Sunday 28 August 2011

Italian Sojourn August 2011











Bella Italia!
This time with one of my BFFs and her daughter and a quasi
last minute travel planning. I paid for my Cologne-Milano
Europa-Spezial with reservation for 103.50Euro. Check especial
offers by Die Bahn but you need at least three days before
the actual travelling day. We left Cologne at 10.53, reached
Zuerich at 5pm to get our connection to Milano. We reached Milano
at about 9.10pm with some 20 minutes delay.
Our Travel Schedule:
August. 18 - Travel to Milano, Overnight Milano
August 19 - Travel to Padova, visit to St. Anthony
overnight with Cecil S. in Padova. We were instantly
invited to join an instant party of Pinays with adobo,
sinigang na baboy and pasta with crabs and ube cake.
August 20 - Tour of Venice...what a hot day!
August 21 - Travel to Rome - Vatican City overnight in 3-star Hotel
for 120 Euro for three persons. Air-conditioning was super!
Check Euro Star Italia for special free ride for children
below the age of 12 travelling with parents. Could be
a real treat.
August 22 - Tour of Rome with the Hop on - Hop off for
20Euro per adult. Also especial treat for children but
be sure you have hats and fans as Rome is unbearable in the
month of August. Compare offers of the different tours before
booking. Other Hop on-Hop off companies include night
tours, a bit more expensive but you see more.
August 23 - Train travel to Pisa...ah what tourists do to get
photos of the leaning tower.
One hour train to Firenze to see David,ate expensive ice cream
and then took the train back to our hotel in Milano.
August 24 - tour of Milano's Duomo and the shopping alley
but stayed inside hotel as heat was getting unbearable.
We were also just feeling sooooooooooo exhausted.
August 25 - took our booked train back to Alemanya
and we reached Cologne at 7.25 pm hungry for German food!
We would like to return soon to Bella Italia but maybe
not during the hot days of August.
Buona Giornata!




Sunday 14 August 2011

Meet, Eat and Learn








My status says in my other site says:"Have a Meet and Eat date with
my Muslim girlfriend today at 17:00. Looking at the how to get to
her place sketch, I think it will be just about 20.39 when I reach
her flat...sunset in Germany. We can eat.”
The delay of the train gave me a plus point.I managed to be just on
the time she wanted us to be in her apartment. Was ahead of the other
women and had time to try on some batik loose blouses from
Indonesia left to her by her friend.
Then our starters of sliced baguettes with German red cherries and
American yellow cheeries which we easily finished with sparkling wine
brought by another woman guest to post celebrate her birthday.
Weather was grey looking like the sun has set early that day.
Kani informed us that she could break her fast as she was not feeling
well so my fear of getting the first bite only after 8.30pm that day
was unfounded.
Soon she was calling us to her kitchen/dining room and surprised us
with a festive serving of Nasih kuning or yellow rice with
accompaniments of rendang ayam (chicken rendang,) semur or beef
cooked in soya sauce, serundeng (roasted spicy coconut) gado-gado,
steamed vegetables with peanut sauce and krupuk - prawn crisps.
For our dessert: Sweet potatoes and bananas cooked in coconut milk
and Rujak, mixture of tropical fruits i.e. mangoes, pineapples,
carambola (balimbing) sprinkled with grounded peanuts and drizzled
with spicy tamarind sauce.
Between our bites and second servings, we talked about Indonesian
languages, rituals in Bali, about the existing caste system in
Indonesia and the status of homosexuals in Germany and in the home
countries of the invited guests.
Kani even patiently taught each one of us how to weave pandan leaves
used as decoration for the offerings to the different gods and spirits.
And as especial treat, every woman brought home a doggie bag of her
festive meal. What a thoughtful hostess. I asked her what she would
be doing and cooking at the end of Ramadan. Sneaky me!
Terimah Kasih, Kani! Salamat! Danke! Thank You!

Pinay von Alemanya


Sunday 7 August 2011

Big Treat from Rose of NL










Good that I responded to her message and we settled to meet up.
I cancelled my planned trip to see the Gay Parade in Amsterdam
as weather report showed "Precipitation 70%." It rained heavily
too in Rotterdam but we found our way through the weekend
market buying cherries, cheese and dates. She suggested
a restaurant named Amigo especializing in Mexican food. She said
it would be her treat. Ay! Talagang Hospitality Ala Pinay.
And what a treat! Thanks a lot. I will always associate this
restaurant Amigo with my Amiga Rose...Hasta Luego!

Friday 5 August 2011

Instant Lunch-Within the Budget


Every seasoned traveller knows it...how to live on within the
planned budget for the day. In my case, it was just an incident
that I saw this chicken shop while searching for an Indian shirt
in this multicultural part of Rotterdam. So I thought why not try
itm and instantly I thought of my friend Min who goes crazy
looking for the Colonel when she visits me. We don't have this
chicken shop in our city but instead a rolling chicken on grills
comes every Thursday but for her it's the Colonel's or nothing
at all.
I took this 3 piece Box menu costing 8.45Euro.
Converted into the current rate, it is roughly 508.83pesos.
It was filling I should say but too big for an Asian woman's
stomach. I found the coleslaw not so tasting like what I
expected and the chicken...well crumbly but not that especial.
I still would prefer the especial fried chicken of my friend
Yvonne...she should be called General and not just Colonel for
making her own version of crusty, delicious fried chicken.
Hope she reads this blog and make me a fried chicken when
we do our Meet and Eat day.

Monday 1 August 2011

Buwan ng Agosto, Buwan ng Wikang Filipino


(Source:internet)

Buwan ng Wikang Filipino. Unang araw pa lang ng Agosto, nagsimulang
sumikat ang araw. Mga tatlong linggong halos di nakita ang araw.
Walang tigil ang ulan. Panahon ng tag-lamig sa kainitan.

Mahirap din magsulat sa sarileng wika. Ang pagiisip ay halo-halong
salitang banyaga.
Di ko alam para bang ako'y nagsusulat ng tula
Lahat ng salita ay parang inuugma (wow ang lalim)

Anong gagawin sa unang araw ng Agosto
Nasanay na yata ako sa lamig at ayaw na sa init.

Pinagmamasdan mula sa bintana
mga nagdadaang tao may dala-dalang kundi aso ay bata
pero mas maraming may dalang tuta.

Ang summer job ko ay gumawa ng libro
Sa pagaaral ng wikang Filipino
Ang mga pahinang di pa napupuno
malibang sa Ano pong pangalan ninyo.

Ay buwan ng Agosto
Huwag kang masyadong iinit
Sapagkat ako'y sanay sa lamig.

Kaunting ulan hiling ko sa yo
Para sa aking mga tanim na self-supporting
Kaunting init laban sa depression
Kaunting hangin parang de abaniko
Habang naglalakad o nagshoshoping
Para di uminit ang ulo
sa taas ng mga presyo.

Tapos na muna dito ang blogging
Kontrata ng trabaho
Ay dapat isipin.
Susunod na pahina,
Kumusta po kayo
Mabuti naman
Anong Status ninyo?