I love this time of the year but it always catches up with me too soon! It starts around the end of November and by the time I am baking my xmascookies I already feel rather the sense that the Holiday season will be a thing of the past once more. Like some of you might have noticed I have not written for some time and that is just because of that fact.
A had a blast with Saint Nick on the 6th of December. He got tons of toys and loved his umbrella that much that he even watched television holding on to it. His father decided that this was also the right moment to get the first real Lego into the house. Well, that day I ended up in the pouring rain looking for some lost Lego-pieces on a parking lot. Turned out that I, the Lego-expert, had put them wrong back on the plane!
Once we had finished the tons of chocolate Black Peters and Saint Nicks and tried to cope with the last crumbs of gingerbread it was time to decorate my classroom and give our house a touch of xmasstyle!! A loves that part. He really helped out this year. Getting all the boxes down of the attic and trying to find the right beginning of our lights! He put his Playmobil Nativity-set under the plastic tree. This year he was even able to identify all the pieces by name.
By now I had to start writting my first report cards as well. Traditionally I had to face the fact that modern technology always has a downside. And that it always takes much longer to get everything in order then you really want. Also the fact that my assistant-teacher was going to leave at the end of this term started to make me feel a bit down.
Also traditionally the three of us ended up with a cold. Kleenex and some traditional weapons against running noses, sour throats and rather sexy sounding voices were called in. A used all the objects he saw fit to leave some of his.
The trip to NYC then started to fill me up with that typical xmasfeeling. I awed once more at the xmas-tree in front of Rockefeller and just gasped at every shopwindow that I ran into. My alltime favourite ones: Saks on 5th Avenue, the Disney Store, Cartier but the one that really made me smile was the one of Sony. They decided to go chocolate this year and once you were standing in front of their store the only thing you were able to smell was exactly!
One of our highlights of the trip was the view on top of Rockefeller!! We went up high in the sky and were able to have many Kodakmoments in the Rainbowroom. The fact that it was freezing cold and the sky was that blue that it hurt your eyes just made it more special.
Of course we ended up in some shops as well and I finally decided to spoil myself with one of these gadgets that I always wanted: a Nindendo DS lite. I now end up training my brain daily and seem to be older then I imagined but I won't give in. I also went for the What is Cooking game and will be able to create some new dishes with the help of a personal coach!
Once we dragged our filled up suitcases back into Belgium I ended up in Leuven for my last classes of the semester. In a few weeks the first examinations will be a fact. They won't be a laugh because it is a bit too much to handle with a job and a family but I will try to pass.
I then passed on the filled in report cards to their rightful owner. Many smiles were to be seen and most of the parents left content and cheerful this time. Next on the programme was our traditional xmasparty at work. We sipped from Gluhwein and ate cake in the shadow of the xmaslights. The first xmascards arrived and so did the first gifts from around the world to put under the tree. A his patience was really put to a test when he was told a million times not to open any of those presents till xmaseve!
By now A and I had officialy xmasholiday and we had to start planning the family xmasdinner. I called in Nigella, Tana Ramsey, Martha Stewart and Albert Heijn! P had the brilliant idea to have his family over and the prospect of having to cook for inlaws didn't make me very cheerful. A had begged me to bake some Madeleines and so I did! And I baked some lemoncookies as well ot fill up the cookiestins. Our house now seemed to look and smell more and more like a place were xmas could be celebrated!
The planning of the menu was one thing, creating the feast was an other chapter. A joined me on the several supermarkets attacks. At one moment I thaught that I was going going to loose it. I had never seen that many people looking for ingredients. A was the only one who seemed to think that this was great fun. My shopping bag was screaming for help but only got some support from some snowmen and snowflakes-lights! Yes, I even have shopping bags that I can only use for this season and I am proud of it! Thank you B-family for across the Channel for these great bags from Tesco!
By now it was 1 p.m and I was trying to cook all the things that I had in store for my most ciritical guests. P was still at work and over the radio they were still playing joyfull music. My house looked like a mess, so did my kitchen, so did A and so did I!!! There and then I lost it and started to scream in order to get all the negative energy out.
To cut a long story short: I managed to let the house shine, deck the table, look decent enough to leave the kitchen and feed the hungry souls. The most critical foodinspector that night was 2,5 years old nephew A and when he had finished tons of appetizers and a mocktail he wondered when the real food was going to arrive!
By ten our house was empty, our dishwasher full, the Champagneglasses back were they spend most of their time, A dreaming of Santa and I felt so light and content. I cuddled up closely to P on the sofa and we listened to the silence. Silent Night was reality8n I slept like a rose that night.
The next day we ended up at my mother's house where we were spoiled and A and his cousins played round the xmastree with santa hats on their heads. We played boardgames and laughed with stupid answers. By ten we drove home with A in his new PJs (a rocket on it!!!) and his new bonnet made in Ecquator (gift of his auntie Lilly)!!!! I was also given my new name by my favourite niece A: auntie Lolly
Today we printed out our traditional New Year's letter (proof to be found in many letterboxes in the next days to come!) and we went to see Madagascar 2. A liked to move around, ate tons of popcorn and asked to wash his hand while the Alec the lion was dancing through the Savanna, Marty the Zebra was spitting the last water to be found out there, and Melvin the Giraf was about to be sacrificed in a vulcano and saved by a gorgeous hippo.
The next days will be quite hectic and fun as well. It will be days to remember and to frame! A will be able to spend quality time with us and we will feel cheerful. We will end up in warm and cozzy homes, eat food prepared with love, read many wishes written with love as well, kiss many red cheeks when the bells chime 12 on the last day of 2008 and feel happy that we are blessed with that many friends and family!
One of my best moments that I have spend with A this holiday season was when he was decorating the house for xmaseve and saw the picture of the grandfather he never knew and granny who died a few years ago. He smiled and then he told them them the story of the birth of Jezus. Yes I felt so proud of him and my heart smiled. The feeling I sensed then was one of believe! I can't really describe it what is sensed like but there and then I knew that the miracle of xmas lives in all of us. Hopefull you had yourself a little xmas as well. We will wrapp this one with love and put a big red bow around it knowing that peace can only be felt when really trying!
vrijdag 26 december 2008
dinsdag 25 november 2008
Arabelle, ma belle (chef)!!!!
Every now and then you end up in foodheaven and this last Friday it was bingo!!! R and N, one of our French speaking Belgian friends, had invited us over to Huy!!! It is not one of these postcard villages and rather surrounded by the so typical industrial fumes and grey plants that you most of the times would rather cruise by. R and N live there already forever and had invited us over before and then it already had been a culinary success but this time R had added the words:'C'est formidable que cette femme faites dans sa cuisine!'
So last Friday I ran out of my lecture to get in a record time to my car, tried to beat the traffic rush, jumped into my outfit, tried to hide my thousand wrinkles and jumped into P's car!Arriving in Huy the first thing that is rather tricky is finding parking space but we managed to find a one rather close to the city center! Huy isn't that big and if you ever intend to go it won't be that hard to find this foodie-heaven! Once you are standing in the middle of the market square search for the smallest building and there it is: restaurant Li Cwerneu! And when you pass over it's treshold you will be in for a culinary discovery lovecruise!
First of all you will notice that there are not that many collegue taste inspectors! Only about twenty a night can book a table and that already makes it a special place to dine! In total you will meet three to four staff members and that includes the chef, if she feels like peeping out of her domain!
The menu is the next surprise and might turn you a bit nervous: only a few courses and one menu for you to choose from. But then no difficult dillemas!! By then we were nipping of one the house cocktails and we were off to get our tastebuds warmed up with some appetizers. Our favourite 'the virtual olive': a real taste explosion in your mouth! R and P then decided to let the man of the house, Pierre and wine connaisseur (in a previous life a car mechanic!) make up his mind about the wines to serve with the food his beloved wife was preparing in her tiny kitchen!
I am not going to describe in detail every dish that passed by that night but they were just so unique and so creative that our respect started to grow for this exceptional ladychef out there working to treat us like king and queens. My favourite courses of the night the goose liver (foi-gras) soup with figues (!) and the violet sorbet. P raved about it till he fell asleep and it really made us remember the moment that we tasted for the first violet candies as a child!
Now and then our glasses were filled up with divine grape flavours that just made the delicious food feast complete. We stuffed the empty spaces that were left over with talks about our latest adventures and by midnight we felt like we were on cloud number nine! Outside the first snow of the season was arriving but here we were sitting in perhaps one of the smallest restaurants of this country we had this warm feeling that makes some evenings memorable!
And if I have not tickled your curiousity then this might help: Arabelle is the lady chef of 2008, exceptional creative with ingredients including plants and flowers, one of the modest chefs I know (she will turn red when you make her a compliment), keeps her kitchen running smoothly by herself, doesn't make it too complicated (what you see is what you get), tries not to go too big (living proof the size of the restaurant), a devoted mother (when you stay long enough you might get to see the youngest resident of the house: a tiny baby daughter) and last of not least her women's friendly ladiesroom! I can rave on for hours but the taste of the pudding is in the eating!
Arabelle Meirlaen is one our Belgian cooking gems to keep close to your heart. So when you happen to drive by Huy next time you might want to leave the highways and check out if Arabelle still has the magic touch! Don't be surprised to see me there because I will be back graving for more of her culinary beauty!
If you really can't resist:http://www.licwerneu.be/
So last Friday I ran out of my lecture to get in a record time to my car, tried to beat the traffic rush, jumped into my outfit, tried to hide my thousand wrinkles and jumped into P's car!Arriving in Huy the first thing that is rather tricky is finding parking space but we managed to find a one rather close to the city center! Huy isn't that big and if you ever intend to go it won't be that hard to find this foodie-heaven! Once you are standing in the middle of the market square search for the smallest building and there it is: restaurant Li Cwerneu! And when you pass over it's treshold you will be in for a culinary discovery lovecruise!
First of all you will notice that there are not that many collegue taste inspectors! Only about twenty a night can book a table and that already makes it a special place to dine! In total you will meet three to four staff members and that includes the chef, if she feels like peeping out of her domain!
The menu is the next surprise and might turn you a bit nervous: only a few courses and one menu for you to choose from. But then no difficult dillemas!! By then we were nipping of one the house cocktails and we were off to get our tastebuds warmed up with some appetizers. Our favourite 'the virtual olive': a real taste explosion in your mouth! R and P then decided to let the man of the house, Pierre and wine connaisseur (in a previous life a car mechanic!) make up his mind about the wines to serve with the food his beloved wife was preparing in her tiny kitchen!
I am not going to describe in detail every dish that passed by that night but they were just so unique and so creative that our respect started to grow for this exceptional ladychef out there working to treat us like king and queens. My favourite courses of the night the goose liver (foi-gras) soup with figues (!) and the violet sorbet. P raved about it till he fell asleep and it really made us remember the moment that we tasted for the first violet candies as a child!
Now and then our glasses were filled up with divine grape flavours that just made the delicious food feast complete. We stuffed the empty spaces that were left over with talks about our latest adventures and by midnight we felt like we were on cloud number nine! Outside the first snow of the season was arriving but here we were sitting in perhaps one of the smallest restaurants of this country we had this warm feeling that makes some evenings memorable!
And if I have not tickled your curiousity then this might help: Arabelle is the lady chef of 2008, exceptional creative with ingredients including plants and flowers, one of the modest chefs I know (she will turn red when you make her a compliment), keeps her kitchen running smoothly by herself, doesn't make it too complicated (what you see is what you get), tries not to go too big (living proof the size of the restaurant), a devoted mother (when you stay long enough you might get to see the youngest resident of the house: a tiny baby daughter) and last of not least her women's friendly ladiesroom! I can rave on for hours but the taste of the pudding is in the eating!
Arabelle Meirlaen is one our Belgian cooking gems to keep close to your heart. So when you happen to drive by Huy next time you might want to leave the highways and check out if Arabelle still has the magic touch! Don't be surprised to see me there because I will be back graving for more of her culinary beauty!
If you really can't resist:http://www.licwerneu.be/
maandag 10 november 2008
(Bo)o(k)bstacles at the Bookfair!
One of the highlights for me, being a book addict, is the anual bookfair in Antwerp! I try to stay away because I end up spending a fortune there. Most of the books you can buy there are in Dutch so when I was graduated I did not go because I had my English bookstores in Leuven, Brussels and the Fnac. But you try to look for excuses and mine is 4,5 years old, about one meter of height and loves a good read!
The first years that A was on this globe I drove there at my own and was able to make my own selection. And yes, it were books that I loved because of the storyline, the content, the drawings and the lay-out! I even went through magazines and newspapers to find out what the bestsellers were for toddlers. Clavis, Davidsfonds, Lannoo, De Eenhoorn and children bookstores De Olifant and Poespas were the lucky ones to get their hands on my money.
A had no choice he had to love these books! He seemed to make no objections and 9 out 10 books he approved of. This little intelectual-to-be made these books then his personal property by adding his own artwork, scratching out words that he found useless and stamping leftovers of his lunch on the pages. The ones that made it on his bestsellers list were dragged into his bedroom.
But time flies by and now A has his own opinion about what he will wear, eat, drink, watch, visit and also read. This meant that I was not in the position to drive on my own to Antwerp. The little rascal was going to check out this bookheaven and make his own personal selection! His mother then had to make sure that he wouldn't get lost amongst all the other hundreds or rather thousands of potential bookbuyers. I can already picture myself with the red cheeks that I am going to show up with at lost and found! And then I still have to mention the typical traps for those younger clients being gadgets, snacks, games, dvd's and tons of stuff that is not a book but makes kids go wild!
Like you can read the prospect of taking A there made me getting sweaty palms. This was not going to be an easy stroll amongst publishers and taking long glances at the recent releases! No this was going to be a funride at the highest speed!
A first of all did not like the prospect of having to walk to the fair. This is not like finding a parking spot when going grocery shopping. I explained him that there were no parking spaces close by but that it was worth the distance. By the time we made it to the entrance he already mentioned the fact that his tummy was making akward noises! But huray A got in for free and I got a 2 euros discount because of my Student ID! Good start!
'Mum, where are the funrides and were are the pencils that I can make drawings with!' All I could do whas shrug my shoulders and hope that he would find out this was a nice place to hang out for a bit. It didn't take him a long or he noticed the first books. I started to pray, hoping that he was going to stay now focused. While walking amongst tons of children books I started to notice the other bookidiots, the heat and the less appealling noises of the fair. I started to sweat and had to get rid of my coat, scarf and A his bonnet and cardigan!
By then A had overtaken some people and started to yell! 'Mum, where are you? ', and he stopped in the middle of a alley filled up with kids, books, toys, puppets, games, grown ups, salespeople and last but not least prams! I hate people that bring their kid in one of these. They keep you from attacking the one book you after in order to make the buy of the year!
Thanks to my son there was a major traffic jam caused by him. Behind him was a young couple with pram. 'Please, Alexander let the lady pass!'. While I was saying this I took a closer look at the father who was lingering next to his beloved wife and baby. 'Uhm, I know this guy but where from?' 'What do you think Brian? Should we get her some or not?' 'Did she just say Brian? And she has got curly blond hair! I only know one combination of a blond girl with curls with a gigantic guy named Brian and a pram!
My son is blocking the way of Kim Clijsters&Co! A was not aware of what the sporty identity was of the people waiting behind him to move. He then noticed some games and screamed:'Look, mum that I want!' Big surprise? It was no book. A was pointing at some toy cooking utensils! By the time Kim, Brian and their sleeping beauty Jada Ellie had passed by my son was baking hambugers on the barbecue! While he was preparing his food Kim made a personal selection for her daughter Jada and then yelled at Brian for her wallet.
A seemed not to be interested in this spectacle and also not in the books. It took some time to push him on and I had to bribe him with a car stickerbook and Smurfs book before he wanted to take a more earnest look at children's litterature!
Two hours later and many more obstacles (that I am not going to mention) we ended up in the car with three plastic bags filled up with books. I am happy to announce that most of these were chosen by my son. He ended up with four books and I with two!
A is now asleep and already turned his stickerbook into a personal item with artistic touches. He was very happy whith his smurfbook and he loved the Fanta he was allowed to drink as a special treat! No mention of the two serious books we had picked out. My personal highlight of the day was the moment when we walked back to the car and A asked very seriously:'Mum, have I been a good boy?' 'Yes, you have been good boy!' A trip to remember and not just because of the books! We will be back next year and I already wonder whose way A will block then?!
The first years that A was on this globe I drove there at my own and was able to make my own selection. And yes, it were books that I loved because of the storyline, the content, the drawings and the lay-out! I even went through magazines and newspapers to find out what the bestsellers were for toddlers. Clavis, Davidsfonds, Lannoo, De Eenhoorn and children bookstores De Olifant and Poespas were the lucky ones to get their hands on my money.
A had no choice he had to love these books! He seemed to make no objections and 9 out 10 books he approved of. This little intelectual-to-be made these books then his personal property by adding his own artwork, scratching out words that he found useless and stamping leftovers of his lunch on the pages. The ones that made it on his bestsellers list were dragged into his bedroom.
But time flies by and now A has his own opinion about what he will wear, eat, drink, watch, visit and also read. This meant that I was not in the position to drive on my own to Antwerp. The little rascal was going to check out this bookheaven and make his own personal selection! His mother then had to make sure that he wouldn't get lost amongst all the other hundreds or rather thousands of potential bookbuyers. I can already picture myself with the red cheeks that I am going to show up with at lost and found! And then I still have to mention the typical traps for those younger clients being gadgets, snacks, games, dvd's and tons of stuff that is not a book but makes kids go wild!
Like you can read the prospect of taking A there made me getting sweaty palms. This was not going to be an easy stroll amongst publishers and taking long glances at the recent releases! No this was going to be a funride at the highest speed!
A first of all did not like the prospect of having to walk to the fair. This is not like finding a parking spot when going grocery shopping. I explained him that there were no parking spaces close by but that it was worth the distance. By the time we made it to the entrance he already mentioned the fact that his tummy was making akward noises! But huray A got in for free and I got a 2 euros discount because of my Student ID! Good start!
'Mum, where are the funrides and were are the pencils that I can make drawings with!' All I could do whas shrug my shoulders and hope that he would find out this was a nice place to hang out for a bit. It didn't take him a long or he noticed the first books. I started to pray, hoping that he was going to stay now focused. While walking amongst tons of children books I started to notice the other bookidiots, the heat and the less appealling noises of the fair. I started to sweat and had to get rid of my coat, scarf and A his bonnet and cardigan!
By then A had overtaken some people and started to yell! 'Mum, where are you? ', and he stopped in the middle of a alley filled up with kids, books, toys, puppets, games, grown ups, salespeople and last but not least prams! I hate people that bring their kid in one of these. They keep you from attacking the one book you after in order to make the buy of the year!
Thanks to my son there was a major traffic jam caused by him. Behind him was a young couple with pram. 'Please, Alexander let the lady pass!'. While I was saying this I took a closer look at the father who was lingering next to his beloved wife and baby. 'Uhm, I know this guy but where from?' 'What do you think Brian? Should we get her some or not?' 'Did she just say Brian? And she has got curly blond hair! I only know one combination of a blond girl with curls with a gigantic guy named Brian and a pram!
My son is blocking the way of Kim Clijsters&Co! A was not aware of what the sporty identity was of the people waiting behind him to move. He then noticed some games and screamed:'Look, mum that I want!' Big surprise? It was no book. A was pointing at some toy cooking utensils! By the time Kim, Brian and their sleeping beauty Jada Ellie had passed by my son was baking hambugers on the barbecue! While he was preparing his food Kim made a personal selection for her daughter Jada and then yelled at Brian for her wallet.
A seemed not to be interested in this spectacle and also not in the books. It took some time to push him on and I had to bribe him with a car stickerbook and Smurfs book before he wanted to take a more earnest look at children's litterature!
Two hours later and many more obstacles (that I am not going to mention) we ended up in the car with three plastic bags filled up with books. I am happy to announce that most of these were chosen by my son. He ended up with four books and I with two!
A is now asleep and already turned his stickerbook into a personal item with artistic touches. He was very happy whith his smurfbook and he loved the Fanta he was allowed to drink as a special treat! No mention of the two serious books we had picked out. My personal highlight of the day was the moment when we walked back to the car and A asked very seriously:'Mum, have I been a good boy?' 'Yes, you have been good boy!' A trip to remember and not just because of the books! We will be back next year and I already wonder whose way A will block then?!
woensdag 5 november 2008
woensdag 29 oktober 2008
To vote for change!
'Who do you think is going to be the next president of the USA?', was a many asked question the last weeks. Yes, I have personal links to that nation. I even have lived there at the time of the presidential elections. I remember very clearly that voting there and here are two completely different things. First of all it is not obliged. You are free to vote or not. Me, I have to face the voting ballot more then once in four years, making it one of the less appealing things of a democracy!Second of all it so easy to make up your mind. Because there are only two candidates! I have to try to make choice out of more then five political parties and numerous wanabe politicians!
I also remember that when we found out that Bill Clinton had won not that many were that happy. It almost seemed that Bill was more popular abroad then at home. It took a while for the Americans to get used to his personal style. Hilary and Chelsea were not that photogenetic as the Kennedys and that even made it harder for them to impress their voters.
In a few days this gigantic nation will face a new tough choice. They can choose for change that might make the difference for many. It so appealing to go ahead and change that one profession that only white people have managed to obtain. Historical it will be quite a story and O will have a gigantic foodprint in many history schoolbooks. But I guess it will take more then just wanting to take on the job.
For the moment O seems to have an eassier trip down campaign lane but it is still not D-day. We know what happened to A when he was up for office. Florida will never be same for the presidential candidates. They have hundreds of lawyers ready to file complaints when needed. Many people ask me if they will vote for O because of the fact that B has done a rather bad job. Well, no! It doesn't work like that.
Once you are in you belong there! Americans seem to be able to detach the man of the job. And for them being the president is a very sacred job. They won't misjudge this person on his/her character. So once in the Oval Office and surrounded by the secret service the average American will believe in their president. He is also their boss of the army and that is quite a job to handle with care. When he pushes the red button they will have to obey!
In the turmoil of the credit crunch and crashing stock markets the new White House inhabitant will have a very hard time. Many American have dreams but only a few seem to manage to pursue that dream. To us it seems very odd that this nation does not seem to take care of the poor ones. In this country everything costs money and health and education you only can obtain if you have enough green ones! Every time when I go to the doctor's I am grateful for NHS!!!
O and MC are two different characters but they are two typical blueprints of what this nation stands for. O, a kid of white mother and black father who has had a very tough childhood but worked very hard to get there. He believed in the fact that when you work very hard and keep trying you will get there! The american dream in the flesh! MC is the very proud veteran who survived Vietnam. He is the guy who proudly defended all that values the USA stands for. He will salute the troops and he will feel what they will feel when they will be send off in the war zone!
I have American friends that I know for sure who they will vote for. I don't judge them and don't tell them to change their mind. It is so easy to tell others what to do. Here in Europe it seems that O would be a better choice. I am still very cautious to state who is going to win because it seems so surealistic to vision O in office. Yes, personal I don't like the idea of SP living in Washington DC ready to take over when MC would stop breathing. But then I am not that close and don't live in the nation who has to right to decide who they want in charge.
Once the votes are counted and we will know who will move in to the WH it will be more important to know who will advise this boy. Many times a president will rely on them. It are these people that will have to make the difference. A president is as strong as his personal team!!! Sadly enough these are most of time not people you get to vote for. They screw up many times but in the end it is the big boss who faces the public opinion.
Joe Klein, one of the political reporters of Time Magazine put it down very nicely:'O does not seem needy. He seems a grown up, in a nation that badly needs some adult supervision.' I will be quite nervous the next few days because the outcome will matter this time more then ever. If MC will make it against all odds then the nation will have a leader that will have to deal with a world desperate for change. If O wins then already there will be change. Just one look at him and it has changed. 'It's time!', the cover of the current affairs magazine 'The Economist' states. And I totally agree! IT IS NOW OR NEVER TO VOTE FOR CHANGE!
I also remember that when we found out that Bill Clinton had won not that many were that happy. It almost seemed that Bill was more popular abroad then at home. It took a while for the Americans to get used to his personal style. Hilary and Chelsea were not that photogenetic as the Kennedys and that even made it harder for them to impress their voters.
In a few days this gigantic nation will face a new tough choice. They can choose for change that might make the difference for many. It so appealing to go ahead and change that one profession that only white people have managed to obtain. Historical it will be quite a story and O will have a gigantic foodprint in many history schoolbooks. But I guess it will take more then just wanting to take on the job.
For the moment O seems to have an eassier trip down campaign lane but it is still not D-day. We know what happened to A when he was up for office. Florida will never be same for the presidential candidates. They have hundreds of lawyers ready to file complaints when needed. Many people ask me if they will vote for O because of the fact that B has done a rather bad job. Well, no! It doesn't work like that.
Once you are in you belong there! Americans seem to be able to detach the man of the job. And for them being the president is a very sacred job. They won't misjudge this person on his/her character. So once in the Oval Office and surrounded by the secret service the average American will believe in their president. He is also their boss of the army and that is quite a job to handle with care. When he pushes the red button they will have to obey!
In the turmoil of the credit crunch and crashing stock markets the new White House inhabitant will have a very hard time. Many American have dreams but only a few seem to manage to pursue that dream. To us it seems very odd that this nation does not seem to take care of the poor ones. In this country everything costs money and health and education you only can obtain if you have enough green ones! Every time when I go to the doctor's I am grateful for NHS!!!
O and MC are two different characters but they are two typical blueprints of what this nation stands for. O, a kid of white mother and black father who has had a very tough childhood but worked very hard to get there. He believed in the fact that when you work very hard and keep trying you will get there! The american dream in the flesh! MC is the very proud veteran who survived Vietnam. He is the guy who proudly defended all that values the USA stands for. He will salute the troops and he will feel what they will feel when they will be send off in the war zone!
I have American friends that I know for sure who they will vote for. I don't judge them and don't tell them to change their mind. It is so easy to tell others what to do. Here in Europe it seems that O would be a better choice. I am still very cautious to state who is going to win because it seems so surealistic to vision O in office. Yes, personal I don't like the idea of SP living in Washington DC ready to take over when MC would stop breathing. But then I am not that close and don't live in the nation who has to right to decide who they want in charge.
Once the votes are counted and we will know who will move in to the WH it will be more important to know who will advise this boy. Many times a president will rely on them. It are these people that will have to make the difference. A president is as strong as his personal team!!! Sadly enough these are most of time not people you get to vote for. They screw up many times but in the end it is the big boss who faces the public opinion.
Joe Klein, one of the political reporters of Time Magazine put it down very nicely:'O does not seem needy. He seems a grown up, in a nation that badly needs some adult supervision.' I will be quite nervous the next few days because the outcome will matter this time more then ever. If MC will make it against all odds then the nation will have a leader that will have to deal with a world desperate for change. If O wins then already there will be change. Just one look at him and it has changed. 'It's time!', the cover of the current affairs magazine 'The Economist' states. And I totally agree! IT IS NOW OR NEVER TO VOTE FOR CHANGE!
Picture Perfect!!
Fall means many things and besides the falling of leaves, stormy weather, winter time, sniffy noses and sour throats in our home it is also cleaning out many stuff and updating our picture frames. Some faces have moved out of our lives and others demand a spot in our house. So we faced some tough decisions. We got out our recent shots and then opened up the first frames.
Taking them out was like ripping out pages of one of your favourite books. Most of these faces we have not seen in ages. We tried but life takes you in many directions and these friends have decided to go to unknown places where we don't seem to fit in. But no hard feelings. One day we might bump into eachother and then we invite you back in.
I also faced the truth that we all grow older and that wrinkles are more visible! Our nephews and niece have grown and so the baby grins make now room for tom-boy giggles!!! Li and Lo (P his brother and Spanish sister in law) don't wear glasses anymore in this picture but wedding rings. A, our lovely niece, looks us straight in our eyes with very dreamy look! G and H are joined by L with in the background the lovely landscape of the Leie. The Japenese temple is now out of the picture but still linked to your backgrounds!
To make sure that we can face the dark winter nights we decided for a breathtaking sunset in Lithuania. P and I selected the background of Barcelona and the Sacra Familia as our personal shot. A is almost hugged to death by his two cousins in one frame. One of our favourite newcomers is the oldest family member uncle J. He looks like he just walked out of 'A few good men' in his marine uniform of the Brittish Royal Navy! I even look prettier in pink with him next to me!
We also have a few frames that will never change. My dad is still standing out there is his brown frame. He is looking rather dreamy with a cigarate in his hands. Ready to face the enemy that will take him away of us. It is one of the very last pictures taken of him. Not a very flattering one but very realistic. Looking at that picture is like travelling through time. Resting at the bottom of that sight is a golden pen. My personal keepsake I have chosen when my mother made the three of us take something personal of him. When I have a writer's block it can give me the inspiration that I desperately seek after!
Picture 2 that will never change is the flower inspired frame filled up with a full body shot of my grandmother. She died two years ago at the blessed age of 94. But I decided for one of those brown, grey and black pics out of the old box that was hidden in the attic. She looks very smart and focused at the same time. That is the way I want to remember her! There are people that have their modern pics changed into old fashioned looking ones and paying a fortune for that. Well, I have the real thing standing out there and she makes me feel very proud of my background. My granny never gave up and so she keeps me going strong as well!
But there are still some empty ones. We know who fits in them. A his godmother N who has travelled last year and now moved in with her beloved P. B and I who we still admire that they try to keep up the spirit while waiting for their adoption child. A and J who have done so many things for us small or big but always with a grand smile! N and G and many children, L and her boyfriend, D and N who now raise two children in the most fruity corner of our nation, R and N who make us feel so connected with the other part of our country that speaks French, I and W who still have music in their hearts, H and J in wedding outfits (we were invited for the Texan wedding but sadly had to recline!), auntie Lily with A and D in Parc Asterix, M and C and their first born son J (who we want to visit in Boston one day), I who gave me a wonderful vacation, and many more have made it to the shortlist.
Have I mentioned the many skylines that we have faced the last years and now cherish? NYC at xmastime, the wonderful restored roof of Beaune Hospice, the champagne bottles of Epernay and the pink holiday house of Santenay are just a few of the places that we want out there to add some color to our lives.
Our personal favourite is a picture taken by my sister L of A, his nephew D and their grandmother. It looks like it is taken for an art magazine. Two four year olds on a sunny and hot summer day. D with dreamy eyes looking straight to the camera, his hair still wet of a dive in the kid's pool and behind him A leaning back at his grandmother who has her hair pulled back in a bun. Her numerous wrinkles are shown very cleary and seem to colide with the youth of her two grandchildren. It is picture full of poetry. Don't be surprised if that will be end up in a the biggest frame of all!
So when I ask the next few weeks for a recent shot then don't let me wait too long because empty frames might seem arty farty but we need color to survive the grey and rainy winter days. Picture perfect is this home means that we have a very colorful life that we share with some special people. Perhaps keep in mind the next time when a picture is taken of you that you might end up here! Ready, steady, smile!!!
Taking them out was like ripping out pages of one of your favourite books. Most of these faces we have not seen in ages. We tried but life takes you in many directions and these friends have decided to go to unknown places where we don't seem to fit in. But no hard feelings. One day we might bump into eachother and then we invite you back in.
I also faced the truth that we all grow older and that wrinkles are more visible! Our nephews and niece have grown and so the baby grins make now room for tom-boy giggles!!! Li and Lo (P his brother and Spanish sister in law) don't wear glasses anymore in this picture but wedding rings. A, our lovely niece, looks us straight in our eyes with very dreamy look! G and H are joined by L with in the background the lovely landscape of the Leie. The Japenese temple is now out of the picture but still linked to your backgrounds!
To make sure that we can face the dark winter nights we decided for a breathtaking sunset in Lithuania. P and I selected the background of Barcelona and the Sacra Familia as our personal shot. A is almost hugged to death by his two cousins in one frame. One of our favourite newcomers is the oldest family member uncle J. He looks like he just walked out of 'A few good men' in his marine uniform of the Brittish Royal Navy! I even look prettier in pink with him next to me!
We also have a few frames that will never change. My dad is still standing out there is his brown frame. He is looking rather dreamy with a cigarate in his hands. Ready to face the enemy that will take him away of us. It is one of the very last pictures taken of him. Not a very flattering one but very realistic. Looking at that picture is like travelling through time. Resting at the bottom of that sight is a golden pen. My personal keepsake I have chosen when my mother made the three of us take something personal of him. When I have a writer's block it can give me the inspiration that I desperately seek after!
Picture 2 that will never change is the flower inspired frame filled up with a full body shot of my grandmother. She died two years ago at the blessed age of 94. But I decided for one of those brown, grey and black pics out of the old box that was hidden in the attic. She looks very smart and focused at the same time. That is the way I want to remember her! There are people that have their modern pics changed into old fashioned looking ones and paying a fortune for that. Well, I have the real thing standing out there and she makes me feel very proud of my background. My granny never gave up and so she keeps me going strong as well!
But there are still some empty ones. We know who fits in them. A his godmother N who has travelled last year and now moved in with her beloved P. B and I who we still admire that they try to keep up the spirit while waiting for their adoption child. A and J who have done so many things for us small or big but always with a grand smile! N and G and many children, L and her boyfriend, D and N who now raise two children in the most fruity corner of our nation, R and N who make us feel so connected with the other part of our country that speaks French, I and W who still have music in their hearts, H and J in wedding outfits (we were invited for the Texan wedding but sadly had to recline!), auntie Lily with A and D in Parc Asterix, M and C and their first born son J (who we want to visit in Boston one day), I who gave me a wonderful vacation, and many more have made it to the shortlist.
Have I mentioned the many skylines that we have faced the last years and now cherish? NYC at xmastime, the wonderful restored roof of Beaune Hospice, the champagne bottles of Epernay and the pink holiday house of Santenay are just a few of the places that we want out there to add some color to our lives.
Our personal favourite is a picture taken by my sister L of A, his nephew D and their grandmother. It looks like it is taken for an art magazine. Two four year olds on a sunny and hot summer day. D with dreamy eyes looking straight to the camera, his hair still wet of a dive in the kid's pool and behind him A leaning back at his grandmother who has her hair pulled back in a bun. Her numerous wrinkles are shown very cleary and seem to colide with the youth of her two grandchildren. It is picture full of poetry. Don't be surprised if that will be end up in a the biggest frame of all!
So when I ask the next few weeks for a recent shot then don't let me wait too long because empty frames might seem arty farty but we need color to survive the grey and rainy winter days. Picture perfect is this home means that we have a very colorful life that we share with some special people. Perhaps keep in mind the next time when a picture is taken of you that you might end up here! Ready, steady, smile!!!
donderdag 23 oktober 2008
Parents and reportcards!
First term is now half way and I am rather relieved. I handed out the first reportcards of the year and that is the first moment that it hits you: parents evening!!! Being a teacher means that you have to communicate not only with pupils, collegues or your principal but also with parents. One of the side-effects of having a job in the education departement and no it is not my favourite cup of tea!
In my last eleven years I have met tons of parents but every time it is a surprise who will turn up and who not. In many cases there are no real surprises and seems it like you are playing the same record over and over. Some parents consider these evenings as a night on the town. They end up telling all their life stories and sometimes it seems like you are rather a shrink!
There are also the stories that belong in a category of their own. And yes, it was bingo last night. I have some colorful parents and most of them are rather realistic if they talk about their own child but you also have the ones who think they their child is enrolled at Zweinstein. And that I am one the one who is going to teach them how to prepare some magic potions to make their learning difficulties vanish into thin air.
'J goes to school here for one year and so far she has learned nothing! And why don't give her more homework!? Five out of ten is so bad for my daughter!! She has got trouble with her IQ but she is not stupid!', were just a few of the sentences that were uttured. I was sitting there just flabergasted and knew that this mother was going to give me a very hard time. I felt so ashamed like I was personally responsible for the fact that her daughter had not turned into a genius! Also my assistant-teacher who was sitting next to me seemed to have a rather hard time trying not open her mouth!
Well, yeah special education is a very nice spot to work. Your pupils keep you focused and they are very grateful audience. It is not a very demanding public because you don't need to explain the latest scientific study. But it seemed that this mother still had her hopes up. She questioned everything and bit by bit I started to feel rather strange. This lady was demanding to make her daughter smarter. Well, how to tell a concerned parent that this is rather mission impossible!?
I told her very calmly that her daughter was trying very hard but that she was having difficulties with understanding everything. J has epileptic fits and there are many times that she did not turn up in class, making it even harder to pick up anything. I don't believe in miracles when I know that kids really try very hard but after three years don't make significant progress. This girl was still not in the dangerous zone and for sure going to graduate in three years time. When she got up ready to leave it suddenly hit me. 'This mother wants to hear something very positive and I am sending her home with a negative feeling!'
I asked her to sit down again and then I explained her once more how our grading system works. J had a 5 out of ten for progress but for attitude and work effort she had a 7 and 8. So for just passing she had worked rather hard with a very positive attitude. 'So if I understand this right I should rather focus on the two other columns?' I nodded and hoped that she would leave now and she did!
My assistant-teacher gave me a rather strange look when she was gone! 'I had to bite the tip of my tongue while she was talking!', was her respone. I nodded got a glass of water and told her to get used to that. V smiled (love that girl, best assistant teacher for years!) and she started to analyse the conversation.
No time to waste the next parent turned up. 'Well, am I happy that my son doesn't have to do that much home work! When he comes home he is so tired of the mental gym that he needs to relax!', were one of his sentences. Perhaps I should have asked him to contact J's mother. Parents are very demanding clients and that is why I always send P off to A's school. I don't want to be their worst nightmare! But then P ends up asking the most stupid questions! I have promised him that I wouldn't mention them on this blog but to be honest it would take a seperate entry to analyse that chat!
In my last eleven years I have met tons of parents but every time it is a surprise who will turn up and who not. In many cases there are no real surprises and seems it like you are playing the same record over and over. Some parents consider these evenings as a night on the town. They end up telling all their life stories and sometimes it seems like you are rather a shrink!
There are also the stories that belong in a category of their own. And yes, it was bingo last night. I have some colorful parents and most of them are rather realistic if they talk about their own child but you also have the ones who think they their child is enrolled at Zweinstein. And that I am one the one who is going to teach them how to prepare some magic potions to make their learning difficulties vanish into thin air.
'J goes to school here for one year and so far she has learned nothing! And why don't give her more homework!? Five out of ten is so bad for my daughter!! She has got trouble with her IQ but she is not stupid!', were just a few of the sentences that were uttured. I was sitting there just flabergasted and knew that this mother was going to give me a very hard time. I felt so ashamed like I was personally responsible for the fact that her daughter had not turned into a genius! Also my assistant-teacher who was sitting next to me seemed to have a rather hard time trying not open her mouth!
Well, yeah special education is a very nice spot to work. Your pupils keep you focused and they are very grateful audience. It is not a very demanding public because you don't need to explain the latest scientific study. But it seemed that this mother still had her hopes up. She questioned everything and bit by bit I started to feel rather strange. This lady was demanding to make her daughter smarter. Well, how to tell a concerned parent that this is rather mission impossible!?
I told her very calmly that her daughter was trying very hard but that she was having difficulties with understanding everything. J has epileptic fits and there are many times that she did not turn up in class, making it even harder to pick up anything. I don't believe in miracles when I know that kids really try very hard but after three years don't make significant progress. This girl was still not in the dangerous zone and for sure going to graduate in three years time. When she got up ready to leave it suddenly hit me. 'This mother wants to hear something very positive and I am sending her home with a negative feeling!'
I asked her to sit down again and then I explained her once more how our grading system works. J had a 5 out of ten for progress but for attitude and work effort she had a 7 and 8. So for just passing she had worked rather hard with a very positive attitude. 'So if I understand this right I should rather focus on the two other columns?' I nodded and hoped that she would leave now and she did!
My assistant-teacher gave me a rather strange look when she was gone! 'I had to bite the tip of my tongue while she was talking!', was her respone. I nodded got a glass of water and told her to get used to that. V smiled (love that girl, best assistant teacher for years!) and she started to analyse the conversation.
No time to waste the next parent turned up. 'Well, am I happy that my son doesn't have to do that much home work! When he comes home he is so tired of the mental gym that he needs to relax!', were one of his sentences. Perhaps I should have asked him to contact J's mother. Parents are very demanding clients and that is why I always send P off to A's school. I don't want to be their worst nightmare! But then P ends up asking the most stupid questions! I have promised him that I wouldn't mention them on this blog but to be honest it would take a seperate entry to analyse that chat!
woensdag 8 oktober 2008
Coats, phones and underwear!
A needs to be prepared for climate change!!! So, we decided, being very concerned parents, that we were going to make sure that he was ready to face the next snow storm or flood. Because he is still growing A is quite a big spender. Every season again P and I end up in numerous kids stores to buy pants, underwear, pjs, shoes, t-shirts, socks, shirts and also jackets!
The last item is rather a catchy one. I am not a big believer when people (in most cases too commercial inspired ladies) tell me that I shouldn't wait too long when the new collections have arrived!! But even my inlaws had told me not to wait too long. Yes, they are very concerned that their beloved grandchild might turn into an icestickle!
September was rather a wet and windy month. Then you wear a rainjacket and A had one of those. So no need to run to a shop! Once the temperatures went down for real I told P that we now had to hit the road. I made a mental list of the outfits A needed to be dressed for success on the play ground!
Well, was I wrong!!! The moment we walked in I realised that a wintercoat was far out of reach! Or I had to settle for a coat that was two sizes too big. A looked like a mummy in it and P hated the color!! Still, there were other things on the list. By now A had found the kid's corner and was playing quietly. A real angel!!!! P and I started to look for the right sizes and colors. The shop lady seemed to ignore us and kept to herself in the back of the shop. Not that I was minding that because all things were quiet and going according to plan.
Suddenly this couple walks in with a kid and exactly the same plan. A had to share his toys and we our corner! Imagine four people standing in one corner searching for clothes and aiming at same colors and seizes!! P started to back out quite fast. 'If you want, we can go somewhere else.', he wispered into my ears. I gave him a rather stern look, because it was four o'clock on a Saturday and I was not going to drive around for hours!
By now I had picked out two t-shirts and one pair of pants. A had to fit those for sure. His waist looks like he doesn't get any food at home, meaning that most of the time he runs around holding up his pants. Belts are still out of question because then the pee will end up not where it should!
A and his new friend seemed to get along nicer then their parents. They were calling each other over the phone. There was only one toy-phone but A was holding an other toy to his ear and screaming words into it! My stress level was going up because A was not going of the phone that easily. He only walked into the fitting room after P pushed him into that direction. Tension was rising and also the mother of the other kid started to get rather tensed. 'Please,T be quiet!, Come one T, don't do that!!! Pay attention, T!'
P was having a hard time with A trying out his pants. From the behind the curtain many sounds came. T and A didn't seem to mind all the commotion. A peeked through the curtain still holding on to his imaginary phone and kept on talking. 'Hey boy, I will be back very soon and then we can play!', he said. P was holding him firm trying out all the pants I could find. By number four A had seen enough and ran out into the shop in his red underpants!!! And he kept on talking into his phone!
You might wonder where the owner of the shop was? Well, still in the back minding her own business! Only when she saw the red underwear she came over and asked if we needed any help!! Yeah, right!!! 'No, I am afraid that you are too late for a winter coat in his size!' We grapped the items that A seemed to fit, paid and wanted to leave. A was the only one who still wanted to stay running around in his underwear!! My face started to feel like a red balloon, that was ready to explode!!!
T was also having a rather hard time with his parents in the fitting room because he seemed to have forgotten in which opening his body parts had to go!! A went over and said that he had to go!! T's mother seemed not to care, his father was standing there like a statue (I guess, only called when needed, meaning to pay!) and T waved his new friend goodbye!!
And yes, we drove to an other store! There we also found out that we were rather late for a coat. There only was one left: a blue sailing coat with a whisle, fluorescent stripes and a compass! P and I had doubts about that one but A showed obviously approval by smiling and jumping up and down. 'Yes, this one I want!' P shrugged and got his wallet out! The nice shop lady made us feel content as well by assuring us that this was a good coat because it was not only windproof but also could stand tons of water!!! Yeah, I will be sure to find A when there is tense fogg and by a flood he won't get wet! I only now had to teach him how to blow a whistle!
Five minutes later, we all were back in the car driving home. All content and ready to face the wet and windy autumn!!! I just know two things. One: that red underwear can make lazzy shop assistants move and two: that it is really the truth: wintercoats you buy in summer!!!
The last item is rather a catchy one. I am not a big believer when people (in most cases too commercial inspired ladies) tell me that I shouldn't wait too long when the new collections have arrived!! But even my inlaws had told me not to wait too long. Yes, they are very concerned that their beloved grandchild might turn into an icestickle!
September was rather a wet and windy month. Then you wear a rainjacket and A had one of those. So no need to run to a shop! Once the temperatures went down for real I told P that we now had to hit the road. I made a mental list of the outfits A needed to be dressed for success on the play ground!
Well, was I wrong!!! The moment we walked in I realised that a wintercoat was far out of reach! Or I had to settle for a coat that was two sizes too big. A looked like a mummy in it and P hated the color!! Still, there were other things on the list. By now A had found the kid's corner and was playing quietly. A real angel!!!! P and I started to look for the right sizes and colors. The shop lady seemed to ignore us and kept to herself in the back of the shop. Not that I was minding that because all things were quiet and going according to plan.
Suddenly this couple walks in with a kid and exactly the same plan. A had to share his toys and we our corner! Imagine four people standing in one corner searching for clothes and aiming at same colors and seizes!! P started to back out quite fast. 'If you want, we can go somewhere else.', he wispered into my ears. I gave him a rather stern look, because it was four o'clock on a Saturday and I was not going to drive around for hours!
By now I had picked out two t-shirts and one pair of pants. A had to fit those for sure. His waist looks like he doesn't get any food at home, meaning that most of the time he runs around holding up his pants. Belts are still out of question because then the pee will end up not where it should!
A and his new friend seemed to get along nicer then their parents. They were calling each other over the phone. There was only one toy-phone but A was holding an other toy to his ear and screaming words into it! My stress level was going up because A was not going of the phone that easily. He only walked into the fitting room after P pushed him into that direction. Tension was rising and also the mother of the other kid started to get rather tensed. 'Please,T be quiet!, Come one T, don't do that!!! Pay attention, T!'
P was having a hard time with A trying out his pants. From the behind the curtain many sounds came. T and A didn't seem to mind all the commotion. A peeked through the curtain still holding on to his imaginary phone and kept on talking. 'Hey boy, I will be back very soon and then we can play!', he said. P was holding him firm trying out all the pants I could find. By number four A had seen enough and ran out into the shop in his red underpants!!! And he kept on talking into his phone!
You might wonder where the owner of the shop was? Well, still in the back minding her own business! Only when she saw the red underwear she came over and asked if we needed any help!! Yeah, right!!! 'No, I am afraid that you are too late for a winter coat in his size!' We grapped the items that A seemed to fit, paid and wanted to leave. A was the only one who still wanted to stay running around in his underwear!! My face started to feel like a red balloon, that was ready to explode!!!
T was also having a rather hard time with his parents in the fitting room because he seemed to have forgotten in which opening his body parts had to go!! A went over and said that he had to go!! T's mother seemed not to care, his father was standing there like a statue (I guess, only called when needed, meaning to pay!) and T waved his new friend goodbye!!
And yes, we drove to an other store! There we also found out that we were rather late for a coat. There only was one left: a blue sailing coat with a whisle, fluorescent stripes and a compass! P and I had doubts about that one but A showed obviously approval by smiling and jumping up and down. 'Yes, this one I want!' P shrugged and got his wallet out! The nice shop lady made us feel content as well by assuring us that this was a good coat because it was not only windproof but also could stand tons of water!!! Yeah, I will be sure to find A when there is tense fogg and by a flood he won't get wet! I only now had to teach him how to blow a whistle!
Five minutes later, we all were back in the car driving home. All content and ready to face the wet and windy autumn!!! I just know two things. One: that red underwear can make lazzy shop assistants move and two: that it is really the truth: wintercoats you buy in summer!!!
zondag 5 oktober 2008
Goodbye bad hairdays!!!
I have a very biased relationship with my hair. These strings that are attached to my head seem to create a certain love and hate relationship. And for the moment there is a war going on between me and them. And after a few lost battles with the classical weapons eg shampoo, conditioner and hair masks I decided that there were desperate measures needed.
For the people who know me my hairdo most of the time is very down to earth, just all my hair hold together by a band. The reason I do that is that I am not the most handy person to cope with them in the mornings. When I walk into the bathroom and face the mirror I sometimes encounter a person who would be ready to star in the next Frankenstein movie!
Most hairdressers that I have visited around the world keep telling me that I have gorgeous hair and that I am blessed with that much hair. Well, if I would have a hairdresser living in my closet I would start out many occassions in a different mood. A few summers ago I had the sublime idea to let them grow. So then at least I could look like the girls out of all those hair commercials. Nivea, Pantane, L'Oreal and many more I was going to test out with hopeful the promised result. In the beginning I loved it and saving out money nice as well. My nice hairdresser F caressed them now and then and gave me tips to keep them into shape!
But one day things turned rather ugly! After the wonderful scalp massage I was ready for my wonderful curls that I asked for in order to attend a formal dinner party. F had done this many times before and was ready to attack my hair with all the brushes he had!!! But suddenly he looked rather concerned. By now there were four brushes attached to my head and F wanted get one out in order to create glamourous curls. That seemed not be going an easy job because the brushes were not coming out that smoothly. He was standing there with a painful grim on his face and I knew that my hair was in bad shape.
Knots, knots, and more knots!! My hair was almost a puzzle for the genius level. I felt rather down and I knew that my hair was screaming for a cut. So I decided after some thaught that F or A could use their sissors and try make them knot free.
While you are reading this I am sitting in a chair in front of a mirror and there will be hair all over. Hopefully will be the result one I can live with. Especially in the mornings because now getting up was rather a painful experience. Ofcourse, I am still envious of all these women that seem to have no hair problems and look like they just walked out of a magazine but I will have to settle for less!!! But isn't there a famous fashion statement that states:'Less is more!!'
For the people who know me my hairdo most of the time is very down to earth, just all my hair hold together by a band. The reason I do that is that I am not the most handy person to cope with them in the mornings. When I walk into the bathroom and face the mirror I sometimes encounter a person who would be ready to star in the next Frankenstein movie!
Most hairdressers that I have visited around the world keep telling me that I have gorgeous hair and that I am blessed with that much hair. Well, if I would have a hairdresser living in my closet I would start out many occassions in a different mood. A few summers ago I had the sublime idea to let them grow. So then at least I could look like the girls out of all those hair commercials. Nivea, Pantane, L'Oreal and many more I was going to test out with hopeful the promised result. In the beginning I loved it and saving out money nice as well. My nice hairdresser F caressed them now and then and gave me tips to keep them into shape!
But one day things turned rather ugly! After the wonderful scalp massage I was ready for my wonderful curls that I asked for in order to attend a formal dinner party. F had done this many times before and was ready to attack my hair with all the brushes he had!!! But suddenly he looked rather concerned. By now there were four brushes attached to my head and F wanted get one out in order to create glamourous curls. That seemed not be going an easy job because the brushes were not coming out that smoothly. He was standing there with a painful grim on his face and I knew that my hair was in bad shape.
Knots, knots, and more knots!! My hair was almost a puzzle for the genius level. I felt rather down and I knew that my hair was screaming for a cut. So I decided after some thaught that F or A could use their sissors and try make them knot free.
While you are reading this I am sitting in a chair in front of a mirror and there will be hair all over. Hopefully will be the result one I can live with. Especially in the mornings because now getting up was rather a painful experience. Ofcourse, I am still envious of all these women that seem to have no hair problems and look like they just walked out of a magazine but I will have to settle for less!!! But isn't there a famous fashion statement that states:'Less is more!!'
vrijdag 3 oktober 2008
Obtaining Student ID: Mission Impossible!!!
Okay, I knew that going back to the university wouldn't be a smooth ride! But the last few weeks I had the impression that I was driving into the jungle and it was rather a mudy drive. I remember that when I was a teenager and decided to become smarter that my mum and I drove to Leuven. There a very friendly lady asked me what I wanted to do and in about ten minutes time I was the proud owner of a student card!!!
Well, times change and before you consider going out there to obtain that shiny card let me warn you.: it will take a bit longer then 10 minutes! I went to see two advisors, made tons of phonecalls, mailed many questions, surfed the internet for hours and went to some classes to make up my mind. Once I did that I thaught that it was going to be so damn easy!
Progress at university is that you can do some administration by computer. So last Friday instead of spending in my bath tub I tried to fill out my forms!! It took quite some time and longer then writting my first college notes. The next step was going to the university to enroll. Well, when I got there I had my next shock. Tons of people that had planned to the same thing at the same time. And big surprise half of them spoke a different language. It sounded like I was standing in line at the travel agency to book my flights!
When it was my turn, a very nice lady checked out my diploma and turns out that from the four that I have they only needed one!! I felt rather a bit stupid there: being 34 and only need the proof that I went to high school! Then suddenly they couldn't find my file anymore! Meaning all the work I had done at home just had vanished into thin air! The line behind me grew longer and I almost lost it! Hey, this is supossed to be eassier then 15 years ago!
They finally were able to retrace it and then explained to me that I still was not enrolled because my programme had to approved by the departement of educational studies! So all I got when I left was a paper and a little card to activate my digital file! Surprise, they had given me the wrong card and so nothing worked. Two phonecalls and 24 hours later and many hits and misses to find the right codes for my courses, I now have found what I was looking for!
It might stil take some weeks before they will mail my own personal card. I still own my old one but that looks like a real antique and rather fake!! The other problem with it is that I look 15 years younger on it!!! They might refuse me class entrance when they compare image and reality! So I better look 34 in that picture!!!
Well, times change and before you consider going out there to obtain that shiny card let me warn you.: it will take a bit longer then 10 minutes! I went to see two advisors, made tons of phonecalls, mailed many questions, surfed the internet for hours and went to some classes to make up my mind. Once I did that I thaught that it was going to be so damn easy!
Progress at university is that you can do some administration by computer. So last Friday instead of spending in my bath tub I tried to fill out my forms!! It took quite some time and longer then writting my first college notes. The next step was going to the university to enroll. Well, when I got there I had my next shock. Tons of people that had planned to the same thing at the same time. And big surprise half of them spoke a different language. It sounded like I was standing in line at the travel agency to book my flights!
When it was my turn, a very nice lady checked out my diploma and turns out that from the four that I have they only needed one!! I felt rather a bit stupid there: being 34 and only need the proof that I went to high school! Then suddenly they couldn't find my file anymore! Meaning all the work I had done at home just had vanished into thin air! The line behind me grew longer and I almost lost it! Hey, this is supossed to be eassier then 15 years ago!
They finally were able to retrace it and then explained to me that I still was not enrolled because my programme had to approved by the departement of educational studies! So all I got when I left was a paper and a little card to activate my digital file! Surprise, they had given me the wrong card and so nothing worked. Two phonecalls and 24 hours later and many hits and misses to find the right codes for my courses, I now have found what I was looking for!
It might stil take some weeks before they will mail my own personal card. I still own my old one but that looks like a real antique and rather fake!! The other problem with it is that I look 15 years younger on it!!! They might refuse me class entrance when they compare image and reality! So I better look 34 in that picture!!!
dinsdag 30 september 2008
Swimming suits and study books!
Yes, right it has been quite some time ago that you have been able to read something new. It seemed like I was quitting with this blog thingy. The truth is a bit more complicated. For the moment my life can be called rather normal. No tabloids headlines out there where I am! Okay the stockmarket is crashing and our government is still out there on the play ground. And yes, I am still at work in my little school where the grass is still green (the new football field looks magnificent) and the pupils still have stormy days.
About a month ago I seem to have a hard time to guarantee the best entertainment. Five weeks further and it seems like I had never second thaughts. Many collegues were relieved to see me again where I belong (according to them) and most of the pupils seem to count on me. It is bussiness as usual and in two weeks I will be writting my first report card of the year!
But when you take a closer look at my life it has changed. A few months ago I mentioned the chocolate box full of new tastes. Chocolate wise I am a very picky eater! So making up my mind took a while but ........
1. I am back at the gym and the swimming pool!
Once to three times a week I try to create sweaty and smelly clothes by doing a work out.
When Mika his 'Big girls are beautiful' comes out of the speakers I have a bit of a hard time. But no pain no gain! In the morning getting out of bed looks rather like a circus act. All signs that I am rather getting older.
Sporty Spice that I am,the swimming pool of Overijse is also one of the spots where I try to leave behind some calories! Michael Phelps won't consider me a threat but I try to hit the magic number 100. Hurdles that I have to take in order to get there: older ladies in colorful bathingsuits that have their weekly tea in the pool, the Michael Phelps clones who think that they own a lane, the young lovers who even hold hands while swimming and screaming school kids!
DOES IT HELP? yes and no. I feel much better mentally, don't run out of breath as fast BUT my waist still doesn't seem to respond. Patience my dear!!! At least I don't gain any weight and that is a good start.
2. I am back at the university!
15 years ago I went there as well! It took me some courage to go back. Last Friday I had my first classes. Sitting out there in one of these big auditoria was a bit of surrealistic. When some fellow students behind me where planning their girl's scouting weekend I started to feel rather a bit out of place. It all changed when I saw of these ladies that I try to tackle in the swimming pool enter. Relief!!! There are students with more wrinkles then I have!
And yes, I will be doing exams (perhaps even failing the first time), skipping classes (I have to attend the weekly class board meetings!), taking notes (TOLEDO is the newest invention of the university and so now you can find your courses are digital and you have to print them out!) and I will have a student pass to get a discount at the movies but now I even have a car to drive to classes (this also means that I have to find a parking spot)!!!
For me these are two major changes in my rather normal life. It takes some planning and some organisation. A and P do now many more things without me. But the time that we now spend together is even more precious. A is rather funny about it and P very down to earth! Most important is the fact that I have many people out there that support me. I hope that I won't let them down! When I fail then at least I tried. What I already can sense for sure: Mens sane in corpore sano! It only would come in handy if I would be able to study while swimming but then those tea ladies would spill their cups of tea on my notes! Perhaps the safest and closest I will get is studying in my swimming outfit!
About a month ago I seem to have a hard time to guarantee the best entertainment. Five weeks further and it seems like I had never second thaughts. Many collegues were relieved to see me again where I belong (according to them) and most of the pupils seem to count on me. It is bussiness as usual and in two weeks I will be writting my first report card of the year!
But when you take a closer look at my life it has changed. A few months ago I mentioned the chocolate box full of new tastes. Chocolate wise I am a very picky eater! So making up my mind took a while but ........
1. I am back at the gym and the swimming pool!
Once to three times a week I try to create sweaty and smelly clothes by doing a work out.
When Mika his 'Big girls are beautiful' comes out of the speakers I have a bit of a hard time. But no pain no gain! In the morning getting out of bed looks rather like a circus act. All signs that I am rather getting older.
Sporty Spice that I am,the swimming pool of Overijse is also one of the spots where I try to leave behind some calories! Michael Phelps won't consider me a threat but I try to hit the magic number 100. Hurdles that I have to take in order to get there: older ladies in colorful bathingsuits that have their weekly tea in the pool, the Michael Phelps clones who think that they own a lane, the young lovers who even hold hands while swimming and screaming school kids!
DOES IT HELP? yes and no. I feel much better mentally, don't run out of breath as fast BUT my waist still doesn't seem to respond. Patience my dear!!! At least I don't gain any weight and that is a good start.
2. I am back at the university!
15 years ago I went there as well! It took me some courage to go back. Last Friday I had my first classes. Sitting out there in one of these big auditoria was a bit of surrealistic. When some fellow students behind me where planning their girl's scouting weekend I started to feel rather a bit out of place. It all changed when I saw of these ladies that I try to tackle in the swimming pool enter. Relief!!! There are students with more wrinkles then I have!
And yes, I will be doing exams (perhaps even failing the first time), skipping classes (I have to attend the weekly class board meetings!), taking notes (TOLEDO is the newest invention of the university and so now you can find your courses are digital and you have to print them out!) and I will have a student pass to get a discount at the movies but now I even have a car to drive to classes (this also means that I have to find a parking spot)!!!
For me these are two major changes in my rather normal life. It takes some planning and some organisation. A and P do now many more things without me. But the time that we now spend together is even more precious. A is rather funny about it and P very down to earth! Most important is the fact that I have many people out there that support me. I hope that I won't let them down! When I fail then at least I tried. What I already can sense for sure: Mens sane in corpore sano! It only would come in handy if I would be able to study while swimming but then those tea ladies would spill their cups of tea on my notes! Perhaps the safest and closest I will get is studying in my swimming outfit!
dinsdag 2 september 2008
Life's a stage!
I am back at work!!! Every year again I have to get used to getting up early and hitting the daily traffic jams in order to get there. But all good things come finally to an end. So last Monday it was business as usually. Dragging me out of bed, trying to face the mirror and the truth that I am getting older, packing my lunch and hope that I have all the things I need to survive my first day back.
When I arrived at the gate I suddenly I realised that I had forgotten my keys. Hate that feeling! The sensation of being dependent on others. The prospect of not getting into my own work environment and having to ask help of others made me feel rather low. One of my nice collegues let me in and I also found an other teammember who was so kind to open up my classroom.
When I opened the door I felt kind of akward. Like we had to make friends again. Last June I had packed up my things, printed out the last report card, filled out the last file and unplugged all my electronic devices, closed the windows and emptied out my dustbins, cleaned my blackboard and then closed the door feeling rather upbeat.
There I was standing in the middle of my familiar stage, knowing that in about 45 minutes the theatre would be filled up with an audience that was going to be critical then ever and bringing in new insights into life that will for sure colide with my facts of life. Outside it was still quiet and the sky colored rather greyish but I knew that was going to change for sure.
Yes, I have tried to leave this players guild because I need a new challenge in my life. The part that I play now has grown on me. It has become a second skin. Not that I want to ripp it off but I want to try out an other costume and see if the part fits me as well as the one of being a teacher.
The promises that I have made to myself at the beginning of the summer I kept. Writting a cv, applying for a job, studying for it and going to face the enemy for the job interview itself. It was quite an adventure and took over mentally mainly my summer break. Nightmares, blackouts, being afraid of forgetting my lines, writer's block (there was a written part) and sweaty palms I got it all.
So 'I moved the cheese'!!!! It is one of my favourite expressions in the English language, meaning that you try to find a new challenge in life and show to others (including future employers) what you are worth. In this case I am the cheese looking for new starving mice that are out there sniffing to find a new taste sensation.
In the end the news was broken by one of those calls you try to block out as long as possible. One of the friendly mice of the jury told me that I did not get the job. They were tempted by the smell, the aroma and the color of the cheese but according to them it needed to lay a bit longer to get the right taste. There were fifteen other cheeses and I ended up in top rankings!
Not that quite bad for cheese that has told herself that only hungry pupils wanted to have her on their sandwiches! The days after I felt down not knowing what to feel, like I was lost in the fridge!
Opening up the filing cabinets and the windows, looking for some chalk to write down my familiar opening lines, checking out of all my buttons were still there on my costume, were all things I did trying to find the right que. When the stage bell will be ringing to call me on stage I will took a deep breath and walk out to face my audience. I know the lines, the stage, the cast, the scriptgirl, the director, the make up artist, the catering, the crew and the stage manager.
This year it feels rather different. I have been outside my familiar surroundings and challenged myself. I feel a bit like Bell (The Beauty and the Beast), 'There must be more than this provincial life!' Yes, I caught a glimpse of the beast and it felt so right. The lights go out, the audience goes quiet and the curtains go up, all I need to do now is walk out there and utter those so familiar words:'Welcome back! I am Mrs Stalmans, your teacher!'
When I arrived at the gate I suddenly I realised that I had forgotten my keys. Hate that feeling! The sensation of being dependent on others. The prospect of not getting into my own work environment and having to ask help of others made me feel rather low. One of my nice collegues let me in and I also found an other teammember who was so kind to open up my classroom.
When I opened the door I felt kind of akward. Like we had to make friends again. Last June I had packed up my things, printed out the last report card, filled out the last file and unplugged all my electronic devices, closed the windows and emptied out my dustbins, cleaned my blackboard and then closed the door feeling rather upbeat.
There I was standing in the middle of my familiar stage, knowing that in about 45 minutes the theatre would be filled up with an audience that was going to be critical then ever and bringing in new insights into life that will for sure colide with my facts of life. Outside it was still quiet and the sky colored rather greyish but I knew that was going to change for sure.
Yes, I have tried to leave this players guild because I need a new challenge in my life. The part that I play now has grown on me. It has become a second skin. Not that I want to ripp it off but I want to try out an other costume and see if the part fits me as well as the one of being a teacher.
The promises that I have made to myself at the beginning of the summer I kept. Writting a cv, applying for a job, studying for it and going to face the enemy for the job interview itself. It was quite an adventure and took over mentally mainly my summer break. Nightmares, blackouts, being afraid of forgetting my lines, writer's block (there was a written part) and sweaty palms I got it all.
So 'I moved the cheese'!!!! It is one of my favourite expressions in the English language, meaning that you try to find a new challenge in life and show to others (including future employers) what you are worth. In this case I am the cheese looking for new starving mice that are out there sniffing to find a new taste sensation.
In the end the news was broken by one of those calls you try to block out as long as possible. One of the friendly mice of the jury told me that I did not get the job. They were tempted by the smell, the aroma and the color of the cheese but according to them it needed to lay a bit longer to get the right taste. There were fifteen other cheeses and I ended up in top rankings!
Not that quite bad for cheese that has told herself that only hungry pupils wanted to have her on their sandwiches! The days after I felt down not knowing what to feel, like I was lost in the fridge!
Opening up the filing cabinets and the windows, looking for some chalk to write down my familiar opening lines, checking out of all my buttons were still there on my costume, were all things I did trying to find the right que. When the stage bell will be ringing to call me on stage I will took a deep breath and walk out to face my audience. I know the lines, the stage, the cast, the scriptgirl, the director, the make up artist, the catering, the crew and the stage manager.
This year it feels rather different. I have been outside my familiar surroundings and challenged myself. I feel a bit like Bell (The Beauty and the Beast), 'There must be more than this provincial life!' Yes, I caught a glimpse of the beast and it felt so right. The lights go out, the audience goes quiet and the curtains go up, all I need to do now is walk out there and utter those so familiar words:'Welcome back! I am Mrs Stalmans, your teacher!'
woensdag 27 augustus 2008
The color of Gold!
The games are over and out for four long years!!!! London will be the four next years quite busy with preparing their Olympic stage and trying to be best host. It won't be no easy job because did these Chinese go hard! Jacques Rogge, (Belgian, yeah) the president of the IOC called it 'exceptional games'! Very diplomatic! He is still aware of how many people think about these games but they were quite exceptional over all!
There were many highlights and I am happy to say that once again I witnessed, by being a potatocouch. Here a list of my personal favourite moments:
- The eight gold medals of Michael Phelps: thanks to Omega (one of his major sponsors) he now owns eight medals gained in one Olympic Game! He made it look so simple. Wonder what he will do in London in 2012!
- Lucien Bold: Jamaica seems to have found the perfect recipe to make people run faster. They even don't have to make sure their running shoes are in order to run. Even then they break world records. Yes, you are the best, Lucien but according to the IOC president you will have to work a bit on your social skills.
- The little Chinese gymnasts: their age will never be revealed but they really showed us amazing things. These flexible girls can do things that my body wouldn't survive. I just hope that they make it to their thirties without ending up into a wheelchair.
The final days of the Olympics were for our nation quite colorful. We still had no medal what so ever and many were already that desperate to think they would fly into Zaventem empty handed! There were some Belgian atletes out there that were a bit offended because they really tried. We came in many time fourth but that is no use if the only thing that really counts is a medal. Many Belgian atletes ended top 10 or 15 but that seems rather a lost cause of all the hard work.
The Bird's nest, the Olympic stadium, is quite a sight from the outside. It was there that a few girls did what many before them tried to do but did not manage to do: winning medals for our small nation. Winning a medal in atletics is still a bit more special. It are these sports that go back into Olympic history quite far. Altletics are still called the mother of sports and so winning a medal in that catagory is very special. Belgians are rather special people so I guess these prices were rather fitting for them!
To start no medal but quite a race!!! The Belgian boys of the 4x400m. They are still quite young but they were convinced they belonged out there on the track with the big guys. They made it into the finals and what we got to see was rather very promising for London. Off they were and till runner 4 they were in position 2. It was one of those images that I will never forget to see a Belgian runner next to an American one!! Goliath and David!!! My adrenaline ran wild. So guys, congrats on a great race. Keep up the good work!!!
Kim Gevaert, the celebrated Belgian sprintster on the 100m, failed in the qualifications and was quite down. She canceled her run for the 200 metres. Kim has some good friends who run with her 4x100m. These four girls are quite a team. The final was a nailbiter. For a moment we even were in the running for gold. The British girls who had told them a few months before:'Hi girls we are going to get you in Beijing!', didn't even made it to the finish. Also the female collegues of the fastest man of Jaimaica didn't get there. Silver it was!!! That color looked quite well on them!
Out there was still one woman that could do it but she had to jump quite high. Tia Hellebaut is woman out of one piece. Very modest, knows what she is after in her life. Always works hard and has a coach she dearly loves. Before her final jumps she looked so serene. The stressbunny was nowhere in sight. It seemed that the only opponent she had to face was the height. One by one her collegues bumped into a long stick and before we knew we had silver once more.
Tia had to jump a personal record (2m05) in order to get her hands on gold. While I saw her running to that freighting height I closed my eyes! And she made it. Tia screamed it out!!!!!! It sounded like she let out all the frustrations the Belgian atletes were chased by. When her final opponent failed (and it was not one of the least: only the most talented worldchampion of Croatia with killing eyes) Blanka Vlasic we knew that this was going to be mental game. Tia called it the day and Blanka had to get over 2m05. She failed once more and Tia had that piece of gold that many are after but only a few can obtain: a gold Olympic medal and the title of Olympic champion.
It was amazing to see her do it and when she ran off to see her family the tears came!!! Out there was standing tall one of the most complete atletic women that our nation will ever have and when she hugged her family she just let things go. As an audience I always feel then a bit out of place. They have all the right to be there and when they saw their daughther, stephdaughter (Tia doesn't know her biological father!) and sister becoming an Olympic hero you just get out all these emotions that you had to hold back for such a long time. The tears were real, the smiles and hugs very warm!! I felt very priveledged to be a witness of such a private moment.
It is not only that moment that I will cherish of that very special event. No, it is an other moment during the competition. Tia and Blanka are compared by many and most people agree that our girl is more popular then the most talented Croatian superjumper!! Kim Clijsters seems to be quite a roll model or is it being Belgian (Flemish) that makes us so liked by others? I have read this before the competition but what I saw made my heart just melt!!
Olympic games are suppossed to be fair games and you are a priveledged atlete to compete in such an event. But we all know that once the battle is on for gold that friendship is hard to find out there. Well, when Tia went for one of her last jumps many of her collegues were still out there catching their breathes, getting their trainers back on, packing their stuff. Most of them felt defeated but while doing all these things they will still try to catch glimpse of what is going on. Tia made it over 2m03 and while she was getting it all out in the back there was a girl jumping up and down!!!
Believe it or not it was one of her fellow competioners: Chaunte Howard, from the USA. She really went bezerk!! This american girl showed real happiness for the achievements of one of her rivals!!! Yes, they are friends but they met on the sports stage while competing!! That is an achievement in itself!
To me that is the real Olympic spirit! I have not seen it that many times the last three weeks. Chaunte, you only came in seventh but if there is a price for a genuine, authentic sportmanship you are a true Olympic athlete!! Thank you for making one of the final days of these exceptional games so special!! You can sure that when you decide to high jump in London in 2012 you will have two extra fans: Tia (she wants to have kids by that time to sit in the audience with) and me!!
There were many highlights and I am happy to say that once again I witnessed, by being a potatocouch. Here a list of my personal favourite moments:
- The eight gold medals of Michael Phelps: thanks to Omega (one of his major sponsors) he now owns eight medals gained in one Olympic Game! He made it look so simple. Wonder what he will do in London in 2012!
- Lucien Bold: Jamaica seems to have found the perfect recipe to make people run faster. They even don't have to make sure their running shoes are in order to run. Even then they break world records. Yes, you are the best, Lucien but according to the IOC president you will have to work a bit on your social skills.
- The little Chinese gymnasts: their age will never be revealed but they really showed us amazing things. These flexible girls can do things that my body wouldn't survive. I just hope that they make it to their thirties without ending up into a wheelchair.
The final days of the Olympics were for our nation quite colorful. We still had no medal what so ever and many were already that desperate to think they would fly into Zaventem empty handed! There were some Belgian atletes out there that were a bit offended because they really tried. We came in many time fourth but that is no use if the only thing that really counts is a medal. Many Belgian atletes ended top 10 or 15 but that seems rather a lost cause of all the hard work.
The Bird's nest, the Olympic stadium, is quite a sight from the outside. It was there that a few girls did what many before them tried to do but did not manage to do: winning medals for our small nation. Winning a medal in atletics is still a bit more special. It are these sports that go back into Olympic history quite far. Altletics are still called the mother of sports and so winning a medal in that catagory is very special. Belgians are rather special people so I guess these prices were rather fitting for them!
To start no medal but quite a race!!! The Belgian boys of the 4x400m. They are still quite young but they were convinced they belonged out there on the track with the big guys. They made it into the finals and what we got to see was rather very promising for London. Off they were and till runner 4 they were in position 2. It was one of those images that I will never forget to see a Belgian runner next to an American one!! Goliath and David!!! My adrenaline ran wild. So guys, congrats on a great race. Keep up the good work!!!
Kim Gevaert, the celebrated Belgian sprintster on the 100m, failed in the qualifications and was quite down. She canceled her run for the 200 metres. Kim has some good friends who run with her 4x100m. These four girls are quite a team. The final was a nailbiter. For a moment we even were in the running for gold. The British girls who had told them a few months before:'Hi girls we are going to get you in Beijing!', didn't even made it to the finish. Also the female collegues of the fastest man of Jaimaica didn't get there. Silver it was!!! That color looked quite well on them!
Out there was still one woman that could do it but she had to jump quite high. Tia Hellebaut is woman out of one piece. Very modest, knows what she is after in her life. Always works hard and has a coach she dearly loves. Before her final jumps she looked so serene. The stressbunny was nowhere in sight. It seemed that the only opponent she had to face was the height. One by one her collegues bumped into a long stick and before we knew we had silver once more.
Tia had to jump a personal record (2m05) in order to get her hands on gold. While I saw her running to that freighting height I closed my eyes! And she made it. Tia screamed it out!!!!!! It sounded like she let out all the frustrations the Belgian atletes were chased by. When her final opponent failed (and it was not one of the least: only the most talented worldchampion of Croatia with killing eyes) Blanka Vlasic we knew that this was going to be mental game. Tia called it the day and Blanka had to get over 2m05. She failed once more and Tia had that piece of gold that many are after but only a few can obtain: a gold Olympic medal and the title of Olympic champion.
It was amazing to see her do it and when she ran off to see her family the tears came!!! Out there was standing tall one of the most complete atletic women that our nation will ever have and when she hugged her family she just let things go. As an audience I always feel then a bit out of place. They have all the right to be there and when they saw their daughther, stephdaughter (Tia doesn't know her biological father!) and sister becoming an Olympic hero you just get out all these emotions that you had to hold back for such a long time. The tears were real, the smiles and hugs very warm!! I felt very priveledged to be a witness of such a private moment.
It is not only that moment that I will cherish of that very special event. No, it is an other moment during the competition. Tia and Blanka are compared by many and most people agree that our girl is more popular then the most talented Croatian superjumper!! Kim Clijsters seems to be quite a roll model or is it being Belgian (Flemish) that makes us so liked by others? I have read this before the competition but what I saw made my heart just melt!!
Olympic games are suppossed to be fair games and you are a priveledged atlete to compete in such an event. But we all know that once the battle is on for gold that friendship is hard to find out there. Well, when Tia went for one of her last jumps many of her collegues were still out there catching their breathes, getting their trainers back on, packing their stuff. Most of them felt defeated but while doing all these things they will still try to catch glimpse of what is going on. Tia made it over 2m03 and while she was getting it all out in the back there was a girl jumping up and down!!!
Believe it or not it was one of her fellow competioners: Chaunte Howard, from the USA. She really went bezerk!! This american girl showed real happiness for the achievements of one of her rivals!!! Yes, they are friends but they met on the sports stage while competing!! That is an achievement in itself!
To me that is the real Olympic spirit! I have not seen it that many times the last three weeks. Chaunte, you only came in seventh but if there is a price for a genuine, authentic sportmanship you are a true Olympic athlete!! Thank you for making one of the final days of these exceptional games so special!! You can sure that when you decide to high jump in London in 2012 you will have two extra fans: Tia (she wants to have kids by that time to sit in the audience with) and me!!
woensdag 20 augustus 2008
Thunderstorm on Olympos
The games are in the last straight line and most countries know by now how well/bad they are performing on the Olympic stage. Well for the moment I am a rather dissapointed person. Being Belgian is not an easy job in these political troubled times. A medal or two would have made me a bit more upbeat. But that seems to be mission impossible. Our national atletes seem not to be having the time of their lives there in Beijing. What is wrong?
Well, that is the question that is asked by many. The national press is full with interviews with officials and politicians who seem to have no real answers. There has to change something but what? For a long time we were told that these sporty minds needed more money to be able to perform better. Many organisations pump now some more coins into them but this financial dopping doesn't seem to do the trick. There are even voices that tell us that it would be better to split up Belgium to get in Olympic heaven. Others state then that most atletes don't want to go the whole way in order to be invited on Olympos.
Guess that some of these voices are right to say that something is wrong but changing it will take a bit longer then we want. We are not a country that has a sportive tradition any way. Belgians enjoy life, work hard for their paycheck, are taken care of when they pay their taxes, can choose out of more then 100 beers to drink, are rather modest, insecure and never brag about their achievements. 'Les petits Belges', say the French. Well we keep that vision alive and the ones that go against the stream will be told to behave!
Justine Henin (God, do I miss that girl) told herself, her family and whole the world very plainly that she wanted to be number one and that one day she was going to wake up with that number on her T-shirt! Well, many countrymen told us that she wasn't modest enough that she was just a small kid from Wepion. Well, were they wrong this time. She did exactly that. But what did she have to sacrifice was quite a lot.
When we are young you are told that when you get good schoolresults that you will get a good job. The kids who tell their parents that they want to be a professional athlete are forced to combine this as long as possible with their studies. One day they then come to this crossroad where they have to make up their minds. Many then pack up their swimming suits, running gear, hockey sticks, tennis racket, bike helmet, floret,ballet shoes, riding gear....... They leave behind their sportive ambitions and walk the way they are suppose to follow. One that is most of the time without too many hurdles to jump over.
Who makes us do this? Well partly we, ourselves. Once we have to take the bumpy road into the unknown we get sweaty palms. It is ot our cup of tea! The mind game in sports is rather difficult compared to go to classes and end up at parties where you can meet your first boy or girlfriend. Besides that are in Belgium sports and school not the perfect combination. Your achievements on the track, in the swimming pool, on the field, on the tatami, ..... don't directly influence your grades. Not many teachers and coaches will be interested to know what their pupils do out there. Sports and education are seperated. In many other nations they are linked. These sporty brains are nurished and taken care of and told many times that should go for the gold. Pushing the limits and just go for it.
Michael Phelps, yeah he just did what he intented to do: become the ultimate sportshero of the olympic pool by winning eight gold medals in the Water Cube, has been told that he can swim and that he should try to go for it. Even at school he will be told by many (including teachers, his biology teacher might have been his high school swimming coach!!!) that he can do it. Many believed in him before he even probably thaught about swimming so fast. So that could have made him even swim faster.
Belgians are not told that much that they are doing a good job. Our modesty seems to make us rather humble. We don't want to be show offs. 'Yes, your flick flacks are quite well!! But you should keep in mind that when you want to gym on a Olympic stage that you will have to suffer!' Not the most thrilling prospect for a ten year old to hear. Parents then will decide that their kid will be better of do be just average. Very safe. Gym will and stay then just a favourite past time when there is some time to kill.
On many forums I have read many solutions but many have said that our educational system should be more adopted to the needs of sportive minds. I have seen abroad that school and sport can do the trick. I have seen amazing achievement on the field by people that turned up on the Honor Roll or were a member of the brainy NHS (National Honor Society). I cheered for kids that had enrolled for Ivy League Universities knowing that we be still swimming, playing football, basketball, tennis, baseball or American Football. The sporty minds will be stimulated even in a intellectuel environment and when an talent coach then sees what potential you have you will hear quite often that you should go for it.
The ones that have not been so lucky to be rather smart but turn to be rather good at sports then will be still stimulated to perform in the classroom. If they fail on a history test or math test then they might end up on the bench for a few matches. An atlete will be kept fit physical and mental. Motivation is so important and that bit is something we Belgian schools seem to be rather less good at. On the international scale our school system still gets high scores but for how long?
The excuse that professional athletes will destroy their body is of course one of the rather less nice truths about a gold medal. But let us be honest where are you safe nowdays? Our health is challenged in many other ways as well. Our food is not safe anymore, our air is polluted, we are obese and many other risks that will send us faster to six feet under. I feel the urge to say that we Belgians are too modest to create Olympic Gold getters. The ones that get there are one of a kind. They know what it takes and were lucky enough to find the strength, the drive, the motivation, the cheers, the sponsoring, the right attitude and coaching to get there. In the end they made sacrifices that many of us would never wanted to make. So Belgians out there still climbing the rocky cliffs of Olympos: don't be afraid. Go for it!!!!!! Zeus is awaiting you and God can he cheer!
Well, that is the question that is asked by many. The national press is full with interviews with officials and politicians who seem to have no real answers. There has to change something but what? For a long time we were told that these sporty minds needed more money to be able to perform better. Many organisations pump now some more coins into them but this financial dopping doesn't seem to do the trick. There are even voices that tell us that it would be better to split up Belgium to get in Olympic heaven. Others state then that most atletes don't want to go the whole way in order to be invited on Olympos.
Guess that some of these voices are right to say that something is wrong but changing it will take a bit longer then we want. We are not a country that has a sportive tradition any way. Belgians enjoy life, work hard for their paycheck, are taken care of when they pay their taxes, can choose out of more then 100 beers to drink, are rather modest, insecure and never brag about their achievements. 'Les petits Belges', say the French. Well we keep that vision alive and the ones that go against the stream will be told to behave!
Justine Henin (God, do I miss that girl) told herself, her family and whole the world very plainly that she wanted to be number one and that one day she was going to wake up with that number on her T-shirt! Well, many countrymen told us that she wasn't modest enough that she was just a small kid from Wepion. Well, were they wrong this time. She did exactly that. But what did she have to sacrifice was quite a lot.
When we are young you are told that when you get good schoolresults that you will get a good job. The kids who tell their parents that they want to be a professional athlete are forced to combine this as long as possible with their studies. One day they then come to this crossroad where they have to make up their minds. Many then pack up their swimming suits, running gear, hockey sticks, tennis racket, bike helmet, floret,ballet shoes, riding gear....... They leave behind their sportive ambitions and walk the way they are suppose to follow. One that is most of the time without too many hurdles to jump over.
Who makes us do this? Well partly we, ourselves. Once we have to take the bumpy road into the unknown we get sweaty palms. It is ot our cup of tea! The mind game in sports is rather difficult compared to go to classes and end up at parties where you can meet your first boy or girlfriend. Besides that are in Belgium sports and school not the perfect combination. Your achievements on the track, in the swimming pool, on the field, on the tatami, ..... don't directly influence your grades. Not many teachers and coaches will be interested to know what their pupils do out there. Sports and education are seperated. In many other nations they are linked. These sporty brains are nurished and taken care of and told many times that should go for the gold. Pushing the limits and just go for it.
Michael Phelps, yeah he just did what he intented to do: become the ultimate sportshero of the olympic pool by winning eight gold medals in the Water Cube, has been told that he can swim and that he should try to go for it. Even at school he will be told by many (including teachers, his biology teacher might have been his high school swimming coach!!!) that he can do it. Many believed in him before he even probably thaught about swimming so fast. So that could have made him even swim faster.
Belgians are not told that much that they are doing a good job. Our modesty seems to make us rather humble. We don't want to be show offs. 'Yes, your flick flacks are quite well!! But you should keep in mind that when you want to gym on a Olympic stage that you will have to suffer!' Not the most thrilling prospect for a ten year old to hear. Parents then will decide that their kid will be better of do be just average. Very safe. Gym will and stay then just a favourite past time when there is some time to kill.
On many forums I have read many solutions but many have said that our educational system should be more adopted to the needs of sportive minds. I have seen abroad that school and sport can do the trick. I have seen amazing achievement on the field by people that turned up on the Honor Roll or were a member of the brainy NHS (National Honor Society). I cheered for kids that had enrolled for Ivy League Universities knowing that we be still swimming, playing football, basketball, tennis, baseball or American Football. The sporty minds will be stimulated even in a intellectuel environment and when an talent coach then sees what potential you have you will hear quite often that you should go for it.
The ones that have not been so lucky to be rather smart but turn to be rather good at sports then will be still stimulated to perform in the classroom. If they fail on a history test or math test then they might end up on the bench for a few matches. An atlete will be kept fit physical and mental. Motivation is so important and that bit is something we Belgian schools seem to be rather less good at. On the international scale our school system still gets high scores but for how long?
The excuse that professional athletes will destroy their body is of course one of the rather less nice truths about a gold medal. But let us be honest where are you safe nowdays? Our health is challenged in many other ways as well. Our food is not safe anymore, our air is polluted, we are obese and many other risks that will send us faster to six feet under. I feel the urge to say that we Belgians are too modest to create Olympic Gold getters. The ones that get there are one of a kind. They know what it takes and were lucky enough to find the strength, the drive, the motivation, the cheers, the sponsoring, the right attitude and coaching to get there. In the end they made sacrifices that many of us would never wanted to make. So Belgians out there still climbing the rocky cliffs of Olympos: don't be afraid. Go for it!!!!!! Zeus is awaiting you and God can he cheer!
dinsdag 12 augustus 2008
Olympic heroes of the first week
Olympics are now almost one week old. And I am having rather a busy time with trying to keep up with them. Half of the time I seem to be too late. Due to the time difference I have to settle for latest news and surfing over the internet. The moments that I have spend in front of the telvision I was a witness of olympic history. Some of the highlights of the last days (before I start I have to point out that this is a personal selection!) were:
1. The synchronised divers in the Water Cube: just amazing to look at. While broadcasting it there should some words of caution in the corner to warn us not to try this out in your local swimming pool! Chen and Wang, Lin and Hua won the gold medals for China. But it was a little lad from about 150cm and 47 kilos who caught my attention. Tom Daly of Great Britain is only 14 and he dares to make circus jumps from that terrifying looking tower! His partner and he came in last but I am sure that when the Olympics take place in London (2012) he will stand on the highest podium as well!
2. Michael Phelps: okay he is a bit too much too handle but god can he swim. Appearently he has the perfect body to break all the records. The Baltimore Bullet wants to get it all. He wants to make sure he gets to Olympia for sure this time. And in order to make sure this dream will become true his first three golden tokens he has won along with a world record! I just wonder one thing what will this Bullet do when he has made it? Diving into a black hole perhaps! So perhaps settling for seven isn't that bad. London will welcome you with open arms!
3. The Chinese volunteers: the show must go on!! The opening show was just breathtaking!!! I have missed most of it due to a trip to a science museum with my son. But all the people I have spoken to agreed that it was a great show. My mother her favourite seqeunce: the computer. She pointed out that the Chinese must be brave people because if one had made one small mistake it would have been noticed by all. 'And you can be sure there was an official keeping an eye on them the whole time!', were her words. They also are the ones that are 'kindly' asked to fill in empty seats at certain events! So an extra round of applause for these people who make sure that there are enough fans to attend! But it was such a fun sight to see identical dressed ladies along the road cheering for the women cyclists! Perhaps they should have some extra clothes for these kind of jobs!
4. The Belgian Hockey team: they will not win a medal but they are true amateur players and god can they play for honor!! Their coach is an australian who made sure that these guys know why they are on Beijing soil. He made them sign a contract while they are living together in Olympic village. They have to take in consideration some rules of good conduct to make sure they stay focused. So they can't call to their children or wives in Belgian after the lights are turn down in the bedrooms. When I saw them at the beginning of the game against Spain singing our national anthem in two languages I was impressed with these guys with sticks!!! It has been a long time ago that I have seen belgian athletes singing it with so much power! Our prime Minister might get the DVD: success guaranteed!! When they keep up the good work for four more years they might play with the big guys! If they last then I am getting tickets for the 2012 Olympics and cheer for them with pompoms!!
5. Vincent Kompany and Mario Aerts: okay first mentioned has quite an attitude and a football player is rather a spoiled athlete! Vincent just made very clear that he regrets the fact that he is forced to go back home after two games in order to play for his home team Hamburg!!! Let us be honest what is more important attending the Olympics or playing local!!!???? Sad to hear that the Belgian officials couldn't reach an agreement and settle it for once and for all. The Hamburg football officials seemed to have more power. Vincent showed once more that the Olympics get under your skin!!
And I bet that Mario Aerts agrees with him. This cyclist who came in fifth confessed that he first doubted that the Olympics could add some to his life. It was again an australian, Cadel Evans, who made him see that the Olympics have that extra touch you are after in your carreer!! He now wants to become an even better athlete in the future and win a ride or two in the next Tour the France!!
6. The silver and bronze medal winners of the 10m air Pistol shooting event: It is said more then once these last years that politics and sports mingle at the Olympics. Well when you have seen the statement the Gregorian Salukvadze Nino and the Russian Paderina Natalia made when they got their medals was rather the opposite message! While the Russion troops were heading for Gregoria they made very clear to the world that it wouldn't affect their friendship and their sportsmanship. The two of them might be able to handle a gun very well but they only use it in a shooting alley!! Way to go girls, this is for sure real girl power!!!
I hope that the next few days will bring some more heroes. There are ofcourse also loosers. Belgium was so close to winning twice a bronze medal but I guess that this year we will have to settle for top 10. At least this year more athletes will have gotten into top 10 then the previous Olympics but one medal would make my Olympics sky a bit more brighter!!!
1. The synchronised divers in the Water Cube: just amazing to look at. While broadcasting it there should some words of caution in the corner to warn us not to try this out in your local swimming pool! Chen and Wang, Lin and Hua won the gold medals for China. But it was a little lad from about 150cm and 47 kilos who caught my attention. Tom Daly of Great Britain is only 14 and he dares to make circus jumps from that terrifying looking tower! His partner and he came in last but I am sure that when the Olympics take place in London (2012) he will stand on the highest podium as well!
2. Michael Phelps: okay he is a bit too much too handle but god can he swim. Appearently he has the perfect body to break all the records. The Baltimore Bullet wants to get it all. He wants to make sure he gets to Olympia for sure this time. And in order to make sure this dream will become true his first three golden tokens he has won along with a world record! I just wonder one thing what will this Bullet do when he has made it? Diving into a black hole perhaps! So perhaps settling for seven isn't that bad. London will welcome you with open arms!
3. The Chinese volunteers: the show must go on!! The opening show was just breathtaking!!! I have missed most of it due to a trip to a science museum with my son. But all the people I have spoken to agreed that it was a great show. My mother her favourite seqeunce: the computer. She pointed out that the Chinese must be brave people because if one had made one small mistake it would have been noticed by all. 'And you can be sure there was an official keeping an eye on them the whole time!', were her words. They also are the ones that are 'kindly' asked to fill in empty seats at certain events! So an extra round of applause for these people who make sure that there are enough fans to attend! But it was such a fun sight to see identical dressed ladies along the road cheering for the women cyclists! Perhaps they should have some extra clothes for these kind of jobs!
4. The Belgian Hockey team: they will not win a medal but they are true amateur players and god can they play for honor!! Their coach is an australian who made sure that these guys know why they are on Beijing soil. He made them sign a contract while they are living together in Olympic village. They have to take in consideration some rules of good conduct to make sure they stay focused. So they can't call to their children or wives in Belgian after the lights are turn down in the bedrooms. When I saw them at the beginning of the game against Spain singing our national anthem in two languages I was impressed with these guys with sticks!!! It has been a long time ago that I have seen belgian athletes singing it with so much power! Our prime Minister might get the DVD: success guaranteed!! When they keep up the good work for four more years they might play with the big guys! If they last then I am getting tickets for the 2012 Olympics and cheer for them with pompoms!!
5. Vincent Kompany and Mario Aerts: okay first mentioned has quite an attitude and a football player is rather a spoiled athlete! Vincent just made very clear that he regrets the fact that he is forced to go back home after two games in order to play for his home team Hamburg!!! Let us be honest what is more important attending the Olympics or playing local!!!???? Sad to hear that the Belgian officials couldn't reach an agreement and settle it for once and for all. The Hamburg football officials seemed to have more power. Vincent showed once more that the Olympics get under your skin!!
And I bet that Mario Aerts agrees with him. This cyclist who came in fifth confessed that he first doubted that the Olympics could add some to his life. It was again an australian, Cadel Evans, who made him see that the Olympics have that extra touch you are after in your carreer!! He now wants to become an even better athlete in the future and win a ride or two in the next Tour the France!!
6. The silver and bronze medal winners of the 10m air Pistol shooting event: It is said more then once these last years that politics and sports mingle at the Olympics. Well when you have seen the statement the Gregorian Salukvadze Nino and the Russian Paderina Natalia made when they got their medals was rather the opposite message! While the Russion troops were heading for Gregoria they made very clear to the world that it wouldn't affect their friendship and their sportsmanship. The two of them might be able to handle a gun very well but they only use it in a shooting alley!! Way to go girls, this is for sure real girl power!!!
I hope that the next few days will bring some more heroes. There are ofcourse also loosers. Belgium was so close to winning twice a bronze medal but I guess that this year we will have to settle for top 10. At least this year more athletes will have gotten into top 10 then the previous Olympics but one medal would make my Olympics sky a bit more brighter!!!
donderdag 7 augustus 2008
WallEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
P and I had made a mental list of the things we wanted to for and with A this summer. Well due to the oh so typical weather more then half of this list will stay fiction but we try very hard. So after P watched the weather forecast for this week we planned to go to the cinema! A is four now and has never been to a real movie theater before! We have got a surround system and so A can watch his favourite DVDs with lots of sound effects. I must admit that after watching 'Cars' for more then 100 times I am getting sound defects. There have been moments that I thaught that those cars were racing through my kitchen.
A also loves to copy cat a movie. So half through he start to act out the storyline by using all his toys. When the words: 'THE END' pop up on the screen our living room is turned into a real film set with costumes and props scattered all over the place. A thinks he is running for an oscar but it is me who ends up cleaning up the set. The prospect of still having a clean and safe to enter living room seemed rather nice!
We booked seats ahead and drove with one blind passenger on board to the place of action. A wasn't impressed with the enterance. 'Here is nothing to do for me', he said. Only when he saw a big commercial poster of "Walle', he got a bit more upbeat. He ran up all the stairs and then decided that he wanted to know what was behind those big doors blocking his way!
Surprise: lots of seats and a big screen! Once he was seated and checked out this place closely. 'I want something to eat! Can I have a drink, pleeeeeease!!!!!?', were soon to be heard. Well I ended up in front of a snack counter with a yelling four year old; 'Mum, come and see what I want!', while pointing at a special kidpackage containing a small popcorn and an action cup of Walle filled with a softdrink of his/her own choice!!! I was not going to get caught this time. But the dad next to me bought one for his son. But then I had the impression he was after the cup himself! A ended up with a bottle of still water (with a straw as compensation) and a small popcorn.
After the trailers and the commercials we were treated on a new short story of Pixar. A had by then already asked for a million times when Walle was going to come. Also the other kids started to wonder when they would stop with those stupid car commercials and shampoo ads. But then there he was: WALLEEEE! And he is so cute with his big black eyes! And he is so good at his job: picking up and recycling trash! Rather a modern man!
A hated it when the words 'Break' showed up on the screen. He almost started to cry. We tried to explain to him that all these kids had to get the chance to go to the loo. So he ran off and wanted to check this out for himself. I convinced him that this might be right time to go. We ended up in a small cubicle and he kept on talking about the movie and what was going to happen next. The result was that A left half of his pee next to the toilet. I ended up next to it with half of the toiletpaper.
I won't tell too much about the movie itself but A seemed to be waiting to meet all the friends of Walle. He must have seen a trailer or an article somewhere because I seemed to think there were not going to be any friends beside the white egglike girlfriend. 'Mum, Walle has got a long friend and small ones! When are they coming?' 'Shhhht! They will come soon!' And yes there were some other robots that were rather friendly to the small trashy robot and yes there is one who is rather tall!
By now A was a bit in need for some action and started to act out the movie. His waterbottle changed into a rocket and he started to imitate the sounds these robots make. I was shrinking by the minute. Ready to go undercover because all the other kids were so quiet and mine was talking out loud! I was rather a relieved mum when the words 'The End' came up.
A is now in bed and dreaming of robots, recycling, sun energy, space ships, stars and planets. I bet that starting tomorrow he will have an other movie that he can imitate. Will have to be careful when I enter the set! Many unidentified flying objects and so. I just wonder what I will be in it. I have a preference but I bet I will be the long friend of the cute little robot. P might end up being the cleaning robot but that is part that suits him well. In the end he is my favourite action hero and I hope that I am his true Eve!
Want to check out more in order to convince others to go this movie: www.disney.co.uk/DisneyMovies/Walle
A also loves to copy cat a movie. So half through he start to act out the storyline by using all his toys. When the words: 'THE END' pop up on the screen our living room is turned into a real film set with costumes and props scattered all over the place. A thinks he is running for an oscar but it is me who ends up cleaning up the set. The prospect of still having a clean and safe to enter living room seemed rather nice!
We booked seats ahead and drove with one blind passenger on board to the place of action. A wasn't impressed with the enterance. 'Here is nothing to do for me', he said. Only when he saw a big commercial poster of "Walle', he got a bit more upbeat. He ran up all the stairs and then decided that he wanted to know what was behind those big doors blocking his way!
Surprise: lots of seats and a big screen! Once he was seated and checked out this place closely. 'I want something to eat! Can I have a drink, pleeeeeease!!!!!?', were soon to be heard. Well I ended up in front of a snack counter with a yelling four year old; 'Mum, come and see what I want!', while pointing at a special kidpackage containing a small popcorn and an action cup of Walle filled with a softdrink of his/her own choice!!! I was not going to get caught this time. But the dad next to me bought one for his son. But then I had the impression he was after the cup himself! A ended up with a bottle of still water (with a straw as compensation) and a small popcorn.
After the trailers and the commercials we were treated on a new short story of Pixar. A had by then already asked for a million times when Walle was going to come. Also the other kids started to wonder when they would stop with those stupid car commercials and shampoo ads. But then there he was: WALLEEEE! And he is so cute with his big black eyes! And he is so good at his job: picking up and recycling trash! Rather a modern man!
A hated it when the words 'Break' showed up on the screen. He almost started to cry. We tried to explain to him that all these kids had to get the chance to go to the loo. So he ran off and wanted to check this out for himself. I convinced him that this might be right time to go. We ended up in a small cubicle and he kept on talking about the movie and what was going to happen next. The result was that A left half of his pee next to the toilet. I ended up next to it with half of the toiletpaper.
I won't tell too much about the movie itself but A seemed to be waiting to meet all the friends of Walle. He must have seen a trailer or an article somewhere because I seemed to think there were not going to be any friends beside the white egglike girlfriend. 'Mum, Walle has got a long friend and small ones! When are they coming?' 'Shhhht! They will come soon!' And yes there were some other robots that were rather friendly to the small trashy robot and yes there is one who is rather tall!
By now A was a bit in need for some action and started to act out the movie. His waterbottle changed into a rocket and he started to imitate the sounds these robots make. I was shrinking by the minute. Ready to go undercover because all the other kids were so quiet and mine was talking out loud! I was rather a relieved mum when the words 'The End' came up.
A is now in bed and dreaming of robots, recycling, sun energy, space ships, stars and planets. I bet that starting tomorrow he will have an other movie that he can imitate. Will have to be careful when I enter the set! Many unidentified flying objects and so. I just wonder what I will be in it. I have a preference but I bet I will be the long friend of the cute little robot. P might end up being the cleaning robot but that is part that suits him well. In the end he is my favourite action hero and I hope that I am his true Eve!
Want to check out more in order to convince others to go this movie: www.disney.co.uk/DisneyMovies/Walle
woensdag 6 augustus 2008
Kitchenmemories from Santenay
Written in memory of my very nice holiday!!!
When you ask people how their holiday what most of them will mention the food they had. Well right they are. Food can leave a long after taste and those memories can laste for life time! So while being in Santenay my fellow travel companions and I created some tasty memories.
I wasn't staying in a hotel but I was a guest in the holiday house of one my collegues. Her father who is a very good cook was our host. P is a very nice guy who ended up buying a house in a small and quiet wine village called Santenay. If you would ever end up there and walk through this sleepy village: it is a pink house with numerous flowerpots on the balconies. It looks like one of these houses you come across while flipping the pages of glozzy travel magazines. Behind those walls there is quite a paradise hidden and the kitchen is for sure a place where you want to spend part of your free time.
Most of my travelcompanions already had a kitchen reputation and so I felt quite nervous of performing in there. Kitchen highlights that landed on our plate to end up in our stomachs were: home made lasagna (W two tumbs up for that taste experience), spaghetti (T his tomato sauce was very tasty), Paëlla (the master chef of the house P his dish was approved by his three year old godchild, son of a local cook!!!), white Sangria (A, you got us in the right mood with that drink), homemade vegetable salads (the one made in the oven turned out to be quite a hit in combination with chicken), macaroni and cheese (3 different ones and the one with bacon got the highest marks), Pana Cotta (A and I managed to impress the local cook with this dessert!), and last but not least our last supper: poulet de Bresse (devine chicken!! prepared by our host) with French Fries (once I don't mind calling them French) and a passionate triffle (A and I managed to get very juicy passionfruits)!
Like you can read the calories have found their way to our tastebuds! We also ended up one night in the favourite family restaurant where we were treated with Burgundy's delicacies. I ended up with froglegs!!! The garlic butter turned it into one of these dishes that can abduct you to holiday heaven. A, one of our harder to please kitchen princesses had a wonderful time with the fish she had chosen. Most of us went fruity with sorbet for dessert! W decided to go very chique and had profiteroles! We all were in food heaven!
In order to get back in shape we ran home. We even didn't need a flashlight to show us the right track. Lightning was our beacon and God, were we happy to be back in time. Once we opened the door of DL Residency heaven decided to treat us on a spectacular light and sound show.
Worth to mention as well was our Fresco dinner at one of the family friends. He got that one dream kitchen you want desperatedly. Out of his professional oven came superb spiced chicken. And having tarte tatin for dessert was as well quite nice. I am not going to mention the swimbad that was close by. It just added some extra class to the dishes. After dinner some of us went for a final dive.
Cooking and eating in Santenay was quite a nice experience. I went home with some new kitchen secrets. I can go on for hours about this subject. But like we all know once you are home all these dishes become less apealing because you have to prepare in your boring kitchen. The Englsh have the saying:'No kitchen is big enough to hold two women'. Turns out that when you are travelling you even can stand tons of people in that room!! Miss that place!!
When you ask people how their holiday what most of them will mention the food they had. Well right they are. Food can leave a long after taste and those memories can laste for life time! So while being in Santenay my fellow travel companions and I created some tasty memories.
I wasn't staying in a hotel but I was a guest in the holiday house of one my collegues. Her father who is a very good cook was our host. P is a very nice guy who ended up buying a house in a small and quiet wine village called Santenay. If you would ever end up there and walk through this sleepy village: it is a pink house with numerous flowerpots on the balconies. It looks like one of these houses you come across while flipping the pages of glozzy travel magazines. Behind those walls there is quite a paradise hidden and the kitchen is for sure a place where you want to spend part of your free time.
Most of my travelcompanions already had a kitchen reputation and so I felt quite nervous of performing in there. Kitchen highlights that landed on our plate to end up in our stomachs were: home made lasagna (W two tumbs up for that taste experience), spaghetti (T his tomato sauce was very tasty), Paëlla (the master chef of the house P his dish was approved by his three year old godchild, son of a local cook!!!), white Sangria (A, you got us in the right mood with that drink), homemade vegetable salads (the one made in the oven turned out to be quite a hit in combination with chicken), macaroni and cheese (3 different ones and the one with bacon got the highest marks), Pana Cotta (A and I managed to impress the local cook with this dessert!), and last but not least our last supper: poulet de Bresse (devine chicken!! prepared by our host) with French Fries (once I don't mind calling them French) and a passionate triffle (A and I managed to get very juicy passionfruits)!
Like you can read the calories have found their way to our tastebuds! We also ended up one night in the favourite family restaurant where we were treated with Burgundy's delicacies. I ended up with froglegs!!! The garlic butter turned it into one of these dishes that can abduct you to holiday heaven. A, one of our harder to please kitchen princesses had a wonderful time with the fish she had chosen. Most of us went fruity with sorbet for dessert! W decided to go very chique and had profiteroles! We all were in food heaven!
In order to get back in shape we ran home. We even didn't need a flashlight to show us the right track. Lightning was our beacon and God, were we happy to be back in time. Once we opened the door of DL Residency heaven decided to treat us on a spectacular light and sound show.
Worth to mention as well was our Fresco dinner at one of the family friends. He got that one dream kitchen you want desperatedly. Out of his professional oven came superb spiced chicken. And having tarte tatin for dessert was as well quite nice. I am not going to mention the swimbad that was close by. It just added some extra class to the dishes. After dinner some of us went for a final dive.
Cooking and eating in Santenay was quite a nice experience. I went home with some new kitchen secrets. I can go on for hours about this subject. But like we all know once you are home all these dishes become less apealing because you have to prepare in your boring kitchen. The Englsh have the saying:'No kitchen is big enough to hold two women'. Turns out that when you are travelling you even can stand tons of people in that room!! Miss that place!!
The best medival hospital of the world!
Written after a museum visit to the Hospices de Beaune during my holiday in France!
One of the rather less nice things while travelling is getting sick. But sometimes I just gets to you. Sour throats, sunburn, migraines, toothaches, sun allergies, coughing, upset stomachs and constipation are some the things that made us visit the local pharmacy. Very helpful people who send us home with small plastic bags filled up with pills, drops, creams, lotions, syrops and gels. Day by day our house was starting to look like a hospital. It makes you think about what people did in the past when there was no pharmacist or doctor near by!
Well if you were living in the region of Burgundy you were rather lucky. In Beaune there was and still is the ‘hospice’. It is one of the highlights on your trip through the region. For the moment the front is still covered up for restorations. But don’t hesitate to pay the entrance fee because it worth the money!
Thanks to two people (Nicolas Rolin and his beloved wife Guigone de Salins) the inhabitants of Beaune had something nobody else had : a real hospital! I guess we all know what a hospital looks like. I have been to many and have tested out some them. But this is nothing like it! First of all the building itself. If it would be still a working hospital I guess many patients would turn into imaginary ill people. Your house looks like a shed compared to this monument. Oké I bet that the chances you would leave this place alive were rather small. This was the last stop before heading for heaven. All you could hope for was miracle once you ended up in one of their beds. Still this was a four star place compared to many hospices.
The food you got was prepared in very clean kitchen. The stove and sink I would kill for! The copper pots and pans were filled with many dishes that fed the poor and the ill. Hoping they would find the strength to recover of face death! Working in this kitchen was like having a workshop in Marta Stewaert’s kitchen. The best materials and ingredients were used. Many patients had a short moment of recovery when the smells came out of the kitchen!
Walking through the building makes you realize that these people were rather smart. In contrast to many medieval disasters they were the first to treat patients according to the care they really needed. Going into quaratain when needed and making sure that you took care of your hygiene were common treatments in the hospice. Healthy food, clean water, tons of herbs, loving nurses, trained pharmacists and a man in love with his wife made many ill people travelling to Beaune. He had the money and the power to make this place work. I just wonder if he got his hands really on one of these sick people who entered his house.
And there is always money that makes things a bit easier. Even at that time when you had the money you got a nicer and bigger room. Perhaps you were that lucky to get operated on. I am not kidding, they even had a small room where they performed rather complicated operations like trilling into the brain of cutting of hand or leg! Doubt that there was laughing gas or sleeping pills to pass out when lying there! The only thing that they could offer you was a look at one of the divine paintings. All you could do then was pray that you would make it to the end of the procedure!
But it were not just minor artists who were granted exhibition room in the hospice. Rolin made sure that he only got the best for himself and his patients. Proof can be found in the darkest room of the museum. There is hanging a big altar piece depicting the last judgement. It is said to be painted by one of the Flemish masters: Rogier Van der Weyden! Rolin was quite eager to stand model in paintings. Van Eyck also made a painting of him in the company of the holy virgin! While standing in front of that piece of art try to imagine that you were that sick and all you could hope for was granted eternal peace in heaven. Many dying patients used this painting to find the rest they were after so that they could find peace of mind. Palliative care in style so to speak!
By the time I got out of the museum I felt rather thankful. Now I am walking around with sun allergy, a sour throat and pain in the ears but I doubt if that would have been enough to be granted entrance at the time. So I will have to settle for a painkiller or two before going to bed and drinking an extra glass of wine. Now that I mention wine, even the hospice knew the importance of drinking grape juice! Every year Christy's comes to town in order to auction wine for extra funding. And I guess Rolin would feel quite well to know that up till today his spirit is still living on in the modern hospitals of Beaune. So from now on George Clooney and Patrick Duffy you will have to do a bit more then just wearing scrubs!
P.S.: If you want to find out more you can surf to: www.hospices-de-beaune.com
One of the rather less nice things while travelling is getting sick. But sometimes I just gets to you. Sour throats, sunburn, migraines, toothaches, sun allergies, coughing, upset stomachs and constipation are some the things that made us visit the local pharmacy. Very helpful people who send us home with small plastic bags filled up with pills, drops, creams, lotions, syrops and gels. Day by day our house was starting to look like a hospital. It makes you think about what people did in the past when there was no pharmacist or doctor near by!
Well if you were living in the region of Burgundy you were rather lucky. In Beaune there was and still is the ‘hospice’. It is one of the highlights on your trip through the region. For the moment the front is still covered up for restorations. But don’t hesitate to pay the entrance fee because it worth the money!
Thanks to two people (Nicolas Rolin and his beloved wife Guigone de Salins) the inhabitants of Beaune had something nobody else had : a real hospital! I guess we all know what a hospital looks like. I have been to many and have tested out some them. But this is nothing like it! First of all the building itself. If it would be still a working hospital I guess many patients would turn into imaginary ill people. Your house looks like a shed compared to this monument. Oké I bet that the chances you would leave this place alive were rather small. This was the last stop before heading for heaven. All you could hope for was miracle once you ended up in one of their beds. Still this was a four star place compared to many hospices.
The food you got was prepared in very clean kitchen. The stove and sink I would kill for! The copper pots and pans were filled with many dishes that fed the poor and the ill. Hoping they would find the strength to recover of face death! Working in this kitchen was like having a workshop in Marta Stewaert’s kitchen. The best materials and ingredients were used. Many patients had a short moment of recovery when the smells came out of the kitchen!
Walking through the building makes you realize that these people were rather smart. In contrast to many medieval disasters they were the first to treat patients according to the care they really needed. Going into quaratain when needed and making sure that you took care of your hygiene were common treatments in the hospice. Healthy food, clean water, tons of herbs, loving nurses, trained pharmacists and a man in love with his wife made many ill people travelling to Beaune. He had the money and the power to make this place work. I just wonder if he got his hands really on one of these sick people who entered his house.
And there is always money that makes things a bit easier. Even at that time when you had the money you got a nicer and bigger room. Perhaps you were that lucky to get operated on. I am not kidding, they even had a small room where they performed rather complicated operations like trilling into the brain of cutting of hand or leg! Doubt that there was laughing gas or sleeping pills to pass out when lying there! The only thing that they could offer you was a look at one of the divine paintings. All you could do then was pray that you would make it to the end of the procedure!
But it were not just minor artists who were granted exhibition room in the hospice. Rolin made sure that he only got the best for himself and his patients. Proof can be found in the darkest room of the museum. There is hanging a big altar piece depicting the last judgement. It is said to be painted by one of the Flemish masters: Rogier Van der Weyden! Rolin was quite eager to stand model in paintings. Van Eyck also made a painting of him in the company of the holy virgin! While standing in front of that piece of art try to imagine that you were that sick and all you could hope for was granted eternal peace in heaven. Many dying patients used this painting to find the rest they were after so that they could find peace of mind. Palliative care in style so to speak!
By the time I got out of the museum I felt rather thankful. Now I am walking around with sun allergy, a sour throat and pain in the ears but I doubt if that would have been enough to be granted entrance at the time. So I will have to settle for a painkiller or two before going to bed and drinking an extra glass of wine. Now that I mention wine, even the hospice knew the importance of drinking grape juice! Every year Christy's comes to town in order to auction wine for extra funding. And I guess Rolin would feel quite well to know that up till today his spirit is still living on in the modern hospitals of Beaune. So from now on George Clooney and Patrick Duffy you will have to do a bit more then just wearing scrubs!
P.S.: If you want to find out more you can surf to: www.hospices-de-beaune.com
Spider-invasion of Taizé
Sunday, 27 of July (written during my trip in Burgundy)
We had many things on the list to do when being on our break. One that perhaps some might find rather strange, is going to Taizé. It is one one of these spots in France where you go to find yourself and sing out your love for God, the saints, Jezus and the world in general.. In the world of today it seems to be a rather unpopular destination to head for but was I in for a surprise.
We visited that day the local market of Beaune, bought shiny olives and tomatoes, goat cheese, baquets, water melons and melons de Charentes and litters of water. These were the ingredients of our divine picnic. The meal took place in front of a petite chateaux and in the back of vineyard! Once our stomachs were filled we headed for the real thing: the winecellar.
Being in a state of Delirium we headed for Cluny. For me that brings back so many memories. Professor Sneyers, one of my favourite professors ever, called Cluny a true paradise for the Romanic architecture and all what it stood for at that time. I didn’t remember that many pictures of that place but of Clugny I, II and III is not that much is left over. You have to use your imagination to call alive the city Clugny once was.
Here Napoleon passed through and so many stones were recycled to wipe out all the clergical monuments. Well Clugny did a very good job indeed! Most stones you can find in the wall of the city. For some people this might sound rather harsh. The modern architect finds this not such a bad idea. You create open spaces for new creations. The art-historian that I am thinks differently. They did not just tear down buildings but also wiped out a way of life.
Clugny was in medieval times the example many monasteries based their way of life on. A monastery had to be able to be self efficient and at the same time it had to be place for contemplation and soul-searching. So while walking through Clugny you encountered history in very surprising corners.
But revenge is always sweet and because of the sake of Professor Sneyers and my whole course of Romanic Art I left the half of my pineapple juice in a shop on the floor! Eat that Clugny!
Remorse became that part of me and fortunately we were heading next for Taizé. And all Clugny stood for you will find here. Tons of people that are trying to spend time together in a very peaceful place, sing, reflect about their faith, celebrate their love for that drive that makes us go on. I was amazed by the number of people that were in that same spot. It is hard to describe what I saw and felt but is was sure a special experience.
One of my travel companions had a very different experience going on. Toilets are very important while travelling and the experienced traveller knows that you have to be able to stand a bit smell and dirt. I was told by the experienced Taizé-people that going to the smallest room is not that much fun. But we found some rather clean ones at the bar!
Appearently W liked them that much that he was spending quite some time in there. When he finally appeared he was looking pale. ‘I was attacked by a spider in there!’ He even had to sit down and shake off the fear. ‘You know they jump and bite, and so I tried to sit very still!’ W then was so kind to tell us about his anarchaphobic tendency. I guess if we could have looked for a spiritual person in order to help him out. But instead we ended in a field eating (water)melons and sharing horror-stories. Splashing, jumping, biting, creeping and spooky eight legged animals became the main ingredient of our dinner conversations.
W was so kind to share with us his unforgettable spider tale. ‘There was once a spider in my bathroom and one of my guests run out of my bathroom, telling me that a spider was having a sanitary stop. I went in there armed with my flying bat in order to send that beast to the eternal battlefields. Just took one look, aimed and went for the kill. I just like to hit once and hope then that they are dead. Well this one had a very splashing end! My whole body was covered with small bits and pieces of the black enemy! ‘
By the time we were heading for the church I was feeling spiders everywhere creeping down my body! It was then the six of us became part of one common rituals in Taizé: singing out our love and faith! I was the only who hadn’t done this before. When I entered the huge church and sat down on the ground I was soaked up in a spiral of emotions. Of course I have to admit that it was also nice to do what we people of Limburg are so good at: singing. And for once nobody cared if you sang off key!
One of the highlights during the service is the moment of silence. I always thought that you couldn’t make a crowd being silent for more then five seconds. Well, I was wrong. I suddenly was sitting amongst thousands of individuals who were silent for more then 10 minutes. It was there and then that you become part of that what Taizé stand for: trying to find back yourself and letting in all the thoughts and emotions. I even had the impression I was for a few seconds in a trance but then I felt suddenly eight legs crawling down my legs. Over and out all the peace I was looking for that hard.
We managed to get out of the church in time without being attacked and drove content and with peace in our hearts home. Guess what I was dreaming about that night?! And to make the spider-invasion complete there was this Garfield cartoon in the newspaper the next morning! Garfield got kidnapped by spiders! In oder to get rid of the spider tales one of my travel-companions is hoovering spider-webs! Let us hope that the spider knight will prevail!!!
'La Vie en Rose' in Burgundy
Written during my stay in France!!! Sunny memories!!!
Thursday, 24th of July
We had almost forgotten what it was like to have sun all around us. But once we were on the way to live like gods and goddesses in ‘la douce FRANCE’ we saw what we had missed these last three weeks: pure landscapes in the sun. We were ‘on route’ for ten days of joy, delicious food experiences, conquering castles , emptying out their wine cellars, driving scenery and touristic routes, discovering unknown treasures, awing at views to kill with a camera, speaking high school French at the local pharmacy, walking around like a world traveller and acting like one, ……
I could go on for hours what we were heading for but once you land there fiction becomes reality! I can get up now in the morning opening up my window and just have that one feeling that I was after: genuine calmness. Everything looks so much better in the sun and especially when you are looking at a fountain that is producing clear water and in the background you know that the grapes are spending the last month on the hills.
Life moves on and we are privledged to witness the life in Santenay that moves on the seasonal waves to produces these tasty wines that will decorate many tables around the world and will end up in many mouths. But a true wine lover knows that once you have seen, smelled, touched, sensed the country where these grapes have rested, their nostalgic aromas it will be a better wine. Your glass embodies all these cherished memories. The taste that touches your tongue gives that one sparkle you need to feel alive.
Being Bachus in France is being in paradise and feeling just lucky to be alive! My drinking companions seem to have that same drive in life and once I am back home opening up a bottle of Bourgogne wine it will be followed by an explosion of memories that will boast my life for the better. Emotions produced by fruits that are filled up with tons of anti-oxidants, just what the doctor has prescribed! So tonight when I am sitting on the terrace sipping a local red or white wine I will feel healed and in balance!! Santé is for sure one of my most favourite words for the moment!!
Thursday, 24th of July
We had almost forgotten what it was like to have sun all around us. But once we were on the way to live like gods and goddesses in ‘la douce FRANCE’ we saw what we had missed these last three weeks: pure landscapes in the sun. We were ‘on route’ for ten days of joy, delicious food experiences, conquering castles , emptying out their wine cellars, driving scenery and touristic routes, discovering unknown treasures, awing at views to kill with a camera, speaking high school French at the local pharmacy, walking around like a world traveller and acting like one, ……
I could go on for hours what we were heading for but once you land there fiction becomes reality! I can get up now in the morning opening up my window and just have that one feeling that I was after: genuine calmness. Everything looks so much better in the sun and especially when you are looking at a fountain that is producing clear water and in the background you know that the grapes are spending the last month on the hills.
Life moves on and we are privledged to witness the life in Santenay that moves on the seasonal waves to produces these tasty wines that will decorate many tables around the world and will end up in many mouths. But a true wine lover knows that once you have seen, smelled, touched, sensed the country where these grapes have rested, their nostalgic aromas it will be a better wine. Your glass embodies all these cherished memories. The taste that touches your tongue gives that one sparkle you need to feel alive.
Being Bachus in France is being in paradise and feeling just lucky to be alive! My drinking companions seem to have that same drive in life and once I am back home opening up a bottle of Bourgogne wine it will be followed by an explosion of memories that will boast my life for the better. Emotions produced by fruits that are filled up with tons of anti-oxidants, just what the doctor has prescribed! So tonight when I am sitting on the terrace sipping a local red or white wine I will feel healed and in balance!! Santé is for sure one of my most favourite words for the moment!!
Bread and Games in Beijing!
Two more days to go and we are off again for that one of a kind sport event: the Olympic Games in Beijing! I love them. There was a time that I would be glued to my couch to watch as much as possible. Even weightlifting could make me feel rather excited! Archery, swimming, atletics, wrestling, horseriding, sailing, tennis, cycling, judo and many more are for three weeks all my favourite sports. Every four years I become a true Olympic fanatic and try to keep up with all the atletes. A sport in its own!
These last months Olympic fever got rather high. That China got them in the first place is rather a difficult issue. The Chinese people consider it an honor but at the same time they just call it something normal. Organising the Olympics is a symbol of being treated as a grown up. The 1,35 miljard Chinese already were waiting for 100 years to get them! A few years ago the IOC told China that they were unable to organise such a sporting event because of air pollution. And when you look at the pictures of Beijing you know these guys were right to say so!
A few years ago the New York Times described competing in Beijing as following:'Beijing you can compare with an athlete who is trying to get into shape by running on a traidmill but at the same time is eating a double cheeseburger!' Most athletes know that they will have a hard time to breathe or catch a breath of clean air when they enter the Bird's Nest. For the very first time in history many sportive souls will blame the air when they won't win a medal! Or when it is again a Chinese it will be the best excuse ever:'Well, he/she is used to competing in such circumstances!'
To make things even worse many people got Tibet back in the picture. It even caused stress because the Olympic flame was attacked a few times. Even the Daila Lama had to say outloud that he thaught that the Olympics were a very good thing and that this isn't the right place and time to deal with his beloved homeland! For the record try not to find a Chinese Olympic athlete who agrees that Tibet should be independent. Many young Chinese can't think of China without Tibet. It is just one of their rightful provinces they own and this is historical justified!
Finally the big boss of the IOC: Jacques Rogge (Belgian!!!!) is asked to resign! Some human rights organisations think that he didn't deal well with the situation. China and human rights are not succesful combination. Rogge stays very calm and poised when asked why he thinks Beijing is worth the Olympic Games. Sports and politics seem to be entangled very closely. In the end he just says that he still thinks that it will be worth in the end.
China is ready for the games: 'One World One Dream', is the slogan they choose for these games. They will show the rest of the world what they are worth and it will be a lot more then just all the things you have bought with the label: made in China! Many Chinese have been dreaming to compete in this event but only a few will have gotten through. Here they create Olympic heroes when they are four and you can forget it when you are ten and wake up after dreaming of becoming an Olympic athlete! The chosen one are the ones that will give China what it is really after: worldy recognition! They want to be treated as grown ups!
The Olympic stadium is a real architectural pearl and the Water Cube where the swimmers and divers are to perform is so magnificent that you just want to dive in! And to make sure that we were not going to forget these Olympic games the Chinese introduce very proudly not just one mascot but five Fuwa: Beibei (fish), Jingjing(panda), Yingying (Tibetan antelope), Nini ( swallow) and Hucinhuan (the Olympic flame) are the chosen ones to be the olympic embassadors. A friend of mine has them and they are so cute!!! When I get my hands on them my money won't be safe anymore!
The lucky atletes who conquered the air, water, fire, earth of Beijing will be able to take home one of the precious medals. This round piece of precious metal is inspired by 'bi', an ancient jade piece and inscribed with dragon patterns. It stands for nobilty, virtue, ethics and honor. So when you end up on the stage you will be treated like a king or queen! And when you can catch again your breath you will be able to eat the olympic delicacy: roasted 'lucky' duck!
I wonder what Pierre de Coubertin would have thaught about these games. Pierre wanted to make sure that the French got their education system back into shape. These games had to represent four principals: to strive to perfection, represent a moral elite, create a truce and glorify beauty! The aim of this all: make men!!! In case of the Olympic Games of Beijing: one nation will be made bigger then ever. ''Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni." (meaning: Welcome to Beijing!, just add up the five mascots and you can speak Chinese!)
P.S.: Want to know more just surf to: http://en.beijing2008.cn/. And Kim, Oliver, Sven, Tia, Evy, Karin, Ilse, Steven, Tim, Joris, Dirk, Carolijn, Hans, Nathalie, Mathieu, Filip, Kenny, Bob, Kevin, François, Veerle, Iljo, Kristof, Dirk, and the other Belgian Olympic heroes just keep in mind: participating is more important then winning. But then some jade would look nice in your living room!
These last months Olympic fever got rather high. That China got them in the first place is rather a difficult issue. The Chinese people consider it an honor but at the same time they just call it something normal. Organising the Olympics is a symbol of being treated as a grown up. The 1,35 miljard Chinese already were waiting for 100 years to get them! A few years ago the IOC told China that they were unable to organise such a sporting event because of air pollution. And when you look at the pictures of Beijing you know these guys were right to say so!
A few years ago the New York Times described competing in Beijing as following:'Beijing you can compare with an athlete who is trying to get into shape by running on a traidmill but at the same time is eating a double cheeseburger!' Most athletes know that they will have a hard time to breathe or catch a breath of clean air when they enter the Bird's Nest. For the very first time in history many sportive souls will blame the air when they won't win a medal! Or when it is again a Chinese it will be the best excuse ever:'Well, he/she is used to competing in such circumstances!'
To make things even worse many people got Tibet back in the picture. It even caused stress because the Olympic flame was attacked a few times. Even the Daila Lama had to say outloud that he thaught that the Olympics were a very good thing and that this isn't the right place and time to deal with his beloved homeland! For the record try not to find a Chinese Olympic athlete who agrees that Tibet should be independent. Many young Chinese can't think of China without Tibet. It is just one of their rightful provinces they own and this is historical justified!
Finally the big boss of the IOC: Jacques Rogge (Belgian!!!!) is asked to resign! Some human rights organisations think that he didn't deal well with the situation. China and human rights are not succesful combination. Rogge stays very calm and poised when asked why he thinks Beijing is worth the Olympic Games. Sports and politics seem to be entangled very closely. In the end he just says that he still thinks that it will be worth in the end.
China is ready for the games: 'One World One Dream', is the slogan they choose for these games. They will show the rest of the world what they are worth and it will be a lot more then just all the things you have bought with the label: made in China! Many Chinese have been dreaming to compete in this event but only a few will have gotten through. Here they create Olympic heroes when they are four and you can forget it when you are ten and wake up after dreaming of becoming an Olympic athlete! The chosen one are the ones that will give China what it is really after: worldy recognition! They want to be treated as grown ups!
The Olympic stadium is a real architectural pearl and the Water Cube where the swimmers and divers are to perform is so magnificent that you just want to dive in! And to make sure that we were not going to forget these Olympic games the Chinese introduce very proudly not just one mascot but five Fuwa: Beibei (fish), Jingjing(panda), Yingying (Tibetan antelope), Nini ( swallow) and Hucinhuan (the Olympic flame) are the chosen ones to be the olympic embassadors. A friend of mine has them and they are so cute!!! When I get my hands on them my money won't be safe anymore!
The lucky atletes who conquered the air, water, fire, earth of Beijing will be able to take home one of the precious medals. This round piece of precious metal is inspired by 'bi', an ancient jade piece and inscribed with dragon patterns. It stands for nobilty, virtue, ethics and honor. So when you end up on the stage you will be treated like a king or queen! And when you can catch again your breath you will be able to eat the olympic delicacy: roasted 'lucky' duck!
I wonder what Pierre de Coubertin would have thaught about these games. Pierre wanted to make sure that the French got their education system back into shape. These games had to represent four principals: to strive to perfection, represent a moral elite, create a truce and glorify beauty! The aim of this all: make men!!! In case of the Olympic Games of Beijing: one nation will be made bigger then ever. ''Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni." (meaning: Welcome to Beijing!, just add up the five mascots and you can speak Chinese!)
P.S.: Want to know more just surf to: http://en.beijing2008.cn/. And Kim, Oliver, Sven, Tia, Evy, Karin, Ilse, Steven, Tim, Joris, Dirk, Carolijn, Hans, Nathalie, Mathieu, Filip, Kenny, Bob, Kevin, François, Veerle, Iljo, Kristof, Dirk, and the other Belgian Olympic heroes just keep in mind: participating is more important then winning. But then some jade would look nice in your living room!
dinsdag 5 augustus 2008
Feeling blue
I am back and for the moment I feel rather blue. Guess I just have those feelings of trying to get used to having no sunny balcony in the morning! Or a running fountain while trying to fall in sleep and have I mentioned the fresh baquets? My suitcases are empty again, the first souvernirs are handed to their thankful owners, the pictures on my digital camera seem to be made in the distant past, my laundry basket has turned into a monster and some of the other typical symptoms after travelling .
So I am feeling down!!! People who know me well, know then what thaughts start to haunt me then. And cleaning out one of my filing cabinets didn't help at all. I tried to throw out many things that were just garbage and ready to be recycled. And when I came across some of the wedding services I am keeping in order to compose my own wedding service I just crashed. While I was sitting there I felt empty. No real happy thaughts, leave alone a prospect of good tidings to come.
For the record P and I are now for 7 years an item and A is four years old. We have lived for three years in Brussels before moving close to his parents. I promised myself never to have children before taking weddingvows. Well, never say never! I ended up just doing that. Not that I regret that. When I look into the blue-greenish eyes of A I feel very content. But I miss something.
And every year around this time I feel so down. P seems to have still not found the right moment to pop the question. He is so preoccupied with work, staying into shape and trying to get where he wants and that is up! Me I feel a bit left out and seem to have to be very patient. I know that people around me think that I will never marry or that I just give up. Many have stopped asking when the big day will take place. When P is asked he will never give a straight forward answer! It hurts!
I still believe that one day it will be me and that I can get all these booklets out of my filing cabinet and use them for real. For now all I can do is hope and wait! I also know that in a few days time I will feel better. What helps is getting some laundry done and I have decided to get some fries at my favourite 'frituur'. Comfortfood will do the trick and then I am ready to attack the laundry monster as well! For now I will have to settle for a Bacardi cola and a good book! Just keep your fingers crossed that P will keep his promise! Sorry for the cramps causing this!
P.S.: In a few days time my French travel journal will be published! I had no access what so ever to internet.
So I am feeling down!!! People who know me well, know then what thaughts start to haunt me then. And cleaning out one of my filing cabinets didn't help at all. I tried to throw out many things that were just garbage and ready to be recycled. And when I came across some of the wedding services I am keeping in order to compose my own wedding service I just crashed. While I was sitting there I felt empty. No real happy thaughts, leave alone a prospect of good tidings to come.
For the record P and I are now for 7 years an item and A is four years old. We have lived for three years in Brussels before moving close to his parents. I promised myself never to have children before taking weddingvows. Well, never say never! I ended up just doing that. Not that I regret that. When I look into the blue-greenish eyes of A I feel very content. But I miss something.
And every year around this time I feel so down. P seems to have still not found the right moment to pop the question. He is so preoccupied with work, staying into shape and trying to get where he wants and that is up! Me I feel a bit left out and seem to have to be very patient. I know that people around me think that I will never marry or that I just give up. Many have stopped asking when the big day will take place. When P is asked he will never give a straight forward answer! It hurts!
I still believe that one day it will be me and that I can get all these booklets out of my filing cabinet and use them for real. For now all I can do is hope and wait! I also know that in a few days time I will feel better. What helps is getting some laundry done and I have decided to get some fries at my favourite 'frituur'. Comfortfood will do the trick and then I am ready to attack the laundry monster as well! For now I will have to settle for a Bacardi cola and a good book! Just keep your fingers crossed that P will keep his promise! Sorry for the cramps causing this!
P.S.: In a few days time my French travel journal will be published! I had no access what so ever to internet.
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