Travelling back on the last Eurostar train on Wednesday
Apologises for the break in posting updates...But arrived back late on Wednesday night back home after an amazing productive week in Belgium. Yesterday was so exhausted but happily so as I felt such a sense of achievement. I am proud of the family I help and yea going to say proud of me too as one major thing I am enjoying in all this is not only setting goals and achieving them with the family to help rebuild their lives, not only meeting new and kindly people but my language skills are improving. I have always had a love of languages... It helps to be immersed in the language.. and it sure helps with my Prof of Linguistics friend Leen.... and her sister Celine. We have fun with the languages and mix and match and make cocktail sentences.
Wednesday afternoon before I left Leen had another ballet class with Celine joining in. There was a sale of ballet clothes too.. but the teacher team tell me to wait till the end of month as there will be some second hand bargains to help out.
This class no parents were permitted in.. so Boshra and me sat in the coffee area to wait for the hour class. I got engaged with a baby one of the mothers was holding... and the most amazing thing happened.. The mother and her friend were Syrian from Aleppo... They too had the desire to tap into all the arts and culture that the community had on offer. So one of her daughters is dancing in the same class as Leen. Not only mothers making friends but the children too.
There were also Dutch mothers and fathers waiting so if Mohammed has to take Leen to dance school he can make friends with other fathers too. A great way for them to fully integrate.
Celine enjoying fresh made waffles with ice cream after creche.
Local Swimming pool
I was so happy with the first visit to the swimming pool with Leen. I am sorry no photos or footage as difficult alone and could not risk my camera getting wet. Plus I wanted to be totally focused on ensuring the first time was good experience and it was. Oh my was it fun.. the pools are graduated..small with knee high water and some fun play objects.. then a waist high for adults to help get the children used to floating... this was brilliantly done with a multicoloured floating lily pad design.. Leen loved it all... she was giggling at the play pool and the assistant gave her a duck seat to sit in and paddle... But she really impressed me with the water slide giggling at getting face full of water in the splash... but she stood up and said in perfect English, " I have got an idea!"
and she showed me... lol it was to slide down with her head to one side so not to get a face full of water... NOW that is impressive...Bless her logical mind too!
We did have a good time and she managed some swim strokes with my holding her ..but I feel she will be off swimming quickly... wish I could be around to take her on at least a weekly basis... But on the on the way home just a few mins from home she tripped and fell .. so arrived back in tears not giggles... I had to explain to Boshra and Mohammed NOT tears for swim but had fallen. The next day Boshra was saying she had been full of the tales of the good time she had in the swimming pool and when can she go again... Mohammed asked what it was like for him to take her... as he can swim but Boshra not.
Boshra registered in Art College & starting studies.
Leen commencing ballet school
Leen first swim session.
This heart from an new Belgian Kindred Spirit friend
a local retired lady that help with the refugees too!
Family Link Up - be part of the story.
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below is the old to refer to in archive
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