Belgian Mumsnetters, can I have your attention please!

[Portofino]

Welcome Romanarama to our midst! I've just found her on another thread.

So there was some talk about a trip to the Cinema in Leuven? And another meet up (maybe indoors as it has got all cold autumnul (sp?))? Hopefully all the wasps will have died soon and there must be weddings to discuss?

So, who's in? I shall resurrect the email address if Monkeybum doesn't mind updating the contact list?

[email protected]

[Romanarama]

Do I email that address? I'll email it now.

[Portofino]

If you send an email with your email address /RL name etc then hopefully Monkeybum will send it on to the rest of us. But we can still do arrangements on here.

[Portofino]

So how did you end up in Uccle then? Are you enjoying it?

[monkeybumsmum]

Ooh gosh, hello Just seen this!

Will go and check that email address now Romanarama...

Yes, let's go to the cinema, hooray! A day time meet up would be good too, we've got a wedding dress to hear about

Any dates in mind?

[Portofino]

Well I had a look what was showing at the mo in Leuven - The Ugly Truth, Young Victoria, Final Destination 4, A Perfect Getaway. Obviously it changes every week. In my pre-child days we used to go every Wednesday and see what ever was on, so I'm not that fussy - (though please please no Harry Potter!!!)

Is there a particular film that everyone wants to see, or should we set an evening and go for pot luck? Wednesday night? 30th Sept/7th Oct?

[belgo]

Hi everyone, and welcome Romanarama!

I really don't know when I'll be able to go out next, I've been cancelling all my plans recently due to ill and accident prone children and dh working and me studying.

I hope you are all well and not suffering too much from the many illnesses that are going around!

[Romanarama]

Hi everyone. I have to organise a babysitter as dh never home before 9pm earliest, but 7 Oct my mum would be here so that's a good night for me.

[monkeybumsmum]

7th October good for me too

I'm a bit like you Porto, not too bothered what I see - it'll be such a novelty to actually get out to the cinema!

Shall we go for that date then? We can always do it again if people can't come this time? How early can people get there? If it's early enough perhaps we could have a drink or something beforehand so at least we get to have a bit of a natter before stuffing our faces with popcorn and the like. I can probably be there (am presuming it'll be Leuven Kinepolis??) at about 7pm if I drop ds off with dh first.

Belgo sorry to hear the kids have been having a tough time of it, there are sooo many bugs going round at the mo, but think that's always the case after the return to school. I hope that you can make it to the cinema.

How's everyone's weekend going? DS and I have been having lots of fun picking walnuts from our tree - am rather confused though as the song 'here we go gathering nuts in may' keeps going round my head. September just doesn't sound right - are they talking about different nuts? Maybe our tree's just out of kilter

[Romanarama]

Had a lovely time on the beach at De Haan today, it was really beautiful and the dcs even went swimming. There were zillions of dogs (v.well-behaved, and we like dogs , but really masses). Must have been some doggy event I think?

[belgo]

It was beautiful weather this weekend, but I'm surprised you went in the sea Romanarama!

[Romanarama]

I didn't, I didn't even take my jumper off! The kids did though, and lots of other people.

[Portofino]

It's been gorgeous this weekend! We had UK visitors and have been out and about. It was almost summery yesterday. 7th October is good for me too. We can look the week before to see what is on.

[belgo]

Very sensible Romanarama! Porto, your visitors chose a good weekend to visit.

[Portofino]

Everyone is always so impressed when they come to visit. I guess Belgium doesn't sound like an inspired tourist destination but everyone seems to be pleasantly surprised. Good weather helps of course!

How's the studying going?

[belgo]

hahahaha studying...a bit of a nightmare! I enjoy the actual studying, in between hospital admissions for the children (three in the last two weeks, dd1 illness; ds fell and stopped breathing and lost consciousness - a bit like what happened just before you visited last time but this time a lot worse; and dd1 grommet operation), I haven't had any lessons yet - the lecturer last week didn't turn up and has now sent the lesson through as a rather boring pdf.

I also had a surprise exam last week - biochemistry and physiology - no time to prepare and of course I haven't studied or worked for the last three years, and then they tell us it's negative marking for multiple choice and the exam is worth a quarter of one module! I've complained. It's very demotivational. I feel like I'm failing before I've even had a single lesson.

How is your dutch class?

[Romanarama]

Boring question: I need to change the electricity and gas contracts in our new house. I'm thinking of changing to Lampiris, to get green energy at similar price to electrabel not-green energy (electrabel vert seems expensive). Does anyone have experience? I'm happy to use washer at night etc to save money.

[Portofino]

Sorry - no idea about changing providers. I've always been too lazy busy to find out! Have you tried the forums on Expatica.com or Xpats.com? I know people tend to answer such questions quite quickly on there - you'd obviously be appealing to a much wider audience.

Belgo, gosh - more hospital! Hope ds is OK - were the hospital able to tell you anymore than you already know? Your course sounds hard going! I haven't started mine yet - it comes via email 5 days a week with exercises and a weekly phone call to do the spoken bit. I've been too lazy busy to get going! I will do so this week! Dag!

[belgo]

I also don't know about electricity Romamarama.

No the hospital didn't tell me anything more about ds - in fact they didn't even know the english name for it, it seems as though it's not recognised in Belgium. I was trying to explain it to the creche today, and it's hard to explain without me seeming bad for letting him fall! At least in the creche they know him and they know how mobile he is.

If you need any help with your dutch lessons let me know, that's a hard way of doing it -without having a teacher there to ask.

[Portofino]

I'm more worried that the "feeder" material will be in French! So I'll have to translate it before i start! For the basics this shouldn't be too much of a prob, but later on it might be.

Bless your DS - he's so sweet- it must be such a worry! Did they keep him in, or just a visit?

[belgo]

just seen this - you're learning dutch via french? How confusing!

They did keep ds in, on a monitor, and I stayed with him, I got no sleep that night because we had to share the room with another baby who just cried all night. It wasn't pleasant.

I'm happier now because my lectures today have been interesting.

[Portofino]

I've been slacking! Are we still up for the cinema this week? I will email everyone.

[monkeybumsmum]

Yes, I'm up for it! That'd be great if you could send an email round Porto - I thought about doing it, but just haven't had chance!
Looking forward to Wednesday - do you know what's on yet?

[WartoScreamo]

I'm having a catch up with everything day - can't you tell! Isabella has flu so confined to barracks.

So who's up for another trip to the Cinema during November?

And we should really organise a pre-Xmas get together...

[WartoScreamo]

bump

[monkeybumsmum]

Ooh, hello Could do with another cinema trip - is there anything good on?

How's Isabella doing 'Warto'? Hope she's feeling a bit better? I voted for your great name by the way... How did you do?

Right off to bed now - was up v early this morning