Quick Snapshots of Antwerp as I breezed through one Wednesday afternoon

Tintin: Probably the most world-famous Belgian on the planet

I've always been fascinated with Belgium. Perhaps it was growing up on the Tintin comic series or the alarming number of Jean-Claude van Damme action films I consumed in the 1990s. Maybe it was learning about King Leopold's atrocious colonial record in the Congo and its negative impact on Congo's history.

However, it is most likely my Belgium fascination stems from having successive French teachers who were all Belgians from the Dutch-speaking Flanders part of the country. So this past week, I had the chance to visit Belgium for the first time for a meeting in Antwerp. I took the opportunity to take a few snapshots of the city as we breezed through.

Our point of arrival: Antwerp Central Station.  About 4 levels of train platforms

 Belgium is world famous for its waffles. It was great to see a stand just as we got off the train

Arrival hall at Antwerp Central. Amazing architecture. Reminds me of Grand Central station  in New York City

 

The Gothic architecture of the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp. A UNESCO World Heritage site

 I had no idea what this was but was fascinated by a reference to the fly that causes trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness). Turns out, Tsetse is a bookshop in Antwerp

Dinner time. I had wanted something typically Belgian so this delicious salmon fillet was accompanied by Belgian fries

The 9pm train to Amsterdam was mysteriously canceled. This meant we had to while away our time at an Irish Pub. Strange choice since Belgium is also well-known for its 100s  of beers. Interestingly, at Kelly's Pub, we got to see part of the controversial 27 April El Clásico match between FC Barca and Real Madrid. The  match ended in bans, fines and an on-field punch-up!

 Antwerp is definitely a beautiful city. I was really impressed to see so many Africans, loved the vibrant shopping opportunities and was really charmed by the architecture. I am definitely looking to make a return visit. This time, I will definitely take time to get to know this captivating city better.

Brief Musings on Cote D'Ivoire via the music of Espoir 2000

It has been quite an eventful past few weeks in Cote D'Ivoire. Actually it has  been quite an eventful past few months and one could argue years. I've written a few blog posts on the crisis in Cote D'Ivoire but  chose not to publish these since they can best be described as frustration-filled rantings on the selfishness of African politicians.

Moving right along. I was just listening to the 22 April BBC Africa Today podcast from the Focus on Africa daily show. It appears there are attempts to normalize life in Cote D'Ivoire. President-elect Ouattara says that with assistance from France (?), two months salaries will be paid. There are plans for Nigeria to supply crude oil as well as cooking gas to prevent breaks in supply. It is hoped that by the end of April, normalization should be a reality.

Despite efforts at normalization, what has been on my mind lately is how a very-much polarized  Cote D'Ivoire will once again be united. In the meantime, I've been listening to one of my favorite Ivorian music groups Espoir 2000 (Hope 2000). Their 2006 album Gloire et Dieu (God and Glory) is not only laden with infectious 'zouglou' tracks but with  lyrics full of wisdom and a little prescience. Well, that could just be my rusty French speaking!  

My favorite track from the Gloire et Dieu album would have to be Abidjan Farot which just makes me want to head out to Abidjan and party:



In fact, the entire Gloire et Dieu album has some interesting gems such as Année 80 (1980) which starts with the (translated) line:

"In the time of Boigny, there was joy, in the time of Boigny there was peace".   

Aside from tracks harking back to a nostalgic and idyllic past under the late President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, there are also  tracks relevant to the Ivorian future. Well, the future after 2006 that is.
The opening lyrics of the track Trop C'est Trop offer food for thought for not only Ivorian but African leaders in general:

"Coute que coute vaille que vaille je serais president

J’y tient tellement que je suis prêt à tuer

Schéma classique d’une comédie politique

Aujourd’hui on tue des gens qu’on veut gouverner demain.." 

Source: http://www.greatsong.net/

"At all costs somehow I would be president
I feel so strongly in this that I am ready to kill
Classic plot of a political comedy
Today we kill the people we want to govern tomorrow.."   

Sadly, the official  Espoir 2000 video on YouTube has really poor quality sounds but interesting images that capture the spirit of the song.

Despite my sounding quite pessimistic, I'm actually filled with hope that Cote D'Ivoire will rally again. In the meantime, I'm heading back to listen to Espoir 2000, Meiway, Magic System, Alpha Blondy and all other artistes who capture the irrepressible spirit of the Ivoiran people.

Four girls and a mouse in a Dutch Apartment with Pre-fab Walls

I have relocated yet again. I'm back in the Netherlands but this time I'm no longer staying in the centre of town but in a large complex on the border of two municipalities. Being on the border means that you get to be close to open fields and what resembles farmland on one side of a road and biotechnology companies on the other. A little strange.

Until this morning I was one of the stars of a popular hit series Four girls and a mouse in a Dutch Apartment. This was the long-anticipated sequel to last autumn's unforgettable hit series Three Guys and a Girl in a Dutch House with Steep Stairs

Well, the series lost one of the main characters this morning. The intrepid and fear-inducing mouse was finally caught. For the past 2 months, our rodent resident has ensured screams and cringing throughout the apartment. The various traps littered around did not seem to have made a difference. But in the end, our friend found himself stuck in a trail of glue.

So back to the  housing complex. Its a massive place housing countless numbers of students that one never sees.  I heard from someone that it is all pre-fabricated buildings that were situated in Northern Holland and transported to South Holland en masse. The veracity of that story is yet to be confirmed. So this is where I will be over the coming months. I'll be observing Ghana from afar and adjusting to that thing I call 'Dutch living'.