Author

Carol RHM

in Berlin, Berlin Food, Expat Life

Moksa: Your New Reason to go to Oranienstraße

December 20, 2019

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

November 29, 2019

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

November 18, 2019

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

October 28, 2019

“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

October 24, 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

October 14, 2019

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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in Berlin, Berlin Food, Expat Life

Lausebengel: Berlin Food Done Even Better

October 1, 2019

There’s nothing like familiar flavours to bring back sweet memories of one’s childhood. Soups that our grandmas make, the stew your mom cooks whenever you’re sick, those snacks you devour the moment you get home from school. They’re flavours that you would recognise at almost any instance and would usually crave in the most random of moments. Luckily, Berliners living in Kreuzberg will have easy access to nostalgia whenever they want – thanks to newly-opened neighbourhood joint Lausebengel.

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Almost Diplomatic - KPM - Porcelain - Berlin - Germany - Königliche Porzellan Manufaktur - Diplomat's Wife - Diplowife
in Berlin, Berlin Shopping, Berlin What to Do, Expat Life

VIDEO: The Making of KPM Berlin Porcelain

August 2, 2019

Germany is known for many things. It is, after all, the home of high-quality products and big industries. People visiting the country or even living here as expats/diplomats often find themselves shopping and bringing home locally-made items that could last them for generations. Functional souvenirs, if you will. I was never one for keychains or magnets as they usually become clutter and accumulate dust. Beautiful, functional, and timeless pieces are a much better choice for some serious return of investment (ROI). For this, I often recommend pieces from Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin (KPM Berlin).

It’s true that porcelain costs way more than your average ‘I Love Berlin’ shirt. However, it’s a true work of art that you can actually use and can last lifetimes.

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Almost Diplomatic - Joseph - Israeli Food - Levantine Food - Germany - Berlin - Diplomat's Wife - Diplowife - 36-1
in Berlin, Berlin Food, Expat Life

Two, New Berlin Restaurants I Love: Joseph & Pincho Nation

July 24, 2019

The past month and a couple of weeks were crazy when it came to my schedule. June is national day month and for diplomats and their wives, that’s the busiest month of the year. I’ve been a lot slower in writing about some of the interesting things happening in Berlin but I’m happy you’re still here. Thanks for sticking around. The next few months are bound to be a lot better in this space. Fingers crossed nothing comes up in between. 🙂 With the apologies out of the way, let me go ahead and tell you about two Berlin restaurants that recently opened. Restaurants that I ended up loving and coming back to for personal visits after I was invited to attend their openings – Joseph and Pincho Nation.

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Almost Diplomatic - Medinis - Heiligendamm - Germany - Italian Restaurant - Diplomat's Wife - Diplowife - Review - 32-1
in Berlin, Berlin Food, Berlin Travel, Europe, Expat Life, Germany, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Travel, Video

Video: Medinis in Heiligendamm – Perfect Day Trip from Berlin

July 11, 2019

Will you travel for good food? I think it’s one of the best excuses to get off your lazy bum, hop on a train, and discover a new place and some flavours. Last month, I found myself doing just that. We (and by we, I mean my friend Ute along with a couple of other food journalists) were on an important mission around mid-June. We took a short trip to see whether Medinis, the new Italian restaurant facing the Baltic Sea, was worth the trek from Berlin.

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