F&F's

F&F visits…..

aka “Family and Friends”……..

Apart from divulging myself into the fine gourmet food that good ol’ Belgium has to offer, another must-do on my checklist is visiting long-time friends and family………

Aaah, it never ceases to amaze me how my decade old friendships never wither away…….you might argue that thanks to the worldwide connectivity that the internet has brought upon us….it is easier to stay in touch with far away friends………but bear in mind that I’m born way back in the pre-mobile era and that goes the same for my ‘friends’.

So despite having the modern tools to stay in touch on a regular basis, we somehow seldom make use of it…….due to numerous reasons like time zone differences, family priorities, work, friends…………

Thus, every time I return to my ‘home town’…….I do experience a queasy feeling as to whether the bonding with my ‘oldtime’ friends has diminished over time……

Luckily, 99% of the time, all things turn out well,…..yes, we all have aged, seeing bulging tummies and diminishing hairlines is the perfect proof of that ………. J……….but the youthfull rashness that drove us when we were still green behind our ears is gone, …….replaced by a sense of maturity and laissez-faire passer attitude………

Apart from sharing old memories of long bygone days, the now and future makes up a major topic in our conversations, ………as alas, we all are heading towards the twilight of our active working days, making do with what we have at the moment and sharing 1 common theme…….trying to figure a way out to have a decent pension available when we ‘retire’………

Well, that’s still 2 decades down the road from now, but it is nevertheless inevitable…….the European social welfare state is on the brink of collapse and it is a major topic in all conversations on how to cope without the state caring for us in the future…..and a major grievance for Europeans who pay sky high taxes as compared to non-Euro citizens and possibly get nothing in return when they hang their ties up……

Oops,……..sounds like serious, hardcore discussions that my old-time friends and me have held….but nah, there was enough time for a dose of humour and the occasional prank…….

Thanks m8’s for welcoming me back into your ‘inner’ circle…….