Philippines: FUN FACTS

 

The Chocolate Hills

Ask Filipinos “What is the Philippines known for?” and you’ll only get either of two things. They wouldn’t know where to end, or begin.

Aside from sun-kissed beaches and idyllic provincial escapes, the Philippines is famous for its diversity. This makes perfect sense, considering that its archipelagic geography paves the way for its multitude of sights and experiences.

Curious for more? Let us give you a taste of what’s unique about the Philippines before even booking that trip.

1. Philippine islands and dreamy bodies of water make up the Philippine archipelago

2. The country has three main island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao

3. Its capital, Manila, never sleeps

4. We have ties to Malays, Spanish, Japanese, and Americans

5. Filipino means the language & the people

6. Most Filipinos treat English as a second language

7. Expressions you’re likely to hear: Psst, po, uy, mabuhay!

8. The country boasts more than 150 languages

9. It’s a center for Catholic faith in Asia

10. Festivals and fiestas (and yes, beauty pageants) easily fill any calendar

11. Just very Filipino things: Bayanihan, hospitality & family first

12. Identities are as multifaceted as their regions

13. Filipino food makes anyone hungry for more

14. Mt. Mayon’s symmetry easily impresses

15. Sorry, you can’t eat the Chocolate Hills

16. Palawan’s seascapes will make you want to stay forever

17. The Cordilleras is home to a living tradition

18. Boracay’s fine, sandy shores seem unreal

TEN (10) Things To Do in The Philippines

So you’ve finally made the big decision and have started planning a vacation in the Philippines. That’s great; it’s an amazing place and a country which should be somewhere close to the top of every adventurous traveler’s must go to list. But because of its geographical make-up, it’s an archipelago of over seven thousand five hundred islands covering more than one hundred and twenty thousand square miles, pre-planning your must-sees in the Philippines is a good idea.

The Philippines don’t receive as many visitors as the neighboring countries of Thailand and Vietnam, and are nowhere near as touristy either, but tourism to the Philippines is on the increase. While there are areas which are undeveloped commercially, they may not stay that way for very much longer. So now is a great time to go.

When you get to the Philippines, forget about visiting Buddhist temples because there aren’t any and the added bonus is, almost everyone speaks English. As a vacation destination, the Philippines are unique. There is literally so much to see and do there, from incredible surfing spots to terraces of rice fields to volcanoes and innumerable beaches, it’s hard to decide just what are the best things to do in the Philippines. Check out these top ten and see if they make it onto your to-do list.

10. Boracay Island
Boracay Island is four square miles of land almost completely rimmed by white coral beaches and tropical palm trees. It has always been the number one place to visit in the Philippines, but because of recent developments on the island, it’s slipped down in the rankings to tenth place.

Brief History
Boracay Island is an idyllic place which has, in the past, attracted more than a third of the visitors arriving in the Philippines to its shores. Too small to cope with the massive influx of visitors, the paradisiacal island began to suffer serious environmental damage and was closed down by the Philippine government for a rest and recuperation period of six months.

TO READ ABOUT THE OTHER NINE (9) THINGS TO DO, CLICK HERE...

About the Phillippines

The Philippines officially the Republic of the Philippines is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It is situated in the western Pacific Ocean and consists of around 7,641 islands that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Philippines is bounded by the South China Sea to the west, the Philippine Sea to the east, and the Celebes Sea to the southwest. 

It shares maritime borders with Taiwan to the north, Japan to the northeast, Palau to the east and southeast, Indonesia to the south, Malaysia to the southwest, Vietnam to the west, and China to the northwest. The Philippines covers an area of 300,000 km2 (120,000 sq mi) and, as of 2021, it had a population of around 109 million people, making it the world's thirteenth-most populous country. 

The Philippines has diverse ethnicities and cultures throughout its islands. Manila is the country's capital, while the largest city is Quezon City; both lie within the urban area of Metro Manila.

Negritos, some of the archipelago's earliest inhabitants, were followed by successive waves of Austronesian peoples. Adoption of animism, Hinduism and Islam established island-kingdoms called Kedatuan, Rajahnates, and Sultanates. The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer leading a fleet for Spain, marked the beginning of Spanish colonization. 

In 1543, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named the archipelago Las Islas Filipinas in honor of Philip II of Spain. Spanish settlement through Mexico, beginning in 1565, led to the Philippines becoming ruled by the Spanish Empire for more than 300 years. During this time, Catholicism became the dominant religion, and Manila became the western hub of trans-Pacific trade. 

In 1896, the Philippine Revolution began, which then became entwined with the 1898 Spanish–American War. Spain ceded the territory to the United States, while Filipino revolutionaries declared the First Philippine Republic. The ensuing Philippine–American War ended with the United States establishing control over the territory, which they maintained until the Japanese invasion of the islands during World War II. 

Following liberation, the Philippines became independent in 1946. Since then, the unitary sovereign state has often had a tumultuous experience with democracy, which included the overthrow of a decades-long dictatorship by a nonviolent revolution.  SOURCE:  Wikipedia

Man Flying

 

Germany in 1966

 It was june of 1966 and I had just graduated from high school.  One of my classmates and I decided to travel through Europe together since we were heading  back to the States at the same time to attend college.

We made two stops in Germany.  The first stop of West Berlin and the second stop was Munich.  In West Berlin, we had to visit the US Embassy and request special permission to cross over into East Berlin.  Since we both had diplomatic passports, we could not cross at Checkpoint Charlie, we had to take the underground.  The Berlin Wall was still standing.

East Berlin for all intents and purposes was dead.  Dead of commerce.  Dead of People.  Dead of Vehicles.  There were absolutely NO COLORS at all in that city.  When we got off the underground, German soldiers with machine guns checked our passports and allowed us to enter.

We had informed the US Embassy that we would only be in East Berlin, 3-4 hours and if we had not checked back in with them in that amount of time, they would have sent someone to look for us.

That night we went to a bar in West Berlin trying to enjoy everything that East Berlin had not offered.

In Munich, we visited several places that were on the list for tourists to visit but to tell you the truth we had the most fun at the Hofbräuhaus München.

When we were there it, the house had 3 floors and the most roudy, boisturous floor was the first floor.  Long tables with chairs on either side, you just sat down and ordered beer that was brought in huge clay mugs.  At that time, the record was to drink more than 5 mugs in an hour.

I am pretty sure that the beer that was being served was Löwenbräu  and remember that it was the best tasting beer I had ever drank at that time.  The version that is exported to the US is not is good and has probably been watered down.

By the time you got to the top floor, you were in a relatively quiet family atmosphere, with families and their children were sitting around individual tables having dinner.  The second floor was a cross between the first and third and no doubt was meant for an older group of customers.

We visited all three floor but spent most of our time there on the first floor.   

There were nothing but good memories of Germany.

Most Popular Sausage in Germany

In Germany, sausage is serious business. As soon as you walk off your plane, it’s likely you’ll smell some cooking within minutes. And when it comes to variety, there are well over 1,500 to choose from, and many regions have their own special recipes.

However, most Americans may have only tried one or two types of German sausage (or what we like to call German sausage, as many Germans would say).

Here is a list of some of the most popular sausages in Germany.

1. Bratwurst
2. Frankfurter Würstchen
3. Bierwurst
4. Thüringer Rostbratwurst
5. Weißwurst (Weisswurst)
6. Wollwurst
7. Ahle Wurst
8. Pinkel
9. Leberwurst
10. Currywurst

TO READ MORE ABOUT GERMAN SAUSAGE, CLICK HERE...

Filling Up On Beer in Munich, Germany

With nearly 1,000 years of brewing tradition in Bavaria, the brewers in and around Munich have fine-tuned their craft and growing a global reputation. In fact, 6 million people come from 40 countries around the world just to attend Oktoberfest. Alongside Munich’s major breweries and despite Germany’s strict purity laws, craft breweries are starting to emerge in Munich, bringing fresh flavors to the beer scene here in Munich. 

We’ll begin by exploring some of the history, culture, and traditions of Bavaria’s relationship with beer, including some facts and prices. Then I’ll profile the six biggest breweries in Munich – known as the “The Big 6”, help you plan the best brewery tours, day trips, and beer-related activities, and finally uncover emerging craft beers.

A Brief History of Beer in Munich
The Munich area is home to the world’s oldest brewery still in action, dating back to 700 AD. So, it is safe to say that Munich’s beer history is long and embedded in their culture. But, to make a long story short-ish, most breweries in Munich have religious roots. 

Monks living in monasteries were the first brew masters. Churches would use beer as incentives to encourage people to attend church, with many German receiving free beer on Sunday and other religious events. Religious roots still exist today, and Starbierfest is an event during lent to drink strong Doppel beer during the fasting period.

It wasn’t long before the royalty got involved in the profitable beer industry, and beer was soon taxed to provide income for the royal families and government. Production quickly spread to prominent families that owned restaurants, and the brewing industry boomed.

The Purity Law
Along with it, many laws and regulations began to govern brewing. In 1516 a law was passed that beer must be made with only barley, hops, water (yeast was later added), or it could not be called beer. This law still exists today here in Germany. If any additional ingredients are used in the brewing process, such as orange, sugar, or chocolate, it can not legally be called beer. 

If you’re thinking about some of those German craft beers you’ve tried and are confused, brewers can use the official name for the brew, such as IPA, Stout, etc., but it can’t be called beer.This ensures the highest quality of beer is being produced in Munich.  READ MORE...

The German National Football Team

The Deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft represents Germany in men's international football and played its first match in 1908. The team is governed by the German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund), founded in 1900.

 Between 1949 and 1990, separate German national teams were recognised by FIFA due to Allied occupation and division: the DFB's team representing the Federal Republic of Germany (commonly referred to as West Germany in English between 1949 and 1990), the Saarland team representing the Saar Protectorate (1950–1956) and the East Germany team representing the German Democratic Republic (1952–1990). 

The latter two were absorbed along with their records; the present team represents the reunified Federal Republic. The official name and code "Germany FR (FRG)" was shortened to "Germany (GER)" following reunification in 1990.

Germany is one of the most successful national teams in international competitions, having won four World Cups (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014), three European Championships (1972, 1980, 1996), and one Confederations Cup (2017). They have also been runners-up three times in the European Championships, four times in the World Cup, and a further four third-place finishes at World Cups. East Germany won Olympic Gold in 1976.

Germany is the only nation to have won both the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women's World Cup.  At the end of the 2014 World Cup, Germany earned the second highest Elo rating of any national football team in history, with 2,223 points.  Germany is also the only European nation that has won a FIFA World Cup in the Americas.

On 1 August 2021, Hansi Flick became head coach of the team, after Joachim Löw announced that he would step down after UEFA Euro 2020.  SOURCE:  Wikepedia

Moving On With FCAS Warplane Development

Scale models of the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS / SCAF), 

Europe's next-generation fighter jet, are seen in Paris, France, February 20, 2020. 

REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo

BERLIN/PARIS, Nov 18 (Reuters) - France, Germany and Spain have reached agreement on starting the next phase of development of a new fighter jet dubbed FCAS, Europe's largest defence project at an estimated cost of more than 100 billion euros($103.4 billion), the German government said on Friday.

The Defence Ministry said in a statement that an industrial agreement was achieved after intense negotiations, confirming an earlier Reuters story saying the three countries and their respective industries had struck a deal.

The ministry said it was agreed at the highest government level that a cooperative approach on an equal footing would be pursued in the project, which is under overall French responsibility.

The Spanish Defence Ministry said Madrid would spend 2.5 billion euros ($2.58 billion) on the project, of which 525 million euros ($542 million) would be paid in 2023. The ministry said that the cabinet agreed to this expenditure but did not give other details.  READ MORE...

The IMF Predicts for 2023

The International Monetary Fund predicts global growth will slow to 2.7% next year, 0.2 percentage point lower than its July forecast, and anticipates 2023 will feel like a recession for millions around the world.

Aside from the global financial crisis and the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, this is “the weakest growth profile since 2001,” the IMF said in its World Economic Outlook published Tuesday. Its GDP estimate for this year remained steady at 3.2%, which was down from the 6% seen in 2021.

“The worst is yet to come, and for many people 2023 will feel like a recession,” the report said, echoing warnings from the United Nations, the World Bank and many global CEOs.

More than a third of the global economy will see two consecutive quarters of negative growth, while the three largest economies — the United States, the European Union and China — will continue to slow, the report said.

“Next year is going to feel painful,” Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, the IMF’s chief economist, told CNBC on Tuesday on the back of the report. “There’s going to be a lot of slowdown and economic pain,” he said.  READ MORE...

Most Read German Newspapers

BILD
With a circulation of currently about 1,37 sold million copies daily, the BILD newspaper published by the Axel-Springer Publishing Company is Germany’s largest and most popular tabloid. The online version of this paper also gets a lot of hits each day. If you like a mixture of news, gossip, and sensationalism, be sure to bookmark bild.de.
www.bild.de

DIE ZEIT
“Independent, liberal and often at odds with the rest of the world” is how the former publisher, Countess Dönhoff, once described the weekly newspaper, DIE ZEIT, which has enriched the German newspaper scene each Thursday since 1946.
www.zeit.de

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung has appeared under the title of “Zeitung für Deutschland” (Newspaper for Germany) since 1949. Conservative political views, a feature section leaning towards the left and a liberal understanding of the business world - that is how one of the paper's earlier editors, Friedrich Karl Fromme, characterized the profile of the quality newspaper. These properties are also reflected in the independent online service, FAZ.NET.
www.faz.net                             TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...

Elvis in in the House

 

THANK YOU

The following countries have visited this blog more than once and are continuing to visit.  That support and loyalty is greatly appreciated.  

These countries are listed below:

1. USA
2. Germany
3. Phillippines
4. Italy
5. India
6. Canada
7. Ireland
8. United Kingdom
9. Russia
10. Australia
11. France
12. Nigeria
13. Venezuela
14. South Africa

I will devote a day, posting several articles about your country as way of drawing attention to where you live.  This is my way of showing appreciation for your support.  I will continue to focus on all of your countries throughout the year.  It will be my pleasure to help us draw attention to who we are and what we are all about.

ITS JUST ABOUT PEOPLE... like you and I...

Classic Sunday Morning Newspaper Cartoons

 

Aliens or Extraterrestrials & Our World

Our solar system lives in the Milky Way Galaxy.  There are millions perhaps billions of solar systems in the Milky Way Galaxy.  There are billions and billions of Galaxies in the known universe.  It is believed by many that there are multiple universes, referred to as the multiverse.

But, there is only one race of human beings or other living creatures in this vast amount of space.

If you believe that then you most definately have your head firmly inserted up your ass.

The US Government has admitted to UFOs being around since 1945/47 and there is no telling what they really know but have not yet admitted to...

Many scientists believe our DNA was altered by aliens which accounts for our unprecedented evolutionary growth...

So, is there a God?  

Quite possibly yes...  but, that God is actually an alien or an extraterrestrial who came to our planet to create a new religion to see what would happen over the years.

That God is also our creator.

That God sent his archangels to earth to modify our DNA.

Jesus was God's extraterrestrial son.

What we don't know is who created the BIG Bang that created the universe.

That answer has got us stumped.

Does this mean that religion is dead?  NO...

There is religion, in fact, there are 122 major religions, all of which point to the heavens for answers...  it is just not the same religion that we have previously envisioned it to be.

Curious

 

Controlling Global Assets

 Most of us live in our own little worlds, regardless of our politics...  we could be democrats but focus on our own lives regardless of who is in power.  We could be republicans but focus on our own lives regardless of who is in power...

This is the way it has been for Americans ever since our rapid economic growth in the 1960s.

SMOKE SCRENES

1. racism
2. management/labor disputes
3. piss poor education
4. cost of healthcare
5. religious differences
6. abortion issues
7. gun control issues

These seven are not the only ones but these seven are enough to keep Americans fighting each other rather than focus of the real problem that is lurking over the horizon....

TO WHAT DO I REFER???

The Global Billionaires that have become so powerful that they are joining forces as they control the global resources and decide where they want to take the world and all of her countries...

The world economic forum (WEF) in 2022 has decided that in 2030, the world will be controlled not by the USA or Russia or China....  it will be controlled by a consortium of several countries:

USA

RUSSIA

CHINA

INDIA

EUROPEAN UNION (EU)

What does this mean???

It means that the economy of the USA must come down while the economies of Russia, China, India, Japan, and the EU must come up...

If one country has a stronger economy than another country, then the stronger economy is still the LEADER...

In order for power to be shared, then economies must be shared.

Otherwise it will never work.

The economy of the USA must be destroyed a little in order for this to happen.

GOING GREEN WILL DESTROY OUR ECONOMY to the point that these other countries can catch up to us...  and when we do...  POWER WILL BE SHARED...

Who is making this happen?

GLOBAL BILLIONAIRES...

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is controlled by all the global billionaires...  they forecasted shared power by the year 2030 and they will make sure that it happens...

Walk This Way

 

Cleaning House

My wife and I have lived in our current house for 22 years and during those two decades have collected an enormous amount of useless shit that we are now in the process of gathering up, taking out to the curb for collection or driving it to the landfill ourselvses and throwing it away...  

Now, that we are almost finished with that task, I am looking at my clothes to see what items in that area can be thrown away.  I have several suits and sports jackets I wore to work that I no longer need...  maybe 1-2 suits for funerals but the rest can go... along with all those dress shirts and ties...  I betcha I have over 50 ties...

In addition to those clothes, I betcha I have over 50 T-shirts as well as over 50 knit shirts with and without collars that I seldo wear as I have my favorites that I keep wearing over and over again.  It started out with T-shirts with pockets to carry my cigarettes but I stopped smoking at age 40, so for the last 35 years, I have not really needed any of those T-shirts with pockets and yet many are still here.

Many are still here because companies in the USA 30 years ago make products that lasted a long time...  now they make products that only last 2-3 years, maybe 5 years at the most...  They need REPEAT BUSINESS for profits and dividends paid to stockholders.

If I had my way, I would only need two pairs of jeans, one blue and one black.  Maybe 5-6 T-shirts and 5-6 knit shirts with collars, and maybe 1-2 knit/nylon type pants, along with 2 pairs of sweats and 3-5 pairs of shorts.

How many times a week or a month or a year do you think a 75 year old is going to need to dress up to go out into the public other than appointments with doctors?  not many...  I can tell you that.  So, why all these damn clothes?

My visits outside this house maybe average 5 a month during a busy month.  I don't need to shower and dress just to get gas for the cars or lawnmowers...  and, if the Dems had their way, I would have an electric car and just need to plug that bad boy into an outlet before going to bed.

Magic