Moved!

I may not be able to update this blog more often 'coz am maintaining a more positive site now!

Please follow my new blogsite.

Thanks! God bless!

Starting Anew Is Not That Easy

I thought I was ready when I decided to apply for visa to be with my husband, but I thought wrong. Three months living here seems to be soooo long for me. I miss a lot of things am used to doing way back in the Philippines, and one of which is... WORKING.

I have been unemployed for 9 months now, longest I have no job since I finished my university degree. Though I worked for a freelance writing job for three months from my nine months and one month used for wedding preparation and wedding itself. So basically, it's really 5 months doing totally nothing.

I miss working, that's for real. Sometimes, I am thinking about going back to the Philippines and get back to my old life. But I know I shouldn't. My husband don't mind it at all, he said whatever I want, he'll support me all the way. But I won't do that. We had fought two straight years away from each other, and now that we are married, it is just not right to turn my back just because my life is not turning out the way I want it to be here in Germany. I definitely won't do that. I will stay here and take one step at a time. I know it will take longer time before I can establish myself here, my life and my career.

Starting anew as a foreigner is so tiring at times. But I just have to look forward and think positively. With my husband with me, I know this journey and hardship would all be worth it.

*Sorry, am just so emotional these past few days... Then I saw this advertisement about a training opportunity at Heraeus, and it made me feel more eager to get a job. But first, I need to go back to my Sprachkurs and pass the exams.*

Warum Ramona Nerra muss weiter und weiter gehen??? Ich kann das nicht verstehen!!!

The Voice of Germany. At the beginning, their ad slogan says, "we search for someone who got it right (that is just my lose translation)." This is one reason why they have what they call, the blind audition, the coaches only listens to the auditionees and without seeing them physically, they choose the singer who they think fits their team. Thus, I got interested on this program. Most reality shows nowadays are so commercialized and I was in search of something new.

The Coaches. The coaches are award-winning  artists of their own genre, hence there is a big respect. However, I am not sure whether the technical systems send out bad signals to the tubes or the coaches have bad ears. There are great singers that were sent home for no one from the coaches wanted them, and those who only have the capability to sing, but not something worth any price, got in further. It started to make me  confused on what exactly are they looking for.

The Battle. After the blind audition, every contestant faces a battle against other singers on their team. The coaches choose six singers from their team to go on further. From hereon, I am going to speak about Ramona Nerra. She is one of the singers in Boss Hoss's team. She can sing, okay, but there are notes she cannot sing so well, she even gets out of tune at times. When she got in during the blind audition, I was surprised, but I did not give too much of a damn thinking she'll be out the next round. I and my husband were so excited when we found out that she will be battling against Cool Daddy, one of our favorited since the blind audition. However, we were wrong, Cool Daddy went home and this woman went further to the Live Shows. I started to say, "what happened there?" But I still chose to give this show a chance.

The First Live Show. Each singer are given their chance to shine and two singers go on further depending on the public's decision via phone call or SMS. Most of the singers I like went further since they got the most vote, and I was so happy to know most people share the same thought I have over these contestants. However though, the coaches will decide on the other two singers to go on their respective teams. If you're guessing what I will write next, yes, you are right, Ramona was one of the two singers Boss Hoss chose for their team. After this, I decided, I will just watch the episodes from Nena and Rea Garvey's teams, Boss Hoss decisions make me totally confused on what is their plan for their team, it seems like they want to be the biggest loser team in the history of The Voice worldwide.

The Second Live Show. Last Friday was the second live show for Boss Hoss and Xavier's teams. I did not watch it, I do not want to make my ears bleed from unworthy singers. I only watched the video upload when James Morrison sang with Xavier's team (thank God it was not with BossHoss's team). However, since I have subscribed on their FB andTwitter pages,I still was able to know who went further. By Xavier's team, I have big respect on Xavier, he knows what he needs and he did good, he wants to win against Nena and Rea. But then again, BossHoss's favorite went further. I don't have to say the name.

I really could not understand why this woman just keeps on going further on the contest. This made me lose my faith on finding a real reality show.

I hope though that this Friday's episode won't be frustrating, because I am a big fan from these two coaches, I hope they won't make decisions as confusing as the BossHoss's.

Winter Days

...and it's making me feel more lazy and weak... How I wish I get to do more other things than just here at home and doing the usual chores. I miss working and going to school at the same time...

Oh well, maybe am just feeling a bit homesick here, I know this too, shall pass. :-)

untitled

It took me a month before I get this updated, the reason: staying most of the time at home makes me lose all the ideas. There are times when I wake up and am filled with ideas, but there are household chores that I need to do first before hitting the keyboard. As a result, the ideas go out the wiindow as soon as I let fresh, winter air in.

Today is just one of those days mentioned. When I woke up, I saw tiny snow flakes falling. It has been two years since I last watched snow fall and it amazed me that lots of great ideas came into my mind. However, as soon as I went out of our room and greeted my husband a good morning, and he told me bad news about the Philippines today, all the thoughts were gone, just like how fast the snow melts on the still-warm-and-not-yet-ready earth, my thoughts melted as well. Hence, here I am, blogging non-sense a day before my birthday.

I wish I can write better on the next days.

Back in Hessen

After a day of me whining and demanding, he spent whole Sunday with me, no TVs nor computer games. We went for a walk at a lake by the next city: Kinzigtalsperre at Steinau. Interestingly, the famous Brother Grimm had also lived there, and their old house was turned into a museum along the Deutschmärchen Straße (tranlated as German Fairy Tales Street). Since we are already there, we also planned to make a little tour around the Steinau Castle and Brother Grimm's House, sadly, cameras are not allowed at the Brother Grimm's House Museum and the Steinau Museum, hence, the photos I got were only at the little museum at the castle, telling a little about the Brother Grimm as well, and their famous Marionette plays.

We were given one great weather!

This is the biking/ jogging path along the Kinzigtalsperre

Welcome to Schloss Steinau!

I wonder if it is still safe to drink from here

This is not a large canvas, but rather the old walls of Schloss Steinau

Jacob Grimm is so cute!!! 

The Grimm Brothers' job is really about dictionaries and grammar books, fairy tales are only their past time

                       

Aside from fairy tales, they also enjoy painting during their free time, and these are just one of their art works

The Brothers Grimm signature laser-carved by their other brother

Old Bible of Family Grimm

Ludwig's Reisetagebuch

Hand-painted carpet once used at the Schloss Steinau

 

 

 

Old stuffs in the Schloss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Marionette plays

And to conclude the tour:

The Frog Prince and I... :-D

The First Bayern Experience

I had been here in Deutschland for training about 3 years ago, and honestly, the only time that I could say I was in Bayern was when we made a short stop at a castle in Aschaffenburg (it was already dark to get a decent photo and the Weihnachstmarkt was not yet open) which lasted for only about 30 minutes. That is because it was just near the house of Frau Huth, and we just have to pick up some plants at a market on the way home. Therefore, this event was my first REAL Bayern tour.

Bamberg, according to their tourist book, is a city holding vast history of more than thousand years ago. They say it is a "historical stroke of luck", for it was amazing to find a city here in Germany where it seems like it was NEVER ravaged by the wars. It could be because the Almighty One had saved this city from turning into ruins due to the people's deep religious beliefs. It is fascinating to find that on six hills surrounding the main city, stands grandiose cathedrals and churches, of whose structures are as old as Bamberg can remember.

Sadly, we were only there for a day, I went there with some ex-colleagues from Emerson Manila and our boss and my hubby. However, no one can fund an overnight stay for the Emerson employees, hence, we have to squeeze in all that we can do in one day. The outcome was not bad at all, we went to only one hill, the Domberg, and strolled around the city center.

We all started at the Tourism Office of Bamberg. It was already quite a sight, for you can see towering Gothic  buildings behind the houses and buildings.

A few more steps and we were already at the old Rathaus. It was built right at the middle of the river to serve as a link between the new town and the old town.

These frescoes tell the rich history of Bamberg. The artist immortalized himself by creating a sculpture of his knee.

Over the bridge at the old town hall, you can see the old town, the old slaughterhouse and the old boat that transported the goods in and out of Bamberg. This part of Bamberg is also known as the "Little Venice."

White-water rafting? Yes, you can also do it here.

At almost all the buildings here, secular or not, you can find religious sculpture just like what I found behind me. It is an old restaurant (not a chapel!) beside the old town hall.

The first church we went to in Bamberg. Let the stamp below tell the history of this St. Martin Church.

Inside was so magnificent! With all the golds shimmering over old structures.

Church ceiling of St. Martin Church

Maximilliansbrünnen at Maximilliansplatz

And the new town hall is here, right around the Maximilliansplatz.

A closer look at the old Metzgerei (slaughter house), sadly, there is a construction ongoing, and this pipeline destroyed the view :(.

The old trading boat.

 More about the history of this part of Bamberg.

And now, the new boat traversing this river.

Empress St. Kunigunde. More about her here.

The Bamberger Dom at the Domberg. Here lies the remains of Pope Clement II, St. Cunigunde and her husband St. Henry. More of its history here.

The cathedral entrance for the commoners.

Simple, yet magnificent.

The mysterious horseman.

The cathedral's organ and the Baroque-ceiling

And now, the cathedral entrance for the noblemen.

The historical "Neue Residenz" (sorry, I cannot find something in English).

The old parking area. The place for horsemen and the cooks while the noblemen stay at the Neue Residenz.

The famous "Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier" of Bamberg. After drinking, you will "schlenkern". :-p

Yes, it's brewed in a cloister!

A Madonna on a residential building.

The "Gymnasium" from yesterday until today.

Me and U are planning to go back there, with other colleagues from Emerson, and this time, we are going to stay for a night or two to enjoy Bamberg more than ever. There are so many other places to see in Bamberg, yet our time is soooo limited! To learn more about Bamberg, you can read it here.