belgianwaffle

Archives for April 2004

Headlong


Posted in: Reading etc.

A bitter disappointment, I can tell you.  By Michael Frayn.  Nominated for all kinds of things. About art history and Belgium, both of which rank high among my areas of interest. But no, not entertaining.  Narrator is dull and unconvincing and extremely annoying. Having much better fun with “Jude the Obscure” on tape.  Odd, but true.

And the LRB has arrived again. This week’s small ad winner is for the boys:

“You may be a sharp dresser, you may be a fantastic dancer, you may be a lively conversationalist. Or you may be a vo-coded stalking eighties moron. Whichever way, I’ll take you. Woman, 37, seeks…well, just seeks. Box no. 07/03”.

Finally, went to the Khnopff exhibition.  Frankly, not for me. I don’t even like Klimt much and he’s a lot better (a symbolist too, apparently). Khnopff’s big inspiration was his sister Marguerite. Marguerite had a big chin. All of Khnopff’s paintings feature women with big chins. A little creepy, if you ask me. “Desperate Dan in a dress” is the view of the Glam Potter.

Comments
belgianwaffle

on 10 April 2004 at 12:16

Really? Is spies wonderful? Am a little nervous at this point. Nevertheless may give it a go, if I am feeling v. brave. Tell me, what’s your relationship with ChaOtic? Yours in mild confusion..

“The noise, my dear, and the people”


Posted in: Belgium

We live in a very noisy place.  Obviously, we didn’t think this when we moved in. Our street seemed a quiet backwater.  It’s not.  It’s a short cut for every car in Belgium.  We are on a corner near a junction.  Junctions are exciting places in Belgium. They take their right-of-way rules very seriously.  As Mr. Waffle puts it, “being Belgian means you never have to look left”. This, inevitably, leads to a huge number of tips and near misses and our junction, which features a blind corner, is a great place to have them.  And then there is the lorry which comes and delivers oil to the building across the road at 6 in the morning.  Loudly.  And our bins are collected on Wednesday morning and (cruel) Saturday morning.

During the Summer, somewhere near us, there is a disco venue for the young people.  When they emerge drunken, dehydrated and deafened, they need a place to meet.  They select the doorstep of our building. It’s on a corner and it’s distinctive.  We are looking forward to hearing the following dialogue on Friday and Saturday nights from May onwards (all conducted at top volume, obviously, because they’ve just emerged from a loud, loud club):

Where’s the car again?

I dunno, did anyone see Vero?

I think I’ll just lie here on the road.

Wow, look at the stars.

Where’s Vero?

Will we see if we can walk on top of the cars?

Did I mention that we live in an old building and so, apparently, it’s not possible to fit double glazing.  All the better to hear the excitement outside…

Meanwhile our neighbours also contribute their mite.  The annoying German lady listens to the telly in her bedroom (directly above ours) at top volume. We are sick of German detective shows.  The other night, there was a big bang, as though the telly had been chucked on the floor) and the noise stopped. Maybe she is sick of German detective shows too. The Belgians on the ground floor play electric guitar from 10.00 pm on.  I feel that it may be either spouse but Mr. Waffle feels it must be him because only a man would still be trying to master Dire Straits numbers 20 years after they were originally released.  A compelling argument, I concede.  And this morning at 9.30, the woman downstairs began using her drill.  I suppose, to be fair, trapped between Dire Straits and screaming baby, she felt she had to make some kind of protest.

Also, for one week only, our street is being dug up to put in new lighting.  Excellent, a pneumatic drill.

Is it any wonder our baby doesn’t sleep at night?

Comments
Thierrry

(Homepage)

on 11 April 2004 at 03:27

Tu peux tenter de faire comprendre ? tes voisins qu’ils ne vivent pas seuls dans l’immeuble et que le tapage “diurne” est aussi prohib? que le “nocturne.
Nous avons une vieille m?m? sourde comme un pot au-dessus de chez nous et ce fut la guerre pendant plusieurs mois avec elle.
Maintenant, ?? va mieux et nous avons conclu un accord avec elle: quand sa t?l? va trop fort, nous lui t?l?phonons et laissons sonner quelques secondes pour qu’elle baisse le son.
Le syst?me fonctionne assez bien !
Bon courage !

Locotes

on 12 April 2004 at 02:18

So where was Vero??As for the noise…ouch. I don’t envy you. Being out in the country direction has it’s disadvantages (such as lacklustre public transport), but I always appreciate the total silence at night. Bliss. But I really shouldn’t be rubbing it in….sorry.
😉

belgianwaffle

on 12 April 2004 at 11:06

Vesper, don’t know about very interesting…you are kind.
Thierry, merci pour le conseil, may take courage in my hands and tackle neighbours downstairs, but German lady is just too scary. Impressed with your v. practical arrangement with your elderly neighbour.
Locotes, she was obviously straggling out of the nightclub waking up the people round the corner. Guess what though – Princess slept from midnight to 7 this morning. Am delighted.

First Birthday


Posted in: Princess

The princess has turned one today.  Incredible.  I have spent the last couple of days saying “Remember this time last year?” I really can’t believe that she’s one.

Like the Queen she is going to have an official birthday and a real one. Today will be just a private family celebration. In a couple of weeks there will perhaps be a brunch where she will crawl among her minions and shake hands with people offering her posies.

Comments
belgianwaffle

on 12 April 2004 at 21:39

Hey there – thank you. You will never guess what but, yes, last night she slept from midnight to seven (there were a couple of whimpers but nothing to get me up). This is the longest I have stayed in bed since this time last year. Am ecstatic.

Locotes

on 12 April 2004 at 22:22

Well Happy Birthday to herself. Maybe the extra sleep was in preparation for all the partying and general frivolity she’s planning on having. I presume those pictures of her on the phone were invitations to the aforementioned minons – with detailed instructions on how big the gifts must be before entry is allowed and the birthday rusks can be consumed.

belgianwaffle

on 16 April 2004 at 08:55

You are so right Locotes. There may, however, be brownies for the royal birthday. Rusks, ha!

“Home thoughts from abroad”


Posted in: Dublin, Ireland

We get Le Soir at the weekend.  This weekend the colour supplement had an article about how cool Dublin is.  It was slightly bizarre to see what the Belgians make of Dublin.  On the whole, it wasn’t what you would call entirely accurate.  Bono was described as a sort of patron saint of the city which, I suspect, locals would find particularly irritating.  Certainly, I did, but then, I’m from Cork, so I can’t speak for them.  Most of the article was about Temple Bar and how hip it is.  Well, yes, in a sort of full of pubs and stag parties kind of way.  Mostly locals wouldn’t be seen dead there.  However, some merited praise of the Powerscourt Centre as a shopping location of interest.  Didn’t mention at all some of the best things about Dublin like the boardwalk on the Liffey or, star sight (though a trifle inaccessible) the Casino Marino.  Latter not very hip I suppose, but strolling on the former, definitely is.  Lots of quotes from author Marian Keyes who was Mr. Waffle’s next door neighbour when he was growing up, so felt very well-connected ourselves.

Loving publishing


Posted in: Family, Reading etc.

The sun is shining.  The works on our road are nearly finished.  The ominous looking spots which appeared on our daughter’s torso last night have faded. The paediatrician said it was probably just “un petit virus” and she is fine.  All is rosy.

Sister-in-law, the publishing executive, came to stay for Easter.  She is godmother to the Princess and came specially for her birthday, we were suitably pleased. I find the publishing exec fascinating.  She always comes bearing manuscripts. Yes, things that are going to be books. Fancy!  And you get to see her name in the acknowledgements.  And she gets to go to book launch parties and (when pressed by me to say whether she’s seen anyone glam) she says things like “Zadie Smith came too, apparently she left Alain de Botton’s “Status Anxiety” party early to be there” or “I saw Salman Rushdie and Martin Amis chatting and there’s something you don’t see often”. Yes, for a whole range of reasons.  It’s all very thrilling. Though I’m sure she really enjoyed staying in with us on Saturday night and re-watching “Bridget Jones’s Diary” on VT4. I like to think that she regards her trips to Belgium as a sort of rest cure.

Publishing is a different world.  One of the editors in their publishing house left and took an author with her. Why? Well no one else at our house really loved him.  I mean, when accountants leave firms and they take clients with them, is it because no one else in the firm really loved big biz inc.?  Really, isn’t working in publishing fantastic? You get paid to love your authors and sit around all day reading their books. In the evening you go to glittering literary events.  You get copies of books free with the words “uncorrected bound proof – not for sale or quotation” on the front.  What could be better than that?

I must say, however, that the pub. exec., is very devoted to her job and dutifully loves all her publishing house’s authors (well, almost all, they publish some authors even a mother couldn’t love). It was for this reason that, on Sunday evening, we drove to a remote and unusually unattractive Flemish hamlet which features in one of their books. It was, I concede, only slightly out of our way.  And, though it was ghastly, she was charmed. Very endearing.  Some day that girl will make a wonderful editor: she loves her authors.

Sibling rivalry


Posted in: Siblings

I talked to my sister yesterday as she was taxiing back to the office after her trip to Canada.  She’s just moved into her new flat in Chicago and is most pleased with herself.  I asked whether she was going to finish off her unpacking this week and she said that she thought not.  Why not?  She has to go to Mexico for a couple of days tomorrow.

“It’s only work” she said.

But still, very exotic.

“You know” she said “really important people get not to travel”.

Yes, I know, but still.

“Will you be able to get a flight to get you back Friday night so’s you can finish your unpacking?”

Mild hesitation “well, yeah, probably, because I’m getting the company plane”.

I see.

“Anyway, what have YOU been doing today?”

“Well, let me see, I spent about half an hour lying on my stomach in the hall trying to fish out with a hanger the following things which the Princess had let fall into the lift shaft – a rubber ball, a plastic book and my car keys.”

“Oh, right.  Well, how’s the job hunt going?”

“I got a rejection letter today from a leading firm of consultants, it said

‘We have given your application thorough consideration, but regret to inform you that, in spite of your excellent qualifications and outstanding experience, we have no position corresponding to your particular skills.
However, we have not doubt that, with your experience and professional expertise, you will soon find the challenge you are looking for.'”

“Well,” she said gamely, “that’s quite a positive rejection”

“It was addressed to Mr., do you think that they really gave my application thorough consideration”

“Er, no, probably not then.  Reading anything good?”

“Not really, just finished ‘Jude the Obscure’ on tape in the car.  He dies but not before all his children commit suicide”

“You know, I’m just arriving, maybe talk to you at the weekend…”

Comments

jackdalton

on 17 April 2004 at 11:15

Yeah and everyone gets fungal infections from the water in Mexico city…. And the food is only middling.

belgianwaffle

on 17 April 2004 at 14:06

Thanks gentlemen. I am cheered by your comments – I am a bad sister…

jackdalton

on 18 April 2004 at 18:59

No. You are a good sister. If she were my sister, I’d block her calls.

belgianwaffle

on 19 April 2004 at 15:39

Did I mention that she’s my younger sister?