees and the changing of school name, the quality of teaching suffers.

Caring for the Oldies

Filipino culture do not really look well on children "abandoning" their parents to any homes for the aged. We are reared to respect our parents and that means taking care of them when they grow old. Filipino families are close knit and taking care of our elders is a responsibility.

Here in Germany, the older generation are looking at new models of living for their retirement years. They want security, social contact and comfort. To live in a nursing home for older people is always a family decision. Some children don't have time to care for their elders because of work and own family.

In a nursing home, there are rules to follow, strict schedules and everything is planned as if you're trapped. It's also expensive and rooms depends on the pocket power. Some who cannot afford the nursing home resort to alternative care from relatives and the mobile caregivers.

The Stone Bread

For the first time in his life, dirk baked a bread. It's a dark wheat bread and he said its tastes good. For me, its more of a stone than a bread beause of the dark color and its really hard.

Actually he's just testing the ready mix wheat bread if it tastes good. Mutti is going to be with us in December and she only eats dark bread and we're going to buy a bread baking machine soon.

The Second Hand Shop

While browsing around the city today looking for the new office of our friend michael, we came accross this second hand shop selling used clothes, accessories, decors, furnitures and other housewares. They're even selling a very old sewing machine way back from the 60's.

It seems that i'm collecting different scratcher, i found this at one euro shop and i also have two others from baguio and vietnam. My new find had double purpose, a scratcher and a shoehorn

The Strange Weather

Yesterday, i have some bouts of headache because of the hot weather. When the weather is like this, ice cream and coffee shops are full of people enjoying the sunny weather. There are also lot of shoppers because its the start of the spring vacation for students. On my part, i just bought some toiletries, fresh asparagus and kopfsalat.

While browsing around the city, i saw this black dog who dont want to get out of this stone figure with water inside. Its probably his way to fight the hot and humid weather. If its sunny yesterday, its raining the whole day today, strange isn't it??

BauHaus

Bauhaus is just like wilcon depot or any home depot in the Philippines selling construction materials and house/office/garden needs. Our heating system is somehow kaputt so we did go there to buy the needed parts. Unfortunately, its not available there so we did drive to Obi and consulted their technician.

While dirk is explaining what is kaputt in our heizung system, i found this toilet bowl cover with clock, interesting isn't it??

Dinner at Kaiser's Palace

Last friday, we did drive to Ortenberg to try the other chinese restaurant there. They have dinner buffet and the price is really reasonable. The dinner was a treat from the Deicholbohrer family.


The foods also taste good and there are lots of chinese dishes to choose from. They also have sushi, salad buffet and different flavor of ice cream and chinese dessert.


They also have some surprise for birthday celebrants

LP 57- Nang Matapos

Happy LP sa lahat!! Ito naman ang aking lahok sa LITRATONG PINOY sa temang NANG MATAPOS para sa araw na ito:

Ang Karneval sa Alemanya ay ipinagdiwang sa buwan ng Pebrero sa taong ito. Isa ito sa mga pinakakaabangan ng mga naninirahan dito, bata man o matanda. Sila ay nagsusuot ng costume at nagpaparada sa lansangan, subalit matapos ang parada ay kalat ang matutunghayan sa kalye. Ilang minuto matapos ang parada ay nililinis agad yan ng mga kinaukulan.

The Carneval here in Germany is one of the event that the people here are always looking forward to. They're wearing colorful costumes during the street parade. But after the parade, it takes just minutes to clear the area.

Plunger

The other week, we did go to Obi to buy some things for the house. While browsing around i saw these plungers. I suddenly remember Philippines, because we also use this when our toilet is clogged. So the german and filipinos also have tools in common.

By the way another solution aside from using chemicals for a clogged toilet is the boiling water and the dishwashing liquid. The liquid dish soap will act as a lubricant and the hot water will flushed everything out slipping out through the pipes with the help of the dishwashing liquid.

Porz Quick Trip

Prior to our golf vacation, i have a quick trip at Porz in Köln. I'm supposed to buy a jacket because of the cold weather but decided to buy undershirt instead. I have many jackets at home and i dont need a new one.

I also posed in front of a perfume store owned by Dirk but rented to somebody

Dirk in front of their family-owned building

We're Back from Golf Vacation

It's a very tiring trip back home. We woke up early to catch up the 9:50 flight to Köln. From our hotel to malaga international airport is 1 1/2 hour drive, 3 hours flight to köln and 4 hours drive to our house. We're both exhausted especially for Dirk who do the driving.

We like the trip very much because its the only chance to bond with Mutti.

It´s Beach Time

Our trip to the city of marbella was a successful one. We browsed around the city overlooking the mediterranean. We visited some churches, lighted candles and offered prayers for the safety of my family here and back home. One of the candle is for my departed mother for her 3rd death anniversary tomorrow.

The people take advantage of the nice weather and swimming in the ocean is one way to refresh and beat the sunny weather.

Sunday Surprise

The cold and windy weather here in spain does not dampen our spirits to be in a vacation mode. We do the usual activities, golf for mutti and dirk and fitness session for me. Last night, we tried the other chinese restaurant near the harbor and my love ones seem to be satisfied.

But the biggest surprise for me this morning is the winning of our very own Manny Pacquiao against the british Hatton. Though the fight is not that thrilling, our boy from gensan seems emerge as winner already in the first round and the total knock out on the second. Congratulations, the Filipinos around the world are very proud of you!!!

Gibraltar, Day 3

Today we did drive to Gibraltar only to find out that stores there are close as well. So, we just browsed around the area and have dinner in one of the spanish restaurant nearby.

The foods are really delicious

Andalucia, Spain Trip

Mutti and Dirk did not finished their 18-hole golf play because of the slow pace of the players ahead of them. We just then decided to browse along puerto de sotogrande. It´s a nice harbor with very expensive boats around. We have dinner in one of the restaurants along the area where we ordered some italian foods.

I will just post the pictures when we returned home next week. There´s no WLAN in the hotel so i´m just using the free internet service. There are only two computers so i have to wait till the kids finished playing computer games.My gym experience is superb as well with my treadmill equipped with television.