Israel warns for imminent terror attacks, at my vacation destination

As you may have read earlier this month, I booked a diving/snorkeling vacation to Egypt, along with 20 other members of my divingschool. The Red sea has some awesome snorkeling and diving spots along its superb Sinai coastal resorts.

I know, the area had its fair share of horrible terror attacks (Dahab last April: http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/04/24/egypt.blasts/index.html) but then, even resorts in Turkey were bombed the past few days. It will be a couple of weeks before I actually leave for Egypt, but Israel warned yesterday for imminent attacks on the three major resorts along the Sinai coast, urging its citizens to return home, and many complied: http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Briefs/9314.htm (published: Aug 30)

I just noticed that the AP newswire now carries a story about the search for 5 suicide bombers. Australia issued a negative travel advisory: http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Egypt for Aug 30th, which means that for the time being the terrorists are still at large and ready to strike in the future.

When I cruised the Nile last April I felt relatively safe (attacks on cruise vessels never occurred), but now I’m getting more and more apprehensive…

How would you react?

Tonight is not another day - why advertisers keep on targeting the planet in US English

You probably will find more thorough and better documented blog posts about this issue, but many multinationals keep on advertising in English in smaller markets that do not have English as their native language. In Holland some 30 second tv-commercials are entirely in English, no subtitling, nu dubbing, while this billboard in downtown Antwerp, Belgium simply assumes the target audience is fluent in English.

Unlike the chauvinist French speaking minority in southern Belgium, Dutch speaking Antwerp is just way too tolerant. Several dubbed French commercials with out of sync Dutch voice-overs are still being aired on local TV stations.

We speak Dutch: advertisers should acknowledge that fact, no matter how many of us speak several languages.

[Downtown Antwerp, Aug 28, 2006]

“I love you, you’re perfect, now change”

If by any chance you just happen to enjoy Broadway musicals, the phrase “I love you, you’re perfect, now change” may recall the name of a 10y running Broadway musical that succeeded in becoming a worldwide hit (http://www.loveperfectchange.com)

Last Sunday Antwerp “enjoyed” both a car-free day (just imagine) and the opening of the cultural season - an explosive combination resulting in a quite sunny city filled with countless tourists and 1001 streetside stands, showing what will be on offer this fall. The translated version of “I love you, you’re perfect, now change” is one of the shows presented by a tiny local theatre company: http://www.theaterarte.be/home/index.php

Unlike the US original, the actors decided to promote the show by walking through the local Antwerp streets:

[The actors in front of the Antwerp Hilton, an authentic landmark Paris Hilton never visits, in fear of a culture overdose ;)]

In line with the original, I was asked to have my picture taken with the cast. “Married?” the veiled fake bride asked me. “No”, I replied, “I’m gay”. In the true spirit of a real actor she handed me a one-liner: “Great, so am I”, she said with a sparkling smile. That’s the way to go

On a diet again? Stop right now, you’re not fat at all

These days I can’t switch on a TV anymore without being confronted with diets, diet pills, weight-loss machines and countless infomercials trying to make me believe I “must” lose weight. OK, some people are overweight, but this YouTube video shows that even some of the fattest among us manage to perform a strenuous dancing routine, without dropping dead

US conservative media attack Belgium for being “too liberal”

The past few months have seen an unusual deluge of attacks on Belgium in the (predominantly) conservative US media, mainly focusing on the way my country handles major issues such as freedom of speech, immigration and human rights.

Unlike spied-upon US citizens, we still enjoy our privacy, universal social/medical healthcare and human rights. Belgium is not at war, does not invade other countries and manages to offer all its citzens a decent income.

I wonder why the US conservative media all of a sudden discovered small, but liberal Belgium, by starting a slanderous campaign in several influential conservative papers.

A few quotes:

The Wall Street Journal, on Aug 22: http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB115620653882441697-lMyQjAxMDE2NTI2MjIyMDI2Wj.html : Let me just quote one blatant lie : ["Amid a pervasive and growing sense of lawlessness -- Belgium's per capita murder rate, at 9.1 per 100,000 is nearly twice that of the U.S"].

Fact: Belgium has one of the lowest, the US one of the highest murder rates. An inhabitant of Washington DC faces an absurd murder risk of 69 (murders per million), Brussels, Belgium has a murder ratio of only 0.4/million.

http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/BelgCul2.html: (Quote “Although a few spectacular murders and robberies have grabbed the public attention and crime rates have been increasing, the crime rate in Belgium is still quite low. The British ministery of Foreign Affairs calculated that Brussels is the safest capital in the world with respect to the risk for murder. With a ratio of 0.4% per 100,000 inhabitants (4 murders per million) Brussels is situated in front of Rome (1.7) and London (2.1), and far before Moscow (18.1) and Washington (69.3). A 1990 UN crime survey found that Belgian cities scored among the best for risks of assault and frightening threats.”

Washington Times editorial, Aug 17: http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20060816-090457-4849r.htm Quote: ["Free speech is under attack in Belgium"] - this dubious editorial is defending an extremist right-wing Blog (The Brussels Journal), who’s main author is married to a Belgian MP of the extreme Right-Wing “Vlaams Blok”, a party that had to change its name after being outlawed for blatant racism (details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlaams_Blok )

Apparently, when the US conservative establishment is confronted with major problems abroad (Irak, etc) and at home (an administration that visibly doesn’t care about the US constitution, while facing increasing “homeland” poverty, crime, etc), it’s easy but still useless to throw some mud around towards tiny, more liberal countries overseas.

The Washington Times editor apparently doesn’t realise that most of his readers can’t even locate Belgium on a worldmap, caused by the failing (and for public schools often crumbling) US education system.

It must be frustrating, living in the land of the free, ruled by an “administation” that shows contempt for the US constitution and the basic rights and of its own citizens.

Gone with the wind: Tall Ships’ Race 2006 leaves Antwerp

Today the Tall Ships Race 2006 left Antwerp.

They arrived in glorious sunshine, spent two days in the Antwerp rain but left the city today under an almost clear blue sky. I expected a lot of problems due to the influx of an expected one million visitors, but it went like a breeze, much to my surprise. Currently I’m trying to decide what to do with the 500+ shots I managed to take. This is a blog, not a photo album, so I will provide a link to Flikr in the future.

But these shot are so cute I cannot wait to show them: this couple actually managed to get married (!) on the Italian TallShip:

[left: marriage on an historic Tall Ship in Antwerp, last weekend - right: the Amerigo Vespucci, leaving Antwerp, Aug 22]

Tall Ships’ Race 2006 Antwerp: First pictures

I just returned from a fascinating walk along the Antwerp riverbanks and through the marina and dockyard area, now occupied by about 100 ships competing in the 50th Tall Ships Race 2006.Unfortunately at 5pm a heavy thunderstorm with pouring rain made about 100.000 visitors run for shelter.

I’m currently digitally processing my pictures - above’s a sample: on of the first arrivals in front of my door at noon today, the Italian Amerigo Vespucci (build 1930). During Sail 2006 you can watch the smaller ships from the studio-webcam of Antwerp O-radio: http://www.oradio.be/detail.php?record=3393 [valid until the ships leave Aug 22]

Samsung: Belgians pick up GSM/cell phone in bed, bathroom and even while having sex

According to a recent press release by Samsung Belgium, the population of this country is totally addicted to their GSM (cell phone).

Samsung’s corporate press release is just amazing: http://www.samsung.com/be-nl/presscenter/pressrelease/corporate_20060816_0000280441.asp (in Dutch, also published by DataNews: http://www.nl.datanews.be/news/network_and_telecom/mobility/20060817007 “Hold the orgasm” - in Dutch)

Use of GSM phones in Belgium: 92% takes them along on vacation, 72% never leaves home without it, 50% takes his/her GSM to the toilet/bathroom. And an amazing 4% claims to pick up a ringing GSM cell phone while having sex…

Related video from YouTube:

When nature calls: how Belgian Chocolates can actually chase the blues away

Pouring rain, traffic, annoying people, a stubborn driving instructor: I just had a lousy day.

Sometimes there is an easy (be it very temporary) solution at hand: eating chocolate, thanks to a proven alkaloid that stimulates the pleasure center in the brain. Oh yes, we’re getting high on “tetrahydro-beta-carboline alkaloids”, the better (read: expensive) the chocolate, the better the feeling.

However, I have been overdosing on chocolate for ages: watch these shots I recently took in my favourite restaurant:

Yes, I did more than just “take the pics”.

While I worked myself through a box of Leonidas chocolates tonight, the hectic day just faded, until I felt to urge to go out and get myself another box, the really A+++ premium chocolates by Neuhaus. An unexpected phone-call saved me from a chocolate overdose.

If I were an American, my doctor would probably label my behaviour an “addiction” - being Belgian makes me a “discriminating gourmet”. That’s a diagnosis I can live with

If you care to share your “addiction” experiences, feel free to comment.

Dutch Police: “To Serve and Protect”, unless you’re disabled

On my way to the coast in Holland I noticed how a country suffering from chronic over-regulation can suddenly forget why some rules have real value. I took this shot of a Dutch police patrol-car in Zeeland, stationed on a parking-space specifically intended for disabled drivers (notice the blue disabled P sign and the blue colour).

Was there an emergency (112 in Holland/Europe)? No, there was a Vietnamese food-stand at 10m (background)…

BTW: calling the police in Holland for non-urgent matters has become almost impossible: all police stations in The Netherlands have one single phone number: 900-8844. That’s correct: a paying toll-line on a 900 premium number…

The Dutch 112 (=911 in the USA) emergency operators will not put you through if they feel there’s no imminent danger (like when criminals have just left the scene), even if you cannot reach the premium Dutch 900 police number with your own (mobile) phone, eg while roaming as a tourist. Totally insane.

Meanwhile, some Dutch police cars apparently park on spaces for the disabled, just to get a snack.

Great.

[emergency numbers in The Netherlands: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_telephone_number ]

To put insult upon injury, the weather turned into a most unpleasant version of November Rain:

[diving (visibility: less than 1m/yard) in windy Holland, August 2006: we went home, dreaming of Egypt in October :-)]

Tall Ships’ Race 2006 Antwerp: thank you for staying at home

As you may or may not know, Antwerp is hosting the 50th Tall Ships’ Race 2006. The city has put up huge billboards, just in case someone should forget about it:

[my billboard shot: Tall Ships' Race, Antwerp August 19-22, 2006]

There’s obviously a website: http://www.tallships2006antwerp.be/ - which includes a VIDEO from the 2004 edition http://www.tallships2006antwerp.be/Pictures/ts_trailer.wmvwhich unfortunately looks like a bad infomercial combined with amateur shots from YouTube. Actually Antwerp did manage to mess up the 2004 riverbank animation: who cares for free bungee-jumps or 2 miles of riverside funfair when there are so many superb ships visiting?

Anyway, these 100 huge sailing ships will be visiting Antwerp soon (plan in pdf: http://www.tallships2006antwerp.be/Docs/TSR2006_sitemap.pdf), along with about *one million visitors*, who will unfortunately turn my daily life into a living nightmare.

Yes, I do love all these unique, superb wooden giants ( http://www.tallshipstock.com/favorite.htm), but I hate having 1 million people right in front of my front door for 4 days.. Wouldn’t you? I live right in front of all the riverbank hot-spots, making Monday 21- Tuesday 22 an absolute nightmare: I’m not having an extended weekend just because someone decided to “start the world’s largest sailing race” in front of my door”

So, in case you love sailing and really would like to watch these unique boats: please visit their websites. Really, Antwerp will be crowded like it has never been, you will not find 1 single available parking space or hotel room anywhere, while getting on-board the vessels will take hours.

I just had to watch the Tall Ships’ Race in 2004 and I will be here this year, but it looks much better on TV

[update August 19: I just visited the MIR, a great Russian vessel - the riverbanks are packed, in blazing sunshine - weather prediction for Antwerp for tomorrow: 20°C/70°F, rain with thunderstorms.   August 20: I got soaking wet and decided that I saw more than enough Tall Ships ;-)  You can watch the smaller ships passing a harbour bridge through the 24/24 webcam of local radio station O-radio: http://www.oradio.be/detail.php?record=3393 - online until August 22. There is no webcam available showing the large vessels.]

Fake rain soaked beaches after a real heatwave: European temps back to normal

July treated Antwerp like a Mediterranean town: 37°C/100°F temperatures with blazing sunshine, but obviously it had to end.

OK, so we’re back to “normal”, weather-wise (21°C/70°F, pouring rain) but my local riverside bar just keeps on faking a med-climate, including the sand (note: just outside this “beach scene” there’s a wet open-air carpark along the riverbanks. Notice the rain protection).

We didn’t buy it: this bar had almost no customers during rain-soaked early August.

Fake beaches during a rainy start of August: who needs them?

(Soon: details about my diving exams and upcoming trip to Egypt )