Author

Carol RHM

in Diplomatic Incidents, Video

WATCH: Amb. Tess Dizon-de Vega talks about becoming a diplomat, the FSO Exam, & more

 

Probably one of my most requested videos is on how one can actually become a diplomat. So I thought why not ask diplomats themselves? It’s such an honour to have Amb. Maria Theresa Dizon-de Vega to talk about these topics. She shares her reading list and some movies you should see to get inspired. She also talks about her experience with the exam, what course should you take in uni, and the things you should expect as an FSO.

Love,

Carol

 

 

flamed salmon at bricole
in Berlin, Berlin Food, Expat Life

Gastronomical Escape at Bricole in Prenzlauer Berg

Hello everyone. I haven’t been here for a hot minute due to so many reasons – from the pandemic to anxiety, focusing on Youtube and Instagram, a death in the family, and so many other reasons that will bore you. But hey – I’m back and in a way, I think I should have gone back sooner as writing has always helped me cope with so many things. Especially when I’m writing about something that puts a smile on my face. Case in point, I have a pretty big one on right now as I type about the dining experience I recently had in Bricole.

This restaurant which has been around for over three years now – an eternity in Berlin terms – was able to survive the city’s highly competitive gastronomy scene due to its innovative fine dining menus that offer quite the foodie experience without breaking the bank.

Tucked away in Prenzlauer Berg, Bricole is nestled in a leafy, family-friendly area of the city. Small shops thrive in this area, still on a roll in resisting rampant gentrification. “You don’t need a fancy address to attract those who are really interested with good food,” Bricole’s Fabian Fischer shared over dinner.  “We started with a very relaxed atmosphere where people can laugh. If you don’t have this too formal attitude then people won’t be that intimidated.”

With over 200 different types of wine and menus that range between four to six courses, Bricole can seem pretty intimidating on paper but definitely warm and cosy once you step into the restaurant. Friendly faces paired with the patience to explain what goes into each dish, Bricole’s team is a group of 5 that has gotten closer during the pandemic. A challenge they were able and still surviving from.

Now that the city has allowed people to dine in restaurants again, Bricole has opened up 22 seats plus two more at their bar. Keeping the appropriate distance is – of course – observed. But don’t worry – the dining experience can actually make you forget that the world is really going crazy, even just for a little while.

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in Berlin, Berlin Food, Expat Life

Tolerance and Hummus Dreams Come True at Kanaan Berlin

Better late than never, they say. After a couple of months of searching for my missing food review photos, I finally found the little bugger of a memory card that decided to play hide and seek. Now, I can tell you about a place in Berlin where all my hummus dreams have been realised. Kanaan Berlin – a vegetarian restaurant in Prenzlauer Berg serving Israeli and Palestinian food.

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’re probably tired of all my hummus posts on stories by now. I’d eat it every day if I could. So, when my friend in the foodie industry, Mathaios, asked me to join him on a visit to Kanaan, he got an immediate and – admittedly overly eager – yes.

Israeli marketing expert and entrepreneur Oz Ben David and Jalil Dabit, a Palestinian-Arab of the famous “Humos Samir“ family, founded the restaurant. For most Berliners and expats who frequent P-Berg, the place is practically an institution. For people who haven’t gone, let me give you a couple of reasons why you should make your way to this side of the city.

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in Berlin, Berlin Food, Expat Life

Moksa: Your New Reason to go to Oranienstraße

Canadian-born Zed Marke has been living in Berlin long enough to be considered a local. Utterly caucasian, what might surprise people is how this man has actually been feeding Berliners with great Indian food these past years. From a stall in a markthalle and now in his own joint in Kreuzberg called Moksa.

I admit – I was sceptical at first. Who is this non-Indian guy and why is he feeding me tandoori? Can he make really good Indian food? Won’t all the pseudo-woke people have a problem with this? But if there’s anything living in a truly globalised world and spending time in a city as diverse as Berlin taught me – it is never one’s skin colour that determines what you can or can’t do. As long as you learn and know how to do it right and you don’t undermine others.

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in Beauty, Berlin, Berlin What to Do, Berlin Where to Go, Expat Life, Skincare

Getting a Facial at Club Olympus, Grand Hyatt Berlin

The past couple of months have been quite hectic, to say the least. I went back to Youtube, I took on new roles, and I accepted more freelance work. It’s been rewarding but I’m not gonna lie – it really did a number on my stress levels. So, despite my skin getting better over the summer, I experienced breakouts and hives anew. At some points, I was rather dehydrated and was running on little sleep that it started showing on my skin. So an invitation to the Grand Hyatt Berlin‘s Club Olympus was much more than welcome.

It’s hardly my first time coming to the Grand Hyatt here in Berlin. Having covered the Berlinale before for Forbes and Rappler, I’ve spent some time in the hotel doing press registrations and attending press conferences. So the hotel really does have a special place in my heart.  I met Wes Anderson and Tilda Swinton in their premises for the first time and those instances definitely make it to my list of memorable times in Berlin.

Almost Diplomatic - Club Olympus - Grand Hyatt - Berlin - Germany - Spa - Diplomat's Wife - DiploWife

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in Beauty & Fashion, Diplomatic Incidents, Fashion, Fashion Tips, How-Tos, OOTD

Modern Filipiniana: Mix and Match Terno Top

One of the things I often get asked about is my Modern Filipiniana wardrobe. For real and not just that thing influencers on Instagram say to justify an overshare. A Filipiniana section in my wardrobe is something that I’ve started building back in 2014. This was when my husband got assigned abroad.

I continue to build said wardrobe as we do need to attend a lot of events where wearing Filipiniana is actually a good way to go. This isn’t just to follow the dress code but to make sure I also get to do my part in promoting a really interesting bit of our culture.

One of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe is my terno top. It’s so versatile that it makes mixing and matching it with different pieces a breeze.

In this video, I share some tips on how to build your own modern Filipiniana wardrobe. I also show how I style my custom-made terno top with different modern pieces that I already own.

Hope you enjoyed this post and found it useful. If you did, please do share it! It would really make my day. Here’s a Pinterest-friendly graphic to make it easier!

More later.

Almost Diplomatic - Berlin - Germany - Diplomat's Wife - Bon Vivant - Cocktail Bisto - Berlin Restaurants - Vegetarian - Bonvivant_Speisen©Caitlin Collins_small
in Berlin, Berlin Food, Expat Life

Berlin’s Bonvivant: Indulgence with a Little Less Guilt

“Living in Berlin has turned me into a veggie eater and that’s great,” I found myself telling a friend in Asia over Facetime. Her face had an expression of what can only be described as ‘utter disbelief’ but also, a little proud of me. I was, after all, a strictly-meat-and-all-the-other-yummy-things type of woman. Greens and anything connected to a plant hardly made the cut while I was growing up. Thankfully, almost three years of living here have now changed that. An invitation to cocktail bistro and vegetarian restaurant Bonvivant was something I said yes to right away. And I swear, it wasn’t just because of the cocktails.

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in Berlin, Berlin What to Do, Expat Life

Berlin’s The First Reel Filipino Film Festival is Back for 2019

This November, Filipino films are coming back to Berlin thanks to The First Reel Filipino film festival. This year’s lineup is definitely something to look forward to as it’s a well-rounded mix of genres. Stepping away from what people usually think Filipino films are all about and have already seen before, the films showcase stories on Filipino the youth, individual talent, growing pains, and issues – both timely and timeless.

Happening from 6-10 November at Berlin’s oldest cinema – the Kino Moviemento in Kottbusser Damm, here’s the rundown of the films you can catch as published by the festival’s team:

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Almost Diplomatic - Ella - Hotel Steigenberger - Kanzleramt - Berlin - Gastronomy - Berlin Restauarants - German Food - Fine Dining - 30-1
in Berlin, Berlin Food, Expat Life

Ella: Steigenberger’s New Homage to Berlin

There truly is a movement to go back to the basics and the nostalgic here in Berlin. Ella, the Steigenberger’s new restaurant, is putting sustainability and tradition at the heart of a modern menu. Manuel Eich is at the helm of the hotel’s new gastronomical venture. At the recent press dinner to celebrate the opening, it was made evident that the right man was chosen for the job.

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