April 27, 2004

Annoyingly Funny!

When I started with this job that I am doing now, I had so much doubts about it because of the rumors that was spreading around.

Like:
"Hard Job" - they say because we have to stand all the day and try to put up a presentable, professional image all the time. how can one do that, if he/she stands 5-6 hours, no coffee breaks, no cigarette breaks for the smokers nor just 10 minutes pause from the working position? well, i thought what job isn't hard/difficult?

"30 Minutes Pause" - no more, no less! For a full-timer who works 8 hours this is really a problem.

"Working Schedule" - we work in shifts from: 03:00 a.m. until latest 24:00 p.m. For those who have to come to work at Three a.m. without cars, they have to come to the airport at 1:30 a.m. taking the last trip for the evening, stay somewhere there and wait until their shift begins. For those who have cars, the problem is, the company doesn't provide parking space. They have to park the car outside the airport and walk all the way back. "hmmm. . . which is less dangerous?" i wonder!

"Dealing with arrogant customers" - boyyy!!! these reason almost made me want to backout immediately before I even started it. But now, we are slowly getting used to it.

or with "STUPID" ones:
Example:

ME: good evening, can i see your boarding pass please?

PAX: what do you want to check?

ME: your boarding pass please (trying it in german or french, since english didn't work).

Pax: i see, let me check, saying it in english! (starts looking in every bag and pocket until they finally find it).

ME: after checking the BP, says again: Please put your bag on the table and push it through the frame. (of course, saying it in the appropriate language again).

Pax: places the bag on the table and then goes pass through ME and says: "ok, thanks, bye", then starts walking away leaving the bag on the table.

Duhhhhh!!!!what just happened there?

Now, except for the problem with the breaktime, i am slowly getting immune to the arrogance of some customer and i slowly find the "others" funny. what i am still wondering about is the fact that: "some people, when they travel, they seem to leave their brains at home".
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Around the Globe...
- Tuesday, April 27, 2004

1. Where do you currently live? Germany
2. Name all the places in the world that you can think of that you've been to.
Belgium: Antwerp, Ghent, Brugge, Liege, Brussels, Namur, Mons, Charleroi, Arlon, Tongeren, Waterloo;
Luxemburg;
The Neatherlands: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht and Maastricht;
Italy: Venice;
Austria: Salzburg
France: Paris, Chantilly;
U.S.A. : California, Nevada, Arizona;
Singapore
Malaysia: Penang, Langkawi
Gran Canaria
Philippines
3. What place in the world do you want to go to that you haven't been to yet? Switzerland
4. What's your favorite place in the world, so far? Paris
5. What's the worst place you've been to, so far? Penang


carried over from: Daily Dirt

Belgian Chocolates

IMG_3596a.jpg IMG_3597a.jpg
Chocolates from Belgium are the best chocolates in the world . . .NEED I SAY MORE?!?


Fairest of them all...
Tuesday, April 20, 2004

1. What hair color do you think is the most pretty for a girl and for a guy? for a girl is rich auburn, for a guy is medium blond
2. Blue, Brown or Green Eyes? green eyes
3. Most attractive skin tone? "mulato"
4. Long hair or short (guys and girls)? for guys:neatly cut short hair; for girls: long straight hair
5. Tall or short? for guys: tall ; for girls: tall

carried over from:Daily Dirt

April 26, 2004

Izelle Bennett, First Daily Dirt

. . . Introducing my beautiful & talented niece. We call her "Duday".

IMG_2205a.jpg IMG_2669a.jpg

She's six, speaks fluent French (without accent!), English Tagalog and currently learning in school Flemish. Dances "Otso-otso" very well, sings and on top of that an "A" student in class!!!
Pretty smart, huh?! I am really proud of her.
****************************************************************
If...
- Monday, April 26, 2004

1. you could have a lifetime supply of something, what would you want? i would want a lifetime supply of money and happiness...
2. you could be an object, what would you be? i want to be a camera...to be able to capture all the happy moments, once in a lifetime moments and special occassions in life...ayaw ko i-capture ang mga sad scenes though...
3. you could steal something of your crush's room, what would you get? his photo...maybe.
4. you could travel right now, where would you go? to Egypt, where hubby is...
5. could date someone famous, who would you date? Bill Gates!


carried over from: Daily Dirt

April 23, 2004

Insomnia

Gosssh!!! I was so tired yesterday from work that I thought I would not be able to drive back home anymore. One of the hazards of having a car is the drive back home after a very tiring day. If I could choose, I would rather commute than drive. But the train connection to my place is terrible. I don't really mind driving, in fact I love to drive, just not when I am so tired and sleepy.
Anyway, as I was driving home last night, I said already to myself that I would not open the computer anymore and just go directly to bed. Helllllloooo!!! It is already 2:10 a.m. and I still cannot sleep. I tossed and turned for sometime in bed. Eventually, I just gave up.

So, i am back in front of my ever loyal companion, my laptop. Of course, I ended up playing around with the templates. This is not final yet. I will definitely change it again. As long as there are "sleepless nights" for me (like last night), the templates will also not sleep, ha!ha!ha!

April 22, 2004

Dalawang Tulog Na Lang!!

At last, the week is almost over. In two days, ML is coming back from South Africa. I should not forget to pick him up on Saturday morning from the airport. Unfortunately, he will be arriving very early in the morning. Kaya, I would have to wake up at four a.m. on that day...well, anything for my love!

On the other hand, I still have so many things to do. My filing was not done, expense summary not yet finished and i still have tons of ironning to do. Mind you, these are all just for myself. I have to try to get them all done before ML gets back so we can enjoy enjoy the two days together. Sad part is, he will be leaving again on the 25th for Egypt for another two weeks. Kainis talaga ang trabaho na yan!!! But then again, it's our bread and butter kaya, i should not complain so much.

April 21, 2004

Boy-Girl

I got a call from my cousins Czar & Noel who are currently residing in L.A. Our last pone talk was sometime last month just before their younger sister got married. Today, we talked about family news, chismis and intrigues. Well, the usual stuff! We also talked about my beautiful nephew, the son of Noel.

Justin is turning 3 end of this month. He is a normal happy child full of mischiefs. We talked about how he loves shoulder bags. He would carry one around the whole day and before he would go to bed at night, he would lay it ever so gently on the bedside table of his mom announcing that he would be using the same bag for the following day. My cousins slowly started to worry about the bag thing, so they tried to keep away all the hand bags or shoulder bags from the boy's reach. Justin was so upset, but handled it quite well. When he asked for the bag and was told that he should not be playing with them anymore, he just didn't say anything. One day, they found him with a VHS cassette. The film of the tape was pulled out, so it looked like a shoulder bag. He was walking around the whole day with the VHS tape as his bag. I was laughing so much that I almost fell out of my chair.

He also loves his hair long (hence the towel-cum-wig all the time) and is always in front of the mirror trying to sing and act like ....BEYONCE! I had the laugh of my life when I heard about the story of Justin cutting Angela's hair (Angela is the daughter of Czar). He succeeded cutting her hair from one side, but had to stop it because he was already caught by his mommy. So, as of the momment, Angela's hair do looks like, Boy from the right side and Girl from her left side!!!

With this last act, I told my cousin Noel that he should already prepare for a capital to set up a parlor for his son in the future. I don't see anything wrong in accepting the matter right from the start. But then again, I am not the parent...

April 20, 2004

Ghosts in dreams

My colleage from work told me yesterday of her dream about seeing dead people. She's been having the same dream for sometime now and feels a little wierd about it. I told her I would check out what it means. This is what I found out:

Dreaming of the dead or ghosts does not necessarily mean somebody will die. It's metaphoric. Normally, seeing ghosts in dreams happens only to children, kids. In their dream, they may see the shadow of their terror teacher whom they are afraid of. To adults, it signifies a change in life, in attitude or in character. It suggest a death of an attitude or trait that once you have but is now gone.

Well, i think the explanation does make sense. So, for those of you who sees ghosts in your dreams, have no fear. It is nothing scary. On the other hand, you should be happy. You may have lost a bad quality in yourself or gained some, meaning you have upgrown immaturity.

April 19, 2004

Perils of being alone...

Being alone at home and having all the time to myself, I thought I would make the best use of it. This morning, i was slowly taking stuff down to the basement like old clothes, old newspapers and the recyle bags when I suddenly remembered that nobody else was there to open the door for me so I could go back inside the house. I was like so shocked that I just froze for three minutes. What was I supposed to do? It was probably okay if I didn't have to go to work then I could just stay at a friend's house until ML comes back, but I have to go to work this afternoon. Or I could call a locksmith which would probably cost me around 45 to 50 euros. hmmmmm.... i rang the neighbors bell, without exactly knowing why? They would not be able to help me anyway since we never leave our extra key with them. They have teenage twins and we didn't want to take the risk of hmmm...lalala...

I tried to explain to them what happened. They told me to come inside their house. Suddenly I blurted out: "could you please open the garage door for me?" They said sure, but said anyway, what would it help? I didn't know myself...so I just shrugged. I was looking around in the garage, not knowing really what else to do. I stood there beside the bikes, thinking okay, we may use you again coz summer is almost here...then suddenly there, in the bag of the bike of my hubby is a key. His key to the house that he used to take whenever he went cycling alone. Bless my dear hubby's forgetfullness I could go back inside the house again.

April 18, 2004

Home Alone!

Well, first time in months that I have been alone in the house again. One whole day of silence is really enough for me. I think everybody needs this time to try to reconcile with one's self. I guess you can say this is one way of doing soul searching.

ML is out of the country for a whole week. He left last night and will be back on the 23rd of this month. So, that gives me one week of gallyvanting before or afterwork, depends on my working schedule. Today is the first day that I could stay at home and do nothing else but tinker with the computer. Unfortunately, I have to go back to work again tomorrow. Normally, it is still a free day for me, but since we are having manpower shortage at work this month because a lot of people have to go on this IHK training, my boss asked me to come in tomorrow as well. The good thing is, I will start working only at around 14:00 which means I would still have enough time to do some errands that I couldn't get done today since it's Sunday.

The only thing is I would be working straight seven days next week...and I don't know if I will make it. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed.

Dream analysis part 2

I got a call from my mom last night. Strange co'z I got the call after I had the dream. Now I know it was wise to wait a while before trying to interpret my dream. Now I don't need to go to deep analysis about what it means. I already know the answer.

Four weeks ago, my sisters confided a problem to my mom. They talked and discussed and after awhile came up with a solution. They agreed that my mom would help my sisters in their situation. Last night, my mom called me about the problem. She explained everything to me and in the end asked me if I could help my sisters out. I was confused of what she was talking about at first since I had no idea about the whole thing. In short, she was backing out of the deal that she made with my sisters. Something else came up, which to her analysis is much more important than the "little problem" that my sisters have.

The Baby in the dream was a representation of the deal that my mom made with my sisters. I could remember clearly, that in my dream, "the baby started sucking milk, but then turned his head away from my breasts afterwards". My mom on the other hand, said already to my sisters that she would do something to help them out, but after a while called me and told me she cannot do it anymore and would need my help. I had no idea beforehand of the whole situation, hence the "surprised feeling" in the dream.

My initial reaction was a feeling of slight bitterness that she was like sort of abandoning my sisters in a tight sitaution. I also felt regret that my sisters went to my mom for help instead of to me, which they have been doing for quite sometime now.

The "smoking" part in my dream does not literally mean my bad habbit of smoking. It represented the feelings that I felt in the beginning, being forced into a situation in which I have to consider ideas which I never contemplated on before. But, needless to say, I passed that part with flying colors. Actually, i felt like I handled it quite well when I was to talking to my mom about the whole thing. As I slowly gathered myself and started thinking logically again, i realized that the sitaution was not so bad at all. I tried to tell her of the possible scenario of what could happen and in the end we agreed upon a solution where I could also possibly help. Afterwards, we started talking again as if everything was okay, and there was really no big problem at hand.

There is just one thing left, the meanings of the colors that I saw in my dream.

Dreaming in . . .

Pink denotes tenderness and love. This can only be my love for my family.

White (represented as Caucasian which signifies white-skinned) means people feel they can rely on you. Also means an abundance of energy and vitality. This was probably what my mom felt hence, she called me to ask for help.

Unfortunately, In my referrences, i have no meanings for the cream color. Thus, this is still a question mark for me. What it means or signifies, I can only find out later.

April 17, 2004

My Dream Analysis

I have always been curious about dreams and their possible meanings ever since I was still in high school. I remember, I used to ask my mom at first for the interpretations of my dreams. My mom is good with it, but the thing is, she wouldn't tell me the complete picture of the meaning of my dreams especially if it happened to be a bad premonition. Just like when she does card reading (yes, tarot even, for her friends or for mine) and yes even palm reading, she always held back the bad meanings. I asked her once why she does this and the reason is; and I quote: "Because palm or card reading and the interpretation of dreams is one big responsibility. It can harm people. It can even ruin lives. The interpreter is responsible to be discreet about what he/she sees in the cards and in the palm. He/she can chose to tell everything, no holds barred, but then again, he/she should be ready for the consequences that goes with it. Besides, guilt is bad vibes which becomes a hindrance or an obstacle for the reader to be able to interpret the meaning of the cards or the dream correctly".

Going back to the meaning of my dream, I had to recall some details in order to find out what it means. Here goes:

1. Mood: Surprised - at the milk dripping from my breasts
Confused - how I got the baby without knowing of being pregnant
Dismay - after the baby didn't seem to like my milk
Regret - about smoking, thinking it was the reason why the baby didn't like the milk

2. Color: everything around me seemed to be salmon pink, I was wearing a cream sleeveles shirt and the baby looked to be caucasian

3. Atmosphere: as if normal

to be continued....

April 16, 2004

Making new friends. . .

I miss the times when I had friends I could really depend on, around me. Whenever I needed somebody to talk to, aside from my sisters, I would just call one of my six girlfriends or meet with any or all of them and just pour my heart out to them completely. I didn't have to worry about spilling any secrets that I have, simply because I trusted them. It has been more 7 years since I have had that kind of friendship around me. Of course I still communicate with most of my old bestfriends, but it is not the same as before. Pag tumawag ang isa, we all literally scramble over to meet and be with the one in need. Mas masaya din kami whenever we meet without having to tackle or solve a problem, which was more often. Ngayon kasi, hindi na puwede yung style namin dati. We have all gone our separate ways, having migrated to different countries around the world. Hindi naman pwedeng lumipad agad just because one is crying over a breaking relationship. Hindi naman kasi kami rich. But we talk on the phone. Kaya ang phone bills grabe! Although, we all wish we could do it.

When I first came to Germany, my second project was to meet some Filipinas to befriend. The first was to learn the German language. After two months of being here, I finally met some Filipinas. I used to hang out with them almost everyday. Hoping to eventually make a "real" bond with them. We went bowling, dancing, karaoke (of course!), and travelled once or twice outside of Frankfurt. But I never felt that special "bonding" that I was looking for. I felt lost in their crowd. Although they tried to include me in their activities and organizations, I never really felt that I was more than welcome to be a "friend". I just felt "used" in the end. Luckily, I found a job immediately after I got my Europaeisches Sprachenzertifikat im Fach "Deutsch". I became engrossed in the job that i didn't feel guilty of slowly distancing myself from them. But I still have communication with some of them. I still meet one or two of them almost every other week.

I do have a friend (Saint's mom) whom I call and spend time with here in Germany. We met sometime in 2002 when she first came to Germany. But because we have different situations now, she being a mom and me being a working girl (as if?!), medyo we don't meet as often anymore as we used to do before she had a child and before I started working. We talk as often as we can though. And I go to visit her every now and then.

I just talked to Saint's mom a few minutes ago. It seems like I will see her again even if only for a short time, next week. She made arrangements to meet some nice people for a quick chat and she wanted me to meet them as well.

The time will be short, but I think it will be fun!

April 15, 2004

Ngekk!!!

I had a weird dream last night. In it I had a baby. Mind you, i have no kids at the momment and have no plans of having them yet. Anyway, in my dream I saw that milk was dripping out of my nipples. This meant that the baby was either a newborn of a few months old. I didn't realize that i had one until i saw the drips. Suddenly, in the next scene, i was already breastfeeding. But the baby stopped after a few sucks. I thought then, it was probably because i smoke and this affected the taste of the milk. The baby didn't like it. I slowly felt regret from smoking.

The funny part was, I was wondering all the time how I got the baby. Of course I am aware how babies are made...(ha!ha!). Strange how dreams work. Even stranger how they turn up to be right sometimes!

I guess I should just check out my Book Of Dreams. Maybe I can find an explanation for the whole thing. I simply cannot accept that the dream was triggered by my subconscious, simply because I never think about having babies yet. Then again, maybe it is a premonition that somebody I know, a relative or a friend may have another child soon...

Who knows?!

April 14, 2004

Help...bad hair day!

Since elementary school, I used to wear my hair long. I remember, every trip to the parlor was always a dilemma for me. My mom would drag me along with my two other sisters to the salon where her favorite "bakla" hair cutter was working. Imagine, hindi pa uso ang "third sex" sa Pinas, meron ng bading na taga gupit ang ma-dear ko!

Anyway, i loved my hair long. ika nga, "flowing like silk". I was ever so conscious then. Maaga kasi din ako lumandi. Not like chasing boys naman. Kumbaga, nag dalaga lang.

I liked San Rio; i liked pinky stuffs; i liked sexy sandals; i liked wearing sexy and teasing clothes. Most of all, I loved my hair long. Gustong-guto ko itong paliparin sa hangin wenever I have to turn around. Or flip it over to catch somebody's attention. I also liked it tied with ribbons. I remember i had all kinds and colors or hair accessories, from barrets to really eye catching gadgets.

I also used to tie my hair so high in the middle of my head. Yung bang tipong, halos masinkit na ang eyes ko sa sikip...hehehe. those were the days.

Lately, i was wearing my hair at medium length. nahirapan kasi ako mag maintain dito sa europe. it seems like hindi marunong gumupit ang mga hair dressers dito. Or hindi lang sila sanay humawak ng asian hair? In addition to that, super mahal pa ang gupit! Kaya naman yearly lang ang naging sched ko ng gupitan ng hair. Unfortunately, almost two years na nga ako hindi naka-ka uwi sa Pilipinas. kaya medyo,nag mukhang vrgin forest na ang buhok ko. I hadno other choice but to look for a Filipino hair cutter. May nahanap naman ako, kaya lang...eto...medyo, lalong naging everyday is a bad hair day for me. HELP NAMAN!!! ANYBODY!!!! Can anybody recommend a salon around Frankfurt area? I need somebody who can do a bob-cut for me. Medyo super ma-iksi na kasi ang hair ko. Ka-ka re-toke nung gumupit sa akin..... muwaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!

I should update

I just realized i have not blogged for a while now. I have been quite busy lately. I just started a new job. Well, it is still within the same company that I work for but with a different "department". It is still quite chaotic since we just started with this contract first of this month. Everything is new to us. I have plenty of stories but hardly have the time to sit down and blog.

On top of that, my two sisters came for a visit. They are currently living in Belgium. Each with a child, kaya medyo masaya ang ang easter ko. In the Philippines, we normally celebrate Easter with the whole family. We have a monthly reunion with the whole clan. But my sisters and I, have not attended the occassion for two years now.

Haaaaay!!! Miss na miss ko na talaga bumalik sa Pilipnas!

April 07, 2004

?WHAT TREE DID YOU FALL FROM??

Find your birthday and then find your tree. This is really cool and somewhat accurate, also in line with Celtic astrology.

Dec 23 to Jan 01 - Apple Tree
Jan 01 to Jan 11 - Fir Tree
Jan 12 to Jan 24 - Elm Tree
Jan 25 to Feb 03 - Cypress Tree
Feb 04 to Feb 08 - Poplar Tree
Feb 09 to Feb 18 - Cedar Tree
Feb 19 to Feb 28 - Pine Tree
Mar 01 to Mar 10 - Weeping Willow Tree
Mar 11 to Mar 20 - Lime Tree
Mar 21 (only) -Oak Tree
Mar 22 to Mar 31 - Hazelnut Tree
Apr 01 to Apr 10 - Rowan Tree
Apr 11 to Apr 20 - Maple Tree
Apr 21 to Apr 30 - Walnut Tree
May 01 to May 14 - Poplar Tree
May 15 to May 24 - Chestnut Tree
May 25 to Jun 03 - Ash Tree
Jun 04 to Jun 13 - Hornbeam Tree
Jun 14 to Jun 23 - Fig Tree
Jun 24 (only) - Birch Tree
Jun 25 to Jul 04 - Apple Tree
Jul 05 to Jul 14 - Fir Tree
Jul 15 to Jul 25 -Elm Tree
Jul 26 to Aug 04 - Cypress Tree
Aug 05 to Aug 13 - Poplar Tree
Aug 14 to Aug 23 - Cedar Tree
Aug 24 to Sep 02 - Pine Tree
Sep 03 to Sep 12 - Weeping Willow Tree
Sep 13 to Sep 22 - Lime Tree
Sep 23 (only) - Olive Tree
Sep 24 to Oct 03 - Hazelnut Tree
Oct 04 to Oct 13 - Rowan Tree
Oct 14 to Oct 23 - Maple Tree
Oct 24 to Nov 11 - Walnut Tree
Nov 12 to Nov 21 - Chestnut Tree
Nov 22 to Dec 01 - Ash Tree
Dec 02 to Dec 11 - Hornbeam Tree
Dec 12 to Dec 21 - Fig Tree
Dec 22 (only) - Beech Tree

YOUR TREE ( in alphabetical order)

Apple Tree (the Love) -- quiet and shy at times, lots of charm, appeal, and attraction, pleasant attitude, flirtatious smile, adventurous, sensitive, loyal in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and
tender partner, very generous, many talents, loves children, needs affectionate partner.

Ash Tree (the Ambition) -- extremely attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with fate, can be very egotistic, reliable,
restless lover, sometimes money rules over the heart, demands attention, needs love and much emotional support.

Beech Tree (the Creative) -- has good taste, concerned about its looks, materialistic, good organization of life and career, economical, good leader, takes no unnecessary risks, reasonable, splendid lifetime companion, keen on keeping fit (diets, sports, etc.).

Birch Tree (the inspiration) -- vivacious, attractive, elegant, friendly, unpretentious, modest, does not like anything in excess, abhors the vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere.

Cedar Tree (the Confidence) -- of rare strength, knows how to adapt, likes unexpected presents, of good health, not in the least shy, tends to look down on others, self-confident, a great speaker, determined, often impatient, likes to impress others, has many talents, industrious, healthy optimism, waits for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.

Chestnut Tree (the Honesty) -- of unusual stature, impressive, well-developed sense of justice, fun to be around, a planner, born diplomat, can be irritated easily, sensitive of others feelings, hard worker, sometimes acts superior, feels not understood at times, fiercely family oriented, very loyal in love, physically fit.

Cypress Tree (the Faithfulness) -- strong, muscular, adaptable, takes what life has to give but doesn't necessarily like it, strives to be content, optimistic, wants to be financially independent, wants love and
affection, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful, quick-tempered at times, can be unruly and careless, loves to gain knowledge, needs to be needed.

Elm Tree (the Noble-mindedness) -- pleasant shape, tasteful clothes, modest demands, tends not to forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead but not to obey, honest and faithful partner, likes making decisions for others, noble-minded, generous, good sense of humor, practical.

Fig Tree (the Sensibility) -- very strong minded, a bit self-willed, honest, loyal, independent, hates contradiction or arguments, loves life and friends, enjoys children and animals, a social butterfly, great
sense of humor, likes idleness and laziness after long demanding hours at work, has artistic talent and great intelligence.

Fir tree (the Mysterious) -- extraordinary taste, handles stress poorly, loves anything beautiful, can become depressed at times, stubborn, tends to care for those close to them as well as helping
strangers, rather modest, hard worker, talented, unselfish, few sexual relationships, many friends, doesn't want foes, very reliable.

Hazelnut Tree (the Extraordinary) -- charming, sense of humor, very demanding but can also be very understanding, knows how to make a lasting impression, active fighter for social causes and politics,
popular, quite moody, sexually oriented, honest, a perfectionist, has a precise sense of judgment and expects complete fairness.

Hornbeam Tree (the Good Taste) -- of cool beauty, cares for its looks and condition, good taste, is not egoistic, makes life as comfortable as possible, leads a reasonable and disciplined life, looks or kindness and acknowledgment in an emotional partner, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom happy with its feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its decisions, very conscientious.

Lime Tree (the Doubt) - intelligent, hard working, accepts what life dishes out, but not before trying to change bad circumstances into good ones, hates fighting and stress, enjoys getaway vacations, may appear tough, but is actually soft and relenting, always willing to make sacrifices for family and friends, has many talents but not always enough time to use them, can become a complainer, great leadership qualities, is jealous at times but extremely loyal.

Maple Tree (Independence of Mind) -- no ordinary person, full of imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self-confident, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many
complexities, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress.

Oak Tree (the Brave) -- robust nature, courageous, strong, unrelenting, independent, sensible, does not like change, keeps its feet on the ground, person of action.

Olive Tree (the Wisdom) -- loves sun, warmth and kind feelings, reasonable, balanced, avoids aggression and violence, tolerant, cheerful, calm, well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathetic, free of jealousy, loves to read and the company of sophisticated people.

Pine Tree (the Peacemaker) -- loves agreeable company, craves peace and harmony, loves to help others, active imagination, likes to write poetry, not fashion conscious, great compassion, friendly to all, falls strongly in love but will leave if betrayed or lied to, emotionally soft, low self esteem, needs affection and reassurance.

Poplar Tree (the Uncertainty) -- looks very decorative, talented, not very self-confident, extremely courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, great artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership seriously.

Rowan Tree (the Sensitivity) -- full of charm, cheerful, gifted without egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest, and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.

Walnut Tree (the Passion) -- unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egotistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromise.

Weeping Willow (the Melancholy) - likes to be stress free, loves family life, full of hopes and dreams, attractive, very empathetic, loves anything beautiful, musically inclined, loves to travel to exotic
places, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with when pressured, sometimes demanding, good intuition, suffers in love until they find that one loyal, steadfast partner; loves to make others laugh.

April 05, 2004

Driving to Weimar

Hectic, hectic. We left house enroute to visit my sister-in-law. Her husband is celebrating his 60th birthday. They booked us a room in Romantik Hotel Dorotheenhof, a hotel which was formerly a country estate, was renovated and "set idyllically in its own park close to the city". They have really a lot to offer. Not only was the food superb ( as it is made according to the recipes in Goethe’s times, but the staff were also great. Friendly, polite and very much attentive to the guest’s needs.

A friend of a friend once said that she was warned of how a German party is. That they only serve bretzels and coffee. Well, this birthday party that we were invited to was exactly the opposite. The actual birthday of the celebrant was 04.04.04. The party kicked off with a visit to the city of Weimar, famously known as the cultural capital of Germany, where Goethe and Schiller created their biggest works. I did not say his birthplace, because I have heard that he was actually born in Frankfurt.

On the morning of the second day, Saturday,the third of April, the guests were given a priviledged tour to the Stahl factory were the celebrant is the Manager. The tour lasted about an hour, followed immediately with cakes and coffee. Then the guests were given enough time for siesta. At exactly 18:00 of the the same day, champagne was served at the main lobby of the Hotel Dorotheenhof to commence the Night celebration, which would then last until after midnight of April 04, the real birthdate of the celebrant. Greetings and introductions were made official.

From the lobby, we moved on to the Dining Hall of the Hotel, where more wine was served. Shortly after, apperatiff started. First came the creamy soup. Served elegantly by the friendly crew. Food was abundantly prepared on the long buffet table. With plenty of choises from cheese, tomato salad, fish fillets, bacon and ham, baked mushroom on cucumber and plenty more. Then came the main course, with Rindfleisch, Pasta with mixed vegetables, Poularde which was wonderfully cooked and served in just the right temperature. All night long, the drinks were overflowing. Italian and German red and white wine was offered. Beer was on the offing, waiting just to be ordered. There were different presentations prepared by family members, friends, colleagues from work and distant relatives.

At around midnight, a touching presentation of the everlasting birthday song was sung. After all the congratulations, the kids of the celebrant made a video presentation. Pictures of the celebrant from way back on the day of his birth, childhood days, school days, excursions up to when he started working was shown. The next part was when he got married the first time followed by the births of his three children. Then his lifelong dedication to his job and family were also shown. The last part of the 20 minutes presentation was all about how he met his second wife, how they spend their time together at work or during vacations. The tribute was really very impressive and touching.

All night long, drinks were available. Dessert was on the buffet table, waiting to be picked up by whoever has the guts to gain more calories and fats. It turned out to be a grand celebration. Until around three a.m. people were still eating, drinking or simply enjoying the talks all around the place. Some even started dancing to the slow music which was playing from somewhere in the background.

I on the other hand, had to go back early to our room. It was very difficult to leave the crowd, but I still have some preparations to make for a training that I will be joining Tuesday the following week. I don’t want to sound like a Killjoy, but, this training is really necessary for the new job that I applied for.

I therefore conclude, that NOT All German celebrations are boringly dry where they only serve bretzels and coffee. BOW!!!

April 03, 2004

Pollen Allergy

Spring1.jpg

Spring is indeed in the air. Gone are the the icy wind, snow and gloomy days of winter. The heavy clothings are headed back to the closets or way up in the attic. The winter shoes can now be cleaned and pushed way behind into the farthest of the shoe cabinets. Boots are out and sandals are in.

Aaaaaaaahhhhh!!!! How I wish it was all just these things. Unfortunately with spring also comes the pollen allergy. I never had it before in my life…well at least not when I was in Belgium and not even last year when I first came to Germany. Now it seems that I would hardly last the day. My eyes are red, dry and itchy all the time. My nose is stuffy and I am sneezing all day. On top of that, I get nosebleeding twice or three times during the day.The thing is, all these things happen only when I go out. Inside the house or office everything with me is okay.

April 02, 2004

Things I DON'T LIKE about myself

I have often thought of writing down things about myself, but somehow I feel this is already so un-original (meron ba nu'n?), kaya naisip ko, why not make a list of the qualities that I don't like about ME?

Here goes:

. . . I am a big time procrastinator
. . . I am impulsive
. . . I am impatient
. . . I cannot say NO
. . . I fear my own courage (to quote my hubby!)
. . . I talk to myself
. . . I talk a lot of non-sense (which is obvious in my blogs)
. . . I'm a junk food addict
. . . I dont drink milk

. . . I cannot quit smoking
. . . I speak before I think
. . . I am tactless sometimes
. . . I worry too much about what people would think of me
. . . I often forget my appointments (my hubby even gave me a Palm, which I forget to use anyway)
. . . I don't take my medicine prescriptions religiously
. . . I'm fat
. . . I overestimate myself
. . . I'm a terrible cook
. . . I'm a lousy roommate
. . . I am fickle-minded
. . . I'm a horrible worrier
. . . I don't like arguments
. . . I'm a terrible writer (!!!), hence this blog to practise with.
. . . I don't like saying Goodbyes
. . . I don't like my eyes
. . . I