Biking without hands!!!

I finally did it!
ALRIGHT!!! ;)


p.s. keep in mind that I couldn't even scratch my nose when I first got my yellow here...

Sint Martens Latem area

Welcome to the Belgian Hollywood.

Sint Martens Latem is not even 10km far from Gent. Just by taking a look at the street that connects these two areas one can notice that he is stepping into a different” world”. Lexus, Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes and Rovers are some of the cars you can buy on the way to Latem…

But then you see the houses and the gardens and you realize it all…

I’ve been discovering this area with two opposite thoughts in my mind. On one hand, it’s impossible not to admire the lovely beautiful rich houses and to wonder how their inside should be or what a big party you would give there, If you would live there… On the other hand I wonder if this people really worked hard for it and if they actually take benefit from all the luxury they have. And it’s inevitable not to think… some people with so much, and others living with so much less.

But still, everybody is able to appreciate the beauty.

Flashback XI

I will never forget the moment I saw you standing at my door when I wasn’t expecting you…

“Come downstairs to check your post because you might have something for you…”

I cannot describe how happy I was when I had realized that my “mail” was you. I keep still remembering those moments…

Alpha Mike…

Visitors.

I used to say I didn’t miss my life in Portugal and my beloved ones that much. It was bearable, and I meant it.

The fact you are living a new life in a new country speaks for itself. It’s challenging (!) and since you know it won’t last long you just wanna live it! You just wanna live it and there is no much space left for the hardest part of being away from home… But I know there was another reason that helped me out. I was damn lucky. I had a lot of “visitors” as I used to say – or just some fellows who were coming not to pay the night somewhere else in Gent. :P They were my strongest connection to my roots. They brought me coffee, “unique” alcoholic Portuguese drinks, little gifts, news, but especially they brought me love! They embraced me as if I had never been away, and I’m sure that made the difference.

Some of them came just for a couple of nights, but others spent so much time here that when they were gone, it seemed a part of mijn Gent(e) was gone too. It was sooooooooo good to have you around and to share a little bit of my Belgian experience with you.

p.s. Nunão és um totó. Ritinha, totó número 2. MeireleZinho não te perdoo. Verinha, quase quase. Driquinha e Almacinha... foi uma pena! Miguelito e Viri.. eu percebo, estais perdoados! :P

Facto II

If I would like to write about everything I lived here, I would spend half of the time writing.

Language is power.

Last stop: Portugal II

Without letting much people know, in the end of July, I went to Portugal for a second time since I’m here… yeah, indeed (…).

I went there to spend some time with João, and that’s what I did. We spent four nights at his little cosy summer house in Zaboeira, somewhere in the middle of Portugal (take it literally). Honestly… I keep discovering beautiful places there… unbelievably beautiful! Zaboeira lies in a hill that leads to a dam. We could just walk 3 minutes and we were diving ourselves in the water, under an “unbreathable” heat that reached 40Cº - it was the warmest day of the year they said… I guess Portugal was happy to have me again ;). It’s was nice to be back too, but I got older! :P

No matter where we are… we are together.

Ola Kala

"Have you ever felt that nothing's ever going your way?
Every good thing that you find is always running away

Don't be afraid
Don't be afraid
'cause everything is gonna turn to be OK
Don't be afraid"

Chocolade Bar in Gent.

...

"...mas filha tu não podes ter tudo! Nunca vais conseguir visitar todos os países, ver todos os filmes ou ler todos os livros. Tens de estabelecer prioridades, e se o fizeres serás ainda mais feliz."
"...but sweetheart (:P) you cannot have everything! You will never be able to visit all the countries, watch all the movies or read all the books. You need to have priorities, and if you'll do it you'll be even happier."

by Rui Mesquita a.k.a Papa! ;)

"...mas tal como eu tens mais sonhos por minuto que muita gente por hora!"
"... but just like me you have more dreams for minute than a lot of people for hour!"

by Uncle Picos.

11 months ago...

I landed for the first time in Belgium. I have still lot of fresh memories of that day.

I want to share one.

When I got to the airport in Brussels, physically and psychologically exhausted, I had a guy who knows some friends of mine, waiting for me. The only thing I knew about him at that time was his name, the fact he belonged to a Tuna and I had some idea how he looked like because I had seen him before. Anyhoe… I was pretty lost when I got there, trying not to think in what I had just left behind but focusing in what I was about to start living, when I saw Picos, Luís Monteiro, a.k.a Uncle Picos :P smiling at me. Probably he said welcome and that kind of stuff but I cannot remember, I just wanted a bed…

Anyhoee, he couldn’t be nicer to me. Really. Everybody should have someone like him when one is moving alone to other country. We talked a lot, ate an ice-cream at Zi-Zi :), he took me for my first stroll in Brussels, I met some of his friends, I ate my first Pita in Belgium – somewhere in a side street of Grande Place. I still go there when I’m in Brussels :) Une Pita avec Feta s’il vous plait! – I bought a toothbrush :P, I slept over his place, he made me lunch the next day and after walking the whole afternoon in Brussels he insisted in driving me to Gent. Imagine that he was doing all this for someone he didn’t know, and always with a smile and nice gesture to give. Really, Picos, tu não existes. :)

After that we met sometimes (Brussels, Gent, Ljubjiana) and I easily start to adore this guy… but that’s not why I’m writing this post… For a long time I felt that I didn’t show enough how thankful I am. Picos, obrigado por tudo. :) Até já!

P.s. Of course there were a lot of more people who helped me out without asking anything back, but I guess there are some that for some reason remain special...

Proficiat coração :)

Brevemente... Zi&Ti together again! :)

P.s. My grandparents got married 48 years ago… Congratulations! :) I hope some day I will celebrate the same day myself… and I hope I will have such a happy nice family as you do. =)

Mini-Europe

I was intending on discovering the only region in Flanders that is missing me to visit but I found myself in Brussels for one reason: João was there. :) He was stopping over just for one night. :)

So in the following morning (after waking up in the biggest bed I had ever slept on!:P) when I woke up (pretty early!), without nothing planed to do, I decide to take a stroll to the Atomium. On my way to my destination I discovered this and I couldn’t miss it for the world.

I was the fourth to get in the Park but probably the 200^th to leave it. I couldn’t help myself stopping in each model of EU buildings and landscapes and reading as much information available I could. While doing that, I was thinking how I would love to have my Martita there to explain me more about the only building they had there from Poland (shame on them!) and how Laura would tell me so many more interesting things about the Baltic countries that the ones I could read on the free-guidebook. I could also imagine Nico and Laura singing while their anthem was on, and imagine Jonna standing up for showing that Finnish can talk a lot! :) (I wish uncle Jacques had took us there… but I already send him a suggestion for the next MoCoMa generation ;))

The Park totally fulfilled my expectations with its European beautiful mini-places. An Invitation for travelling… I really need to venture out through Europe again…

The Park is a source of EU knowledge and surely helped me consolidating mine (I will always mix up the EU institutions fuctions though :P). Besides, I discovered a lot of funny things:

- in Finland there are more saunas than cars;
- Dutch are the Europeans most likely to go on a trip during their free time (I wond€r why…) ;
- Belgians eat more chips than anyone else (Nooooo) ;
- Portugal is the European country with the oldest borders;
- Germans are the European most likely to consult a doctor;
- The proverb “A guest at home is a blessed home” captures the quintessence of the Polish hospitality (we know :));
- At the beginning of the 10^th century, Bulgaria was the largest kingdom in Europe;
- Every European spends 15 years sitting down at his table for eating.

I must say I was really surprised with the Portuguese presence there. We have not one, not two, but 5 models of Portuguese buildings and landscape, namely; Guimarães Castel (the cradle city of Portugal), Oceanário, Belém Tower, Ribeira do Porto and Algarve. They are sooo beautiful that I felt like transporting myself to Portugal. I was sitting in front of the tower reading the information and enjoying the “Portuguese atmosphere” around there when I heard our anthem – they have them all there, just press the button :) - you cannot imagine… I had to contain my tears… (but take it easy, just some two or three ;)) and I felt like screaming: “C’mon Look at this? Portugal is beautiful!!! What the hell are you waiting for for visit it?”

Definitely a nice place to visit especially if you’re as crazy as I am for the old continent…

The "F" word... Food!

“Heb jij een baby’tje in jouw buik?”

That was the question Nona asked me last week while I was standing up near the door of her room folding her old clothes. Although it isn’t good for me :P I will help you out with the translation:

“Do you have a baby in your belly?”

You know… kids always tell the truth… so I guess it’s official… I gained some weight during this year in the chocolate, fries and beerland.

Indeed, eating is a pleasure, and the best excuse to invite or to be invited over for dinner. We did it a lot – I seldom ate alone – and the moments shared at the table were definitely important for me. Between passing the salt and the pepper you get to know what someone did that day or intend to do on the following one… you might think this is mundane, and for sure it is, but If you really wanna to have someone in your life, these moments count.

When I thought about living 100% on my own for the first time in my life, I expected (and my mom too:P) to learn how to cook.

Well, what can I say? (I’m surrounded by good cooks(?)…

Often the deal was “you cook, I clean”, but even when I tried to cook something more complex there was always somebody more expert giving tips… as too many cooks spoil the broth (I mean it literally this time;)) I normally gave the meal preparation away for them…

(It’s so funny, even when some friends where coming over to eat at my place, they cooked… :P)

I can even count with my fingers (so Portuguese…) how many times did I really prepare a complete meal totally by myself. But in the end, I think I kind of learned some tricks and I definitely can do more than I could, but still… I’m not that hell of a cook.

Smakelijk! :)

Weather in Belgium.

Day 1Day 2Footnote: This is the Belgian reality from Mid-April to the end of September…In the meantime you can only expect raindrops after raindrops.

Flashback X

Once I was in a cemetery in Gent when I saw one of those plastic objects made for watering the plants (I cannot find the translation for “regador” :P May you help me?).

I was about to water some flowers that seemed to be forgotten when a friend interrupted me with a smile as I was doing something childish: “But Ana, you’re in Belgium, we don’t need to water them…” - “Ah ja!...”

Only in Flanders...

There are so many dialects in this piece of land that sometimes (say quite often) on the television they put subtitles in "proper" Dutch translating one of the hardest Dutch dialects - the one from West-Flanders.

But only here the majority of the population can speak fluently three languages (Dutch, French and English)… when not four or five…

They have a lot to teach us…

What is it that…

It was white in the beginning and completely colourful in the end?
It made me cry when I start destroying it and laugh when it was completely destroyed?

Life keeps on going…

Count down.

31 days to go...

Just because I like it...

Fortunately...

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

Ben je ook zo gek op Vlaanderen?

Are you also so crazy about Flanders?

Last stops: Kortemark, Werken and Diksmuide (and some little towns in between :P)

Compadre Korneel and I had planned for a long time this little trip to his hometown and surroundings, but it was never a good time either for me or for him... (I thought it would be just one more of the things I intended for ages but I wouldn’t accomplish here…)

[It’s unbelievable… Belgium is so small that with some days with a car you can get to know it pretty well… I mean, the “countryside” isn’t unreachable at all! – I’m not one of those who stick to capitals and tourist places when I really intend to know deeply a country…]

Anyway, I finally saw myself on my way to Werken (werken means “to work”;)), on the back of Korneel’s bike, taking pictures of every lovely house that I found on the way (my concept of lovely turned to be a little bit broad though:P). I finally saw myself as one of those “typical Belgians” (although I was taking pictures as a Japanese…:P) I used to gaze at from the train window when I was going somewhere else… From my window, everybody was so happy, wealthy, healthy and serene while biking along with their children or rushing because the bus was almost passing by… And I always wanted to be among them!

I was so into it! Korneel was laughing at my little happiness feelings caused by the fact I was there… in the middle of nowhere… biking in the Belgian field…

I love this architecture they had been preserving around here. Tiny houses, dark and stairs-shape roofs, dark bricks (in the city) and big but simple and usually dark houses, sometimes with a lighter roof and lighter bricks, but always with a lovely well treated garden and colourful flowers vases (in the countryside). I would love to have one of these for my own… but I should admit… after 24 hours around, one can tell that there is neither much to see not to do.

But I was with Korneel… and he is one of those people I feel I can talk and laugh with for hours... :) so not only I discovered a bit more of mijn vlaanderen but also I had a really nice time discovering a little of Korneel’s past and routs… it’s always interesting to get to know a bit more of your friends…

Flashback IX

Once me, Laura, Mire, Nico and Estelle went out for what we called a pub tour (but Laurita was sooo much funnier saying it with her lovely Spanish accent… She had to repeat it three times before I could understand it :P)… and I was a sort of guide – who else? Those guys only knew Charlatan and Overpoort! :P For that reason it was so nice to see there smiles when they realized that in a few pedestrian streets there were cosy and warm tiny places to discover.

It was already a long time ago (at least so it seems, time here f*ckin’ flies…) and I can only keep in mind we were not really in the mood when we began… but… Belgian beers are the strongest and everybody knows that… :P thus, after a round in Pink Flamingo’s, “Bierhuis” (Waterhuis aan de Beirkantt), Hot Club de Gent and some speculous in one of the most romantic spots of Gent, some of us were already stumbling, extremely happy and a bit nostalgic too…

By the time we hit ‘t Galgenhuisje (the smallest bar in town - “But this is soooo small, but this is so small…” :P “Told ya” )we knew we would end there our (call it mini) pub tour.

It was just one more of those nights around the table and the beers… full of stories, languages and laughs… no extraordinary feat to be told… but still, it was one of the last, Estelle was drinking beer J, some were discovering Gent… and bah… we talked a lot about everything we had lived and were about to leave…

That’s what I will miss the most… daily mundane things with you…

Carapils effect

10 days on... 10 days off...

After 8 nights and 10 days living and wandering around Gentse Feesten atmosphere I’m able to describe what my 5 senses absorbed.

The city centre was packed. If I didn’t miss any main stage there were 7 spread in the old and most beautiful part of the city. Besides that, there were some tents and bars which provided us a lot of different styles of music and also gigs and anonymous groups of musicians playing on the streets. Music for every taste!

Uncountable street theatre artists. Some of them really good – those one can watch twice without blinking. After some afternoons seeing loads of them, I could already smile and nod as a greeting sign.

In the afternoon children licked the leftovers of their chocolate ice-cream on their lips while giving little steps between the clown who turned balloons into animals and the girl who made their wishes come truth when they dropped a coin for her.

Enough is not enough for Gentians so several different activities and initiatives were held everywhere. You could get in a caravan and listening some comic guys singing a song in a funny way, see ice sculptures, learn different kinds of dances – the Irish ones were definitely the funniest; you could even feel that you and the rest of the people there were a consistent dancing group and not some people who randomly gathered… - buying every stuff one can imagine in the market, eating the biggest waffle ever seen :P, drinking mint tea in a Moroccan tent, going mad on a funfair attraction, …

Good food. Good fast food. Too many carapils – cannot drink them anymore.
Best concerts: Bonobo and Boshemi – ok I should have seen more and strolled less…
Spots to be: St Jacobs plein and Boudelou Park.

Everything for free.

One of the best festival atmosphere where I have ever been.

They won! I love Gent even more! =)

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

But, (there is always a but...) after 10 intensive days we realize that 10 days is way to much. That’s why the Gentse Feesten experts skip some nights in the beginning… to assure they can enjoy until the last second…

I also recognized (and I admitted it with knot in my throat…) that this isn’t my city anymore… … … my beloved ones are almost all gone… I don’t have much to do here but to face reality (this is over) and live on memories… and there is no sustainable and joyful life based upon memories.

I love my Belgian friends, but they often are away from Gent when they don’t have school… besides, it’s holydays time…

It’s time to go home…

p.s. A footnote for Ritita… Gentse Feesten wasn’t the same without you! :) I’m soooo glad I had you back in our town… Living with you, wandering and appreciating little moments, long talks until the dawn… as you said, we will still live a lot together, now I know it! :)

schattig...

Today Nona told me something like:
“Jij zal blijven ok? Niet ga de cinema ok?”
And then she added:
“Cinema is zoals a Tv, maar een groet Tv.” (while moving away her hands in opposite directions to show me what she meant with groet!)

I laugh and smile!
“Nona, cinema is cinema en engels. Maar dank je voor jou effort" (with dutch accent, I bet is not effort:P)

And she laughed too... :)

Será?

"O mais importante nos erros é não repeti-los."
"The most important thing about mistakes is not to repeat them."


by Nádia Borges Duarte

yellowzinha

I still don’t believe that she isn’t parked outside waiting for me any moment… definitely one of the most loyal friends one can have :P …

But believe me when I say that it was hard to get rid of her…

Undoubtedly I changed my perspective about cycling as a mean of transportation… no matter it rained or not, everyday I was going down and uphill (little hills in Gent you know… :P) with her… impossible to describe the freeness she gave me.

For that I lived more, I had an independent way of coming back home anytime (specially during the night when the streets insisted in not being straight! :P), I didn’t spend money on public transports, I didn’t pollute, I did exercise, I had a lot of fun just because I love biking and finally, I learn a lot about bikes – fixing bikes included!

It’s so damn cool! I’m really surprised that I enjoyed so much solving those kinds of problems that you normally call a boy to solve (as I did each time João was here:P).

But now, my friends, I emancipate myself! I can do it! ;) And I assure you I spent a pleasant time dirtying my hands. Let me know if you need my services (flat tires, dynamos, lights, metal thingies over the wheels, bells, seats...)! ;)