On 27 April the ambassador Bernard Pierre and Mrs. Karin Pierre graciously organized a reception in the Belgian embassy to welcome Prince Laurent and Princess Claire.
Being exiled for so long in far away China has its perks – chatting with people one normally never meets. I had the pleasure to have a vivid conversation with the Prince and Princess who were both very relaxed. It was the second time I met the Prince, exactly in the same room not so long time ago.
Our discussion was of course absolutely confidential but Helene’s partner was recording it all.

Gilbert, the Belgian Ambassador, the Prince and Princess – Gilbert & Helene

Attending a meeting in the US Embassy in Beijing on 5 May I was also invited to the Marine House, the private club of the Marine detachment, a nice setting within the high-security compound that the Embassy has become recently. All a bit sad because the embassy area has a special charm and was nice to walk and jog. With all those North Koreans jumping walls, terrorist threats and (not-so-spontaneous) protests, the Sanlitun embassy has become very uninviting area with guards, barbed wire, fences all over. With the detours to get to the compound – imposed by the road blocks – it was a bit confusing to remember at first the spot where I came so many times in the early eighties. Indeed, the US Embassy was one of the four embassies who in turn opened their doors every Friday evening for “TGIF” (Thank God It’s Friday). All foreigners could attend and the ambiance was great, anyway there was nothing else to go to, so for all poor expats like me it was the most important event of the week. And we sure had lot of fun and booze.
I did not find back the room where it was held that time, the compound has changed quite a bit since then. The US is currently building a new embassy close to the Hilton Hotel, to be ready by 2008.
Enjoying the chili con carne with a beer I met an old acquaintance of those old times, a bit of a (happy) shock. He did not recognize me at first – I had the advantage seeing him regularly on CNN and CCTV when he is doing his job. He then introduced his wife and it was like – wait a moment – we know each other – and then the door to memory lane went wide open. We quickly pieced it all together, talking in our secret language. Many memories of the tumultuous times of the eighties, of jobs, love stories, marriages, separations and the hardships of the time (like waiting in the bitter cold at the door of the embassy, trying in vain to call for a taxi that maybe would come).
I walked back through the road blocks to Ritan Nan Lu, lifted an arm and in 5 seconds had a taxi. Beijing 2006. The taxi driver was of the super social type and rattled on till I got home, testing the very limits of my bu-hao Chinese. Pity I cannot talk more with them – they are sometimes real funny and full of interesting small talk about the city…

8 May 2006
The Belgian Embassy has gone through many activities during the 25 years I go there, most in the large historical room. Having a rock concert there is certainly something new. The performance on 4 November by the Belgian group “Sioen” – from my hometown Ghent – was a successful event attended by closer to 90 people, not too bad considering the May 1 holidays with so many people out of town.
Sioen came to China for the first time but gave 4 concerts in Beijing this week, including the one in the embassy. They will be back in September for a grand tour in China to several cities.
I admit I did not know Sioen but it seems they are a big hit in Belgium, quite understandable when you here them play. As our friend David commented – the band should be called “The Deng Xiaoping Band” – small but full of energy… Their website: www.sioen.net.

I could not resist buying their DVD/CD “Ceci n’est pas un film”, even the price was ten times what we usually pay in the back streets of Beijing. Even got a nice poster.
The public seemed to be very pleased and the food served by our friend Renaat Morel could only make it even better.
Thanks again to our ambassador Bernard Pierre – cool to see so many different activities for the Belgian community in Beijing.

Sioen / the public / Valerie and Mrs. Karin Pierre
I don’t know if it is a coincidence – import from Ghent? – but we also had our first rain that day, so Sun had to look for her “heating”… and watching her holding the dangerous glass of beer…