I will be focusing on “images of Antwerp” during December, a month offering so many photo ops that I hardly know what to post first. Some of these shots may be taken with a cell-phone cam (no, I won’t drag a large camera in the windy/rainy giant Ferris wheel that is currently being constructed right at the edge of Antwerp’s riverbank Christmas village), along with some forgotten but often unusual shots showing “the stuff I didn’t blog about the eleven previous months”.
To start off with: Dutch Santa does Antwerp. I know, he looks like an anorexic white drag-queen, accompanied by dozens of fake (like in “turned ‘non-white’ using theater make-up”) black slaves. No, there’s no connection with the USA, my dearest readers, we just have extremely weird local Christmas customs (video). Have fun and keep on shopping, we have to save the world’s economy!
This blog is not affiliated with or endorsed by the city of Antwerp, Belgium.
Peter, I will avoid at all costs the shopping center pictured in you blog-how can you take pictures with those crowds! I’m buying second hand this year (thrift store christmas!) and maybe even baking presents! I never got into the Sint and his “Black Petes’ and my poor children have always gotten more from Santa Claus on Christmas morning than Sinterklaas; who’s known more for his dry niknak cookies and marzipan shaped like pigs. You gotta love all those chocolate figures though-in all shapes and sizes-Belgian chocolate in any form is good in my book!
[Blog author: "I was thinking along the same lines Jessica - unfortunately this Antwerp Hilton shopping center is also the closest location of a Carrefour/GB food store: stumbling upon "Sinterklaas" (basically, it's focused on children) came as a total surprise. Like yourself, I'm limiting my Christmas spending: I will only buy one Christmas present (for my partner) and so does he. I pass by three chocolate shops daily, so yes, I know all about the temptation
"]
Comment by Jessica — December 5, 2008 @ 10:39 am |
i always play accordion in black face and but in the nude.
[Blog author: "That's the true multicultural spirit Van! "]
Comment by furiousball — December 5, 2008 @ 6:04 pm |
You mean you’re not buying me any chocolate?!!
I’ve been sucking up to you and no chocolate?
Luckily there is a Belgian Chocolatier in my town where I always treat people to a small box of truffles when I can’t think of anything else to get them.
[Blog author: "Well, it's a long way to Canada VioletSky
If you ever visit Europe check out the local "we have been into Chocolate for 200y" shops: you'd find amazing quality truffles and a general variety & quality beyond belief. "]
Comment by VioletSky — December 5, 2008 @ 8:27 pm |
Holy shit, I just read about this strange tradition in Holland in the International Der Spiegel edition. “Black Pete” is a very strange tradition indeed. It is the equivalent of the minstrel show here in the US, and believe me, if someone tried that here, the uproar would be heard all the way to Belgium.
Here’s the article:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,594674,00.html
[Blog author: "Thanks for the link! Yes, for an outsider it must be totally weird
Given Belgium has virtually no black population there is no racial connotation though. The Dutch try to be "politically correct" given they do have a much larger colored population, but basically it's really an innocent tradition, enjoyed by all and focusing on real small children, as visible in my first shot." ]
Comment by Mr. Nighttime — December 5, 2008 @ 10:37 pm |
Hilarious title! Perfect!
[Blog author: "Thanks Pam. I found a really touching account from a Belgian mum who spend years in the USA bout "Belgian Santa": http://4nerinanativeland.blogspot.com/2008/12/sinterklaas-is-roaming-streets-at-night.html "]
Comment by Pamela — December 6, 2008 @ 8:18 am |