The Kraken Awakes
I spent the last 30 quid on my Visa on a one-way ticket to Belgium and now next month I'm moving to Belgium. I couldn't blog about it because I didn't want my mum and dad finding out. I just knew they'd give me a row. "What are you doing running away to Belgium, what about your career, what about money, you don't even have any money how are you going to eat..." etc etc. So I decided I'd just sneak off one evening while they were watching their favourite magazine programme 'The One Show' on the telly.
Well, I suppose I also didn't want to tell them because I knew they'd be quite sad to see me go; they like having me around the place again, really. When I get up in the mornings (well, afternoons sometimes) I hear my dad say to my mum: "Look out Mary, the kraken awakes!" and then they start laughing hysterically. What's a kraken, I asked them once. "Oh, hello," they said. "A kraken is a cute little baby bird." Aw. Yes, they do like having me back in the nest.
But then I got a call from a woman in Ghent and my mum had answered the phone. "There's a woman on the phone for you Annie," she said, looking confused as she passed me the receiver. "From Belgium!"
Oh. Um, right. I'll explain later, mum, I said, quickly taking the phone and trying to leave the room in an unsuspicious manner.
After that I couldn't really hide it anymore. "I'm moving to Belgium," I told them later, breaking it to them as gently as I could.
And you know what they did? They reached out their hands to each other and danced what can only be described as 'a happy jig'.
I thought you'd be upset, I said, flabbergasted. "Oh for goodness sake Annie," said my mother. "You're 29 years old, you need to get back out there." And then my dad said twenty-nine, is that all, blimey o'reilly, she looks older.
Hmmph. So much for having to sneak out during 'The One Show'.
And anyway, that night I looked up 'kraken' in the dictionary and you know what, it's not a cute little baby bird. In fact, the dictionary says it's 'a lethargic Scandinavian sea monster, often represented as resembling an immense black octopus.'
34 comments:
Ha!
Your parents are gas.
Good for you! Will you be having waffles and sex parties in Ghent?
I heard it's all the rage.
Waffles yes, sex parties no. I think I've gone off sex. Must be being back in the family home.
I love your mam and dad! Congrats on the job! 29? Wishing your last month away love.
Jolly unpredictable of you. I'd love a waffle right now. But I'd prefer a profiterole.
Oh, stall the diggers, I don't have a job yet, I have to go there first and visit them.
Are your folks John Wyndham fans? He of The Day of the Triffids fame (which was ripped off something terrible by 28 Days Later). He wrote a book called The Kraken Wakes.
Walloons, Flemish painting, In Bruges, that kind of Belgium?
Yes, Wyndham. So that's where they get their little jokes from.
And yes, I'm going to the Flemish part of Belgium, to Ghent, which I hear is even more beautiful and oldy-buildingy than Bruges but with less tourists. It's all this kind of stuff:
Ghent
Am I the only one who's a bit queasy at the idea of Belgian sex parties?
Don't they usually involved dead children?
Perhaps that's Austria. I'm not sure.
Anyhow, a mate of mine used to live in Zaventem for a long while, and I was over there all the time.
Very underrated country. Fantastic beer and food, lovely city centres (Leuven sticks in the mind), and decent enough people. Bit of French gets you by, even with the Flemish.
And you're only a high speed train from Paris or Amsterdam.
Not the worst spot at all. But cold at this time of year though. Damn cold.
Ghent is awesome. Not many decent waffle places, mind, but lots of weird beer and wonky buildings and cute little canal boats.
So have you started your crash course in Dutch? Or are you going to rely on French and English?
I always say, never underestimate parents. Sometimes they're much more open-minded and understanding than you expect.
I'm going to learn Flemish, according to my friend Wies. I asked him if I couldn't just speak French and he said no, I'm going to be in Flanders, they speak better English there than French.
And I can't speak French anyway so what am I talking about.
BELGIUM???
Your folks are aces and I love the way you pick up and decamp around the world on a whim.
Our dog was called Kraken. When we rescued her we changed it to Kraker 'cos she's really quite bonkers.
Rent "In Bruges" to get you in the mood-it's great! Although Ghent is supposed to be even lovlier. But they didn't make a film there, so I'm stuck.
I've seen In Bruges, yes it looked very very astoundingly beautiful. All that "old" stuff.
Belgium is very convenient because it is only 30 quid on the Eurostar and only 2 hours from London.
Happy travelling, Enjoy!
Soulwax are from Ghent, and they have the I Love Techno festival there every year. Can I sleep on your floor when it's next on? I'll bring cornflakes!?
Congratulations on the move. Hope it heralds something marvellous. And Belgium is a fine place to add to your list-of-European-countries-wot-you've-lived-in. Can I suggest adding beer and mussels and chips to the waffles and sex parties, just in case you're thinking of ways to occupy your time?
Thankees guys. Yes, I've already been told by another techno-loving friend that Soulwax are from Ghent. Are there any country bands from Ghent? Hello? Country?
Just for the record: I will not be going to any sex parties. Thank you Sarah, for starting all that.
Congrats! Please keep a diary so you can be an eye witness to the civil war going on there, and give blow by blow accounts of the death of Belgium.
Here's another Kraken.
Ha! I love the Kraken. Now even more so, since you didn't know what it was. Didn't get to watch Clash of the Titans much, eh?
Good luck with the move--sorry you won't be around when I wing my way to Dublin next month.
We'll be able to converse with each other in Dutch in no time :-)
£30 quid? I thought they were still paying people to go to Belgium.
Have fun in Belgium, Annie!
Belgium! Yes... good choice...
When I googled 'sex parties Ghent', this blog was the fourth-highest find. You see how quickly these kind of rumours get out of hand. The Belgian police will be waiting for you at the station.
Wonderful, thanks for that, Will.
And thanks for all your good wishes.
ha has all over the place here annie.
So it's really true!
Well good for you. I agree with what was said upthread, Belgium is highly underrated, dead children and sex parties notwithstanding. I've only been once (to Bruges), but was dead impressed by their a) stylish fashion sense, b)chocolate shops, c) beer. Yes and d) pretty old buildings (in Bruges, naturally).
Still, you haven't told us what you're going to do there. So - what?
Excitement!!
I went to Ghent when I was 14. it was a strange experience, which is far too long a story to fill your comments up with, but culminated with my drinking vodka for the first time. With a Russian sailor and his girlfriend.
It was weird at the time- but a pleasant memory now. I think you will like Ghent.
Have a deadly time what with all the beers and stuff!
Thanks for the insights on Ghent, I am really, really excited about it all – Russian sailors, chocolates, beer, everything.
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