Well, another wonderful Friday (becoming my favourite day of the week - over Saturday and Sunday...) and another time of mixed feelings. Since May began, it has hardly rained. If you know anything about this side of the globe, there seems to be a constant grey cloud just hanging over Belgium (and possibly extending to England) for most of the year. A nice day is one where it is overcast and doesnt rain. So, I am currently in heaven considering it has averaged 20-25°C everyday for 2 weeks, and we even had a mini tropical storm in the middle of it - with lightning, thunder and all! Reminded me of home! So now I am averaging 100km cycling a week (not that much, but more than before!), Tom is running maybe 50km plus riding 100km a week, and it doesnt even hurt so much when you have the summer surrounding you :). If only the rest of the year were this beautiful, I would definitely not want to leave.
Now that this has all been said, the reason for me enclosing the mini-plan of Antwerp, is because of the news of yesterday. A Martin Bryant inverse wannabe decided to shoot a few foreigners/tourists in the middle of the city sometime yesterday - including a child. Ironically, it was in the zwartzustersstraat (translation = black sisters street) and this brought one of those horrible black clouds back (which we waited so long for to disappear). Once again, as I understand (and I am not to be quoted here...) I think the bullets were directed at members of a 'brown' society. It drives me crazy how the Vlaams Belang (the one-nation party of Flanders) brainwash a normally clever Flemish society into becoming so one-minded and stereotypically marginal - as though it's 'cool' to hate foreigners (even though the most of the Belgians like to practise English/French/Spanish/Italian........). I just really love the city of Antwerp and until now, have enjoyed it's diversity in such small proximity. I have only known it for 2 years, but I hope it doesnt change from it's green/socialistic history to the extreme right-wing, capitalist model which could destroy it.
3 comments:
We've just had the 10 year memorial of the Martin Bryant massacre. Yes, it's sad to hear how right wing extremists can influence people. However, for once this week, the news here has been dominated by good news. Don't know whether you heard but two miners were trapped one kilometre underground for 14 nights (in Tasmania) and they were finally rescued this week. It was an incredible rescue and the whole country followed the rescue effort day by day. These blokes were incredible and their sense of humour never waned. Brought back what being Australian is all about.
Yeah, actually, Tasmania was in the news here! People here have been asking me about it, but I do agree, it is such a feel-good news story :)
Hey Inge and Tom, Sad news from Antwerp city, I hope the sun has started shining again, on the city and yourselves.
Love kels xxx
Ps. wish I was near so we can jog together! Something we've never done, I guess you're getting fit too, (with me behind).
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