Belated New Year’s Party
One of the strange traditions here is that the New Year is celebrated throughout the entire month of January.
People visit friends and family over the weekend for a casual, semi-festive lunch or dinner … a great way to catch up.
Organizations and companies throwing receptions to give back to the community or to make its new year resolutions “public”.
Last Friday “De Markten”, a cultural centre (catering to mostly Flemish speaking folks) in the heart of Brussels, opened up its doors for a marvelous new year’s party. Of course, I had to be there.
After a warm welcome by the director Nora, I munched on hearty international and Belgian food prepared by members of the board of directors – more than heartwarming on a cold winter night.
Glad to hear other languages too. I ended up talking (in English and Dutch) with two young women, Shosha and Juliane – dancers - who are in the process of creating a new choreography and are rehearsing in De Markten. Looking forward to this piece of these “Body Talkers” (bodytalker.be). After all, isn’t dance a most wonderful way of communication?
Ending a nice evening to the swinging and cheering tunes of the European bluegrass band “Sons of Navarone” … alright, let’s dive into 2011!!!
