Easter Magic

Dear folks,

I wish everyone to whom I couldn't reach out personally, a Happy Easter! I guess we all can do with some touch of magic these days :-). Sometimes it might be a matter of finding the right mindset or another set of eyes. Even an ugly concrete wall can put a smile on your face when you look twice ;-).

For me, part of the magic of Easter was celebrating the Mass with the international church community and gathering for a potluck afterwards. When you're away from home, sharing food and stories in good company is a blessing! I even forgot to take pictures!

In the afternoon, I went for a stroll in the Tivoli Park, literally the lungs of the town. Under a gentle sunshine, I saw the first signs of new life popping up in the forest. Climbing to the top, I got a great view on the town. Maybe it was the first fresh air since a long time, or the power of the first sunshine on my light deprived skin... or the release of all accumulated stress... but man, I felt exhausted when the sun was going down and I was about to set out for home.

On my way back home I visited the Sladoledni Bar Grefino. No, I didn't go for a drink: in this new bar, they don't tap beer, but ice cream! There is a wall with handles connected to ice cream machines that contain different flavors. In this self service ice cream bar, you can simply "tap" your own ice cream, chose your toppings and dressings et voila: your unique ice cup is ready. You pay for the weight of what you "tapped". I must say, it was the best ice cream I ate in a long time and a perfect closure of my day! Or as they say in Slovenian: gre fino! Everything goes fine!

PS: I swapped my SIM-card for a Slovenian one. I will only start using my Dutch SIM again when I am back home. 

PS: I got notified that apparently not all snail mail is arriving at my postaddress. If you don't get any feedback from me, please let me know, I might not have received your posting.

Brussels the brave

Seeing my beloved Bruxelles, my dear Belgium, under attack, while being safe and sound abroad, is pretty estranging. It suddenly made me realise how much my identity is connected with the places and the people who gave me so much chances to grow in life and to become the person I am right now.

I want to recall my school in Brussels, that accepted me, a student from another school in another town, and allowed me to change to their institute. In Brussels, they recognised my ambitions and interests and were willing to offer me chances I couln't get elsewhere, among which the opportuny to realise my dream, of doing an internship abroad, which turned out to be Slovenia. 

Training in Brussels also did silence the negative voices, those who, wrongfully, had told me to doubt my passion (and ability) to become a midwife. Their scepticism didn't manage to discourage me but strengthened me to take the risk to leave my old school, give up old paths that turned out to be not fruitful anymore and have the guts to try new ways. That new way was the way to Brussels, and on that way I was offered exactly the learning chances and challenges I needed most. Brussels taught me how to hang on to a dream and how to take a risk in life. Brussels taught me how to be brave.

That is why I want to recall today my wounded Bruxelles. The city and the people that brought me much healing, who invested in me. Today, I want to stand by you, by your fear and your despair, by your tears and your bleeding heart

Dear Belgians, we all know, that you, as Julius Caesar said, are the bravest among all tribes. Today, I want to recall that braveness. In the footsteps of Ambiorix, who stood strong against the renowned Roman commander, I want to recall your inner civilisation, to not harvest what others are trying to sow in your nation, in your heart; to not answer death and violence with hate and counter violence; to not disqualify the beauty of your multicultural society because of its shortcomings; to not let despair making you lose hope.

Today I want to recall the many brave pregnant women I had the privilege of working with and learning  from during my last year's training in hospitals in Brussels. Women from all over the world, from all colors and denominations, who had found and made themselves a home in Brussels. Today, I want to recall that other face of Brussels, the enriching beauty of the multicultural society that taught me so much about what it means to be a human being and to be a woman.

Today I want to recall the brave women of Bruxelles, the women representing the whole world and embodying the human strength and resilience. I want to recall those superwomen, who so courageously keep putting their life's and hearts at risk to carry and give birth to new life in a world that is in so much pain. I want to recall the small babies, who don't point fingers, who don't distinguish between color, culture or religion. Those babies who not only feed on milk, but most of all on love.

I want to recall the importance of motherhood. Mothers, the real warriors of life and love. They need us all to join hands, not to make a fist, but to stand strong together in love. Because evil can only be put to shame by standing by one another, not by letting us be divided, but by embracing what is fragile, vulnerable, good and beautiful. That is what makes a motherland.

I owe it to the new generation I helped to enter into this world, to the brave parents that have to raise their children in an unsafe world, to the mothers of this world who don't know how to explain hate and violence to their innocent children, to the frightenened hearts of our minors, to the fathers who are unable to protect their families against the radicalisation of this time,...I owe it to all of them to advocate a culture of love. 

The beauty of Europe is its lovely cross-pollination of cultures. Here in Slovenia, I often hear Belgian singers on the radio, I see Belgian bands on the billboards and playing in the local venues, I see Dutch literary heritage popping up on festival posters.

Let our arts become our weapons...
Let us live by the he(art).
Let us continue to be brave afterall.  

Big bissous from Slovenia!  

PS: next time, finally the long expected first blog on my internship!

 

A taste of Ljubljana

Dear blog readers!

Sorry for leaving you in the dark for almost 4 weeks now! I found myself in an adaptation rollercoaster with little time to reflect, let alone to write. I know that many of you are looking forward to reading about my first experiences as a midwifery student at the labour ward. I have to ask for some more patience though. I am about to enter my first fully free weekend in 3 weeks, so I hope to finally find some time to chew on a blogpost on my midwifery adventures. As an appetizer, I'll first serve a short blog on my life in Ljubljana. 

Housing

First, a taste of my housing. I have the privilege of living in a studio in the very centre of Ljubljana. This not only makes it easy for me to go out at night and take a stroll in the picturesque streets, it also has the advantage of being in walking distance of the hospital. Given the limited amount of time and the multiple night shifts, this is more than convenient.

Feeding program ;-)

I also finally got to the point where I feel my exploration of Slovenian life has started. Not in the least by enjoying Slovenia’s food culture – and that at a very affordable price. 

Until now, I had been mostly working during office hours. Recently however, I got down to activating my food coupons at the Student Organization on campus. A sensible thing to do: these government sponsored coupons allow students to have a full meal (three courses and often a drink) in many Ljubljana restaurants, at very low prices (with a maximum of around € 4,50). All you need is a Slovenian mobile number to register. In the restaurant, you simply dial 1808, validate the coupon and… enjoy your meal!

There was but one thing that held me up a little: when on my way to the campus, I was distracted by the looks of a nearby industrial building. It turned out to be the Union beer brewery, one of Slovenia’s biggest brewers (although they also do other beverages like soft drinks and mineral water). They are surely proud of themselves, given the fact that they offer a tour on the history and present of brewing (which I put on my to do-list). A small sip of the tour can be taken here.

Sunday in Ljubljana

In the student’s life, financial restrictions often prevent from going out to dine in style and visit museums. This Sunday however, was an entirely different story. Combining the food coupons and the free entrance that Ljubljana museums offer every first Sunday of the month, allowed some friends and me to have a classy afternoon. Enjoying and sharing the Ljubljana life, we ate out in the Mexican restaurant Joe Peñas and made our way to the Museum of Modern Art.

The atmosphere in the Modern Art Museum can probably be best described as one of crisis and new beginnings. It struck me as pretty symbolic for my own life over the last few years. Walking along the artefacts in the museum I got a mixed feeling. Without being able to pinpoint the exact reason, the exhibition felt oppressive, as if you are trying to breath with your head under a blanket.

I felt the museum needed what I need in my own life: a reorganisation of artworks, to get rid of the forgeries of the past and give the real masterpieces what they deserve: a proper stage. Only when shedding a new light on the past, and seeing its true nature, the scars of the crisis can heal and become victory signs that signal a new beginning.

Three years ago, when I first visited Slovenia and Ljubljana, I was in a time of personal crisis. That visit became a new beginning, the kick off of my training as a midwife. Now that I am about to complete my training, I feel that this second stay in Ljubljana is the last stage in the transformation of scars into victory signs. Dropping the last few forgeries might prove challenging, but it’s time for the real masterpieces to shine again.

Bible Brew

The international students of the Bible Brew group organised a meet-and-greet with food and homemade sweet cookies (thanks to Lucia!) after the International Mass. The meeting also served as a sort of goodbye party for Father Damjan Ristic, who will be staying in London for two months to write his PhD thesis. Although I only got to know Father Ristic a few weeks ago, I will surely miss the amazing Bible Brew evenings under his guidance, the many good stories and his sense of humour. In the past, Father Ristic has been working in Zambia for some time and the shared passion for Africa gave a lot of added color to our 'brewings'. For that is basically what the Bible Brew group is all about, brewing on the Bible, on life, sharing the journey and trying different brews in bottles ;-). Last time, I introduced the Belgian beer culture, and with the Lindemans Framboise, I could even trigger the ladies' appetite for beer. Wasn't it me who, at the start of this blog, questioned the pub crawl phenomenon? :D Well, I think we brew in the spirit of Erasmus, with moderation. Or, as Oscar Wilde would have it: "Everything in moderation, including moderation."

Other faces

As some of you might know, I have a passion for both photography and street art. I cannot go about a city without capturing the other, less official cultural faces that present themselves. I’ll give a sneak preview of this alternative face of Ljubljana, and I hope to be exploring (and showing you!) more of this in the future.