Happy Birthday Sis Raq

I would like to greet my dear Sister Raq in Las Vegas for her birthday today. I wish you all the best in life, more blessings to come, success, happiness and most of all good health always. May you have many many more birthdays to come. God bless and guide you always in all your undertakings!

WW: The Carnival Parade

One of the participants during the carnival parade in Velburg, Germany

Have a great Valentine's day

Enjoy your Valentine's Day!! this is my greetings to each and everyone!!

(Saint) Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the West, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. The day was originally a pagan festival that was renamed after two Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines". Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards. The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century Great Britain, and, in 1847, Esther Howland developed a successful business in her Worcester, Massachusetts home with hand-made Valentine cards based on British models. The popularity of Valentine cards in 19th-century America was a harbinger of the future commercialization of holidays in the United States.

The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend in average twice as much money as women. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day

Sinulog festival in Cebu

Today is the Sinulog celebration in Cebu City, Philippines. It is considered to be one of the grandest and famous festival in the Philippines. It is also known worldwide being visited by tourists coming from the different parts of the world. Above is a very lovely and colorful photo of Sinulog festival participants. How I wish to have a vacation in teh next Sinulog. Below is an info about Sinulog from Wikipedia.

The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Philippines. The festival honors the child Jesus, known as the Santo Niño (Holy Child), patron of the city of Cebu. It is a dance ritual that commemorates the Cebuano people's pagan origin, and their acceptance of Christianity.

The festival features a street parade with participants in bright-colored costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumpets, and native gongs. Smaller versions of the festival are held in various parts of the province, also to celebrate, and honor the Santo Niño. There is also a "Sinulog sa Kabataan", performed by the youths of Cebu a week before the grand parade.

Recently, the festival has been promoted as a tourist attraction, with a contest featuring contingents from various parts of the country. The Sinulog Contest is usually held in the Cebu City Sports Complex.

New Year's Party Blast!!

I want to award this food as the most beautifully decorated one. A fruit salad prepared by Ritchel. I guess this is her specialty now!! It was really yummy that I took home a lot..lol!! thanks for preparing it Ritc!! next time make it double..para mas marami ang BH...hehehe!!

Guten Abend!! a German word which means "good evening". I hope you had a great welcome for the New year! Yes we do! especially that tons of food were prepared again last New Year Day's party. Good friends gathered together to celebrate and to welcome 2009. As usual, Filipino, American and German friends were present during the wonderful and lovely party. What do you think if you see these delicious and superb food!! American specialties as well as Filipino and German delicacies were cooked and prepared to welcome the bountiful and prosperous New Year! Thanks to great friends who were present during the celebration. Special thanks to Ritchel and hubby for hosting again the party. An appreciation to Danna and hubby for sharing their special delicacies

A champagne was also toasted by everyone. Different drinks, wines, fruit punch, beer and even my long last favorite nine years ago, tequila was also shot!! I guess the ladies were tipsy after drinking a shot!! But it was truly a great fun!! thanks also to the singer/entertainer of the night named Lucil..and to everyone who contributed to the success of the New Years party, a great appreciation to all of us!! visit my other sites for more updates and photos!! here they are;
The WWW Addict, Euroangel Graffiti, Daily Nourishment and my other sites too!!

Special awards to best cook in 2009:
Ritchel and Hubby prepared ham, sort of pork curry with vegetables, pumpkin cake, fruit salad, crabs, fruit punch, fresh fruits, scallop potatoes..did I forgot something guys..let me know!

Danna and Hubby contributed Embutido and Lasagna
Maria's Hubby cooked a German delicacy called Gesnitzel I guess..some sort of pork with mushroom and cream

I also cooked menudo apritada, adobo, pancit bihon, pancit canton, baked fish with olive oil from Ritchel, some sort of chop suey and a newly invented pork with oeyster sauce, red pepper and onions.

I'm not sure if I forgot some recipes here..leave your comment guys if ever I forgot something..thanks in advance!!

Again I am wishing each and everyone success for this year, good health always and more blessings to come!! Have a Happy and Bountiful New Year to all!!

A Philippine specialty called adobo, prepared by yours truly..love this food especially back home..

Ritchel's hubby's family specialty recipe, the pumpkin cake which is written in their family's cookbook..I was surprised to see their cookbook...amazing work!!.. My husband love this too that I have to take home three slices last time!! wanna try one?? wink!!

The yummy Embutido prepared by Danna and hubby....I ate a lot of this since it has been a long time I haven't eat this... I guess I want to try this recipe next time..the look shows that this really taste good!! great job Danna!

Another Philippine Delicacy, pancit canton dressed with lots of vegetables and shrimps...Maria's favorite especially during her pregnancy..cooked by me!!

The most presentable food, Ham decorated with pineapple and cherries..courtesy of Ritchel and hubby..yummy again!! need some slices?

Jason's yummy food..this photo looks delicious..how much more if you eat!! love those vegetables..it's good for the body!!

the beautiful and lovely ladies taking a pose in front of the table..only the girls these time..the boys don't seems to be included...ooppsss..look at that handsome baby!! the star of the party!! wink!! That's Maria very cute baby boy!!

sorry again guys..don't know what comes to my mind that I always forgot to get the cover of those foods...guess, i forgot it everytime I see the other yummy foods!! these are the delicious foods during the party..

Don't forget to visit my other sites for more food photos and updates!! Cheers to all of us for a blessed and more successful 2009!!

NEW YEAR GREETINGS!!

HAVE A GREAT, WONDERFUL AND BOUNTIFUL 2009!! GOD BLESS US ALL!!

Great and Memorable Christmas Party

the new spice girls in action!!..wink!!

Happy Holidays! It was truly a great party and celebration last night. We were invited with some other old and new friends in a gathering. It was really an amazing one. The fun especially the karaoke, dancing, singing, kidding, laughing and the joy that you can see in everybody's face are simply overwhelming! Don't forget to mention the banquet of lots of food! This is always the best part of the party. Without food, it will never be as successful when the stomach is empty. I am happy to meet especially my old friends who are always trustful and loyal.

I guess I have to start mentioning the food here which is always the most interesting part. I really can't imagine the food that were prepared last night. I guess it was good for fifty people. Actually there were only around eleven people who attended the awesome party. Ritchel and hubby prepared a big Ham, roasted turkey (already sliced when served), mashed potato, its gravy, stuffing, the yummy crabs, sweet and sour shrimps (cooked by yours truly for the first time), punch juice, pumpkin pie, bread and butter, fruit salad and fresh fruits were also served. Danna prepared spaghetti, pancit and lumpia. Of course I also cooked my favorite recipes adobo, bola-bola with tomato sauce, cassava cake, potato salad, vegetable salad and the favorite of all, my specialty I guess menudo apritada..Oooppps, don't forget the rice. Wine and beer were also served. After drinking the girls kept on dancing with the hiphop music!! such an enjoyable moments!

A short prayer was led by yours truly before the eating started. I guess everyone was confused of what food to take first. Some tried a little bit of it so that they can have rooms in their stomach for all the food. There were really a lot of left-overs that everyone had to take home with them. It was really a great party that before it ended a group picture was taken. As usual camera timer was used again. The group picture turned out to be a perfect one! It was also funny because at least four cameras were set to timer that everyone don't know exactly where to look. At least, it was still a great shot!

This Christmas celebrated with friends was really full of memories which made it unique and truly wonderful. Thanks to old and new friends who had renewed a bonding in this gathering. There might be other gathering in the future but last night was just so incredible that everyone went home contented and happy. Most of all, thanks to our Great God who helped us made this gathering a successful one. His love and goodness are truly overflowing that we were blessed with good friends around.

This year was truly full of challenges and trials. Despite of it, God's blessings and graces are just so much that we had successfully overcome everything. We keep on hoping and praying that the next years to come will be a more successful one!~ God is truly great!!

p.s. feel free to visit my other sites for more photos!!

a pose in front of yummy food after eating!!

sorry forgot to open the food cover when taking pictures.. the table was so full that the other food were served in the kitchen...forget to take a photo of the food in the kitchen..

love that pumpkin pie and the punch fruit too!! how many glasses did I drunk?

checked attendance...and the present ones were....dadaaaannn!!....perfect and beautiful shot!!!

Filipino Xmas Party

I got every year a Christmas party invitation from a friend whom I first met here in Germany. In fact she had helped me a lot especially during my marriage. She is one of the great and good friends I have here. We seldom talk and meet each other but the warm of friendship is always there. Thanks a lot Chat for the invitation. Honestly this is the first time I attended this big Filipino Christmas party here in Germany due to some unavoidable circumstances. . Hundreds of people where there and they came from different parts of Germany. I might not know all these people but I am happy to see them enjoyed the party. I met some old friends to and chatted with them. Each and everyone was just busy meeting old acquaintances. There was a live band and good Filipino singers and entertainers which made this party a successful one. Special thanks to the organizers and people who helped and made this party a successful, joyful and memorable one!! Merry Christmas to all of you!! keep up the great job!!

some people dancing, singer, eating or simply enjoyed the memorable night here

Happy Thanksgiving day!!

Wishing all of you a happy and enjoyable Thanksgiving day especially to American friends!! God bless and more blessings to come!!

Thanksgiving in United States
www.wikipedia.org

Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, at the end of the harvest season, is an annual American Federal holiday to express thanks for one's material and spiritual possessions.

Most people celebrate by gathering at home with family or friends for a holiday feast. Though the holiday's origins can be traced to harvest festivals which have been celebrated in many cultures since ancient times, the American holiday has religious undertones related to the deliverance of the English settlers by Native Americans after the brutal winter at Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The period from Thanksgiving Day through New Year's Day often is called the holiday season.

Christmas is Almost Coming

How are you guys? I am still in United Kingdom at this moment. To all blogger friends who leave some comments and messages here, please bear with me as I just don't have enough time to visit you besides that I am only borrowing the computer of my friend. Hope you are all doing fine. As you know Christmas is almost coming. I know some still don't have gift ideas for their husbands, children, friends or anybody special to you. How about giving sports gifts to your sporty love ones this time! I just find it unique if you give them gift ideas like these! I won't stay long here..We are going to Cadbury Chocolate Factory today..that's what my friend told me!! I'll see you soon once I will be back to Germany..Have a great day to all!!

Halloween Time!

Halloween (or Hallowe’en) is aholiday celebrated on October 31. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting haunted attractions, carving jack-o'-lanterns, reading scary stories, and watching horror movies. Irish and Scottish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America in the nineteenth century. Other western countries embraced the holiday in the late twentieth century. Halloween is celebrated in several countries of the Western world, most commonly in the United States, Canada, Ireland, Puerto Rico, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, and at times in parts of New Zealand.

Five years of Togetherness

Five years being married!! Time is really running quickly. Imagine I am already married to my ex boyfriend? It is because he is my husband now! that's why I call him my ex boyfriend. I could still remember the first time I stepped in Germany, that was July 8, 2003. After all the papers were process, we got married on October 21, 2008. My first marriage and hoping to be the last in my life!! in God's will!! what else I am looking for!! I have a very wonderful, kind and very understanding husband. I really did not remember that we had a bad and big argument for 5 years of being together. I am happy with my married life..Life might not be perfect but at least, we succeeded in being together for 5 years.. and we both believed that we can do it until the end..It is just a matter of give and take..a matter of mutuality, love, understanding and respect. and I believed you will succeed in your married life too!!
After my husband' work, we decided to go out for dinner to one of my favorite restaurant in Velburg. It is a Greek restaurant and I really love the food there. ..(forget my diet again...who's on diet anyway!! hehehe!!) While waiting for our orders, we chatted with each other, the life and experiences that we had being together for more than five years..and we both said to each other..Success!! We keep on hoping and praying that God will give us more days in our lives to be together..My hubby even wished and mentioned another 50 years!! uy lola na jud ko ana!! Today is again a very memorable day!! Cheers!!

at the Akropilis Greek restaurant in Velburg
oooppppsss.see that yummy food too...It is very delicious...esp. the calamare!! love it!! sorry guys I'm not on diet with regards to food..hehehe!!

Beautiful Sunday Visiting Tillyfest in Breitenbrunn

showing how the people dressed and lived during the older times..this is how the Tillyfest is all about....remembering the older times!!

photo by Euroangel
participants of the Tillyfest in Breitenbrunn, Germany

I already woke-up so late today..Imagine waking up 11:30 AM. It is Sunday anyway and that's how we spend our weekend, sleeping to the max. Actually I can't sleep good last night. I spent reading a travel book until 3:00 AM and that's the reason why I woke-up so late. I immediately warmed-up the Schweinebraten (baked pork) I made yesterday. I put my home-made sauce in the baked pork and it really taste so good. It is one of my favorite German food. After we ate our lunch at 1:30 PM, we immediately got ready and headed to Breitenbrunn to witness the Tillyfest. The parade started at 2:00 P.M. and it started already as we arrived there. It is the first time, I watched the parade in this celebration which is always held here in Breitenbrunn every September.

We really have fun watching the feast. Today was really a beautiful.

To view more photos and infos about Tillyfest, please also visit my other sites. Thanks a lot!!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!! Just sharing some pix I took from the Feast!!

the beautiful and attractive designed customs of the participants

there she is wanting to ride this huge horses with carriage

Birthday Party

the gifts of Renate, my husband's cousin who had her 60th birthday yesterday Aug. 31, 2008....mind those birthday cards, they have something valuable in it!!
Happy Birthday Renate..wish you all the best in life and more birthdays to come!!

We attended yesterday the birthday of my husband's cousin in Nuernberg. That was a great day seeing again the relatives of my husband. We don't usually see each other unless there are parties or gatherings like birthday, wedding and the like.

I could still remember in January 2006 wherein I met the first time most of the the relatives of my husband and I could not still speak German. Nobody talks to me except for some relatives who speaks English. Now they wondered that I already speak very good German....that's according to them..wink!!

I'm also happy about it. Since I studied German language last Nov. 2006 until April 2007, passed the exam and now have my German citizenship, I am already happy about it.

I just wish everybody a very nice day today since it is the first day of September!! hope this month will be a better start for everyone!! just keep praying and hoping for everything you ask for!!

bye for now!! please visit my other sites for more updates!! thanks in advance!!
Simply The Best
The World Wide Web Addict
Euroangel Graffiti
My Daily Nourishment
My Euro Travel and Adventure
Euroangel's Exploring Germany
Travel and Discover USA
Blog Connections

Go Travel and See the World
Health Nutrition and My Kitchen
Nature's Beauty and My Garden


the table arrangement in Ramada Hotel in Nuernberg. that was quite great!!...I had a glass of Red wine yesterday!! what I love most are that orchid flowers on the middle of the tab;e..They are very beautiful!!

Olympic Games

I just want to share today about the topic Olympic Games..Since Olympic games is currently happening in China, I guess it is worthwhile knowing about it....This is coming from my beloved Wikipedia!!! Happy reading!! I have to sign-off early today...not feeling so good, it's my migraine again!!

Thanks for all your visit here!! have fun!!

The Olympic Games is an international multi-sport event. The original Olympic Games (Greek: Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες; [Olympiakoi Agones] (help·info)) were first recorded in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece, and were celebrated until AD 393. Interest in reviving the Olympic Games proper was first shown by the Greek poet and newspaper editor Panagiotis Soutsos in his poem "Dialogue of the Dead" in 1833.[3] Evangelos Zappas sponsored the first modern international Olympic Games in 1859. He paid for the refurbishment of the Panathenian Stadium for Olympic Games held there in 1870 and 1875. This was noted in newspapers and publications around the world including the London Review, which stated that "the Olympian Games, discontinued for centuries, have recently been revived! Here is strange news indeed ... the classical games of antiquity were revived near Athens."

The International Olympic Committee was founded in 1894 on the initiative of a French nobleman, Pierre Frédy, Baron de Coubertin. The IOC has become the heart of the "Olympic Movement," a conglomeration of sporting federations that are involved in the organization of the Games. As the Olympic Movement has grown so have the profile and complexity of the Games. Participation in the Games has increased to the point that nearly every nation on earth is represented. With the proliferation of satellite communications, the internet, and the continuing trend towards globalization, the Olympics are consistently gaining supporters.[5] This growth has created numerous challenges, including political boycotts, the use of performance enhancing medications, bribery of officials, and terrorism.

Despite these challenges the Olympics have continued to thrive and flourish. Each successive Games attempts to add more events in order to keep up with the ever-evolving advance of athletic expression around the world. The current games in Beijing comprise of 302 events in 28 sports.[6] The most recent Winter Olympics in 2006 featured 84 events in 7 sports.[7] While the Olympic Games do continue to evolve, they also encompass many rituals that were established during their infancy in the late 19th and early 20th century. Most of these traditions are on display during the Opening and Closing ceremonies, and the medal presentations. For its part, the Olympic Movement has made considerable progress in fostering participation among as many nations as wish to compete, as well as focusing on the Olympic motto: Citius Altius Fortius - Faster, Higher, Stronger.

Appreciation to All My Friends!!

I would like to thanks all my friends, former classmates/schoolmates and family especially in Friendster for all the greetings in my natal day!! Everything is really appreciated!!! Thanks for all your friendship!! I am really happy to have such friends like you!!

Please visit my other sites for more updates and appreciation from all my friends!!!Thanks a lot once again...I am really speechless!!! have a great day!!God bless us all!!

B-day Card from Robelyn (from Germany)...dae Rob..thanks a lot for your time and effort!!!tc all the time...regards to your family!!


FROM MY FORMER CLASSMATE IN COLLEGE AND MY KUMARE TOO..Mareng GERALYN...thanks a lot!!! ayo2 ka dira kanunay sa Canada!! mizyah...and all our "kabuang" back in the College days!!!

Burschenverein Feast in Hohenfels

Yesterday was the first time I witnessed the German Burschenverein Fest here in Hohenfels. "Bursch" a german word which means in English a boy, lad or a guy.. "Verein" on the other hand means society, group or organization.. To bring it together in my own word "Burschenverein" simply means Boys Society.

They had a parade yesterday as seen in the photos I got here. It was quite a long and fun parade. Perfect timing because they had the parade in the afternoon where the weather was getting better. It was raining during Sunday dawn till the morning here in Hohenfels. It is even getting quite cold especially as we went to the Feast tent duting the night.

Some neighboring places participated in the parade..to name a few are Burschenverein from Grossbissendorf, See, Teublitz, Breitenbrunn, Lengenfeld, Lupburg and a lot more..

You might think that German people are boring, but they are not!! They also love to have party especially feasts and carnivals all the time. They also want to have fun and good time just like me...

We stayed inside the feast tent until 8pm since my beloved husband have to wake up early today for his work. In short we had a great Sunday too here in Germany!!

that's all for now...will take a small break to do a bit household chores!! ..keep reading especially taking a look at my other sites for more updates!!

Sending the best for today to everyone!!

the famous "Lederhosen" (leader pants) of the Germans..worn especially during feast, carnivals, parties and other special occasions

lots of people inside the feast tent!! almost all people had great time yesterday..
never forget to drink the 1 liter beer inside a big mug...also try the tasty bratwurst, a German especialty sausage..

the beautiful "Festdamen", Feast ladies in their beautiful and attractive dresses

the band who played German music parade..
they also wore very colourful and attractive clothes.

another group of Festdamen..i love these dresses they wore yesterday!!

pix taken around 8pm where some people already went home since a lot will still be working today....besides lots got drunk already...time to rest and prepare for next day work..

Independence Day in US

In the United States, Independence Day (commonly known as the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, picnics, baseball games, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States, but is often also viewed as simply a summer festival, apart from its patriotic overtones.

wikipedia.org

May Day

May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to any of several public holidays. In many countries, May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour Day, which celebrates the social and economic achievements of the labor movement. As a day of celebration the holiday has ancient origins, and it can relate to many customs that have survived into modern times. Many of these customs are due to May Day being a cross-quarter day, meaning that it falls approximately halfway between an equinox and a solstice.

ORIGIN

The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian Europe, as in the Celtic celebration of Beltane, and the Walpurgis Night of the Germanic countries. Many pre-Christian indigenous celebrations were eventually banned or Christianized during the process of Christianization in Europe. As a result, a more secular version of the holiday continued to be observed in the schools and churches of Europe well into the 20th century. In this form, May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the Maypole and crowning of the Queen of the May. Today various Neopagan groups celebrate reconstructed (to varying degrees) versions of these customs on 1 May.

The day was a traditional summer holiday in many pre-Christian European pagan cultures. While February 1 was the first day of Spring, May 1 was the first day of summer; hence, the summer solstice on June 25 (now June 21) was Midsummer. In the Roman Catholic tradition, May is observed as Mary's month, and in these circles May Day is usually a celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In this connection, in works of art, school skits, and so forth, Mary's head will often be adorned with flowers. Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the giving of "May baskets," small baskets of sweets and/or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbors' doorsteps.

Traditional May Day celebrations

May Day marks the end of the uncomfortable winter half of the year in the Northern hemisphere, and it has traditionally been an occasion for popular and often raucous celebrations, regardless of the locally prevalent political or religious establishment. As Europe became Christianized the pagan holidays lost their religious character, They either morphed into popular secular celebrations, as with May Day, or were replaced by new Christian holidays as with Christmas, Easter, and All Saint's Day. In the start of the twenty-first century, many neopagans began reconstructing the old traditions and celebrating May Day as a pagan religious festival again.

visit The World Wide Web Addict for more infos about May Day which is also known as International Labour/Workers Day

source: wikipedia.org

A Valentine Quote

Love has no desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires;
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

-Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet