I CROSSED PONTE VECCHIO

Firenze is the past! And I have still not posted an entry here.  Why?  Well, because it was a very intense and emotional holiday for me. It was not just a city trip and the people who do know me quite well  know that it had been something I had been longing for quite some time.  Ever since my art history studies at the univeristy I longed to see  'live' all canvas, marble, architecture, stones, sights....  All the classes that I had about the content  of that Italian city made me even dream about it.  The moment that you take an exam about something it becomes part of you.  So that I never made it sooner to Firenze is due to many facts.

I had my own personal reasons because I would have loved to have gone with P&A but these two men can't handle the heat and also the amount of art.  I was then also very happy that my mother was prepared to join me for this very exceptional voyage.  And so it is in the summer of 2012 that I finaly made it to that one city that I longed for.

Next I could compose a very long entry about what I went through while I wandered through the streets of this very historical place... but I have changed my mind?  Why?  Well, because I wouldn't be good enough.  There are not enough words to express what I felt while spending 6 days in that city. Because let us face it, you were not there with me when:

- I dragged me, myself and my suitcase to our hotel that we could not find and that my mum and I are were about to collapse from the heat after having been used to wet &cold weather.
- I thanked the Lord almost on my knees for a bottle of sparkling water that we found in our lovely hotelroom when we arrived.
- I sat on the green (yes mum, your grass looks so much better then most of the heat struck grass we saw) grass of the Boboli gardens while writing postcards for friends and family.  Did we LOL out when she read the sign 'Keep of the grass' after whe had been on it for over an hour. Priceless moment!
- I picked out my newest wardrobe to wear for my new job while my mum was my personal shopper.  Pretty sure that we also checked out most of the handbag stores in town in order to find my newest assets.
- I took tons of pictures of many things that I wanted to frame and look at when I would be back in rainy Belgium. My camera sometimes used its close-up function also for the rather good looking Italian guys that were running around in town. My mum told me that if my sis would have come along that she would have had a fulltime job bodyguarding the two of us. LOL
- I tried to make up my mind in front of the delicous looking 'gelato' flavours and then seeing how my mum was enjoying here cup of dream flavours.
- I stood eye in eye with that one gigantic statue of David that where you have been reading so much about but still are not prepared for when you then meet up with. The impact of it is beyond any words.
- I lit candles in the numerous churches that we walked in to find a cool oasis and some silence.  In those places I found so much more then peace of mind and was I able to contemplate about my life.  Yes, many of you my beloved friends out there have been with me while I was in there.
- I picked out delicous sounding and even better tasting dishes! I can tell you that we ended up in some lovely restaurants.  Antipasti, primi, secundo, dolce, vini, ristretto...I had them all and enoyed every bite and sip of them.
- I read so many facts, stories and anecdotes about a city that I do now even love more.  Best guide book I bought was:'Florence, just add water.'  For sure a reference book you need to get if you ever travel with children to this city.  For me it was the best guidebook ever because in there was the only city map that did make sense to me. ;-)
- I tried to speak Italian but am very sure that I did sound so foreign that you would have LOL if you were a local.  The thing is that I love the Italian language so much that it even sounds like music in my ears.  And the typical gestures many guys make along with it are even more priceless!
- I tried to find the way but loved to get lost and bumped into unexpected situations like meeting up with artist Luca in no time found his way to my heart&of my mum or when resting on bench suddenly had lovely conversation swith some colleague tourists.  And yes there were moments that I did try to hide that I was Belgian because sometimes we are not well behaving when it comes down to travel etiquette. Just keep in mind:'When in Rome do as the Romans' also counts for Firenze my dear Belgians.
- I noted down words in order to hold on to images of things, places, people, artwork, food,etc...  My Moleskine is a bit more filled up with Italian inspired words and I hope to cherish them for a very long time.
- I bought liters of water and drank it in a personal record.  The tittle of that guidebook I mentioned here before is so fitting because you just can't survive without water inside the walls of this city.  Yes, it was very pleasant to find sometimes water in unexpected places and fill up your empty waterbottle.  Chances are that I did spend more on water then on gelato!
-  I was wearing my summer wardrobe and felt great! Never before did I wear that many dresses or short skirts.  But because of the high temperatures Stallie had just no excuse.  The pictures tell enough about the outcome of this.
- I talked with my mother about many things that we the last years perhaps not had find the right time and place for.  Yes, thanks to Firenze I do know & understand myself a bit better and where I come from.  You do travel to learn!
- I looked over skyline of this magical Italian hot spot and just dreamed away and tried to picture what Firenze must have been like to live in at the time of the notorious and powerful Medici family.
- I picked out the smell I wanted Firenze to leave behind on my skin once I would open a bottle at home. The many perfumes that hit my nostrils triggered such intense emotions.  The ones that now fill up my bathroom can do the trick.
- I got sincere smiles of many locals.  Yes, some of them were men who did just did seem to have walked out of on Armani commercial! Yes, some of them did own six packs!  The ones that I did spot in their great suits and wearing, lovely typical brown leather shoes, holding on to a tiny bouquet of white roses and dark sunglasses on their nose made almost faint.  Even my mum made then the comment:'Wow, they look so chique and sophisticated!' This qualifies then also for the ultimate Italian macho moment that I did share with my mum and enjoyed tremendously.
- I filmed my mother while she made some comments about the trip.  Still I love travelling around on this globe with her.  She is for the moment not having a very easy time but I am so grateful that before things were going to be a bit rougher on her that we did share this intense time.  Yes, she was the one wearing very stylish clothes and never leaving without a hat or wearing lipstick!
- I picked out that red bracelet made out of  sunflowers shaped pieces of fabric that many Italian women wear around their wrists. My mum declared me a bit insane that I wanted to spend money on something like that.  The thing was that I realy wanted something like that to take home and wear around my wrist to remind of that special place.  Because yes mum, I know that I will never be able to look like one of these very well groomed Italian women who always look like they are ready participate in a fashion show.  But then this was also not what I was after with this buy.
- I witnessed how a total stranger suddenly went down on his knees in front of his girlfriend and proposed to her while an orchestra was playing in front of Palazzo Vechio in twilight while there was quite a crowth.  Their faces were incredible and made fall alseep with a gigantic smile on my face.
- I wrapped those great white sheets around my cool skin that smelled lovely after that great late night shower and that tube of special shower gel I found in there. The goosebumps that were all over my body were not there because of the air conditioning.
- I opened in the mornings the window of my hotel room and did look at the dome! That view and the sounds my ears, the smells my nose, the images my eyes picked up made my heart jump for joy.  I can not describe what I felt then. It makes me cry for the moment because I dare to call it happiness and wish that I could have bottled it up for days that I will have a harder time. 
- I just let go and wandered off to places in my mind where I have not dare to go for quite some time.

Because yes, I had kind of promised myself that Italy was only going to be granted the Stallie she is on special days.  No, you were not there with me! I was there all by myself. But to be honest that was exactly what I was after! The memories that I created on this trip are mine to hold on for the rest of my life.  In case I did send you post card you might have noticed that I did not write down many words.
But you can be sure that I wrote it while my heart was singing for joy and that I did wish that many of you were sitting out there with me in total silence and that world did pass by.  Even the ones that I can not write a post card anymore or I do not have the address of because of some obvious or less obvious reasons I did write you one and mailed it.  Believe me you were there with me for some very meaningful moments on this trip but I can only guess if you would have seen, smelled, tasted, felt and picked up the same things as I did. 
I do know now what Firenze looks, sounds, smells, tastes but foremost feels like and I know now for 200% sure my love for Italy turns out to be unconditional and it is stronger then ever!  Because yes, when I crossed Ponte Vecchio I crossed something very special in my mind and in my heart! I wish you had been there with me and that we were been able to hold out for our hands.  In my mind you did and that is perhaps what counts! 

Il Ponte Vecchio Di Firenze

Gaddi mi fece; il Ponte Vecchio sono;
Cinquecent' anni giá sull' Arno pianto
Il piede, come il suo Michele Santo
Piantó sul draco. Mentre ch' io ragiono
Lo vedo torcere con flebil suono
Le rilucenti scaglie. Ha questi affranto
Due volte i miei maggior. Me solo intanto
Neppure muove, ed io non l' abbandono.
Io mi rammento quando fur cacciati
I Medici; pur quando Ghibellino
E Guelfo fecer pace mi rammento.
Fiorenza i suoi giojelli m' ha prestati;
E quando penso ch' Agnolo il divino
Su me posava, insuperbir mi sento.  

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

BE(lgian) Olympic London

Stallie is back from Italy! She already has unpacked her suitcase, downloaded the pics, the laundry is done and she has given her 'precious' Italian souvenirs their rightful spot.  David is now brighting up our kitchen.  He might end up being a distraction while cooking the pasta al dente but then I will enjoy that view imensely while chopping up mozerella di buffelo or pouring some olive oil in a frying pan.  The athletic posture this fellow puts on a show did took my breath away because once you see him he just gets under your skin.  Gigantic fellow with visible atheletic superpowers.

What brings me at an other atheletic subject: the Olympic games.  I had to miss the opening ceremony because I was already wandering in Firenze and drinking liters of water to keep up my level of fluids.  I did try to follow a bit the headlines and yes it was nice to see these Italian water polo boys jumping into a pool and going after winning score.

Still I do not feel that optimistic for the moment when covering the Olympics. I even tend to call it rather dramatic games for the Belgians.  Why? It seems that we just don't make the cutting edge! It just does not happen and yesterday even my Vigo had to retire before the end of the Olympic tournement! Well, because once more it does show so openly that sports in our nation just do not matter. We just seem not to be able to coach athletes.  Let us face it! Our nation considers sport as a nice distraction.  Not that I think that every kid with ADHD should become a Michael Phelps and not each kid has got the genes to become an athlete but Belgium just does lack the profiency on many levels to raise a generation that will be able to use their talents on the highest level.

We are just not cut out of that kind of wood and I am very sorry but the last 10 years nothing much has changed to track down talents and coach them seriously and with proficiency.  In Belgium it still the brain training that matters most then breaking a European track record because you do need back up in case you fail or when you might brake a leg or fall without funding.

 Plus be very fair, fellow country men and women we tend to treat most of the our sporty Belgians as a curiosity.  When they openly call themselves good enough to go the distance we even tend to mock them openly.  The weeks for the Olympics many people even wondered what we as nation were going to do in London.  It seems as we are a bit ashamed of ourselves.  Because let us face it we do not have someone as Usain Bolt (but know that running the 400m is still considered harder!) or gymnasts that can make your head spin wild.

It seems that we out there in the sports arena show also the rather insecure personality we carry along in our genes.  Most of Belgians that tend to show excellence are tend to be called a bit 'awkward'or 'dikke nek'!. But is Belgium a 'good' spot on this blue planet to nurture their talents? Uhm, I tend to say...no.... I am so sorry. I am very proud of where I come from and I do cherish my heritage but we do fail when it comes down to sports.

Let us face the music that if our national delegation brings home 3 medals that this will be quite okay.  We are not the USA (no basketball dream team because we did decide to even let out best field hockey player at home because 'she did not fit into the team') or we are not Team GB who did invest millions of pound sterling in their athletes to grant them their best four years of prep time (some of our athletes are still amateurs and believe me that even the army is involved in some nations to employ atheletes) and no we are defenitely not Russia or China that already has selected their best for the Olympics in the next decennium!

Is this something to be ashamed of?  No, but perhaps to the ones who dare to go out there and enter the arena deserve a bit more attention once in while and the right after care.  Lionel Cox might look as Mr Bean but the guy did face an total empty press conference hall before focussing and then scoring. Being an athelete in this nation is not very easy.  And even if you manage to win an Olympic medal the after game is sometimes a bit...how should I put it...awkward.

Does anybody remember what happened to our Olympic medal winners after they brought home their medals?  I do not consider it okay that someone like 'Fredje' Deburgraeve ended up being a shoe sales person and Annelies Bredael might have sold you a Vauxhall/Opel.

I also just read a personal comment of our big chief of Bloso who has got figured it out why our Dutch neighbours bring home so much more Olympic medals then we do.  Turns out if we would be 8 cm taller and take some more risks out there in the sports arena then we might be able to bring more medals from Brazil! Rather mission impossible because the first one is linked to our genes and the second one..euh perhaps also.

It is so awkward that I even did predict this weekend that Evi would not manage to keep her first place in the regetta race and our Jumping team who for the moment is doing pretty okay is already announcing that a medal is almost out of reach because Vigo does not agree with the rather hard underground.  The horse is about to retire and longs for long  beach walks.   'We do not have two very good horses like other nations.'   Nope, we don't but many of the horses that are competing out there are born in our tiny nation.  We  have just decided to sell them to the highest bidder.

Belgium is not a nation known for athletes! Even our so Miss Symphatico Kim Clijsters found it out after being denied a wild card for mixed doubles.  You can bet that does sting!  But that is who we are!  But it is not easy having to face a total empty press hall when you would love to answer some intelligent questions about your sport once you made to the Olympic games.  After all these ladies and gentlemen did pass the Olympic exam! They did face hours of hard training, of overcoming dissapointment, failure, winning, losing, injuries, pain, joy, etc and most of did this all by theirselves.

Many Belgian athletes face the loneliness out there! It is their faith and I guess that it does make them stronger.  Competitive edge is not a word cut out for us!  Many Belgian athletes have been so used at training and figuring it out on their own that if they get to the Olympics that we wonder how the got there.  Practice, years and years of practice and feeling the passion for something that they truely love.  But they combine it in most cases with a college study or a profession that they stay true  amateurs.

Yes, Stallie did wonder as well if it wouldn't be better to invest my tax-money in research and education instead of sponsoring an Olympic athelete.  It makes me who I am: deep inside I am also a very Flemisch and do I tend to forget to think a bit more positive.  Yes, I am rather envious of Team GB who now wins the one medal after the other and I would love to see many of our Belgian athletes perform well.  But in our present context we just seem having to settle for top 10 spots and perhaps one unexpected medal.

Stallie will keep on wearing proudly her red t-shirt she bought to support those Belgian olympic athletes.  Just live the moment out there! And all other Olympic athletes  that already having it made to London are also worth an extra hand of applause.  In case you run, jump, ride, swim, row, cycle or make other olympic movements while coming across one of these modest Belgian athletes please smile,wave or even pinch them!  Because chances are that they might think that they are still dreaming and forget to live the moment!! After all the emotions we get to witness while the Olympic flame is burning are unforgetable intense!

P.S.: by the time I did finish this entry our Belgian Evi Van Acker won the bronze medal in sailing.  Very happy for her because 4 years ago this very bubbling personality did come back with some shattered Olympic dreams.  And if you come to think of it does it take Usain Bolt about 9 seconds to win an Olympic race and Evi had to keep focused and find the right wind for her sails for about 9 long days.  That does make it a completely different race! Congrats Evi!!!  Way to sail to Olympic glory! 

Click here for a very nice selection of pics take sometimes very close up! Enjoy!

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/08/london_2012_olympics_one_week.html

And to play along with the pics one of the best Olympic sounds ever or at least in my humble personal opinion.

Olympic Horses in London

London 2012 is almost a fact and Stallie is totaly fired up for such an Olympic event.  I then change into a person who wants to find out everything there is about a sport.  Yes, I cheer many of them on and when they have date with history then I am genuiely happy for them.  Because after all the Olympic Games are still something special.  Many of the athletes that will come in action in the following 3 weeks have been longing perhaps for this event longer then we can ever imagine.  It is the icing on the cake!
 
The thing is that this year I will be hanging out somewhere else while many of the best of the best will perform there in London.  I will be in a city where I have been longing for and this for a very long time. It has been on my wish list of places I wanted to visit for sure in my life.  When the Olympic flame will enlighten the British capital I will be having a Martini Bianco on a terrace or a 'gelato' for dessert.  Firenze is calling and I can't wait to fill up my suitcases with my Summer wardrobe!  Yes, I even bought 3 dresses in order to survive the Italian sun! Not that I will forget to take along my sun lotion ph50 in order to come out unharmed!  Stallie and sun do not agree always.

This means that I will miss some Olympic highlights and that I  will have to catch up once I am back from my 'Room with a view'-holiday in 'la dolce Italia'.  And therefor I already leave out here  an Olympic entry.  Because Stallie wishes to express her admiration very openly for one kind of athlete that will be out there pursuing the Olympic fame and glory .   It is the kind of athlete that we tend to forget.

Because let us be honest in the first place we think of people when we think of athletes.  Bet that Usain Bolt,  Michael Phelps,  the Dream Team (US basketball players),  Rodger Federer are just a few that pop up randomly in your head.  I mean how many of you have been thinking of Chippieh, Rubi, Kenny, D'Niro, Painted Black, Vrieda O?  How many of you have been thinking of horses when hearing the words Olympic athlete?

Some of these athletes will have to run very fast, others will have to be able to jump with precission and others will have to perform a kür with perfection and there will even be a few who will have to combine all of this in what we call eventing.  And they will do this in most cases in a very focused state, or with grace or perfection.  It are these athletes that I will be cheering on.  Because let us be honest we tend to forget them that they are out there during these 3 Olympic weeks.

I can't wait to see some of these very special animals in action.  Some have been on boats, planes and trains and trucks to get to their Olympic stables.  If I come to think of it , they even have to overcome jetlag and in some cases even first have to go in quarantaine before they allowed out to perform.

Do I have a special reason to be so into horses?  Well, it is not that I ride myself a horse. At least not anymore.  There was a time I did but then there comes this moment that you need to make choices. I then did prefer ballet slippers above some shiny riding boots.  But still, the love for the horse is still there and I do try to keep it alive and kicking! 

I have had tons of kids in my classroom who just went in overdrive once the did hear the word 'horse'.  Some of these 'special ed' children were able to get me back into the world of horses.  Because in the world of special ed, horses have gained a very special spot.  Especialy in the world of children with autism.   I challenge you to google 'equine assisted therapy' and there will open up a whole new world you might not have known the existence of.   The first time I did hear of it was during my special ed teaching training. The positive side effects I saw in my pupils after being allowed near a horse for a few hours made me as a teacher become aware that a horse can make a difference in the live of many childeren.

Horses can also trigger something in Stallie her mind.  Some of you might now how far the love goes. And no, it is not only because of Mr Darcy being so handsome on a horse in 'Pride&Prejudice'! Nope! It does go a bit further then that.  They inspire me and do so much more then I can express out here. Yes, they have been part of my childhood. A happy time where I got to meet up with gigantic big mares by the lovely names like Mephisto, Fiber and my favorite and most loyal friend Pedro.  Vividly I remember the smell of leather that hit my nose and crispy sound of the saddle that my ears did pick up once I got into the saddle.  Also the very special sensation I felt like once that animal moved.  The world looked quite different from up there.

The fact that your feet are from the ground and that you have to let go so to speak is quite a challenge.  Yes, I did fall of them and I can tell you that it did frighten me. The funny thing was that I never did hesistate to get back right away into the stirrups and that the trust was still there once we were linked back together. Strange what a horse manages you to do!

I also remember how the older ones got to ride their favorite horse into the woods and when they came back they all looked so happy and content. Like the had been on ride through paradise. Also as a kid I always envied the horse riders that I got to see in action during the evenings out at the beach!  The way the water was splashed up by them running through it made me already feeling a bit more refreshed.

Now, I could go on for hours about horses and even start to mention some very historical horses like Bucephalus (Alexander the Great), Marengo (Napoleon), Copenhagen (Duke of Wellenington) and Traveller (General Robert E. Lee.). There is also the endless list of fictional horses that did add some speed to a good story or two: Frou-Frou (the race horse of count Vronsky in 'Anna Karenina'), Shadowfax ( Gendalf his white stalion 'the lord of all horses' in 'Lord of the Rings), Hengroen ( the loyal King Arthur's horse), the Trojan Horse (a gift that won't be easily forgotten!) and the so funny horse Jolly Jumper (who always puts up with the cartoon cowboy Lucky Luke) , 'My Little Pony' (the plastic toy horse that colored up my room and even took along to bed!)and the list could go on and on...

But there is also the troubled horse, the horse that did come across trauma one way or other and needs time to find back its balance. Some of the Olympic athletes with shining riding boots might have come or come sooner or later across some kind of horse like this.   Top of the bill in that category is the fictional horse by the name of Pilgrim.  This horse introduced us into the rather mystical and hard to understand world of horse whisperers.  Yes, horses can get traumatized and then the rider and its companion seem to be lost together. The voyage they then have to embark on is one that is comparble to chasing after Olympic gold.  They are both lost and chances are that they might not find back the balance they once had.  That is if they are not prepared to put back trust in each other.  Use also all the patience and faith you would put in your best friend.   It will cost tears and sweat to find back that one beat you after to make it work out there together as one team. 

So I guess that are reasons enough for me, Stallie to cheer on a bit louder for the olympic horses. Because believe it or not it is not only the rider who needs to qualify.  No also the horse needs to qualify. If the horse falls out for one reason or an other then the game is over.  So the bondage that you will see at work is the result of some very hard work.  The athletes in the saddle don't take it for granted, they are fully aware of how fragile this all is.  Some horses might already get not unharmed out of the transport phase.  What will for sure hurt and believe me that then the equestrian will suffer as well.

One of the best passages I ever read about horses and people also comes from 'The Horse Whisperer' by Nicolas Evans:
"If you want the horse to do something you begin by letting the horse know it is okay to be a horse. Not your version of what you think you need. It is about understanding who you are and respecting your place with one another.  To have that kind of acceptance requires a certain degree of spirtuality.",
(said by the character Tom Booker)
I am pretty sure that many horselovers are fully aware of what this means.  The energiefield that gets activated between a rider and horse is not always visible to the untrained eye of the audience. But I am sure that the Olympic riders who are now preparing their teammates know what Tom Booker tries to tell us.   

So ladies and gentleman, Stallie is putting all her fictional fortune on these Olympic Belgian horses by names of: Dunkas-A, Cyrano, Gazelle de Brasserie, Nepal du Sudre, Donnerfee, Lully de Aulnes, Valentina Van 't Heike, Bufero van het Panishof, Cadjanine Z and for sure Vigo d' Arsouilles, the world champ jumping who will retire after these London Olympic Games.  (If I have forgotten someone, then please forgive me!)

In case you have managed to obtain Olympic tickets have a great time!  I do envy you and for sure if it are tickets to see some of the above horses in action.   Wasn't it after all an Englishman who once made an English king, Richard III say:'My kingdom for a horse.'? Well, Shakespeare would for sure be hanging out at Greenwich Park in Olympic London.  Still, in these Olympic times this sentence won't be used ironically because in order to reach for the Olympic dream the horse is essential!   Good luck, Belgian riders and enjoy the Olympic ride!  You will be cheered on by Zeus and you beloved team mate with a saddle will have Pegasus! What an Olympic combo!

And take a deep look into the eyes of the horse here above. You might be starring into the eyes of an Olympic athlete!

P.S.: Also get well soon to Mensa G, the horse of Olympic horse rider Carl Bouckaert who did get injured during the transport to London! Let them take good care of him at the Olympic stables! 

 Because my love for horses can't be just 'framed' in one clip I post here two:

1. My favorite scene of 'The Horse Whisperer'.   That Robert Redford got to play 'Tom Booker' made me just smile. Plus I do like the character Annie in this one also a great deal.  She finally finds her way back to her own 'stable' with the help of the mysterious horse whisperer.





2. Yes, I dare to admit it here openly that I sometimes even sit down to watch 'Amika'. And I do sing these songs along as well.

What A Difference A Day Made

'Oh, what a difference a day can make.', I did think last night when I was driving home after spending a day with my family. Not just a day! No, it was perhaps the first day of Summer in Belgium.  That I got to spend it with my family was in a way a last minute decission but sometimes these kind of decissions can turn a day into a special day.

I am going to be a bit selfish and not sharing you word by word what I did experience yesterday.  Because in a way it was a very intense, emotional, sunny, delightful, sweet, memorable, fun, warm, bubbling and many more emotions to describe the first day of Summer. 

Instead I am going to share a few images, words & music to get the message across about a day  that  wish to bottle up and uncork when I am in need of something to cheer me up on a rainy day! This was one of such days fit to end up in a bottle of Dom Pérignon!  And for the moment I am very grateful for what I have been given.  Even more when I get to spend that split second in the sun! 

By means of words:

"Tinkling wind chimes
Soaring kites
Scenes of Summer
Long, balmy nights
Aircraft against blue sky
Vapour trail writing
Lawn mowers buzzing
Barbecue lighting
Fun bouncy castles
Families out biking
Backpacks on
Walking and hiking
Splishing and splashing
Paddling pool or beach
Summer fruit tasting
Berries, kiwi and peach
Ice cream and soda
Picnics by streams
A slow game of cricket
On small village greens
A punt on the river
Or sail out to sea
Windsurf or kitesurf
Happy Summer Days for free. "

(Pauline Oliver)

By means of a picture of my beloved godchild Ella:

'ALICE AND THE CHESHIRE CAT'

By the means of music:

Where Is My Summer Mind?

While I am typing this entry I am under a duvet! Not kidding! I am longing for hot coco with marshmellows and perhaps even relocating the Stroh-rum to chase the cold away.  It does not help to watch tonight Tour de France journal 'Vive le Vélo' where the French sun is setting in the back. Because the closest I get to a bit of some Summer spices is filling up my bath with Lavender foam bath of L'Occitane.  And these I call rather desperate measures.
Today I am trying to come to terms with the fact that this Summer is just wet and that I mostly will need to wear not only waterproof mascara but also should opt for Wellies instead of my sunny looking sandals.  Have even postphoned buying a bikini because let us be honest when am I ever going to wear that kind of outfit?
Okay, water is in the 21st century considered rather valuable and there will be armed conflicts to get a bucket full of this fluid.  So in a way I should feel like a multi miljonair when I am looking out of the window.  But at this time I feel like I am ambushed in my own house.  Yes, I am going through the annual Summer hibernation phase! Which I hate  because my head feels then as it is filled up with cotton balls and I tend to change into a  zombie.
In the morning I wake up like I have not slept at all.  My eyes feel heavy and I hardly seem to find the way into the bathroom without tripping over some shoes or walking into a door.  Next I am so surprised to meet up with the person in there.  'Are you sure that you are the same person as last night?  I am sure that yesterday that wrinkle here and that dark circle there, weren't there yet.  What kind of magic do you know that I just did not know the existence of?'  And then I decide it is time to get the lid of of an other gigantic pot of anti wrinkle cream.
By the time I find the coffee machine, that is if I don't forget to fill up the water tank before hitting the big cup-button I am totaly convinced that the only spot that I want to hang out is my bed.  My mind is in a constant fight about waking up or not.  The caffeine-shot that I then fire into my system sometimes seems useless and this despite the 'by all means' very fitting  George Clooney mug I bought to go along with this routine.  My hair is then already telling me that it will be useless to book that family photoshoot you have already visions about for years.
I then kind of feel like there is conspiracy going on against me fighting back the Summer blues.  I hate them because I know exactly what they feel like and where they will take me.  It is a place I hate hanging out at.
Not that I don't try to fight back. The week of teaching Summer school was a way of trying to fool my body.  'This time you just won't find your way in!  Even after 10 months I can still can go very strong.', I tried to tell my mental system.   That we even planned this year the Summer fun park trip rather early on was also part of the grand escape route.
Stallie her body system in Summer mode is very hard to fool because I now even have the impression that it is hitting back big time.  If I just give in it takes me there were my mind races and at the same time makes lethal collisions take place and then I just feel like I am drugged.  I am numb and I could walk around in my Jane Austen PYs most of the day but but hardly believe in Mr Darcy anymore.  All the mindfullness I have parked in the long term parking of national airport and my multi vitamin complex tablet  with the very promising name 'Activate' seems to be a placebo.  Pretty sure that Shakespeare would prescribe 'The Tempest' instead of A 'Midsummer Night's Dream' to me if he would come across me in such a state.

But against all odds I keep on trying to fight back by many ways:
- reading the grand selection of books Nicola's Bookclub put on her Summer menu.
- playing the physics game by the lovely name 'Amazing Alex' on my iPhone.
- eating bowls of yoghurt ice-cream with Summer berries and rasperries and making it a bit more decadent with whipped cream on top.
- ironing filled up to the brim laundry baskets with blue shirts and watching Harry Potter movies
- popping an extra bag of popcorn in my microwave and sharing it with two beloved home boys.
- stopping by at the bakery for an extra croissant or pain au chocolae
- saying goodbye to tons of papers that are part of my old professional life and once more see the color of my table top of my office furniture. 
- extreme long phonecalls with friends who were tempted to order flowers.
- paying a former colleagues a visit (including the scenery route, still no GPS) for lunch & strawberry pie for dessert and just talk for hours.
- singing totaly off-key in your car and this includes and move along when standing still in front of red traffic lights.  No, I do not care that the driver next to me thinks I am insane.  Madonna her 'Holiday' song I play over and over like one of these self instruction tapes. 
- going to the movies by myself for latest Woody Allen that takes you to Rome and makes you fall in love with Italy even more and discover that Alec Baldwin does not always need to show his breast hair in order to act decent.



- jump in your car to have a lovely cupcake with a gigantic homemade lemonade in the 'Nothing Hill'-like corner of Brussels and this in great company.
- take your friend out for her first dinner date on a weekday since she gave birth and her lovely kid can almost walk to the fridge now!
- crash on the sofa in the company of a gigantic bag of crisps and not feeling guilty about the calorie intake.
- playing in the morning Italian, German and French songs to chase away those very gloomy and dark mind showers. Yes, picture me moving along in our rather small bathroom.  Yes, I then end up having some more blue spots at the end of this gym session.  But then I dive into my fridge for a tropical orange juice and even prefer an iced coffee above a warm cappucino.



- letting my son A imitate Mr Bean and LOL so loud that he even is startled by the effect of it.
- trying to follow the travel itenaries many friends have given me before they took off to exotic places like Capri, Aix de Provence, Costa del Sol, Mexico City, Noosa (Australia), Sankt Moritz and trying to be very happy for them that they get to have a great time out there on our amazing blue planet while I just once more am able to destroy an umbrella in a record time of 3 days  and walk into a door and create tons of extra blue marks on my body.  These marks are for the moment  the closest my mind and body can get to the color of the tropical sky I am after.  But hey, I am not giving up yet!

The Lego-memories

 
 For the moment my son is putting an other box of Lego together. It is one that is considered for 14+ and that looks rather complicated.  So the Lego-force is still strong in this 8 year old one and also the 41 old inhouse doc who is asisting him. Sadly to state is this the last box of the Lego booty he put himself together while being over in Legoland, Germany last week.  A and Lego that is like a magic combo and a few weeks ago we finaly managed to get into a car and head for that one spot where most things are made of Lego and where shops are filled up with bricks.

Not that I was in the best mood ever for such a fun trip because right before take of my stomach decided that it wished to host some less nice behaving bugs.  So this mum had to get into a car for over a 600km ride feeling rather lousy.  I can tell you that my closest companions during that trip was a bucket and a can of coke.  Bet that our driver M was glad that I kept the content of my stomach inside of me untill we arrived safely to Lego-Kingdom.

In case you wonder if this is a worth while travel destination because let us ladies face it how in the world can a Lego-brick entertain you for over a day?  Well,  let me try to convince you to book a few days of construction fun:

- First of all is it the scenery route you get to take.  More then once I got to lay my eyes on some wonderful landscapes.  So if you own a blue Alfa Romeo Spider with leather seats take the roof down and you will have the best ride ever.  We did spice up our ride with some oldies like 'Top Gun Anthem' or some French chansons by pop-queen Myléne Farmer. 
- It might not be Disneyland but this also means that for once 'It is a small world' won't get stuck in your head.  There is music but it is more background music.  The one that your ears can pick up while standing in line for the 'Flying Ninjago' makes you almost go into a state of zen.  You might even fall asleep while flying 22m above the ground and trying to make sommersaults.
- You get to meet up with sharks and clown fish in the Atlantis underwater world experience and when you then show the pics of the sea star you were allowed to touch people will wonder if that this made up out of Lego-bricks. 'What do you think?', is then perhaps the best ever response.
-Signing up for Lego-academy is putting together something challenging.  Nope, these are not the designs that you might have found in a box of bricks you own.  Nope, here you get to program or put together a design that Einstein has given his blessing of.  The smiles your kid will produce when one of the Lego-instructors hands over their diploma you will never forget.
-It is one of these spots on earth where the shops mostly attract men.  This time it was A who got to spend a fortune on souvenirs.  The booty he did drag home was gigantic.  I had to settle for cool icecube forms, a Princess Leila keychain and a tiny purple make-up bag from their girls line 'Friends'.
- You get to sleep in a room that is just breathing Lego all over  and trust me it will be quite different to any room you had before.  I am not just talking about the box of Lego you will find in the room to keep the small ones entertained. The doorstop is just the start of some amazing interior Lego-designs.
- Food is serious business in Lego-land.  No, it is not just about hamburger and fries. If you feel like having something more Asian or a some Bratwurst with a giant mug of German beer it is possible.   The kids their favorite foodplace was  the Dino Grill.  Don't worry you won't find T-Rex spare ribs on the menu but a nice selection of food to fill up your hungry stomach and also the best sparkling water of the whole parc.  M&I even asked for a 2nd bottle and did compliment them about this choice. Yes, after a few days in Legoland the taste of water becomes important!  And then there are the buffets!  Ladies, just skip the soup, the salad and main dish and move directly on to the Kaiserschmarren or Krapfen.  DESSERT heaven!  I can tell you that I did curse my stomach bug more then once on this trip. Fortunately did my travel companion M eat for two when it came down to the sweet delights!
- You can buy, write and mail postcards from this cool spot on earth.  And I still consider postcards a bit more special then sending out a Tweet or posting a pic on Facebook.   Just make that effort and many of your friends can then show off to their house guests that they own a post card of Legoland. 
- In the world of Lego transportation matters greatly and some rides are rather fast.  You can opt for a slow scenery ride through the woods on horse back, a smooth cano cruise through the jungle or being a test driver on Project X.  If you want to make sure that you get home safely then first make a pit stopp at the Legoland Driving school but then you need to be prepared to sit in class for some serious instructions.
- The force is strong in Legoland since Star Wars found their way in.  You will encounter the whole Star Wars gang and even being able to pose with Darth Vader and R2D2 if you wish.  And in one of the stores you will find tons of Skywalker inspired brick fun.   
- You get seriously wet in Legoland! You will try to avoid it but chances are likely that sooner or later you will get soaked.  Especially when you decide to board for Captain Nick's Splash Battle.  Just give in to the water.  Don't try to hide from the splashes and LOL!  I can tell you that the sheer laughter I did produce was for sure sincere.  But it is quite a comfort to know that at the end of the battle there is a solution. No, Stallie did not have to walk around all day grumpy because of wet jeans.  Picture here some gigantic hair blowers and all you need is a coin to make it work.  It is one of the rather suprising attractions that are not mentioned in the guidebook but worth to pay a visit. Great Kodak-moment.
-  Friendly staff who tries to please you.  From the moment we arrived till we drove home we got to meet sincerly nice people.  Not just the waiter but every single person we met was friendly.  No, it did not sound fake at all.  
- It seems on paper rather not a big place to hang out at but believe me you can get lost there! Because in the era where we are getting used to having a GPS you tend to forget what direction to walk when you are searching for a certain ride that you saw this morning. M hanging out with you without a GPS is already a funride! ;-)
- Being able to buy Lego bricks by the piece.  I can tell you that here A just went insane and did try to play tricks on the sales assistant.   You also can put together your personalized Lego-figurine to take home or as a gift.  We tried to put P together but in the Lego-world curls do not exist!

Okay, I was not the most pleasant sport on this trip because I got to spend quite some time in the tiniest room of all in Legoland.  My sense of humor was also not always there and do regret that now but I know for sure that my son A had the best time ever.

So thank you M for taking us there and putting up with a Stallie in a less nice state of health!  And you did a great job getting out of the way of all of these Audi's who seem to own the 'Autobahn'.   A big hand of applause also to Lego-fan/mate M who did manage to keep up with A once more for a few days.
Also a very big thank you to the Danish carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen who decided that due to the economic crises of the '30 he had to downsize!  The force of such a tiny brick is still going strong.  Here at this house we keep up his moto 'Leg Godt' proudly but Ole, it still hurts when I put my bare foot down on one of them!  ;-)

 

P.S.: M, I have to admit that you have the talent to crack me up in the most stressful situations and that parody you came up was just so insane for words but it has got potential.  Plus the choreography we did on this song while in standing still in that gigantic traffic jam driving home  I will never forget. Also that serious looking driver next to your car! LOL  You rock!  And the love many men have going on with Lego goes along very fitting with these lyrics.






 Note: We did visit Legoland Deutschland.  There are already a few others to visit.  More info you can find here.  And no, there are not all the same! So Lego-addicts get a Lego-passport and start to travel the Lego-world:  
http://www.legoland.de
or if you rather wish to combine it with a Royal touch or flavor of some Earl Grey tea:
http://www.legoland.co.uk/
or if you only want to settle for the original box:
http://www.legolandholidays.dk/engelsk/?gclid=CJ_Ds6y5m7ECFSgntAodiE4lQA
or if you wish to go totaly insane and combine it with some other funparks:
http://florida.legoland.com/

Summer School is out!

Summer school is out!!!! Yesterday I signed about 100 certificates for boys in football shorts who I did manage (I hope so) to teach a few English words or Dutch.  In a way this was the best way to make the transition between my 'old' and 'new' professional life.  Because I got to spend 5 days in my new professional habitat and this close to my boss S, whose shadow I am going to be.   So for once it was me who had to get out of bed early and had to make sure that P wasn't waking up because of the noise that the electric toothbrush produces.
Highlights of this summer school experience:

-I had fun entertaining the demanding football boys and some of them did surprise me.  Especialy the 16 year old ones.  Hard core teenage boys who I kind of assumed to boycot my classes.  But they did not.  Their level of English even surprised me and we were able to have even very long class discussions. 
-The demanding 9 year old ones who were harder to teach because the weather conditions also affect your class atmosphere.  Because for the moment we rather are dealing with showers, wind, and puddles did my younger pupils consider the classroom as a cool hangout place to show their circus-talent.
-I met up with some very talented boys whose ball-skills are just breath taking and who can kick a ball in a way that you are tempted to never kick an other ball in your life.
-I got to hang out with kids who love the green pit above all and who consider the shirt of Barca of Chelsea as their most valuable possession.  I did run through the rain with teenagers who did not once complain once about the wet weather. They just seem to deal with it in a very mature way.
- Was welcomed by some nice coaches who did find the way to my heart with lovely tasting Danish and a kiss.
- Supervised lunch when I got to observe some loud kids who seem still to have a love&hate relationship with veggies.  And that I still need to spend more time with the Japanese mothers next to baseball field because I still suck at basic Japanese vocab.
- Learning something about the rather abusve body language hooligans use and being even impressed that your pupils know some legends.  I bet that you did not know that 'the finger' is connected to the battle of Agincourt.  One of my football boys was able to reproduce this legend and tell it to class in English.  I just sat there and was amazed who mature he did and that his mates did listen and not once showed their finger when he did ask for attention.  
- Danced and sang in front of kids who gave me suspicious looks but this seems to be part of the job I did sign up for and so Stallie did show some of salsa-moves.  No, there are not live images recorded of this performance.  What a shame, you might think!  Well, I don't because I can tell you that 45 boys starring at you like you come from Mars make you wonder if this was such a good idea after all.
- Letting some boys beat me at playing 'Bop it' and seeing the 'competetive edge' show up in their eyes.  Their record still stands!  They tried to teach me how to play poker but I told them that this is a skill only a pro-football player will need to manage when he has got a fortune to spill. 
- Finding out that kids in my new school get to write till 6th grade with pencil only.  I did not find one pen in my classroom.  
- That there are kids who manage to only drink water between 9 am and 4 pm and consider their waterbottle as their best mate.  Not one single coke-can did I spot during this camp.
- Analyzing lyrics from the Hot Chili Peppers and finding out that 16 year old ones still appreciate a song with a deeper meaning.  But I did consider 'Blow my whistle' a less fitting choice.  'I don't think this is a song about the whistle of the referee.'
- Trying to figure out what boys are on the field the 'talented' ones and then finding out that it already shows in their attitude in class.  Yes, there was a little boy who is considered fit to become a pro.  But would you be able at the age of 9 make up your mind about the rest of your life?  For now he seemed to be enjoying his ability to kick a ball in the right way.   His name will stick with me for a very long time and if he does I will cheer for him.
- Being very surprised by some of the oneliners these kids produce.  'I don't like teamspirit!', made me wonder what this kid was going to do out there on the field.  
- Getting to know my boss S, who is a a very sparkling personality.  Who is not your ordinary teacher and not afraid of trying out something less forward.   Her singing abilities are so much better then mine and she is a fighter.  Fast very fast she is and she would be a great mental coach for the Belgian Olympic team. 
- I also picked up some facts and vocab about football that perhaps will make score better when I go out during happy hour. 
- Witnessed some boys crying!   Big boys do cry when it involves a round flying object and they have to face bruises or painful muscles. That we had physiotherapist close by did seem to come in handy the longer the week lasted. 
- That in football numbers matter greatly and that these boys are very superstious.  Not that they will admit it! Plus routines also matter.   Autism and football that is perhaps an unknow field of expertise but I can tell you that some these boys just seem to be programmed to do a few things and all the others they panic about.
- Spotting a 9 year old one with a Twilight Breaking Dawn, part I red wrist band while he ran out of the locker room .  I bet he would love to have the speed of Edward when he is out there trying to run after that leather object.  It made me smile and this time I did not make a remark about it because he might have been given this by a WAG and I did not want to create any tabloid headlines.  But let me put this way that it still amazes me where I meet up with 'Twilight'!  The football pitch is so far the most surprising spot.  After all the Cullens prefer playing baseball to football!

To end some nice words by others:

" Football is all very well as a game for rough girls but is hardly suitable for delicate boys." (Oscar Wilde)

"Football is the ballet of the masses.' (Dimitri Shostakovich)

And because from September on I will be basically teaching on English territory this is I guess the only correct clip to go along with this entry: