Bridges of Berlin: Rosa-Luxemburg-Steg

Or as the proper title should be: Lichtensteinbrücke Re-discovered, since I already wrote about this particular bridge. Berlin is one of the few metropolitan cities that I did not fall in love with instantly, like Vienna, Paris, Prague, or Delhi. It is a rough city with scorching summers and winters that make you aware of every little bone in your body. The bus drivers are rude, the racism is prevalent, it is incredibly difficult to find an affordable apartment for under 900EUR/month, and so on, BUT if you are into art, photography and theatre, it is incredible. Not to mention…

Difficulties of Healing

August 11, 2019August 11, 2019 Categories: a woman's strength · Battling depression · Existentialism · Photography · Social Condition · Surviving loss · Through Frog Eyes · women of substanceLeave a comment

I write this with great difficulty today, simply because my shoulder is absolutely killing me. The first batch of therapy sessions is over, and the healing process is well underway, albeit the excrutiating pain. The physiotherapist did warn me that the worst is yet to come, and that is a good sign. The trouble with broken bones is that it is pretty much like a broken spirit, there is no medicine that can speed up the healing, you just have to give it time. There is a beautiful quote I want to share with you today: You can’t heal where…

The Secret Admirer

August 9, 2019August 9, 2019 Categories: a woman's strength · Adventures in my own home · After-work quickies (Berlin photography) · angels in our midst · Berlin Through Frog Eyes · community service · Culture Vulture · Existentialism · Food Adventures · Social Condition · Through Frog EyesLeave a comment

Life is full of surprises, some good, some bad, and the trick to enjoying it all in spite of the outcome is acceptance. I met an old friend for dinner last night and had a marvellous time catching up. Family and careers prevent us from meeting more often, so when we do, we definitely make the most of it. The greatest blessing of having such friendships that span almost 30 years, is that we know each other’s backgrounds, culture, family quirks, values and everything that has happened in our professional lives. There is a genuine interest in the professional as…

Stop, Look, & Stay

August 5, 2019 Categories: a woman's strength · Berlin Through Frog Eyes · commuter life · Culture Vulture · Existentialism · Photography · Social Condition · Through Frog Eyes · Urban Exploration · women of substanceLeave a comment

Schools re-opened in Berlin today, ushering in the new school year. Everywhere I turned there were people with very mixed feelings about this. I lost count of the number of parents at the end of their patience walking ahead of children throwing some tantrum or another. Clearly the first day of school can be just as traumatic for the children as it is for the parents. Then there the groups of young students eager to show off new clothes, make-up, or cool new gadgets acquired over the summer. I couldn’t stop and watch every interesting moment I passed today, otherwise…

Reclaiming My Home

August 4, 2019 Categories: a woman's strength · Adventures in my own home · Battling depression · Berlin Through Frog Eyes · Empty Nest · Existentialism · Living with cats · Midlife Crossroads · Photography · Social Condition · Through Frog Eyes · women of substanceLeave a comment

Turbulence is an unwelcome guest, but often times unavoidable. Serenity and Balance are my preferred guests but also high maintenance ones. It is so much easier to just let Turbulence in, who usually has Chaos and Confusion in tow, give them free range of the place, and allow them to do what they do best – an unholy mess. Turbulence can be asked to leave politely, but Chaos and Confusion, when left to their own devices, like to remain invite Hurt, Disillusionment, and Frustration over as well for an extended soiree, unpleasantly rooted inside my home and soul, much to…

Citizenship: One Step Closer

August 3, 2019 Categories: a woman's strength · Berlin Through Frog Eyes · Culture Vulture · Existentialism · Midlife Crossroads · Philippines · politics · Social Condition · Through Frog EyesLeave a comment

As you may have noticed from my blogging absence this week, I have been caught up in a whirlwind of activity and incidents. Running around between physiotherapy, psychotherapy, the assorted government offices to submit requirements, and studying for the German citizenship test was a lot to chew. I am supposed to be resting and recovering but everything happened this week, on top of helping my daughter pack up for her great exodus today. Why do I attract crazy situations wherein everything happens at the same time? I had wished for a luxurious recovery time for my aching fractured shoulder, but…

The Weavers of Darjeeling

July 29, 2019July 30, 2019 Categories: a woman's strength · angels in our midst · community service · Culture Vulture · Existentialism · Photography · Social Condition · Through Frog Eyes · Traveler's Tales · women of substanceLeave a comment

The preservation and sometimes restoration of old print photographs is important to me, not just because it is a way of keeping in touch with my past, but there are some veritable treasures in those old archives. One of the first trips I took in India without my family was to the tea plantations in Darjeeling. It was my privilege to be invited along by a German nun (may she rest in peace) who was visiting a convent in the area, so I said Yes! and never regretted it. One of the projects the convent supported was the displaced widows…