Life and its little pleasures

Flip

Or Filip as his parents will call him. His first pic...

A good cause

I don't know about you, but I always try to give something to charities every year. I was fortunate to always have had a healthy life, a great family, no tragedies, no accidents, no unwelcome surprises (touching wood now). So I think it is only right to every now and then donate some money, time or something to people less fortunate.
One way to do this is by sponsoring people I know that are doing an amazing effort to raise money. Some run a marathon, others climb a mountain.
If you feel like you are also one lucky person and that you could spare something, here's a worthwhile cause. I'll copy paste my friend's email below. Feel free to have a look at the link. It would be great if he could join this walk.

"Hey...

Please support me as I take an amazing journey. The Out of the Darkness Overnight Experience is a 20-mile walk over the course of one night in NYC June 7-8. Net proceeds benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, funding research, education, and awareness programs – both to prevent suicide and to assist those affected by suicide.

I've personally experienced this loss and shared the pain with friends and the families of those that have passed. I need to raise $1000 to participate in this walk which I've already donated a good portion of my own money. Appreciate your donation if you can help!! Just follow this link and you can use a credit card etc. Thanks so much! Means lots to me and my friends that have dealt with this epidemic.
http://www.theovernight.org//index.cfm?fuseaction=walk.supportwalker&walkerid=10012035

Sy"

Party

The "Was it 70s, 80s or 90s"-party (in true Stu Bru mode) was a success! Best party I have ever had at my house. Thanks to everyone for making a fantastic effort in the dress department. You guys rock!

I see the pictures already appearing on Facebook (oh god...), and there is a selection also online right here.

Gorgious

Last weekend, I took my friend Rebekah to Belgium to show her some of my country. In two days we did (in this order): Brussels, Antwerp, Riemst, Maastricht, Tongeren, Bilzen and Bruges. With the highlight being the night on the town in Bilzen with friends and my brother's posse plus seeing my sister's kids again.

Aren't they cute? (Rebekah and the kids I mean...)

More pics of our trip here.

Filip!

He made it into this world! Half a month early, but healthy and strong. Congratulations sis and Pieter. One very, very proud aunt hopes to come visit you soon. I'm sure Filip will be a wonderful addition to the beautiful family you already have. Proof below.

An Australian's view

I thought this was a very good reason to keep Belgium! Found it here.

Belgian schism is no laughing matter
With its two halves unable to agree on the formation of a new government, Belgium stands on the verge of disintegration. So should Belgium continue to exist? The answer is yes. Here's why.
The first reason is linguistic. If Belgium does break up, two new nationalities will be born: Flemish and Walloon. Belgian chocolates will become "Flemish chocolates", and Belgian beer cafes will give way to "Walloon beer cafes". Belgium owes it to the world to prevent us from having to use either of these unspeakably silly adjectives on anything like a semi-regular basis.
There is a reason no business has ever succeeded with the word "Walloon" in its title, and it is the word "Walloon", the Oompa-Loompa of national adjectives. To inflict a word like that on the world would be intolerably cruel.
The second reason is historical. Belgium, as many of you will know, was established in 1830 for two reasons: to host the main international conflicts of the 20th century; and to provide a viable, long-term basis for Belgian jokes.
After World War I, Polish jokes briefly threatened to overtake Belgian jokes in popularity, but at Yalta, where Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill met in 1945 to negotiate the division of postwar international comedy, it was decided that Belgian jokes would go to the West, while Polish jokes were left to the Soviet Union.
If Belgium were to cease to exist, this would create a potentially fatal vacuum at the heart of Western comedy. "Did you hear the one about the Walloon ..?" just doesn't have the right ring.
The final reason is sexual-culinary. America was built on a noble ideal: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Belgium was founded on a far punchier plea: "Give me your bureaucrats." But when people complain that Brussels is "stuffed with bureaucrats", what they really mean is that everyone who lives there gets to knock off at 5pm every day and spend the rest of the night gorging on wheat beer, mussels and chips. That doesn't sound like anything to be ashamed of to me.
Belgium long ago abandoned all hope of being a presence on the world stage and gave itself over to the pleasures of alcohol, chocolate, sex and seafood. To this day, it remains a nation untouched by nutrition. These are ideas worth fighting for.
In its almost total lack of ambition, in its unrelenting sense of existential dread, in its drunkenness and in its gluttony, Belgium is the most inspiring of nations. If the Belgians have tired of being Belgian, it is up to us to take their place. If Belgium will not be Belgium, it is up to Australia to be Belgium.

Talent

I love the show "Britain's got talent". Here's another gem from the show.

Memories

Have you ever had someone tell you: "you definitely know this song from when we were young!" And you go: "no, doesn't ring any bells. Don't remember the name of the band or the song".

And then you hear the song again... and all these memories come flooding back from when you were young and innocent :-)

Here's on of those...

For many more of these, you can always go here.

Support the lions

On May 13, Karine G is leaving for Namibia to take care of the wild and wounded animals. You can support her project, by being a Mecenas and bid on one of the superb activities that are up for auction at her site.
There's a tennis lesson by Xavier, a date with the guy that came in second in the TV program with Phaedra Hoste, two gorgious guys that will wash your car in their shorts, and many many more.

Oh, and there is also a night at my house up for auction! Come spend a night in London with your friend/boyfriend/girlfriend. You have until May 4th to add your bid on her site! I garantuee that you will have a great time here! And it's all for a good cause!

Karaoke...

... is the most fun ever! Thank god I have some great work mates that think the same! :-)