Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Another Day Unintegrated ...

I spent the morning with a truly interesting Belgian man; it was all about an interview in a cafe that will surely become a favourite of mine. I do believe it's a cafe that could work as an office away from home with my laptop and interview tapes.

I delivered cds of photographs taken for the latest project to PINA and while there, enquired about whether I had a place on the upcoming integration course I'm meant to attend.

The organiser wasn't there again, so I'm left guessing as to whether I get to spend a quiet night in catching up with my lovely London-based Australian friend Clare, who arrives that afternoon, or whether I'm attending my first of 10 (2 nights per week) integration course - courtesy of some idiot government official who chased me up after a rule change that suddenly left me supposedly unintegrated.

Mutter mutter ... you can't imagine how many times I heard the Belgian national anthem in October. It quite possibly means I'm 95% native Belgian now.

Then I was back on the tram and out to the YWCA to deliver another cd of photographs taken. Starving by now, I asked about some place for lunch.

I took note of the favourite Moroccan cafe but L' ile Gourmande was closer and had the added attraction of red wine to accompany my baguette stuffed with Brie.

I went over my interview notes, hastily taken when I realised my old and faithful tape recorder had finally died, realising that finding a quiet place to go over interview notes taken as soon as is possible is a must-do in future.

Tonight we have a feverish little Miss Three coughing again. Whether it's the same flu or a new one we're not sure but she's surely being knocked around by autumn bugs during her first term at kindergarten.

Tot ziens from the 'unintegrated' kiwi in Antwerpen.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Di, I think it is time for you to buy a new recorder. These days some mp3-players have the ability to record whatever has been said. You should check into that.

Di Mackey said...

Just working out the budget, Manictastic. Should know in a few days ... fingers crossed for luck :)

Anonymous said...

Being almost a 95% native Belgian by now (and you sure are, considering most Belgians have no clue how their national anthems sounds) it must be clear that this country will do almost anything to chase integrated migrants and subject them to yet another mindless integration course.

Belgium is marked by a senseless, disorienting, often menacing complexity: our Kafkaesque bureaucracies are a slap in the face to all law abiding citizens.

And trust me, I'm a native and have the pleasure of currently going through a similar ordeal (my neck/arm issues)