I used to think of my own Belgium as probably the ugliest place in the world. Mind you, I wouldn't really want to move somewhere else, but that doesn't mean it isn't ugly: too many buildings, bad architecture (not necessarily due to bad architects: everyone is just allowed to build their own house how they want), no nature, and the only nature you will find is agricultural...

However, since we have the dog we did discover quite some nice walks in the woods and along rivers even not so far from where we live. And just recently, since we have to spend our money on the refurbishment of the kitchen we decided to do a 4-day walking trip in the Ardennes during our vacation and not go abroad like we usually do. The Ardennes is an area in the South of Belgium with lots of woods, you may know it from the 'Battle of the Ardennes'.

Anyway, the hotels we stayed in and the food was crap. However we did do some great walks and see some great nature. One day we even did a 16 kilometer walk without seeing another soul! Here are some pictures to prove that Belgium CAN be beautiful.

So I want to give Coolboy some tips about his puppy and I write a comment on his blog. When I check it out later I do not see it. Fortunately the entry is in my history so I press the back button a couple of times: it seems that to the 'simple math question'

Which was 7 + 39

I answered

49

Really!!

(Do I have to start worrying now?)

For all you people working from home and desperately needing a break...

Go HERE, push PLAY and sing along:

(DISCLAIMER: For those who wonder, this is a link to the official INXS site so it is legal)

All veils and misty
Streets of blue
Almond looks
That chill divine
Some silken moment
Goes on forever
And we're leaving broken hearts behind

Mystify
Mystify me
Mystify
Mystify me

I need perfection
Some twisted selection
That tangles me
To keep me alive

In all that exists
None have your beauty
I see your face
I will survive

Mystify
Mystify me
Mystify
Mystify me

Eternally wild with the power
To make every moment come alive
All those stars that shine upon you
Will kiss you every night

All veils and misty
Streets of blue
Almond looks
That chill divine
Some silken moment
Goes on forever
And we're leaving
Yeah we're leaving broken hearts behind

Mystify
Mystify me
Mystify
Mystify me

You're eternally wild with the power
To make every moment come alive
All those stars that shine upon you
And they'll kiss you every night

Mystify
Mystify me
Mystify
Mystify me
Mystify
Mystify me
Mystify

One of the nice things of Work from Home + the existence of the Internet is that when there is a nice song on the radio you can look up the lyrics and sing along loud!!

So Push Here and Here We Go:

THE BRAVERY LYRICS

An Honest Mistake


People
They don't mean a thing to you
They move right through you
Just like your breath
But sometimes
I still think of you
And I just wanted to
Just wanted you to know
My old friend...
I swear I never meant for this
I never meant...

Don't look at me that way
It was an honest mistake
Don't look at me that way
It was an honest mistake
An honest mistake

Sometimes
I forget I'm still awake
I fuck up and say these things out loud

My old friend...
I sweat I never meant for this
I never meant...

Don't look at me that way
It was an honest mistake
Don't look at me that way
It was an honest mistake
An honest mistake

Don't look at me that way
It was an honest mistake
Don't look at me that way
It was an honest mistake
An honest mistake

Found that my colleague from Belgium, David Delabassee is blogging too. He writes interesting stuff about Java... I am still looking for other blogging Belgians to link to...

Oh, best song that is currently around is playing right NOW: THE BRAVERY: "Honest mistake". The Eighties revival is the best trend in music of the last couple of years...

I am on duty this weekend. At PTS that's not so bad as we have a follow-the-sun principle: I have to take P1 calls from 9am till 5pm. Anything before that goes to the Asia-Pacific duty engineer, anything after that to the Americas. So still 4 hours to go for me. Till now it has been reasonably quiet, only one call yesterday which was a crash dump analysis. One good thing about being on duty is that you can send your significant other to the supermarket for Saturday's shopping. So to fill the gap till 5pm some random rants:

-Despite the duty I allowed myself a quick run to the bookstore yesterday with my sister to find a present for my brother's wife who is receiving her PHD on Monday. What struck me is the sheer amount of Da Vinci Code followers. They all have titles like 'Messias Mystery', 'Michelangelo Whatever', 'Turin Dilemma'... Probably a good summer read for the fans and easy money for the publishers...

-When driving home we heard on the radio that the Dutch Minister of Education wants to have schools teach Intelligent Design next to Darwinism at high school's science classes. Huh ??? Did "it" spread so rapidly to so near a place? I went to a Catholic high school and we got the story of creation during the one hour religious class and Darwin during biology, and that was perfectly acceptible. I think (but I must admit that I have no practical experience) that one of the core aspects of being a true religiuous person is to except a dogmatical and scientific truth juxtaposed, not to replace one by another. Thus in science class science must be thought, in religious class religion. That said, I could forgive the science teacher pondering upon who actually set the light on the big bang...

-More religious pondering although on a somewhat lighter note: we were wondering, while drinking a glass of after-duty white wine in the sun,   how it is possible that the pope is not allowed to bring his cats to his new home. Does a pope have landlords??? We were under the impression that he had only God to report to and if there is a God I doubt he or she  would mind cats. I hope pope Benedict is allowed to bring them so that they do not suffer from his career and I must admit I am slightly more sympathetic towards him since I know he loves cats :o)

-This week I received a nesting block for solitary bees. Idea is that we hang it in our garden and we write down which bees nest in it. This is part of a project of the University of Gent to make a solitary bee map of Belgium. Today I varnished the block, and I must admit also part of myself, as I am clumsiness incarnate.

 

I must admit I am a happy taxpayer. Belgium is known for its high taxes, which makes local celebrities such as Justine Henin or Kim Clijsters want to emigrate to places like Monaco. I consider this bad citizenship and am grateful for our good roads, social security and excellent and free education. Also it is the ones that earn much that have to pay much, which pleases my socialist soul.

And sometimes there's a pleasant surprise: just received note that I will receive a refund of 395 Euro for the taxes I paid too much last year :o)))

 

 

 

Or rather: Rik Torfs for Rector of the University of Leuven!

Leuven is the town that so kindly adopted me 12 years ago when I first started my life as a student. Apart from a one year stay in Antwerp (didn't like it there, too big, too unfriendly, too trendy even) I never went away and bought a house in its near vicinity almost 4 years ago. Because it is a university town there is a good choice of pubs, restaurants, culture, cinema, book stores ... The university itself is one of the oldest of Europe and has never lost its appeal to me: I am now back as a philosophy student in evening classes.

And now the university needs a new rector. The previous one was an engineer, and I did blame him a littlebit for not having too much awe or interest in the Arts, which is my original field of study. So it is time now for someone fresh, preferable someone with an interest also in not-so-worldly matters.

One of the candidates is Rik Torfs. And Rik Torfs it should be! Although his field of expertise (Church Law) sounds a bit dull, he has over the last couple of years become a much invited guest at many television shows. In the news papers and on talk shows he talks about everything that touches upon religion, as there are the new pope, the Da Vinci Code,  condoms, ... Some people speak of overexposure, but I still remember one of his first appearances on TV: his dry humour made my day. His humour is still very dry and I don't mind being over exposed to it...

Now he is a candidate to become the new rector. Shouldn't a rector be in these modern days someone who can deal with the media, be a brilliant speaker and still be able to cope with serious matters as well? And look at the picture: in a funny way he is even quite sexy! If you are a Leuven University professor reading this, please vote for him!

He has a (Dutch) website: http://www.riktorfs.be.

 

 

It is asparagus time! This divine vegetable is at its best in April and May. Its afrodisiac qualities are well renowned, and it is best eaten accompanied by a glass of good champagne.  There is a white and a green version, but the green version is really only there to teach children to eat asparagus (it has a slightly bitter taste, and appreciation of the white asparagus comes with age).
We have been eating nothing but asparagus for the last 3 weeks...

Here is the recipe for 'Asparagus the Flemish Way'

-Chop off the 7 a 10 cm hard part of the asparagus' bottom
-Cook the asparagus in water with a littlebit of salt
-Take 4 hard boiled eggs
-Melt 150 gr of margarine
-Crush the hard boiled eggs and mix with the melted margarine
-Add salt + pepper + parsil to that sauce
-Serve asparagus on a plate topped with the egg and margarine sauce.

This is fun. It is a website where you can create a map of the countries you have visited.
Seems like South America is a big gap, and I would love to visit Iceland some day.

create your own visited countries map or vertaling Duits Nederlands

Yesterday I ended watching a reality show called Outback Jack which left me with some unanswered questions.
It is a batchelor-like match making show about a bunch of posh spoiled girls trying to get the attention of a good-looking farmer called Jack. Of course after each episode, the ones he likes least are sent home. Of course they all cry and are sad after such event.
I was flabberghasted. Maybe I do not understand the nature of these shows and probably all is just staged but:

-Why would you run around in bikini in the Australian bush? Seems a stupid thing to do given all these mosquitos?
-Why would Outback Jack want to marry spoiled girls who are afraid of tiny little spiders?
-Why would these girls want to give up their posh city lives to marry framer Jack and live in the outback?
-What kind of people would fall in love during a such a show anyway?

We found these turkeys on the window of a comic book store and thought them quite original Christmas decoration. Happy New Year!