The global financial crisis is hurting more and more companies everyday. Just recently, I read in the news that my old company was affected as well. 200 people were laid off worldwide – majority of which happened in the US.
High oil prices, high food prices, banks not trusting each other, global inflation, unemployment…what’s next? Global recession?
Such scary, scary thoughts I have right now…and sad.
I’ve been getting several emails on this topic already and I guess it’s about time that I share this stuff to people who are interested in applying for this program.
First of all, the French Competence and Talent Visa is intended for people who hold a good degree of education – Master’s or Doctorate’s degree, with several years of work experience in their chosen field. The program allows chosen candidates to work and live in France for a period of 3 years (but extendable to 6). After this period, the candidate comes back to the Philippines, rich from his or her experience abroad, contributing to the Philippine economy.
Anyhoo, I for one, don’t have a Masteral’s Degree – so cross out Phd as well. But I still tried, and another friend of mine is coming here next year, holding this visa as well, but her field is more interesting – Chef!
Ok, enough already…here are the papers I submitted to the French Embassy to get into this program:
Make photocopies because they don’t accept the originals. Submit the papers to the French Consulate.
I didn’t have to wait long for their reply. They called me the next business day and before I knew it, I was filling up the long stay visa forms and submitting my visa photos and NBI – this was a hassle because they got my birthday wrong in my clearance so I had to wait a week to have this corrected.
3 weeks after I got approved, I was on a plane to Paris.
I applied for this program during the time wherein only a few people were applying. I think I was the 13th person to get into this program. As for my work, I started to submit online applications to all companies who are in need of an English Tech Writer or Editor when I was still in Manila.
Best of luck to those who will apply for this program. By the way, this visa is totally free of charge, but bear in mind that it’s totally up to the candidate to do what he or she needs to do after the approval of the visa application. The French Embassy will not help the approved candidates look for employment and a place to live.
These photos were taken last September before the fall season officially started. I remember how it was so freaking cold in the Vosges Mountain. 9 degrees on a sunny afternoon – wow! It was the coldest weather I had ever encountered. I’m tougher now. 5 degrees in Paris – but only 2 layers of clothing, thank you very much.
Well, just to reminisce old times, here are photos of an exquisite chateau – The Chateau du Haut-Koenigsbourg…
Outside
Some facts about the great chateau:
It was passed on from the Hohenstaufen Family to the Dukes of Lorraine, who entrusted the chateau to the Ratsamhausen family until the fifteenth century. The castle was attacked and burned in 1462. Then the ruins were passed on to the Thiersteins who rebuilt them with a defensive system. When the Thierstein died without an heir, the castle came into the possession of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor.
It was abandoned after the Thirty Years’ War because it had been burned by Swedish troops after a 52 day siege. For some centuries, the castle was abandoned and looked as if it was swallowed by the vast forest. During this time, the castle inspired poets and artists. Romantic, romantic!
Dining Area Inside
Spears used for defense or maybe hunting
Pig head
Cool lighting
Nice view outside
Breathtaking!
It was just so frustrating for me to be stuck in the city this weekend instead of to have gone back to Alsace. It actually snowed and I missed it – the first snow of the year in France. It was all white – the roads, the leaves, the grass! It must have been so beautiful.
C’est la vie…c’est ma vie.
38 days before Christmas!
I don’t recall having spent Christmas apart from my family. This will be the first. I feel all alone walking in the big city at night. Each time, I can’t wait to reach my stop in the metro, into the awaiting arms of my loving boyfriend. Still, it’s different. For me, Christmas means being with my family at home, exchanging gifts, eating the noche buena, and having a reunion with my extended family.
It will be a big change this year. This Christmas 2008, I will spend it in France, wherein I will struggle to speak French and to be understood, get to know my boyfriend’s extended family, and well, finally spending the holidays with him. It will be the first time, since we spent last Christmas apart.
I almost forgot that Christmas is my favorite, favorite holiday. There are more food, more things on sale, more lights, and more kindred souls. I mean, come to think of it – people are unusually nicer, kinder, and more pleasant during the holidays. And the air is just different. I feel like there’s something light hanging in the air, lifting our moods higher and higher up the sky.
I don’t remember when, but I knew Christmas is coming when I exited the heavy wooden doors of my office building and suddenly, as I was walking, I saw the Galeries LaFayette full of lights hanging from the outside ceiling. I stopped by in front of the several glass windows and I saw a different doll/stuffed toy/puppet show in each glass window. It was enough to make me catch the Christmas spirit. I took out my camera phone and just kept taking shots (blurred ones due to the fact that some people were in a hurry and I didn’t want to be in the middle of a Paris stampede).
In Front of the Galeries Lafayette
Attempted shot amidst the throng of people walking past me
Christmas has started in the Galeries LaFayette
And all I want for Christmas is the Lucky Shopping Manual (in English, s’il vous plait), breakfast at Tiffany’s (if you know what I mean!), and sun, tan, and fun. And smiles 
We celebrated the November 11 holiday by eating an Alsatian specialty during lunch – the tarte flambee.
I watched how it was made. Well, not really – I skipped the dough making and shaping. Anyway, the round, thin doughs were placed in special, flat woods – each one ready to be spiced up by fresh cream ( a thick sour cream with fresh fromage blanc seasoned with salt and pepper), onion, bacon bits, and cheese (but I noticed most people prefer not to eat this with cheese).
Spicing it up!
The reason why the tarte flambee we made and eat was so good was because it was cooked in an old-fashioned, wood-burning oven.
tarte flambee in a wood-burning oven
After a minute (or maybe less), the tarte flambee was cooked. It was fresh and supple but the crust looked very crispy and a little bit burned. Tres yummy!
Voila! My tarte flambee...I made this one myself
I ate a whole tarte flambee and washed it down with white wine. Just perfect.
Since November 11 is a holiday in France and it falls under a Tuesday, I took an RTT (reduction du temps de travail – sick leave) from work this Monday. I went back to Alsace to spend some family time and well, to eat good food. Saturday and Sunday was kind of a busy day because we had to babysit bf’s little cute cousin, but it turned out to be fun. We didn’t want the whole weekend to pass by without going somewhere. Honestly, I wanted to go to Normandy or Verdun for some more history, but we ended up somewhere a little bit more leafy and well, exhausting.
We went to the Cascade du Nideck in Alsace. Cascade is French for waterfall. Before reaching the cascade, we had to do a 20 minute hike. (I was eager to do some hiking exercise because it has been ancient history since I last worked out) Going to the falls was mostly going downhill so it wasn’t not so difficult. The view was magnificent and the colors of autumn are refreshing to look at. I got so used to seeing old buildings and the metro/RER in Paris.
before going down the trail to the cascade
The season of autumn is beautiful, but it’s also sad because the trees are dying soon, winter will take autumn’s place. Freeze everything up.
autumn
I still can’t get over the fact that leaves change into beautiful colors during autumn just so they could fall down the ground. Anyway, it was rejuvinating to take a whiff of that fresh mountain air.
view from the trail deck
The waterfall was well, nice, but I was expecting more. It was relaxing to sit in a fallen tree trunk though, just watching and hearing the calming sound of the water flowing down the stream.
Cascade du Nideck
Hiking back up was not fun at all. It made me hungry and almost breathless. When we actually saw the car in the parking area, I had the feeling it was still so far away, but it was just 10 steps away.
hiking back up
We ended up going to Strasbourg to meet a colleague of mine after the hike. I’m happy about this because I’m finally making new friends. Tomorrow is another day. The weekend is not yet over. Hopefully, the weather will be as good as today. Will keep you posted.
xoxo
Twilight Main Cast
I can’t wait to watch Twilight the movie. I have read the first 3 books and it’s getting better and better. The first book, Twilight, is a love story that any girl could ever dreamed of. And Edward Cullen being a vampire just adds more mystery and intensity to this love story.
This is the love story of Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen. A love and a deep attraction between human and vampire. I don’t know why I like the story so much, but I think the fact that the Twilight series is very easy to read is one of the things that has drawn me to read the series. And I just can’t wait to know what happens next. Edward is so attached to the scent of Bellas’s blood. And Bella will die for Edward. The love described in the book is too much - it always makes me think that no such love story can ever exist. Especially in high school.
Anyway, I want to see the movie version of the book. The characters in my story will finally have faces other than the ones in my imagination. Supposedly, the movie’s released date is on November 21, 2008, but in France it’s January 7, 2009. 
C’est triste. Bf told me that it takes time to translate the film to French. What?
Also, I don’t see Jacob Black in the photo. I guess it’s because he will be more visible in the second series. He is truly one of my favorites.
I’m a sucker for history and it was an honor to have visited one of the most historical and significant places of the world - La Ligne Maginot (Or Maginot Line, in English).
The Maginot Line is a fortification built from 1930 – 1939 for a number of reasons. These reasons include protecting the regions of Alsace and Lorraine, saving manpower, avoiding a surprise attack from the Germans, covering the mobilization of the French army, etc.
The Ouvrage Schoenenbourg in the department of Bas-Rhin, Alsace:
Ouvrage Schoenenbourg Entrance
The motto is “On ne Passe Pas” – None Shall Pass. This is inside the entrance, just before you can go down 30 meters to reach the actual Maginot Fort.
None Shall Pass
Little electric trains ran in these rails to deliver food or other things. Or a soldier can ride in a train passing these tracks to save his energy because the fort is just so huge.
Inside Maginot Line
Clearly, the French values good food. The kitchen of the fortification is fully-equipped with stoves, pans, plates, soup bowls, etc.
Oven to Make Lasagna
Where the weapons are…
Missiles
Weapons
There were several dormitories for the soldiers. This was one of their sleeping quarters.
Dormitory
An infirmary to treat sick soldiers…
Infirmary
Hidden outside the fortifications are machine guns that were operated from the inside. It’s hard to explain how these work. You gotta be there to understand everything.
These are combat blocks in the middle of a field.
Outside
combat blocks
I miss the Philippines. After calling home and hearing the voice of my mom and my nephew, I just felt a wave of sadness hit me. I’m really far away. Rockwell, Greenbelt 3, Ministop, Earl’s – sigh!
I also miss the convenience of booking a flight online and hopping on a plane to some exotic Philippine island.
I remember one time, we were so sick of Manila that we spontaneously booked a flight from Manila to Busuanga. After an hour of anxiety from the small plane, we rode a jeepney from the Busuanga airport to the island of Coron via PAL Express service. The airport is really small and it was not hard to find the PAL Express jeepney which cost us 150PHP per person.
Way from Busuanga Island to Coron
We were booked in a cozy guest house called Patrik’s Place. Well, actually, it didn’t really have a name at all, but Patrik, the Swedish owner, told us we can call it Patrik’s Place or The Guest House. I still couldn’t believe that the rate was 450PHP per night.
The first day, we went island hopping around Coron. We went to the Twin Lagoon, Lake Kayangan, and Barracuda Lake. The water in the Twin Lagoon is warm and cold at the same time and a combination of sea and fresh water. We would have to swim under some rocks to get to the second lagoon. I was too scared to hit my head because I am naturally a floater and I have a hard time sinking while swimming. My boyfriend successfuly swam under, but not without having his head lightly hit a rock – c’est pas grave. Anyway, the tide was naturally high so I had to skip the option of bringing my camera to the second lagoon.
Going to Twin Lagoon
We went to Kayangan Lake after the Twin Lagoon. This is my favorite place in Coron. Before we reached the lake though, we had to climb more than 100 steps from sea level. The way to the lake is mosquito-infested, so we were so careful and we made sure that all visible skin is covered with an anti-mosquito repellant. My face was burning so much from the heat of the repellant, but better safe than sorry. The climb was worth it. Kayangan Lake was laying before us, with its stunning blue color and its vast appearance that mirrors the sky. When you look closely, you can see the rocks under the water in the shallow area. I honestly don’t know how deep this lake is, but I did not dare find out. It was like a bottomless pool.
Kayangan Lake Entrance
The next day, we went island hopping around Coron again. It was raining so much on our first day so we decided to go back earlier than expected. Patrik rented out his boat to us for a reasonable price. We almost got cheated by a boatman and this made Patrik furious. This is not good for tourism – some people tend to take advantage and screw you with the prices just because you’re a tourist, and it didn’t help that Frenchie here looked like Casper, or Shia La Beouf.
We went snorkeling in Siete Pecados, relaxed and had lunch in Banol Beach, hiked to Mount Tapias, chilled in Maquinit Hot Srings, and then hang out with Patrik and drank some beer.
Banol Beach
Clear waters
The hike to Mount Tapias burned maybe a thousand calories in my body. 726 steps up to reach Coron’s highest point. The view was breathtaking. The best thing we did after the hike was we went to Maquinit Hot Springs to relax every aching muscle in our bodies.
View from Mount Tapias - highest point of Coron
Our last day in Coron was really sad. How can I leave this heaven on earth? I had to make the most out of it. We went to Banana Island and the boat ride to go there took us maybe 2 hours. The wind felt good in my face. I am not exaggerating, but I really felt that I was in paradise.
Banana Island
For more information on boat trips and hotel accomodations, visit http://www.swewa.net.
