Playing Post, Learning French and Drinking Kriek in the Grand Place

It's so funny how different the boys interests are here compared to boys who are the same age as them in the US. Unlike most children  I have ever know their age, who like to watch TV and play video games, Niki and Joni are content playing "post" (they have a little cardboard post office they set up, complete with letters, stamps and fake money to pay with), or chess (Jonas taught me how to play last week...how embarrassing that this 7 year old can beat me at such a complex and strategic game. He was always giving me tips on what my next move should be..always trying to help me to make a move that would help me win..just adorable). They also love watching French children's DVDs (which I watch with them, it's really a great way to learn the language), even though neither of them know French very well yet. They just enjoy watching the story, even if they don't understand everything! They also watch some English comedy DVDs and even some in Flemish. Hardly ever German..its so funny. They also love this one DVD about the ocean, which has some great footage taken from under the Atlantic. And the commentary .all in French of course! It just amazes me how much interest they take in this more "mature" nature film..and on top of that, they hardly can understand the French! But nonetheless  they know the video so well that they always call out when the shark will come or something.

They find the ocean fascinating, and Jonas told me he wants to be a Taucher (diver) when he grown up. Niki wants to be a Fussballspieler (soccer player), but he said if that is not possible, he also would be happy being a Taucher;) They also of course love player soccer. On Friday we played soccer for 2 hours straight in their tiny backyard, Niki and Jonas swithcing between being the Tormann (goalie). It's so funny because they think I am such an amazing soccer player, even though I really suck at it and have no hand-eye coordination whatsoever. Just because I can kick really hard and run fast, they find my playing to be "amazing." They call me Ranaldo, a Portuguese soccer player who is supposedly the "best" soccer player in the world. Jonas is actually quite good at soccer for his age and knows many tricks. He is really a bright kid. He picks up English words very quickly, and is always excited to learn more. Yesterday  he brought home a picture book from school with all different animals that you had to find, all in English of course. He was so excited about the book that he took it out of his backpack to show it to me as soon as he got of the bus. We spent an hour just looking through it and learning words, him pronouncing the English and then me asking him what the word in German is so I can learn too!

I was talking with his Grandma today, who is here to help me take care of the kids while Sylvia is in Geneva for work.  She was telling me how Jonas learned to read even before he started going to school. He taught himself in just a matter of weeks.. That is just amazing to me. He is such a bright kid:)

Another really random thought before I go to pick up the kids from the bus stop..

The other day I walk into the little supermarket on the corner and as soon as I stroll through the doors, I am blasted with the sound of "Smack Dat" playing throughout the store. Only in Europe would you be forced to listen to Akon signing about "smack that til you get sore" while buying your bread and yogurt..(If you don't know the song, please take a listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuNQykgZGf4). It's so funny how popular American media is here. The Europeans just can't get enough of it. For example,  I was on the tram during the time all the high school kids are coming home from school and a girl and her friend were blasting "Payphone" and trying to sing along in their French accents. I just don't understand why US music is so popular, and you hardly ever hear modern French, German or Belgian music. Although on Friday I did attend this free music concert at the Grand Place which has a number of French/Belgian groups perform. Was quite interesting to hear some pop/rock in French. And boy, the Grand Place was packed with people.. probably around 1,000 or more. Everyone drinking Jupiler (the cheap Belgian beer here..very dark and bitter) and Kriek (the cherry flavored "beer"). The Grand Place looked beautiful all lit up tho:)