My grandmother died today.
Just as I thought 2007 couldn't get any worse. It did.
My sister and I were lucky enough to be able to get a last minute flight back to Brussels on Thursday to visit her in hospital. She was taken in suffering from a pulmonary embolism after becoming so weak she couldn't get out of bed.
Listening to the doc telling us how she was doing and then seeing her having to struggle for each breath, made my own memories come flooding back.
I don't tend to think of summer 2003 that much, all I remember is the loneliness. Despite being surrounded by people, I had never felt more alone.
She didn't seem to feel like that, and while being totally exhausted, we managed to talk to her, tell her that we loved her, and say goodbye. It was a rough day, but after having hesitated to go back for just the day, I will be eternally grateful that I did.
I spent hours last night, going through some of the memories I have of her.
I found myself back on the Belgian coast where we used to spend our Easter holidays as kids. It was always so bloody cold and windy, but we would love sitting in the wind, running on the beach and taking our first trips to Meli park which gave me the love I now have for roller coasters.
But her greatest achievement at La Panne was taking my brother and I to see the Fly. I was 11. And it has scared the bejeezus out of me ever since. I remember being taken to see Rambo: First blood part II a year earlier as well. Cool grandmother or what !!!
Or every Tuesday after school when I would take the bus to cross town to spend the night with her and my grandad. She taught me French grammar... well as much as she could cos I was real shite at it. I did this for the first two years I was in Belgium to avoid having to resit a year due to my weaknesses in French.
I remembering her help me out with my book list in my final year. She read a couple for me and made up the best little summaries describing the characters, the intrigues - both hidden and obvious - and cross referencing a plenty. I aced my exam and I remember those books better than the ones I had actually read myself.
Merci pour ta patience, pour ton soutien, pour les sorties théâtres, pour les bols de yahourts à la cassonade, pour les petites histoires avant de s'en dormir et enfin, pour nos petits déjeuners à deux devant la grande fênêtre de la cuisine.
Tu vas me manquer. Je t'aime.
Saturday 29 December 2007
Monday 24 December 2007
Merry Xmas
Well, here I am on xmas eve, and for the second year running, I'm spending it in Bristol.
It has been a totally bizarre and yet very normal day.
We started off the day with a huge cup of coffee and a chocolate m==-oi-p (muffin was the word I was writing, however, Takanna had other ideas) in the local Cafe Nero.
Followed by a massive amount of visa usage and yet another purchase of slightly small winter coat. Let's leave it at that shall we.
A quick trip to Sainsbury's for some last little additions to the HUGE amount of food already in the fridge to be consumed tomorrow and the afternoon was done.
So, tonight, I am sitting in my sister's living room, watching Captain Jack Sparrow after having just finished a kebab. What traditional way to spend xmas eve. I love it.
We had planned to go and see if the Bristolians had once again won the award for most electricity spent on lighting up a house for Christmas but a greedy dog ambushed our plans by eating an entire xmas pudding. This is a problem because it turns out that raisins are highly toxic for dogs.
So, finally ending my blogstipation, I'm sat here thinking about who is currently doing what on their respective xmas eves... and while for some, it has been over for almost 10hours already, others in the East haven't even started.
Whatever you are doing tonight and tomorrow, Enjoy!!!!
It has been a totally bizarre and yet very normal day.
We started off the day with a huge cup of coffee and a chocolate m==-oi-p (muffin was the word I was writing, however, Takanna had other ideas) in the local Cafe Nero.
Followed by a massive amount of visa usage and yet another purchase of slightly small winter coat. Let's leave it at that shall we.
A quick trip to Sainsbury's for some last little additions to the HUGE amount of food already in the fridge to be consumed tomorrow and the afternoon was done.
So, tonight, I am sitting in my sister's living room, watching Captain Jack Sparrow after having just finished a kebab. What traditional way to spend xmas eve. I love it.
We had planned to go and see if the Bristolians had once again won the award for most electricity spent on lighting up a house for Christmas but a greedy dog ambushed our plans by eating an entire xmas pudding. This is a problem because it turns out that raisins are highly toxic for dogs.
So, finally ending my blogstipation, I'm sat here thinking about who is currently doing what on their respective xmas eves... and while for some, it has been over for almost 10hours already, others in the East haven't even started.
Whatever you are doing tonight and tomorrow, Enjoy!!!!
Saturday 24 November 2007
Monday 19 November 2007
Bande de cons!
ok so someone took the time to transcribe the piece I was trying to post last time....
Bande de cons !
pas vous, cher public !
Les autres, les formateurs, informateurs, explorateurs, chefs de groupe, présidents de partis flamands, présidents de partis francophones, second couteau, troisième couteau, de gauche, de droite, les cathos, les écolos, les franc-maçons, les libéraux...
Bande de cons de Flandre
Bande de cons de Bruxelles
Bande de cons de Wallonie.
D'abord à tous ceux qui croient avoir gagné les élections d'il y a 5 mois.
A tous ceux qui avaient un grand sourire.
A tous ceux qui avaient les bras en l'air.
Le temps est venu de vous avouer quelque chose :
Les gens n'ont pas voté pour vous parce qu'ils vous aimaient.
Les gens ont voté pour vous parce qu'ils étaient obligés.
A la veille du onze juin, dans les rues, les maisons, les bureaux, les gens hochaient la tête et se demandaient vraiment qui ils allaient pouvoir choisir dans parmi ce catalogue de nuls, de klettes, de nouilles,
d'opportunistes agressifs,
de carriéristes sans charisme,
de mal fringués,
de gros types à l'élocution problématique,
de petits nerveux en pleine tendinite de l'égo,
de semi-hystériques,
de semi-mafieux,
de cyniques,
de je-m'en-foutistes,
de ratés de tout le reste,
de fils à papa,
d'experts comptables en décrochage professionel
d'entrepreneurs en faillite frauduleuse,
de sinistres,
de pas lavés,
de faux gentils
de vrais méchants...
Les Leterme, De Krem, Reynders, Milquet, Michel, De Wever, Maingain, Wattelet, Bacquelaine...
Cette morbide collection de névrosés qui nous gouvernent avec leurs troubles anxieux, leurs troubles dissociatifs, leurs troubles psychosexuels, leur troubles obsessionnels compulsifs.
Et en plus, ils sont tous... Si moches...
Cette élection, à tout le monde, ça a un peu fait l'impression d'un de ces mariages forcés que l'on organise dans des pays très loin d'ici. C'est comme si on avait été une jeune fille devant choisir entre le vieux marchand qui pète au lit où l'arrière-cousin qui ne se brosse pas les dents.
Bande de cons
Vous n'avez rien gagné du tout.
Si c'était possible, on reprendrait nos voix et on ne les donnerait qu'après les négociations, à ceux qui aurait su être un peu intelligents
un peu sobres
un peu humains
Mais non, donné c'est donné, reprendre c'est voler.
Vous aviez un chouette petit pays,
pas très grand mais bien équipé
de voisins plutôt sympas,
bien situé
avec la mer,
avec la forêt
avec pas trop de charges
Vous aviez une chouette petite population,
pas parfaite parfaite
Mais en gros, ce n'était pas des Talibans non plus,
c'était pas des Contras
c'était pas des Tigres Tamouls
Une petite population de fabricants de pralines
de marchands de kayaks,
de chanteurs à texte
de comiques parfois drôles
de stylistes un peu punks
de postiers plutôt polis
de sportifs en mini-jupe
de flics à moustaches
des tas de gens prêts à travailler plus, à gagner toujours moins, et à ne pas dire grand chose
Une petite population qui mélange le goût des mandarines à celui des spéculoos.
Une petite population qui n'a rien contre l'Eurovision ni les horodateurs.
Une petite population qui rend visite à ses grand-parents le dimanche pour boire un café après le chicon gratin
Une petite population de buveurs de bière et de joueurs de kicker.
Une petite population qui emmène ses enfants à Plankendael au printemps et à Paradisio en hiver....
Comme ça, sans ennuyer le monde,
en VW Touran
Une petite population prévoyante qui a quelques Euros sur un compte d'épargne
et une concession au cimetière.
Une petite population qui est plutôt toujours d'accord
et, en gros, une petite population qui ne veut pas d'histoires.
Et vous,
bande de cons,
tout ce que vous trouvez à faire,
ce sont ces petites réunions où l'on tourne encore plus en rond que sur un circuit Marklin.
ce sont ces petits comités aussi stériles qu'un champ de patates à Tchernobyl
ce sont ces petites réactions à chaud qui me rappellent les crises de mon chat quand il n'aime pas la marque de ses croquettes
ce sont ces airs de petits tribuns en solde
ce sont ces grands chevaux sur lesquels vous montez et qui seront toujours comme ces petits poneys tristes de la foire du Midi.
Tout ce que vous trouvez à faire, c'est de vous tirer dans les pattes pour gagner une floche qui vous donnera droit à un tour gratuit sur ce manège sinistre que vous appelez "politique"
Bande de nuls!
Alors moi,
J'ai eu une idée,
une grève,
une vraie grève,
une bonne grève
une grève de tout le monde tant que la politique belge ressemblera à une conserve de rollemops:
Les enfants n'iront plus à l'école
Les femmes enceintes n'accoucheront pas
Les déménageurs ne déménageront pas.
Navetteurs, ne navettez plus
Alcooliques, n'alcoolisez plus
Chauffeurs, ne chauffez plus
Pilotes, mécaniciens, traiteurs, bouchers, pêcheurs, éboueurs, esthéticiennes, taxidermistes, stripteaseuses, scaphandriers, géomètres experts, fleuristes, tradeurs, opticiens, huissiers, substituts, gourous, préfèts, trésoriers, banquiers, infographistes, ajusteurs, analystes programmeurs, techniciens hotline, proxénètes, dealeurs, animateurs, orthodontistes, urologues,
animateurs socioculturels, fossoyeusr...
Et tous les autres....
Total Stand By
On arrête tout..
Et vous verrez que dans trois jours,
il feront moins les malins.
Thomas Gunzig (écrivain belge)
Bande de cons !
pas vous, cher public !
Les autres, les formateurs, informateurs, explorateurs, chefs de groupe, présidents de partis flamands, présidents de partis francophones, second couteau, troisième couteau, de gauche, de droite, les cathos, les écolos, les franc-maçons, les libéraux...
Bande de cons de Flandre
Bande de cons de Bruxelles
Bande de cons de Wallonie.
D'abord à tous ceux qui croient avoir gagné les élections d'il y a 5 mois.
A tous ceux qui avaient un grand sourire.
A tous ceux qui avaient les bras en l'air.
Le temps est venu de vous avouer quelque chose :
Les gens n'ont pas voté pour vous parce qu'ils vous aimaient.
Les gens ont voté pour vous parce qu'ils étaient obligés.
A la veille du onze juin, dans les rues, les maisons, les bureaux, les gens hochaient la tête et se demandaient vraiment qui ils allaient pouvoir choisir dans parmi ce catalogue de nuls, de klettes, de nouilles,
d'opportunistes agressifs,
de carriéristes sans charisme,
de mal fringués,
de gros types à l'élocution problématique,
de petits nerveux en pleine tendinite de l'égo,
de semi-hystériques,
de semi-mafieux,
de cyniques,
de je-m'en-foutistes,
de ratés de tout le reste,
de fils à papa,
d'experts comptables en décrochage professionel
d'entrepreneurs en faillite frauduleuse,
de sinistres,
de pas lavés,
de faux gentils
de vrais méchants...
Les Leterme, De Krem, Reynders, Milquet, Michel, De Wever, Maingain, Wattelet, Bacquelaine...
Cette morbide collection de névrosés qui nous gouvernent avec leurs troubles anxieux, leurs troubles dissociatifs, leurs troubles psychosexuels, leur troubles obsessionnels compulsifs.
Et en plus, ils sont tous... Si moches...
Cette élection, à tout le monde, ça a un peu fait l'impression d'un de ces mariages forcés que l'on organise dans des pays très loin d'ici. C'est comme si on avait été une jeune fille devant choisir entre le vieux marchand qui pète au lit où l'arrière-cousin qui ne se brosse pas les dents.
Bande de cons
Vous n'avez rien gagné du tout.
Si c'était possible, on reprendrait nos voix et on ne les donnerait qu'après les négociations, à ceux qui aurait su être un peu intelligents
un peu sobres
un peu humains
Mais non, donné c'est donné, reprendre c'est voler.
Vous aviez un chouette petit pays,
pas très grand mais bien équipé
de voisins plutôt sympas,
bien situé
avec la mer,
avec la forêt
avec pas trop de charges
Vous aviez une chouette petite population,
pas parfaite parfaite
Mais en gros, ce n'était pas des Talibans non plus,
c'était pas des Contras
c'était pas des Tigres Tamouls
Une petite population de fabricants de pralines
de marchands de kayaks,
de chanteurs à texte
de comiques parfois drôles
de stylistes un peu punks
de postiers plutôt polis
de sportifs en mini-jupe
de flics à moustaches
des tas de gens prêts à travailler plus, à gagner toujours moins, et à ne pas dire grand chose
Une petite population qui mélange le goût des mandarines à celui des spéculoos.
Une petite population qui n'a rien contre l'Eurovision ni les horodateurs.
Une petite population qui rend visite à ses grand-parents le dimanche pour boire un café après le chicon gratin
Une petite population de buveurs de bière et de joueurs de kicker.
Une petite population qui emmène ses enfants à Plankendael au printemps et à Paradisio en hiver....
Comme ça, sans ennuyer le monde,
en VW Touran
Une petite population prévoyante qui a quelques Euros sur un compte d'épargne
et une concession au cimetière.
Une petite population qui est plutôt toujours d'accord
et, en gros, une petite population qui ne veut pas d'histoires.
Et vous,
bande de cons,
tout ce que vous trouvez à faire,
ce sont ces petites réunions où l'on tourne encore plus en rond que sur un circuit Marklin.
ce sont ces petits comités aussi stériles qu'un champ de patates à Tchernobyl
ce sont ces petites réactions à chaud qui me rappellent les crises de mon chat quand il n'aime pas la marque de ses croquettes
ce sont ces airs de petits tribuns en solde
ce sont ces grands chevaux sur lesquels vous montez et qui seront toujours comme ces petits poneys tristes de la foire du Midi.
Tout ce que vous trouvez à faire, c'est de vous tirer dans les pattes pour gagner une floche qui vous donnera droit à un tour gratuit sur ce manège sinistre que vous appelez "politique"
Bande de nuls!
Alors moi,
J'ai eu une idée,
une grève,
une vraie grève,
une bonne grève
une grève de tout le monde tant que la politique belge ressemblera à une conserve de rollemops:
Les enfants n'iront plus à l'école
Les femmes enceintes n'accoucheront pas
Les déménageurs ne déménageront pas.
Navetteurs, ne navettez plus
Alcooliques, n'alcoolisez plus
Chauffeurs, ne chauffez plus
Pilotes, mécaniciens, traiteurs, bouchers, pêcheurs, éboueurs, esthéticiennes, taxidermistes, stripteaseuses, scaphandriers, géomètres experts, fleuristes, tradeurs, opticiens, huissiers, substituts, gourous, préfèts, trésoriers, banquiers, infographistes, ajusteurs, analystes programmeurs, techniciens hotline, proxénètes, dealeurs, animateurs, orthodontistes, urologues,
animateurs socioculturels, fossoyeusr...
Et tous les autres....
Total Stand By
On arrête tout..
Et vous verrez que dans trois jours,
il feront moins les malins.
Thomas Gunzig (écrivain belge)
Thursday 15 November 2007
La fête du Roi
Today, It turns out is "Royal Holiday" day.
As much as I bitch about Belgium at the best of times, us Belgians (because despite appearances, I am one) do know how to turn every which event into a public holiday!!
Quick history lesson:
This holiday has been around since 1866, day of St-Leopold (or St-Albert depending on which calendar you use) and is traditionally celebrated by a Te Deum being sung at one of our most beautiful cathedrals in the center of Brussels. I have read that the King is not usually present but that he was today to mark the 175th Anniversary of the monarchy in Belgium.
(Would you believe I found more info on the RTBF website than I did on the Belgian Monarchy one - check out the family photos!)
It's not a public holiday I will here some of you cry, well it was for me. :)
You see the advantage of working for a company in the private sector that works so closely with the public sector is that they adopt the public sectors holidays. Although it turns out this isn't really a public holiday as all the "fonctionnaires" (civil servants) seem to have been working today. So now I'm totally confused. (And the Flemish extremists definitely didn't get the day off because they stormed the cathedral chanting the end of Belgium.)
So why did I get the day off, and no one else?
(Hey I'm not complaining. A free day in the middle of the week when all the other shops and services are open is just bliss.)
Now I've been trying to figure out who else had the day off and it turns out not many people.
Apart from the German speaking community in Belgium. It is their national day. They apparently chose today as their national holiday to show their support for the king and country.
I think this is why the monarchy is still around in Belgium these days, because it gives us a few extra days a year off. :) )
So today I find myself a bit of a monarchist.
(I spent the day relaxing, shopping, having lunch with friends and getting my car checked out so I can now go back to my off-road driving in complete safety.)
P.S. For the French speakers among you, please listen to this as someone finally had something interesting and funny to say about our ridiculous political crisis (And he has captured the Belgians soo perfectly)
(This is where the audio file would have been but with blogger audio file restrictions and despite Simon's best efforts to help, I was unable to upload the shortened version of it).
So here it is in it's full hour version,
Bande de cons
Source: La Première: La semaine infernale du 11/11/2007
Scroll to 40'45" and listen until 46'00". (Although it opens in a browser and gives you no time bar to scroll with.... aah F*** it. I give up. )
As much as I bitch about Belgium at the best of times, us Belgians (because despite appearances, I am one) do know how to turn every which event into a public holiday!!
Quick history lesson:
This holiday has been around since 1866, day of St-Leopold (or St-Albert depending on which calendar you use) and is traditionally celebrated by a Te Deum being sung at one of our most beautiful cathedrals in the center of Brussels. I have read that the King is not usually present but that he was today to mark the 175th Anniversary of the monarchy in Belgium.
(Would you believe I found more info on the RTBF website than I did on the Belgian Monarchy one - check out the family photos!)
It's not a public holiday I will here some of you cry, well it was for me. :)
You see the advantage of working for a company in the private sector that works so closely with the public sector is that they adopt the public sectors holidays. Although it turns out this isn't really a public holiday as all the "fonctionnaires" (civil servants) seem to have been working today. So now I'm totally confused. (And the Flemish extremists definitely didn't get the day off because they stormed the cathedral chanting the end of Belgium.)
So why did I get the day off, and no one else?
(Hey I'm not complaining. A free day in the middle of the week when all the other shops and services are open is just bliss.)
Now I've been trying to figure out who else had the day off and it turns out not many people.
Apart from the German speaking community in Belgium. It is their national day. They apparently chose today as their national holiday to show their support for the king and country.
I think this is why the monarchy is still around in Belgium these days, because it gives us a few extra days a year off. :) )
So today I find myself a bit of a monarchist.
(I spent the day relaxing, shopping, having lunch with friends and getting my car checked out so I can now go back to my off-road driving in complete safety.)
P.S. For the French speakers among you, please listen to this as someone finally had something interesting and funny to say about our ridiculous political crisis (And he has captured the Belgians soo perfectly)
(This is where the audio file would have been but with blogger audio file restrictions and despite Simon's best efforts to help, I was unable to upload the shortened version of it).
So here it is in it's full hour version,
Bande de cons
Source: La Première: La semaine infernale du 11/11/2007
Scroll to 40'45" and listen until 46'00". (Although it opens in a browser and gives you no time bar to scroll with.... aah F*** it. I give up. )
Sunday 4 November 2007
Change
I tend to rely on parts of my life to keep me sane, to give me the stability I crave so that when change does come in one part of my life, I can retreat into another part and deal.
I am a firm believer that things always work out for the best and that there's good in everything we experience - and to be totally cliché about it, I do think that every cloud has a silver lining!
We all know from experience that change is inevitable. It happens everyday, all around us and it's the very thing that keeps us going, moving forward and living our lives. Nothing ever stays the same for long.
It's not the change itself I fear so much. I'm usually OK with whichever turn I take in life. Once it's happening.
It's more the short time before it when I feel it coming.
But when I am the one deciding that something has to change, I will turn it over and over in my mind. Not because I am doubting my choice or because I'm scared of the outcome (because I know what is right for me and I trust myself to come out on the other side in one piece), but I do it more because it allows me to stall, giving myself that extra bit of time to prepare, hoping that in the near future it will not terrify me so much to go through with whatever it is that I'm about to change.
I remember explaining it once as if you are on the ladder in a swimming pool and you can't quite bring yourself to get in the pool. You know you will get in eventually and enjoy the swim, but for the moment you're quite happy just standing on the ladder.
Except I'm not. I hate this part of the process.
I can't quite explain what it is that I feel, I never have (even after extensive probing by shrinks - oh god, that sounds totally weird). Except maybe to say that I feel sad, nervous and utterly trapped. But as a kid I used to refer to it as my "funny feeling".
I used to get it mostly the night before the start of term, or exams or when my parents were going away. And to this day, I've not found any (legal) way of making it go away once it's there.
I am lucky that as an adult the frequency of this feeling is less and less. And I can almost forget it even exists. And then BAM, it hits me and I'm right back to being a kid again.
I don't quite know where I was going with this post. Probably nowhere. But I'm starting my new job tomorrow and I thought I might try a different approach to stemming the growing sinking feeling in my stomach - writing.
Not working.
So I'll just go to bed, lie there praying Morpheus finds me quickly and trust that all will be well in the morning (as I know it will.)
I am a firm believer that things always work out for the best and that there's good in everything we experience - and to be totally cliché about it, I do think that every cloud has a silver lining!
We all know from experience that change is inevitable. It happens everyday, all around us and it's the very thing that keeps us going, moving forward and living our lives. Nothing ever stays the same for long.
It's not the change itself I fear so much. I'm usually OK with whichever turn I take in life. Once it's happening.
It's more the short time before it when I feel it coming.
But when I am the one deciding that something has to change, I will turn it over and over in my mind. Not because I am doubting my choice or because I'm scared of the outcome (because I know what is right for me and I trust myself to come out on the other side in one piece), but I do it more because it allows me to stall, giving myself that extra bit of time to prepare, hoping that in the near future it will not terrify me so much to go through with whatever it is that I'm about to change.
I remember explaining it once as if you are on the ladder in a swimming pool and you can't quite bring yourself to get in the pool. You know you will get in eventually and enjoy the swim, but for the moment you're quite happy just standing on the ladder.
Except I'm not. I hate this part of the process.
I can't quite explain what it is that I feel, I never have (even after extensive probing by shrinks - oh god, that sounds totally weird). Except maybe to say that I feel sad, nervous and utterly trapped. But as a kid I used to refer to it as my "funny feeling".
I used to get it mostly the night before the start of term, or exams or when my parents were going away. And to this day, I've not found any (legal) way of making it go away once it's there.
I am lucky that as an adult the frequency of this feeling is less and less. And I can almost forget it even exists. And then BAM, it hits me and I'm right back to being a kid again.
I don't quite know where I was going with this post. Probably nowhere. But I'm starting my new job tomorrow and I thought I might try a different approach to stemming the growing sinking feeling in my stomach - writing.
Not working.
So I'll just go to bed, lie there praying Morpheus finds me quickly and trust that all will be well in the morning (as I know it will.)
Thursday 25 October 2007
In the midst of it all
I took some time out from the whole job searching thing last weekend and had a blast.
Much needed, but finally it seems things in that department are starting to move, which is a relief but absolutely terrifying. But that's a whole other subject.
John and Simon were back the bar. I wouldn't have mentioned this again, but this time Liz answered the call and rocked up just as I was making a Mojito. Anyway I won't get into details... I'll just say that one of us was clearly needing a night off and over did it slightly. (And Liz fell off her bar stool ;) )
After a very covert stakeout operation, we ended up one member down on Pitta Street at, I think, about 5am. An hour later, I realised this might have been a mistake.
(The stakeout was us following John home, (Liz on foot and Simon and I in the car) just to make sure he could make it on his own. There was suspiciously slow driving and whispering in the streets of Ixelles in the wee hours of the morning)
Think I got to bed at about 6.30. Hmm. Brilliant night.
Also this weekend, I blew off steam by cycling to Halle on the canal route.
36km, and while most of you will say it is flat and really not that far, for me it's quite an achievement.
And as much as I HATE moving my arse to get going, and sometimes regret it mid-way (and take it out of the person who is motivating me), the feeling you get when you sink into a hot bath when you get home, makes it all worth it. It makes me feel great but I can't really explain it.
Curry night tomorrow. :D
Much needed, but finally it seems things in that department are starting to move, which is a relief but absolutely terrifying. But that's a whole other subject.
John and Simon were back the bar. I wouldn't have mentioned this again, but this time Liz answered the call and rocked up just as I was making a Mojito. Anyway I won't get into details... I'll just say that one of us was clearly needing a night off and over did it slightly. (And Liz fell off her bar stool ;) )
After a very covert stakeout operation, we ended up one member down on Pitta Street at, I think, about 5am. An hour later, I realised this might have been a mistake.
(The stakeout was us following John home, (Liz on foot and Simon and I in the car) just to make sure he could make it on his own. There was suspiciously slow driving and whispering in the streets of Ixelles in the wee hours of the morning)
Think I got to bed at about 6.30. Hmm. Brilliant night.
Also this weekend, I blew off steam by cycling to Halle on the canal route.
36km, and while most of you will say it is flat and really not that far, for me it's quite an achievement.
And as much as I HATE moving my arse to get going, and sometimes regret it mid-way (and take it out of the person who is motivating me), the feeling you get when you sink into a hot bath when you get home, makes it all worth it. It makes me feel great but I can't really explain it.
Curry night tomorrow. :D
Friday 12 October 2007
La Biennale di Venezia
I was in Venice last week. My mother was keen to check out the 52nd Biennale di Venezia so I thought I'd join her.
There's not that much of Venice left to like anymore. It is squirming with tourists. And the locals have subsequently become rather unpleasant to anyone who does not speak Italian. I will not (if I can help it) return there in the future.
However, we did see and hear ( I was dragged along to a couple of concerts too) some amazing contemporary art.
It's not that I dislike contemporary art, it's more a case of me liking other stuff more.
And I can safely say that a good 70% of what I saw was not my cup of tea. Some were even totally disturbing. I was surprised to see the subject of war used in many instances.
But a few pieces really caught my eye.
The French pavilion was decorated by Sophie Callé.
Her piece was called "Prenez Soin de Vous" meaning "Take care of yourself".
The idea was based on a letter she received one day, from her then boyfriend. He was breaking up with her.
She came up with the idea of asking a number of women (107 to be exact) to interpret the letter according to their respective jobs.
A proofreader, a judge, a rapper, a sexologist, an sms translator, a Bahrata Natyam dancer... there's even an entry in braille. (And a couple of famous faces too!)
I could have sat in that pavilion reading for hours if found it so brilliant, but we had lots more to see so I settled on buying the book which brings together all interpretations. It now sits on my coffee table.
Slightly outside a main exhibit, next to the french pipi rooms, was a setup promoting Bagdad as a holiday destination under the name of Abidin Travels. (The website reminds me of the fake Oceanic website when Lost first started).
The flyers and videos on display in Venice were hilarious and dig into the website a bit and you'll see what I mean.
"Getting Around while you are in Baghdad
Car rental
Here's a short video clip that I filmed while there.
Artwork & Concept © 2007 Adel Abidin
There's not that much of Venice left to like anymore. It is squirming with tourists. And the locals have subsequently become rather unpleasant to anyone who does not speak Italian. I will not (if I can help it) return there in the future.
However, we did see and hear ( I was dragged along to a couple of concerts too) some amazing contemporary art.
It's not that I dislike contemporary art, it's more a case of me liking other stuff more.
And I can safely say that a good 70% of what I saw was not my cup of tea. Some were even totally disturbing. I was surprised to see the subject of war used in many instances.
But a few pieces really caught my eye.
The French pavilion was decorated by Sophie Callé.Her piece was called "Prenez Soin de Vous" meaning "Take care of yourself".
The idea was based on a letter she received one day, from her then boyfriend. He was breaking up with her.
She came up with the idea of asking a number of women (107 to be exact) to interpret the letter according to their respective jobs.
A proofreader, a judge, a rapper, a sexologist, an sms translator, a Bahrata Natyam dancer... there's even an entry in braille. (And a couple of famous faces too!)
I could have sat in that pavilion reading for hours if found it so brilliant, but we had lots more to see so I settled on buying the book which brings together all interpretations. It now sits on my coffee table.
Slightly outside a main exhibit, next to the french pipi rooms, was a setup promoting Bagdad as a holiday destination under the name of Abidin Travels. (The website reminds me of the fake Oceanic website when Lost first started).
The flyers and videos on display in Venice were hilarious and dig into the website a bit and you'll see what I mean.
"Getting Around while you are in Baghdad
Car rental
BE ADVISED that when driving, you must be actively aware of your surroundings and always check your rear-view mirror. The American military has the right to shoot or drive over cars with their tanks if they think you are blocking the way."
Here's a short video clip that I filmed while there.
Artwork & Concept © 2007 Adel Abidin
Saturday 6 October 2007
It's 5am
I stumbled in this morning at around about 5 am.
Hadn't done this in a while, I'm getting too old for it you see. :)
I was working at the bar last night and happened to be teamed up behind the bar with my least favorite person there. Very busy and a conference next door. So not looking like a great night!
At 21:00hrs, John and Simon stroll in, meaning business! They sat themselves down in the sofas right slap bang in the middle of the action and grinned.
I really didn't have a lot of time for them during the first part of the night, although I did watch them from time to time. Deep in conversation. The shift continued in a frenzy, the table of 12 were finishing up, the conference goers were coming in on time and every table was full of diners. People. Everywhere. And it's not hugely easy to maneuver about in this place! (that and they need a new website.)
Now usually, I watch this from behind the bar, and apart from the occasional person squashing by me for the till or a glass, I don't have to spend the evening trying to avoid bumping into people. But in an attempt to avoid unnecessary agro, I had opted for service side of things today. And I think I win an award for doing just about all the jobs going that night (ok, apart from the cook). I was on "go where needed" detail.
So a apart from the occasional smoke break and three words with the guys, I pretty much had my head down all night.
And then at around midnight, it wound down. Only three tables left, one of which were my table. :)
We started clean up while Max made us our 'after service drink'. I always like this part of my nights at Le Cercle. But somehow, when it stops, before exhaustion hits me, I'm psyched. (I usually head home not really wanting to). And tonight even more so because I had people to go out with after. :)
By now I begin to realise that John is sloshed. Now I don't usually see John drunk, because if I'm out drinking with him, I will be underneath the table before he's even getting tipsy.
But I was told he had been drinking since office lunch. Tonight he was really funny.
The three of us head over the road to a puppet infested bar (urgh) for a Barbar Winter Bok. (The cold season version of my favorite beer, Barbar.) We were only allowed one round unfortunately as it was closing time for them too. So we savored it slowly and had a good laugh. However, I was perpetually trying to avoid looking at the puppets on the walls to see if they were moving knowing full well I was being a complete idiot.
Back into the street, we head over to pita street for some food (and so that John can look at the naked boobies in the trees on the paintings ). Feeling altogether better for having food to soak up alcohol (for some A LOT more than others ;) ) We decide to grab one last beer at a place where I have spent many a night having a really good time.
I have been going there since I was in college and I still love it. (and no, I won't post the name or a link, this place is for the connaisseurs - and it's busy enough already.)
And the bar met John and Simon's instant approval a couple of years back (and sometimes the latter can be a wee bit hard to please)
But closing time strikes again. :( (bugger, bugger, bugger)
With no beer mug to hug, and our digestive systems crashing from oily food, we realised it was way past our bedtimes and decided to call it a night.
Now I received an sms from John a bit later, saying that his taxi had nearly crashed. And maybe it was him that was jinxing drivers.
He says this because on our very last road trip before he has to give back the company car, I finally did what I had managed to avoid doing for the past 10 years of me driving. I hurt it. :(
The beauty of company cars is that this doesn't seem to be a problem (apart from the fact that John will not have a car for his final week. :( )
So maybe all the near misses (that only ever happened in the car with John) weren't just me driving badly! ;)
Anyways, t'was a pleasant evening gentlemen, Liz where the hell were you? :)
Ps: Oh yeah, The photo. This was the sky out of my bedroom window as I was getting in this morning. I know it's pollution and street lights but it was beautiful.
Thursday 13 September 2007
Day 4: Alton Towers
Today I got to finally fulfill a childhood dream.
The fun actually starts before you even get to the park. It is completely hidden in the countryside and in amongst the hills. When you see the landscape, you understand why the park has strict restrictions when it comes to the height of rides. You are driving down a country lane, turn a corner and there is a small entrance. You'd miss is it if it weren't for the sign and the fact that the GPS is telling you you have arrived at destination. You drive on (in your fantastic car) and the magic begins....
The car parks are huge and quite far from the park itself but a decent monorail takes us through the forest and there... you get your first glimpse of Air, Nemesis and Katanga Canyon.
Notice how, in both photos (a bit blurry i know), the rides seem totally immersed in nature. It's like this on all the rides in the park. It really gives it something special.
Note: I won't be going into tech details on this post. I have been finding out about them, but it's taking me ages and if I don't get this post out now, I'll start forgetting stuff, and this is a day I want to remember for ever!
Any info you want is just clicks away on a really great site: www.rcdb.com
Ok back to the park.
Armed with wristband to record our visit, we head to the Spinball Whizzer, a spinning coaster in Adventure land. It's a great little ride that got us going for the day. Perfect.
Here is also where we saw the first of the "queue jumping signs" which John and I decided we should print out and stick everywhere at Walibi. (More on queues later).
From there, we headed the long walk to the far side of the park to UGland to try out Rita, Queen of speed (normal queue time: 0 mins, front seat queue time: 7 mins).
The station is in two parts and there are two trains therefore turnaround is lovely. All safety announcements are made through the speaker and we get our first glimpse at how nice it is to be in an English park. There are 4 members of staff manning the station and another two dealing with queue distribution and ride manipulation.
This ride is mostly about the launch, and as opposed to Turbine's flywheel launch at Walibi Belgium, this is a hydraulic launch.
It propels you into the ride at huge speed and then proceeds to give you three instances of airtime that really give the ride it's edge (and it doesn't break once during the ride). Rita boasts 4.7Gs, however I didn't feel them as much as I was expecting. Fun enough to ride it three times though, that, and the fact that apart from the front seat queue, there was no queue.
We tried out the front and back seats and as always, the view from the front seat is unmissable. The ride from the back feels heavier but you lose nothing of the launch or airtime.
Remembering how rough old corkscrews can be, I was expecting to get my head bashed from side to side on the Corkscrew (nqt: 2 mins) and I was right. Corkscrew was built by Vekoma in 1980 and it shows. It is really jerky, not very fast and just downright painful. I'm a dab-hand at reducing headbanging on these rides, and subsequently had to spend the ride sticking my head forward as much as possible to avoid injury (I failed miserably). The only thing going for it, is the fact that it is built in and around Rita, so you get the excitement of seeing her whizz past you. The ride is old and really should be shut down.
We leave Rita behind us and walk back towards the castle and enter it for HEX.
(Alton Towers is basically a huge park with a castle in the middle of it.)
Reading the limited info on it, we guessed it was an Ali Baba replica. And we were right. You have to walk through the castle in very little light and listen to the Legend of Alton Towers before getting to the actual ride part. While the ride is essentially the same, it has the edge on the rides of this type I had already tried because of the theming and effects. Unfortunately, the end is so anti-climactic that you leave thinking you just wasted 20 minutes.
Exiting in the castle grounds we realise how great this building would be during Halloween season.
Oblivion was our next stop. Their opening ad campaign had reached me and I was really excited about riding it. I had decided I would try everything in the park, but faced with this, I wussed out. I'm not a fan of drops and this looked like exactly that. John volonteered to brave the longest queue of the day (15 mins) to give it a go. It is classified as a vertical rollercoaster however a drop coaster would be more accurate. You are brought up to a vertical drop, hung over the edge and then released into a tunnel of mist.
For the scaredy cats out there, there is a great viewing section right at the foot of the drop where the tunnel starts and the rush of adrenaline you get from watching it thunder down the drop was enough for me.
No photos from the top so i 'borrowed' a couple from elsewhere.
John will describe the ride more accurately than me in his trip report, but he used one word to describe it. CRAP. Can't see how that is possible but I'll trust the master.
We stopped off for KFC in this area. The food throughout the park is really varied, there's something for everyone, from the fast food classics of burgers, pizzas and chicken buckets, to the healthier option of baked potatoes and salads. You can even get traditional English food and a cooked breakfast.
Our long walk across the park takes us through the Haunted Hollow (path in the woods with spooky theming that does what it's supposed to - distract you from the walking).
All the areas in this park are quite far away from each other and sometimes only accessible via one route. This layout does wonders to dissipate crowds but it means you do an awful lot of walking. Which i can imagine would be great on a busy day when you spend in excess of one hour queuing for each ride. There is a huge lake in the middle, surrounded by vast lawns where you can sit and relax in the sun. A Huge bonus for Season pass holders.
We arrive into the Forbidden Valley to be greeted by Air, Nemesis and Ripsaw.
We didn't ride Ripsaw as we have the same ride at Walibi. But Alton Towers has added an excellent twist. WATER. The jets are controlled by a member of staff and granted, this is a bit of fun when on the ride, but I think the most fun is had by the people watching. It is hilarious.
It's a little long, but the video below shows the moment when riders are lowered onto the jets face on. I saw this happen many times and it still cracked me up.
Next was Air (nqt: 10 mins, fsqt: 15 mins). My first ever flying coaster. We rode this twice and my second time was a lot better. Mostly because I was not in the front seat on the first try. And the lovely view of dirty socks and being downwind kind of distracts you. The harnesses are really comfortable despite looking a bit like a torture device as they also have leg bars. You have to back into the seat and sit down, before being harnessed in and then tilted to a lying position before you are told to "Prepare for Air" (sorry) and the ride begins.
This ride is not the most thrilling of the park but it is an engineering marvel. It's pretty impressive. During the 'flight', you are sometimes turned to lie on your back, but mostly you are lying face down smoothly passing over the scenery. Not tempted by Skydiving, this is a good alternative for me, but the fact that it is low on the ground means that sensation is not huge. I'm looking forward to riding a higher version of Air.
We had great fun on this one though, singing the Superman theme tune and striking the out-stretched clenched fist pose. :) And for some reason making a total arse out of yourself on a coaster is allowed!!
Over the square to Nemesis (nqt: 0 mins, fsqt: 10 mins). This was the ride I was most looking forward to. An inverted coaster but clearly the best one of it's kind. The harnesses are not the soft foam kind, but rather hard. We were worried this might be a problem when inevitable headbanging arises in banks, but there were none. NONE! The ride is soo smooth, it allows you to really enjoy the ride. It lacks in height but its amazing speed and design takes you in ravines, over blood coloured water and in through the trees. Brilliant!
I'm ashamed to say, at one point I got so overwhelmed by excitement, I nearly peed myself (I said nearly) :)
I never bother filming rides as I feel it never lives up to the ride itself, but I did this time and even though I only got 40 seconds of footage without sound it came out great. (Not for the fainthearted)
We spent the next 30 mins going from Air to Nemesis and back again before deciding we should get on with the other rides.
Onwards to Katanga Canyon.
John LOVES water rides and the sun was out, so I followed him eagerly onto the RiverRapids (nqt: 7 mins). BIG MISTAKE. This is your traditional rapids ride with 8 per boat and as always, it's basically a gamble whether you get wet or not. As the park was so quiet, we were able to get a boat to ourselves. The good thing about these rides is not everyone gets wet to the same extent, and when a fellow rider gets a good wave, it's hilarious. The smile was wiped off clean off my face and onto John's when I received a drenching which left my back and most of my jeans soaking. Hmmm.
It gave us the opportunity to try out the drying cubicles at the exit of all water rides. Cool feature though kind of cheating and not efficient when drenched.
Whilst already wet, we move on the Flume (Not ONE could come up with a better name!?). Apart from it's low water level but amazing scenery nothing really sets it apart from other flumes. Except maybe the fact that whilst in the tunnel, if your are lucky - which we were - you get the Runaway Mine Train whizzing past you in the opposite direction. Very cool. There's a nice little drop in complete darkness to surprise you too.
It was nearing 4 pm and with only an hour left to go, we headed back to the park entrance to pick up our purchases to avoid the end of day rush. Ha, end of day rush.... that's funny.
You can buy photos, mugs, etc at the rides and collect them all at once so you don't have to carry them around with you all day. A nice little service which is really handy.
Nemesis called from afar, and I was eager to get the end of the ride on film so we walked/ran back through the Canyon and the wood. This walk basically finished us off. We didn't manage to get the front seat as the line was closed so I didn't get my film. But what a great way to end the day. :)
Stopped off for another snack and watched the last Ripsaw riders get drenched by the jets (the guy operating the water was clearly on a mission and barely stopping the jets at all. Then began the endless path back to the entrance, onto the monorail and back to the car.
Everything shut down at lightening speed once the clock hit 5pm but we were incredibly lucky that it was so empty and with queue times so short we were able to have at least 15 rides, which is huge (I have read that in peak season it can get so busy that you would only manage 3 or 4 rides in a whole day. We even had bags of time to check out the arcades. We didn't venture into the smaller rides or kiddy areas of which there seem to be plenty, nor did we stop off to shoot the living dead).
Both staff and fellow coasties were very courteous and respectful of the park. We saw no pushing, no queue jumping and above all no spitting. A real delight. Everyone seemed to be having a fantastic day and it made the whole Alton Towers experience that much more fun.
Also noteworthy is the fact that we had no ride breakdowns - which has been a thorn in Walibi's side all season.
So I think I speak for both of us when I say we are very proud of ourselves for making the trip.
The third member of our mini coaster fan club was not with us on this visit, and he was missed. but hopefully our trip reports as well as other video and photos will make up for him missing it.
The fun actually starts before you even get to the park. It is completely hidden in the countryside and in amongst the hills. When you see the landscape, you understand why the park has strict restrictions when it comes to the height of rides. You are driving down a country lane, turn a corner and there is a small entrance. You'd miss is it if it weren't for the sign and the fact that the GPS is telling you you have arrived at destination. You drive on (in your fantastic car) and the magic begins....
The car parks are huge and quite far from the park itself but a decent monorail takes us through the forest and there... you get your first glimpse of Air, Nemesis and Katanga Canyon.
Notice how, in both photos (a bit blurry i know), the rides seem totally immersed in nature. It's like this on all the rides in the park. It really gives it something special.
Note: I won't be going into tech details on this post. I have been finding out about them, but it's taking me ages and if I don't get this post out now, I'll start forgetting stuff, and this is a day I want to remember for ever!
Any info you want is just clicks away on a really great site: www.rcdb.com
Ok back to the park.
Armed with wristband to record our visit, we head to the Spinball Whizzer, a spinning coaster in Adventure land. It's a great little ride that got us going for the day. Perfect.
Here is also where we saw the first of the "queue jumping signs" which John and I decided we should print out and stick everywhere at Walibi. (More on queues later).
From there, we headed the long walk to the far side of the park to UGland to try out Rita, Queen of speed (normal queue time: 0 mins, front seat queue time: 7 mins).
The station is in two parts and there are two trains therefore turnaround is lovely. All safety announcements are made through the speaker and we get our first glimpse at how nice it is to be in an English park. There are 4 members of staff manning the station and another two dealing with queue distribution and ride manipulation.
This ride is mostly about the launch, and as opposed to Turbine's flywheel launch at Walibi Belgium, this is a hydraulic launch.
It propels you into the ride at huge speed and then proceeds to give you three instances of airtime that really give the ride it's edge (and it doesn't break once during the ride). Rita boasts 4.7Gs, however I didn't feel them as much as I was expecting. Fun enough to ride it three times though, that, and the fact that apart from the front seat queue, there was no queue.
We tried out the front and back seats and as always, the view from the front seat is unmissable. The ride from the back feels heavier but you lose nothing of the launch or airtime.
Remembering how rough old corkscrews can be, I was expecting to get my head bashed from side to side on the Corkscrew (nqt: 2 mins) and I was right. Corkscrew was built by Vekoma in 1980 and it shows. It is really jerky, not very fast and just downright painful. I'm a dab-hand at reducing headbanging on these rides, and subsequently had to spend the ride sticking my head forward as much as possible to avoid injury (I failed miserably). The only thing going for it, is the fact that it is built in and around Rita, so you get the excitement of seeing her whizz past you. The ride is old and really should be shut down.
We leave Rita behind us and walk back towards the castle and enter it for HEX.
(Alton Towers is basically a huge park with a castle in the middle of it.)
Reading the limited info on it, we guessed it was an Ali Baba replica. And we were right. You have to walk through the castle in very little light and listen to the Legend of Alton Towers before getting to the actual ride part. While the ride is essentially the same, it has the edge on the rides of this type I had already tried because of the theming and effects. Unfortunately, the end is so anti-climactic that you leave thinking you just wasted 20 minutes.
Exiting in the castle grounds we realise how great this building would be during Halloween season.
Oblivion was our next stop. Their opening ad campaign had reached me and I was really excited about riding it. I had decided I would try everything in the park, but faced with this, I wussed out. I'm not a fan of drops and this looked like exactly that. John volonteered to brave the longest queue of the day (15 mins) to give it a go. It is classified as a vertical rollercoaster however a drop coaster would be more accurate. You are brought up to a vertical drop, hung over the edge and then released into a tunnel of mist.
For the scaredy cats out there, there is a great viewing section right at the foot of the drop where the tunnel starts and the rush of adrenaline you get from watching it thunder down the drop was enough for me.
No photos from the top so i 'borrowed' a couple from elsewhere.
John will describe the ride more accurately than me in his trip report, but he used one word to describe it. CRAP. Can't see how that is possible but I'll trust the master.
We stopped off for KFC in this area. The food throughout the park is really varied, there's something for everyone, from the fast food classics of burgers, pizzas and chicken buckets, to the healthier option of baked potatoes and salads. You can even get traditional English food and a cooked breakfast.
Our long walk across the park takes us through the Haunted Hollow (path in the woods with spooky theming that does what it's supposed to - distract you from the walking).
All the areas in this park are quite far away from each other and sometimes only accessible via one route. This layout does wonders to dissipate crowds but it means you do an awful lot of walking. Which i can imagine would be great on a busy day when you spend in excess of one hour queuing for each ride. There is a huge lake in the middle, surrounded by vast lawns where you can sit and relax in the sun. A Huge bonus for Season pass holders.
We arrive into the Forbidden Valley to be greeted by Air, Nemesis and Ripsaw.
We didn't ride Ripsaw as we have the same ride at Walibi. But Alton Towers has added an excellent twist. WATER. The jets are controlled by a member of staff and granted, this is a bit of fun when on the ride, but I think the most fun is had by the people watching. It is hilarious.
It's a little long, but the video below shows the moment when riders are lowered onto the jets face on. I saw this happen many times and it still cracked me up.
Next was Air (nqt: 10 mins, fsqt: 15 mins). My first ever flying coaster. We rode this twice and my second time was a lot better. Mostly because I was not in the front seat on the first try. And the lovely view of dirty socks and being downwind kind of distracts you. The harnesses are really comfortable despite looking a bit like a torture device as they also have leg bars. You have to back into the seat and sit down, before being harnessed in and then tilted to a lying position before you are told to "Prepare for Air" (sorry) and the ride begins.
This ride is not the most thrilling of the park but it is an engineering marvel. It's pretty impressive. During the 'flight', you are sometimes turned to lie on your back, but mostly you are lying face down smoothly passing over the scenery. Not tempted by Skydiving, this is a good alternative for me, but the fact that it is low on the ground means that sensation is not huge. I'm looking forward to riding a higher version of Air.
We had great fun on this one though, singing the Superman theme tune and striking the out-stretched clenched fist pose. :) And for some reason making a total arse out of yourself on a coaster is allowed!!
Over the square to Nemesis (nqt: 0 mins, fsqt: 10 mins). This was the ride I was most looking forward to. An inverted coaster but clearly the best one of it's kind. The harnesses are not the soft foam kind, but rather hard. We were worried this might be a problem when inevitable headbanging arises in banks, but there were none. NONE! The ride is soo smooth, it allows you to really enjoy the ride. It lacks in height but its amazing speed and design takes you in ravines, over blood coloured water and in through the trees. Brilliant!
I'm ashamed to say, at one point I got so overwhelmed by excitement, I nearly peed myself (I said nearly) :)
I never bother filming rides as I feel it never lives up to the ride itself, but I did this time and even though I only got 40 seconds of footage without sound it came out great. (Not for the fainthearted)
We spent the next 30 mins going from Air to Nemesis and back again before deciding we should get on with the other rides.
Onwards to Katanga Canyon.
John LOVES water rides and the sun was out, so I followed him eagerly onto the RiverRapids (nqt: 7 mins). BIG MISTAKE. This is your traditional rapids ride with 8 per boat and as always, it's basically a gamble whether you get wet or not. As the park was so quiet, we were able to get a boat to ourselves. The good thing about these rides is not everyone gets wet to the same extent, and when a fellow rider gets a good wave, it's hilarious. The smile was wiped off clean off my face and onto John's when I received a drenching which left my back and most of my jeans soaking. Hmmm.
It gave us the opportunity to try out the drying cubicles at the exit of all water rides. Cool feature though kind of cheating and not efficient when drenched.
Whilst already wet, we move on the Flume (Not ONE could come up with a better name!?). Apart from it's low water level but amazing scenery nothing really sets it apart from other flumes. Except maybe the fact that whilst in the tunnel, if your are lucky - which we were - you get the Runaway Mine Train whizzing past you in the opposite direction. Very cool. There's a nice little drop in complete darkness to surprise you too.
It was nearing 4 pm and with only an hour left to go, we headed back to the park entrance to pick up our purchases to avoid the end of day rush. Ha, end of day rush.... that's funny.
You can buy photos, mugs, etc at the rides and collect them all at once so you don't have to carry them around with you all day. A nice little service which is really handy.
Nemesis called from afar, and I was eager to get the end of the ride on film so we walked/ran back through the Canyon and the wood. This walk basically finished us off. We didn't manage to get the front seat as the line was closed so I didn't get my film. But what a great way to end the day. :)
Stopped off for another snack and watched the last Ripsaw riders get drenched by the jets (the guy operating the water was clearly on a mission and barely stopping the jets at all. Then began the endless path back to the entrance, onto the monorail and back to the car.
Everything shut down at lightening speed once the clock hit 5pm but we were incredibly lucky that it was so empty and with queue times so short we were able to have at least 15 rides, which is huge (I have read that in peak season it can get so busy that you would only manage 3 or 4 rides in a whole day. We even had bags of time to check out the arcades. We didn't venture into the smaller rides or kiddy areas of which there seem to be plenty, nor did we stop off to shoot the living dead).
Both staff and fellow coasties were very courteous and respectful of the park. We saw no pushing, no queue jumping and above all no spitting. A real delight. Everyone seemed to be having a fantastic day and it made the whole Alton Towers experience that much more fun.
Also noteworthy is the fact that we had no ride breakdowns - which has been a thorn in Walibi's side all season.
So I think I speak for both of us when I say we are very proud of ourselves for making the trip.
The third member of our mini coaster fan club was not with us on this visit, and he was missed. but hopefully our trip reports as well as other video and photos will make up for him missing it.
Wednesday 12 September 2007
Day 3: Dublin to Alton
John was off doing his own thing this morning, so after a bit of a lie-in and thus no breakfast, I spent the time making the most of the room. At 12, we move onto the actual purpose of the trip.
I saw this handicapped parking space in the hotel parking lot. It gives you a good idea of the roads on the Irish part of our trip.
Back at the house, while John does the heavy lifting, I played Tetris (again) trying to fit all the boxes in the back of the Espace so they wouldn't look 'stealable' on the way back (and particularly while parked all day in a parking lot at the park). We were very efficient and it only took us 40 minutes.
We head off to the ferry with the car now slightly heavier than before - note to self, the car will now take longer to brake. I say goodbye to Dublin a bit sad the visit was so short.
We wolf down some bacon and sausage baps on the boat and had there not been a rather long and disturbingly inert queue, I would have bought myself a second!
I'm not so lucky on the slot machines today, and with rising nausea, I decide to catch 40 winks before we arrive in Holyhead.
We got to see a piece of Wales in the daytime today. And it's beautiful! I have decided I will go back there soon. Maybe when I'm over in Bristol visiting Harry. We give up trying to pronounce town names like Llanfachraeth, as all attempt is useless.
I'm sure the pronunciation of these names could be used in a lethal drinking game.
I had managed to get a few names of b&b's near Alton Towers and once again we call to get rooms but it seems most had planned their visits earlier than us! Finally found one in the village of Oakamoor and while the reception we got there was pretty awful, and there was no way to get food anywhere in the village after 8pm - which was unfortunate as it was 8.20 when we arrived, the village is stunning, and the pub landlords and patrons were really decent. We snacked on Marmite branches and Peperami's while watching Russia get their arses kicked by England!
We ended the evening as you would in a country English pub, by playing a little darts!
And play around with the rules and make up your own version. (If we had stuck with the official rules, I would still be there now trying to finish with a double! - or was it triple?)
this was my best score :)
I saw this handicapped parking space in the hotel parking lot. It gives you a good idea of the roads on the Irish part of our trip. Back at the house, while John does the heavy lifting, I played Tetris (again) trying to fit all the boxes in the back of the Espace so they wouldn't look 'stealable' on the way back (and particularly while parked all day in a parking lot at the park). We were very efficient and it only took us 40 minutes.
We head off to the ferry with the car now slightly heavier than before - note to self, the car will now take longer to brake. I say goodbye to Dublin a bit sad the visit was so short.
We wolf down some bacon and sausage baps on the boat and had there not been a rather long and disturbingly inert queue, I would have bought myself a second!
I'm not so lucky on the slot machines today, and with rising nausea, I decide to catch 40 winks before we arrive in Holyhead.
We got to see a piece of Wales in the daytime today. And it's beautiful! I have decided I will go back there soon. Maybe when I'm over in Bristol visiting Harry. We give up trying to pronounce town names like Llanfachraeth, as all attempt is useless.
I'm sure the pronunciation of these names could be used in a lethal drinking game.
I had managed to get a few names of b&b's near Alton Towers and once again we call to get rooms but it seems most had planned their visits earlier than us! Finally found one in the village of Oakamoor and while the reception we got there was pretty awful, and there was no way to get food anywhere in the village after 8pm - which was unfortunate as it was 8.20 when we arrived, the village is stunning, and the pub landlords and patrons were really decent. We snacked on Marmite branches and Peperami's while watching Russia get their arses kicked by England!
We ended the evening as you would in a country English pub, by playing a little darts!
And play around with the rules and make up your own version. (If we had stuck with the official rules, I would still be there now trying to finish with a double! - or was it triple?)
this was my best score :)
Tuesday 11 September 2007
Day 2: Holyhead to Dublin
This morning I had cooked English/Welsh breakfast outside in the sun. (while everyone else was at work.) We made the most of the b&b having free Internet access so we booked our tickets to Alton online.
(The pressure was now on me not to crash the car before we got there). I felt slightly shitty for going without our 3rd regular member of the 'group', but not soo much that I was going to miss it. :) He'd understand!
As we loaded onto the ferry, I thought back to the last time I had taken a ferry. Over 15 years ago! sheesh...
I relit my dangerous love for slot machines and much to John's amusement I won £23, £7, £5, £1 and £4. Not bad for a ferry trip :)
OK, I put some of it back in the machine, obviously, but I was well chuffed as I had managed to pay for my Alton Towers ticket with my winnings.
This trip is soo fun!!
We drive through Dublin onto Tallaght where's J's family home is. I finally met John's mum and saw a couple of baby pictures and the Ground Force garden. A real cup of tea later and we head over to the hotel so I can drop my bag off. In the room, once again I am reminded of how small my bathroom is. But then again, who at home, has a bathroom bigger than the Blue Banana?
We walk to the Square Mall, although it's really a pyramid. (I'm told the Irish called it that because they couldn't spell pyramid. An Irishman told me this.)
Inevitably we are drawn to the arcade. For some reason I only ever walk into one when I'm with John. Although dragging is not needed. I demoed the ITG machine and then watched fascinated as John amused himself by receiving electric shocks for fun. Aah, boys...
I was taken to the Porterhouse for drinks tonight, and despite wanting to raid the Belgian beers from behind the bar, I was determined to give the Irish stuff a go, and, I'm told this was the best place to go as they brew the stuff themselves.
I braced myself for a night out with 3 Dubliners. Would the Belgian survive?
First up was Brainblasta. The strongest ale of the night, It was decent but it has a nasty little bitter aftertaste. I think I might have liked this one better later in the evening. Next was a Stout, Oyster by name. (It is brewed with fresh oysters. weird) No fishy taste though, thank god, and it's actually really nice! Porterhouse Red was next. Another ale, with a supposed caramel taste. Not bad but to be honest was starting to get a bit happy.
It is at around about this time in the evening, that I noticed this in the women's bathroom. Is it just me or is that continuing to encourage women to be obsessed by how they look? On the other hand, it would be bloody useful during a humid night in a bar! - Not that I'd ever have the guts to use it in public.
I noticed the mirror was deliberately forgiving too! Shameful. ;)
After came the TSB and I'm sure I was drooling over Carl's Barbar by now. Carl is one of J's uni buddies. Decent bloke who borrowed my camera and took illicit photos with it!
Moving on to Temple bräu, my least favorite of the night. Luckily a very tasty ginger cocktail was placed in front of me, which was most welcome. I think I had most of J's too, or was it Emily's? (the real life irish dancer. I'm in awe at whoever can move their feet so fast!)
Closing time came and plan B was put into action. (Plan A being the best fish&chips in town)
Eddie Rocket's, a pseudo American diner. But better, as the signs on the wall take the piss out of the original ones (Totally forgot to take a photo). Massive amounts of finger food were ordered and despite multiple attempts, we never got the jukebox to play our requests (kind of like the DJ in the mp3).
I will be kind to all involved in that part of the evening and not post photos. :)
Stumbled into bed some time after half two...
P.S. I have no idea if anyone except maybe John will be interested by these posts, but this way i've got something to read back in a couple of years.
(The pressure was now on me not to crash the car before we got there). I felt slightly shitty for going without our 3rd regular member of the 'group', but not soo much that I was going to miss it. :) He'd understand!
As we loaded onto the ferry, I thought back to the last time I had taken a ferry. Over 15 years ago! sheesh...
I relit my dangerous love for slot machines and much to John's amusement I won £23, £7, £5, £1 and £4. Not bad for a ferry trip :)
OK, I put some of it back in the machine, obviously, but I was well chuffed as I had managed to pay for my Alton Towers ticket with my winnings.
This trip is soo fun!!
We drive through Dublin onto Tallaght where's J's family home is. I finally met John's mum and saw a couple of baby pictures and the Ground Force garden. A real cup of tea later and we head over to the hotel so I can drop my bag off. In the room, once again I am reminded of how small my bathroom is. But then again, who at home, has a bathroom bigger than the Blue Banana?
We walk to the Square Mall, although it's really a pyramid. (I'm told the Irish called it that because they couldn't spell pyramid. An Irishman told me this.)
Inevitably we are drawn to the arcade. For some reason I only ever walk into one when I'm with John. Although dragging is not needed. I demoed the ITG machine and then watched fascinated as John amused himself by receiving electric shocks for fun. Aah, boys...
I was taken to the Porterhouse for drinks tonight, and despite wanting to raid the Belgian beers from behind the bar, I was determined to give the Irish stuff a go, and, I'm told this was the best place to go as they brew the stuff themselves.
I braced myself for a night out with 3 Dubliners. Would the Belgian survive?
First up was Brainblasta. The strongest ale of the night, It was decent but it has a nasty little bitter aftertaste. I think I might have liked this one better later in the evening. Next was a Stout, Oyster by name. (It is brewed with fresh oysters. weird) No fishy taste though, thank god, and it's actually really nice! Porterhouse Red was next. Another ale, with a supposed caramel taste. Not bad but to be honest was starting to get a bit happy.
It is at around about this time in the evening, that I noticed this in the women's bathroom. Is it just me or is that continuing to encourage women to be obsessed by how they look? On the other hand, it would be bloody useful during a humid night in a bar! - Not that I'd ever have the guts to use it in public. I noticed the mirror was deliberately forgiving too! Shameful. ;)
After came the TSB and I'm sure I was drooling over Carl's Barbar by now. Carl is one of J's uni buddies. Decent bloke who borrowed my camera and took illicit photos with it!
Moving on to Temple bräu, my least favorite of the night. Luckily a very tasty ginger cocktail was placed in front of me, which was most welcome. I think I had most of J's too, or was it Emily's? (the real life irish dancer. I'm in awe at whoever can move their feet so fast!)
Closing time came and plan B was put into action. (Plan A being the best fish&chips in town)
Eddie Rocket's, a pseudo American diner. But better, as the signs on the wall take the piss out of the original ones (Totally forgot to take a photo). Massive amounts of finger food were ordered and despite multiple attempts, we never got the jukebox to play our requests (kind of like the DJ in the mp3).
I will be kind to all involved in that part of the evening and not post photos. :)
Stumbled into bed some time after half two...
P.S. I have no idea if anyone except maybe John will be interested by these posts, but this way i've got something to read back in a couple of years.
Monday 10 September 2007
Day 1: Brussels to Holyhead
The point of this trip was to help John retrieve some of his stuff from his family home in Dublin and drive them back to Brussels. Being the one with the driving license, I was the designated driver.
Ever true to himself, John was late picking me up, though this time he actually had a damn good excuse.
All was forgiven when I finally sat down in the car and marveled at its technological wonder. Now I drive the "IKEA" car, a Peugeot 206, and when you move your seat, you are most likely going to end the maneuver with the lever coming off in your hand. But with the Espace, EVERYTHING is electric. Seat adjusting is a doddle using little electronic levers and I was amazed at seeing there was a memory button for seat positioning!
We also discover that the front loading cd player can hold 6 cds and play mp3s - If only we had known. Soo many other gadgets and crafty things that make driving an absolute pleasure.
The only let down was the electronic handbrake. It took me at least 5 times (hurting fingers each time) of pulling the outer bit out while simultaneously pushing the middle bit in (and swearing) before it became 'easy' to use but I missed the traditional handbrake that you can use for uphill starts. Maybe it's just me.
Worth noting is the GPS system that shows you the route but also the signs. Very nice feature.
We had planned to take the ferry across but as J had never taken the "Chunnel" we thought we'd give it a go. It's quicker, really easy, (though could become quite a headache if your car is higher than 1m80!) and the GPS systems get all confused.
35 mins later (snoozed in the car - good excuse to adjust the seats again and open the huge sunroof. :) ) we arrive in Dover and the moment I had been dreading arrives: Driving on the left, err right, no, left.
I got into it pretty well but we were mostly on motorways. The English lorry drivers are overtaking freaks! While still ever so courteous, I found English drivers to be more reckless than I had remembered (but then again I was driving back then.)
Anyway, we bypass East London, up past Newport Pagnell (*smile*) and up again over Birmingham via Rugby - kind of.
And then I saw it.
The sign somewhere up near Stoke-on-Trent. Alton Towers.
For those of you for who that means nothing, Alton Towers is a famous Theme park in Europe.
I swear light bulbs went up over our heads and for the next miles we wondered how easy it would be to rejig the plans and free up a day. Pretty easily it turns out, amazing how flexible you can be when it comes to the thing you've been wanting to do since being a kid.
Ok, enough rollercoaster talk, there'll be loads of that later.
Stopping in Chester for dinner was my first real challenge. I got completely frazzled by driving in a city at night. I finally selected the 6th parking lot J pointed out (His patience astounded me on that one) and we went off in search of food - and in my case HALF a pint to calm my nerves and growing pissyness.
Aah the wonders of nice people and cider. I am in England again.
No food was found unfortunately but my trusty TomTom took us to a cash machine! Well impressed.
Plans rearranged, I felt ok to drive all the way to Holyhead another 1h30hrs away.
Nice little b&b in Holyhead, but stomachs were growling. Ironically this tiny Welsh town allowed me to taste one of the best kebabs. Could have done without getting frozen solid by the sea wind. :)
I'm feeling good about this trip now. So far everything has been a laugh. And there's so much more to come.
Ever true to himself, John was late picking me up, though this time he actually had a damn good excuse.
All was forgiven when I finally sat down in the car and marveled at its technological wonder. Now I drive the "IKEA" car, a Peugeot 206, and when you move your seat, you are most likely going to end the maneuver with the lever coming off in your hand. But with the Espace, EVERYTHING is electric. Seat adjusting is a doddle using little electronic levers and I was amazed at seeing there was a memory button for seat positioning!
We also discover that the front loading cd player can hold 6 cds and play mp3s - If only we had known. Soo many other gadgets and crafty things that make driving an absolute pleasure.
The only let down was the electronic handbrake. It took me at least 5 times (hurting fingers each time) of pulling the outer bit out while simultaneously pushing the middle bit in (and swearing) before it became 'easy' to use but I missed the traditional handbrake that you can use for uphill starts. Maybe it's just me.
Worth noting is the GPS system that shows you the route but also the signs. Very nice feature.
We had planned to take the ferry across but as J had never taken the "Chunnel" we thought we'd give it a go. It's quicker, really easy, (though could become quite a headache if your car is higher than 1m80!) and the GPS systems get all confused.
35 mins later (snoozed in the car - good excuse to adjust the seats again and open the huge sunroof. :) ) we arrive in Dover and the moment I had been dreading arrives: Driving on the left, err right, no, left.
I got into it pretty well but we were mostly on motorways. The English lorry drivers are overtaking freaks! While still ever so courteous, I found English drivers to be more reckless than I had remembered (but then again I was driving back then.)
Anyway, we bypass East London, up past Newport Pagnell (*smile*) and up again over Birmingham via Rugby - kind of.
And then I saw it.
The sign somewhere up near Stoke-on-Trent. Alton Towers.
For those of you for who that means nothing, Alton Towers is a famous Theme park in Europe.
I swear light bulbs went up over our heads and for the next miles we wondered how easy it would be to rejig the plans and free up a day. Pretty easily it turns out, amazing how flexible you can be when it comes to the thing you've been wanting to do since being a kid.
Ok, enough rollercoaster talk, there'll be loads of that later.
Stopping in Chester for dinner was my first real challenge. I got completely frazzled by driving in a city at night. I finally selected the 6th parking lot J pointed out (His patience astounded me on that one) and we went off in search of food - and in my case HALF a pint to calm my nerves and growing pissyness.
Aah the wonders of nice people and cider. I am in England again.
No food was found unfortunately but my trusty TomTom took us to a cash machine! Well impressed.
Plans rearranged, I felt ok to drive all the way to Holyhead another 1h30hrs away.
Nice little b&b in Holyhead, but stomachs were growling. Ironically this tiny Welsh town allowed me to taste one of the best kebabs. Could have done without getting frozen solid by the sea wind. :)
I'm feeling good about this trip now. So far everything has been a laugh. And there's so much more to come.
Sunday 9 September 2007
And in other news...
... I'm going on a road-trip (my first real one) tomorrow. Driving to Ireland in a Renault Espace. Anyone who has seen me drive will know this will be a challenge. But I'm thirty, I've driven all kinds of cars and vans, and I'll be in the UK in a boat sized vehicle with Belgian number plates... So I think I'll be fine. (famous last words) - aah yes, and we have two up to date GPS systems to show us the way :)))) (and no, I won't take my eyes off the road).
... Actually glad to be getting out of the flat for a bit. The new "mystery" tenants have moved in upstairs. All I know so far is that there's two of them - one male, one female, they come in and out late at night and to be honest, aren't that bad...YET. Also the workmen are in again downstairs, which finally means I might get my bathroom fixed. Got broody this week and started wanting to finish the flat off.
... I've bought two more pillows in my never ending search for the perfect pillow. The research is tedious, but I will prevail!!!!
(Jury is still out on this particular pillow at time of writing.)
... Actually glad to be getting out of the flat for a bit. The new "mystery" tenants have moved in upstairs. All I know so far is that there's two of them - one male, one female, they come in and out late at night and to be honest, aren't that bad...YET. Also the workmen are in again downstairs, which finally means I might get my bathroom fixed. Got broody this week and started wanting to finish the flat off.
... I've bought two more pillows in my never ending search for the perfect pillow. The research is tedious, but I will prevail!!!!
(Jury is still out on this particular pillow at time of writing.)
Sunday 19 August 2007
Breaking the cycle
I've not been very talkative this last month. Mostly due to the fact that I haven't really had much time to myself, but also because I've not had a lot to say and I haven't been in the best of moods.
But tonight is definitely worth a post.
As most of you will know I'm turning 30 next week and I been really trying to push those "I'm 30, what have I achieved and what have I got to show for it" thoughts out of my mind. So not feeling altogether great about things, tonight gave me the breath of fresh air I needed!
And it was the doing of my family and friends. A surprise birthday party!!!
I must admit, I was a little freaked out by not knowing what tonight was all about. Though I had been given a few things to go on (and once you know there's a surprise you can't help but pick up on any small slip up) I was completely put off the scent by my friends who all did a brilliant job of assuring me they were not in the loop. Hats off to the one's that slipped up big time and who managed to turn it around at the last minute!
So I turn up - slightly peeved as my legendary parking had let me down and I had been circling the area for a good twenty minutes before settling my two front wheels bang in the middle of a zebra crossing - and find not only most of my family but all my closest friends were there too. PERFECT.
I had a really good night. Though it went by in such a flash that I didn't even have time to savor it as much as I would have liked. I would have liked to have spent time talking to everyone and catching up. The good thing - and I've been thinking this a lot lately - is that I have amazing people around me. People often ask me why i don't move back to the UK. This is why.
So for all you reading this that were involved. Thank You.
But tonight is definitely worth a post.
As most of you will know I'm turning 30 next week and I been really trying to push those "I'm 30, what have I achieved and what have I got to show for it" thoughts out of my mind. So not feeling altogether great about things, tonight gave me the breath of fresh air I needed!
And it was the doing of my family and friends. A surprise birthday party!!!
I must admit, I was a little freaked out by not knowing what tonight was all about. Though I had been given a few things to go on (and once you know there's a surprise you can't help but pick up on any small slip up) I was completely put off the scent by my friends who all did a brilliant job of assuring me they were not in the loop. Hats off to the one's that slipped up big time and who managed to turn it around at the last minute!
So I turn up - slightly peeved as my legendary parking had let me down and I had been circling the area for a good twenty minutes before settling my two front wheels bang in the middle of a zebra crossing - and find not only most of my family but all my closest friends were there too. PERFECT.
I had a really good night. Though it went by in such a flash that I didn't even have time to savor it as much as I would have liked. I would have liked to have spent time talking to everyone and catching up. The good thing - and I've been thinking this a lot lately - is that I have amazing people around me. People often ask me why i don't move back to the UK. This is why.
So for all you reading this that were involved. Thank You.
Tuesday 14 August 2007
Emma
In the midst of this totally crazy month of August, I got to spend loads of time with Emma. Her proud dad thought she deserved a post - and her totally biased aunt thought so too - so here it is.
At the beginning of August, my brother and my sister in law introduced us to the newest member of our family. Having them here was great.
Ok, there were the traditional family spats over who gets the last of the macaroni but I got the chance to reconnect with my brother, to get to know Amanda and to play with Emma.
(the macaroni is the ridiculously crispy kind, straight out from under the grill - always brings out the glutton in us!)
Her parents gave me the most amazing photo of her in a frame. It pictures her personality perfectly. And it's right here in front of me, next to my screen.... so I see her everyday.
Cameras were out in full japanese-style force during the whole of their visit, and yet - luckily for you- I have very few digital photos of Emma as she was in Belgium.)
I did shoot off a couple of rolls of back and white film on a day trip to the animal park hoping to score a really nice portrait so I can send them one back.
I nicknamed her Grumpybum, but once she became used to seeing me (and the hundreds of other people she met on her belgian initiation) she was brilliant fun.
I have many friends (all in their early 30's!) with young children, and the kids are all really special to me. I love spending time with them (as long as I get to go home afterwards) and seeing them change week by week is amazing.
But with Emma, it's different. "run and hide" was not my first response every time she started screaming. She even did her best to put me off with her nappies and her wet biscuit covered hands. The only day of her stay when I didn't see her was when they went down to Chiny for a break, while I went up to Holland to see one of my close friends get married.
I miss them now they are gone. As annoying as it is ineveitable, months fold into years with absent family members, but when there is a child involved, you're missing huge clumps of their life. I don't like that thought!
I must sort a trip out over there, to see where she lives.
(Once the house is finished and away from mosquito, flea and spider season.:) )
P.S.
(Congrats again to Rudi & Min who welcomed me into their wedding party and made certain i had a great time - despite me knowing only them. Rudi, you'll have the photos in your mailbox before you get back from your trip around Luxembourg... err sorry, Europe! :) ).
Monday 30 July 2007
La foire du Midi
Tonight, I paid a visit to Brussels' annual Funfair.
(Some people like to call it a carnival, I've always called it a funfair)
My story goes like this:
As a kid - when we used to come over to Brussels for holidays, Madeleine and Albert (kind of second grand ma and pa) used to take us to the foire du Midi. It would be a night we'd look forward to for ages. (Later, with price inflation, the fair became very expensive so we were introduced to Walibi and the love of rollercoasters began)
I have loads of memories of my trips to the fair, but when I go back today, each stall and every smell triggers off a memory I thought was long gone.
And ok, the music,lights and prices have changed, but the "carni" feel is still there as much as ever.
Tonight, we did try out a couple of the thrill rides (Some classics as fun worthy as ever, others just plain painful). But we actually had the most laughs in the hall of mirrors, the fun house and a sodding glass labyrinth! (We'll just skip over the 4-breasted woman, won't we, John!)
I hadn't shot a rifle pellet at a bobbing balloon for ages!!!
It's funny; tonight I was standing there 23 (oh-my-god) years later, in the exact same spot. And I felt like a kid again.
How some things change and others stay exactly the same!
(Some people like to call it a carnival, I've always called it a funfair)
My story goes like this:
As a kid - when we used to come over to Brussels for holidays, Madeleine and Albert (kind of second grand ma and pa) used to take us to the foire du Midi. It would be a night we'd look forward to for ages. (Later, with price inflation, the fair became very expensive so we were introduced to Walibi and the love of rollercoasters began)
I have loads of memories of my trips to the fair, but when I go back today, each stall and every smell triggers off a memory I thought was long gone.
And ok, the music,lights and prices have changed, but the "carni" feel is still there as much as ever.
Tonight, we did try out a couple of the thrill rides (Some classics as fun worthy as ever, others just plain painful). But we actually had the most laughs in the hall of mirrors, the fun house and a sodding glass labyrinth! (We'll just skip over the 4-breasted woman, won't we, John!)
I hadn't shot a rifle pellet at a bobbing balloon for ages!!!
It's funny; tonight I was standing there 23 (oh-my-god) years later, in the exact same spot. And I felt like a kid again.
How some things change and others stay exactly the same!
Wednesday 18 July 2007
Ladies and Gentlemen...
It's really late and my alarm will be going off in the next four hours. Off on holiday. And I can't wait. More about that when i get back.
John has just posted (about bloody time!!) and i am still laughing now. I've often thought this man to be a master of wit, and it comes out ten fold when he writes. (Though unfortunately, you won't be able to see any of his pics, because you have to be a myspace user!)
Anyway, for those of you that were at the housewarming, THIS you want to read!
And for those of you who weren't, enjoy the fine writing style!
Unlikely I'll be able to post while I'm away but I'm sure the other two will keep you entertained!
Ciao!
... (Even ramblers need holidays!!)
John has just posted (about bloody time!!) and i am still laughing now. I've often thought this man to be a master of wit, and it comes out ten fold when he writes. (Though unfortunately, you won't be able to see any of his pics, because you have to be a myspace user!)
Anyway, for those of you that were at the housewarming, THIS you want to read!
And for those of you who weren't, enjoy the fine writing style!
Unlikely I'll be able to post while I'm away but I'm sure the other two will keep you entertained!
Ciao!
... (Even ramblers need holidays!!)
Friday 13 July 2007
When ISPs merge
I found out a couple of days ago that UPC has been bought by Telenet (And no, no direct links to these guys).
I discovered this, not by email from UPC, nor by letter (although I am told one was sent) but by checking my webmail and being directed onto the Telenet webmail site (in dutch) and subsequently needing a full 10 minutes to log in and understand what the hell was going on.
UPC's webmail was actually quite good and allowed most services that other web based clients offer. Telenet's , however, (for the lack of a better word) is shit. I can cope with not having any clear distinction between read and non read emails. I can also cope with it not saving my settings for longer than one session and I can also almost accept the rrrreeeeaaaalllllyyyyy slow (initial) loading of the Inbox (28 secs).
However the lack of Sent Items, Trash and Junk folders renders this webmail unusable. Their automatic spam filter is non-existent and there's no way of adding one.
It seems (as I was told by both UPC and Telenet) that to solve this I must use a Mail client (Outlook, Mail or other) to be able to do what I want with my emails. This is all great when you have only ONE computer, but experience has shown that it can be very annoying to need an email and not be able to access it because it's no longer on the server, or if it is, I can't access it.
Anyway, moving on.
I am told by both that all the features (ok, then obviously webmail does not come into these) will remain identical until 2008. (I have already been asked by Telenet if I would like to subscribe to their Welcome package which includes Internet connection and phone line - I do not have a land line and I do not wish to get one!)
I hear most of you cry "Just change your ISP". I would love to, but my problem is this.
I specifically chose my xxx@chello.be address and have remained with UPC to keep it. I have been told by Telenet that I will be able to have the same email (replacing @chello by @telenet of course), but when I asked them to confirm this in writing, I was simply told "We can't do that Madame". Not reassuring as when have we, as Belgians, ever been able to take as truth what is said by a Help desk employee.
But I'm now starting to think that a change in inevitable. So the search begins to find a new ISP that will give me the same connection speed, an equivalent download limit and at a decent price.
*Groan*
Ok, rant over, almost... Just so sick of decent (but by no means perfect) companies being bought by larger ones and the service becoming second rate and us, as consumers, having no choice in the matter. IT SUCKS.
I discovered this, not by email from UPC, nor by letter (although I am told one was sent) but by checking my webmail and being directed onto the Telenet webmail site (in dutch) and subsequently needing a full 10 minutes to log in and understand what the hell was going on.
UPC's webmail was actually quite good and allowed most services that other web based clients offer. Telenet's , however, (for the lack of a better word) is shit. I can cope with not having any clear distinction between read and non read emails. I can also cope with it not saving my settings for longer than one session and I can also almost accept the rrrreeeeaaaalllllyyyyy slow (initial) loading of the Inbox (28 secs).
However the lack of Sent Items, Trash and Junk folders renders this webmail unusable. Their automatic spam filter is non-existent and there's no way of adding one.
It seems (as I was told by both UPC and Telenet) that to solve this I must use a Mail client (Outlook, Mail or other) to be able to do what I want with my emails. This is all great when you have only ONE computer, but experience has shown that it can be very annoying to need an email and not be able to access it because it's no longer on the server, or if it is, I can't access it.
Anyway, moving on.
I am told by both that all the features (ok, then obviously webmail does not come into these) will remain identical until 2008. (I have already been asked by Telenet if I would like to subscribe to their Welcome package which includes Internet connection and phone line - I do not have a land line and I do not wish to get one!)
I hear most of you cry "Just change your ISP". I would love to, but my problem is this.
I specifically chose my xxx@chello.be address and have remained with UPC to keep it. I have been told by Telenet that I will be able to have the same email (replacing @chello by @telenet of course), but when I asked them to confirm this in writing, I was simply told "We can't do that Madame". Not reassuring as when have we, as Belgians, ever been able to take as truth what is said by a Help desk employee.
But I'm now starting to think that a change in inevitable. So the search begins to find a new ISP that will give me the same connection speed, an equivalent download limit and at a decent price.
*Groan*
Ok, rant over, almost... Just so sick of decent (but by no means perfect) companies being bought by larger ones and the service becoming second rate and us, as consumers, having no choice in the matter. IT SUCKS.
Monday 9 July 2007
Life is fine.
This thought came to me this evening.
Amidst all the stuff that's going on in my life at the moment - you know, those times when you feel you're in the wrong lane but you can't figure out how to get back into the right one without bashing a few bollards along the way (no, I'm not having a premonition, J) - I've hit a really good patch !
The ending of this job is actually coming at a pretty good time.
Right at the start of the holidays!
Just what I need: to take a breath, smell the roses and enjoy life for a bit.
So tomorrow, I'm off up north with two of my friends for a day of driving, expensive food, lots of queues, mental orange kangaroos and ... oh yeah... rollercoasters!
I know to most people this is quite sad. But I can't wait.
(I think I'm starting to sound like one of those coaster fans from the States wearing flag covered sweatshirts! Sexy.)
Amidst all the stuff that's going on in my life at the moment - you know, those times when you feel you're in the wrong lane but you can't figure out how to get back into the right one without bashing a few bollards along the way (no, I'm not having a premonition, J) - I've hit a really good patch !
The ending of this job is actually coming at a pretty good time.
Right at the start of the holidays!
Just what I need: to take a breath, smell the roses and enjoy life for a bit.
So tomorrow, I'm off up north with two of my friends for a day of driving, expensive food, lots of queues, mental orange kangaroos and ... oh yeah... rollercoasters!
I know to most people this is quite sad. But I can't wait.
(I think I'm starting to sound like one of those coaster fans from the States wearing flag covered sweatshirts! Sexy.)
Sunday 8 July 2007
The housewarming
So I'm sat here At My Computer on Sunday afternoon with a strong dose of caffeine in an attempt to kick start my body after a somewhat short night and (I think) a relatively small amount of booze and green tea. My (17) closest friends were there to help baptise the flat and I feel we did a pretty good job of it.
It's a well known fact that when you are hosting a party, you don't really have a lot of time to sit and talk to your invités. I spent most of the evening going from the sitting room to the kitchen, checking in with the English speakers at the booze and food table (who thought this was a very good place to camp out). The office was also visited on a regular basis as one of friends thought she'd like to stock up on my TV show collection and burn a couple (yes 10, Audrey) of DVDs. :)
Another friend made "capiranhas" for everyone for most of the night, he has discovered a talent for cocktail making, though sadly I did not get to taste one.
Two others thought it was hilarious to arrive at about 11.30 and ring the doorbell claiming they were the police answering a call for noise disturbance. I rush down the stairs to find them pissing themselves on the doorstep. Hmm .... very funny! :)
The friend specialised in "Wellness" proceeded to go into my bedroom and tell me that when it comes to Feng Shui, my room is a mess! Turns out having your head pointing East is not good, neither is an open wardrobe (that's being tackled today), electrical cables running behind the head board and my sister's wicker err... sculpture (dead wood). Let's not even mention the art I was planning on putting on the wall. I have decided that, apart from the wardrobe doors, I going to ignore his comments until bad things happen.
And then there's the Indian, Australian and the Irish who camped out on my sofas providing the laughs and stories (and sarcastic digs) until 5 this morning. The sun was coming up and I had to chuck them out so we could all get a bit of sleep!!
So today I have the task of going around flat with a yellow and blue and white bin bag to clean up! Ooops almost forgot, the bottles need to go in yet a different bag (my blue bags clearly state that no glass is to be put in there!!). I've also to find a place to stash all the booze and fizzies that are left over until the next "gathering".
Not a very content worthy post, granted - but I wanted to keep a trace of it while it was still clear (OK, kinda cloudy) in my head.
A very good night! (though I'm sure my upstairs neighbour can' t have thought the same.)
It's a well known fact that when you are hosting a party, you don't really have a lot of time to sit and talk to your invités. I spent most of the evening going from the sitting room to the kitchen, checking in with the English speakers at the booze and food table (who thought this was a very good place to camp out). The office was also visited on a regular basis as one of friends thought she'd like to stock up on my TV show collection and burn a couple (yes 10, Audrey) of DVDs. :)
Another friend made "capiranhas" for everyone for most of the night, he has discovered a talent for cocktail making, though sadly I did not get to taste one.
Two others thought it was hilarious to arrive at about 11.30 and ring the doorbell claiming they were the police answering a call for noise disturbance. I rush down the stairs to find them pissing themselves on the doorstep. Hmm .... very funny! :)
The friend specialised in "Wellness" proceeded to go into my bedroom and tell me that when it comes to Feng Shui, my room is a mess! Turns out having your head pointing East is not good, neither is an open wardrobe (that's being tackled today), electrical cables running behind the head board and my sister's wicker err... sculpture (dead wood). Let's not even mention the art I was planning on putting on the wall. I have decided that, apart from the wardrobe doors, I going to ignore his comments until bad things happen.
And then there's the Indian, Australian and the Irish who camped out on my sofas providing the laughs and stories (and sarcastic digs) until 5 this morning. The sun was coming up and I had to chuck them out so we could all get a bit of sleep!!
So today I have the task of going around flat with a yellow and blue and white bin bag to clean up! Ooops almost forgot, the bottles need to go in yet a different bag (my blue bags clearly state that no glass is to be put in there!!). I've also to find a place to stash all the booze and fizzies that are left over until the next "gathering".
Not a very content worthy post, granted - but I wanted to keep a trace of it while it was still clear (OK, kinda cloudy) in my head.
A very good night! (though I'm sure my upstairs neighbour can' t have thought the same.)
Sunday 1 July 2007
Vertigo
I've decided not to write a third version of this post.
I direct you to John's post of our rooky flight on the Vertigo.
You can always check Simon's view of the day too to get another perspective.
I'll just end with this:
It's a good ride, and I think with practice, the swinging could be synchronised and it would add greatly to the enjoyement of the ride. The lift bit reminds me way too much of Dalton though which will make absolute certain that I will NEVER set foot on the vertical tower again.
And my day will be remembered for other things besides the Vertigo:
• the absolute soaking we got on the log fumes - including J's decorative and somewhat confusing "wet" marks on trousers);
• the discovery that I have a talent for blowing things up;
• the Turbine still rocks!!! (even with mysterious smoke in tunnel). For those nostalgics amoung you, check out what Turbine looked like when it was still the Sirocco.
The countdown begins D-8...
I direct you to John's post of our rooky flight on the Vertigo.
You can always check Simon's view of the day too to get another perspective.
I'll just end with this:
It's a good ride, and I think with practice, the swinging could be synchronised and it would add greatly to the enjoyement of the ride. The lift bit reminds me way too much of Dalton though which will make absolute certain that I will NEVER set foot on the vertical tower again.
And my day will be remembered for other things besides the Vertigo:
• the absolute soaking we got on the log fumes - including J's decorative and somewhat confusing "wet" marks on trousers);
• the discovery that I have a talent for blowing things up;
• the Turbine still rocks!!! (even with mysterious smoke in tunnel). For those nostalgics amoung you, check out what Turbine looked like when it was still the Sirocco.
The countdown begins D-8...
Friday 29 June 2007
Hours of fun...
A couple of days ago I was directed to this site. It basically allows you to create SouthPark caricatures. It's totally addictive and we had great fun at the office recreating everyone.It has been a bit slow at work (yeah, I know what you're thinking) this week, so I had alot of time to give this site a go ... Most of them aren't post worthy (I'll show you the office one's after I have left), but these 4 are. (One of which was not done by me.)
For those of you who don't recognise them, these are 3 of my closest friends.
Enjoy!
And this is supposed to be one of me (By J) entitled "Amy, I need a holiday".
ps: If any of you have some you would like me to post here, send em on and I'll create a gallery.
Thursday 28 June 2007
Vertigo... Finally
It has happened!
You can finally experience the "Closest thing to fly".
Tech specs can be found here.
I'm guessing the Corporates in Wavre must be breathing a huge sigh of relief this week as finally the public get to try out the new attraction. Albeit only 400 people per hour. (Compared to 760/hour for the Cobra and 1040/hour for the Vampire)
They chose to open the attraction with limited capacity rather than leave it closed while they figured out how to enable the maximum 800 person capacity that is advertised (This was a good move on their part I think, in theory). To reduce queueing times, a "Pass" system has been put in place - much like the Disney Fast Passes. This system tends to work quite well - but it remains to be seen, how the Belgians deal with such a complicated organisational task!!!!
Walibi is notoriously quiet when it comes to the media and very rarely do they issue press releases. We have been blessed with one this time around (most likely due to the fact that they actually had good news to share). It's in french but you can find it here.
They have posted some rider's comments which suggest that the thrill factor (it is marketed as a family ride) is secondary to the view and the flying sensation (but that's OK because while there's the Turbine, nothing else is needed!). However, the ride seems to run smoothly - This is a selling point as sometimes the coasters can be a bit rough (especially at the start of the season).
Even the ever so static and slightly boring website has got it's own Vertigo page... though I've not yet been baptised as a Vertigonaute so it seems I can't have access to the top notch site.
Add this marketing stunt to the other they have going on all over Brussels (Kangaroos reenacting the "I want you..." slogan that was used by the U.S Army) and it seems the people at Walibi have finally grasped the concept of Marketing and are trying to make the rest of the 2007 season more successful than start.
Wednesday 27 June 2007
The paper clip thieves
This was the title of an article on yesterday's BBC news website, which looks at middle-class criminals in England.
(...) Subjects were given a list of 10 petty crimes to choose from, including paying in cash to avoid tax, taking something from work, and exaggerating an insurance claim.
Presumably, that 61% would be higher still if the list had included a wider range of crimes, such as downloading music and copying software illegally. (...)
Some of you will be amused that for once it's the middle-class that is targeted...
(...) "It's no surprise to see that these crimes are widespread in the middle class - we ought to know that having more money doesn't make you more moral," says Mr Northcott.
"In fact, the crimes are largely about hanging on to money, and the middle classes are better at that. That's what makes them middle class." (...)
source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6238090.stm
(Love it!)
It goes on to talk about employees that help themselves to office supplies (I remember a certain conversation with friends on this subject not too long ago).
Now this must happen in EVERY office, using photocopiers for personal stuff, printing out a cv on the colour printer, and taking the occasional sugar lump home because you didn't make it to the GB last night and you need your cuppa in the morning. (ok, that's just me then, but it's not stealing, it's a good investment, ensuring I'm in a half decent state and mood when I turn up to work - and trust me that's worth a lot more than some sugar!!!)
At the end of the article, there are four what-would-you-do? questions. If you vote, you get the results. just a bit of fun.
Anyone feeling they want to fess up ?
The confessional is now open...
(...) Subjects were given a list of 10 petty crimes to choose from, including paying in cash to avoid tax, taking something from work, and exaggerating an insurance claim.
Presumably, that 61% would be higher still if the list had included a wider range of crimes, such as downloading music and copying software illegally. (...)
Some of you will be amused that for once it's the middle-class that is targeted...
(...) "It's no surprise to see that these crimes are widespread in the middle class - we ought to know that having more money doesn't make you more moral," says Mr Northcott.
"In fact, the crimes are largely about hanging on to money, and the middle classes are better at that. That's what makes them middle class." (...)
source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6238090.stm
(Love it!)
It goes on to talk about employees that help themselves to office supplies (I remember a certain conversation with friends on this subject not too long ago).
Now this must happen in EVERY office, using photocopiers for personal stuff, printing out a cv on the colour printer, and taking the occasional sugar lump home because you didn't make it to the GB last night and you need your cuppa in the morning. (ok, that's just me then, but it's not stealing, it's a good investment, ensuring I'm in a half decent state and mood when I turn up to work - and trust me that's worth a lot more than some sugar!!!)
At the end of the article, there are four what-would-you-do? questions. If you vote, you get the results. just a bit of fun.
Anyone feeling they want to fess up ?
The confessional is now open...
Sunday 24 June 2007
Bernard's Adieu
Last night, the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie put on a concert in thanks to the outgoing director, Bernard Foccroulle. My uncle.
A friend of mine, Rudi (who wished to be named) and I were fortunate enough to get last minute tickets. And while I wasn't that up for going initially, I am really glad I went.
I'm not an opera fan, it has to be said (though I don't tend to voice this opinion during family dinners). While I do generally like parts of a performance, I will invariably come across that point (usually during a Soprano solo) when I'm too hot and uncomfortable or want to sleep. What is happening on stage is no longer enough to keep my concentration. Most times, I have managed to get back into it, but going to the opera is more something I do because I feel I should rather than because I want to.
There has been the occasional piece I have liked enough to see twice. And I find that (as with most music) once you start to recognise the music and get to know it, it becomes a whole lot more enjoyable.
I worked for a while behind the bar at la Monnaie during college, and even got the chance once to work at the canteen (no white hat and plastic shoes though!) during Carmen that was being played at the Cirque Royal.
The show ran for at least a month and I was there most days and for the rehearsals before that too. It was great fun (and hard work) and for a short period of time, I got to see the Monnaie behind the scenes. Suffice to say, if there is one Opera CD I have in my collection, It's this one.
Anyway, tonight's concert was amazing. A mix of every different kind of music and expressed in many different ways (solos, duets, dancing, speeches...). I knew some of the singers, lots of the music and there was some sort of emotional charge in the theatre that made it captivating from beginning to end.
A thoroughly enjoyable evening!
And a little extra twinkle, tonight I got to see my cousin sing on stage with José van Dam.
Now him, I could listen to for hours (and watch him too, this man's charisma just oozes!)
Beligans are very proud of him and rightly so.
So I guess tonight marks the end of an era in my life. It would take too long to explain but it's been a big part of my life, even if not because of the music.
Now I must give this saxophone playing idea some more thought.
A friend of mine, Rudi (who wished to be named) and I were fortunate enough to get last minute tickets. And while I wasn't that up for going initially, I am really glad I went.
I'm not an opera fan, it has to be said (though I don't tend to voice this opinion during family dinners). While I do generally like parts of a performance, I will invariably come across that point (usually during a Soprano solo) when I'm too hot and uncomfortable or want to sleep. What is happening on stage is no longer enough to keep my concentration. Most times, I have managed to get back into it, but going to the opera is more something I do because I feel I should rather than because I want to.
There has been the occasional piece I have liked enough to see twice. And I find that (as with most music) once you start to recognise the music and get to know it, it becomes a whole lot more enjoyable.
I worked for a while behind the bar at la Monnaie during college, and even got the chance once to work at the canteen (no white hat and plastic shoes though!) during Carmen that was being played at the Cirque Royal.
The show ran for at least a month and I was there most days and for the rehearsals before that too. It was great fun (and hard work) and for a short period of time, I got to see the Monnaie behind the scenes. Suffice to say, if there is one Opera CD I have in my collection, It's this one.
Anyway, tonight's concert was amazing. A mix of every different kind of music and expressed in many different ways (solos, duets, dancing, speeches...). I knew some of the singers, lots of the music and there was some sort of emotional charge in the theatre that made it captivating from beginning to end.
A thoroughly enjoyable evening!
And a little extra twinkle, tonight I got to see my cousin sing on stage with José van Dam.
Now him, I could listen to for hours (and watch him too, this man's charisma just oozes!)
Beligans are very proud of him and rightly so.
So I guess tonight marks the end of an era in my life. It would take too long to explain but it's been a big part of my life, even if not because of the music.
Now I must give this saxophone playing idea some more thought.
Tuesday 19 June 2007
The swallows
Nifty little feature that's just come out on Blogger. Turns out I'm an early adopter!!
A draft version gives us access to posting videos. (Ok, so i know that's non news to most of you, but I'm still new to all this and beyond my expectations I'm still here keeping you vastly entertained!)
Anyway, I was thinking of a way to show the beautiful sunset scene on my balcony - wouldn't work in a photo. If I get a chance, I'll film the swallows and post the result.
A draft version gives us access to posting videos. (Ok, so i know that's non news to most of you, but I'm still new to all this and beyond my expectations I'm still here keeping you vastly entertained!)
Anyway, I was thinking of a way to show the beautiful sunset scene on my balcony - wouldn't work in a photo. If I get a chance, I'll film the swallows and post the result.
Tuesday 12 June 2007
Typography
I am forever pissed off when I publish a post and the typography sucks. It's my job and i'm slightly anal when it comes to orphans and widows, kerning and legibility.
small parentheses: Readability and legibility are often confused.
Readability is most often and more properly used to describe the ease with which written language is read and understood – it concerns the difficulty of the language itself, not its appearance. It is a psycholinguistic rather than a typographic issue. Factors that affect readability include sentence and word length, and the frequency of uncommon words.
In contrast, legibility describes how easily or comfortably a typeset text can be read. It is not connected with content or language, but rather with the size and appearance of the printed or displayed text.
Anyway... If I had the time and patience I would either look for a better blog editor to make my posts "look" better or rework each post manually. I have tried to do this before, but I realised that my formatting gets creative once I click the publish button. GRR.
So in the meantime, I shall try to remain detached from what my blog looks like and try and concentrate on the content... which no doubt could do some with some help :)
small parentheses: Readability and legibility are often confused.
Readability is most often and more properly used to describe the ease with which written language is read and understood – it concerns the difficulty of the language itself, not its appearance. It is a psycholinguistic rather than a typographic issue. Factors that affect readability include sentence and word length, and the frequency of uncommon words.
In contrast, legibility describes how easily or comfortably a typeset text can be read. It is not connected with content or language, but rather with the size and appearance of the printed or displayed text.
Anyway... If I had the time and patience I would either look for a better blog editor to make my posts "look" better or rework each post manually. I have tried to do this before, but I realised that my formatting gets creative once I click the publish button. GRR.
So in the meantime, I shall try to remain detached from what my blog looks like and try and concentrate on the content... which no doubt could do some with some help :)
The quasi-finished kitchen
So, it's not totally finished, I still have to do a couple of things:
- sand down the not soo straight edge of the worktop so it sits flush with the wall,
silicone the joints of the various worktops which will make washing up a lot easier. (That's my excuse for the dishes piling up - these were strategically placed out of sight while taking photos),
- find a shelf or two to hold various 'ready to use' articles,
- sort my appliance to plug ratio and insert multiplugs where possible being careful not to overload fuses which would result in darkness. Not useful while cooking of chopping onions :)
(or alternatively, get an electrician in and ask him to insert new plugs).
Did my first laundry load though and to my great relief, did not end up swimming in kitchen.
anyway, here's what it looks like now (and yes, I like my dutch tilts!).
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