Christmas craze

Neil Young is singing Harvest Moon while I sip my sixth coffee of the day. I am sitting in my favourite book cafe and smile. I'm tired. Happy to steal an hour away from everyone and everything. Hiding between books, wondering if the act of taking a bath in coffee would energize me. I've been feeling like an old lady lately. Not the cosy sweet kind, but the grumpy kind who complains about how short the days are getting.

A family member laughs: "this is what it feels like to work, Joke. Better get used to it." Ugh. That's exactly why they are family and not friends. I've been working as a saleswoman in a crazy busy shop, emptying customers wallets with the biggest smile. "Never again will I work for a billion dollar company," I said last year, when Lush fired all seasonal workers before any contract was finished. Surprise! Here is a bath bomb, enjoy and merry Christmas! 

After working mostly legally the past year, and with six out of twelve months, double as much as usual, I think I'm becoming part of the rat race. As soon as I arrived in Belgium, I was writing motivational letters and handing out resumes. Opening my arms to anyone who wanted to hire me. The sooner, the better! Let's get to work! What else was I going to do? I am starting my own little business, yes. And I have a couple of books in my head which need to get printed on paper. But how do I explain that? That I don't want to work full time selling my soul for minimum wage? Instead, I would fill my days with 24 hours of writing and creating teas! 

I've always had a love-hate relationship with work. I love it, because it brings some kind of structure in my chaotic life and mind. Meeting new people, learning skills, supporting someone's dream, all great! Until every day starts to feel the same and you realise: routine is here! Killer of all dreams. As a dreamer, this is when it gets dangerous. A full time contract is offered, and I'm looking for a place to live. I'm staying in Belgium! I'm actually getting excited! 

Until I calculate rent prices, bills and salary and how crazy much I would have to work just to live. So I booked a ticket to Spain instead. 

Hasta la vista, baby!

London Christmas craze

Christmas in London. It's all about pink disco street lights, last minute shopping mania and jolly good times. Oh me oh my, every square meter of the city is covered in Christmas joy. I don't know if my eyes are open or closed because lights keep flashing, even in my dreams. In the city you're never truly asleep anyway.

I thought it was hard to find peace in Brussels, with all the distractions, parties, concerts, friends, things to do, things to see. And London is a whole new story. You can't even grasp a tenth of what is happening every day and night, so you plan a million parties and end up falling asleep to Bridget Jones. The next day you rise early to squeeze the bejeezus out of every single hour of daylight. Markets are visited, friends cheeks are kissed. From Soho to Camden to Tate and everything in between. After sundown, my legs float and I moon around in a dream of ecstasy.

Mingling with the crowd is easy in a city where everybody can be whoever they want to be. You can be as extravagant as you like, there is no over the top. I enjoy watching people, especially in the English capital, where people yell out 'darling' and 'love' to strangers. Where bearded men decorate their facial hair with ornaments for the holidays. Where pubs spit out red nosed people in Christmas jumpers. Maintaining gravity in London seams to be harder then anywhere else.

A little ball of excitement explodes inside of me, and I feel the fire of it running under my skin. I am back in the city I longed to call my home for years. I wander roads many times taken and soak it all up. The lights, people, chaos, rudolf noses and jingle beards. The whole thing is just too wonderful for words. The city of craziness looks so dazzling it makes me dizzy. Seeing stars, yelling out: merry merry Christmas!

Ho ho ho!

Merry Christmas! I wish you all happy days, filled with friends, family, laughter and whiskey infused hot chocolates topped with wipped cream in the forest.

And lots of that sweet lovin'!