A Filipina who can can swim quickly

A Filipina who can swim quickly

It is something special when in the Philippines you  meet someone who knows how to  swim - and moreover if this someone can do it quickly. Most of  the Filipinos go  in the water until the waist - and that's it. Although it is never very far from the beach, swimming is still relatively unknown. Many of the fishermen who go out every day with their boats, do not know how to swim.

So it is  surprising if a 13 year old girl from Davao, Janice Denice Beciera, could win 3 gold medals in the breaststroke and 2 silver medals  in the medley relay at the National Private Schools Athletic Association (Prisaa) Championships in April 2016 Koronadal, South Cotabato. She has trained every day in the pool from Ladislawa Garden Village clubhouse in Buhangin / Davao.

If she continues with her training, it could be enough for participation in the next Olympic Games. This would be a sensation. We keep our fingers crossed.

With best regards,

Ludwig from Davao

our dog "Teddy"

Our little guard dog

Since more than  4 months we have a little brown dog with black stripes . It looks funny  - as if he were the dog in a car repair shop and had always to do with black engine oil. When we got him, he was just so small that it could be put easily into a coffee pot. In the meantime he has changed only a little bit in length - not in height.

In the lineage of his parents there must be in something like a pit bull , because the little dog tweaks and  pinches continuously the other dogs that are much bigger and stronger than he. And with his continuous barking he is hoping for attention - which is obviously not possible.

And yet he has won his place in the pack of dogs. And we like him.

With best regards,

Ludwig from Davao

Beer - Beer - Beer

Beer - Beer - Beer

Until 2 years ago  only the beers of the Philippine brewery SAN MIGUEL could be found here in Davao. And  in some selected places you can see other beers from Korea and Japan - because of the large groups of  these foreigners. Many Indians - mostly students - are also there, but beer from India I have not yet seen.

Now it is very different. Due to the new malls, such as "S & R", the imported beers and wines from the United States and Europe are well established. German beers as OETTINGER or PAULANER in different alcohol strengths you can buy   to prices from  ca. 100 pesos = about 2 euros in the malls. And there are places that offer in the "blue hour", so as 2:00 p.m. to 5 p.m. unlimited beer at a flat rate - of course, only the local San Miguel. Only to know, a 1-liter bottle of SAN MIGUEL beer costs about 70 pesos = about 1.40 Euro.

So, for beer drinkers it’s a little paradise.

With best regards,

Ludwig from Davao

The first Philippine satellite in space

The first Philippine satellite in space

On March 22, 2016, the first Philippine research satellite was - his name is Diwata-1 - sent upwards in the orbit. It is equipped with four cameras and is constantly making measurements and pictures of the Philippines and the weather conditions, disasters and environmental issues.

It is especially to the early detection of hurricanes and tidal waves of tsunamis.. Also measuring the water temperature, which are responsible for the emergence of EL NINO-weather, are of great importance.
The life of DAWITA-1, which is about 50 kg and has the size of a "Balikbayan box", is estimated at about 2 years. Then it will get burnt up and fall into the sea. But until then it should  imaging the country twice daily and send the information.

By the way,  in pre-Christian times called the god-like heros were called Dawitas with their  beauty, knowledge and the courage to fight. So, the Philippines  go straight forward.
With best regards
Ludwig from Davao

Your baggage did not arrive

Your baggage did not arrive

It's annoying when you can not find your luggage on the belt. It's just gone. And it does not help if you - after several paper wars and waitings - will be put up with a sum of money .

Sometimes  the luggage will be found still, because it was simply plugged into the wrong airplane at the rush at the airport during transhipment.

To avoid such a thing in the future, people have come up with an idea – just right  in today's electronic age. So  expensive cars are equipped with a GPS transmitter, and they will be located  over the phone, so you have a GPS transmitter built into the suitcase. The location of the case can then immediately be shown to the people at the airport. Or even to the police, if the GPS does not clearly indicative of an airport.

Yes, that's all possible , if you have enough fun.

With best regards,

Ludwig from Davao

a vertical Garden

Garden on the wall

A friend here in Davao had a problem with his plants, such as with arugula or Kale  or tomatoes - all things that he had brought as seeds from home. These plants  did not want to "get on their feet", did not grow. They were quite different from his other vegetables taken from the local, Philippine countryside.

He brooded. Then he found out that  the higher UV radiation here in Davao, directly on the equator, could be the reason. So he looked for a spot on his garden wall, which was not directly in the sun - there he made his VERTICAL garden with plastic bottles. A garden on the wall.

And he added  a "water-saving idea", because he wanted that the  water will flood each plastic bottle after the other. So the water drips through all plastic bottles.

The first result is  impressive: A tomato plant has developed the first small tomato. Soon there will hopefully be more….

With best regards,

Ludwig from Davao

Driving without a helmet is fun ?

Driving without a helmet is fun ?

As every year in January there is a FIESTA in Makilala - and we were there. But how were we surprised. There was not only a FIESTA, but we were also invited to a visit at the hospital.

The nephew, 19 years old, is a happy-go-lucky motorcyclist and thinks that nothing could disturb him and that he can deal with all difficulties. And  sometimes he is  driving extremely risky. On this afternoon last week he did not observe that a  jeepney - looking for passengers –bends suddenly to his side just ahead of him.So it crashed.

Our nephew crushed with his motorcycle into the Jeepney: facial injury under his left eye, because he drove without a helmet. The motorcycle then tipped to the left, breaking his left thigh-bone. Result: motorbike is slightly injured, the driver is seriously injured!

It is not a big help that the driver  of jeepney  assures to take over all the  costs of the hospital and that his girlfriend is constantly taking care of him. For at least 3 months he is in treatment, in this time no motorcycle, and a  cut-off  of his job training. And now the poor boy has  enough time to think  that  he had a similar accident a year ago - for he was driving his motorbike  without a helmet  too !!!

With best regards,

Ludwig from Davao