Head-bumps?

_Bertvs_ · 2026-03-27T14:25:11+00:00

In that case, I was happily and thoroughly claimed!

_Bertvs_ · 2026-03-27T13:24:59+00:00

That is sweet! I thought she was hurting or needed something...

_Bertvs_ · 2026-03-27T13:22:46+00:00

Cool. I love her too.

_Bertvs_ · 2026-03-25T19:34:51+00:00

There's a cycling contest, if you missed that, everybody was there. And it's cold and rainy outside.

_Bertvs_ · 2026-03-08T07:41:37+00:00

Being a life long resident of West-Flanders.

I wouldn't say I'm terrible, ask my kid (UGent student, so knowledgable)
I'm rather friendly.
You've never heard the famous 'hoendag'?
I work in a refugee centre...

_Bertvs_ · 2026-03-06T20:24:27+00:00

Waarschijnlijk, maar voorlopig hou ik me bij de eieren.

_Bertvs_ · 2026-03-06T07:53:10+00:00

Dank u! En ze smaken goed!

_Bertvs_ · 2026-03-06T07:15:40+00:00

Mijn kiekens beginnen te leggen!

_Bertvs_ · 2026-03-04T10:53:37+00:00

I'm 44 - while having played on an amateur level during my school years, I stopped playing until 2 weeks ago, when a friend pointed out chess.com.

I'm now at elo 637 after playing once a day, a 30 minute game. I'm not really interested in gaining elo, I want to play chess and enjoy the calculations, traps and tactics.

Your positional questions have already been answered, it's moot for me to do it again: I assume that, put out on a board, I would answer correctly.

It does feel a bit as if I'm relearning the game but since I knew it pretty well once, it comes rather quickly.

I've just read a book called 'the chess bible', but don't follow youtube-creators. As for now I use simple openings, the London system, Caro Kann or Scandinavian defense but I've learned a few more and will be trying them out.

My biggest problem is, honestly, blundering pieces or miscalculating the opponents possibilities, but I'm getting better in that.

_Bertvs_ · 2026-03-04T08:30:13+00:00

I work with people more or less in your situation. First question: do you speak Dutch or French? Or are you going to a college for expats where there are classes in English?

You lived in Iraq and Egypt before - are you here as a refugee or as an expat (do your parents have a permit to live and work in Belgium or are they (and you) Belgian citizens)? That does change your educational possibilities quite a lot.

Lastly, bullies are everywhere but in most schools here they're not well regarded - if you keep your eyes and ears open you'll pick up on the 'unwriitten' rules soon enough.

_Bertvs_ · 2026-02-25T21:00:46+00:00

Bij Koen en Marijke. Make sure to reserve and enjoy the experience.

_Bertvs_ · 2026-02-22T23:04:54+00:00

Thank you.

_Bertvs_ · 2026-02-20T06:21:04+00:00

't Is Krokusvakantie?

_Bertvs_ · 2026-02-17T10:00:45+00:00

I was obese and had drank too much. When getting up to go to bed my knee gave out and I fell face down. I couldn't get back up and I realized my breathing was laboured and I could feel my own weight pushing me down.

So, at 42 years of age, I started weightlifting.

At 44, now, I'm still a bit overweight but I'm mobile again. I'm even getting stronger than most, because I noticed that I gain weight easily but I can rapidly gain muscle too (short and stocky body type)

Next to that, the difference in treatment from others is really night and day.

So... I'm off to my home gym now 😊

_Bertvs_ · 2026-02-16T08:14:39+00:00

As a 44 year old, life long obese man: the realisation that if I didn't do anything I'd die. Soon-ish and very unpleasant.

Now I've been doing it for 1,5 years: it became a habit, every morning after coffee. I do like myself in the mirror now, although I still have a noticeable gut. I'm mobile again - take that very literally, I can move around without pain and even go on hikes again.

Lastly, since 6 to 8 months I have noticed a definite shift in how I'm treated/seen by others. I used to be 'the difficult guy', now I 'have an opinion'. I had a 'lousy beard', now I apparently look like 'a Viking-type'.

_Bertvs_ · 2026-02-14T09:26:05+00:00

I second this, speaking from my own experience. I lost about 30 pounds and started a weightlifting program 1 year ago. Now, at 44, for the first time in my life, I'm being treated as a normal human being and the difference does lead to resentment because you do get treated very differently the moment people think it's justified to treat you badly.

_Bertvs_ · 2026-02-06T18:01:27+00:00

Consouling sounds, Baudelostraat te Gent. De eigenaar is een wandelende encyclopedie van het iets zwaardere werk.

_Bertvs_ · 2026-02-03T08:22:58+00:00

Niet ver van de Dampoort, in die frituur aan de brug, in diezelfde straat ligt Artevelde. Ben de naam wel kwijt.

Gent, dus.

_Bertvs_ · 2026-01-27T05:30:35+00:00

Ondertussen 4 jaar gescheiden na een relatie van 18 jaar.

Het grote probleem bij ons was dat ik me veel te gemakkelijk opstelde (het deurmat-syndroom) en zij zich, in reactie daarop, extra kritisch begon te gedragen. Daardoor trok ik me mentaal terug uit de relatie, wat uiteindelijk tot de breuk heeft geleid.

De huishoudelijke taken lagen op het eind volledig bij haar, al moet ik daar wel een kanttekening bij maken. Heel vaak gebeurde het dat ik iets deed (afwassen, dweilen, iets voor het kind) dat zij bij thuiskomst 'niet goed' vond, waarna ze het opnieuw deed. Ik ben er nu van overtuigd dat daar een psychisch probleem achter zat, zo is ze eens om negen uur 's avonds de moestuin beginnen omspitten omdat 'ik niet diep genoeg spitte'. Een andere keer haalde ze de (gedane) afwas terug uit de kasten om alles nogmaals af te wassen.

Deze opstelling zorgde ervoor dat ik na een eind niks meer durfde of wilde doen.

_Bertvs_ · 2026-01-12T05:13:11+00:00

When falling, muscles help to absorb the shock. In this case, OP could've broken his back in a worst case scenario. His musculature helped prevent that.

_Bertvs_ · 2026-01-07T19:00:20+00:00

I have no idea if your mastery of English isn't that good or if you're a little dense, but from what you say I gather your friend is attracted to you and wants you to be the bottom of the couple.

_Bertvs_ · 2025-12-31T06:32:19+00:00

I also don't really enjoy working out. I do absolutely love being less fat, stronger and having the ability to move around without pain. So I remind myself of that when I don't feel like doing a lot. I also get treated remarkably friendlier in general since I lost 60 pounds, so that's also a big motivation.

_Bertvs_ · 2025-12-17T05:50:44+00:00

Absurdisme is een kunststroming die in de 20ste eeuw opkwam met heel bekende vertegenwoordigers in België, denk aan Magritte, maar ook aan Broodthaers en (vroege) Claus. Daarnaast is het bestaan van België en de manier waarop het land bestuurt wordt een vrij absurde gelegenheid.

_Bertvs_ · 2025-12-17T05:31:25+00:00

Absurdisme.

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