la belgique en fete...

En ja, morgen, grote dag, mijn broertje verjaart, dertig jaar! Voor een keer zal hij in Belgie zitten... Gaan het vieren in Gent, net tijdens de gentse feesten.

En de dag erna, la fete nationale belge. Deux copains d'Haiti viennent, faire la fete. Chouette de les retrouver...

Tips for the lonely traveller

Just some things I thought handy while traveling by myself:
- remember, you meet a lot more people while travelling alone, and traveling makes you establish much stronger bonds in a short time, so don't worry about getting lonely (in my opinion, people should worry more about being able to stand the person they would be traveling with for 24/24-7)...
- take along an iPod, jukebox, whatever brand you want to. It's so nice to have a big selection of music, to fill the gaps while sitting in buses or at stations. And, as anti-social as it might seem, it's sometimes actually nice to shut down and not invite any random person to start chatting with you... If you do, try putting some audio books on them. Good to listen to while driving, or when it's dark... A good website to get some from is www.audiobooksforfree.com
- take a hammac: so nifty, and they can be really compact (especially in South America, they can make them out of parachute material). Safer and more hygienical since you don't sleep on the ground. Only problem is each time finding two things to attach it to.
- for hitchhiking: great for meeting people and getting to know local ways of thinking, especially during long distance trips: all you can to do is just chat and ask questions.... A lot of people still stress, about kidnappings, rape, whatever. Keep in mind thoug that statistically, more people die at home than outside, but does that make more people stay outdooors? Just come safety tips:

1. Study the map before lifting your thumb so you know which villages are on the way, which route exactly you want to follow.
2. Watch the cars that drive by, also in opposite directions. If a car drove by and then comes back for you, he/she could have other strong motivations than just helping you out, he/she could be a Really Bad Person.
3. Always ask where the person is going, don't let them ask where you are going, cause then a Really Bad Person can just say: "Oh, what a coincidence, that's where I am heading, jump in"...
4. Wave goodbye to somebody when getting into the car, so the Really Bad Person thinks some witness will be able to identify his car.
5. Never hesitate to turn down a car, if you don't feel comfortable or have a bad feeling about it. Especially girls, who always worry about hitch hiking by themselves: there will be tons and tons of cars stopping for you (unlike for us boys, who have to stand there fopr hours sometimes), so be picky : don't get into cars with men, or mixed couples, just take the women by themselves or, mothers...
6. Take minute when getting into the car of really studying the make of it, its interior (see any weapons or bottles lying around?) and the driver, so if necessary you could identify them.
7. Always have as a hobby karate and judo, or some other lethal sports. It might prevent a RBP from trying it out for truth.
8. They usually recommend to say that somebody is waiting for you at your destination, though I have never understood that tip: how does it protect you??
9. Try being "in charge" of the conversation... If you dominate the situation (or appear to be so) you seem less vulnerable.
10. If you have doubts, just pull out a mobile/cell phone when getting into the car, and send (or pretend to send) an text message with the car's licence plate to someone ("Yeah, my mom made me promises to do this, cause she worries sick about me if not"). The RBP thus knows that he can better stay clear...
11. Always have a boy/girl friend-husband/wife - with children, it is less inviting, especially in some cultures.
12. Should the RBP pull over and start getting annoying or threatening, try pulling the keys out and throwing them away (don't take them with you!!). Run in the opposite direction. He'll go after the keys before being able to chase you on foot or by car....
13. Girls, heaven forbid, but should it get really really bad, try throwing up on yourself, some say it has been clinically proven that men can't get it up with the smell and everything. Other liquid preventing them from "performing" would be blood, especially his own, easiest obtainable by hitting his nose.
14. Some say: "Don't, cause I have AIDS", though that always makes me worry that he's gonna answer : "Me too"...

Allright, gotta run, hope this is usefull...and that you won't ever have to use some of these tips.

le retour en douceur

Eh ben oui, la Belgique m'a accueilli les bras ouverts. Ca fdait du bien de retrouver famille, amis, de l'eau chaude... Passé la première journée a faire des formalités administratives, puis les prochains à revoir des amis.

Alors, maintenant que je me suis un peu plus posé, quels projets pour l'avenir proche?

Le 22 juillet 06, je vais tenir la chandelle pour mon frere, sa copine et un autre couple d'amis lors d'un voyage vers le nord d'Espagne (ou devrais-je dire "pélérinage", car on se rend pour le 25 a Santiago de la Compostella). Haut temps que je me fasse pardonner mes pechés etc, je suppose. Je compte passer style une semaine dans la région, puis vers le 2 aout, ou bien je rentre en Belgique ou bien en Angleterre (merci Ryan Air, Viorgin Expres), histoire de visiter quelques amis a moi que je n'ai plus vu depuis longtemps!! C'est chouette d'avoir trois mois en Euroope pour une fois,c a me permet de ne pas me limiter qu'au Belgique (quand meme relativement petit, non)?). Apres une semaine la-bas, le 10 aout retour vers ce petit pays, et voir si je peux reprendre mon ancien travail en donnant des cours de neerlandais ou d'anglais a Liege. Septembre, peut etre des cours de portugais, histoire d'ameliorer la petite base qu'Asimil et le dois et demi que j'ai passé la-bas m'ont fourni...

Et pendant tout ce temps, faudra que je mette le paquet pour chercher des organisations qui envoient a l'étranger, émettant une forte préférence pour le Brésil. Mon billet de retour au Brésil actuellement est valable entre octobre 06 et janvier 07. Si je n'ai rien trouvé avant ce moment, ou bien je vais faire du volontariat la-bas, dans une des associations que j'ai visité et qui était très intéressant (et heureusement était interessé par mon profil également) ou bien je décide d'explorer un peu plus le reste de l'Amérique latine, jusqu'à épuisement de fonds...
The future is bright...

If this is Tuesday, it must be Belgium

Yes yes,

Back home again - pretty petty Belgium. Trying to get used to the azerty typing once again... Feels strange to be back and yet still familiar.

My mom, brother and his girlfriend were waiting for me at the airport, as well as two of my Haiti friends, which was a very pleasant surprise...

Found all my Haiti-stuff that I had send home with my mom and DHL, stange feeling. Until now, I could still tell myself I was just traveling, exploring another countruy; just having a break, but now, finding half my life in boxes, and the other half in my closests here, I know the Haiti chapter is closed, the page turned.

And not knowing what exactly the future will bring, or which choices I should make. Let's just enjoy these couple of weeks, meeting old and newer friends, shall we? See who got married, who is pregnant and admire the houses they bought... And see who I still connect to.. Missing you all, and hoping you wil still be there!

Back in Belgium

Just so that you can get a hold of me in small Belgium, should you feel the need:

Dad:
Rue de Tawes 19
4000 Liege

Mom:

Leopold Luypaertstraat 124

1850 Grimbergen

Belgique

cell: +32 486/562704
+32 2 251 2674