This sucks and there is nothing I can do about it. The more I face it the more I just have to come to terms that the weather is the one and only life ingredient that is beyond my control. It has got its own way of rulling the world. But this is summer and every summer there is a rain entry popping up. I just never imagined it would have been so early.
The weatherman did use the word Autumn and that just triggers me. It makes me go into a mode that is very hard to snap out of. On top of that are most e-newspapers only filled up with wonderful grey pics of Belgian beaches and do they have many news coverage about this so depressing wet object. I try to ignore all of this but it is hard. Today I even announced I am going to get out my winter outfits and that I am going to wear one of my shirts that I only get out when it is below 15 degrees Celcius.
Worst of all is that P is on Summer vacation for the moment. Not that this means that no work gets done by his precious doc hands. He just then slows down a bit and then hangs around the house. Yes, he is then seriously in the way of things. No, that he for the moment is back at the hospital being a very useful doc does not even fill me up with anger. He will feel so much more cheerful when coming back and then we might be able to face the rain armed with an umbrella.
Still, I do try to come up with some advantages of this weather. It is one way of trying to stay a bit training your mind not to get overcasted and that your dark side takes over the rest of the summer. Had to think a very long time before these showed up in my mind. But these are according to Stallie a few advantages of having no tropical temperatures and facing heatwaves in Belgium during the summer:
- no mosquito bites. They always are after me and A! Seems like the two of us are blessed with very sweet blood. I wonder how Edward Cullen w do if he would ever meet up with me. I just hope then that Carlisle is close by to call him off!
- no wasps close by your favorite summer drink. I HATE WASPS!! I have this very painful encounter under my belt with these black and yellow flying objects. The allergic reaction that one bite did caused me still haunts me when I see one of these trying to creep into my glass of coke or other sunny cocktails. So that these cold temperatures mean that they don't stand a chance does make me smile!
- no sleepless nights because of the heat. P and I are noctural types. We like to stay up rather late but once we decide to sleep we do want to fall asleep asap. The heat is then for sure in the way. I then almost dress up for a day at the beach and imagine that I am lying on a tropical sandy beach with palm trees does sometime help to make me close my eyes for a longer then 10 minutes. If I need something stronger then I think: massage, tanning, oil, lovely hands going up and down my back! LOL But for the moment I am ever tempted to get out my thermal underwear and do I sleep just the hours away easily once I hit the pillow.
- no Smog-alert on the roads. Belgium is blessed with tons of roads and their highways are quite popular to hang out at. But the moment the temperatures are going up the heat on these road will go up as well. Once there is no breeze cooling us down the SMOG traffic signs are turned around that we only can drive 90 km/h. Meaning that the traffic jams become even longer and that we have got more accidents out there. That there are now tons of major road works going on is already a hazzle but that we at least can still drive 120km/h when we get passed them makes me feel kind of upbeat.
- no line at the icecream shop and enough flavors to chose from! Ha!!! That is the best of all. P, A and I are very big ice cream lovers. One drawer of out freezer only contains this frozen delicacy. That we do not have a hard time to get our hands on our favorite kind, flavor, brand, etc does make it a bit eassier to get through the rainy days. I am for the moment into sorbets and the 'raket. The last one is considered for small kids but I do not care. That there also always seats enough to chose from at my favorite ice cream parlor just makes me feel so much lighter.
Uhm, I do try to think positive about the very wet weather. But that the weather forecast looks rather gloomy and grey for quite some time does make it a bit harder. On top of that are there so many friends and family (even my godchild E is hanging out in a swimming pool of a Tuscany villa!!!!) abroad where there is sunshine. Yes, I will be a bit envious of their tanned skin once they are back.
One look at the calendar also tells me that the weather is not going to be something positive to talk about. Because our national holiday is nearing. The 21st of July does stand for 'drache nationale' in this 'surrealistic' nation. Cook outs will be canceled, summer festivals will end up in the mud, troops will be parading in the pouring rain and Albert II of Belgium his army uniform will get soaked. It will be raining cats and dogs!!! Fun, fun!!!
I bet that his son Laurent (a very big dog lover!) might not be that sad that he did year not get invited to this spectacle. At least he did get a tan while being over in Congo. Compared to him and many 'smart' Belgian tourists abroad I do look rather like a pigmy. Please be so kind to me and do not make any comments about the fact that your skin is peeling away because at least you got some vitamine D and that does matter so much when you try to think positive. In case you are looking for me you do know where to find me: the frozen food department or the Haägen Dazs shop down Louiza in Brussels. I am the one with a biggest 'coupe' with whipped cream on top!
P.S.: The folowing music is a remix of the #1 rain song by Gazebo. This word reminds me of very sunny days in Ohio while sitting outside having breakfast or dinner under the roof of these cool architectual gems that brighten up your day. Chopin also can help me to chase away the rain for about 3 minutes. Record time!
This summer I treated myself and A to a 3 day Disney-trip! We took along our very good friends M&M! Planning we had this for months and also looking forward to such an outing is already part of the excitement. A had made some promises about attacking Disneyland for the 2nd time. Last year he had chickened out a few times when it came down to the rather fast rides. 'Mum, this time, I will for sure go into the fast train!', he had told me a few times before take off!
Before reading on I need to point out that there are some things that I have pledged not to write about. 'What happens in Disney, stays in Disney!', I had begged to M just before arriving at the 'Cheyenne Hotel'. Because I knew what effects Tinkerbell her pixiedust could have on me. Some of them would get the label rated R!. The longer I hang around Mickey Mouse ears, Goofy feet, Cinderella shoes, Buzz Lightyear guns, Jack Sparrow hats and Sleeping Beauty her pink castle the higher the risk was to turn into one of these imaginary princesses or Stich myself.
Being an adult and going to Disneyland is hard due to many with facts. If you doubt taking your kids yourself then you are damn right because after all it is not one of these easy rides. Nope, behind every corner there is looming an other temptation or danger. And in most cases it are your kids that get the most out of it! But this time I was so lucky to share those rather 'painful' moments M! Two mums who badly needed a time out and being allowed to act not accordingly to our age!
So the moment we got on Main Street USA I already had to battle with my newest asset: a rain poncho! M got a crack out of this because there was no manual included to get that clothing item fitted the right way! A and M seemed to think that this was not the most fashionable way to enter Walt's World because they started to ignore me. But hey, I was going to be prepared for the downpour of the century.
The four of us managed to get tons of rides done that first day. In some cases we, mothers, had to beg ('Please, mum wants to go on this ride!), lie (Nope, this ride does not go fast!) or black mail (When you go on this one then we will next do whatever you want!) our adorable children to get them in certain rides. A kept his promise about the train ride but the moment he had disembarked he was standing there with tears on his cheeks and told me very plainly that he would never do this again!! Yeah, right! In about a decade you want to get your driving licence and then hit the highways to break some speeding records!
The rain was still a companion by the time we got on one of the true classics:'It's a Small World'. After all these years it is the one ride where most kids (even the boys seem to forget that they don't like pink because that is one of the major colors used in this ride) and adults to inspire. The song is so catchy and manages to stay with you for the rest of your magical Disney lay over! Not to mention all the other typical Disney sounds you bump into and manage to brainwash you. A made very clear a few times that the quality of my singing had not approved by entering Disneyland!
Needless to say that by the time the rain was about the leave the French hemisphere my shoes had crossed the status of being suitable attire for attending the ball of Cinderella. It seemed as I was dragging along Aquadisney in my shoes. Guess twice were they ended up after this trip? M made sure that I will never forget them because she was so kind to video tape them. My feet themselves had colored into the webbed feet of the ugly duckling!
By the end of the day we mums had turned into two big kids who were completely running insane. A & M were sometimes perplexed by the social behaviour their less responsible parent was showing to Mickey&co. Because we were not alone in the Magic Kingdom! You can bet we found that out! And not always the most pleasent way.
Stallie was so tempted to buy Buzz Lightyear Lazergun herself because of some less Disney infected human beings. Especially the German who thaught that M her back was the best resting area to use while standing in line for Pirates of the Caribbean. Oh boy, was I about to scream for Jack Sparrow!! 'Hey, in case you have forgotten you are in Disneyland and here we don't hit on people or show our dark side!' was many times on my mind while observing many.
Still the list of highlights can still make me errupt into sheer laughter:
- the Irish guy who took his four kids and wife on a Disney break by 'accident'. His son seemed to have screwed up the reservation. As compensation they also ended up in the Disney Hotel but with compliments of Dagobert Duck who was going to pick up the check. That funny going family made my heart smile because they seemed to goof around many more times and even pulled my leg in the few minutes we met!
- The Pakistani mother who witnessed me headbanging against a fake tree in the Rainforest Café. While she was flabbergasted by my action I tried to make her return to the living world by saying:'Don't worry this is a way of letting the negative energy running loose and leaving my body!' Because by now A&M had showed also some less Disney acceptable behaviour I needed badly to decompensate. As a mother I was dead tired by now and wanted to get on a magic carpet ride with one final destination: my bed! Not that this lady seemed to understand my tree hugging and head banging attitude as the right way to get rid of stress! M was by now already crawling under a table!
- The wonderful and professional staff that seems to have much more patience then the average vistor. M & I not got photographed only with Disney characters but insisted some Most Valuable Crew members to show their most impressive smiles in front of the camera. Hey, you should try to imagine what they all put up with. And I am not only aiming at the rather less fun kids showing up in Disney stores, hotels, restaurants and rides. My personal favourites were Veroniqua & Daniel who were genuiely showing smiles and made not only the kids feel at home but also us. Stallie even went over to the Disney Information Center to put this down in black & white. In the 21st centery I don't take anything for granted anymore!
- Excuses for shopping. A & M were of course VIP-clients when it came down to selecting out souvenirs. I do think that I behaved. Not that I was not tempted to buy one of those Cinderella dresses and I was so to buy one of those funny looking hats. But then P would have for sure filed for a divorce (so to speak!!!) when he would have entered the kitchen seeing me there behind the stove wearing a hat with a mouse on it! Best shopping excuse ever was M her punch line when she saw something that she desperately wanted to buy for her daughter :'Oh, just look at that. This is comes in handy to train I her psychomotor skills!'
- A & M their fantasy and energy level! I was 'dead' by the middle of day two. But these kids had found the biggest playground ever. The only mistake we made was actually giving in when they asked for a Buzz Lightyear Lazer gun!!! The sound these make can drive you insane. By the time we ended up in bed M thaught that we were still under attack. So as a punishment she made M ride the buggy for a short while with her in it!
- Standing in line for rides that you just don't like and rather would love to skipp. People who have the pleasure (uhm!!) do know that Stallie in the mornings is not a fun ride. Nope, before noon I am rather the evil stephmother of Snowwhite. So then forcing me into the longest waiting line ever (the one of Autopolis) is not your best move ever. 'Stupid, stupid ride!! Who wants to ride in such stupid little cars on a fake track. This is something they can do when they go to a fun fair at home! I hate this!! Hey, we are loosing so much time here by just standing still! Alexander get out of that puddle (leftovers of Aqua Disney!) or I ........' M was so nice to put up with me for two mornings but I guess she was relieved that by lunch time I had changed my witchy attire for a more colorful outfit! Not that A was impressed with his mum. After all, he was the one with a high tech lazer gun.
- Fancy Cocktails at the Disney Hotel. We could not afford a night there but at least we checked out the place sufficiently! The mojito was quite refeshing and M & A were even allowed to test drive their Toy Story minature cars on the thick carpets of the bar! It is at this place that I made some wild Disney plans for the future! The staff is already warned because M is already bursting of ideas what she will make me do in case that wish ever comes true! And no way! Read my lipps:' I am NOT going to dress up as Tinkerbell and passing out imitation pixiedust in the form of powder sugar!'
- Numerous toilet visits! Taking kids to Disneyland is checking out every single toilet you meet on your way! Needless to say that the timing of your loved ones was not always perfect. Ohoh, ants in my pants! If you are standing in line for a ride and the waiting line is over 30 minutes that you wonder why they have not thaught about including an extra bathroom on the way!! M came up with a rather creative solution for these situations. She dragged empty bottles along everywhere and re-used them bravely. I was the one who had to get out of line and run for a toilet with a 6 year old who did not understand that after that leak had to face tons of faces who where not that thrilled to see us back and thought thaught we were jumping the line!
- Meeting up with Michael Jackson in 3D! A had already showed some of his funny dancemoves in the kitchen when one of his songs were on. Also M knew the name and so when we found that Disney was trying as well to keep him 'alive' by reintroducing the groundbraking clip (at the time it was a hell of an amazing job to make this one) of 'Captain Eo' we pushed (gently!) our kids into a dark cinema. Already at the introduction part these two hyperactive Mickey Mice were going wild on the improvised dance floor. Needless to say they were the only ones who dared to do this. It was hilarious to see our young ones try to go for the red 'kitten' and go for some other stuff they were 'throwing' at us. And hey, this guy for sure was able to move amzingly cool around on this globe. Now A&M wanted to adopt badly that red cute little animal he is dragging along in that clip! 'It is only fantasy!' or 'We can't buy this one in a shop!', don't seem to work in this case. They are still raving about it!!
- Driving back home after trying to fit all the luggage (also a great number of filled up shopping bags) and a long scenery drive through the country side of Disneyland! By the time we got into the car our kids showed some real sleep deficiency and we as well. But thanks to M her fired up iPod we swinged back home. I also found out why some women seem to sit behind their steering wheel with their face glued to the window shield! 'They try to blow dry their wet hair!' M her expertise was going wild during the last 300 km of the ride home! A & M had given into sleep and so we freely started to sing and move around in the car!
So now I am back home and is Disneyland again a memory!! I am totally fired up with pixiedust and hope that it will be enough to survive the next 12 months. For sure I had a wonderful time amongst Mickey and Co. Also 'The New Generation' who now officially moved in was a success! M and I do now know too much classified information about each other to break up our friendship! A and M were comrades in arms for three days and not ended up aiming their guns at each other! Mission accomplished and the countdown has already started!! We will be back for more magic!
P.S.: I ended buying Mickey Mouse stuff but not just some stuffed animal. Nope, the one that is starring at me is green and looks like a one of these soldiers out of Toy Story 3! 'Vinylmation' is for me the best way of bringing home in a rather grown up way a Disneyland Souvenire! Only hickup when you buy one of these: you never know which one is in the box! Mickey Mouse goes arty farty and do I love it! And yes, M I also love you!!!!
PS: This being A his favourite ride after all I include this in here as well!!! Try to resist the sound of this one!!
Cruise, Brown, Folon, Sting, WH Auden, Mc Arthur, Rodin, Potter, Nespresso, Stein, Lauder, Facinelli, Grün, Apple, Tiffany, Mozart, Alfa Romeo, Bond, Firth, Cosby, Häagen-Dazs, Sartre, Clooney, Einstein, Figo, Seal, Disney, Austen, Monet,Haribo, Redford, Clijsters, Ford, Skywalker, Pitt, Barilla, Rachmaninov, Marcolini, Obama, Cullen,..... . I do like the ring of certain names! As you can read my personal list is long and distinguished. Still, I would like to include one extra name and that is my own. Because yes, I am very proud of it. To me it 'stands' as firm as a rock and when I get to say it out loud it can make me feel stronger, more self confident, ready to act and go for what I am after. And I am very happy that my parents choose a very fitting first name to go along with it as well!
So tomorrow around this time I will be heading back home with P & A after meeting up with tons of people who have one thing in common: their last name! Personally I just happen to be born in a family with a very inspiring heritage. On top of all the historical facts that can be found in numerous written documents it is also made up out of strong characters. Individuals who know what they want to get out of this one ride through life.
Not all is honey and pie. After all, family ties can be broken by certain events. And the stronger the bondage is the fiercer the arguments turn out to be. Also the pain caused by them can be felt in many things. So there are cracks in the branches of the family tree. It is a very strange sensation to experience that because it can be painful. After all it is your next of kin you happen not get along as well any more. You seem not to converse that easily with some of them and that does make you feel a bit insecure. All you are able to do is exchange with those family members is a very polite handshake, or three fast kisses on the cheeks. Nothing more and then move on to the ones you still seem to have easier time tattering away with.
Still, I am very happy to see them all! Single one of them. Because the are the best proof of what my last name can stand for. Looking in their eyes, admiring their facial features and searching for the things that we have common is the best activity ever. It can be a sweet smile of a 3 year old second cousin in which you happen to recognize your own smile, the fierce look of an uncle who tries to convince his brother that he still knows it better, or the body language of one of your cousins that seems to echo in the one of your own son (A will be checked out by many for the very first time!) or daughter, or the paste of steps your godfather takes while he walks by and you seem to think it is your own father walking by, or when you suddenly hear an aunt in the second degree talking to your mother you seem to hear twice the same voice!!
Tomorrow I meet up with tons of people who are different and unique, chase after their own dreams and have particular wishes and hopes. All them have been disappointed or got hurt by certain events or have encountered the luck of their live in many ways or forms. There are all one of a kind stories and some of them might still be a busy creating their own family bonzai! Most of them will bring as well 'back up' in the form of a boyfriend (my sis is bringing hers for the first time and I hope that he will survive!! P will be on his maiden voyage as well!!), girlfriend, husband, wife, fiancée or sons and daughters. Some will be by themselves because they have lost somebody or seemed still not to have found a new branch to link to 'our' family tree. But all of them are the living proof that a family name can stand the test of time and tries to grow and blossom!
The weather forecast for tomorrow is not that promising. But then while the rain will be falling on the tent where a very colorful bunch will be sheltering chances are that I will be smiling away. Once in 5 years I get to see my family tree in the flesh and every time I am amazed about how kind life has been to us. How blessed I am when it comes down to my name and heritage! Some faces will be new and some faces will be missed dearly!! The moment the photographer will ask all of us to look up where he or she is standing on a ladder to take that one unique shot of the S-family it will be for sure one of the highlights of my summer. So, when have you for the last time been hanging around in your family tree?? It could be a very surprising trip of a life time!!
P.S.: Yes, there is somewhere in Belgium a street named after one of my family members with a very special background story! This even makes it a more colorful name to carry along. But personal I like the fact that I happen to live in a street that is very fitting next to my last name. Once when I filled out some personal information for a membership card and handed it over to the lady behind the counter she looked very suspiciously. 'You must be joking!', she said, 'Or did you make this up?', her reaction was when she saw that rather funny combination. Uhm, I guess that 'Hengstenberg' was the best place ever to find a 'stable' for my 'back up'!!!
Well, I left the blogworld for a few days because I felt not up to sitting behind a screen and typing away! On top of that I do strongly believe in 'bad karma'! Third of all I was also visiting the dark side of my own existence! Three reasons not to create anything written! Any reasons for the mentioned above states? Yes!!! Stallie is having stomach pains!
Ever since school ended I seemed to have the impression that my stomach was feeling like a brick. Okay, I do think that stress management is very important and that work is not the most important drive in your life. Still, looking back over the last ten months I had some nerve wrecking moments that I was about to explode internaly! I was fine as long I got the few hours of sleep I badly needed in order to function from a day to day basis!
Teachers are blessed when it comes down on having long breaks and especially the summer break can make others feel so envious. To make sure that I don't trip on any sensitive toes out there I want to point out here and now that this for sure a very nice extra benefit that comes along with our job description! Still, having time of when most people are working is not always a thrill! Not that I am bored but my body is then telling me take it very slow.
Most years I slept through the month July! Hibernating I was! During the school year I manage to wake up before six but once it is the first day of summer I just collapse aching for sleep. Half of day I walk then through the house trying to feel relax, being excited about having so much time for myself and not having to rush. The first year it happend it scared me. Once I recognised the signs it became part of the summerholiday routine! By the time we got into the second half of the break I was in summer mode!
But this year no extra sleep was on the programme because my body had picked out an other part to terrorize: my stomach. I had promised P to cut down an many delicous ingredients that sweeted up my life. So no Danish, candy or pies anymore or only once a week! Well, against all odds this seemed to go very easily! Stallie managed to walk by many bakeries where cakes & pies were screaming out my name and I did not even felt tempted! Even a visit to the super market did not tempt me to buy and then hide S.(ecret)S.(weet)S(upplies)!
Also snack time I just started to skip and I did not even noticed it! When A asked for some crisps I was able to resist the bag myself! My hunger sensation was acting weird and I guess that the blood sucker Edward Cullen would have signed up for that one immediately. I, at the other hand, felt very 'strange' and out of tune about this!
P only got alarmed when one morning I woke up told him that I even woke up in the middle of the night because of the stomach sensation! It took him only 3 days (this is record time, believe me!) to hand me over the phone and calling a friend of his specialised in the stomach diseases. N, being a very good friend, listened very attentively to my complaints and asked my some of those routine questions. 'So to hear you might have a small stomach ulcer!', was her quick diagnosis! Before I knew I was up for an insight trip through my digestive system! AHHHHHHHHH!!
Stallie was freaking out badly! I have this internal list of things I would like to keep out of the way as long as possible and this 'gastroscopy' was way out there on my list of my favourite outings. So I started to feel very tensed, was running around unfocused and yes, I was freakishly worried! Hey, the prospect of having the swallow a big black tube and then letting it have a trip down memory lane was not seeming very appealing to me! P tried to point out that it was a routine thingy! You should know that this down-to-earth-doctor once had tried to avoid this himself by experimenting first with tons of medication before surrendering to the tube!
My brother J was also so nice to point out that this was going to be a stroll through the park for me. 'You are always the brave one when it comes down to medical stuff!', he pointed out over the phone. He already had the t-shirt so this time I did feel a bit jealous of him knowing what to expect! I was going blind on this one!!!
So my final count down started! I did try to keep myself busy but I was so tensed that I even not managed to make a hairdresser appointment or calling friends who might be home! Nope, Stallie stayed at home and her mind was racing insane. I was so focused on my stomach issue that I started to see and feel things that were for sure imaginary illussions.
I even started to rumage through the house. P had many times asked me very politely to start throwing away some stuff that seemed just into the way of many except me! Boxes filled up with old postcards, school folders, yellow colored pages of magazines, letters (also love letters and did I find some 'interesting' ones in one my old boxes!!!)and other 'garbage-to-be' went through my hands! While sitting out there in the attic surrounded by tons of 'old' memories I was travelling through my life! I was all over the place and the world! Cherishing many things that had made me smile, kiss, scream, dream, cry, run and also worry! It was perhaps the best activity to fill up the waiting time! But no way that I was going to blog about this! It seemed to me that this was going to stimulate my bad karma!
So by the time I ended up on the table and felt the small needle go into me with the 'Date Rape Drug'(P had given me the full insight on what they were going to inject down my veins!) I surrended! I don't recall a lot of what N has been doing down there. P and A had been so friendly to stay out of there because I even not wanted them in the room! P knows too much and when something was seriously wrong I wanted some privacy! Once I made it back on a chair and found out that there was no 'alien' in there or anything life threatening I allowed them in! P and N then discussed my meds while I was sitting there completely drugged out!
Don't ask me who I called or sent a text message to tell them I was fine, I don't remember it vividly! Everything happened in a blurr. P told me that if he would have given me some 'fishy' documents I would have signed them! Yeah, right!! By the time I called it the day and went upstairs and reached for my very funny read 'We are all made of glue' I was drifting away! P found me some hours later still sitting straight up, lights still on and sound asleep!!!
Guess what, I don't even remember that but when I woke up this morning I did feel so different! Like I had slept very well for the first time. P smiled when he saw me waking up this morning! 'I guess that sleeping part went well!' He then started to rumage in the bath room looking for the medication, he handed them over and told me that I was even allowed to have coffee! Yeah, this is heaven!!! I am facing now at least one month of medication! But I hope that I will be graving for some sugar as well because after all Mary Poppins is damn right when it comes down to dealing with medication in many forms and sizes:
'A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down The medicine go down The medicine go down Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down In a most delightful way'
(Julie Andrews, A Spoon Full of Sugar, Mary Poppins)
Zürich!!!!!! It got under my skin and not only because my sis L now lives there. Nope from the moment the plane made its touch down till we left it took possession of my hardest spot to invade. After six days tasting the Swiss life in all its dimensions I felt that this city for sure belongs on my city hot list.
While wandering around in a town where my sister already knows the hot spots and the hidden corners I did feel something that you want to feel when you are traveling. It is the rare sensation that this place could be your home where you can come to peace with yourself. The one spot where you can put life in the right perspective and where you want to pour an extra glass of that magical potion.
I had been to Switzerland before and I have to be honest Zürich was not on my wish list of places that I want to visit before I die. Thanks to my sis who decided that working there could be a real investment in life-experience I booked a flight. On top of that I was able to convince my mum to hop on the plane with.
So there we were two Belgian tourists who were going to check out this place. The moment we got out the train where L was going to meet up with us, it hit us! While sitting in one of the green city parks I became aware of how quiet this city was. Around me were tons of people sitting and you can be sure, most of them were not tourists but locals who were taking a break from work or taking the kids out for a day in the park.
While life was passing by all I could do was taking a deep breath of Swiss air and feel at peace. I did most of the stuff that my travel guide advised me to do. According to them you can manage this town in a few hours! Yes, you can pass by and just take a dip of the Zürich salsa or you give it the time it really deserves.
So this Belgian girl walked her shoes off, awed at the Chagall window panels of the Frau Münster Kirche, drank tons of fresh mountain water, sat down at borders of Zürich lake with a tasty ‘cervela’, paid a fortune for two scoops of sorbet, took tons of pictures with her tiny digital camera, tried out the superb public transport (it is even scary how punctual they are!), pulled herself together while passing by bakery Sprüngli (did spoil myself on the airport with buying the tiniest box of ‘Luxemburgerli’, sorry to break the news to you but I am not sharing those with anyone!!!), checked out unknown supermarkets with names like Migros or Coop, lost her sense of time while wandering through one of those Swiss temples of art, the Kunsthaus.
Furthermore I dipped my hands in the many colorful water fountains of Bern, taped my mother and sis while discussing the quality of the Swiss bread, got some make-up at the Swiss Harrods Jelmoli and got a nice make over by a really nice sales person (believe it or not but in Zürich every customer is considered important!!!), walked into numerous churches and caught the last sound of some splendid organ music, went for a day to Bern (calling it Basel half of time), went BIO at the Junkart farm, smiled at some nice looking bankers or stockbrokers who just seemed to have walked out of Hugo Boss add, checked out the oldest vegetarian buffet of the restaurant Hiltl, broke a huge (but fortunately) empty glass in the middle of the cafeteria at my sister’s work, helped my mother to escape the Kunsthaus after she touched the ‘Olivestones’ from Buyse and was covered in the olive oil, tried to cross the streets of Zürich like my sis (who trust every Swiss driver to stop for a pedestrian!!), took a break in the park to see Swiss Life pass by!
So ladies and gentlemen by day tree this Belgian girl was totally hooked! It did not matter that half of the time I did not understood the German they speak. And this even after some months abroad in Austria! Once a city finds a way into your heart and you feel the vibes you feel at home!! That is what happened right there at the banks of Zürich See. Can’t describe this very specific feeling but globetrotters will for sure know what I am talking about.
Suddenly it is not enough to be a tourist you want more, you want to fit in. Blending in with the landscape, do what the locals do and for sure talk like they do. But it is hard to keep up with the Swiss who seem to know where they heading for even if they wear high heels or speed by in a spic and span bloody red Ferrari! Believe me, I tried but my accent (like always!) gave me away in no time! So with sorrow in my heart I did board the plane heading back home.
I now try to make clear that Zürich is really worthwhile to stop at instead of ignoring when driving to your annual skiing trip or summer holiday! It seems so ordinary and rather dull. That this country is so clean is not thanks to the 7 dwarfs! No jokes allowed about dwarfs in Switzerland because this nation is proud to be that spotless.
And they should!! One look at the average highway you pass by in this tiny nation you know that we can better then the present result. Lately we not really turn up in any best list what so ever unless it is the worst. My sister pointed out that according to her own experience many Belgians work more effective and get done more in less hours but that there is not as much stress. According to many tourists Swiss are not easy to approach but that is not completely true. It just takes a bit more energy but once you managed to crack the ice they love to talk about many topics and things.
One of the very surprising things that I experienced was that they consider me talking Flemish!! Some people pointed out to me that we should be proud of the language that we speak and that it is not the same then Dutch. It is always strange to be pointed out by others that your own cultural heritage is worth while to cherish and take care of.
So what are we waiting for let us get all the rumble out of the way and make sure that there are more trashcans all over the place so that we at least can see clearly all the beauty. In Switzerland I did see some splendid views, art, landscapes, buildings, monuments and people and was I able to take deep breaths of fresh air!!
Okay, thanks to having my sis L over there it helps to feel more at home but I do consider Zürich now one of the big surprises in the list of places that I have visited on this globe. That Monocle, a well known traveler’s magazine , put Zürich first place on the list of best places to live and to start a business on this globe, is no surprise to me anymore. I do think that Chagall, James Joyce, Carl Jung, Tina Turner (according to my sis she walks through Zürich wearing a wig!) and even Lenin will still agree with that verdict.
