12 Things To Do This Year

Since this is the start of the year, aside from my new year's resolutions, I also wanted to make a list of things that will make my 2018 special. I've been here in Germany for five months already and I feel like I haven't really explored much this very own city that I live in. So, the plan is to make or do something new every month.

Here's it is (in no particular order):

1. Join a city tour and learn a thing or two about Cologne
2. Visit a museum (or several museums) and immerse myself in art and/or history
3. Watch a musical (preferably in English)
4. Watch a German movie
5. Watch a live concert of my favorite artist/s
6. Eat in a restaurant serving German cuisine
7. Join a sports activity
8. Enroll in a German language course
9. Go to a vineyard
10. *still thinking of what to put here*
11. *still thinking of what to put here*
12. *still thinking of what to put here*

P.S. Will update this once I have some ideas for numbers 10 to 12.

-Day 1 done for my social media fasting. Been checking my phone from time to time but there's really no notifications to check. Let's see how far I will go.

-Also, another big goal for me this year is to pay off my credit card debt, the target time being the first quarter of this year. I'm hoping to welcome the spring season debt-free.

Life Updates and Social Media Fasting

I have always wanted to change/update the layout of my blog but I never got the chance to do it...until yesterday. Surprisingly, Blogger has new themes (though I feel like they've been here for quite a while now, I just hadn't explored them). I actually wanted to get a customized theme from the sellers out there but for now, I'm fine with this Blogger theme.

Anyway, on other life updates - Someone just turned 31 three days ago! Thirty one!!! I, actually, don't know how to react. It was just a normal day at work. I only told my birthday to one person in the lab. It was also hidden from facebook but there were a few who greeted me on my wall and in messenger. In the afternoon, it was nice to find a muffin with a birthday candle on my table. Apparently, the only person who knew it bought it and told two of my colleagues. They greeted me a happy birthday, I get to make a wish and blow the candle, and we talked about getting old/being matured.

So to start with my resolutions with regards to spending less time on social media, last night I deactivated my facebook and instagram and left another app. I also uninstalled them in my phone just so I wouldn't be tempted to login in them again. These are all, of course, just temporary. I just wanted to feel what it is like living without them, like the way life used to be, because sometimes it can be suffocating. And I also just want to just focus on more important matters (e.g. writing my project proposal) and basically, just to declutter my life. Let's just say I am currently having a social media fasting.

Here's a TED talk discussing the things, social media-wise, that I am aiming for this year. So if you're also interested, have a look and maybe you'll also get inspired.

And another goal is to write more here. 2017 got the all-time low in the number of blog entries so I'm hoping I get to do a better job this year.☺

Resolutions for 2018

Hello 2018! You've come so fast and it's already the 3rd day of the year!!!

Just dropping by to share my resolutions for this year.

Disclaimer: These things may sound easy and very basic but I feel like I've been neglecting them for such a long time already.

Now that I'm getting older, I really want to focus on living a healthy lifestyle.

• Drink 2 Li of water everyday
• Be mindful of proper posture (eg. sit up and stand up straight)
• Have 7 to 8 hours of sleep everyday
• Cook healthy meals more often

• Spend less time facebooking and instagramming...but
• Blog more (compared to 2017)

• Meet new people in person and make friends
• Spend less and save more
• Be organized
• Avoid procrastination and cramming

 Hoping that we all have a wonderful and blessed new year! 

Images from here

Hamburg

Hello again! So, while waiting for New Year's Eve, which is just 3 hours away, I want to make use of my time now to write some more here. Bawi bawi rin pag may time! =)

The day after Christmas, me and my friend went to Hamburg. It was my first time and it's nice to be able to see a new city in Germany. It's vibe is a lot different from Cologne. The buildings are bigger and taller and the roads, wider. But then again, each city has its own charm.

What I love here in Europe are the architectural designs of old buildings and how well-preserved they are. Just look at the building pictured below, the Hamburg Rathaus (City Hall). It looks so good from afar but the details are especially captivating when you're nearer.

We joined a two-hour walking tour discussing the history of Hamburg. Even though it was a bit rainy and the wind was blowing strong (since Hamburg is a port city, its location is near the open waters), it was all worth it listening and learning some historical events that happened in Hamburg.

The inside of St. Michael's church is stunning! The white and gold colors brightens the surroundings. It's not very big and I think the size is perfect for an intimate wedding. There's even a big organ opposite the altar.

After the tour, me and my friend met up with a fellow Filipino scholar. The three of us came from the same university. The two of them were batchmates and I'm a year older than them. We had lunch in a cafe and talked about our experiences. And it's really nice to hear something new or a different way of dealing with things because it widens your perspective in life.

First Christmas in Germany

I hope you had a wonderful time spending the holidays with your loved ones. As for me, I know this is late, but let me share how my first Christmas here in Germany went.

On the 24th, I traveled to Oldenburg, a quaint city in the northern part of Germany, where I'd be spending the next coming days visiting a friend and nearby places. The travel time from Cologne to Oldenburg is approximately 4 and a half hours by train (including a 37-minute waiting and change of train in Bremen). I arrived at 4:30 pm but it's already starting to get dark. Since the time in Philippines is several hours ahead of Germany, we spent time chatting with our own families online before having dinner. For our Christmas dinner, she prepared spaghetti and lumpiang shanghai. It's just a simple celebration. We also had an exchange gift and I got some comfy/warm socks and a candle, which is perfect because it gets really cold in my apartment.

Christmas day was spent just eating and staying in the apartment. But late in the afternoon, we decided to get out and breathe some fresh air. We just walked from her apartment to the city center. On the way, we passed by a cemetery and decided to have a look at it. How ironic that it's Christmas and we're in a cemetery but my heart melted when I saw people visiting the graves of their loved ones. I also noticed that there were candles and fresh flowers in many of the graves, which just shows that the love for our departed family members and friends never ends, even after they are long gone.

We, then, passed by several houses and apartments. What I like about Oldenburg is that the buildings are separate from one another. The houses have big lawns and gardens. It's refreshing to see a sight like that because Cologne can be a bit crowded and rarely do you see apartments with gardens. Upon arriving in the city center, we're lucky to find an open cafe. Yes, it is open on Christmas day! It's cozy and warm and it's just nice to sit there with a cup of macchiato. After keeping warm, we had our energy back and walked around the shops and, snapped some photos.

At the end of the day, I realized that nothing beats spending Christmas with family but I'm also thankful that even though I'm in a foreign country, I was still able to spend it with someone.

Moments in 2017: A Reflection

Again, I have to say this, "Time flies!" I guess when one gets older, time suddenly passes by fast compared to when one was still a child. And look where we are now! Hello December! It's only a month before the year ends and I just want to take this moment to reflect on what my 2017 was/is all about.

This year has brought me to the happiest and saddest moments of my life.

I'll start with the saddest first. Saddest, because my grandmother passed away. I still remember that faithful day of  the 18th of April. It was about 5:30 am and I was preparing for the day when my phone rang. At first, I thought it was my alarm but then it was a call from my mom. She told me what happened and right at that moment, tears started flooding my eyes. We know my Lola is in a bad condition, we know that she's dying but you still cannot be prepared when that moment, death, actually happens. Up to this day, I still have thoughts of What if I traveled a day before instead of planning to go home on Friday, then maybe I will be by my Lola's side during her last breath? There is still guilt in me that I haven't done the right thing. When my brother told me the details of Lola's last moments, it's as if it's happening in front of me. He's a nurse so he knows what's happening and what's coming next. And now that I think of it, if I was there, I wouldn't be able to handle the situation in a calm way. I'm a very emotional person (though I rarely let others see what I truly feel) so I can just imagine the panic and drastic feelings I'll be having if I was there. But then again, I still wish I was there. I was hoping that my Lola would still get through it, that she'll be healed and get back to normal because I don't want her to die with a frail body. I don't want her to die suffering. I want her to die happy and in peace. But God has better plans than mine. In the end, what's important is that she's now with the Lord. I just hope she's looking at me now from the heavens. On a lighter note, I also hope that she's whispering to God my heart's desires.

Taken last February at the wedding of one of her grandchildren.
I really love the way she looks here. She seems very happy.

Happiest, because my dream of pursuing a PhD has finally become a reality. And I just couldn't ask for a better place than where God has put me now. I will always, always be grateful for this opportunity. Getting here was never easy but it's all worth it. I applied to a lot, and I mean really a lot, of graduate programs back in 2016. Then, I saw a scholarship announcement in January this year. I sent my application and, fortunately, I was one of the candidates who get into the interview stage, then another interview, and finally I get the acceptance letter. It was fast getting my visa but acquiring the exit clearance was a different kind of level. It was a nightmare, with all the bureaucratic and very slow processing of papers. I've never been so stressed and angry in my life than that. Two days before my flight, that's the only time I got my exit clearance. Anyway, as they say, all's well that ends well.

So, that probably sums up my 2017. We still have a month so let's see if there are still some surprises.

P.S. Oh, speaking of surprises, the other day I got a [bad] surprise. I got into my first bike accident here in Germany. I was in a hurry that morning and was supposed to transfer from the road to the sidewalk/bike lane but I haven't noticed the level was a bit high and the road was wet, my tire didn't get through and then, everything was a mess. I fell face down on the cement. Got some wounds and bruises in my face, a bleeding mouth, a loosened front tooth, and a big wound in my right knee. And a day before that, I got bitten by a mouse while in training. Life is certainly full of surprises! Huhu!

500 Days of (Summer) Autumn

It's been a long time... I've always wanted to update my blog but it seems that I also always find ways/reasons to not write (e.g. tired already after a long day of work I'd rather sleep or just spend more time browsing in Instagram and Facebook). But now, I do hope to get back in track, even if it's just at least one post per month.

So let's get this going!

I spent the weekend in the quaint and lovely city of Oldenburg, situated in the northern part of Germany. This is probably one of my most memorable moments here in Germany so far because 

     1)it's my first solo travel out of Cologne (a.k.a. home base);

     2) I visited a dear friend (who's a former colleague and a fellow Master's student back in South 

         Korea).

I have to say I'm in love with Oldenburg. It's funny because when I told that to my friend, this was her reply, "That's what you also said about Cologne!" Haha! Yeah, she's right. Or maybe, it's safe to say that I'm in love with Germany.

Okay, but why do I love thee?

Let me count the ways.

First up, because Oldenburg is so clean and peaceful. Even while we were at the city center, it has still a small town vibe for me, which I really like. And the park where we went, where all these photos were taken...it is just so beautiful!

I will always prefer nature than the city. Will always stare in wonder in trees and lakes and beaches than skyscrapers. This huge tree for example, just look at that golden foliage! It's magical and tranquil at the same time. Nature really has a way to captivate one's heart.

For the second and third reasons, I'll just reserve them in my next post because it's already 12:41 AM in this side of the world.

Oh, also, autumn is here and I couldn't be any happier!♥

Good night! Guten abend!

On Motherhood and Backup Plans

I just have to write it now, lest I forget. So today, I experienced the sweetest moment here in Germany so far. As I was putting my bags in the taxi, a little boy, maybe 3 or 4 years old with a bandage on one of his eyes, came near me and said Hallo. His mother was behind him. And I also said Hallo (which was kind of high-pitched, which I hoped doesn't sound weird). He was so cute and sweet he even went nearer but I was already seated in the taxi. As I was about to close the door, he pushed it and closed it for me. Seriously, I wanted hug and kiss him. And then, in a nearby bench, the mother and son took a seat and as I was there, inside the taxi, watching them, I realized I wanted to also have a moment like that. I wanted to, one day, walk with my future son or daughter, and just sit on a bench when he or she is already tired, and just enjoy every second of being with him or her.

In my younger years, I haven't really thought much about being a mother. But now that I'm a thirty-year old adult grown up, motherhood is something that I'm starting to dream about. To be honest, I never thought this day would come. My dreams used to revolve around two things: having a successful career and meeting the love of my life. Marriage and family only comes after that. Now, as I'm climbing the career ladder, I have to say I don't really know if I'll ever meet the right man but one thing's for sure, I don't want to put motherhood on hold forever. So I'll just continue and focus on my work and save, and I am giving myself an ultimatum, which is - By thirty five years old, if I am still not married, I will either adopt or have my eggs frozen and ask for someone to donate sperm cells and have in vitro fertilization. All of these options are expensive so starting from now, I really have to save little by little. Of course, I am not closing my doors when it comes to having the whole process of motherhood in the usual, natural way. I want to experience that also but...

...backup plans are needed, just in case.