Happy Halloween

Halloween is an annual holiday celebrated on October 31 in which the colours black and orange have become associated with the celebrations, perhaps because of the darkness of night and the colour of fire or of pumpkins.


Even in the city shopping center, there's a statue ghost trying to scare the kids. There will be lots of halloween costume parties tonight and there will be trick and treats for the kids.


It is a custom for children on Halloween. Children proceed in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as confectionery, or sometimes money, with the question, “Trick or treat?” The “trick” is an idle threat to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. This is normally an empty threat, because it is rare that any such trick is ever played (source-wikipedia)

The New Passageway

It's very foggy last sunday. It also rained that day and its so serene when you look around. I grabbed my camera and take shots of the mountain hidden by fog.


While waiting for the gas station to open, i took photo of the new passageway leading to Offenburg train station. They constructed a new and secured one though the other "tunnel" on the opposite side is still passable for train passengers. But its more dangerous to walk alone in the old passageway, there are reported crimes that happened to people while walking alone because there's no hidden camera and there's no security manning the area.

Below is my best friend Joy and her Panggo

Lunch with Friends (again!!!)

Today, we have a sumptuous lunch at Elena's place. She cooked Dinuguan, her own version with Kohlrabi and paprika, adobo, and fried chicken. My commenters in my main blog noticed that we like to meet and eat. Pinoys here really love to eat and we really have a good appetite when we're eating and talking together. Our dessert is of course my leche plan and elena's tiramisu cream.


Dinuguan and Fried Chicken

My friends, oh! look at Agnes, caught in the act of eating while we're posing for the camera

Elena and her daughter Vanessa, how time flies very fast, i still remember pushing her stroller when she's still a baby, look at her now, she acts and dress like a lady.

Elena and Vanessa's new toy is the balance board where you can do some sports, yoga, aerobics, etc.

City Shopping

Yesterday, i did drive to the city to buy some girls stuff. It's saturday so there are many weekend shoppers taking advantage of the sale at H&M store, Pimkie, etc. I am not anymore lured to shop on these stores because i have more than enough junks already.

While walking along the coffee shops, i saw Annalyn, wearing blue pullover and boots. She is known here for her fancy kind of dressing, sometimes wearing all red, pink, silver, yellow, gold, polka dot, tiger-look, barbie, spaceship girl,black & white and other colors from head to foot.

Seminar Workshop at Home

For two days, Dirk conducted a training and seminar workshop at home. The three employees of a beer company was billeted at Hotel Engel which is just 5 minutes walk from our house.

The beer company is one of our major customer and they send their employees for training on computer software applications.

The Pumpkin

When summer is over, autumn fills the air and the landscape changes colors. It is also a great time to change up your home decor for the new season. Bringing this magic inside a home, autumn decorating is a lot of fun and natures offers plenty to work with. One creative but underused decorating item is the pumpkin which you can use as vase and table displays.

Pink for October

The Pink for October campaign is about blog and website owners showing their support for breast cancer awareness by turning our sites pink for the month of October.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention and cure. The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer.
As well as providing a platform for breast cancer charities to raise awareness of their work and of the disease, BCAM is also a prime opportunity to remind women to be breast aware for earlier detection.

Even here in Germany, some store like Müller are also supporting the campaign by information posters and giving out pink ribbon to women customers. I would say that i proudly displayed my pink ribbon as show of support.

Mix-Race Children

I used to ponder whether or not there was something to mixed race children being more attractive. I think, they looked prettier or at least more striking than other kids with one race. The children of my friends here really looked exotic. These children are product of mix-race marriage, a sort of, when East meets West. It just prove that love knows no boundaries, regardless of color, race and belief.

It would be interesting to learn about the experiences of mixed race children growing up though in two different cultures.

And for Luisa, a sweet filipina kid who was born and raise here, she had a nice brown color that is both attractive and exotic.

Hamburg Fish Market in Offenburg

The famous Hamburg fish market which is a must-see when you're in Hamburg is in town. Hamburg is eight hours of driving from our place and 6 hours by express train. Though, not feeling well because of headache, i really drive to the city just to have a glimpse of this fishmarket. Parking is a big problem, my patience pays when there's one spot available in the level parking.

I've been to Hamburg several times and once in fish market where they open at 5AM till 9:30AM only. Hamburg, the second largest city in Germany is a major port, the harbor being the heart of the city. The male citizens in Hamburg are called Hamburger in German, and a female citizen Hamburgerin. However the people from Berlin are also called Berliner, which is actually also a donut. These names have nothing to do with the food description though, as you can probably imagine.

The highlight of the fish market are the marketers with their unique and funny patter. They scream your ears away. There are thousands of people who trooped to the city for this fish market and the once in a blue moon sunday 'shops open'

Oil Mill

Opposite Lidl discount store in Oberkirch is a house with a big tire-like wood that is just circling around. Dirk told me its an oil mill, i even requested him to stop the car so that i can look at it closely.
He said that it is a machine that will grind seeds to produce oil. Life is a continuing process of learning. So if there's something that is new to my eyes, i always ask, asking is knowing.

My New Companion

The other day, i blog about how terribly i missed my old camera. On the same day my ever generous partner in life, Dirk ordered a new toy for me. It's a casio EX S12 pink (but its more chrome in color) with 12 megapixel. It's very slim and it makes the most of high-speed image processing engine to enable users to cut and paste moving subjects onto still backgrounds. I like very much my new gadget but of course i'm still going to bring the kaputt one to the repair shop.

Casio's effective use of fast digital technologies to deliver unprecedented high-speed burst shooting and high-speed image processing of these new models has exceeded all expectations of what digital cameras should be able to accomplish. These stylish cameras are the first bold step in a major transformation of the traditional definition of the photograph, offering users entirely new ways of enjoying still and moving images.

To you Schatz, Thanks again.

Instant Noodles

Aside from sardines, water, candles and rice, instant noodles are one of the foods that selling the most in the supermarkets in the Philippines during the aftermath of typhoon Ketsana. People are buying in bulk and boxes and they are buying not for their own consumption but for donation to the typhoon victims. Some stores reported that they even run out of stock for instant noodles.

Photo Credit- Spot.Ph
When disasters struck the Philippines and other countries, there's always instant noodle, first its easy to prepare and it warms the stomach of the typhoon victims.

I miss you already

We're together everyday and i never leave the house without you
We've been together for almost ten months
Travelling from north to south, from east to west
We weathered a lot of storms and snows together
You were just so happy during christmas there and summer here
You had lots of memories, sad and good
You're the reason why i blog so often, which makes it meaningful
You captured the best of me, my love ones and the things around

I still remember that fateful day, when you accidentally slipped out of my hand
I felt sad and blame myself for your lifeless state
I really miss you now........ my loving camera

German Unity Day

Germany's national holiday (German Unity Day) is celebrated today, the date when the reunification treaty was signed between the two Germanys (East and West Germany) in 1990, following the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989. It's hard to believe that Europe's leading economy and a key player on the international political stage, could have been at the center of the cold war just two decades ago.

Germany has still not resolved all the issues surrounding reunification: studies often show that there are major differences in employment opportunities and incomes between those who live in what used to be West Germany and those who live in the former East.

Filipinos as Survivors

We encountered the worst mother nature's attack on our country, and whatever it is, filipinos always had a strong will to survive. The recent typhoon Ketsana in the Philippines not only created havoc and floods but also devastation not only to properties but also to the lives of our fellow kababayans.

Amidst the tragedies that befell, our countrymen came out with their ingenuity and indifference to survive.
NOTE- i just want to share with you readers some survival pictures of our kababayans, i don't own the picture, apology for the owners, i just wanted to bring some awareness for others to continue helping our poor countrymen who are still trapped in their flooded homes. Pictures gathered are from forwarded emails and other sites online.