PH says thank you world!

Filipinos are sweet people. And it flashes brilliantly when we express our gratitude.

Just like these series of billboards installed all around the world to thank the countries who have shared their expertise and resources in the relief and recovery efforts after the devastation of the massive typhoon Haiyan (local Yolanda) in early November of 2013.

Get the chance to take a look at this sweetness.  You can find them in the following locations:

Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, Germany

Another angle of the billboard in Potsdamer Platz, Berlin

Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo, Japan

Another angle of the billboard in Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo, Japan

Picadilly Circus, London, United Kingdom

Galerie Lafayette, Paris, France

Times Square, New York City, USA

Times Square, New York, USA

Yonge-Dungas Square, Toronto, Canada

Yonge-Dungas Square, Toronto, Canada

Corner William street - Darlinghurst Road, Sydney, Australia

Photo credit to the twitter account of Department of Tourism Sec. Mon Jimenez.

And for the sweetness overload, here's a video of a heartfelt gratitude as a bonus:

Packing Like A Pro

Find it difficult to fit in everything in a small bag? Packing things is a stressful job and just like your job it needs scientific procedure. Travelers know it best.

Optimize your time, avoid stress. Pack like a pro! 

Here is how:

This video is particularly helpful to girls who carry a lot of stuffs yet find it difficult to put them together.

Thank you Bagus Hariadi Wonoasmoro for tagging me this link in Facebook!

Snowy Germany. Late, but better than never.

It may sound funny or a bit odd but after the first snowfall sometime in early December of 2013, this is the only time that snow have fallen again from the skies of Leipzig and other cities in Germany. When I was here in 2009, snowfall perfectly took place on the 1st of December. But this time, it is very late. Very very late in fact.

While the Germans like it, foreign students from several parts of the world especially those coming from the tropical countries wished in anticipation that snowfall will happen very soon. Especially during Christmas time where snow completes the yuletide season. But to our dismay it did not happen. It did in Egypt though. Now that sounds more strange. Can you imagine Egypt having snow? Unbelievable. And in the United States, it was snowing more than cats and dogs. Blame it to climate change!

more stories here: http://nexttriptourism.com/snow-egypt-2013/

Anyway, those anticipating for the snow was finally granted their wishes. Going home from a German lesson, i found this sight of parked cars near our place a lovely shot so immediately took a shot.

Parked cars in Tarostrasse capped with snow

Snow in Leipzig, Germany

This is the place where most of the students in the University of Leipzig resides, including me. While it appears very urban in this photo, this area is actually very simple and humble. And I was amazed how my old and low-tech Nokia C2 turned this into something classy. The pixelation is of course an issue but all in all, the phone did more than justice to the view. Now, I will reconsider my plan to buy a smartphone or a digital camera. :D

Snow in Taro

And... as I just signed a contract this morning extending my stay in my occupied room, I think i did the right decision not to transfer somewhere. It just looked perfect. Isn't it?

I'm Back. Again?

After a long hiatus, I think I would be back. With a sweet revenge! ;)

Revenge because... 

1. my page rank downgraded from 3 to 1. No enough traffic?! (You are challenging my use of time google.)
2. my english writing skills need polishing once again. Practice makes perfect, right? (But nobody is perfect, so why practice?)
3. im back to Europe. How is that? (Who cares?) You. Because you are the prospect beneficiary of this resuscitated blog.

And because Im back in Europe, I will give breath to this blog with an air of good thoughts. Good news specifically to those who wants to be in my shoes. (Note to self: why do you think they want to be in your shoes?)

First, because I think it would be interesting for some to learn that I am not an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) in the foreign land. "Does it make sense?", you might ask. Okay, earning from working abroad makes sense. Plain and simple. But it makes sense even better when you are in a foreign land not to work but to enrich yourself with knowledge. Isn't it pretty interesting? Brain gain instead of brain drain.

Second, because Europe is Europe. Who would not want to be in Europe? Everyone dreams of Europe where Paris, London, Rome, Vienna, Barcelona, and others are within reach.

Third, because this is my second scholarship. Yes, all expense paid trip with a cost of living allowance. Courtesy of the generous Federal Government of Germany. A huge blessing of opportunity, right? It can be yours, too. Remember, I made it twice so why can't you? Impossible dream nowadays isn't exactly impossible.

What do you think? Does my return make sense now?

I'm back! (for a moment)

Whew! It has been more than a year since my last post.

I would love to be back in blogging but i dunno how to start, err, I am scared to start. The number of places to blog about and the travel experiences i wanted to share got piled up that it become enormous and now i dont know where to start. Yeah, right, the hardest part is where to start.

Anyway, even if I'm not sure if somebody still happens to pass by this blog, I just feel the urge of bringing back this blog to life. Only for now. And as a credit for being able to post at least a short blog, I am rewarding myself a spot with my favorite photo of all time...

Romanic Trier (oldest city in Germany)

Established in 16 B.C., Trier is a Roman and oldest city in Germany. Thus, considered by Germans as the 'Second Rome'. It is situated at the Northernmost part above Saarland state where I temporarily reside and is about 1 hour by land trip. In its west lies the small but beautiful country of Luxembourg.

Its rich Roman heritage is evident in the many Roman structures like the Century old churches and monuments which until now mightily standing still and attracting millions of tourists. Among them the following:

Porta Negra

The impressive "Black Gate" is a 2nd century Roman city architecture. It owes its survival to its use by a revered hermit monk and subsequent transformation into a two-story church. The gate dates back to a time (about A.D. 180) when the Romans often erected public buildings of huge stone blocks (here, the biggest weigh up to six metric tons).

Imperial Baths (Kaiserthermen)

Going to the baths was an important part of Roman life: Over 1600 years ago, the Romans built one of the grandest and most impressive baths in the world: the Imperial Baths. Today you can visit this gigantic bathing facility: go back in time to the Roman era, descend into the subterranean labyrinth and get a feel for history!

Roman Imperial Throne Room (Konstantin Basilika)

Built in 310, this huge brick structure was the throne hall of Emperor Constantine the Great and other Roman emperors. This is the largest surviving single-room structure from Roman times. The Romans wanted the architecture to express the magnificence and might of the emperor.

Electoral Palace (Kurfuerstliches Palais)

Late baroque south wing (1757-1761) by Johannes Seiz. The Electoral Palace directly next to the Basilika is considered one of the most beautiful rococo palaces in the world. Among many other facets, a princely staircase in the present seat of the District Administration (ADD) reveals the splendour of the Electors and Archbishops.

Main Market (Hauptmarkt)

The Main Market became the center of medieval Trier with:

• the Steipe, the city council's banqueting house, with immediate access to the city church St. Gangolf (through the little baroque gate on the south side, the church itself is completely surrounded by stalls and houses)
• the official city yardstick (reconstruction) at the Steipe
• the pillary (reconstructed on the south end of the market)
• access to the Cathedral
• access to the Jewish Quarter
• as well as to six streets altogether.

Jew's Alley (Judengasse)

Shortly before the market, Jews' Alley (Judengasse) on the right leads into the former medieval Jewish Quarter. Locally produced weights with Hebrew inscriptions show that there were Jews in Trier as early as the first or second century. Starting with the eleventh century, a Jewish community in Trier was recorded, and in 1235 four Jews had four houses built on the left of the later Judengasse.

The cellars are still the original ones; in the Pub »Abwaerts«, you can still see the walled-up entrance to a flight tunnel leading to the Cathedral Close.

The Jews were expelled from Trier in 1418. Many Jews went east; Yiddish has preserved traces of Trier Middle High German up to today. When the Jews were called back after 1600, they settled in different parts of the city. After the Holocaust of the Nazi era, the Jewish community in Trier is quite small (the New Synagogue is located in Kaiserstrasse).

Karl Marx House

It may come as a surprise that Karl Marx was not born in an industrial city but in Trier, which at that time (May 5, 1818) had fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. The other surprise may be that the birthplace, today's Karl Marx Museum (Karl-Marx-Haus), is not to be found in Karl-Marx-Strasse but Brueckenstrasse 10 (the first section was not renamed in order to keep the historical address).

Old Cranes

On the banks of the Moselle, you can view two monuments to the remarkable technology of the past: two loading cranes, both bearing witness to the former lively trade on the river. The cranes have moveable roofs which move atop mighty round substructures. Inside each is an enormous treadmill which was driven by human muscle power to move the pulleys. The northerly crane was built in 1413, and the one nearer to the Roman Bridge was built in 1774. The area was inhabited over a long period by the families of boatmen and fishermen. Only later were the cranes turned over to various orders of the Church.

The Cathedral/Cathedral St. Peter (Dom)

In the heart of the city, the present Cathedral stands on top of a former Constantinian Palace, later the largest Christian church in Antiquity. Originally built by Constantine, this is the oldest church in Germany. It houses an array of artworks and a holy relic that still receives many pilgrims: the Holy Robe of Christ. Adjacent to the Cathedral is the Church of Our Lady (Liebfrauenkirche), the oldest Gothic Church in Germany built in the 13th Century. It is however closed for a moment for some renovations.

With its very rich heritage, Trier is a recommended tourist site that one has to discover. There are a number of interesting sights and structures that I have not posted here. This entry is not enough to post them all.

Labels and descriptions excerpted and edited from:

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/germany/trier

http://redaktion.trier.de/praefectus/trier?tourist_en

Frankfurt and the Asia Connection

Are you a book worm?

If the answer is yes, then the International Book Fair (in German: "Internationalen Buchmesse") is for you. But if the answer is not, just like me, having fun looking around is not disgusting but rather fun.

Take my experience for example. Me and some colleagues attended this worldwide event of the geeks last October 18, 2009 in its usual venue, the Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The word "worldwide" implies the huge crowd of spectators that includes of course the exhibitors from the seven continents, book readers and collectors, dignitaries invited for speaking engagements, and the sight-stealing group of teenagers dressed in anime costumes.
















[Frankfurt am Main (Main pronounced as 'mine' after River Main) fifth largest city in Germany and is the second largest metropolitan area. A part of early Franconia, the inhabitants were the early Franks. The city is located on an ancient ford on the river Main, the German word for which is "Furt". Thus the city's name receives its legacy as being the "ford of the Franks".

Situated on the Main River, Frankfurt is the financial and transportation center of Germany and the largest financial center in continental Europe. It is seat of the European Central Bank, the German Federal Bank, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the Frankfurt Trade Fair, as well as several large commercial banks. Frankfurt Airport is one of the world's busiest international airports, Frankfurt Central Station is one of the largest terminal stations in Europe, and the Frankfurter Kreuz (Autobahn interchange) is the most heavily used interchange. Frankfurt is the only German city listed as one of ten Alpha world cities. Frankfurt lies in the former American Occupation Zone of Germany, and it was formerly the headquarters city of the U.S. Army in Germany.] -Wikipedia

And because I am not a bookworm, I am not going to talk about books from here on. But on my playful side.. ANIME and its by-product: Cosplay!  I was amazed with the Asian influence, especially of Japan's renowned manga, to the European youngsters.

Being the number 1 Naruto fanatic in the world, i quickly recognized the first teen dressed in Akatsuki costume that i saw passing by. The first thing that came to my mind is to take photo with him but I realized i was there for a more serious purpose, so i stopped the urge. Upon seeing a couple of others loitering around, i bother to ask if they are part of the event. But they said it was just for fun.

And so i also have fun. Never mind the books, i don't have the money to buy and the time to read it anyway.
So, here goes the fun...

Classical but very artistic.


Definitely loved the Akatsuki costumes. These guys acted like a pro.


This one is so cute. She can mock the costume she puts on. Looks like Britney Spears though.


This young couple are real sweethearts. The girl, Claudette, is a Fil-German whose mother hailed from San Carlos City, Negros Occidental. Though a fluent German, she admitted she still understands some Visayan and Tagalog words and can converse a little bit. What got us so amused was her French-looking but German boyfriend who was more than fond of talking to us like an OFW excited to have found a fellow Filipino abroad. He recalled few words that Claudette's mother oftenly used like "Ano, ano? Siguro...", "gwapa and gwapo", and he even know what is going on in the Philippines like the devastation caused by typhoon Ondoy. Very conversant. He was even the one who noticed the Ako Mismo dog tag i wore and recognized the Philippine flag. That was amazing!


Another Akatsuki costume in a great pose.



A Naruto Picnic.

So... who says Book Fair is boring?

Germany: The Departure

October 5, 2009 marked the very special day where i make the first step in a foreign land. (Sounds moon landing, right?) It was never a dream. All I wish was just to reach the four corners of the Philippines. But God gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. Here i am... in Deutschland!


Photo op before leaving the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Looking back 6 months ago, i was just taking my chances.. read the scholarship invitation referred by my mentor Uriel, received encouragement from my boss Jake to apply, then i find myself accomplishing all the forms and submit to the InWEnt Office in Manila (i heard they will be moving to Jakarta soon).

The months after receiving the confirmation of acceptance to the scholarship program was hectic and time bound. Everything is planned and scheduled. That was starting April of 2009. So as anyone may notice, there has been no update in this blog for quite a long time. But only few knew the going ons, not even my family knew that i will be going out of the country for a study. I only indirectly informed them few days before my departure. Well, they were already accustomed to my attitude of not informing them wherever i go as i always make travels. They just get used to it.

So much for the storytelling, The Islander goes international this time. Might as well blogging international. This time about my new home for one year... the home of the cars, beers, and sausages --Deutschland!

Our connecting flight was in Amsterdam, Netherlands, aboard the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. The 15-hour travel was quite tiring but for the new experience, i never felt it.




Aboard the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines having fun -watching movies, listening to music, playing games, and taking pictures (while our butts were aching in pain)


We were astonished at how extravagant the foods served. The packaging always says a lot.. q-u-a-l-i-t-y.



The busy Schipol (Amsterdam) Airport Terminal


The Amsterdam Terminal is so big but with plenty of signages around one cannot get lost.

From Amsterdam we boarded a smaller aircraft, with like 100 person capacity, to Frankfurt am Main. Frankfurt has two terminals, the old and smaller one in Berlin that is now for use of smaller planes for cargo and the am Main in Frankfurt used for commercial flights.
Pose before boarding the train next to the terminal exit. Imagine how huge the terminal is for a connecting train to exist.

From Frankfurt am Main Airport, we were fetched by a fellow from InWEnt who drove us to the Carl Duisberg Haus in Saarbrucken for 2 hours. Saarbrucken is located at the Southwestern part of Germany bordering from France. This will be our home for a month before transferring to another place in Germany and will serve as a briefing house to orient us about the culture, lifestyle and living in Germany.


Arrival at the Carl Duisberg Haus also known as the Reception Center for scholars from other countries.

Posing at the CD Haus marker.

The welcome midnight snacks: fruits and yoghurts.

One word to describe the experience: Astonishing!

Bicol Express Trip

Another national site had been conquered. One down from the checklist of my dream destinations.

This trip to the Bicolandia has been one of my exciting experimental adventure. From the rather costly connecting flight to Naga City which is our point of destination, I came to plot a more exciting one... using the combo trip --sea, air, and land-- ala Amazing Race in a slow-mo mode. Looking at the possible options in going to Bicol, the combo transport emerged as the most economical.


We left Surigao 7pm via Cokaliong Shipping Lines and arrived in Cebu 6:00 in the morning. Though I want to take the fast craft stationed in Pier 3 to cross us to Mactan Island where the Mactan Cebu International Airport is located, a friend happened to fetch a guest at the Cebu Port so we just hitched a ride.




From Mactan Cebu, we boarded the Cebu Pacific Air flight to Legaspi City. Approaching the Legaspi Airport was rather a wonderful experience, with the amazing aerial view of Mayon Volcano greeting as we get near.



From the airport we rode a tricycle to Jollibee where we had our lunch. Thereafter, rode a jeepney plying the Guinobatan route right across the street fronting Jollibee towards Cagsawa Ruins in Barangay Busay. Heading to Cagsawa was rather an easy trip. From any point in the downtown, one just have to take the P10.00 Guinobatan, Camalig, and Polangui jeepneys which usually passes by Cagsawa junction at the right side of the higway. From the crossing, one has the option to either rode a tricycle down right to the ruins of Cagsawa or walk the 2 kilometers stretch. And we chose to walk to experience the dust from the dried lava.



The souvenir shops lined up at the roadside hinted that the site is getting close. True enough, we were there in not more than 10 minutes.





Cagsawa Ruins appear like a graveyard to me, with the big crosses from behind the remnants of the Cagsawa Church. Everything is like a reminder of the disaster caused by the eruption of Mayon Volcano. But still the captivating beauty of Mayon with its almost perfect cone gives a picturesque landscape.



But then, catching its breathtaking full and clear view without the clouds clinging around its peak needs right timing. Since we arrived in the afternoon, we waited for many hours with anticipation for the clouds to spare the full view of Mayon. The resident tour guides and photographers who are mostly youngsters said the best time to catch Mayon's clear view is at 7am. These youngsters who sold postcard photos also offers free assistance to the tourists on how to play camera tricks to catch a fun photo with the view.




After having enough of the sight, we bought souvenir items, some are cheaply priced like the T-shirts, but some are also unreasonably priced like the keychains. Then we went back to the downtown to proceed to our next destination: Naga City.