bmtv57 Racism and Xenophobia, Brussels.

During my most recent trip to Brussels, there was a demonstration against Islam. (!) The event was organized by one of the far right parties that recently became a very significant force in government. This video comes from no-comment, the video-podcast from euronews.net.

Click To Play

Don’t Praise the Kids

Arrived some hours ago from Brussels, after a very enjoyable weekend exploring neighborhoods I hadn’t gone to in years with my cousin and meeting up with my buddy Tim.

At some point the topic of child care came up, probably because of my imaginary children that you know, I’m always talking about and concerned about how I’m not raising them since they don’t exist.

But a great subject of discussion became praising, not praising, and over-praising one’s children. Though it was a theoretical discussion in our case, we each spoke a bit about how best to do it or not do it. Makes me remember alot of kids I knew that were praised for every little nothing that they did… and wonder where they are today.. did all that praise properly prepare them for life.. especially when things don’t go right even though others once told you about how great you are? I really wonder. Then again, if you were almost never praised, maybe you’re constantly unhappy with your actions; miserable in effect.

All this is the topic on a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED episode of On Point last week. Whether you have kids or not, I recommend listening. There are even some reasonable tips about what to do if AT THIS VERY MOMENT you realize you’ve been praising your kid too much… what to do now?

In closing I’d like to say to myself: “dam you did a good thing going to brussels this weekend, BUT, you should work on cleaning your room and fix your sleeping pattern.”

Unexpected Brussels Encounters

As you can read below, I chose to blog from my mobile that I was on my way to Brussels. I very self-absorbed thing to do, admittedly.. then again so is blogging so ha.

But talk about practical; just as I’m crossing the NL-BE invisible border, Tim calls and says — I just read that you’re on the train to Brussels.. well Im about to get on the train from Berlin.. TO BRUSSELS. Et voila.. here I sit at some kind of tech conference for open source people.. Tim sits to my right chatting away about the Chaos Communications Camp to inquiring minds this summer.

My point is. Voila the power of blogging and new tech/communication devices. It may be quite simple and very first-world centric, but it is a great thing when you can write something and minutes later on one side of the world your mom knows where you are and on the other, a friend realizes he’s going to be in the same city as you for the weekend.

Or maybe you find none of this special. FINE. I give you a photo instead.

Travelin South Is Good for the Sole

On the Amsterdam to Brussels snail-rail train this morning, I couldn’t avoid hearing an American couple across the isle. Nice little couple, in their 50’s, presumably travelling around Europe for the first time. They talked during the whole ride, it was exhausting. I put the volume up on the K’Naan album and luckily a hip-hop artist who grew up in Mogadishu can overpower the never ending child-like observations of Mr and Mrs Jones. Or Smith. or whatever.

Photo Hosted at Buzznet.comBut I did listen to alot of their observations, and some of it was interesting. They kept talking about what “was smart about european design” and what they should have in their homestate cause it would help with whatever problem they have back in Plansboro or boringsville Pennsyltucky. No offense to the Pennsyltukians, I’m sure you could teach the world a thing or to about something. Maybe.

So they did actually provide inspiration. Instead of just sleeping the whole ride down through the Netherlands, I looked out over the fields and the cities and I thought about the history of this place. How much things have probably changed yet if I look outside, the year could just as easily be 1955, if you cancel out the train that Im on, the mp3 player in my ears, and the whole wheat bagel I just ate. (who could find a bagel in 1950’s europe?)

I’m not a person with any religion, but I do love having 2 days off for easter. It’s always a weekend that reminds me of my familia; the A-Ren, and all the fun of being with them for holidays. But hey, here in the low countries, I have an equally great tradition from the past 4 years, of spending these days with my cousins in Brussels. Photos and vlog will be up soon, when I’m done eating pie for breakfast and lunch.

And since the photos aren’t uploaded yet, todays is of a dear friend who’s moving back to her island in the atlantic for the next 6 months.