Something From Aachen (Germany)

My boss who is a German national brought something from his hometown ~ Aachen, Germany when he came back after his vacation.   I wonder what's inside the nice canister as I could not see any English translation.  The label and writings are in German language.... it must be some goodies !  The canister has some pictures of old buildings with great architectural designs.  I guessed these are some of the historical places or landmarks in Aachen. It looks like the Aachen Cathedral also known as the "Imperial Cathedral" which was built by the first Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne and one of the oldest churches in Germany.  Aachen is one of the most beautiful and historic medieval cities in northern Europe.

 Aachen Cathedral (Photo is from www.opentravel.com)

 

I opened the can and there was a flower designed paper that says  "Nobis Seit 1858 ~ Original Printen aus Aachen" and I interpreted it as "An original product of Aachen manufactured by Nobis since 1858".  The rest of the write ups could be some description of the products. Nobis Printen is a well-known family owned  bakery in Aachen, Germany founded in 1858.

Photo from flickriver.com

I tooked the paper out and wow !  It's cookies and biscuits and looks yummilicious !  

Thank you for the delicious goodies from Aachen !

Congratulations....Great Work !

Last week an organizational announcement was released from our Corporate Headquarter in the U.S. It was the promotion of my boss, Jascha Ortmanns as Senior Vice President - Global Manufacturing Operations. In his new role,  he will now be handling the cell and module operations not only in the Philippines but all the factories located in Mexico, France, South Africa including the JV factories in Malaysia, U.S.A. and China.

A BIG congratulations to Jascha ! More Power...SunPower !!!

Fun and Adventure at the Robot Zoo

 The Robot Zoo

With my siblings and two house members at the Robot Zoo

Three weeks ago before Christmas Day,  we were at the Mall of Asia and we happen to pass by the Robot Zoo and decided to check it out.  We were like children once again.  

Developed by Evergreen Exhibits and designed by the United Kingdom’s Marshall Editions, the Robot Zoo is actually a traveling exhibit.  It has toured science and natural history museums and zoos in Europe, North America and other parts of the globe.  It was officially opened to the public last June 2012 at the Science Discovery Center Exhibit Hall , Mall of Asia and will run for a limited time  and then it will be moved to Kuwait this year.

The zoo featured eight animatronic giant animals that simulate how they move in real life.  The robotic animals were designed with cutaways that exposed their mechanical interior and can be controlled by the guests.  Highlighted in the exhibit were the following animals : Giraffe, platypus, grasshopper, chameleon, squid, fly, rhino and bat.  Each animal in the Robotic Zoo included some trivia and inteactive games for the kids.

The Giraffe

The Platypus

The Grasshopper

The Chameleon

 

The Zoo is not only a fun and exciting learning tool for children but also a great venue for family bonding

THE ROBOT ZOO

2nd Level Nido Fortified

Science Discovery Center Exhibit Hall

SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City, Philippines

Tel. Nos. : (632) 556-2153, 556-2193

Amidst Challenges... A Look at the PV Industry

SunPower Team Building Activity at Lazer Extreme.  We are armed and  ready to fight !

Looking back at 2012,  it was a difficult and sluggish year for the Photovoltaic (PV) Industry.  The market was decreasing and there was oversupply.  Due to surplus, prices were rapidly dropping. Some of the solar companies around the globe declared bankruptsy/insolvency.  The  Eurozone economic crisis,  feed-in-tariff (FIT) cuts in countries like Germany and Australia,  subsidy decisions in larger markets like Italy, expiry of the cash grant program for renewable energy  in the U.S. contributed to the decline in the PV solar markets.

Despite of the current PV market situation,  Sunpower fought the challenges of times but has to make two major action last year.  First was the fab consolidation and followed by the downsizing.

A Smile ...Looking forward for a bright spot in 2013

It is the new year,  SunPower is still up and kicking ready to face new challenges in 2013.  The toughest year had passed...There will always be a rainbow after the rain.

What do we expect in the photovoltaic industry in the year 2013,  Here is the prediction from the IHS Solar Research Team :

1.     The global PV market will achieve double-digit installation growth in 2013, but market revenue will fall to $75 billion. Industry revenues—measured as system prices multiplied by total gigawatts installed—peaked at $94 billion in 2011, but fell sharply to $77 billion in 2012, as presented in the figure below. Revenue is projected to decline once again in 2013 to $75 billion, on the back of lower volume growth and continued system price declines, given that PV component prices continue to fall. 

2.     The solar module industry will consolidate further in 2013. As 2012 comes to a close, fewer than 150 companies will remain in the photovoltaic upstream value chain, down from more than 750 companies in 2010. Most of the consolidation will involve companies going out of business entirely. Many integrated players, particularly those based in China, will fold up shop in 2013. The large expense of building and then operating integrated facilities that are underutilized will be more than many can handle financially.

3.     PV module prices will stabilize in 2H 2013 as oversupply eases. Despite a drastic decline in prices along the silicon supply chain since March 2011, solar prices will stabilize by mid-2013. Changes in market dynamics will help restore the global supply-demand balance.

4.     Solar trade wars will rage on in 2013, yielding few winners. As of November 2012, there were six different solar trade cases proceeding involving China, Europe, the United States and India. This cycle of sanction and retaliation will not help solve the fundamental challenge of overcapacity plaguing the global PV industry.

5.     South Africa and Romania will emerge as PV markets to watch in 2013. The two countries next year will expand from virtually no solar installations to capacity of several hundred megawatts. The PV uptake in both markets is driven by distinct factors. In South Africa, PV additions will mainly stem from the tenders awarded in 2012; in Romania, the growth driver will be a green certificate (GC) scheme that will stay in place until 2014.

6.     Double-digit returns remain possible for European PV projects in 2013. With the subsidy schemes that are currently in place, all EU countries continue to offer attractive conditions for both private and institutional investors. Meanwhile, an evaluation of no-incentive scenarios shows that the most mature market segments are on the cusp of grid parity, allowing healthy returns on investment.

7.     Solar will surpass wind in the United States. The year 2013 marks an important milestone, representing the first time that new U.S. solar PV capacity additions will be greater than those made by wind. This is partly a result of the near-term uncertainty over the federal production tax credit for wind. However, it is also a reflection of solar PV’s increasing competitiveness as a form of renewable power generation in some key U.S. markets.

8.     China will become the world’s largest PV market. Total PV installations in China next year are predicted to surpass 6 gigawatts, allowing the country to surpass Germany as the No. 1 solar market on the planet. 

9.     Energy storage will transform the solar industry. Batteries increasingly are being seen as an attractive way of retaining PV electricity, letting people use the power later in the day to avoid paying high prices for electricity from the grid. Next year IHS forecasts a big jump in the number of residential PV systems installed with batteries attached.

10.   New technology will revive equipment vendors’ prospects. Improved technologies will help PV manufacturers cut costs, increase margins and ultimately distinguish themselves from the competition. Such a focus creates an opportunity for both manufacturers and equipment suppliers to obtain larger revenue streams.

 

Loving My Cool Template !

 My New Blogger Template

It's a fresh new year so I decided to change my blogger template and I love it. I actually combined two designs :  The middle design is from Emporium Digital and is called "Flores Em Voce", a floral motif and vintage style.  The design on the left and right side bars are from Shabby Blogs background called "French Flea Market.  It looked great !  Thanks to the creative people behind these design elements.

My Old Blogger Template by Freyja Silver

A Spooky Halloween : The LBA Trick or Treat 2012

Halloween Night at LBA

Our village had its annual halloween celebration highlighted by some games and  costume competition among kids followed by a "Trick or Treat" about two weeks ago (Oct. 27, 2012).  Weeks before the event, my stepmom and I were busy making our decorations for halloween.  We actually start doing it during the first week of October.  We enjoyed making those scary decorations and had been participating in the Annual "Trick or Treat" for kids.

Halloween Trick or Treat was not popular in the Philippines long ago.  But Filipinos nowadays  due to western influence had started making it a traditional practice in the city villages, malls and even in companies.

Our halloween decorations consist of two (2) white ladies, a witch, skeletons, zombie, demon, scary pumpkin head and masks, lighted pumpkins and an owl.  We also placed some spider webs and dried grass.  My family were in black attire and each one of us were wearing a lighted devil's horn. It was always a great feeling to see kids and some were accompanied by their parents visiting the house and enjoying our scary decorations.   Most of them had their pictures taken and I also took some photos.  Some children were very scared of what they see and would cry.  The halloween scary sound that my father down loaded and played also added a big impact on the decorations.   It was more scary !!!

By the way,  our dogs were also in halloween costumes.  My Mama Zen made some witch hats for our dogs and they all looked so cute.  You will see them in below photos. Enjoy !!!

 

The witch and the white lady

A close-up of the white lady

Children starting coming at around 5:00 PM

Children in pirate costumes

Children with their mommies

Mama Zen with one of the kids who visited our house

Moms of these children are my friends from our "Ladies' Fellowship"

More children !

Mama Zen (left) with our dogs and some children

Here we are in front of our house dressed in black and wearing the devil's horn with our cute dogs

This is my dog, Cupid seated  beside the candies the whole time.   Some of the kids thought she was a stuffed toy.  She was behaved and not moving.

This is Pom-Pom wearing a striped witch hat with blue and red accents

 

Nina wearing a red hat with flowers and ribbons.  She is Cupid's mom

Scotty wearing a native inspired hat with red feather and laces

Nina and Pom-Pom in costumes

Our four dogs in their halloween costumes ! Cute !

We visited our neighbor's house.  Their decoration's theme was pirate

The Art of Impersonation

Enchante Goes Broadway presents....The World Music Icons at Enchanted Kingdom performed by the EK Circle of Artists.

In the entertainment world, the art of impersonation has become popular in this industry.  Impersonation is imitating the appearance, character, voice and manner of a well-known individual.  I would say Filipinos are among those who possess the talent of impersonation.  The following are popular Filipino impersonators :

 JON SANTOS 

Jon is a professional impersonator who had mimic famous people and celebrities like Vilma Santos, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Kris Aquino and even the late Corazon Aquino.

WILLIE NEPUMOCENO

Willie is a veteran in the art of impersonation and copied the late famous actor and comedian, Dolphy and the former Philippine President, Joseph Estrada.

RENE BOY FACUNLA

Rene impersonated the former Philippine President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.  He is known as "Ate Glow."

TERI ONOR 

Terri is a comedian who mimics the well-known Filipino actress, singer and superstar, Nora Aunor.

 ERIC ALVAREZ

Eric is an Elvis Presley impersonator.  He won the Elvis Impersonation Contest at the popular theme park in the Philippines "Enchanted Kingdom in 2009."

A couple of weeks ago, I visited the Enchanted Kingdom and watched the "World Music Icons" performed by the EK Circle of Artists which showcased Filipinos talent in impersonation.  In the photos below, the bottom portion is the impersonator.

BOY GEORGE, an English singer-songwriter known for his blue-eyed-soul music with rhythm and blues and reggae influence

 

ELVIS PRESLEY, The King of Rock and Roll.  He is a cultural icon and one of the most famous American singers in the 20th century

STEVE TYLER, known as the "Demon of Screaming" due to his vocal range.  He is the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band "Aerosmith."

MC HAMMER, an American rapper, actor and amazing dancer.  He is a hip hop icon known for his song entitled "You Can't Touch This."

ISRAEL KAMAKAWIWO'OLE "IZ", a Hawaiian musician who became popular for his medley of  "Over the Rainbow" and "What A Wonderful World.".  

LADY GAGA, An American singer-songwriter who became a popular recording artist with her debut album "The Fame" which included her No. 1 international singles ~ "Poker Face" and "Just Dance."

NICKI MINAJ, An American singer, songwriter, dancer and television personality.  She was born in Trinidad and Tobago and who became well-known for her debut album "Pink Friday."