Our dream…

Two years ago, I wrote about our purchased housing lot in Villa de Mercedes, in Catigan,Toril, Davao City. The place is supposed to be our Refugium or the place where we want to retire later. We consider ourselves lucky to have acquired the lot as Euro exchange rate was still high. To date, the price per square meter has doubled and may double again.

Hopes…dying!

The economy here in Germany is getting worst. Everything is getting expensive and everything is increasing its price, and jobs are paid lower and lower every year. And taxes getting higher and insurance premiums going up. Summa summarum (altogether) what’s left is only enough to pay the bills and for food and further than that…no more. At the end of the month, there’s absolutely nothing left to save for rainy days or for retirement. This is the reason why I said “hopes dying” because I see no financial improvement in the future. It’s a nightmare! Fact is, gobyerno nalang ang nakikinabang sa kinikita ng mga ordinary citizens like me. Ang nakakatakot pa diyan, everytime na kinukulang ang Haushaltsetat (municipal budget) ng government, bagong tax gimik kaagad ang kanilang naiisip. Like last year, they decided to increase VAT from 16 to 19% and it started this year. Para pantakip daw ito sa gaping hole ng Staatskasse (treasury). They were successful indeed…they got more than 3 billions surplus just within 10 months. Ang masaklap, sa halip na pag-uusapan ng mga honghang na politicians kong ano ang dapat paglalaanan ng pera…nag-aaway sila. Pagkatapos ng napakahabang debate…sa bandang huli ay nagkaisa din sila. Nagkaisa silang taasan ang kanilang sahod.

Oh before I forget, the government advised the younger citizens to get an additional private pension fund aside from the public retirement insurance. They said that the staatliche Rente (public or state pension) (we are paying for this monthly) will be insufficient in the future. Great huh? From hand to mouth na nga lang ang net income mo dahil sa dinadami nang social security contributions deductions. Tapos at the end wala ka rin palang makukuha doon sa binabayaran mo pagdating ng panahon. How inspiring and reassuring. Tongue-in-cheek!

To make the long story short :) ang kasalukuyang sitwasyon dito sa Germany ay halos para na ring sa Pilipinas. So, kong iisipin, bakit ko kailangang magpakagagang magtiis sa lamig at hopeless na sitwasyon dito kong maari din naman akong magtiis sa kaunting halagang aking kikitain sa mainit na lugar? Gets niyo ba sinabi ko? Mahirap i-explain pero I hope you get the message (hehehe).

Goodbye Deutschland!

More than 100,000 Germans emigrate annually, and it’s only the beginning…kabilang na kami dito very soon!

Balik Tayo Sa Tsapter Ng “DREAMS”

The land developer sent us an update of their house models. May lima silang bago ngayon and oh my gosh, they are so nice and sooooo expensive. Siyempre noh, bawat model may swimming pool at kong anek-anek pang paek-ek.

Papa G and I ay biglang natunganga ng makita namin ang illustrasyon ng mga modelong bahay. At lalo kaming napanganga ng makita namin ang presyo. Dahil di kaya ng aming pocket…we settled for something smaller and affordable.

Ito ngayon ang aming dream house… (more…)

Have you travelled to some cultural places in Europe? Not yet? Well then, it’s about time for you guys to explore the imperial cities of Europe like Budapest, Praque, Vienna and Berlin. The cities I mentioned are the four beautiful and historic Central European Capitals. These cities offers absolutely everything a traveller may want, culture, history, fun, hostels galore, luxury 5 star resorts, nightlife, scenery and many more.The list is endless. Due to Europe’s astronomical land mass, ultimate cultural diversity and density, Europe is difficult to sum up in a few words. So therefore, let me narrow down my list to two wonderful cities namely Berlin and Vienna.

Let’s start with Berlin - the capital city of Germany. The lively city of Berlin blends historic charm with contemporary flair. The place features both historic and modern city highlights such as the Gendarmenmarkt, the Charlottenburg Palace (Berlin’s most beautiful plaza), the Brandenburg Gate, the symbolic site of the German division, the Olympic Stadium and many many more. The cultural attractions include theaters and museums. With the range and quantity of restaurants on offer, eating out is a delight. The Tiergarten is Berlin’s central park and covers an area of more than 630 acres. This is an ideal place to recharge. For your accommodation, Hotels in Berlin offers accommodation from every category. From budget rates to 5 star luxury standard hotel. Even accommodation in the lower-price classes has to meet certain standards, with compliance being monitored by the authorities, and so, at all events, a minimum degree of comfort can be expected. I strongly recommend Hotels in Berlin to book your holiday accommodation.

Our next and last itinerary is Vienna. One of the great capital cities of Europe, Vienna has been home to the rulers of the Austria-Hungarian Empire and masters of classical music. History, art and beauty oozes from every street corner and alley way. Discover St. Stephen’s Cathedral, enjoy the Vienna Woods, or a just stroll through the narrow lanes of this unforgettable city. Walk in the footsteps of the Habsburgs, visit the splendid baroque Schönbrunn and Belvedere Palaces, or stroll along the magnificent Ring Boulevard and take a look at the heart of the former vast Habsburg empire, the Imperial Palace. Get a sense of the luster and glory of the old empire by visiting St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Spanish Riding School, the Giant Ferris Wheel at the Prater, as well as the sarcophagi in the Imperial Vault. Vienna has more to offer…whether it’s the trendy scene or athletic action, wooded leisure oases or great beaches, whether you want to get married in Vienna or visit the city with your family, discover the city on a bicycle, or enjoy a wellness program – you are certain to find what you are looking for in this multi-faceted city. Have I made you curious? Discover more and visit the place. For your accommodation Hotels in Vienna offers accommodation to suit your taste and pocket. I highly suggest you book your accommodation online in Hotels in Vienna. Lowest price guaranteed, I swear :)

Tag 3

Itong tag na to ay nagmula sa isang serenang nakatira sa Munich. Sori madlang pipol and sorry to the original author of this tag but I wanna dudadaa write my version in my language which is “Kauderwlesch”.

Hope you don’t mind at all, but if you do mind it…mahala na kayo sa muay niyo.

According to Cheh:
The very purpose of this assignment is to find out what a person looks like and gives you (readers) a better insight & gives you chance to actually see who’s writing to you.

David Airey says:
Putting a face to the name of someone you haven’t met helps recognition and adds a more personal feel to your conversations. What photograph shows you in a light we don’t often see through your blog?

NOW IT’S MY TURN

It’s my turn to see what I can see, I hope you’ll understand this time’s just for me because it’s my turn…la la la lala…

Gusto ko nalang sanang kumanta dahil para sa akin, there is no need to describe myself since you all know me already, diba? Hindi ko na kailangan pang sabihin sa inyo kong saang sulok ng mundo ako galing at saang lufalof ako ifinadfad ng aking kafararan. Hindi ko na kailangan pang sabihin sa inyo na ako ay super ganda dahil sa picture ko sa baba, kitang-kita niyo na (araaaay, huwag niyo kong irapan). Kakatapos ko lang sumulat ng tungkol sa sarili ko so it should be enough actually. :thinking

Opps! Teka teka paki tabi po ng dyip mama, nagbago ang isip ko makalipas ang ilang sekundo. O sige na nga isulat ko nalang…pero maigsi lang ha? temang talaga ano?

DA PIS OP A BISDAK LUKARET DRAG QUEEN

My name is Bond ah este Beng. I’m a queen - a (not so genuine) drag queen from Davao City - I’m bisdak/bisaya (soo proud of it) at kong ano-ano pang tawag nila diyan sa aming mga tega south. I espik bisaya (siyempre) and op kurs tagawog, then litol Hilonggo, litol Ilocano, beri litol inglis pero ay espik beri flwint aleman.

I studied Business Management in Siena College, Quezon City and I got married to a German Frog Prince after I graduated in 1983…blah blah blah. Yadda yadda yadaaah tralala.

The first Frog Prince became so malabo after several years of their marriage. The drag queen got extremely pissed, so she sent Frog Prince into the desert. Few years later, drag queen met a manggagamot na knight with his not really shining armour. After a short moment of pakunwaring pakipot, they finally decided to get married. And now, they live happily ever after…

Ang parteng “KNIGHT WITH HIS NOT REALLY SHINING ARMOUR” ay may karugtong. Scart tagged me three times and the one I’m going to comply next is a wonderful meme about “the better half”. Knight With His Not Really Shining Armour would be the title :). Abangan ang susunod na kabanata…

This tag ends here!

Hmm, let me think…mukha yatang may tag na ako noon na ganito pero iba nga lang ang title. I-link ko nalang sana yon pero di ko talaga mahanap. Yahaha, wala din akong lusot kay Scart :). Oh misis Scart ito na, ipagladlaran ko na sa madla ang truth and nothing but truth about me.

1. Ambisyosa - noon pa noh! May mga nagsabi sa akin noon at kahit ngayon na super daw ako kong mangambisyon. Whew! It is sometimes difficult for me to figure out whether they mean it negatively or positively, but hey…do I really care what they think? No! Wala akong nakitang mali sa pagiging pagka ambisyosa ko and tell you what nakayanan kong abutin ito. Hindi nga lang lahat but most. Take note, second secret to success daw is being ambitious. Kasi, highly ambitious people daw envision a long-term goal that guides their daily work. They see a connection between what they’re doing right
   now and where they want to be in the future. Gets?
2. Maluho - iniiri palang ako ng Mama ko maluho na ako (kapitt kayo at mahangin). Ahm, sa tutuo lang ako ang panganay sa aming magkakapatid. Sabi ni mader ko, noong time daw na ako palang ang anak nila spoiled daw ako. Ang disadvantage naman nito, noong nagsilitawan na silang mga kapatid ko…kinakailangan ko nang isakripisyo ang mga gusto ko. Dahil dapat ko raw munang pagbigyan ang mga nakakabata kong mga kapatid. Nang magkaedad na ako, dito na talaga bumuwelo ang aking pagkamaluho. Buti nalang accepted ng aking jowa ang aking pagkaganyan. One time nagshopping kami, matapos kong bayaran ang mga pinamili ko nagbitaw siya ng comment na: “Du bist wirklich eine sehr teure Frau.” Ang ibig niyang sabihin sa tagalog “Napakamahal mo talagang babae.” Sagot ko sa kanya: “Aba darling, mas mahal ako kong magdivorce tayo.” Oy ha, kayong mga nagbabasa diyan. Don’t think anything bad about our conversation, madalas kaming ganyan kong mag-usap. So take it with the famous ‘english humor’, or better to say…don’t take it so seriously.
3. Bakleta - high school pa ako ang hilig ko na talaga na umastang bakla. Papaanong hindi magkaganun eh mga kabarkada ko ay puro bakla. Why bakit warum? Haay naku ewan ko nga ba, pero mas malapit sila sa puso ko. I like them as friends dahil tunay silang kaibigan. Then wala yong inggitan at rivalry, they have broad shoulders to lean on and open ears to listen sa mga atsutsu mo sa puso. Sa madaling salita sa mga orig na bading ko natagpuan ang real meaning ng friendship noon. Kaya ako nag stick sa kanila, at kaya din ako naging bakleta…nahawaan nila akesh. Ay ano ba itetsh! My sister told me na mas bakla pa daw ako sa talagang bakla. Hmmp, inggit ka lang.

(more…)

I am now fulfilling my promise to answer the tags I got before and during my hiatus. Let me start with Marie’s tag which title is My Workplace.

I am supposed to just add a picture but I however want to write some words along with it to give you an idea why I have two places to work.

The image below is showing you my old desk in the corner of our livingroom. It was my favorite place to work most specially when all other members of the family were away (work, school and kindergarten). That time, design orders were infrequent, so it really didn’t bother me at all if kids were running around and or when tv was on. I simply did the graphic works at day time and continue with the codings late at night when everyone were sound asleep.

The situation has changed right after my continuing education. Family guests come and go since June, and web design orders flew in. It was not easy for me then because I was committed to keep my working pace in order to meet the deadlines. I therefore had no choice than to continue working even if guests were around. The noise of my surroundings became unbearable and the pressure of my work made me explode. The situation has made me insistent on having a proper work place. A place where I can withdraw myself when I feel like and most of all, work without any interruption. I am glad that hubby understand my point. The next day, he bought me an L form office desk and a leather executive chair. Then we re-modelled the spare room we have downstairs that he was using as his archive…into my office :).

My desk upstairs still exist and I’m still using it everyday when little Gillian is back for lunch break.

[WINDOWSMEDIA http://www.lukaret.com/wp-content/videos/anniversary_0001.wmv 320 257 true false]
My hiatus officially ended today. Hindi na kasi makapagpigil kaya heto apir na ulit ako dito. Honestyl speaking, I am almost done with my work na kaya pwede na akong magliwaliw.

By the way, sa mga nagtag pala sa akin, I’ll do my assignment after this post. Either isa-isa or baka pwede ko na ring pagsabayin para di gaanong marami. I think I have 5 tags waiting on the line (ngehehehe).

And before I forget, the movie clip above was taken by my hubby. Yesterday was our wedding anniversary and as present, he bought me a mini digital camera it is JVC GZ-MC100. As you see, siya ang nagregalo siya rin ang bumwelong gumamit nito :).

Hmmn, I might use this camera sa naisip kong pakuwela next time.

P.S
Maraming salamat ulit sa inyong walang pagod na pagdalaw dito kahit nasa likod na ako. Buraot!!! Ito ha, bukas na ang tindahan ko.