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Sound of a xylophone

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Housekeeping

The yearly autumn cleaning is becoming urgent. At least, that’s how it was in the past, when dienstencheques (‘service vouchers’) could scarcely be dreamt of.

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5 november: housekeeping

It’s autumn in Belgium. Daylight saving time ends and we are plunged into darkness. Not only do we come home with a runny nose, our shoes are plastered with mud and fallen leaves. The yearly autumn cleaning is becoming urgent. At least, that’s ho...

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Day of rest

Sunday is still our customary day of rest. We might go for a cycle or a walk, visit family or have a more elaborate meal than we would during the week.

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6 april: day of rest

Every year in Flanders, the first Sunday in April is observed as a kind of ‘mass’, a Flemish holiday. It is the day when the Tour of Flanders snakes through the landscape. We cheer the cyclists on. First from the side of the road, then flopped in ...

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Birth

A little card is poking through the letterbox. Hurray, I have arrived! Friends announce the birth of their child. At the bottom is a reference to the birth register. A baby shower will soon follow.

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2 february: birth

A little card is poking through the letterbox. Hurray, I have arrived! Friends announce the birth of their child. At the bottom is a reference to the birth register. A baby shower will soon follow. The most common first names in this country are E...