Strolling at Kurfürstendamm

We strolled along Kurfürstendamm, Ku’damm for short. At 3.8. km, it’s the longest avenue for shopping and strolling. Breathtaking architecture, elegant boutiques and lively scenes with street artists around Breitscheidplatz have made this shopping boulevard one of Berlin’s most attractive avenues.

There was a parade of organ grinders on the street.

organ grinder

One of Berlin’s most haunting symbols – Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtnis Church – the tower of the original church, destroyed during World War II – stands in the centre of Breitscheidplatz, serving as both memorial and reminder of the terrors of war.

For: Jo’s Monday walk : Boa Vista Trail, Our World: Fourth of July edition, Happy Independence Day!

The Ballerina – an Ottava Rima

A Ottava Rima is a poem written in 8-line octives. Each line is of a 10 or 11 syllable count in the following rhyme:

one octive poem. abababcc
two octive poem. abababcc, dededeff
three octive poem. abababcc, dededeff, ghghghii

…so on and so on

the shopping mall is busy as usual
people shopping, having coffee, meeting friends
people carrying back packs, bags and bundles
and they’re getting ready for the weekend
there’s a ballerina and she’s blushful
a public performance she wish they suspend
biting at her lips, restless and rocking
to herself under her breath she’s talking

“we will be fine,” her friends assuring her
unable to get comfortable, she smiles
lots of questions she wants to know the answer
is her hard work and practices all worthwhile?
what if they don’t like her? as she gets calmer
how she wish time would speed up meanwhile
and so the show must go on, people clapping
she’s so happy and in the air floating

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: Friday Flasher: Shopping Mall

TGBOL, Chapter 4.1 : Groceries

wandering around the shop
going through my list for the week
for breakfast, we need milk, coffee, tea,
baguette, butter, oats or cereals
lunch will just be some sort of snacks
bread, asparagus, tomatoes, mozzarella,
cucumber, onions, lettuce, carrots, apples
plums, pomegranate, mangoes, oranges
this week we’re cooking spaghetti bolognaise
we need minced meat, spaghetti, tomato sauce
for adobo, we need chicken or pork, garlic, soy sauce,
vinegar, perhaps rice and green beans or peas
I’d like to make some soup, so we need some
tomatoes, onions, squash, zuchinni and other veg
homemade pizza, why not? hence some dough plus
the ingredients we want – salami, mozzarella,
tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, ruccola, peppers
steak and chips, that’s Him Indoors favourite
we need some nice pieces of steak and potatoes
other supplies – milk, wine, beer, water, crisps,
detergents, washing up liquid, loo and kitchen rolls
not forgetting the tortoises’ food – lots of lettuce!

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: TGBOL, Chapter 4.1 : Groceries by La duchesse d’erat

TBBOL Chapter 4.0 : Hobbies !

My hobbies:
1. Blogging – loving it! First thing in the morning, I check my emails then answer all the comments on my blogs. I love blogging, writing some fiction, poetry and non-fiction, posting some photos, reading, liking and commenting on other bloggers’ work. Blogging community is amazing!
2. Reading – I read a lot! from romance, thriller, horror, comedy, autobiographies, etc. I seem to have books all over the house, reading them during the day. And my kindle must have around 300 books and I take it on holidays.
3. Cycling – with Him Indoors, our Sunday cycling to the beer gardens and parks. Our favourite place is Ostpark where there’s a lake with three fountain, just hanging around there and watching the ducks, geese, swans, model boats, people eating and drinking.
4. Swimming – with Him Indoors on Thursday mornings, before he goes to work and me, before I do other things. We’re part of early swimmers, half an hour swim then ten minutes in the Jacuzzi – a lovely way to start our day.
5. Shopping – till I drop! I love shopping, feeling the materials, fitting dresses, trying them on, looking at the mirrors, retail therapy some people call it. I love it! I go with my friend, then we have lunch or coffee afterwards.
6. Travelling – love seeing new and exciting places. With Him Indoors, we have been to different parts of the world, with their own cultures and traditions and sense of fun.

For: TBBOL Chapter 4.0 : Hobbies !

20 Days of Chill: Vacation (Day 16)

Hello everyone, hope you’re all fine. Our snow has melted and we’re 10 degrees today, getting warmer. This time next week, I’m off on a holiday – yay! Four weeks in four countries – the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore and Cambodia. How cool is that? I’ll fly ahead to the Philippines 8 days before Him Indoors. That way, I’ll be able to see my mother and other relatives and talk Filipino, eat all the Filipino food that I’m missing and just be a “Tita” or “Ate” again. Also, I’m taking my Mother and Aunt to Hong Kong for 3 days of “shop till we drop”, eating authentic Chinese food, going to night market, taking the ferry to Kowloon side and other “bonding” moments. We’ll be there for their New Year, too.

Him Indoors follows and we go to Coron, Palawan for a week of pure paradise feeling – swimming, snorkelling, climbing, walking, laying down on the beach and not do anything, being pampered and massaged and eating all the fresh fish and seafood in the world. Then, we fly to Singapore and visit Him Indoors’ brother and his family. Would be nice to see them again. Plus, swimming, shopping, hiking at the rain forest, walking at the botanical garden, night safari at their zoo, boating at Clark Quay, drinking Singapore Sling at Raffles, etc. Last, but not the least, going to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat (one of our Bucket List). This will be our first time in Cambodia and really looking forward to our holiday there. Cheers for now and have a great week everyone!

For: 20 Days of Chill: Vacation (Day 16)

Just Jot It January 17th – Collection

I collect memories of the past
They went so fast and such a blast
I collect tickets of our travel
There’s no such thing as dull
I collect photos of everything
Flowers, sky, they keep on adding
I collect shoes and bags
Mugs, DVDs, CDs and flags
I collect all our experiences
Positive, negative, such a balance
I collect memories we share
In my heart and handle them with care

For: Just Jot It January 17th – Collection

100th

Congrats to the Blog Propellant for reaching 100 followers – cheers!

There was once a man who lived to be a hundred
He had an active life and tried to walk unaided
He had two wives
That gave him hives
He always had a blast even though he had aged

One hundred divided by two equals fifty
That’s all I have for my shopping spree
I know it’s not much
We can go Dutch
As long as we can go out, just you and me

Soughton HallWedding Photography By Ashton Photography http://www.ashtonphotography.co.uk

He promised to love her one hundred percent
To love and honour, that’s what he meant
So she said yes
She bought a dress
The next day off to the church they went

 

For: One Hundred by the Blog Propellant

#MySundayPhoto, Sundays In My City and Cee’s Odd Ball Photo Challenge

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For: #MySundayPhoto – Misty Morning, Legos in the Rain (Sundays In My City) and Cee’s Odd Ball Photo Challenge: 2016 Week 2

Three Things Thursday and Weekly Smile 1- #weeklysmile startup!

*three things that make me smile: an exercise in gratitude – feel free to steal this idea with wild abandon and fill your blog with the happy*

As a suprise Christmas present, Him Indoors gave me two tickets for the opera. Of course, I took him with me. It was “La Boheme” by Puccini. The opera was great – Mimi, Rodolfo, Marcelo and Muzetta – they were all brilliant. I ended up in tears when Mimi died. A great night, indeed!

Our cross trainer has just arrived. Him Indoors assembled it and we started using it. Wish us good luck, we promise to use it while watching telly.

I love shopping! I shop till I drop… anyway, first time this year and I was overwhelmed with all the sales in town. Didn’t know what to buy, instead just enjoyed window shopping. Him Indoors has just had a sigh of relief!

And what are you smiling about this week?  Did you have some good news?  See a beautiful picture?  See an act of kindness?  Tell us about it!

For: Three Things Thursday: January 7, 2016 and Weekly Smile 1- #weeklysmile startup!. Also for: Thankful Thursday: A New Adventure

 

#SoCS Nov. 28/15 – Go stuff yourselves

I prefer to buy stuff when I need them and not just when they’re on sales. I usually order them online, quite conveniently, no queueing and being hustled away in the crowds. The problem is, however, that to get to the point where we can afford all this stuff and nonsense, we have to work ridiculously long hours. Well, we can’t really win! Mind you, my friend, who knows his stuff quite well is earning a lot of money. Lucky him! But his wallet is stuffed full of pictures, letters and other stuff from his loved ones. He usually stuffed a thick wad of notes into his jacket pocket.

Anyway, I’m going to spend my money on whatever I want and everyone who called me ‘Tin Head’ can go get stuffed. In short, I couldn’t give a stuff what people think. Some limits, of course, but stuff it, I’m nearly 56, what do I care?

We were supposed to go out last night. But when I woke up in the morning, I was totally stuffed up and my throat was sore. Poor me! So I just boiled some ginger and drank it all day. Good old mother’s stuff, it works! I’m feeling a lot better.

That’s the stuff from me. Have a lovely week everyone!

For: Stream of Consciousness Saturday