Last week I went to Poland. Of course there was some drama involved. This time not because of the sole fact of going to Poland but rather because of the reason of going there – my exams. Just a quick update – I am still technically a student in Poland and I should attend the classes of my fifth year but as you know I work in Belgium. By October, I had set all my exams and got all the necessary agreements enabling me to work abroad and study in Poland. Nevertheless, I had the same obligations like students in Poland – passing exams like everyone else (or even worse – passing some additional exams due to my permanent absence). Because of all of that I was pretty stressed before going to Poland and not sure whether I would pass them and whether the decision not to finish my studies in a ‘traditional’ way was right.
The fact of being a student in Poland and especially feeling like one right after arriving there made me feel as if I had travelled to the past. There were more signs of the past – being at home again and living with my parents, meeting up with some people deep, deep from my childhood or teenage hood or even traveling by bus from my home town to Sopot where I study. A few times I listened to people talking on the buses or trains and realized I lived and worked in a different reality and I had totally different values in my life – they were more into settling down, living in one place, doing the same job or not going out and socializing too often which was also the case for many of my friends back in Poland. I often noticed how frustrated they were with their jobs and they usually didn’t enjoy working with their colleagues. I would have serious troubles in readjusting to Polish reality if I had to move back to my country. This time I did not have any significant cultural shocks... or maybe I did? - isn't what I am describing above a cultural shock? For sure, I didn't feel annoyed because I had to stay there for one week only and I rather felt like a tourist than an inhabitant or a resident (in this case, feeling like a tourist was not that bad). I knew I would head back to my current life in Brussels within a few days. And so it happened. Before that, I passed my exams, I caught up with a lot of old friends (time goes by but people stay), spent some time with my family and due to the fact of staying at my parents’ place (and some other factors too) I even managed to save some money.
All in all, it was a bit stressful trip but all that I planned was achieved (including a bit of partying and meeting up with people). It was much more ‘peaceful’ trip than last summer and I was more reconciled with the country than the last time which was great. I am happy I had quite good relationship with Poland. And I think it is going to be even better once I am done with my uni for good and no trip will ever be associated with the scary vision of exams period.
And furthermore, who says that trips back to past are bad?!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
what season is that?
Toto, I don't think we are in the good season anymore.
Yes, I have the feeling that good season got a bit swept away. At least for this few weeks of January. It should be back as soon as I [successfully] deal with my university (and I do hope it happens before 24 January and please, keep your fingers crossed for me). Bad mood, not so much socializing, the must of studying, a lot of confusions what to do with my work life...
Too many questions, too few answers...
Yesterday, I actually did go out with Verena. We went to this chic hotel for an event called 'Fashion and Cars'. As much as I like pretentious and arrogant people, this was way too much for me. It was too snobby. People posing to pics as if they were movie stars (maybe they were?), exorbitant prices (I called it 'unhappy hour' or 'miserable hour' when you pay for two and get one), bad service or no cloakroom (!). But the most obnoxious thing was when I saw this blond, silly-looking girl with a small dog (of the ratter breed) under her arm. She would not let the poor creature from her hands even for a while. She would walk around the place all the time with the dog. And the animal was dressed better than some of the people there.
The event was called 'Fashion and Cars' - there was no sign of cars there unfortunately. And the fashion show was highly disappointing too. Yes, there were some cute models and nice clothes. However, there was even no catwalk. The models were walking in a colouir/through the door from the lobby to the resto where most of the people were standing. The entrance was blocked by the show so other people found it hard to leave or get inside. However, some of them did that interrupting 'the show' and then you could not actually tell who was the model and who was not. Oh Brussels... sometimes so exciting but sometimes so embarassing...
Luckily, I was there with Verena and then our two party mates showed up. They are all smart and funny so we had a lot of laugh commenting on the event and making fun mixing it with sarcastic jokes. It was rather a comedy event that fashion and cars show.
At least there was fun. Because fun is important...
Yes, I have the feeling that good season got a bit swept away. At least for this few weeks of January. It should be back as soon as I [successfully] deal with my university (and I do hope it happens before 24 January and please, keep your fingers crossed for me). Bad mood, not so much socializing, the must of studying, a lot of confusions what to do with my work life...
Too many questions, too few answers...
Yesterday, I actually did go out with Verena. We went to this chic hotel for an event called 'Fashion and Cars'. As much as I like pretentious and arrogant people, this was way too much for me. It was too snobby. People posing to pics as if they were movie stars (maybe they were?), exorbitant prices (I called it 'unhappy hour' or 'miserable hour' when you pay for two and get one), bad service or no cloakroom (!). But the most obnoxious thing was when I saw this blond, silly-looking girl with a small dog (of the ratter breed) under her arm. She would not let the poor creature from her hands even for a while. She would walk around the place all the time with the dog. And the animal was dressed better than some of the people there.
The event was called 'Fashion and Cars' - there was no sign of cars there unfortunately. And the fashion show was highly disappointing too. Yes, there were some cute models and nice clothes. However, there was even no catwalk. The models were walking in a colouir/through the door from the lobby to the resto where most of the people were standing. The entrance was blocked by the show so other people found it hard to leave or get inside. However, some of them did that interrupting 'the show' and then you could not actually tell who was the model and who was not. Oh Brussels... sometimes so exciting but sometimes so embarassing...
Luckily, I was there with Verena and then our two party mates showed up. They are all smart and funny so we had a lot of laugh commenting on the event and making fun mixing it with sarcastic jokes. It was rather a comedy event that fashion and cars show.
At least there was fun. Because fun is important...
the law of 'disattraction'
Sorry, for not having been here recently. Just before Christmas I had Ludwika coming for 2 days from Spain and later my habibi came over to spend Christmas and New Year's Eve with me. It was a great period. 1.5 a week off, hanging out in Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp and a great 3-day-trip to Paris. Meeting up with some great friends, having dinners, joggings, great NY's Eve party. Simply amazing time.
And then New Year came and along with it habibi left, the atmosphere disappeared, my flat became very quiet, the amazing light and sound show from Grand Place in Brussels was finsihed, streets got empty and it all just got very sad and dissapointing. Does it always have to be like this in the first days of New Years? After all, it's a New Year and we all should start it positively with right approach and right feelings. Apparently, it does not work for me like this.
I believe the most crucial factor that influenced me and my bad mood in the first days of the year was the fact that I had to start studying for my exams. To those that forgot (including me I suppose) I am still a student even though I have a full time job in Brussels. I am on my fifth year. My thesis is already written but I just have to review and correct it and moreover I have some few exams to pass. The projected graduation date should be somewhere around June and please, kick me hard if it is not going to be the case. All of the sudden, after successful more than three months of explaining to all of my professors I would not be attending the classes and fixing the dates and conditions of my exams, I got scared. The last time I went to a class was in May 2007. And now after almost 2 years I need to write exams. I lost the habitude, I lost the feeling of being a student (had I ever had it before?) - I exchanged the current semester of studies into one week of exams preceded by just a few days of studying. I just want to get it over with. Rationally speaking (and this is also what everyone keeps telling me), I should not have any problems with my exams within these few days. So why do I get scared? Why did I panic? Why don't I want to go to Poland?
And we reach here another interesting point. Again, I am going to Poland (17-24 January 2009) in some weird and unpleasent circumstances. Not only my studies but also some weird situation with my family. It is the second time I go to Poland since I do not live there permanently and it is going to be bizarre again. Last time I went there, it was when I left Morocco and you all heard enough of that so I will not repeat it here. One more time, because of all those negative conditions I do not feel comfortable with going to my own country. I wish I could be after this trip now. I associate all my visits to Poland with dealing with this strange stuff and thus I keep atributing it to my country which does no good to my relationship with Poland.
I do not want to go there. Will I always feel like this? Or is it just now? Maybe once I am done with my studies I will be able to just go there, relax, catch up with family and friends? I do hope so.
They say that once you travel a lot abroad and then come back to country you should realize that there is no better place to live than your Motherland. Shame to admit but it was different for me. I had never before [consciously] found Poland ugly or unpleasent to live. I had never wanted to live abroad permanently. Just before I went to Morocco I initially planned to return to Poland and live there for good. Once I got outside the country I liked living abroad so much that I believe I will never feel like returning. And that is acceptable - but why do I have to dislike it so strongly? Because of all the negative aspects that I will have there soon or had when coming back from Morocco (dealing with studies after fabulous year of living abroad, some health problems I had, a death of a close member of family, living back with parents and having shitty and frustrating job, lack of international aspects etc)?
Or maybe - and even though it is hard to admit that I will do it - because there is not much things (and people?) there that I need to have in my life... at least on a regular basis. I hope it is not the right answer...
And then New Year came and along with it habibi left, the atmosphere disappeared, my flat became very quiet, the amazing light and sound show from Grand Place in Brussels was finsihed, streets got empty and it all just got very sad and dissapointing. Does it always have to be like this in the first days of New Years? After all, it's a New Year and we all should start it positively with right approach and right feelings. Apparently, it does not work for me like this.
I believe the most crucial factor that influenced me and my bad mood in the first days of the year was the fact that I had to start studying for my exams. To those that forgot (including me I suppose) I am still a student even though I have a full time job in Brussels. I am on my fifth year. My thesis is already written but I just have to review and correct it and moreover I have some few exams to pass. The projected graduation date should be somewhere around June and please, kick me hard if it is not going to be the case. All of the sudden, after successful more than three months of explaining to all of my professors I would not be attending the classes and fixing the dates and conditions of my exams, I got scared. The last time I went to a class was in May 2007. And now after almost 2 years I need to write exams. I lost the habitude, I lost the feeling of being a student (had I ever had it before?) - I exchanged the current semester of studies into one week of exams preceded by just a few days of studying. I just want to get it over with. Rationally speaking (and this is also what everyone keeps telling me), I should not have any problems with my exams within these few days. So why do I get scared? Why did I panic? Why don't I want to go to Poland?
And we reach here another interesting point. Again, I am going to Poland (17-24 January 2009) in some weird and unpleasent circumstances. Not only my studies but also some weird situation with my family. It is the second time I go to Poland since I do not live there permanently and it is going to be bizarre again. Last time I went there, it was when I left Morocco and you all heard enough of that so I will not repeat it here. One more time, because of all those negative conditions I do not feel comfortable with going to my own country. I wish I could be after this trip now. I associate all my visits to Poland with dealing with this strange stuff and thus I keep atributing it to my country which does no good to my relationship with Poland.
I do not want to go there. Will I always feel like this? Or is it just now? Maybe once I am done with my studies I will be able to just go there, relax, catch up with family and friends? I do hope so.
They say that once you travel a lot abroad and then come back to country you should realize that there is no better place to live than your Motherland. Shame to admit but it was different for me. I had never before [consciously] found Poland ugly or unpleasent to live. I had never wanted to live abroad permanently. Just before I went to Morocco I initially planned to return to Poland and live there for good. Once I got outside the country I liked living abroad so much that I believe I will never feel like returning. And that is acceptable - but why do I have to dislike it so strongly? Because of all the negative aspects that I will have there soon or had when coming back from Morocco (dealing with studies after fabulous year of living abroad, some health problems I had, a death of a close member of family, living back with parents and having shitty and frustrating job, lack of international aspects etc)?
Or maybe - and even though it is hard to admit that I will do it - because there is not much things (and people?) there that I need to have in my life... at least on a regular basis. I hope it is not the right answer...
Saturday, December 20, 2008
'cause our paths will cross eventually...
One of very controversial things concerning living as an expat is meeting people and not being able to stay in touch with them when you do not live in one place with them anymore. It is often said that they are not your real friends as you cannot maintain a friendship without seeing each other regularly. Of course you can meet them up from time to time but it is not that easy. The worst thing is to say goodbye to your friends when you know you will probably never live in the same place with them anymore. But the great thing is that as you all are expats sooner or later your paths will cross somewhere in the world. By chance.
That is the way, last Monday, I ended up having a drink in an Irish pub 'the Wild Goose' with my Greek friend Eugenia. I met her in 2004 when she was doing her internship in Poland and I was on the second year of my studies. We ended up living in the same dormitory for a few weeks. We had nice time going out together or watching the episodes of South Park on my computer. Then she left and we had contact from time to time but not very often. Then a few weeks ago on MSN we both realized that we had been living in the same country. So we decided to meet up and old bonds were renewed.
Luckily, the Internet enabled us to stay in touch and figure out that we were in the same countries.
And maybe you have to face tough moments while saying good bye to your friends. But you will meet them eventually. If you really want it.
Maybe life as an expat is not always easy. But it is definitely exciting. It is fabulous. And you feel you really live your life.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
'I'm in a Brussel state of mind' - part deux
I believe I have managed to reach a very interesting state of my life. I do not know how others would feel about it but I think it is really great. I have all the stable and seemingly sort of boring aspects of my life - good job, social insurances, a car, reasonable salary, a nice place to live etc etc. On the other hand, I believe I have NOT boringly settled down into this convenient life. I manage to travel a lot (last month Paris and Istanbul, this month Marseille and soon Paris, Amsterdam and who knows what more will come, next month Spain / Portugal and Poland; and the list can only be longer). I meet great people, go to fabulous parties, I do not live in the suburbs and I don't buy furniture in the IKEA.
Is it a moment of your life when you have all those great things? Or can you live your life like this always? Will this great balance end and your life will be dominated by one side which will not be that great anymore. Just exciting things but no stability? Or just boring, stable things and no random fun? Can we have it all? All the time? Is it only up to us? Am I just lucky to have achieved that? Or am I just lucky because the destiny is favorable to me?
Yesterday, I was walking Verena to the metro station after wine and pizza party for two when suddenly, we ended up talking how much we loved our lives in Brussels. And today she added that she had to take pictures before she would leave. The pics of La Bourse, Grand Place or Parc du Cinquantenaire. And even the pics of the metro... I bet you remember how I (and so did she) bitched about our lives here. Boy, oh boy! Things change...
Is it the beginning of happiness or is just the moment?
Or maybe I should just shut the fuck up and start enjoying it. The moment that is now. Right now.
Monday, December 1, 2008
'I am in Bruxelles state of mind'
‘In the city of great expectations - is it time to settle for what you can get?’
That was said about New York and one should not even dare to compare Brussels to NYC.
Still, it is definitely getting better here for me. It is a new season – a very good one. Finally, there is the good mix – the mix of places and people.
After fabulous reunions with my friends met in Morocco I was left alone by them as they all headed to their countries all over Europe and Northern Africa. Luckily I still have Verena – my friend met in Morocco who was there for 2 months of the summer 2007 and then left back home. Our friendship continued in Madrid (where she did her Erasmus semester) and in Rabat again (where she visited me last May). Then, luckily and totally by chance, we both got jobs / internships in Brussels as of September 2008. She was (and still is) my most important contact of Brussels. We both went through the same process of the initial disappointment of our lives in the capital of Europe and further exploration of the city and its people which resulted in some more exciting life-styles.
Wednesday, 19 Nov - we went to a newly found supposedly hot spot of Brussels – Red line – a lounge bar that hosted the Kitchen of Soul party. Promoted as ‘1 event and 5 discoveries’ (live concert, exhibition, tribute to genius of music, gastronomy, travel in the past) it didn’t actually enable me to discover most of them. Maybe I left too early because of disappointment and was not patient enough to wait longer. Luckily, I was accompanied by right people and thus not bored there. You can have fun anywhere even if the atmosphere is not encouraging. I guess this was the rule of Rabat – although it’s a nice place to live if you don’t know the right people you might be bored really quickly. As you might guess it was not the case for me.
Thursday, 20 Nov. Back in Havana – happy hour and you can drink for two but pay for one. My stomach and liver would strongly disagree. Of course they had nothing to say (actually they were pretty annoyed but it was only on the day after). Havana – a mix of right people in the right place. Something I really need on Thursday night (everyday?). I met Verena and Ronny (who is the most fabulous and classy straight guy I had ever met) and danced with some random gals. And I also had a nice conversation with this Kenyan woman working for the Kenyan embassy in Belgium (did I mention I have a soft spot for diplomats?). Crazy party during the week.
I left around 11.30 PM and before heading for metro and while being a bit dizzy I sat on the concrete fence near Palais de Justice just near the elevator. You can have a nice view of Brussels from this place and so I enjoyed it and thought about the city while having a conversation with it. It is another average and undervalued city (and I understand why it’s undervalued) where I ended up living. It is not very big and said to be boring. Despite that I discovered a lot and now I am living a fabulous life here. How did that happen? I guess I got the answer some months ago from my friend Stephanie (whom I will visit in Aix-en Provence near Marseille this weekend) but during my first days in Brussels I thought she had been wrong. She was not. She told me once that whenever she had gone abroad she had always hanged out with the same kind of people. ‘This is the law of attraction, my dear’ she said ‘even if you don’t believe in it; we always attract the same kind of people as we are always ourselves no matter where in the world we are thrown to’. Now, I think I have finally attracted the same species of people here.
Thursday, 27 Nov – the aforementioned theory just got confirmed. I went to Mirano - a club placed in an old theatre, located there since no one remembers when and being one of the most hard-to-get places of the whole Brussels. A few days before I called Verena and told her we were going to Mirano. When I showed up at the door, gave my name and went through a thrilling and seemingly never-ending moment of waiting for Kamil W. to be found on the list, I entered let inside by a cliché couple – a handsome and big, I-go-to-the-gym-everyday guy with almost no neck and cute blond after him. I immediately found Verena at the bar with her two friends (one was the glass of wine and the other was her work mate). There was a band playing on the stage but it just reminded me of concerts and my fear of crowds so we just stayed at the bar. After the concert, we decided to explore Mirano and walk around through the different floors and staircases to see what people were up to. Minute by minute, hour by hour, we would bump into all the people that you should know in Brussels and I was lucky to know from before. Why to know them? Because, they are smart, cute, intelligent and funny party animals – the most fab mix I always look for. Why did we bump into them? Because we are the same, we have connection and we go to the same places. At the beginning the music was not as good as in Havana but the party was great anyway.
Friday, 28 Nov – after a surprisingly not boring dinner with my work mates on the late evening of Friday, I immediately headed home, changed and went to the centre where around midnight I met some of my friends. After leaving our favourite PP café because of some crazy people spilling beers on each other and breaking glasses while dancing, we decided that we were not going to start hating PP. It has a great design, atmosphere and every Sunday evening there is a cool guy playing piano. That was just a bad night and some assholes around. So Magda and I went ‘chez Richard’ à la Place du Grand Sablon. It turned out to be a spot with amazing world hits of 70s and 80s and some great French music – the latter not known to me at all but totally awesome. The average age of the people was surely more than 40. Yet, all those people were having great fun. I guess I wasn’t as crazy as them while dancing. I immediately admitted to Magda I would like to look like them in my 40s or 50s – forty, fifty and fabulous. Another important notice to mention – most of them was Belgians. Few expats involved. It kind of felt really good to plunge into the ‘local’ environment and take a break from expats’ community. Definitely, it is a place to be revisited and a party to be repeated.
Saturday, 29 Nov – again 70s and 80s party (I guess my friend was right when she referred to me as a person with no presence but just with the past and the future). It was held in Autoworld museum in the hearth of the Parc du Cinquantenaire / Jubelpark. It’s the park with the huge and impressive gate built in 1905 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the independence of Belgium. There is a tunnel just under the park and part of it is exposed but fenced from the park by a high hedge. There are two holes cut off the hedge and when you look down you can see the four lanes of the underground highway and the cars passing. You can be in the park and enjoy the nature but still feel you are in a city – sounds like a perfect mix for me. As I have already mentioned the party took place in the Autoworld which is an automobile museum in the fancy warehouse on the right wing of the building (that also includes the gate) within the park. The warehouse is massive, having a high glass and steel roof. The space is filled with some old cars and you can look at them through a huge window while being in the Autoworld club and enjoying a glass of gin avec tonic. Upon leaving the party you go through the gate, pass the exposed tunnel, the park and just admire the picturesque views of the melanges between the nature and the human-constructed facilities. A perfect come-back home from a great party.
So I guess I re-established the kind of life I had in Morocco. I attracted great people and found fabulous places. I am wondering what more I could expect. Or maybe don’t expect anything and just live it the way it is.
And the most important conclusion - I know I will have a fabulous life in more places of the world than I can even think of. Because it's not only about the places - this is mostly about me.
Life is a party, isn’t it?
That was said about New York and one should not even dare to compare Brussels to NYC.
Still, it is definitely getting better here for me. It is a new season – a very good one. Finally, there is the good mix – the mix of places and people.
After fabulous reunions with my friends met in Morocco I was left alone by them as they all headed to their countries all over Europe and Northern Africa. Luckily I still have Verena – my friend met in Morocco who was there for 2 months of the summer 2007 and then left back home. Our friendship continued in Madrid (where she did her Erasmus semester) and in Rabat again (where she visited me last May). Then, luckily and totally by chance, we both got jobs / internships in Brussels as of September 2008. She was (and still is) my most important contact of Brussels. We both went through the same process of the initial disappointment of our lives in the capital of Europe and further exploration of the city and its people which resulted in some more exciting life-styles.
Wednesday, 19 Nov - we went to a newly found supposedly hot spot of Brussels – Red line – a lounge bar that hosted the Kitchen of Soul party. Promoted as ‘1 event and 5 discoveries’ (live concert, exhibition, tribute to genius of music, gastronomy, travel in the past) it didn’t actually enable me to discover most of them. Maybe I left too early because of disappointment and was not patient enough to wait longer. Luckily, I was accompanied by right people and thus not bored there. You can have fun anywhere even if the atmosphere is not encouraging. I guess this was the rule of Rabat – although it’s a nice place to live if you don’t know the right people you might be bored really quickly. As you might guess it was not the case for me.
Thursday, 20 Nov. Back in Havana – happy hour and you can drink for two but pay for one. My stomach and liver would strongly disagree. Of course they had nothing to say (actually they were pretty annoyed but it was only on the day after). Havana – a mix of right people in the right place. Something I really need on Thursday night (everyday?). I met Verena and Ronny (who is the most fabulous and classy straight guy I had ever met) and danced with some random gals. And I also had a nice conversation with this Kenyan woman working for the Kenyan embassy in Belgium (did I mention I have a soft spot for diplomats?). Crazy party during the week.
I left around 11.30 PM and before heading for metro and while being a bit dizzy I sat on the concrete fence near Palais de Justice just near the elevator. You can have a nice view of Brussels from this place and so I enjoyed it and thought about the city while having a conversation with it. It is another average and undervalued city (and I understand why it’s undervalued) where I ended up living. It is not very big and said to be boring. Despite that I discovered a lot and now I am living a fabulous life here. How did that happen? I guess I got the answer some months ago from my friend Stephanie (whom I will visit in Aix-en Provence near Marseille this weekend) but during my first days in Brussels I thought she had been wrong. She was not. She told me once that whenever she had gone abroad she had always hanged out with the same kind of people. ‘This is the law of attraction, my dear’ she said ‘even if you don’t believe in it; we always attract the same kind of people as we are always ourselves no matter where in the world we are thrown to’. Now, I think I have finally attracted the same species of people here.
Thursday, 27 Nov – the aforementioned theory just got confirmed. I went to Mirano - a club placed in an old theatre, located there since no one remembers when and being one of the most hard-to-get places of the whole Brussels. A few days before I called Verena and told her we were going to Mirano. When I showed up at the door, gave my name and went through a thrilling and seemingly never-ending moment of waiting for Kamil W. to be found on the list, I entered let inside by a cliché couple – a handsome and big, I-go-to-the-gym-everyday guy with almost no neck and cute blond after him. I immediately found Verena at the bar with her two friends (one was the glass of wine and the other was her work mate). There was a band playing on the stage but it just reminded me of concerts and my fear of crowds so we just stayed at the bar. After the concert, we decided to explore Mirano and walk around through the different floors and staircases to see what people were up to. Minute by minute, hour by hour, we would bump into all the people that you should know in Brussels and I was lucky to know from before. Why to know them? Because, they are smart, cute, intelligent and funny party animals – the most fab mix I always look for. Why did we bump into them? Because we are the same, we have connection and we go to the same places. At the beginning the music was not as good as in Havana but the party was great anyway.
Friday, 28 Nov – after a surprisingly not boring dinner with my work mates on the late evening of Friday, I immediately headed home, changed and went to the centre where around midnight I met some of my friends. After leaving our favourite PP café because of some crazy people spilling beers on each other and breaking glasses while dancing, we decided that we were not going to start hating PP. It has a great design, atmosphere and every Sunday evening there is a cool guy playing piano. That was just a bad night and some assholes around. So Magda and I went ‘chez Richard’ à la Place du Grand Sablon. It turned out to be a spot with amazing world hits of 70s and 80s and some great French music – the latter not known to me at all but totally awesome. The average age of the people was surely more than 40. Yet, all those people were having great fun. I guess I wasn’t as crazy as them while dancing. I immediately admitted to Magda I would like to look like them in my 40s or 50s – forty, fifty and fabulous. Another important notice to mention – most of them was Belgians. Few expats involved. It kind of felt really good to plunge into the ‘local’ environment and take a break from expats’ community. Definitely, it is a place to be revisited and a party to be repeated.
Saturday, 29 Nov – again 70s and 80s party (I guess my friend was right when she referred to me as a person with no presence but just with the past and the future). It was held in Autoworld museum in the hearth of the Parc du Cinquantenaire / Jubelpark. It’s the park with the huge and impressive gate built in 1905 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the independence of Belgium. There is a tunnel just under the park and part of it is exposed but fenced from the park by a high hedge. There are two holes cut off the hedge and when you look down you can see the four lanes of the underground highway and the cars passing. You can be in the park and enjoy the nature but still feel you are in a city – sounds like a perfect mix for me. As I have already mentioned the party took place in the Autoworld which is an automobile museum in the fancy warehouse on the right wing of the building (that also includes the gate) within the park. The warehouse is massive, having a high glass and steel roof. The space is filled with some old cars and you can look at them through a huge window while being in the Autoworld club and enjoying a glass of gin avec tonic. Upon leaving the party you go through the gate, pass the exposed tunnel, the park and just admire the picturesque views of the melanges between the nature and the human-constructed facilities. A perfect come-back home from a great party.
So I guess I re-established the kind of life I had in Morocco. I attracted great people and found fabulous places. I am wondering what more I could expect. Or maybe don’t expect anything and just live it the way it is.
And the most important conclusion - I know I will have a fabulous life in more places of the world than I can even think of. Because it's not only about the places - this is mostly about me.
Life is a party, isn’t it?
Thursday, November 27, 2008
absolutely fabulous
Isn't it fun?
A perfect tune for any party? ABBA never dies.
The song is older than I. And I love it.
So now, I know why I love hanging out with older people.
Can I draw a parallel?
A perfect tune for any party? ABBA never dies.
The song is older than I. And I love it.
So now, I know why I love hanging out with older people.
Can I draw a parallel?
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
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