Post Number 10 - Belgium


I knew I would dislike Brussels as soon as I stepped of the train. The whole station smelt of human excrement and tacky ‘Greatest Hits’ music blasted from the speakers. Not a good combination. Then a welcome committee, just outside the metro station, greeted us. Middle Eastern men were shouting French profanities from a car, and as they drove off they threatened to slit our throats. Welcome to Brussels.

Just before we were murdered, James came to the rescue. I felt a little safer but then lost the feeling as soon as I saw the elevator at the apartment. It was a flimsy, ancient, wooden elevator built for three people, but we only managed to squeeze Nat and her backpack in. James and I walked up the stairs. He shares a very spacious apartment with his housemates Daisy and Linda who are very lovely. It was dark by the time we got there, but we made a quick stop to the grocery store so we could buy stuff to cook dinner.

By the end of the day, I still did not feel comfortable. There was something very disturbing about the place. I’m not sure what it was, but there wasn’t a very nice vibe. I went to bed hoping it would all be better in the morning.

To my disappointment, Brussels was just as ugly as it was the night before. Daisy, Nat and I did a contemporary class at a place called The Refinery. It was taken by one of a group of men called ‘the Slovaks’. They were indeed a group of Slovakian men who now live in Belgium and abroad. They are amazing dancers and performers, and his class was to leave me sore until now as I sit on the Thalys train to Paris to catch a plane to Stockholm. It was such a good class, and the phrase that we learned at the end was so much fun to do.

We spent the rest of our first day dilly-dallying around the apartment, much to my dismay. I don’t like being indoors when I know that I know nothing about the world outside it. I wanted to go and explore. Eventually we stepped outside onto the streets so James and Daisy could run some errands, then we went to eat pizza at a cute little café before going to the supermarket to buy things for the week. By the time we got home, it was time to go to Antwerp to watch a performance at Theater Bourla. It was an awesome show, and extremely professional. What made it even more enjoyable and impressive was the fact that all the performers had Down syndrome. They had more coordination than some people I saw in our contemporary class that morning.

The next day we went to a ballet class that was held at the back of a gym. The teacher was a grumpy looking old man who sat down most of the time. The other people in the class were all very beautiful dancers, some obviously professionals. It was great, especially after doing class at a place like Pineapple Studios. Halfway through the class, the teacher asked me in front of everybody if I was dancing with a company and how old I was. I said no. 21. He left it at that. Very strange.

We did the class with Maddie, one of Linda’s friends. After the class, the three of us had lunch together and she took us on a tour of Brussels (she lived there for a while, but now lives in Stockholm). We walked at least a million kilometers, but at least we got to see a prettier side to the city. There are some beautiful squares and lovely streets with cosy cafes and shops. It was nice, but not nice enough to rid itself of its murky atmosphere. I did manage to try a Belgian waffle (and almost walked away without paying, providing some amusement for the girls). We spent a quiet evening at home.

We went back to the same ballet class the next morning, this time without Maddie. The class was better than the day before, and at the end of the class he gave me some things to work on to help me make my legs straighter and work my legs differently. I was surprised at how good the information was, and he told me things that all my other teachers have failed to point out. Yes, even Diana.

Lunch was eaten at home to save some money, then we went back to Antwerp. I love Antwerp. It doesn’t have the sickly feel that Brussels does. And I don’t like it just because the streets are filled with designer stores, which people shop in as they would in Target. We explored a bit of the city, but our legs were far too sore to carry us very far. We made our way back to Theater Bourla to watch James perform. The company was performing Myth and it was wonderful! It was just the kind of performance that I enjoy watching and could engage with it the whole time. There were a good mix of people on stage: dancers, actors, singers and musicians and two of the performers we watched the other night. I’m so glad I managed to watch it. James is an outstanding dancer and performer, and in some ways it motivates me but it also made me realize that I definitely have a lot more work to do.

The work will start in Sweden, where I am headed now.

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