Life in the city

That special day: 31 December

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

Well, it is not really mystery anymore I guess. That day is also my birthday.
A special day for me, to review both the calendar year and my year.
I follow a ritual since many years: I disappear for the day to get away from everything.
But the evening is obvious: the family heads to Morel’s Restaurant for the celebration of my birthday and New Year’s Eve.

This time only the two of us as our daughter Valerie has moved to Brussels, but ended up spending her Christmas and New Year with our friends in Vienna. Stella, the wife of our good friend Peter joined us as Peter was on a concert tour in Europe.
As it happens a number of good friends were there too to wish me a nice Bday.
Thanks to all, and thanks to Susan and Renaat for the great food and service.
Oh well the pics are not that great because we were simply too busy enjoying ourselves!

Sino Matters: great Christmas reunion

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

I missed it in 2014 but this time 7 December 2015 I made it to Kurt’s great Christmas party where I could meet the teachers and other students of this exceptional school in Beijing to learn Chinese.
See: https://www.beijing1980.com/learning-chinese/

I wish they had more lessons – I would gladly continue!
Nice opportunity also to meet some well known personalities of the Beijing foreign community, and friends.

Old China Hands 4 December

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

This time I was back for the monthly lunch on Friday 4 December, in Morel’s as usual.

We were exactly twenty, we always have a different mix of people. And they all are chatting happily, the ,old-fashioned way.
Next lunch is Friday 8 January as the first Friday is, well, kinda special!

Dinner at Hacker-Pschorr with Australian friend

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

I had dinner again at the German restaurant in Xindong Lu, with my old friend Satinder from Sydney.
Also got my new beer mug – name corrected this time!

Food was good but as the place was for once pretty empty the roasted pork knuckle was not as good as usual: the skin was not crispy but tough. Clearly a warmed-up version. So, never order roasted pork knuckle unless the restaurant is full, to be sure it is freshly made.

First China Germany Langfang Friendship Festival

Posted on by Gilbert Van Kerckhove

On 23 October I was invited along with Daniel (our Rotary President) and others to a presentation of the new Development Zone in Langfang. The same evening we joined a genuine German Oktoberfest. Food came from Drei Kronen (Beijing), music by the German group “Iggy Stone & Alpenrocker”. The group tours China and knows how to excite the Chinese crowd. Our Greek friend Emmanuel also joined and we had a great time drinking, eating and dancing.

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It was interesting to see the enthusiasm of our Chinese friends who apparently enjoyed it all. Some girls joinded the drinking competition an “stood their man”…
We stayed in the nice Ovation Hotel (said to be the best in Langfang). When leaving we saw a taichi demonstration…