WWDD?

Robert and I are no fans of television(watching) but there are certain TV-shows that we do really love. We watch them on DVD so as to have the freedom to watch when and how many we want, and of course, to dodge the horrible advertising that otherwise blurts out at the viewers of TV. We are big fans of House, Six Feet Under, Huff, our local Texas show Friday Nights Lights, and now are about to start the 2nd season of Dexter. In light of all that is going on here in Belgium as a result of Friday's horrible event, I can't help but wonder "What Would Dexter Do?" Seriously, we NEED a Dexter!

Not Belgium again...

We have reached a very, very sad state of humanity when someone can randomly and violently start slashing babies. I heard the news yesterday about 2 hours after it had happened. A few hours later, it was world news. "Not Belgium again" printed the Times, recalling the country's past with child-molesters and the Dutroux-murders. Yes, Belgium. Apart from being in utter shock at what happened, people shook their heads and wondered, how could this happen here in Belgium? This stuff is supposed to happen only in America. Seriously. I saw several people make a similar statement on the news yesterday, only in America do you expect this, not here, not in our country.

Something like this SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ANYWHERE people! This is madness. And of course, insanity is everywhere. For there is no other answer in this. This cannot be explained by reason or motive.

The papers stipulate the lunatic-killer might have identified with The Joker from the Batman movies. Apparently he had painted his face and eyes in a similar fashion, had hacked away at his own hair. And all he has done since is laugh. He just sits and laughs during interrogation. (Robert pointed out that Heath Ledger died just a year ago, almost to the day. Don't tell me this was some weird fan gone mad?)

Yet, because we are a humane society, he was given medical care, and three psychiatrists are to figure out now what his problem is. Wouldn't it be a better solution to tie him to a poll in Dendermonde and let the people decide how to punish him? Oh it would be comforting if I believed in Hell the way it is depicted in 14th century churches, with demons incessantly inflicting the torments upon the sinners that they mostly incurred upon others on Earth.

I was barely able to read the paper this morning. My heart aches for all the parents involved in this massacre. I cannot help but think of Breughel's painting "The Massacre of the Innocents" and know that I will never, ever be able to look at that work again in the same way.

This was not what I wanted to write about today. I thank all of my friends in the States who wrote me to express their worries. Evelina is fine. But the feeling of "this could have happened anywhere" will not leave us for a long time.

and here we are in 2009...

I wish that with getting older I would learn to stop worrying so much about time passing too fast for me... ha. Not sure if that makes sense. I should just let the current take me instead of trying to back-paddle so much. Because, no matter how much I kick and scream, here we are in the year in which I turn 40!!!!!!! Ok, got that out. Now, I can move on. Happy New Year to all! We will have to make it happy for ourselves because it doesn't look like the economy, politics (with the exception of the hope in Obama), or the global religious situation, will provide much happiness. So this year, let's all enjoy the friends we have, be loving and forgiving to the family we have, and smile a bit more and (this one especially for myself) fret less and worry less!

I'm working on a "resolution list" (trite I know, but especially important to me this year!) and I might or might not share it with you. Depends what will end up on the list. I am encouraged by my sister-in-law who made a nice "inventory" which seems very useful to me. We are both into making lists and I think I need to make one of these. I will have plenty of time to do so on my 8 hour flight to Newark this Wednesday (that, or stick my head in the sand and read the book that my other sister-in-law sent me exactly for this flight! Ha, so either ponder my own life so far, or hide away in fiction.... hmm, we will see.)

So, the vacation is over, the Christmas lights are in the boxes again and the tree is taken down (see tree up in picture below). I was excited to put it up, but happy to clean it all up too. We had Christmas at the "new house" this year and it felt a little weird. Not in the least because our painter was still working on the 24th! He wanted to come finish up between Xmas and New Year's but my nerves ran out. I wanted a few mornings with "just us" in the house! In any case, this was our first Christmas in this house and thus the start of a new tradition. We did the Belgian Christmas Eve presents exchange and added a Santa Christmas morning complete in PJ's with messy hair for our little one, who is after all 1/2 American. I made a Texas/New Mexico dinner for Xmas Eve which fell in favor of my Belgian family who was here. So maybe that will become a tradition!

On the last day of the year the tree of us went to the Efteling in Holland, and we had a great day. What better to do to celebrate the year past (which for us was quite a year considering the move across the ocean, living in a (much too small) temporary place for nearly 5 months and out of boxes even longer...) than to escape to fairy-tale land. I will post some pictures of this magical day. It was freezing, but we had a great time visiting "het sprookjes bos," the place where all the fairy-tale characters live amongst the "kabouters" (gnomes). Truly, the innocence and excitement of a child at the age of 2 1/2 must be one the most beautiful things in the world. I cherish this time with my daughter, I know this will not last so we try to enjoy it as much as we can.



Today, first day of work for many, back to school, and the roads covered with snow. It was beautiful this morning taking my daughter to kindergarden on the bike. It was tricky and slippery-sloppy (her words) but we enjoyed it. It made getting out of bed again at 6:30 worth it. My husband's train schedule changed and he did not have such a great morning, even earlier now and with a connection. Let's hope his students make it worth it today.

So Wednesday I head to the US. The first time back since moving here, almost a year ago to the day. It will be weird to be back, but wonderful too! I look forward to seeing some good and dear friends whom I have missed. And (this is the BIG news) I will be a godmother! I will be a godmother to my good friend's second daughter Elizabeth, whom I haven't even met because she was born right after I left. I am excited to finally meet her. And to see her big sister again too, as she and Evelina were playmates all throughout Evelina's (short) life in Austin.
Evelina is not so happy about all this and I have not yet had the courage to tell her I am going to see Caroline and Baby Litty... Oh dear. I am nervous about leaving her of course, but she will be in good hands with her papa and also Moeke and Baba.

I hope to be able to post from there with some pics from my beloved Austin and friends. For now, greetings from a white Antwerp, with love. I leave you all with a few shots from during the Xmas break in Antwerp and Bruges.

Happy Birthday MOM!

Today is the birthday of a very special woman, my mother-in-law Nona Dale Snyder or "Mom", she is the reason of the "Nona" in Evelina's full name. She is 70 today and wants to keep it quiet. So we will be quiet. A reunion party of all the kids and the two grandchildren is not possible unfortunately. But we are all thinking about her and we all did something to surprise her today and that shows our love and gratitude for all that she does for us and means to us. Happy Birthday Mom/Grandma! Much love from all of us here in Belgium.

Sinterklaas is roaming the streets at night!

This image is so much more than a little kid's shoe with a crumpled piece of paper in it. It is the result of lots of preparing, thinking, and the symbol of incredible excitement about a nearly unimaginable miracle.

The letter is written (in our case dictated to mama) and lists (after careful consideration and being reminded by mama that in fact she already has a lot of the toys she is thinking of) toys wished for from the Holy man, Sint Nicolaas. Then the letter is personalized with much fervor and feverish coloring, and carefully placed in the shoe. And there it then sits until ... the child is sound asleep and the Sint himself, with of course the help of his (nowadays much discussed) Zwarte Piet, will come to our house to collect the note and leave some goodies as a sign that he indeed was here.

Evelina executed everything with much diligence and went to bed nervously. She kept hearing sounds. Was he already in our house? Would she see him? What a sneaky man (or is humble a better term?) to come only when the kids are sound asleep. In the morning she woke up slightly sad, "I don't think he came," she said, "because I didn't hear anything." "My letter will still be there, mama" she said. Then I urged her to go look, it took her a few seconds... it was after all the first time she saw presents scattered around empty shoes. She let out a scream of excitement which made all the "lying" worth it! This is why we do it, I thought. This innocence, the genuine excitement, the belief in a miracle, can only be with us for a short time in life and we have to cherish and foster it while it is there.

This was last week. I told her that the Sint went to collect all the letters and is now preparing, with all his Zwarte Pieten, the presents the children have asked for. All of these then will be delivered on December 6th. (Good thing Evelina cannot yet read a calendar, 'cause he will come to our house on the 7th since Robert has a swim meet in Luxembourg on Saturday. Oh well.)










I too grew up with Sinterklaas. I remember being a child and waking up full of anticipation. Our house then had a big staircase with a large walking bridge from which you could look down into the dining room. And in my PJ's I would walk down and already see the large table filled with presents and goodies. There would always be marsepein (marsepin), speculoos (hard gingerbread cookies but different), and clementine oranges. All brought from Spain of course! Which is where the man lived during the year. It was such a wonderful moment. I think I figured it out quite early... One year I had asked for a chalkboard, which I got, but on it "Sinterklaas" had left me a message about being a good girl and all... I don't remember what he wrote exactly, only that he had written it in exactly my dad's writing. Hmmmmm. After that we pretended for quite some years. And that was still nice. I realize now it isn't only for the presents, those I barely remember, what lasts is the memories. That is what we are really giving our children.

Ok, so far with the romanticism and nostalgia. What's with this man? Who is he and how does he dare to still have black slaves and moreover, get away with it? For those of you in the States who don't really know what I am talking about, here is the story we Belgian kids grow up with. Don't be shocked... It is not as clear-cut as Santa with his red-nosed reindeer. Here are some sites that will give you a more complete context and one on the black Peter.

So, Sinterklaas is a holy man ( a bishop really, and still wears his churchly garb including a cross on his head gear) who lives in Spain (see websites above as to why this country). Once a year he comes to Belgium and The Netherlands by steamboat accompanied by a white horse and several black servants. Sinterklaas himself is dressed in red, long garbs and has long white hair and beard, and carries a golden staff. His "assistants" sport major afros, are painted pitch-black, have bright red lips, and wear Morish outfits. (I know now that to Americans especially this is shocking. As a kid I thought nothing of it. That is just how the story goes.) A few days before the big night (Dec. 6th) kids can place their shoe by the fire place originally, anywhere these days, and the Sint will stop by to leave some goodies. This is also a great opportunity to leave a letter to the man with a wish list of what you might want to get when the big day comes. In the meantime the old man has a very busy schedule at the malls and schools. That he is truly special and holy is proven by the fact that he can be in several places at the same time. Then on the evening of the 5th, kids will put a plate on the dining room table with goodies for the horse, sugar cubes, carrots, etc. and drawings and what not, and go to sleep nervously and excited. The next morning the goodies are gone, and the table is filled with toys and gifts. That is of course, if you have been good. If not, you will get coal. Oh, and the song goes that who is good gets sweets, who is not, gets the stick. That stick is slapped on children's behinds by the black servants of course. All the more reason to be afraid of them. Not particularly a very PC situation.

The US Santa Claus is a derivative of course, but he changed quite a bit on his trip over to the US.(In fact, I think the Coca-Cola company was responsible for that one!) More recently the chubby, jolly, version has been brought back over to Europe, and is the "Kerstman" here (the Christmas Man.) There are quite some similarities still between Sinterklaas and Santa: the stocking (close enough to the shoe), coming at night through the chimney, leaving presents to be found in the morning, etc. No black servants though. But before any of you start pointing the fingers, let me remind you that I find having an army of short people do all the work for you isn't entirely innocent either. They don't even get to come along to join the fun.

Well, of course many others before have pondered how to deal with the Zwarte Piet issue in today's world. In fact, I've been finding some great personal comments on the topic, mainly ( I will say) by Americans living in Belgium and The Netherlands. Look at this one. There are some great images as well, some of which I had lined up to post. This one has some nice pics too. These type of images persist in the Belgian culture as well. And honestly, I will say that, had I not lived in the US, I wouldn't think much of it other than that the image represents Sinterklaas' side-kick. And most people here think of it that way. What I don't know is how the African population think of this. (Of course, I can explore that question.) But in that same line of thought, a major Belgian newspaper (De Standaard) today ran a long article on how much the immigrant population loves Sinterklaas. The article was accompanied by a photograph of the Sint at a school with predominantly immigrant (and thus non-Christian, mainly Moslim) children. They don't notice the cross, it said. He's just a nice old man who brings presents. So maybe if the Moslims aren't bothered by the cross, then well... (you get my point, right?) Maybe Zwarte Piet is just the guy who carries the bag.

Well, Sinterklaas came to all other kids last night. Because Robert had a swim meet today, Sinterklaas is coming here tonight. She carefully placed the sugar and carrots on the plate. Let's see what the good man and his cute friend bring her.

Some other views on living in Belgium

For those of you with extra time on their hands and an eagerness to learn more about Belgium than what you get from me (which isn't much, I know) I have added a couple more blogs to my list. Take a look at I love Belgians (which I am not sure she does --and I don't blame her-- but she is a great writer!) and Antwerp Calling. I will keep searching for more. I just learned that there are over 700 bloggers in Antwerp. No, I am not going to look at all of them. But when I come across something worthy, I will add it. This of course does not imply that I share the views. But we're not going for uniformity here.

And since I did not manage to take pictures of the first snow in town, look at Antwerp Calling's shots!

Can someone hold the time for me please?

I need for the rest of the world and time to stop a little while, so that I can catch up. Is it really December? There must be some mistake... my calendar says it is October still. I had big plans for a Thanksgiving dinner and inviting people who don't know TG. But unfortunately none of it happened. May I blame it on my painter? That nice man who practically has been been living with us for weeks now (again!). Do any of you remember the TV show "Murphy Brown"? If you do, well, then you know what I mean. Our painter is less gruffy and doesn't wear overalls, but the idea is the same. He nearly lives with us. He has a key and lets himself in around 8 am, brings his coffee but never says no when I offer him a freshly brewed one... I know about his kids, family, house, etc. And obviously he sees how we live and knows every room of our house. And yes, he does paint too, and he does it well, but not fast. That probably IS a good thing. Except for the fact that he now has been behind on 2 deadlines. The first one was our move-in date. Ha, I laugh at that now! And the second one was Thanksgiving.... And instead, he is off painting somewhere else this week and will come back next week "to finish up" but god only knows how long that will take still. ARG. I guess because he is nice and friendly that I haven't gotten angry at him yet. I've yelled at the contractor, at the architect, at the plumber, at the wall-plasterer.... but not at the painter (YET!) I have a whole week now to be bothered by and to let it fester.

Today is actually the first day in what seems a long time that I am not working (on translations, applications,tutoring ...) and not hopping on a train to Brussels or Gent to meet professionals and academics in my quest towards ... well, what? Something. Anyway, it feels weird almost to be in an empty house, alone. (See, the painter isn't here!) Hence this short update. There is cleaning to be done, so I don't have time for pics now. But I hope to be back this week with some. This is an exciting week for Evelina. Her first experience with St. Nick (Sinterklaas)! He has been at our house twice already, in the night, quietly... leaving gifts in her shoe. And he has collected her drawing and the letter she dictated to me with the list of items she would like him to bring her next weekend. More on that later!

Greetings from a cold Antwerp.