Video from last night that we forgot to post! (and bonus picture)

Leap Day - De Bereklauw - Jason

Hello all.

Today changed from a let's-not-leave-our-room, reading and lounging kind of day into a good half day of work. Around 14:00 (trying to get used to the 24 hour clock), Max and I forced ourselves out of the room and over to help Selsio (the "rock and roll!" guy from the last video) on his permaculture project. (It should be noted that I don't really know what permaculture means). I felt really cool about breaking a good enough sweat to have to take off my jacket in 40ish degree weather. We were loosening some soil, then mixing it with some straw, and then piling up some dirt into a wheelbarrow and wheelbarrowing it onto the top of our little soil straw mix. Selsio was calling the shots despite his Protuguese/English/Gibberish way of speaking, and Gosse was also providing some instruction in addition to his anti-Capitalist, wonderfully leftist commentary on the world.

Dinner was out of the ordinary tonight. We've been having a lot of hearty, really taste-filled stews and pastas so far, but tonight we had grilled cheese sandwiches. Still good! We're pretty much on a sqwap-only diet.

I'm currently trying (certainly not for the first time, but still trying) to not bite my nails on this trip. "You can't go cold turkey," Max's explanation for my former failures at quitting this habit, has become a little saying of our's now. We're also thinking that "De Bereklauw" is going to become a little label for a lot of things as well. I'm chewing on my nails between sentences! Blah!

It's pretty wonderful to be back out here, in the world, after spending so much time at home. I felt a little like I was wasting this precious gap year time (and burdening others for being around for what began to seem like another high school year), but having this adventure with Max is really somethin' else.

That'll do for now. If you're my friend or family member and you read this, thanks for thinking of me. Hope everything is groovy for you.

-Jason

2-28-12 Come get your vids while dey still hot now chillun'!

Jason Quick Video Catch Up 28-03-12 at De Bereklauw Farm

Here are two tiny little videos I filmed while we were in Brussels:

The first video is of a crazy band that we accidentally saw perform for a tiny bit. We were looking for a nice restaurant or pub to eat in, and we went in there because it seemed cool, but we were greeted by an almost suffocating cloud of smoke and those crazy dudes. They're great, though, so more power to them. The second video is Saint Gilles, the neighborhood of Brussels where our hostel was. There are big cathedrals everywhere around here, and you can see one in that video.

Expect some good updates with photos and videos of this farm soon!

Keep on keepin on.

2-24-12 2-25-12 2-26-12

I slept terribly, as I have been doing every night in Belgium.  I keep getting really hot during the night, and then having to take my blankets off, then classically getting cold by doing so.  I decided to give up at about 8:30 and when Jason and I were up we went down for another breakfast by Phillip.  We ate the usual Nutella/ cheese sandwiches.  We really had a late start that morning, Jason showered, and I was trying to learn some guitar.  We left the Hostel at around 11:30 or 12.  We are basically professionals now at the Brussels Metro, but it did take quite a few times of getting lost before attaining such a high status.  Jason and I had big plans of going to the European Union located in Brussels.  I was definitely a little hesitant to say yes, but it did seem like a once in a lifetime chance.  I had an idea that it would be like some sort of museum, and boy was I correct.  We walked in and were handed a an Audio guide, and started our journey.  It was history on history on history, about how the European Union was started.  If you know me at all you'll know that I am not the most history savvy.  Something about it turns me off.  So for a good thirty minutes we walked around listening to all the audio guide had to offer, and when I had enough I told Jason, and we were on our way.  We decided to walk around and find a place to eat.  We walked into a French cafe that looked promising.  My rule abroad is: If you are ordering off of a menu, and can't read any of the meals on the list then its just the right place.  We managed to get lasagna and spaghetti, and halfway through our meal, the whole restaurant stopped, and someone was talking in french.  We couldn't understand what she was saying at all, but it sounded somewhat important.  Within seconds we heard someone singing in the middle of the restaurant.  A live show?  Well, not quite.  We seem to think it was a street performer who was performing at a different venue.  She was singing along with a track which gave her this demonic tone, and on top of that while she was singing she was flailing her arms around like some sort of witch.  It almost scared me a bit, hell it actually did scare me...a lot.  After escaping this crazy cafe, we headed back to the hostel where we had gotten into a routine of lounging from 5-8 PM.  We asked Phillip where our farm was, and we played guitar and napped.  That night Jason and I wandered around a little bit the parts of Brussels we never saw.  We ended up coming back around our Hostel to eat dinner and found a very expensive joint, that was truly delicious.  I ended up ordering a salad with vinaigrette cured meat, some sort of organ meat, and toasted bread.  After dinner we went back to the Hostel and called it an early night.  The next day we woke up at around 930 and had our last breakfast with Phillip.  We ate and went back upstairs to pack and get ready to arrive at our first farm.  Packed and cleaned up we went downstairs to take a picture with Phillip and begin to find our farm with subpar directions.  We took a train and then a bus, and then had to walk back 50 km from the Bus stop and then down a long road, and even longer driveway.  I felt a little embarrassed hauling my humongous suitcase down this dirt path, but there was nothing I could do.  Of course the first person we met, Richard, asked me if I was hauling another Woofer in my suitcase.  No, I replied with a smirk.  There is a dirt driveway that led to a long stone pathway.  Ducks, chickens, pigeons, and dogs greeted us along with Gosse, the farm owner.  He also made  a quick joke about my suitcase as well.  He showed us to our caravan which were two beds, with used sheets, former volunteers clothes, half drunk beers, already used soaps, and an ancient computer generator.  We sheepishly laid our suitcases down, and decided to go explore.  The farm that Jason and I are staying at is what I would closely compare to the commune depicted in the upcoming movie Wanderlust.  There are the most random scarps of metal, mannequins, play houses, secret shortcuts.  To be honest it is a little scary, and very overwhelming.  But very much what Jason and I were searching for when we were planning the trip.  We walked around until we came to a  large pile of wood and a few other volunteers.  We met Anton, a 19 year old who was lived here for 3 years, and is an extremely progressive thinker.  He quickly became a close friend.  Anton has a cleft lip that only makes him that much more badass.  Richard quickly came over and handed us each a beer.  It was almost a sign of welcoming.  As if the beer was a symbol for the start of our ingraining to Deberklauw.  I felt pressured to finish my beer-- quickly.  After we were handed a beer and some small talk, we were introduced to the wood splitting station.  I had never split wood before, I had only cut it with a chainsaw.  With a few tips, and encouraging words Jason gave it a try.  It looked deathly hard, and I was scared I wouldn't be able to connect the metal head with the wood at all.  After some 5 tries, Jason asked if I wanted to give it a swing.  I stepped up to the plate, made sure my hands were in the right place, and mentally prepared for my swing.  You are supposed to put one hand and the bottom of the shaft, and one right under the metal head.  As you bring the tool over your shoulder you are supposed to subtly move your hands closer together at the bottom handle.  This process really reminded me of a sort of volleyball swing, and I kind of felt at home.  The whole point was to bring the point of the head down with as much momentum as possible.  I split three pieces of wood first try, and everyone was impressed, especially me.  After wood cutting we helped with organizing some of the cut wood, and placed it in a pile.  AFter that we decided to explore more.  This time we walked to the higher ground above our caravan, where we found two women working with flowers.  We asked if we could help, and to our surprise we got to move 10 cinderblocks.  It was around this time I started to feel a little tried out, and very cold.  I went into the caravan and grabbed a sweatshirt, and came back out.  After sometime of reorganizing the cinderblocks we moved the party into the kitchen to wait for dinner.  Everyone was sitting around or helping prepare the meal.  I had this shiver that I couldn't shake, and I was getting colder and colder for some reason.  When the stew came out I didn't even feel that hungry.  I ate some of the meal, but scraped the rest into the compost bucket.  I told Jason I wanted to go change into something warmer, so we went back to the caravan, where I actually wanted to go to sleep.  I dressed in long underwear top and bottom, wool socks, sweatpants, a shirt, a fleece jacket, a flannel, and my snowboarding jacket and a beanie.  I woke up with my boxers on, and my top long underwear.  It was hands down one of the worst sleeps I have ever had.  I could barely swallow, and on top of that my head was killing me.  I wasn't exactly sure what to do because I didn't have water near me, so I waited until Jason got up to ask if he could get me some water, along with a fruit from breakfast.  I had plans of staying in bed all day because I really didn't fell up to work.  Jason was quite possibly the best mom for me today.  I was sick all day and he brought me breakfast and lunch, and water, and company.  I napped on and off all day and got some well needed sleep.  It was around 6 when I decided to get up and look for Jason and a shower.  Up until this point I wasn't sure if a shower even existed on the premises.  Jason came into the caravan from a long run he had just gone on.  We both asked if there was a shower, and we found one just outside the kitchen.  The only problem was that the shower was heated by a stove--that was broken.  I knew that I needed to clean myself from being in my sleeping bag all day, and sick all over, so I took a one minute cold shower, and then put on long underwear sweatpants, and my fleece.  We came back into the kitchen to wait for dinner, and everyone was wondering how I was feeling.  I told them I was feeling a lot better, but still a little sick.  We all ate around the big table tonight with an assortment of different meats, rice, and a stew.  I decided to take it was with the meal, since I still feel a little sick.  I wish I could portray the true feelings, and way of life on this farm ( which we have been told many a time, that where we are is not a farm, which I am starting to believe ).  Also, everyone smokes tobacco.  They pack their own cigarettes, and smoke them every 10 minutes or so.  This also could have thrown off my well being.  For now thats all I can really say, but hopefully Jason and I can video blog, and post some pictures soon.  Night.

Max Wyman Time 2-24

So I have decided to not video blog everyday, because I can see where it might get a little monotonous.  Not for me of course, but for the viewers it could be a little boring.  So, as of now I have decided to switch it up every now and then.  As you can tell by our first video blog yesterday, the dynamic was a little shaky, but we managed to get our story out and even share a few laughs.  Yesterday we slept 12 hours ate a hearty breakfast, thanks to, none other than, Phillip.  I had a small inkling that there might be Nutella waiting for me on the table, and when I walked down the full 8 flight of stairs to the kitchen, there she was, in all her glory.  I lathered up two pieces of white bread and gorged myself with the sweetest artificial chocolate known to man.  I ate two Nutella sandwiches and then three cheese and butter sandwiches, one cup of fusion tea, and two glasses of orange juice.  I was feelin' good.  Jason and I went back up to our room, showered and then made our video blog.  After that we got dressed and went out to explore the city of Brussels.  We had a set list of places we wanted to visit, but as soon as we got our of the Hostel, those plans dissolved, and we were found playing on a jungle gym we had found a couple blocks from the hostel.  We were just two kids playing in the city of Brussels, without a care in the world.  Should we be in college, sitting in on some ridiculously boring GE class?  Yea maybe, but 100% probably not.  This gap year has been the most amazing journey for both of us, and we can't see ourselves doing anything differently.  After we were done playing on the jungle gym we wandered farther and farther into the city, until we were greeted by an amazing view overlooking the city.  We took a few minutes to appreciate the spectacular view of the unimaginable, and then we kept walking down streets.  We walked for a long while  until we found an awesome skatepark that really sparked my interest.  We walked in the skatepark, and it looked like a fun place to goof around in with a skateboard, but unfortunately this trip I decided not to bring my board with me.  The skatepark really made me feel at a loss.  After the skatepark we decided to go see Magritte's Museum, who was a famous artist from Belgium.  It only cost 2 euro to enter, so we were more than happy to pay our way in.  We walked around for awhile taking in all the artwork, and I wasn't much familiar with Magritte's work, until we came to our last gallery.  I was unaware that his most famous painting was the Empire of Lights.  I think thats what its called at least, and when I first layer eyes on the painting I had to take a seat, because it blew me away.  I sat there for a good 10 minutes taking in all of the glory that was on the wall.  Such a brilliant idea, and executed so perfectly.  For that, we thank you Magritte.  After the museum we walked to find ourselves an authentic place to eat lunch, and ,of course, stumbled upon a tourist trap.  We ate at a kebab restaurant that actually wasn't half bad, but was over expensive.  We sat and ate for a good hour and a half, just reminiscing on the camp days we had.  When we got caught up in conversation it almost seemed like outside of the restaurant wasn't Belgium.  That when we were in a trance talking about camp, the world seemed to stop, and wherever we were was home.  After we ate we decided to come back to the Hostel, and relax for a little.  I played some guitar while Jason did some croqueting, and then we took a short hour nap.  When we barely woke up, we got dressed and asked Phillip where we could eat dinner/ go out for a drink.  He gave us the name of a pub L'Union.  This place was a classically authentic pub.  The authenticity that every tourist is always searching for.  We barely managed to order our food in English, and got two Westmalle Trippel's.  After getting the beer down, and feeling a little more relaxed Jason started up a conversation with some English speakers that were also at the pub.  Turns out we hung out with three EU Parliament workers.  One was from Italy, one from Ireland, and one from Sweden.  They were all extremely intelligent, worldly, and very sarcastic.  They were extremely fun to hang out with, and overall spent an hour and a half talking with them.  They recommended we get another special beer, while we there called Civey, before they left.  After our last beer we decided to take our ship home.  We walked back to the Hostel, and hung out with a new roommate we had just met from Venezuela.  The first thing he asked us was if he could play our guitar for a little.  He has played for ten years, he told us.  Of course, we told him, we would be honored.  When we went back up to our room, he took out the guitar, and quite frankly was a little shaky with the instrument at first.  Later did we find out that he was more of an electric guitarist rather than an acoustic.  He played for awhile, and then when we told him we were about to fall asleep he peacefully placed the guitar back into the case, and we all collectively went to bed.  Maybe tomorrow will be a video blog day, who knows.

2-23-12 Brussels, Belgium