My kids are crazy about Halloween, in fact, they really should have been raised in America just to justify their obsession with this holiday. Ever since September they have been talking about it and trying to decide what costumes they would get this year.
In the preschool section of their school they get the opportunity to dress up on the last day of school before the mid-term break, however since Riley is now in
year 2 she doesn't get this opportunity anymore. This however, did not stop her from declaring that she too needed a Halloween costume.
Rourke has been asking me when it's going to be Halloween every day for the past month and when I explain to him that it's first his birthday, then mine then Cliff's and then Tracey's and then after Tracey's birthday (29th of October) it's Halloween he get's really upset with me -- 'you're joking!!! how can it still be so long?'
Last year my brother took my 2 kids and his son Trick or Treating in Brussels but since then my brother and his family have moved back to SA and we've moved to the sticks! .... the result to my poor kids disgust: no where to go trick or treating. They are not impressed with this at all.
Rourke even suggested that they dress up and go and see if the farm animals don't have anything for them.....
I've noticed that there are a couple of houses in the street close to our house has some Halloween decorations in their window, so I might just pop round and see if they would mind if the kids came Trick or Treating on Saturday night.
But first, tonight I have to ice my Halloween biscuits.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Only In Belgium....
Found this article in one of the local newspaper's .... this really is a strange country...
Belgian 'Miss Homeless' wins a year rent-free
58-year-old Therese Van Belle from Schaarbeek, Brussels, won the first 'Miss Homeless' contest.
Related Articles
The final, which took place on Saturday evening in Brussels, saw 10 finalists vying for the place of Miss Homeless, along with the prize of a rent-free year in a flat.
The aim of this remarkable initiative is to call attention to the problem of the homeless.
Organiser Aline Duportail of the company Artefix said that "with this ‘Miss’ contest we want to expose the problem of homelessness in Belgium. This is certainly a very good way to boost the contestants' self-confidence."
There were five different parts to the Miss Homeless contest, including a talk with each contestant. The jury judged the candidates based on their "will to get themselves out of a difficult situation."
"Their inner beauty and strength, motivation to take part in the contest, personal story, and solidarity were also decisive factors," said a competition official.
flandersnews.be/Expatica
Belgian 'Miss Homeless' wins a year rent-free
58-year-old Therese Van Belle from Schaarbeek, Brussels, won the first 'Miss Homeless' contest.
Related Articles
The final, which took place on Saturday evening in Brussels, saw 10 finalists vying for the place of Miss Homeless, along with the prize of a rent-free year in a flat.
The aim of this remarkable initiative is to call attention to the problem of the homeless.
Organiser Aline Duportail of the company Artefix said that "with this ‘Miss’ contest we want to expose the problem of homelessness in Belgium. This is certainly a very good way to boost the contestants' self-confidence."
There were five different parts to the Miss Homeless contest, including a talk with each contestant. The jury judged the candidates based on their "will to get themselves out of a difficult situation."
"Their inner beauty and strength, motivation to take part in the contest, personal story, and solidarity were also decisive factors," said a competition official.
flandersnews.be/Expatica
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Today is Belgian National Day
You know when you've been in Belgium too long when ...
1. You always stop your car for traffic from even the tiniest little road from the right.
2. You consider breaking the speed limit normal, and honk and flash at people who don't.
3. If you have had less than 10 beers you drive your car home, but you still don't indicate when turning or respect the speed limit.
4. If you have a car, you consider any other means of transportation slightly suspicious.
5. You know the names of at least 10 different sauces for chips.
6. You catch yourself ordering a "Supplement Frites" with every single dish you have in any kind of restaurant.
7. You give other foreigners lectures on the difference between fake and real monastery-produced beer.
8. You don't drink the last two centilitres of a Westmalle trippel.
9. You never wear any colour brighter than dark green. You automatically assume anyone who does is either a. Dutch b. Scandinavian c. American or d. Extremely childish or rude
10. Just one day without rain even in July and August can make you happy.
11. On Saturday morning and Sunday evening of any sunny summer-weekend you accept spending more than three hours stuck in traffic jams on motorways in order to get to and from 100 km's of coastline that are completely cramped with high-risers 20 meters from the beach.
12. You don't mind that bouncers have to be given at least 20 euro when you leave a disco as a bribe for letting you get in next time
13. You consider it normal that even the train to and from the airport has announcements in both Dutch and French, but not in English. You don't react when all the foreigners storm out of the train at the announcement of Brussels North when coming from the airport.
14. You do all your grocery shopping in either GB or Delhaize, and you don't understand anyone who shops in the other supermarket chain.
15. You consider it normal to go out to a restaurant at least five times per week.
16. You think it is logical that shops are closed Sundays and evenings, but buy the booze you consume in night-shops between 4 and 5 AM Sunday morning.
17. You use and understand abbreviations like NMBS/SNCB, MIVB/STIB and SMAP/OMOB.
18. You only buy the most up-market chocolate brands, and feel sorry for the geeks who buy "white products".
19. You start going to Quick instead of McDonalds and you have actually tasted the Quick Bearnaise Burger.
20. You think it looks nice when the type of pavement tiles in front of each house are different, and you don't mind falling over lopsided tiles occasionally.
21. You take dog-shit on the pavement as just another challenge on you daily walks.
22. You keep three colours of bin-bags for different kinds of waste, and remember which days to put out which kind of bag on the pavement in front of your house.
23. You don't mind when most streets are full of bags that have been put out on the wrong day, not even in the summer when the combination of the sun and intrepid dogs makes it a very interesting experience.
24. You automatically assume that everyone else speaks at least three languages, but refuse to speak more than one yourself.
25. You have given up on any sensible political discussion on the language divide in general and the Brussels Capital Region and the future of Belgium in particular.
26. You consider politicians and the police worse than criminals, with the possible exception of paedophiles.
27. You consider it perfectly normal when the names of towns on road signs change from French to Dutch and vice versa every 5 or 10 kilometres of motorway.
28. You have understood that the hassle of monthly visits to the municipality to obtain papers or residence permits is reserved for recently arrived foreigners who move every 6 months, and you therefore don't complain over your own annual visit where you wait in line for an hour or two.
1. You always stop your car for traffic from even the tiniest little road from the right.
2. You consider breaking the speed limit normal, and honk and flash at people who don't.
3. If you have had less than 10 beers you drive your car home, but you still don't indicate when turning or respect the speed limit.
4. If you have a car, you consider any other means of transportation slightly suspicious.
5. You know the names of at least 10 different sauces for chips.
6. You catch yourself ordering a "Supplement Frites" with every single dish you have in any kind of restaurant.
7. You give other foreigners lectures on the difference between fake and real monastery-produced beer.
8. You don't drink the last two centilitres of a Westmalle trippel.
9. You never wear any colour brighter than dark green. You automatically assume anyone who does is either a. Dutch b. Scandinavian c. American or d. Extremely childish or rude
10. Just one day without rain even in July and August can make you happy.
11. On Saturday morning and Sunday evening of any sunny summer-weekend you accept spending more than three hours stuck in traffic jams on motorways in order to get to and from 100 km's of coastline that are completely cramped with high-risers 20 meters from the beach.
12. You don't mind that bouncers have to be given at least 20 euro when you leave a disco as a bribe for letting you get in next time
13. You consider it normal that even the train to and from the airport has announcements in both Dutch and French, but not in English. You don't react when all the foreigners storm out of the train at the announcement of Brussels North when coming from the airport.
14. You do all your grocery shopping in either GB or Delhaize, and you don't understand anyone who shops in the other supermarket chain.
15. You consider it normal to go out to a restaurant at least five times per week.
16. You think it is logical that shops are closed Sundays and evenings, but buy the booze you consume in night-shops between 4 and 5 AM Sunday morning.
17. You use and understand abbreviations like NMBS/SNCB, MIVB/STIB and SMAP/OMOB.
18. You only buy the most up-market chocolate brands, and feel sorry for the geeks who buy "white products".
19. You start going to Quick instead of McDonalds and you have actually tasted the Quick Bearnaise Burger.
20. You think it looks nice when the type of pavement tiles in front of each house are different, and you don't mind falling over lopsided tiles occasionally.
21. You take dog-shit on the pavement as just another challenge on you daily walks.
22. You keep three colours of bin-bags for different kinds of waste, and remember which days to put out which kind of bag on the pavement in front of your house.
23. You don't mind when most streets are full of bags that have been put out on the wrong day, not even in the summer when the combination of the sun and intrepid dogs makes it a very interesting experience.
24. You automatically assume that everyone else speaks at least three languages, but refuse to speak more than one yourself.
25. You have given up on any sensible political discussion on the language divide in general and the Brussels Capital Region and the future of Belgium in particular.
26. You consider politicians and the police worse than criminals, with the possible exception of paedophiles.
27. You consider it perfectly normal when the names of towns on road signs change from French to Dutch and vice versa every 5 or 10 kilometres of motorway.
28. You have understood that the hassle of monthly visits to the municipality to obtain papers or residence permits is reserved for recently arrived foreigners who move every 6 months, and you therefore don't complain over your own annual visit where you wait in line for an hour or two.
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