In Belgium 2006 Journal Part Two

Out the front doors of the Deinze train station and straight ahead about 50 feet lies Clues. As we entered we were greeted with a warm Flemish "hello" and a refreshing cold Belgian beer. Bart was there along with Chris Klooz, Tim, Alan, and several others I had spent a good deal of time with last year while I was in Deinze. After much hand shaking and hugging we settled into bar stools at the cozy local pub and began to talk politics. One of the greatest things about being based out of Belgium is that the general population is conscious, intelligent, and speaks English. Most usually Belgian youth speak at least three languages some of which are English, Flemish, French, and or German. They also have a worldly knowledge that far exceeds what most of the American general population does know or may ever even know in a lifetime. This includes people from tiny villages such as Deinze. I am always especially proud to be an American during the time I spend in political conversation with my Belgian friends. I love to be able to represent that massive side of America that does not agree with the President, does not agree with American foreign policy, and is not afraid to admit that America has its fair share of shortcomings.

Bart had to leave to get to Decadance for a performance so we agreed after a couple more beers and a little more conversation we would meet him there to watch. A few more Belgian beers and topics ranging from President Bush, Iraq, and the human race in general, we hopped into a car to make the 20 minute traveling time to Club Decadance in Ghent. Marvin rode shotgun and Mr. Klooz and I held down the two back seats. When we arrived we met up with a few more of the Clues Bar patrons outside and smoked a bit of marijuana before making our way inside the already full club. Lady Linn's beautiful voice could be heard from the entrance. Later in the night she asked Marvin to come up and do a song with her. The two astonishing singer's fed off each other's energy improvising lyrics and hypnotizing the eager and fascinated crowd. (lay it on thick scotty) At 5:30 am Bart and Lady Linn had finished their performance and it was time for Marvin and I to head back to Bart's house where warm beds awaited are very exhausted bodies and slightly spinning heads. Bart decided to stay for more drinks and good cheer and here lies within problem seven. We piled back in the car and took the now familiar roads back towards the small town we would be calling home for the next 26 days.

Bart's house was our final destination that evening. Bart's father spent every day of one year from 1979 to 1980 building the home. The exterior of the house is of mostly brick and wood with many windows ranging in size from very small to very large. The biggest window which lies in the front of the living room, is about 10 to 12 feet in length and around 5 feet in height. Because of the direction the room faces and the way the windows were placed it absorbs the suns light from noon till night. Every inch of the lower level floor is covered with ceramic tile and the ceilings are made of oak that is stained a very deep and welcoming mahogany. A lot of ceilings in Deinze look very much like the wood floors we are familiar with in the states. The only two ways of entering the house is the front door and the back door, both of which do not have a door handle but more less spring open when the key is placed in the lock. Problem six involves our lack of the key that springs the door into action. No key, no entering. I felt very much like a small child who does not have the password to the neighborhood hideout. He stands outside in the cold feeling left out while listening to the laughter and warmth radiating from inside the secret fort.

We sat for a long time on the porch contemplating our next move. Like a chess game we had to weigh our options carefully and with much detail. A good move could mean the grand prize of warmth and shelter. A bad move could mean dreadful cold and impoverished sleep. To sleep or to pass into the dream world was growing more and more important by the minute. (Now the short version)

We made the wrong move and ended up sitting on a porch outside in the cold for 3 hours. (Benny Hill music, roll the credits)

This saga will continue in the near future. Next up...Clues night, Decadance night, and other oddities and mishaps...

In Belgium 2006 Journal Part One

I want to state right now that I do not dislike America, Arabs, Pigmies, or anyone else I take stabs at during the following journal entries. Everything in these journals is meant to be funny and written as a joke. I love everyone and everything and above all I love to laugh. I hope you will too. Enjoy...

Today is Tuesday, March 21st, 2006. It was a long and exciting adventure making our ("our" meaning Marvin and I) way to Belgium. Let me briefly go back in time and explain how things progressed. I'll do so to the best my memory will allow...

I said a lengthy and extremely sad "goodbye" to Sasha. (Sasha always makes the event of saying goodbye much easier by supporting my everlasting habit of chasing dreams. For this, she gains and unsurpassable amount of love and respect from me.) Next I traveled to Clawson to meet Drew for a breakfast of eggs, pancakes, sausage, toast, and good cheer. The plan was to get in the car by 12:00 noon, drive over to Marvin's house, and head for Metro Airport. Unfortunately our fairly simple plan already had one major setback, becoming the event that would set the tone for our journey to Brussels. Drew's car starter failed to turn over its American engineered V6 leaving us feeling as stranded as the poor Lincoln in the driveway with its inoperable engine.

There will always be problems in life, these problems can always be overcome. Drew immediately swooped into action. He was able to borrow his roommate Matt's Nissan 240SX. You see unlike the Lincoln, Japanese cars are built to last. They are also apparently built for pigmies. Drew, myself, Marvin, and enough luggage for two people to be overseas for a month had to literally be crammed into the tiny Nissan. We arrived at the international terminal at Metro Airport stiff legged and two inches shorter by 12:45 pm. Problem one solved.

In front of the terminal Marvin and I pried our body's and luggage from the minute Nissan. We said our goodbyes and thanks to Drew and headed into the terminal. Good for us everything seemed to be operating as usual in the international terminal. What was not good for us was that we had to take a domestic flight out of the Smith terminal to Washington DC to catch a connecting flight to Brussels. We flagged a cab and 10 minutes and $10.00 later we arrived at the airport for the second time that afternoon. This time the ride was much more comfortable. Problem two solved.

We successfully printed our tickets, checked in, and then easily passed through the "ultra efficient and secure government appointed" airport security. These modern day heros protect good Americans from evil terrorists by denying them access to the boarding areas. By performing there demanding and extremely dangerous job each and every day they ensure "good Americans" will not be blown up or overwhelmed with the essence of expensive cologne. But most important to me it guarantees that I will be able to see the in flight movie rather then staring at a towel. (Problem 2.5 solved)

Problem Three: We had made it to the airport with plenty of time. With our bags checked, tickets printed, security passed, and gate found we were feeling pretty confident. We decided to have a quick drink at the classy and very inexpensive airport bar. As boarding time drew closer I walked over to the departure screen to make sure everything was on time only to find our flight had been delayed indefinitely. In order to make our connecting flight to Brussels the flight would have to be boarded and in the air by 4:30. This did not happen... Not arriving at our connecting flight became problem three.

Solving problem three weighed completely on United Airlines shoulders. The following was their solution...

1. we get on the original flight to DC
2. we take a Lahftgansa flight to Munich
3. in Munich we would pick up a Lahftgansa flight to Brussels

If all goes well we will be in Brussels by 12:30 pm only 5 hours later then our original arrival time. Simple enough.

This is were problem four and five unravel rather quickly. I'll list them with a short description.
1. Problem Four: The flight to Munich is delayed, we miss the connecting flight to Brussels.
2. Problem Five: The next flight from Munich to Brussels is delayed.

Problems four and five were solved by waiting, eating, talking, and of course the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Who is to say problems can't be solved by drinking and eating. In Munich I placed a 2 minute phone call on a credit card pay phone to Bart (our host in Belgium) to let him know what was happening. Unfortunately I would later find out that this 2 minute phone call from a pay phone in Germany to Belgium cost $40.00.

We finally arrived at the Brussels airport (I'm not sure of the formal name) at 8:30 pm nearly 13 hours after our original arrival time. Problem six involves our checked luggage which had been loaded onto an earlier flight headed for Belgium. Needless to say our baggage had arrived many hours before we did and was now nowhere to be found. We spoke with a really nice baggage claim employee who helped us to take the proper steps in claiming are bags and getting them delivered to where we were staying in Deinze. After that situation was solved we bought 10 euro train tickets to our final destination. Unknown to us problem seven would come much later that night or actually very early the next morning. To be continued...

Assassination of Malcolm X

By Breitman, Porter, and Smith

The following book explores in depth the assassination of Malcolm X. Who and why? Brought to the forefront are coverups during the police investigation and crucial evidence ignored and manipulated by the US government during the trial. Secret FBI files indicating possible government complicity in the crime. If you like government conspiracies, Malcolm X, and African American history I recommend this book.