Hide and Seek

All the noise and chatter have stopped. You cannot hear a sound. Melanie and John have gone into hiding. They are busy preparing for their next adventures and changes to their lives. Please come back soon and you will learn where they have gone, what they have been up to, what and whom they have seen, and where they are going.

Answers to Madonna Quiz

MK: Well, it looks like our readers are not up on their pop culture! So for those curious minds, here are the answers:

1. Lucky Star (Madonna)
2. Dress You Up (Like a Virgin)
3. True Blue (True Blue)
4. Who's that Girl (Who's that Girl)
5. Keep it Together (Like a Prayer)
6. Something to Remember (I'm Breathless)
7. Erotica (Erotica)
8. Secret (bedtime Stories)
9. This Used to be my Playground (Something to Remember)
10. Don't Cry for me Argentina (Evita)
11. Frozen (Ray of Light)
12. Music (Music)
13. Die Another Day (American Life)
14. Isaac (Confessions on A Dance Floor)

Seeing the Material Girl Live.... At Long Last

MK: Thanks to Janet (one of NART's original members), my life long dream and passion (well, one of them at least!) came true on Monday night. I ventured to Amsterdam and saw Madonna's Confessions Tour.

Instead of going into how artistic, creative, flexible, amazing, and wonderful Madonna and her concerts are, I have decided to do something interactive with you.

Guess what songs and album these lyrics are from:

1. "And when I'm lost you'll be my guide. I just turn around and you're by my side."
2. "Let me cover you with velvet kisses. I'll create a look that's made for you."
3. "You're the one I'm dreaming of. Your heart fits me like a glove."
4. "Her heart is on the street, tu corazon es suyo. Now you're falling at her feet."
5. "When I get lonely and I need to be. Loved for who I am, not what they want to see."
6. "But you gave me something to remember. No other man said love yourself."
7. "Once you put your hand in the flame. You can never be the same."
8. "Since you came into my life. You found a way to touch my soul."
9. "This used to be the place I ran to. Whenever I was in need."
10. "Couldn't stay all my life down at heel. Looking out of the window, staying out of the sun."
11. "Love is a bird, she needs to fly. Let all the hurt inside of you die."
12. "It's like ridin' on the wind and it never goes away. But she's everything I'm in got to have it everyday."
13. "I think I'll find another way. There's so much more to know."
14. "Wrestle with your darkness. Angels call your name."

Here is a hint: They are in chronological order from each album she has produced.... And NO cheating!!

A Belgian Beer Fest

For those interested in beer, there are very few countries that can compete with Belgium for the production of quality brew.
M&JK: While the Belgians are normally very modest, they are quite proud of their brewing tradition. So what better festival to organise than a beery one in the heart of Brussels.

We made our way down for what we thought would be a simple afternoon beer sampling adventure. In the end, we (mostly John, "the beer drinker in the family") spent hour upon hour there, consuming incredible and wacky beer upon incredible and wacky beer. Many mates joined us over the duration of the event, making it a superb Saturday!

Has it Really Been One Year Already??

M&JK: On Sunday the 3rd of September 2006, we passed the one-year hurdle (of marriage, that is). It doesn't seem so bad afterall! We still talk on occasion! ;)

Here is a (JK: rather cheesy but fun ;)) collage showing some of our best memories together:

To celebrate we convened some very fine folk a few days later for a drink at -- where else? -- the Grapevine in Place Lux (formerly known as "Place Petros", until the bugger picked up and moved to London). The sun was shining (we're having a bit of an Indian Summer -- and we deserve it after the August we had) which made everyone particularly giddy.

So, on we go for year two. Let's see what surprises await us!

A Bacchian experience

JK: Dionysios Trigylidas, aka "Denis", "Trigger" or "The Dionetian", blessed us with his legendary presence last Thursday night.

The visit started on a peculiar note. After a 3.5 hour wait for us to finish work, Denis was forced to sit solo for another 30 minutes at a bar, beer in hand, unceremoniously abandoned by John, who ran off in a panic looking for his set of keys (which were inadvertently left in the front door of our apartment building).

Triumphantly, the night was redeemed by a beautiful dinner at "Le Cap" (Marche de Vieille Halle aux Bles -- a very neat and undisturbed square near the Grand Place).

But the greatest highlight -- and yet another chapter in Denis and JK's shared sport viewing history -- was the Greek victory over the NBA-based US national team at the World Cup of Baskeball. They watched the game in a jam-packed and cigarette smoke infested Greek resto-bar across the street from the EU Commission (Kafeneio). The game was rather early in the morning, as you can see by their sleepy eyes in the pic above.

One night by the North Sea...

JK: In a desperate attempt to run away from the endless cloud and rain (yes, the weather is a recurring theme of conversation lately, but by god it has been hideous), we hopped on a train to the North Sea coastal town of Oostende. Miraculously, by the time we arrived the sky had opened up and we got to enjoy the Belgian coast with our friend the sun.

BUT, of course, there was a catch: so enthralled were we with being on the coast, that we missed the last train back to Brussels (well, that is my version; Mélanie "claims" I misread the train schedule... ;) ).

MK: I interject here to say he did indeed read the train schedule wrong but too manly to admit it.

JK: Stuck in Oostende for the night, and on a very tight budget (you get paid at the beginning of the month in Europe, hence end of month spending becomes rather tricky), we had the choice of either pulling an all-nighter and catching the first train back to Brussels, or else finding some sort of cheap room. With the youth hostel closed (it was already midnight), and every hotel either booked or far too expensive, we finally stumbled upon a "seniors' bar" -- i.e. a bar full of extremely old folk dancing to Flemish gigs -- that advertised cheap rooms for the night.

We got the room, and after sheepishly trudging through a group of partying octagenarians, settled in. The building lacked a shower for guests (presumably showers at the nearby beach could be used -- thanks for the convenience!), the tap in the bedroom spurted out a few drops of water and the walls could have been made from paper maché, but at least the sheets looked clean!

Fortunately, a superb beer bar was located directly across the street. It provided the perfect relief from our misfortune and an opportunity for me to go hog-wild tasting the variety of glory on offer (La Chouffe on tap! Bink Blonde, etc) while Mélanie daintily sipped chilled jenever. What a peculiar weekend adventure!

To see the photos, click here.

Boyo was here! Yes he was

After an odyssey that included the 24hour postponement of his flight to Europe, a missed train in Paris, a missed second flight to Barcelona and a host of penalty charges, Ottawa's heroic Boyo (aka DJ Boyo, DJ Chicken Stardude, Pollo, Barnabitch) finally made it for a visit --albeit an abreviated one-- to Brussels. Boyo put on a brave and honourable face whilst here, belying the exhaustion and trouble he had endured. Clearly his years of weight training had made him strong.

Our powerful frisbee-obsessed friend from Ottawa spent five hours in our adopted home before we escorted him to the airport for his flight to Barcelona/Ibiza. But what an action-packed five hours they were! We attempted to give him a taste of both "the real" Brussels (e.g. Marolles, Jeux de balle, Midi marché, St. Boniface, etc) and the tourist version (Grand Place, which was fortunately still adorned with the Tapis de Fleurs - photo posted here).

The young Boyo entertained us with tales from Ottawa. The only sad note was that his short visit precluded the consumption of many of the Belgian beers of glory John had amassed with the intention of imbibing in his honour. Next time! Restez massif Boyo!

The Secret of Mons

MK: To break yet another dreary/rainy weekend in Belgium, we lifted our spirits by taking a day-trip to Mons (45 minutes by train from Brussels). We were pleasantly surprised by yet another "discovery" in this under-rated country: Mons is indeed a very attractive town. The Befry is captured in the pic belowOne interesting point: Mons happens to be the location of NATO's Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Powers in Europe (SHAPE). So lots of ex-pats and folk with crew-cuts to be seen!

For more pics click here.

Flower Carpet - Tapis de Fleurs - Bloementapijt

Every two years, Brussels turns on the razzamatazz, struts its stuff, and delivers what even non-flower folk like me acknowledge is quite a spectacle: the Tapis de Fleurs (Bloementapijt for you Dutch speakers in cyberspace). The massive carpet, placed in the middle of arguably the mother of all European squares, is displayed for only four days on even numbered years in August. This year's themed pattern was "Middle Ages", which included nine elevated "rosettes", which spun slowly to give the whole thing an animated feel.

I must say that after what has been a horrendous August in Northern Europe (15 days straight of cloud and rain), this exhibit came as a god-send!! Click the pic to be taken to our Flickr Tapis de Fleurs set.