Rendez-Vous
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March/April 2014
American Women’s Club of Brussels Founded 1949
n i s p i h s d n e i r f g n i t a e r s r C a e y 5 6 r o f s l e s s Bru
AWCBrussels
1 FEBRUARY - 31 MARCH 2014 9:30 - 15:30 DAILY
AWCB CLUBHOUSE
Bra and/or cash donations may be made at the AWCB clubhouse. A collection box had been set-up on the lower floor.   2
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Table of Contents
Letter from the editor……………………………………………….5 Message from the President………………………………………6 News World Cancer Day “flashmob” by Judy Furukawa………...7 Comings & Goings by Judy Furukawa……………………...8 Meet a Member by Nancy Dewachter-Roach………………….10 Arts & Culture! Fin de Siecle Museum by Ann Englander………………....11 Browsing Belgium - A Day in Kontich…………………..….11 Book Reviews by Ann Somerhausen……………………….12 Feature Article on Author Pat Barker by Barbara Paulhus…....14 Living & Home! What’s Cooking by Trix Hilbers…………………..…………15 Easter Butter Lamb……………………………...……...15 Easter Bread………………………………………...…..19 Cheese Soufflé……………………………………….….19 Moving on by Judy Furukawa………………………...…….16 Something Borrowed, Something Blue……..….…………..20 by Olivia de Vos Brussels Sprouts…………………………………………...…….24 Living Arts…………………………………………………...…….26 Vernissage information for March, April, May and June HOPE ! ! An Afternoon at Home Leopold by Karen Flack……….….28
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Wine & Cheese Event Photos by Wendy Vastine………..…...30 Classified Ads……………………………………………….…….26
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Feature Article Exploring History - WWI Trip to Ypres and The Menin Gate by Janine Shipton…………………………………………….33 Coming Attractions………………………………………………...35 4
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Letter from the Editor
Joshua “jack” Derrick
Hello. I know I’m not the editor that you are used to and it may surprise a few of you that a man is editing the AWCB’s magazine, I came into the position in aid of a dear friend of mine, Diane who needed to take some personal time and step back from the editing position for a while. If there is one thing my parents taught me, it’s to do anything you possible can to help a friend in need, so here I am editing the magazine.
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I came into the position with great enthusiasm for making big sweeping changes to the look and feel of Rendez-Vous. The changes you see in this issue are only the beginning. We are currently working on offering a fully functional e-magazine version available for reading on the iPad and iPhone in addition to the current pdf version. We also will be providing printed copies of the magazine again for a small fee just to cover the printing.
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I would like to apologize to the readers of Rendez-Vous and all members of the AWCB for the delay in publishing the March/April edition. Unfortunately I hadn’t given myself enough time to make all of the changes I wanted to make and failed to factor my own physical and health issues into that schedule. Now that I’ve gotten the hang of things I shouldn’t have any trouble making the new publishing dates which are reflected on page 7 of this issue.
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I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who has contributed to this issue of Rendez-Vous. You are a great team of women and I look 5
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This month’s issue has some great articles and two feature articles having to do with World War I. First we have an article on author Pat Barker who has written a number of books about the war. I personally had never heard of her prior to reading Barbara Paulhus’s article and now I want to devour her books one after the other. Our second feature article comes from Janine Shipton who takes us along on very personal journey to Ypers and the Menin Gate.
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Ann Englander opens up our new Arts & Culture section with a wonderful review of the new Fin de Siecle museum in Brussels which I will most definitely be visiting after reading her review.
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We have a number of book reviews by Ann Somerhausen who has a wonderful way of writing and not just about books. Her book reviews will pull you in and make you want to read these books and experience them fully the way she does. Great books for Spring vacation!
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Nancy DeWachter-Roach introduces us to another member this month with a lovely article on Petra Gericke who endlessly volunteers at the club and shares some personal moments with us in this article.
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News, Comings & Goings and a great piece on Moving on are written by Judy Furukawa as she prepares to make the move from her long term home of Waterloo to Dubai. I wish Judy and Richard more success and happiness in Dubai than they have had with the Office of Global Management responsible for their move.
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Olivia de Vos brings us yet another wonderful pictorial adventure with great tips for improving your own photographs.
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! Karen Flack gives us a great update on a recent visit to Home Leopold where AWCB volunteers played bingo with some very excited residents. Karen’s writing makes you want to volunteer and getting involved with HOPE is a great way to make your stay here in Belgium so much more rewarding.
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We’ve got some great recipes in our Living & Home section from Trix Hilbers to get you ready for the Easter holiday or just a fun and friendly luncheon.
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We are looking to create a section written for and by AWCB kids. The “Brussels Sprouts” section of Rendez-Vous needs your little reporters, poets, artists, photographers or anyone that wants to be an official “Brussels Sprout”. Kids of all ages are welcome to participate. Please see me or contact me at jack@futtatinni.com for more information.
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Thank you all for providing me the opportunity of editing and changing the AWCB magazine and I sincerely hope that each and every one of you enjoys the changes we are making. I look forward to continuing to make changes and improvements to the magazine to better serve the needs of all AWCB members.
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Thanks again and warm regards,
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Joshua ‘jack’ Derrick
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Message
from the
President Dear Members,
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Spring is almost upon us! This spring we will be celebrating the 65th Anniversary of the AWCB! What a fantastic achievement.
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In honor of our 65th Anniversary we are hosting our anniversary party at the Atomium on Saturday March 15th from 7:00 to 10:00 pm. The cost is 65€ per person and includes the entrance to the Atomium, hors d’oeuvres, soda/water/juice and bus transportation for those who wish from the Sheraton Hotel. Wine will be sold separately. Please come and celebrate your club and keep in mind this is very special occasion and location to celebrate in. It doesn’t happen everyday!
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Coming in just a few short weeks is the FAWCO Conference. We have great speakers and fabulous dinners and tours planned. We would love to have you be part of the excitement. The conference is Thursday March 13th-Saturday March 15th at the Sheraton, Place Rogier. For more information on dinners and tours please call, come by the clubhouse for up to date information or visit www.fawco.org.
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We kicked off our “This Old House Campaign,” with our first house party. The goal of the campaign is to raise 65.000€ for the AWCB to keep up the house with necessary repairs. We need to replace our furnace unit for a newer more efficient model and we also would like to repair the lights in the back parking lot. A successful campaign is crucial ensuring that we can remain in our lovely house. Our February, Wine & Cheese event was a fabulous success raising 1250€ for our campaign! Thank you to those who supported this event. Also a huge Thank you to the Bridge group for their donation, which will go toward this campaign.
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Our new Social Committee has been busy planning new events for us this Spring. We have the new “Share a Skill” series as well as keeping up with our Browsing Belgium series. Look for upcoming events in our newsletter and on the website.
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Coming up in May we will have our Annual General Meeting with a representation of our 2013 Financial Statements and elections for the 2014-2015 Board of Directors.
! I hope to see you all at some of our 65 ! All the Best, !
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Anniversary festivities as well as upcoming house parties!
Wendy Warren-Schueremans
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World Cancer Day “Flash Mob” in Brussels
The Place de la Monnaie in downtown Brussels was the site for a “Flash Mob” to commemorate World Cancer Day on Tuesday, 4 February. The event was organized by the “Foundation Contre Le Cancer” with the participants coming from the three “Relay for Life” groups in Belgium.
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Starting at six-thirty in the evening, approximately 200 women, children and men dressed in white sweaters/shirts and blue jeans performed a spirited routine to Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger”.
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Those who rocked the event on behalf of the AWCB, St. John’s International School and the International Relay for Life group were Mary Hayward, Amanda Neal, Kari Doyle, Kristin Ports, Minal Patel, Tammie Jones, Hope Meyers, Nicole Amole, Tamara Cleaver, Judy Furukawa and their families.
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http://youtu.be/CkBG6PURNRU - Look for familiar faces on the left side towards the back.
(New) Rendez-Vous Publishing schedule January/February Issue - January March/April Issue - March May/June Issue - May September/October Issue - September
15th 15th 15th 15th
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Comings & Goings
We wish a fond farewell to the following We would like to welcome the following club members new club members
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Candy Wood, (Switzerland), the chair of The Gift Boutique and its charity fundraising for the past three years. Mary Picken, (U.S.), another faithful Gift Boutique volunteer. Tina Brown (UK) who helped out at the Holiday Bazaar and with Special Activities. Kaylene Murray (U.S.), who taught crafts classes. Brandi Collins (U.S.), Holiday Bazaar and Hints volunteer. Judy Furukawa (Dubai, UAE), who has had a variety of duties and chair positions, among them President, VP1 and long-time “Café Lady”.
Allison Allie Marie Helen Lambert Jana Gloe Nikki DuRussel Revathy Mahendra-Rajah Dayana Azor Liz Lowrie Kathleen Faughanan-Reding Susan VanGilder Loretta MacFarlane Amy Rosenblum Margaret 'Meg' Hayes Myriam Claud
A special welcome to our youngest members and congratulations to their families
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Ditte Linnea Coralie born to Anna and Patrik Hildingsson on Sunday, 12 January, 3470gr, 51cm
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Elena Sophie Madita born to Eva Kummer and Claus Aagaard on 18 February, 3650 gr, 52.5 cm
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Elsie Kyrakov Macris Ife Obdeijn Lia Mezzella Liz Lowrie Marie Helen Lambert Loretta MacFarlane Lia Mazzella Nikki DuRussel Paula de Fougerolles Karin Gould Melissa Lee Asya Stolz Paula Yost Melanie McFeeters Michaela Nagl-Vogel Kate Simonutti Sunny Hallahan Doreen Merkel Fran Carter Sandy Wiemer Kari Doyle Julie Ann Leggett Denise Cornicelli Kara Hootman Jana Davis Rita Histad Elaine Carabok Julie Reuter Jo Mueller Lisa Compton Kerri Lawson Robin Yandell Dawn Gillespie Kate Belt Nicole Amole Anke Sami-Petersen Mary Deneue Ife Obdeijn Elisa Kyriakou Maki Carrie Canfield Myriam Claude Kathleen Faughnan Reding Margaret Hayes T. Anne Reed Susan Van Gider
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Meet a Member Nancy Dewachter-Roach
Petra Gericke has been a member of the AWCB since 2009. Originally from Germany, in the area of Frankfurt, her last location, before Brussels, was Dubai. It was there, in Dubai, that she discovered the pleasing ambiance of an American Women’s Club. The Club was a welcoming place, open to receive interested persons. It was, also, a place that reached out to those beyond, through a charity named Al Ihsan, an Arabic word that means “perfection” or “excellence”, which worked with and supported women without spouses and young people without sponsors. The very positive experience there was a clear indication of what she would do when she arrived in Brussels. She joined the AWCB. She sought and found the Club a place of openness to all with a sense of family, indeed a happy confirmation of her expectations.
Petra Gericke
Petra has two sons, Ben Luca who is 11 and Sam Nino who is six. These young people are her first priority and still, she finds time and enthusiasm to work with and for the Club. Her education involved a study of hotel and business management which fits perfectly with her role as chairperson of reception, a job that is, at the same time demanding and rewarding. Assisting people with many questions and a need for clarification is certainly one that Petra carries out with ease. She served on the board for two years, coordinated the UPS connection with the Club, works with special activities, the list goes on!! When not busy otherwise, Petra enjoys running, a sport that has helped her discover the natural beauty of the Belgian forests. On vacation she enjoys scuba diving. Musically, the cello and even drums are instruments for creative activity. One interesting experiment is the singing bowl massage, an activity, originally Tibetan, which enables one to feel and respond to the sound which emanates from the activity of striking the bowl with felt mallet, inviting relaxation. As with each active member of the Club, Petra is one whose presence is always reassuring. Commitment and congeniality are ever present. We wish her well in each endeavour.
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FIN DE SIECLE NEW MUSEUM OPENS ITS DOORS
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ANNE ENGLANDER Housed in the deepest recesses of the Royal Fine Arts Museums, one of the oldest buildings in Brussels, the Fin de Siècle museum is the newest of the capital's cultural attractions. The close of the 19th century was not a happy time for Europe, buffeted as it was by social injustice and political upheavals, culminating in the horrors of the First World War. This may have been a terrible time for Europe's citizens but this was not the case for its artists. The fin de siècle heralded the end of the old order and the start of the new. This period bore witness to the death of the classical ideal of a transcendent, harmonious beauty and the birth of the age of experimentation.
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The new museum highlights the years between 1865 and 1914 when the outbreak of war put an abrupt end to the new art movement. During this period, Brussels was to witness the flowering of this modernist tendency due to the contribution of young visual artists hailing from Belgium such as James Ensor, Fernand Khnopff, Constantin Meunier and Felicien Rops. Other disciplines were also recognised such as architecture in the guise of Victor Horta and Henry van de Velde and literature flowing from the pens of Maurice Maeterlinck and Emile Verhaeren.
Browsing Belgium Shopping in Kontich 26 March Kontich
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If you have ever travelled on the E19 towards Antwerp, you have most likely been in Kontich without realizing it as the highway runs right through the municipality.
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The town name , derived from the latin word condacum, means the merging of two streams.
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The museum has prime examples of stylistic innovations such as Impressionism, Symbolism, Realism and Art Nouveau, a reflection of the intellectual and social trends of the time. The movement may have originated abroad but Belgian artists were pivotal due to the country's central role as a European crossroads.
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The opening of the new museum is part of a project to reorganise museums and restructure the collections of other federal museums. If the project is expanded, it will culminate in the creation of a new modern art museum somewhere in Brussels gathering together art collections from the 20th and 21st centuries to be housed in a new or renovated building. The new Fin-de-Siècle museum may be the home of past works but it does not shrink from the latest multimedia technology such as interactive touch screens taking visitors on virtual tours of demolished masterpieces such as Horta's Volkshuis. A mustsee for residents and visitors alike.
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The browsing Belgium trip to Kontich was a great success and all ladies that went had a wonderful day. Please be sure to join us for the next Browsing Belgium tour.
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Fin-de-Siècle Museum rue de la Regence/Regentschapsstraat 3, Brussels www.fin-de-siecle-museum.be
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Y U . L VORS FAMI ITE, F I S L V I RY OF A R U Y U Q S MASTE S EX HE RO I S T I G F H N O I D K E E RI T S BOO H ER I T PRINC HER W B Y THI HA S IN HER, A . D T N E E A H C F W S N O R A IT D N TR THAT N. HE E T R O E I O A S T S E L O O AS D EM ET T IS C M. I W U N A BL FUL AN AN D I IGHT, EAUTI WISDO B N S POET, I S T H A A TE RY S AN D L STO TIL L A WORD RVIVA UP UN U T S A S A I THAT I READ HAVE M O N E. D L SE THIS O S A G MOVIN
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“ T H E L A ST RU N AWAY ” BY T R AVY C H E VA L I E R
I GRABBED THIS BOOK AS SOON AS I SAW THE NAME OF THE AUTHOR, WHO HAD IMPRESSED ME SOME YEARS AGO WITH HER BOOK, “THE GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING.” I WAS CERTAIN THAT THIS BOOK WOULD GIVE ME AS MUCH PLEASURE, AND I WAS RIGHT. THIS STORY IS ABOUT THE RUNAWAY SLAVES THAT WERE CROSSING INTO ILLINOIS ON THEIR WAY TO CANADA. IT WAS AFTER THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION AND OFFICIALLY THERE SLAVERY HAD ENDED IN ILLINOIS. HOWEVER, THEIR FORMER MASTERS HAD ENGAGED HUNTERS TO CAPTURE THEM AND FORCE THEM TO RETURN TO THE SOUTH, AS SLAVES. A YOUNG QUAKER WOMAN, WHO RECENTLY ARRIVED FROM ENGLAND, JOINS THE QUAKERS WHO WERE ACTIVE IN HER TOWN, DOING WHATEVER THEY COULD TO HELP THE ESCAPING FORMER SLAVES. T IS, AS I EXPECTED, A REMARKABLY GOOD BOOK. AND I EVEN LEARNED SOMETHING ABOUT THE ART OF QUILTING – THE TECHNIQUE PRACTICED IN ENGLAND IN CONTRAST TO THE AMERICAN TECHNIQUE...
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“A S U I TA BL E B OY ” BY V I K R A M S ET H
IMAGINE ME STRETCHED OUT ON THE SOFA, KNEES UP, BACK RESTING AGAINST 4 OR 5 PILLOWS. THIS IS MY PREFERRED POSITION FOR A GOOD LONG READ. ON MY STOMACH SIT TWO PILLOWS, ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER. THE BOOK IS PROPPED UP ON TOP OF ALL THAT, SLIGHTLY ANGLED FOR BETTER READING. THE BOOK IS “A SUITABLE BOY.” A PAPERBACK. 1,349 PAGES. APPROXIMATELY THREE POUNDS. IT WAS PUBLISHED IN 1993. I READ IT IN 1994. I WENT INTO BARNES & NOBLE IN MANHATTAN TO MEET THE AUTHOR, WHO WAS GIVING A READING OF HIS NEWEST BOOK, “AN UNEQUAL MUSIC.” I LOVED “A SUITABLE BOY. I GOBBLED IT UP, RE-LIVING THE YEAR I SPENT IN INDIA AS A NEWLY-WED. THAT YEAR WAS ONLY A FEW YEARS AFTER THE PERIOD IN WHICH THE EVENTS OF SETH’S BOOK TAKE PLACE. THE BOOK HAD SAT IN MY BOOKCASE FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS. THEN A FEW WEEKS AGO, I REALIZED THAT I WANTED TO RE-READ IT. I’M WIRING A MEMOIR ABOUT THAT FIRST YEAR OF MARRIAGE, AND I NEEDED TO REFRESH MY MEMORIES. WITH THIS SECOND READING I REALIZED THAT SITTING ON THOSE PILLOWS ON MY STOMACH WAS A MASTERPIECE. HENCEFORTH I SHALL RANK IT WITH BOOKS LIKE “ANNA KARENINA,” “”THE GULAG ARCHIPELAGO,” AND BALZAC.S “THE HUMAN COMEDY.. IT IS A STORY RICH IN SO MANY WAYS – THE HUGE CAST OF MEMORABLE CHARACTERS, THE CITIES AND VILLAGES, THE POLITICAL WRANGLES, THE INTRICATE SYSTEMS OF CASTES AND FAMILY CONNECTIONS, AND THROUGHOUT, THE QUEST OF A DETERMINED MOTHER TO FIND A SUITABLE BOY TO MARRY HER DAUGHTER. THIS WRITER KNOWS HIS PEOPLE AND CUSTOMS; HE KNOWS THE HORRORS AND THE MARVELS. HE CAN PUT YOU INSIDE THE HEADS AND HEARTS OF HIS CHARACTERS SO THAT YOU KNOW THEM AND CARE FOR THEM. THIS BOOK DID NOT MAKE ME RE-LIVE MY SHORT, PRIVILEGED YEAR IN INDIA. INSTEAD READING IT WAS AS IF I WERE LIVING A WHOLE NEW EXISTENCE, VASTLY DEEPER, MORE VARIED AND CLOSER TO THE REALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL THESE PEOPLE. IT MADE ME FEEL I WAS THERE.
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Featured Author: Pat Barker“...you should go into the past, looking not for Barbara Paulhus
Writing about World War I
messages or warnings, but simply to be humbled by the weight of human experience that has preceded the brief flicker of your own few days.” ―Pat Barker
again and again is exciting for Pat Barker, a British born author raised by her grandparents when her own mother left to start a new family. Barker never knew her father. She was told he died as a soldier in the Royal Air Force, but she later learned that her mother never knew who he was. Barker began writing in her early 20s, but it took 10 years to find a publisher for her first novel, Union Street (1982). Exploring the poverty and violence experienced by working class women, the book was adapted into a film in 1989, Stanley and Iris, starring Robert de Niro and Jane Fonda. Other earlier works such as Blow Your House Down (1984), Liza's England (1986), and The Man Who Wasn't There (1989) confronted similar subjects and secured Barker's reputation as a “peerless chronicler of working class life.”
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Her grandfather and stepfather both fought and were wounded in WWI. Although neither of them spoke about the war it was their silence that stirred her imagination. She created stories based on fictional characters who fought in the war, and the complications they experienced upon returning home. Her WWI book series, The RegenerationTrilogy, explores the history of WWI by focusing on the aftermath of trauma. It was based in part on the writings of wartime poets in the trenches and an army doctor who worked with wounded soldiers. In 2012 The Observer named the Trilogy one of the “10 best historical novels.” The first in the series, Regeneration (1991), was followed by The Eye in the Door (1993), then The Ghost Road (1995), which awarded Barker the U.K.'s prestigious Booker Prize. In 2000 Barker was awarded a CBE, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, an award for civilians for public service and contributions to the nation. Barker then followed with Border Crossing (2000), a novel with “dark psychological undertones.” In 2007 she wrote Life Class, the love story of a volunteer in the Belgian Red Cross whose life changes radically on his return from Ypres. Her latest novel, Toby's Room (2012), a companion to Life Class, is a New York Time's Notable Book.
The AWCB Library contains the following books by Pat Barker: Regeneration (1991) Regeneration Trilogy (1995) The Ghost Road (1995) – Booker Prize winner Border Crossing (2000) Life Class (2007)
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So far Barker has written 5 books about WWI. In an interview she said she was interested in the questioning of sex roles and the changing relationship between the classes that occurred during that time. In particular the concept of masculinity was tested to the breaking point on the battlefields of the Somme and Ypres. “Shell shock was seen as a failure of masculinity - mostly by men.”
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Homosexuality and sexual taboos are parallel traumas to the war setting in many of her books. When asked how they intersect with the war, Barker explained that the war produced a “weakening of sexual taboos” in some areas. Wartime comradeship, of love between men, raised the ghost of the other sort of love between men, homosexuality, but no one dared speak of it. Other groups were considered suspicious too. Shopkeepers with foreign names suffered discrimination, even dachshunds were attacked!
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After the war, it was difficult for soldiers with physical injuries and disfigurements to integrate back into society. Many soldiers came to Queen Mary's hospital in Sidcup for treatment. “The road between Queen's Hospital and the village of Sidcup had blue painted benches for patients to sit on, and the color warned passers-by that they were likely to see something shocking if they looked that way.” Although many local people treated the patients kindly and most men gradually adjusted to their new appearance, one convalescent home was asked to keep the patients inside because the sight of them was too upsetting.
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Themes of trauma, survival and community permeate all her novels. “Surviving trauma is a frequent situation for my characters. At least they do survive and often with a sense of humor and a zest for life intact.” One of her goals is to "enable people to think clearly and feel deeply simultaneously", and she trusts her craft to protect the reader as much as herself. "I hope they're not cast into the abyss, but given guide ropes and a way out."
If you're interested in reading more WWI fiction, come into the Library and check out these popular titles:
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A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque Birdsong, by Sebastian Faulks Fall of Giants by Ken Follett Flanders by Patricia Anthony No Graves as Yet by Anne Perry Three Day Road by Joseph Boydon War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
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Lifestyle
Home
What’s Cooking Trix Hilbers
Since Germanic times eggs and lamb were symbolic for new life in the spring. Traditionally we organize Easter Egg Hunts for the kids and prepare food with these ingredients. Following are the recipes for a butter lamb, for Easter bread and for cheese soufflé to enjoy.
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EASTER BUTTER LAMB ! INGREDIENTS:!
125 g butter at room temperature A wooden butter mold (antique shop or AWCB Christmas Bazaar)
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PREPARATION:! *Place the mold in cold water for about 24 hours. *With a knife press the butter generously into each half and watch out for air bubbles. *Press the halves together firmly and remove excess butter.
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*Return the mold to the cold water bowl and refrigerate for about 24 hours. *Open the mold and take out the butter lamb. *Enjoy as a decoration and eat with your Easter bread.
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What’s cooking continued on page 19
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Moving On Five weeks and counting or is it four? Do I get to count the week we’re in Florida visiting my mother-in-law and taking o u r d a u g h t e r, S a r a h , t o Orlando for spring break? By the time this is in print it will be less than that – time is marching on!
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Although now out of denial mode, I’m still not sure that my head is completely wrapped around this move from Belgium to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates - for two (?) years. The three to fiveyear assignment in Belgium tur ned into four teen (!). Needless to say, I am not holding mu breath as to how long the actual length of this stay will be.
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As “a trailing spouse” I am neither the first nor last member of the AWCB who has had to reorganize one’s life to accommodate the next step of the career of the individual to whom s/he has hitcher her/his star lo those many years ago. Does this make my eyes glaze over any more slowly? Nope! But there is comfort in knowing I am not alone.
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On the downside, we are leaving friends and a comfortable, familiar life style - and a better than average health care system. On the plus side, we will pay lower taxes, have nice, predictable weather (temporarily forgetting about the 50°C summers), only have to pay U.S. taxes, new adventures to be had – did I mention not
Judy Furukawa
having to pay the fifty-one operations away, at least, we p e r c e n t ( 5 1 % ) B e l g i a n don’t have to worry about income taxes? relocating her to a new school in a new town – that already T h e “ O f f i c e o f G l o b a l was done – called enrolling Management” of Richard’s her in a U.S. college. Moving office seems to care little several months after getting about what I need to know, her settled in the U.S., and i.e. give us a reasonable time- she had a month-long winter line for the move and let us break over the holidays and know how all of this is touching base with her supposed to happen. But all friends here were pluses in of this rushing around at the the timing of the move. I can’t last minute will only cut into imagine trying to manage this my coffee drinking with other AND jumping all of the hoops ex-pat spouses time, right? we had to for her to translate, We knew or should have literally and figuratively, her known that my husband was Belgian secondary education on the short-list to move once and transcripts and cram our daughter graduated from them into the spaces on the high school last June. Okay, various college applications so no surprise there, but the we filled in last year. Those of New York head-shed tried to you with school-age children get the UAE offices on board have to throw this headache in the middle of Ramadan last onto the “to do” list of the exAugust…really? Nothing in pat move. writing to confirm the two-year assignment appeared until My “boys”, Caramel and January, and by the way, can Junior, the guinea pigs, will he start in the Abu Dhabi be going to a new home with office in February? Say what? Roger, the club concierge. Sorry, no… This is a great relief as all animals entering the Emirates Then there is the angry are required to be transported daughter, who although in the in the “pet friendly” hold of U.S. for her freshman year of the airplane, but the hold c o l l e g e , f e e l s l i k e h e r nevertheless. This would be childhood home is being t a n t a m o u n t t o a d e a t h ripped out from under her – sentence for such small can’t say Sarah is wrong on creatures, so finding a new that point. She was only five- family was a must. I will miss years-old when we moved to their furry little faces, but they Belgium. Parental challenges are going to a good home. are now handled on Face Time. I understand that some company offices get the Our nest emptied last August people in touch with a and although Sarah is less relocation person early in the than amused that we are process. about their moves. taking her Belgian base of
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! Not so with us, so it has been a haphazard effort with me trying to remember what people I know have told me about their moves.
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t let anyone in my house the way it looks at present, but have quickly a d o p t e d m y h u s b a n d ’s attitude, of “it’s not our house The trip to the UAE to search and we’re moving.” for a place to live couldn’t happen until the proposed My waking hours now are t r a n s f e r a g re e m e n t w a s spent worrying about and s i g n e d . A s m e n t i o n e d sometimes actually doing previously, although this move something to reduce fourteen has been in the works since y e a r s o f a c c u m u l a t e d August nothing appeared “memories” so they will fit into from the fabled Office of a forty-foot container. The G l o b a l M a n a g e m e n t f o r initial getting rid of total junk Richard’s signature until mid- was done weeks ago, but the Januar y. Finally, in mid- v i s i t f r o m t h e m o v i n g February we were off to see c o m p a n y re p re s e n t a t i v e what housing was available. m a d e i t c l e a r t h a t m y We only saw two apartments fledgling efforts of downsizing in the area where we want to were wholly inadequate for live, the Marina area close to the real move. Now it is time a highway on ramp in the for round two with a little help direction of Abu Dhabi where from Richard, although his Richard will work 3 days a brow still furrows at the week. Luckily, the second one thought of not being able to ticked all the boxes – other take ALL of his books (no than storage space and so “Kindle” in this household, that is one huge check off of thank you very much). I’m the to-do list! Having a place f i n d i n g t h a t m y c u r re n t f o r o u r s h i p m e n t t o b e favorite avoidance tactic is d e l i v e r e d c a n o n l y b e taking amusing Facebook considered a good thing. quizzes, a much more enjoyable, albeit, not a Upon our return, we have practical use of my time. gathered a cardboard box fortress around us and are Clearing out the cupboards now looking at what is to be and freezer has been coming stored (a lot of stuff) and what along slowly but surely over will find its way to Dubai. The the past few months. Our storage space is rented and a home prepared meals still truck to haul it over to there actually look like meals, has been priced. My house is although as I clean out my slowly but s u r e l y cupboards and freezing disappearing under piles of compartment, dinner time will stuff to be sorted. Hopefully n o d o u b t b e c o m e m o re none of the people to whom interesting – “Yes, dear, the realtor is showing the tonight’s dinner is three house will trip and fall during different pasta shapes served their tour. Having to let with a jar of spaghetti sauce” prospective buyers come to – at least the vegetables will the house is also a necessary be fresh! annoyance in this process.
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Many of our belongings were purchased from other ex-pats on their way out of Belgium, so are old that they are likely to end up on the curb for the scavengers, or hauled away to the container park with the rest put in storage. We actually don’t have a lot for sale, nor the time to deal with that. One car has been sold. Richard has begrudgingly agreed to sell his old red convertible that he loves – it’s a guy thing. Hopefully we will have that taken care of soon as well. The game of “Whack a Mole” isn’t over yet.
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The date to pack up the PC and thus the time to end this article is rapidly approaching. I’m sure there will be tales to tell once the professional packing starts, but that will have to wait. At this writing, we think we’ll be on a plane headed east by the end of the first week of April. Fingers crossed! Thanks for reading this epilogue of our first overseas adventure. Stay tuned for the beginning of the next!
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Judy Furukawa is a 14-year member of the AWCB who soon will be “trailing her spouse” to Dubai, perhaps to be the AWCB Middle East correspondent. Their daughter, Sarah, is in college in the U.S.
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T H E G I F T B O U T I QU E
PLEASE VISIT THE NEWLY REDESIGNED AND STOCKED GIFT BOUTIQUE AT THE AWCB CLUBHOUSE FOR ANY OF YOUR HOME DECOR AND GIFT GIVING NEEDS. AWCB MEMBERS RECEIVE A 10% DISCOUNT WE ARE ALSO ALWAYS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS TO WORK IN THE GIFT SHOP. IF INTERESTED PLEASE SEE HEATHER OR VANESSA. HAPPY SHOPPING!
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What’s Cooking Trix Hilbers
EASTER BREAD
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INGREDIENTS:! 1 kg all-purpose flour, sifted 300 ml milk, any type 60 g fresh yeast or 30 g active dry yeast 4 eggs 150 g fine sugar 1 Tbsp salt 250 g butter 250 g raisins 100 g bigareaux, chopped butter or margarine for greasing optional: 300 g almond paste in a roll
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CHEESE SOUFFLE main dish for 4, or starter for 8 – 10, in small soufflé cups
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INGREDIENTS:! 60 g butter or margarine 60 g all purpose flour 600 ml milk 4 eggs 240 g grated cheese, ( medium aged Gouda, Cheddar, or Swiss cheese) salt and pepper butter or margarine for greasing
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PREPARATION:! *Preheat the oven to 200’C and grease an (transparent)
Garnish: 3 - 4 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar, sifted
oven dish or special soufflé cups.
PREPARATION:! *Heat the milk until lukewarm. *Mix the fresh yeast with some of the milk and 1 Tbsp of sugar. For dry yeast follow the instructions on package. *Melt the butter. Add butter, eggs, remaining sugar and salt to the flour and stir. *Gradually add the milk-yeast mixture to the dough first and as much of the remaining milk until all the moisture is absorbed. The dough should be firm. *Mix and knead vigorously until the dough becomes elastic. *Fold the raisins and the bigareaux into the dough. *Cover the bowl with a cloth and set aside in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. *Preheat the oven to 200’C and grease an oven tray or a special cookie sheet. *Dust the counter and hands with flour and transfer the dough to the counter. Push down with fingers to a large oval shape. *Place the roll of almond paste, if used, in the middle and fold the dough in half with the bottom part larger than the top. *Cover with a dusted cloth and set aside for another hour in a warm place until well risen. *Transfer carefully to the oven tray or cookie sheet and place in the middle of the preheated oven. *Bake for about 1 hour until done and with a light brown crust. *Cool down on a cookie rack and generously sieve the confectioner’s sugar on top.
*For a Béchamel sauce: melt butter, add flour, stir well, gradually add the milk, stir and heat constantly until sauce thickens. Add the cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until cheese has melted and remove from heat. *Separate the eggs, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Mix the yolks with a little of the sauce and gradually add this mixture into the remaining sauce and stir well. *Gradually fold in the egg whites and immediately fill the oven dish or soufflé cups until half full and place in the middle of the preheated oven. *Bake a large soufflé in about 30 – 40 minutes and small soufflés in about 15 minutes until well risen and brown on top. Serve immediately and cover during transportation. *Make sure that everybody is ready at the table watching you and this elegant dish before it collapses prematurely.
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Notes:! As a main dish, serve with baguettes and a salad on the side.
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To make a ham soufflé use 200 g of chopped cooked ham and 100 g grated cheese as a substitute for the 240 g cheese.
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g = gram, kg = kilogram, m = milliliter, Tbsp = 15 ml tablespoon, ‘C = centigrade For convenience while cooking use metric cups and balances or refer to: www.metricconversions.us
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Notes: ! Homemade bread is fun to make and especially this luxurious recipe for festive occasions, such as Easter is very rewarding. Although the preparation is not difficult, it does take time. Children love to do their share with the kneading and shaping of the dough and therefore it is a wonderful Holiday activity for the family. Save the recipe as it’s the same for Christmas Stolle.
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Something borrowed, something blue... Olivia de Vos
Not quite, red is the colour that you should try and incorporate into your photographs. If I'm feeling obsessivecompulsive I actually pack red clothing for my kids when we go on holiday. If they refuse to wear red, well then it's a good idea to keep your eyes open, as happened to me in Amsterdam, quite fortuitous.
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! To get back to something borrowed. I recently took photographs at a wedding where everything seemed to go wrong. The flash gave in and the back cover of the camera broke when I inserted new film.
!No matter, there were flowers on hand and so I could pilfer some elastic and hope the body was light-proof. I had also brought a small digital camera which saved the day.
!The bridesmaids solved the 'red' problem on the day and of course the backdrop didn't detract from the subjects at all.
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Volunteers Needed
We are currently looking for volunteers for the following areas of the club.
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❖Front Desk ❖Cafe (host & waiting) ❖Library ❖Gift Shop ❖Membership ❖Newcomers
We also need volunteers to help organize the AWCB Holiday Bazaar
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Recently I was asked to take photographs at a 'Dance Battle'. I was confronted with the same problems as when taking photographs of my son's basketball matches. Low light and fast action. Except here the light was worse and I tried to minimise the use of flash so as not to distract the dancers.
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I've talked about how you do this, Maximise the ISO value although this gives a grainy texture. Set the speed to 1/250 or 1/500, depending on how fast the dancers' movements are. I slowed down the speed and then took pictures when they were more or less stationery.
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Although flash is helpful it does sometimes detract from the effect, like in this picture with the white dress. The effect of the stage lights would have been lost if I'd used an additional light source. I kept the aperture to the minimum but not the smallest number as it minimises depth of field.
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There is another trick you can use and that's to photograph in RAW format. RAW records much more information than an ordinary jpg file and it's possible to gain about two f-stops of light. Open your photograph in Lightroom or Photoshop and process it, also remember to play around with the contrast and then save as a jpg for ease of use.
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Lastly, a tip for taking 'hazy' pictures. A tripod is essential and a long exposure. If it's not very dark you have to do the opposite from the above to get the hazy effect of the water. In this case I brought the ISO down to 100 and closed the aperture to about 22 or 36, depending on your lens and could then keep the shutter open for any amount of seconds at a time. It takes some experimenting to get the right exposure but overall I was pleased with the hazy effect of the sea just after sunrise on the Indian Ocean.
Don't hesitate to take pictures of fireworks, experiment with aperture and exposure time, but use a tripod then you can watch too.
 
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Get ready with your cameras to capture amazing light and clouds as spring approaches.
Don't hesitate to take pictures of fireworks, experiment with aperture and exposure time, but use a tripod then you can watch too.
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Get ready with your cameras to capture amazing light and clouds as spring approaches.
! Happy snapping! !
Olivia
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brussels sprouts Kids of the AWCB The brussels sprouts section is all about you and specifically for you. We need writers (reporters), photographers, poets, artists, comedians and anyone else who has something they want to
What’s your favorite thing about living in Belgium?
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Send us an email at editor@awcb.org
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Include a picture and we will use it in the next issue.
Anyone interested in being a junior contriibutor for Rendez-Vous, please contact jack@futtatinni.com for more information.
Are you creative? Are you an artist in the making? Have you ever wanted to paint? ur yo to r ! k s nts fo
Just want to have some fun? !
A e t ls r u i pa k o deta l o lo ore Apri m in
Join us in May to create your own works of art to be displayed in our exhibition space in June.
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All works will be sold or auctioned off with proceeds going towards the “this old house” campaign and future kids activities at the club.
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fun 
Just for Fun
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JU N E EX HIB IT
Calling on all young artists of the AWCB .... We will be displaying your art on our gallery walls. Look for more information to follow …
Living Arts In May AWCB is proud to feature works from local sculptor
! Brigitte de Callataÿ A vernissage will be held on Wednesday, April 30th from 18:00 – 20:00
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Living B C W The A ommittee Arts cike to thank would l ia for a Patric exhibition rd great look forwa and weing more of to see rk in the her wo . future
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An afternoon at Home Leopold a HOPE activity
We arrive at Home Leopold to find the cafeteria full of residents eagerly awaiting us. We enter to cries of ‘Bonjour Madame!’ and ‘Comment ça va?’! They certainly know us by now. Some of us have been coming regularly for over a year and others come occasionally or have just joined. The Bingo afternoons at the Home are always fun for everyone involved, residents, nursing assistants and AWCB members.
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We have brought cakes (baked by club members), fruit and drinks. We also have a bag or two of prizes selected from our club members’ donations. As we display the prizes and prepare the tea some residents can’t contain their excitement: “Ooh I like that necklace!” says Marie-Noelle “I want the handbag” says Nicole. François is already eyeing the cakes and Michel wants to know if we have any cigarettes! We answer with a smile and the nurses gently guide people back to their seats.
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Home Leopold welcomes a variety of people in need of care: elderly patients with or without dementia and also some younger people who can’t manage alone.
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The game begins and I call out the first number. The excitement is palpable and the noise level rises. Marty writes the numbers on the board while Camille and Heather help the residents to check their cards. Invariably, after a few numbers somebody shouts “Bingo!” and we check their card. More often than not, it’s a case of over-enthusiasm and we’re still waiting and watching for the first winner.
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Karen Flack
residents choosing items that could be re-gifted to their family or staff at the home.
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By the end of the game most of the residents have won at least one prize and are happily comparing their gains.
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We move on to the distribution of cakes, fruit and drinks. We have to be careful here because some of the folks are diabetic. Luckily our wonderful cake chefs, Constanze and Michaela, have made cakes with sugar substitutes for the diabetic residents as well as the regular cakes.
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We manage to exchange a few words with everyone as we distribute food and drinks. For some residents this is the best part of the afternoon. They don’t get spoiled very often and they savor each bite!
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As we wind down and clear up we have a chance to chat with some of the residents and nurses. We have gotten to know a few of them quite well and they’ll help us take things out to the car and ask when we’ll be coming again.
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We leave the Home feeling exhausted and elated. We put a lot of energy into these afternoons but the smiles of the Home Leopold residents make it all worthwhile. Volunteers: Marty Niebel, Heather Bloemperk, Camille Martinez, Delphine De Pommery, Constanze Schomburg, Michaela Nagl
Once the real winners start to flow, we have a lot of excitement around the prize table. The most popular prizes are cuddly toys and costume jewelry then bags and scarves. The men like something useful such as a pen and notebook or a wallet. Often we notice the 30
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Humanitarian Outreach Program and Events (HOPE) H umanitarian O utreach P rograms & is what we stand for! E vents
! HOPE’s Mission
Our mission is to make an appreciable difference in the lives of men, women and children of all ages at AWCB local charities, while offering AWCB members meaningful volunteer opportunities in the local community. This means, at HOPE we care. In other words, in our outreach activities and events, we show empathy and kindness for those around us in our host country. We need your input and support. Join us and meet friendly, like-minded members. What we do: • Organize monthly bingo afternoons with residents of the assisted-living facility Home Leopold in a convivial atmosphere; • Plan seasonal parties for the Alsemberg Refugee Center, Battered Women’s Shelter and Home Leopold; • Provide refreshments for activities including home-made baked goods; • Gift children in need during our Angel Tree activity in November ; • Donate new or gently-used clothing, shoes and suitcases to benefit those in need; • Promote outreach fund-raising.
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Charities we support: • Red Cross Refugee Center in Alsemberg: provides housing for approximately 200 residents who seek refuge in Belgium; • Home Leopold in Overijse: an assisted-living facility that houses needy , mostly elderly, homeless Belgian citizens ; • Battered Women’s Shelter: provides temporary housing and counseling to women and their children escaping life-threatening situations; • Nos Pilifs: provides work on farm projects to disabled children; • La Cite Joyeuse: provides education to orphans, some of whom are severely disabled.
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To learn more about HOPE, please see Marty Niebel and Delphine de Pommery or email them at awcbhope@gmail.com
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Thank you to all of those who participated in our Wine & Cheese event on February 7th! We had over 50 people and were able to raise 1210â‚Ź towards our This Old House Campaign! Thank you ever so much for your continued support!
Wine 
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CLASSIFIED ADS Classified ads are back due to popular demand from Rendez-Vous readers. Please send your classified ads to editor@awcb.org or jack@futtatinni.com. Classified ads are free for current AWCB members. For non members a small donation of two Euro would be appreciated for each ad entered.
RENDEZ VOUS NEEDS YOU!
We are looking for photographers, poets, authors, reporters, Interviewers, sales & marketing representatives, book and movie reviewers, application (apps) reviewers, travel writers, writers with a green thumb, or anyone who wants to have fun and make a difference at the AWCB. so al one e e ar for opl s e g pe a Wkin o ve ny w loo r t ser gao unt o to A A r , ou unt A
Please contact jack@futtatinni.com or editor@awcb.org for more information. 33
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JANINE SHIPTON
Some time ago we found an old photograph of my husband’s grandfather as a British WWI soldier. He must have been in his teens, and from all we knew the picture must have been taken somewhere in the region of Ypres, or “Wipers”, as the Allied soldiers called the Belgian town where more than half a million young men died during the Great War.
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When we realized that Ypres is only a 90-minute drive from Brussels, we decided to find out more about our ancestor’s – and by that our own – past by visiting the area where some of the most important and heaviest battles of WWI were fought. Leaving Brussels around 7 a.m., we arrived at the picturesque town of Ypres, or Ieper as it is called in Flemish nowadays, early enough to have a cup of coffee and a wander around before the Cloth Hall with its impressive interactive In Flanders Field Museum opened its doors at 10 o’clock (open 7 days a week, closed between 7 and 28 January 2014). At the entrance to the museum we received a poppy bracelet, which allowed us to log in and get in touch with four people in our age group fighting in the war a century ago. The most touching experience for me was when an allied and a German soldier told us about the “illegal” truce they had held at Christmas of 1914 – for a few hours the enemies were just fellow humans commemorating the peace of Christ.
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After this lively introduction to the history of the Great War we now knew more about the Ypres Salient, the area around Ypres which was the scene of the heaviest battles during the Great War.
WWI Museums and historical sites to visit
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•Ypres Memorial Museum •Sanctuary Wood Museum •Memorial Museum Passchendaele; Zonnebeke •Tyne Cot Cemetery; Passendale •Essex Farm Cemetery; Boezinge (site John McCrae) •German Cemetery in Langemark; Langemark •Hill 60; Ypres
•Hill 62; Ypres •Yorkshire Trench; Ypres
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For more information on sites to visit, please see http://www.toerisme-ieper.be or http://www.hellotommy.co.uk/Home/home.html
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" In the trenches around Ypres five extremely bloody battles were fought (see below) in order to defend the town that held a strategic position, since it stood in the way of Germany’s plan to sweep across Belgium and into France from the North. As the neutrality of Belgium was guaranteed by Britain, the invasion of Belgium forced the British Empire to enter the war.
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But how must our grandfather and his young fellow soldiers have felt down in their cold and wet trenches during their four-year ordeal in Flanders?
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We were curious to see some of the battlefields and to visit the cemeteries and war memorials.
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If you would like to experience the most impressive WWI memorial ceremony of all, you will need to be back in Ypres before 8 o’clock to hear the Last Post. It will be played, as it has every evening since 1st May 1929 (so far almost 29,000 times), only to be interrupted by the Second World War, in memory of the soldiers of the then British Empire and Allied Forces who fell in the Ypres Salient during the First World War. It is played by the dedicated people of the local Fire Brigade and Commonwealth War Graves gardeners.
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The Menin Gate displays the name of 54,896 soldiers missing in the Ypres Salient between 1914 and 1917. Because the gate was too small to hold the names of all the missing, those who were lost after this date (a further 34,000) are commemorated on the panels of the Tyne Cot Memorial in Passendale.
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The Menin Gate was chosen as the location for the ceremony because of its special symbolic significance: it was from this spot that countless thousand of soldiers set off for the front, many of them destined never to return.
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Almost half a million people died in the trenches and in No Man's Land between 1914 and 1918. Among them Germans, French, British and Belgians, but also Moroccans, Algerians, Tunisians, Senegalese, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, South-Africans, Chinese, Indians, Jamaicans and lots of other nationalities.
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Ypres Salient Battles
1st battle (1914): The Allies captured the town from the Germans. 2nd battle (1915): Use of poison gas (chlorine) for the first time by the Germans against Canadian, British, and French soldiers (including Senegalese and Algerian troops). They captured high ground east of the town. 3rd battle (1917): The largest, best-known, and most costly in human suffering, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele. The Allied forces recaptured the Passchendaele Ridge east of the city. The months of fighting resulted in nearly half a million casualties to all sides, and only a few miles of ground won by Allied forces.
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4th battle (1918): The German troops recaptured the village of Passchendaele. 5th battle (1918): Called Advance in Flanders – Messine and Passchendaele are retaken by the Allied who advance to the west, pushing the German Army further away from Ypres.
After visiting the trenches of Hill60 and Hill62, among other impressive sites, the huge mine hole of Hooghe and some of the 150 military cemeteries with their endless rows of white crosses, and after calculating the ages of the boys who died on the battlefields of Ypres (the youngest of which, buried on Essex Farm Cemetery, was only 15) we slowly started to understand why Grandpa never used to speak about his WWI experience.
For more information on the Menin Gate and the Last Post Ceremony, please visit http://www.toerisme-ieper.be/en/page/334-339-197/menin-gate-.html and http://www.lastpost.be/
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Quips & Quotes
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I grew up on a sugar plantation in Trinidad, on an expat estate, and that meant I had no idea about money until a lot later than most children. Andrea McLean
Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death. Rosalind Russell (as Auntie Mame)
We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.Ë? Benjamin Franklin
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Coming Attractions
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The May/June issue will include a feature artcile on Bali by Larisa Doctorow which will blow you away it’s so good. We will also have another “Moving On” piece written by an AWCB member who has moved to Jakarta Indonesia.
Travel and holiday tips for those summer holidays back home and abroad.
An interesting and in depth look at the history of Gelato (along with gelato tastings in the cafe in May and June).
Book reviews for great summer reads! and best of all Aunt Bertha will answer your questions and give some great advice. 37