It is stormy today. The wind is howling and rain drops are going horizontal! It is definitely a stay-in Thursday. I bet there will not be a crowd at the weekly market despite it being a school holiday.
Category Archives: Belgium
In Search Of Money
I have been watching a new Flemish TV program called Geld Gezocht. The following are my takeaways from each episode so far:
- Rethink and optimise one’s job. Cut out bad and unhealthy habits. Rethink conveniences that cost. Cook at home.
- Be aware of what you still have in the pantry. Make a food budget. Do grocery with a shopping list. Plan your meals. Do not spoil your children too much.
- Recognise and re-organise your large spendings. Reaccess your relationships with ‘trusted’ brands. Always read the fine lines!
- Compare price and quality of items you need. White goods are usually worth it. Be timely and organised with paperwork. There are usually ‘cheaper’ options with regards to holiday trips and expensive hobbies.
Bokkeslot Harvest
This Sunday afternoon, D and I cycled to Bokkeslot for the oogstfeest. As we did in 2019 and 2022, we visited the animals, took photos, drank, ate, bought things from the farm’s shop, and enjoyed the good weather along with many others.
Partitioned
Yesterday, I emailed the city hall with enquiries. I will probably not hear back from them anytime soon and need to follow up on the matter next week. Administration stuck in quicksand. *sigh*
This morning, I received a forwarded email from my mother regarding one of the properties in Malaysia. *sigh*
But first thing first. I need to live the here and now…
At noon, D and I got on our bicycles and cycled to a restaurant nearby to celebrate his father’s belated birthday lunch. The four of us enjoyed our food and then continued the get-together at our home with coffee. That was my afternoon in short.
In the evening, I contacted my mother and we discussed what to do with the paperwork concerning the Malaysian property.
My brain is (and has been for decades) partitioned into different time-zones, continents, and administrative styles.
Email Win
What a weekend…
Saturday afternoon, I went to the library to renew my membership. What happened then was a blur and I ended up with a new library card, a borrowed book and my decade-old library card blocked. What the heck?! I started to get really annoyed about it when I got home and had time to digest what just happened.
At five, D and I cycled to the city square to check out the annual food truck festival. It was too early to be exciting. We went home after fifteen minutes of walking around, to get ready for our dinner gathering with our next door neighbours.
The gathering was quite fun because our neighbours have a baby, an active toddler, and very friendly fluffy cats. We spent time drinking, eating and chatting till one in the morning.
Sunday was Open Bedrijvendag. In the afternoon, D and I visited a bike installing company and then a plastic recycling plant. After that, I have no interest nor energy to cook. So, dinner was fries and things from the frietkot, plus the leftover noodles from my neighbour.
This Monday morning, I strategised and schemed to get my old library membership back. First, I used DeepL to translate what I wrote in English, I copied pasted that into an email which I promptly sent to the library. I was ready to go into battle, to win my 15-year-old membership back.
Within an hour, I got an email back and everything is fixed. Thank you DeepL AI. Thank you baby universal translator.
Sunday Choices
Today is the third day of Harelbeke Feest. But instead of spending hours at the city festival near home, with the possibility of meeting up with people we know, D and I chose to visit two Dag van de Landbouw sites. The day was spent amongst people, eating and drinking, with the bonus of seeing a variety of plants and farm animals. No regrets here!
Punk Fireworks
Sometimes in life, one skips the fireworks for something else…
This evening, that something else was punk music at Ratrock. 😉
Monuments 2023
Yesterday was Open Monumentendag. In the afternoon, D and I visited three sites: a water mill in Anzegem, an art-deco style villa in Waregem, and the work site of Abby, the previous Kortrijk 1302 museum, in Kortrijk.
We concluded the day with a sushi takeaway dinner, because who the heck wants to cook in this kind of temperature?!
Nivelles & Villers
This afternoon, D and I went on a road trip to Wallonia. We visited a park, a church, the city Nivelles, drank the local beers, and then visited Abbaye de Villers. When we were done roaming (and hiking) about the ruins, we stopped by the on-site bistro, drank some more beers and ate charcuterie. It was a wonderful afternoon excursion.
Thursday’s Tasks
Today is the last day of August.
In the morning, I went to an appointment I have set up at the city hall, to follow up on my citizenship enquiry. Believe it or not, nobody has taken a look at the documents which I have turned in two weeks ago. Holidays, festivals, and so forth. I was told that I shall hear from them by mid September. Huh? It is not like I have deposited boxes of paperwork from my 52 years of existence?! Oh well.
After the short meeting at the city hall, I walked to the weekly market to see if there were anything I need. I ended up just buying two eierkoeken for D. I then went to the banks nearby to withdraw cash (Dollar to Euro) from the ATMs.
In the afternoon, someone from the city hall called to set up an appointment to discuss an issue with my name. Story of my life when dealing with immigration; there will always be something. Ah well, at least my little surprise visit has set things in motion.