25 Apr 2014

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

1. On Easter Monday Ilona had asked me to come with her for an excursion with her Thai Chi group. It was not that far away from Brussels in East Flanders.



We arrived in a little village where the cemetary is still around the church, which is very unusual in Belgium. It was the first time I saw that.



We all gathered in front of the village's club house, in which we should later have a coffee break and then listen to a concert. The instruments where already displayed on the floor.



The landscape was very peaceful and beautiful, sheep and cows were grazing and wood mixed with open spaces. It all looked very green.



In one of the open spaces they stopped for a Thai Chi exercise. I watched sitting on a bench, because I have forgotten all about Thai Chi which I had done quite a long time ago. Ilona of course participated, wearing red jeans and a white blouse.




When the Thai Chi was finished we walked through the wood to a little chapel, which the leader had chosen for a meditation.



I went with them inside just to see what a meditation was, but as the woman who read a text had such an awful accent that I didn't understand a word. The whole thing was in Flemish, and I didn't have any problem to speak and understand, but not when somebody has an awful accent. Anyway meditation is not my thing and I sat outside in the sun together with the little dog of a lady who meditated. The dog and I walked around the chapel, when suddenly it started to rain so I went inside the Chapel with little doggie. When he saw his owner he started to bark, and the meditation group started laughing. On the owners lap the dog stopped barking and was quiet, but when they started to sing, he sang too which again caused laughter. Meanwhile the rain had stopped and I went outside again with the dog. People who wanted to go into the chapel for a little prayer asked me if there was a mass taking place as they heard the singing but I told him that it was a meditation group. I better should have said nothing because they looked at me as if the devil was inside the chapel !

Then we went back and had our coffee with a waffle.



After the coffee the concert started, which I thought to be Indian. Indeed it was Indian, but the Indians were not from India but it was Native American music ! I love this music too, so I enjoyed the concert very much. People started to dance and Ilona with her 71 years was the dancing star !



The Native Americans were Flemish men, but they did a real good job !

2. The next day my legs hurt a bit from all this walking, I watched Oscar the robot mowing the lawn and cut some branches, then fortunately it started to rain and I went inside and relaxed at my computer !

3. Nicole had invited some friends to celebrate her birthday again, and we were taking a sunbath on her terrace and ate the self made strawberry cake !

4/5.



In my painting class we celebrated a late Easter and one classmate had baked these delicious cakes. I am still working on my sky painting. Looking out of the window I had this beautiful view on blooming cherry trees.


more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

and

10 comments:

  1. Nice week. Funny those people you saw who were upset with the meditation being in the church -- I went to a Yoga retreat last month and the ladies told a story about how a few years ago a new priest kicked their Yoga group out of the church they were renting for class ... and when he told them to leave he sprinkled them with Holy Water! Everybody laughed but the leaders said it pointed out that Yoga is becoming much more accepted by "the mainstream" now. (So I guess I will have to find another way to be a rebel).

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  2. That little chapel is lovely. Funny about the doggie joining in!

    A lot of older churches here had cemeteries, but not the newer ones.

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  3. Sounds like a relaxing week. And strawberry cakes! Mmmm... Have a great week ahead.

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  4. I would have stayed outside with the cute little dog too. Where have the old graves gone if they are no longer around the church?

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  5. Good participation -- even from a smart dog!

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  6. I enjoyed reading your post! I cannot understand people who speak Dutch with a terrible accent either. Some dialects are very hard to understand. I think that everybody in my country should learn to speak proper Dutch..
    We had a lovely day today on Koningsdag. Thanks for visiting.

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  7. Looks like it was a lovely day to be outside. When I was growing up there was a Chinese lady in our neighborhood who did Thai Chi every morning in the back alley. It was interesting watching her.

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  8. Wow. Looks like you had an amazing time. Thanks for sharing all the photographs to go along.

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  9. Illona is a such bout en train!!! HiHi! I would like to be there and dance with her!

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  10. The first time I saw tai chi was in Hong Kong. People went out at 5 am into the square and did it.
    I was absorbed watching them.
    I think I wouldn't mind doing it today if I knew what I was doing.

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