26 Feb 2010
Right, so I didn't do anything majorly wrong with the train yesterday. Which was a pleasant surprise I felt. I left Antwerp a little later than usual because I went for a few drinks with the people from work and played a it of pool. Which was really good, a good way to to end the day. Also met a few other members of the crew which was nice, all cool people. When I got back I had a late dinner, checked my emails, then read longer than I meant to, resulting in me going to sleep at 12.30. Which is all good and well, but when you have to get up at 6 the next morning it can be a bit of a strain...
I got to work on time, 9.00, but then Stefan, Bert and myself went out for a cup of coffee. Now this may just be me, but I think that's a much better way to start the day than getting straight into work, so all in all, it's been a good day so far. Bert said I should go along with him to a party tonight but as sad as this sounds I think I might just go home and sleep - I'm so tired. Hmm sleeping in tomorrow sounds good... This is what my daily fantasies have bee reduced to.
I'm really enjoying Antwerp. Would be great to live here I think. Stefan just started playing the Racontuers on his laptop. So awesome. He also has Elbow. Such a good start to the day I'm starting to get nervous, I mean I'm waiting for something bad to happen to balance things out a bit. Oh well. I'll enjoy it while it lasts. Right. Back to talking about Antwerp. The cobbled streets give it a lot of character. Gives it a semi-medieval feeling. Every now and then the bells or organs from the Cathedral chime in - in fact as I'm writing this they're going at it. I think it's every half hour.
Dirk and Terry are going into Antwerp tomorrow for massages or something, so I may tag along just to hang in the city. Maybe I'll meet up with someone. We shall see.
God I'm so tired my eyes are watering. I'm not being emotional I promise. I mean me, emotional? Let's not be ridiculous here.... *cough cough*
I should really start making my own lunch and bringing it to work. I'll try start that next week. Just from a cost perspective. Although it is nice to go out for lunch to get outside for a bit, even if it is raining most of the time.
I'm going to try find a topic to write an article about now. Until next time minions.
Cheers
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Master of the Trains
25 Feb 2010
Today I had to sign for my residency permit, which essentially allows me multiple entry into Belgium. Had to get that fairly urgently because Dirk and Terry (the couple who are hosting me) have already planned a trip to Lisbon. I'm really looking forward to it - I think it's planned for early March, which means a couple of days off work. After I'd given my signature to the crowds of fans I've collected here in Belgium (yeah right), I left for work. Only got there at 10.30 and felt bad as it was quite a bit later than I had told them it would be. Oh well. I'm here now and that's what counts. (I hope they see it similarly...) Bert and I went out for lunch and coffee which was really good, especially since it was the first thing I'd eaten all day. ( I usually don't eat breakfast because I never get up in time - imagine that, someone too lazy to eat! Ahh it's all a downward spiral from there isn't it...)
So I've got about 4 more hours of work left... hmmm.... What to do, what to do... More blogging? *The crowd screams in protest* More blogging it is then hehehe...
I know it's still early days here, but waking up early and going to work and pretty much doing my own thing (even when I manage to make a complete mess of things) is pretty liberating. Feeling very independent at the moment. I mean hell, maybe it's more of an illusion right now but if it is then it's a strangely satisfying one.
Bert has invited me to go out with him and some of the others for a drink after work so it looks like I'll be catching a later train again. I'll let you know just how badly I manage to mess that up. I must be the only person in Belgium who seriously struggles with the public transport here, although a few of the other volunteers confessed thy hadn't found it all that easy either. I guess it's an experience thing. I mean public transport in South Africa was pretty much out of the question (safety issues) and we only ever really use the bus system in NZ so I as I've indicated, I'm not exactly a train pro... Maybe that should be my mission while I'm here. Nevermind learning Dutch and integrating, just become "James Anderson: Train Catcher Extaordinaire" hmmm maybe something slightly more masculine (but not by much) "James Anderson: Master of the Trains" ... yes perhaps slightly better. Okay so maybe I have to work on my grand title a little.
Okay well I should probably find something useful to do *the crowds cheer* so I'm off for now. Cheers
Today I had to sign for my residency permit, which essentially allows me multiple entry into Belgium. Had to get that fairly urgently because Dirk and Terry (the couple who are hosting me) have already planned a trip to Lisbon. I'm really looking forward to it - I think it's planned for early March, which means a couple of days off work. After I'd given my signature to the crowds of fans I've collected here in Belgium (yeah right), I left for work. Only got there at 10.30 and felt bad as it was quite a bit later than I had told them it would be. Oh well. I'm here now and that's what counts. (I hope they see it similarly...) Bert and I went out for lunch and coffee which was really good, especially since it was the first thing I'd eaten all day. ( I usually don't eat breakfast because I never get up in time - imagine that, someone too lazy to eat! Ahh it's all a downward spiral from there isn't it...)
So I've got about 4 more hours of work left... hmmm.... What to do, what to do... More blogging? *The crowd screams in protest* More blogging it is then hehehe...
I know it's still early days here, but waking up early and going to work and pretty much doing my own thing (even when I manage to make a complete mess of things) is pretty liberating. Feeling very independent at the moment. I mean hell, maybe it's more of an illusion right now but if it is then it's a strangely satisfying one.
Bert has invited me to go out with him and some of the others for a drink after work so it looks like I'll be catching a later train again. I'll let you know just how badly I manage to mess that up. I must be the only person in Belgium who seriously struggles with the public transport here, although a few of the other volunteers confessed thy hadn't found it all that easy either. I guess it's an experience thing. I mean public transport in South Africa was pretty much out of the question (safety issues) and we only ever really use the bus system in NZ so I as I've indicated, I'm not exactly a train pro... Maybe that should be my mission while I'm here. Nevermind learning Dutch and integrating, just become "James Anderson: Train Catcher Extaordinaire" hmmm maybe something slightly more masculine (but not by much) "James Anderson: Master of the Trains" ... yes perhaps slightly better. Okay so maybe I have to work on my grand title a little.
Okay well I should probably find something useful to do *the crowds cheer* so I'm off for now. Cheers
First assignment and Dutch lesson
24 Feb 2010
Today I got my first assignment from Stamp Media. A nearby school was participating in a march to raise funds for the people affected by the earthquake in Haiti. My job was to take photo's of the march using a professional camera. I had never used one of the professional kind before (thank god for the automatic setting!) and was a little concerned that I would screw-up spectacularly. I joined up with another photographer called Haryo, who still goes to school but works for Stamp Media in his spare time, and Emi who is an intern and who conducted the interviewing of participants in the march. We followed the march through the tunnel under the river Schelde (Antwerp's main river) and once we felt we'd gleaned more than our fair share of photo's and interviews Emi and myself went back to Stamp Media. The powers that be showed me how to play around with the pictures, which I dutifully did and despite my initial reservations I thought they turned out pretty well all things considered.
In the afternoon I had my first Dutch lesson in Brussels. ( 3 hours long!!!) I left a ittle early from work but still managed to completely mess up the train trip. I unwittingly caught a train with lots of stops along the way so I was late, you again, and that's without me going into detail about finding the place from the Brussels station. (A note to the numerous belgian governments: please put up some more obvious street signs!!!) Yes... well it was a mixed afternoon, on the one hand it was nice to finally meet the other volunteers, (because my flight was delayed I missed the arrival camp and so hadn't met them yet) but on the other hand I had to get through a sizable amount of Dutch. Overall it was good. Some of us went out for a couple of drinks and a meal afterward. All the volunteers seemed really nice and easy to get along with, which, you know, I can deal with. So I'm hoping I'll be able to hang out with a few of them at some point soon. Although a lot of them live quite far away which could be problematic. Would be good to start some kind of social life... ( don't judge me okay, I just got here)
Getting home took a while. I left Brussels a little later than anticipated and sadly there were no more trains going directly to Turnhout (where I now live) which meant I had to take a train to Antwerp, then to Lier, then to Turnhout. This took a solid 2 hours, not including the walk home from the station. Man I complain a lot. It really wasn't that bad. Just a little long. (But then I ramble on for ages about the arbitrary facts my life so maybe I shouldn't talk)
The thing about having such long days now is that I practically fall into bed when I get home. Then wake up a few hours later just to start it all again...
Today I got my first assignment from Stamp Media. A nearby school was participating in a march to raise funds for the people affected by the earthquake in Haiti. My job was to take photo's of the march using a professional camera. I had never used one of the professional kind before (thank god for the automatic setting!) and was a little concerned that I would screw-up spectacularly. I joined up with another photographer called Haryo, who still goes to school but works for Stamp Media in his spare time, and Emi who is an intern and who conducted the interviewing of participants in the march. We followed the march through the tunnel under the river Schelde (Antwerp's main river) and once we felt we'd gleaned more than our fair share of photo's and interviews Emi and myself went back to Stamp Media. The powers that be showed me how to play around with the pictures, which I dutifully did and despite my initial reservations I thought they turned out pretty well all things considered.
In the afternoon I had my first Dutch lesson in Brussels. ( 3 hours long!!!) I left a ittle early from work but still managed to completely mess up the train trip. I unwittingly caught a train with lots of stops along the way so I was late, you again, and that's without me going into detail about finding the place from the Brussels station. (A note to the numerous belgian governments: please put up some more obvious street signs!!!) Yes... well it was a mixed afternoon, on the one hand it was nice to finally meet the other volunteers, (because my flight was delayed I missed the arrival camp and so hadn't met them yet) but on the other hand I had to get through a sizable amount of Dutch. Overall it was good. Some of us went out for a couple of drinks and a meal afterward. All the volunteers seemed really nice and easy to get along with, which, you know, I can deal with. So I'm hoping I'll be able to hang out with a few of them at some point soon. Although a lot of them live quite far away which could be problematic. Would be good to start some kind of social life... ( don't judge me okay, I just got here)
Getting home took a while. I left Brussels a little later than anticipated and sadly there were no more trains going directly to Turnhout (where I now live) which meant I had to take a train to Antwerp, then to Lier, then to Turnhout. This took a solid 2 hours, not including the walk home from the station. Man I complain a lot. It really wasn't that bad. Just a little long. (But then I ramble on for ages about the arbitrary facts my life so maybe I shouldn't talk)
The thing about having such long days now is that I practically fall into bed when I get home. Then wake up a few hours later just to start it all again...
First day at Work
23 Feb 2010
My name is James and I've just begun a six month adventure in Belgium. I'm South African but have been living in New Zealand for the past five years of my life. It all started about ten months ago when an afs representitive came to my school to talk about the community service program - a side of afs which is not very well known. This caught my interest as I never really liked the idea of going to school in another country but desperately wanted to travel, particularly in Europe.
So here I am at last, in Belgium (after a few visa issues and a delayed not to mention highly stressful flight). Today is my fourth day in the country and my first day at work. The community service assignment I was given is in an organisation called STAMP Media. It is, in essence, a youth press agency, mainly covering current issues and news from the perspective of young people.
I was a little nervous about today but once I met people and learned about the kind of work I may be doing I felt excited at the prospect of working here. Because it was my first day there was some uncertainty about what exactly I would be doing but it seems that it's fairly flexible. I went out with a couple of my new colleagues to cover a team building exercise involving rope skipping . I was all too aware that I wouldn't be able to do any better than the poor souls attempting some advanced skipping but at the same time I couldn't help but laugh at their enthusiasm in the face of their glaring ineptitude. The fact that every now and again someone would manage to get themselves completely tangled in the rope or hit themselves over the head with the ends certainly did not still my amusement.
The branch of STAMP Media I am working in is in Antwerp. In fact I have never visited the city before today so it's a day of many firsts. From what I've seen today it's a beautiful city, full of old styled buildings with a massive ancient cathedral (from the 1100's I'm told) which I can see rom the window of my work. Anyway, hopefuly I'll survive here. Only time will tell I guess...
My name is James and I've just begun a six month adventure in Belgium. I'm South African but have been living in New Zealand for the past five years of my life. It all started about ten months ago when an afs representitive came to my school to talk about the community service program - a side of afs which is not very well known. This caught my interest as I never really liked the idea of going to school in another country but desperately wanted to travel, particularly in Europe.
So here I am at last, in Belgium (after a few visa issues and a delayed not to mention highly stressful flight). Today is my fourth day in the country and my first day at work. The community service assignment I was given is in an organisation called STAMP Media. It is, in essence, a youth press agency, mainly covering current issues and news from the perspective of young people.
I was a little nervous about today but once I met people and learned about the kind of work I may be doing I felt excited at the prospect of working here. Because it was my first day there was some uncertainty about what exactly I would be doing but it seems that it's fairly flexible. I went out with a couple of my new colleagues to cover a team building exercise involving rope skipping . I was all too aware that I wouldn't be able to do any better than the poor souls attempting some advanced skipping but at the same time I couldn't help but laugh at their enthusiasm in the face of their glaring ineptitude. The fact that every now and again someone would manage to get themselves completely tangled in the rope or hit themselves over the head with the ends certainly did not still my amusement.
The branch of STAMP Media I am working in is in Antwerp. In fact I have never visited the city before today so it's a day of many firsts. From what I've seen today it's a beautiful city, full of old styled buildings with a massive ancient cathedral (from the 1100's I'm told) which I can see rom the window of my work. Anyway, hopefuly I'll survive here. Only time will tell I guess...
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