Winterland Hasselt 2009

Winterland is back in Hasselt from 21 November to 3 January. This German style Christmas market was extremely popular last year boasting the largest outdoor ice skating rink in Belgium, a big wheel and plenty of Christmas atmosphere. This year it is twice as big with a roller coaster.


De Kerstmarkt is deels overdekt waar de producten in sfeervolle stands worden aangeboden. Daarnaast staan over het plein diverse kerstchalets. De Kerstmarkt is dagelijks (ook op zondag) geopend van 11.00 tot 22.00 uur. In totaal telt de Kerstmarkt 64 deelnemers. En na een bezoek aan de kerstmarkt is het goed vertoeven in Café Winterland voor een glaasje Glühwein, een biertje, warme chocomel of een kop erwtensoep.



Winterland Hasselt info
My blog on Winterland Hasselt 2008

Someone's photos from Winterland Hasselt 2008

English Hypnotherapist in Belgium

My name is Antonia Harrison and I am the English Hypnotherapist in Belgium. I help people make fast, positive change in the following areas:

- stop smoking (most smokers stop smoking in one session)
- stop unwanted habits eg nail-biting, blushing
- improve self-confidence and self-esteem
- learn to control stress and anxiety
- overcome phobias (the NLP Fast Phobia Cure is effective in 30 minutes)
- unblock disempowering fears eg failure or success!
- areas of personal development eg motivation, procrastination, perfectionism,
- regression ie going back into your past
- sexual and relationship problems (you'd be amazed how many ways hypnosis can help!)
- certain health problems, particularly if stress-related
- improving sports and business performance
- help with the fear of public speaking

English Hypnotherapist Belgium

I combine my hypnotherapy knowledge with NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), Ericksonian Hypnosis (metaphors or stories), clinical hypnosis and TimeLine Therapy.

NLP is:
* A tool for personal development.
* A model of effective communication.
* A means of modelling human behaviour.

I see clients at my home in Zolder, Limburg or in an office in Brussels or Berchem. Most sessions last about an hour. Longer PERSONAL BREAKTHROUGH SESSIONS may suit someone travelling from far away.

Small group sessions for STOP SMOKING WITH HYPNOSIS can also be arranged.

As Personal Development is my passion, I offer talks and workshops on various subjects to groups and companies, eg:

- Overcoming limiting beliefs
- NLP in sales
- NLP for teachers
- NLP for parents
- NLP for relationships
- How hypnosis can help your teenager or young person to cope
- Goal setting and achievement (using advanced Neurological Repatterning and Time Line Therapy)
- Understanding each other’s values (relationships or in a company)
- Change Procrastination into Motivation: Book Now!
- Persistence for winners
- Are you living your life or just existing?
- Can Prosperity and Spirituality go hand in hand?
- Is fear holding you back? What about Fear of Failure or even Fear of Success?
- What makes your customers buy from you?

I will also be offering NLP Practitioner Training in Belgium in 2010.

Please visit my site www.AntoniaHarrison.com

Antonia Harrison is the English Hypnotherapist & NLP Practitioner in Belgium and recommends Download Hypnosis Mp3 for immediate, affordable hypnosis Mp3s to improve your life.

Eens Kijken of We Echte Vrienden Zijn

Vrienden zijn er om je te steunen,
om jou te troosten en tegen ze aan te leunen.
Vrienden zijn er om jou te helpen,
die jou pijn voor even doet verhelpen.

Vrienden zijn er om jou blij te maken,
om jou kwaadheid weg te kraken.
Vrienden zijn er om jou lief te hebben,
en zullen alles voor jou overhebben.

Vrienden zijn er om jou niet te bedriegen,
vrienden zullen ook nooit tegen jou liegen.
Vrienden zijn er om jou tips te geven,
en zullen jou alles wat je gedaan hebt vergeven.

Ware vrienden leer je kennen met de tijd,
ook al doe je iets verkeerd,
ze willen je niet kwijt.

Villa Te Koop - Bolderberg, Heusden-Zolder

Mijn prachtige villa is te koop.





Ligging: mooie bosrijke en residentiële omgeving langs Domein Bovy, Bolderberg, Heusden-Zolder, Limburg (11km van Hasselt, 2km van E314, 4 km van E313/E314 kruispunt te Lummen, 75km van Brussel, 36km van Maastricht)
Verschillende hotels, cafés en winkels op 600m, toffe basisschool op 800m.

Inrichting: 5 slaapkamers (2 op gelijkvloers, 3 op 1ste verdieping), 2 badkamers + apart WC, grote woonkamer (leefruimte + zitruimte), met ramen op drie kanten en een schuifdeur naar de tuin, aparte eetkamer, compacte handige keuken 60m2 speelkamer boven, kantoorruimte, berging,

275m2 gebouwd.

1550m2 grond, zuidelijke orientatie met mooi aangelegde tuin met 2 tuinhuizen, groot terras, binnengarage

Prijs: 349,950 €

Als uw verdere inlichtingen wil hebben, gelieve contact met me op 011/281132 of 0497 550813 te nemen of mail antonia.harrison@telenet.be

Antonia Harrison

Belgian Royal Family Income Falls in 2010

The Belgian royal family will receive less income from the state. In 2010, the amount for the King will be reduced by 423,000 €. The incomes of Prins Filip, Princes Astrid, Prins Laurent and Queen Fabiola will drop by 8%.

King Albert will receive 148,000 € less, a drop of 1.4 %, ie 10,388,000 € of which 70% goes to personnel costs.

Prins Filip will receive 85,000 € less, ie 935,000 €; Queen Fabiola loses 132,000 € so will receive 1,462,000 €; Princes Astrid will receive 324,000 € and Prins Laurent 311,000 €, so a drop of 29,000 € for each.

"De dotatie voor de koninklijke familie wordt verlaagd. In 2010 zal er voor de koning en zijn gevolg in totaal 423.000 euro minder zijn vergeleken met dit jaar. De inkomens van prins Filip, prinses Astrid, prins Laurent en koningin Fabiola dalen met 8 procent.

Dat schrijven de kranten van Sud Presse. De dotatie voor koning Albert zelf daalt met 1,4 procent of 148.000 euro tot 10.388.000 euro in 2010. Ongeveer 70 procent van dat bedrag gaat op aan personeelskosten. De teksten die de dotatie vastleggen, zijn met enkele dagen vertraging goedgekeurd.

85.000 euro minder voor prins Filip
Prins Filip zal 85.000 euro minder zal krijgen en belandt onder het miljoen euro, op 935.000 euro om precies te zijn. Koningin Fabiola verliest 132.000 euro, ze moet in 2010 rondkomen met 1.462.000 euro.

Prinses Astrid zal het moeten stellen met 324.000 euro in plaats van 353.000 euro in 2009. En Prins Laurent krijgt tenslotte 311.000 euro, dat is 29.000 euro minder dan dit jaar.

Trendbreuk
De daling van de dotaties betekent een trendbreuk. Dit jaar konden onze royals nog rekenen op een gemiddelde stijging van hun dotatie met 6 procent. Maar toen speelde de inflatie een grote rol. Nu is er nauwelijks inflatie. Het vastgelegde bedrag voor 2010 kan nog aangepast worden voor inflatie."

Source: Het Belang Van Limburg

Belgium Exits Recession in Third Quarter

Belgium's economy shook off recession in the third quarter of 2009 with 0.5 percent growth, the Belgian central bank said on Friday.

Compared to one year earlier, gross domestic product was down by 3.5 percent, but at a lesser rate than in the second quarter, which saw an annual contraction of 4.2 percent.

The central bank also revised upwards its estimate for the second quarter, and now says there was only a contraction of 0.1 percent between April and June as against an initial 0.3 percent.

The Belgian economy first slid into negative growth in the third quarter of 2008.

Source: AFP/Expatica

The Not-So-Secret Recipe for Belgian Frites

Kimberley Lovato has an audience with the "Missionary of the Belgian Fries" and uncovers the sacred rituals of Frite Almighty.

While Belgium has much to offer visitors and residents alike, the country is known the world over for one thing in particular: French Fries (Frites in French).

Michel Mes, self-proclaimed “Missionary of the Belgian Fries”, started his popular website Belgianfries.com back in 1995. He now receives at least 10 emails a day from inquiring fans, and travels the world promoting franchise opportunities, while spreading the word about the true Belgian fry, proper tools and techniques, and most importantly, how best to eat them.

Your site, Belgianfries.com is an homage to Belgian Fries. What prompted this endeavor?

As an IT guy some 15- years ago when the internet was opened for the big public consumption, I needed a subject to practice the new HTML programming language. I chose "The Secret Recipe for Belgian Fries". I thought it would be a good idea to promote this great Belgian food and let the world know where “French” fries really come from. It was an instant success. Everything grew out of proportion from then on.

What is the secret to making the best Belgian fry?

The trick is very simple: Belgian fries are double-fried. First there is the cooking process, then the fries need to cool down and finally, just before serving, they are fried again to make them crispy and golden brown. Of course, the correct type of potatoes is very important, as is the choice of frying oil. Fries should always be fried in animal fat. In Belgium it used to be a mixture of horse and ox fat. These days most shops will use an ox fat and vegetable oil mixture. Details on how to do this at home are on my website.

Do you use a recipe?

I have no recipe. I use the 2-stage frying method, but as potatoes are a "living" raw material (i.e. their structure changes throughout the season) you need some experience to cook them to perfection. It is different every time, you need to watch and listen, especially during the first frying. It is very hard to explain but practice makes perfect.

What is the biggest mistake people make when trying to recreate the Belgian fry?

Don't put too many raw potatoes strips into the fryer for the first frying! The temperature of the oil will drop down dramatically, the water in the potatoes will not escape quickly enough and thus the result will be too greasy. For a perfect final result you need to pay close attention to the first frying. The second frying will not correct any mistakes made earlier.

How should Belgian fries be served and with what kind of sauce do you prefer?

I never eat sauce with my fries. Good Belgian fries will have a lot of taste on their own. Don't spoil it with sauce. A bit of salt is ok. And please serve in a paper cone. But if I need to make a choice I would go for mayonnaise (home made of course) or a spicy sauce like Banzai.

Do you have a favorite location in Brussels to eat fries?
Chez Martin (Place Saint-Josse). He used to run a very nice looking stand next to the church but had to move recently to somewhere else in the area of the Rue des Deux Eglises. A lot of tourists know Chez Antoine (place Jourdan) but I don't like their fries. The toll of their success I guess.

Does it bother you that Belgian fries are referred to as “French”?

Not at all, because it is a totally different product. Once more, after the chocolate, pralines, and a lot of other products, the term "Belgian" stands for freshness and quality. Also, the term “French” fries does not link to the French people or country. It is derived from the old English verb "to french" Originally they were called "frenched fried potatoes".

How often do you eat frites?

Maybe two times a month. You should never exaggerate the good things in life!

Kimberley Lovato

Follow Kimberley's blogging adventures, A Broad In Belgium.
www.belgianfries.com