As a young Flemish-American growing up in Chicago I earnestly wished to study in the country where my father and grandfather were born. Unfortunately I was unable to find any such program in Flanders or Belgium at the time, and neither did I find any opportunities to study about Flanders as an undergraduate here in the U.S. As a result, I ended up studying abroad in Asia. While not a bad career move, I would have much preferred a chance to study in and about Flanders. Today’s North American students, however, have more options. While still not plentiful, there are now several paths open to aspiring or current college students to enroll at academic institutions in Flanders. There are also foundations being laid for an exciting new channel for study about Flanders in the United States.

Unique features

It is important to understand some unique features about education in Belgium. Did you know that Flanders has had a continuous university present for nearly 600 years? The Catholic University at Leuven (KUL) was first established in 1425. That tradition has enabled Flanders’ universities to rank among the top universities in Europe and the world.

Belgium, as you may be aware, has a unique structure. A federal state, it consists of three “Communities” based on language (Dutch, French, and German) and three “Regions” (Flanders, Brussels, and Wallonia) based upon territorial boundaries. Each Community and Region is constitutionally allowed a parliament (although the Dutch and Flemish parliaments were early on combined into one). These parliaments – which are in addition to, and not subordinate to the Belgian Parliament – govern specific “competencies” for their respective constituencies. Education is a competency of the “Community”. Thus, if you have an interest in studying in Belgium, you will need to determine which Community you wish to study in before pursuing your educational dreams there.

Flanders has six universities and more than twenty colleges. These universities are world-class institutions and are located in Brussels (Vrije Universiteit Brussel & Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel), Leuven (KUL), Ghent (Universiteit Gent), Antwerp (Universiteit Antwerpen), and Hasselt (Universiteit Hasselt) in Limburg. KULAK, a branch of KUL located in Kortrijk, features a complete university campus in West Flanders. The twenty-plus colleges and other “institutions of higher learning” are spread across the country with some located in smaller cities such as Bruges and Ostend.

For Americans and Canadians aspiring to study in Flanders, it is important to realize that whatever path pursued, one needs to apply for both admission to the academic program and legal permission to reside in Flanders.

How to study in Flanders

Currently, there are three paths to undergraduate study in Flanders:

a)      Enroll at a Flemish University (instruction in Dutch, which requires proficiency in Dutch);

b)      Enroll at an International University in Brussels (instruction in English);

c)      Study Abroad at a Flemish University (instruction in English);

To study at a Flemish University in Dutch, the path is relatively straightforward. One applies directly to the school. But what if you do not have adult proficiency in Dutch? Vesalius College is one option. Originally established as a joint effort between Boston College and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, today it is a distinct school in association with the VUB. Located across the street from the VUB’s main entrance, it follows a North American curriculum with instruction in English. Its more than 300 students hail from more than 45 countries. Tuition per semester is 5,400 Euro (about $7,000). Vesalius estimates additional costs of approximately 6,000 Euro ($8,000) per semester.

Many Flemish universities also offer intensive language courses during the summer vacation (July-August) to prepare foreign students for the coming academic year. And, by the way, Ph.D. candidates in various fields have been able to do their research and write their dissertations in English for decades.

Another option for English speakers are the study-abroad programs offered by American universities. In the past, these were largely individual-driven. Nowadays many schools, among them the University of Illinois, have group programs. Moreover, the University of Illinois has opened their program to any North American student – one need not be a student at their Urbana-Champaign campus. U of IL pegs tuition per semester at nearly $8,000 and estimates the costs of living in Leuven at approximately $5,000 per semester.

Financing

Rarely do today’s students attend universities without some financial assistance. Thankfully, there are a variety of funding sources for students of these programs. A person who has resided for two years continuously in Flanders may apply for financial aid from Flemish government entities. Or, if you are an American with language skills in any of the official languages of Belgium (Dutch, French, German) and have already been accepted to a Belgian university, you may apply for a scholarship with the Belgian American Educational Foundation in New York City. Since its founding in the 1930s, more than 900 Americans have received scholarships from the BAEF. This year alone nine Americans (and 81 Belgians) received one of these scholarships.

Vesalius College and the University of Illinois both count as accredited schools and so standard paths for U.S. educational aid (including GI Bill funding) are open to their students.

In addition, while the scope of this is unclear, scholarships may be available through other sources. Some Belgian Clubs in the U.S. sponsor scholarships for members’ children (a list of the Belgian Clubs in the U.S. can be found here: http://www.diplobel.us/BelgianCitizens/ClubsAssociations.asp).

Flemish and Dutch Studies in the U.S.

Few U.S. universities offer anything in the way of Flemish studies. The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor is a notable exception. Dutch language studies are offered in areas with an important ethnic-Dutch population, such as Grand Rapids, Michigan.

While this remains a drawing-board concept for now, the University of Illinois has initiated discussions about establishing a dedicated curriculum offering Dutch language, Flemish culture and history, which would be unique in the United States.

In part to support such an endeavor, several Flemish-Americans recently established the Flemish American Heritage Foundation. The FAHF’s mission includes (among other things) funding scholarships for Flemish Studies. Those interested in the FAHF can contact me directly at debendevan@hotmail.com

Conclusion

Today’s students have a plethora of opportunities to learn more about Flanders and Belgium. Programs today also permit American students to study in Flanders without acquiring Dutch proficiency. Future programs may even give Flemish-American students to major in the study of their ancestral homeland right here in the U.S.A. Truly, Flemish studies have come a long way.

Links

General

Study in Belgium: http://www.belgium.be/en/education/coming_to_study_in_belgium/

Studying in Flanders: http://www.studyinflanders.be/

Studying in Brussels: http://www.brussels.irisnet.be/education-and-training/home/3/1/studying-in-brussels-as-a-foreign-student

Studying Dutch in Flanders: http://onderwijs.vlaanderen.be/infolijn/faq/talen/ouder/NederlandsinVlaanderen.htm

List of Universities in Flanders: http://www.studyinflanders.be/en/institutions/universities/

List of Colleges in Flanders: http://www.studyinflanders.be/en/institutions/university-colleges/

Specific Programs

University of Illinois Study Abroad at KU Leuven: https://app.studyabroad.illinois.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=programs.ViewProgram&Program_ID=10839

Vesalius College: http://www.vesalius.edu/

Scholarships for Graduate Study in Belgium

Belgian American Educational Foundation: http://www.baef.us

Flemish Government Scholarships & Grants Program: web http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/english

Flemish University Associations

• Antwerp University Association: http://www.associatie-antwerpen.be
• Brussels University Association: http://www.universitaireassociatiebrussel.be
• Ghent University Association: http://www.augent.be
• K.U.Leuven Association: http://www.associatie.kuleuven.be
• Limburg University Association: http://www.auhl.be

Other organizations:

• The accreditation body for higher education programmes in Flanders and the Netherlands: http://www.nvao.nl
• Recognition of foreign degrees (NARIC-Flanders): http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/naric/
• Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR): http://www.vlir.be
• Flemish Interuniversity Council, secretariat for University Cooperation for Development (VLIR-UOS): http://www.vliruos.be

Council of Flemish University Colleges (VLHORA): http://www.vlhora.be

Meer info over “Strafste School” : http://www.mnm.be/shows/dss2012/de-strafste-school-2012

BELGIAN MOVIE

“THE KID WITH A BIKE” (Le gamin au vélo) by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the deeply moving new film by the Dardenne brothers (L’enfant, Rosetta) delves into the emotional life of troubled 11-year-old Cyril (newcomer Thomas Doret). When his father (Jérémie Renier) abandons him, Cyril obsessively tries to find his bicycle—after all, his father must have cared about him enough not to sell that off, he reasons. Almost by accident, he becomes the ward of a kind hairdresser (Cécile de France), a woman who seems surprised to find herself so determined to help him. With his wild, unpredictable behavior and his disastrous search for father figures, Cyril risks losing her—though she refuses to give up without a fight. Full of heartbreaking betrayals and unexpected grace, THE KID WITH A BIKE is a film about a child, abandoned to the elements, learning to become good. (IFC Films) This film is rated PG-13.

Main Art Theatre

118 North Main St

Royal Oak, MI 48067

For showtimes, phone (248) 263-2111

Or see:

http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Market/Detroit/Detroit_Frameset.htm

Host Danny Dieussaert represents Van Eecke, a family-owned brewery that traces its roots back to 1629.

Like last year, Ashley’s Beer & Grill of Westland is doing its part to beat the winter blahs by organizing a Belgian Beer Festival. Expanded to 11 days (Feb. 9 through Feb. 19), the event will feature over 80 Belgian drafts and over 60 bottled Belgian beers, a special Belgian food menu, a prix-fixe Valentine’s dinner, a Belgian waffle breakfast and more. Most of the offerings require no tickets or advance signup.

However, for the hosted dinners where multiple courses are paired with different beers, as for the beer-blending seminar on Feb. 15, it will be wise to register early, because seating is limited and they did sell out last year!

The Festival Opening Belgian Beer Dinner on February 9 ($75) will be hosted by John Staunton, and the Brewery Van Eecke Belgian Beer Dinner on February 17 ($75) by Danny Dieussaert. Exclusively for Gazette readers, Danny will also host a Gazette van Detroit Dinner on February 16 at 7 p.m. at a reduced price of $62 (this price includes taxes and gratuity). You can register for this dinner online at: http://abbf.ashleys.com/home/order-form/gvddinner or you can contact the Gazette at (586) 777-2720.  Please let us know ASAP if you are interested in car pooling or even chartering a van or bus.

For your eyes only!

The “Gazette van Detroit Dinner” will take about 2 1/2 hours and will include appetizers followed by four (4) courses, accompanied by a total of six (6) different beers. Belgian host Danny Dieussaert of the Van Eecke Brewery in Watou (West-Flanders) will introduce a brand-new offering: Dark Poperings Hommel Beer. Our guests will taste the very first samples to be served in the US!

The original (Golden) Hommel beer has received great reviews on the Beer Advocate web site, with an exceptional 90 points BA score and a 100 points “world class” rating by the Alström brothers. The name Hommel in this case is derived from the word for hops in the local dialect of Poperinge, and not from the homonymous Dutch word for “bumble bee.” The Van Eecke brewery’s other star, Kapittel beer, in its Blond, Abt and Prior variants, will accompany other courses.

Gazette Van Detroit Dinner

With VIP US release of Poperings Black Hommelbier

February 16, 2012 – 7 p.m.

Tickets $62 (i.e. $50 plus tax & gratuity)

Ashley’s Beer & Grill of Westland,

7525 Wayne Rd, Westland MI 48185

(734) – 525-1667

Host: Danny Dieussaert, Export Manager, Brouwerij Van Eecke, Watou (Belgium)

MENU

- Hors d’œuvres:

• Potato & endive soup
• Cocktail shrimp in sour cream and dill, served in endive boat
• Country Terrine
• Belgian Cheeses

Beer: Christmas Leroy

Release of Poperings Black Hommel Bier

- Salad: Grilled Belgian Endive w/ goat cheese, roasted red pepper chutney and a shallot vinaigrette

Beer: Poperings (original) Hommel Bier

- Seafood entrée: Seabass w/ Risotto in a roasted Garlic cream Sauce with basil essence.

Beer: Kapittel Blond

- Meat entrée: Carbonnade met Frites (Classic Flemish Stew)

Beer: Kapittel Prior

- Dessert: Chocolate Salami w/ Raspberries

Beer: Kapittel Abt

The White House has a formal process by which one can petition. It is my belief that the Flemish have long gone unrecognized for their contribution to the discovery and settlement of America. If you share this belief please kindly click on the below hyperlink. If we reach 150 signatures it will allow us to keep the petition live. If we reach 25,000 electronic signatures the White House will formally review our petition. Please spread the word if you believe in this. http://wh.gov/2uD

At Nancy VanOphem’s house in Washington, MI, a group of women are relaxing with a cup of coffee and dessert after a long day. They’ve come from near and far to immerse themselves in a topic dear to their hearts: lace. Their “guru” is Anny Noben-Slegers, a veteran lace instructor from Belgium who crosses the Atlantic   each year to lead workshops from Michigan to Florida. This is the 7^th year Nancy hosts a class at her home, a place that reflects the passion they all share: lace is on display on every table and wall. Two adjoining rooms of the house are taken over by pillows, pins, and bobbins.

A precious commodity

Once upon a time, lace was made exclusively by hand and only royalty, aristocrats, and rich merchants could afford to embellish their clothing and surroundings with it. The Catholic Church, too, favored lace for altar cloths and liturgical vestments. Because of the time-consuming process, Nancy says, a piece of lace was once worth its weight in gold. All over Europe, cities gave their names to the distinctive styles of lace they produced: Venice, Milan, Valenciennes, Chantilly, Brussels, Bruges, and quite a few more. Lace came – and comes – in many different types: bobbin lace, needle lace, ribbon lace, tatted, knitted, crocheted, and finger lace.

The machine age that brought cheap, mass-produced lace almost killed the ancient craft. Almost, but not quite: now elevated to an art, lacemaking is kept alive by a surprising number of women on several continents. Flanders alone has five recognized lace schools. In the United States, the Great Lakes Lace Group (website www.gllgi.org)  and the International Old Lacers  (website www.internationaloldlacers.org) provide networking, information, and training.

Today’s handmade lace is more likely to be found in art galleries and museums. Modern lace artists may use colored thread instead of the traditional white, ecru, and black; they may incorporate beads or create pieces out of silver wire and even out of steel cables, as in the case of the Georgia artist Robin Lewis. Antique lace has become highly collectible. Contemporary pieces can be acquired directly from the artists or via reliable sources like the Bruges Kantcentrum (Lace Center). However, don’t go looking for “real Brussels lace” in the tourist shops of the Belgian capital. What you will find there has, in the best case, been hand made in some low-wage Asian country or, just as likely, it’s machine made.

Many paths lead to lace

The workshop participants each have a different story to tell about how they found their “calling.” Sharon Saarinen, on vacation in the Finnish lacemaking town of Rauma, could not resist buying all the lacemaking equipment, although she had no idea how to use it. Fifteen years later, she at last found a teacher via the internet (that was Barbara from Macomb). Kathleen Campbell spotted a Princess lace loom from 1903 in the Ypsilanti museum back in 1973 and spontaneously exclaimed, “How interesting!” Next thing she knew, she was invited to take the loom home and try to figure out how to use it. It was a bit complicated and it did take her some time to find the right teacher. Barbara Bulgarelli, a Canadian who lives in Macomb, and her husband are history buffs.  Thirty-five years ago, they came across a lace demonstration in a Revolutionary War reenactment, and the rest, as they say, is history. Cheri Whalen, who lives in Birmingham, discovered lacemaking in a magazine while looking for “something fun to read” on a European trip. She remembers, “I was like, wow – people actually do this?” Before she knew it, she too was hooked.

The outcome is always the same: an interest bordering on obsession. These women make lace – often more than one kind – they collect it, and often also collect books about lace, art and postage stamps depicting lace or lace makers and, last but not least, “sisters” who share their passion. Nancy likes to scour flea markets and used-book stores in Belgium whenever she has a chance, which has led her to serendipitous encounters and “lucky” finds.

Ambassador of lace

Born in Hoeselt, Limburg, Anny Noben-Slegers came to lace relatively late in life – she was almost 40 – after falling in love with a piece by a famous designer she’d seen in Brussels. You could say she took to it with a vengeance: she now teaches seven different lace styles (including three-dimensional flowers) and travels the world as a tireless ambassador of lace. As she continues to create many original patterns incorporating elements of various cultures (African, Native American, etc.) her diplomacy works in multiple directions.  She has created a lace-picture domino game, a lace-horoscope birthday calendar and other lace-themed items that are sold to benefit an anti-cancer charity in Belgium called “Klos tegen kanker,” which can be loosely translated as “Bobbins against cancer.” If lace is alive today, it’s thanks to people like her.

VRT News journalist Sabine Vandeputte was in for quite a surprise recently. Descendants of her grandmother’s sister, who had immigrated to America at the turn of the last century, had decided to pay her a visit. It was purely by chance that these far-flung relatives had been able to track her down. Their visit promised to be a very special occasion.

Read all about it on http://www.flandersnews.be.

Follow the link: http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/flanders%2Btoday/110604_SVDP

De langverwachte CD van Anneke Soetaert is eindelijk uit!

Marc De Vlieger

Op 7 november 1947, net na de tweede wereldoorlog, werd in Vlaanderen een pittige meid geboren : Anneke Soetaert. Klein maar dapper nam ze in 1963 deel aan het BRT programma “Ontdek de ster”. Met haar soul versie van “Knock on Your Door” sleepte ze meteen de eerste prijs in de wacht. Vier jaar later neemt ze deel aan de preselectie voor het Eurovisie Songfestival, maar in de finale wint Louis Neefs. Toch wordt Anneke door haar deelname enorm populair in Vlaanderen…

Vandaag 9 Mei 2011 heb ik afspraak in Boca Raton, Florida met niemand minder dan ons aller Vlaamse tieneridool van de jaren zestig en zeventig, Anneke Soetaert. Ja, de tijd waar men de ene grote hit na de andere scoorde, de tijd van The Beatles and the Stones… en voor veel muziekliefhebbers nog altijd de beste tijd voor muziek waar we nu nog naar teruggrijpen. “Classics” zijn het nu, pareltjes van muziek die blijven gewaardeerd worden door de nieuwere generaties. De muziek van toen, opnieuw gebruikt in de hedendaagse “American Idol” of de Vlaamse “Idool” show… Blijkbaar was die muziek van toen helemaal niet slecht!

Anneke Soetaert verhuisde in die gouden zeventigerjaren met haar Amerikaanse man Scot Bradford naar de States om er voorgoed te blijven en haar gezin te stichten. Wellicht stelden zeer vele Vlaamse fans zich de vraag, “Hoe zou het met Anneke zijn?”. Wel, hier is het antwoord.

In een klein notaboekje had ik wat vragen neergepend, dingen die ik perse nog wel es aan Anneke wou vragen…momenten uit haar vroegere jaren in Vlaanderen en wat zij vandaag nog zou willen verwezenlijken… wat zijn haar dromen?

Ik kom uit Aalter, O.Vl. en Anneke is van mijn buurgemeente, Ruiselede, W.Vl., slechts een kleine 7 km verder. We spreken wel een totaal ander dialect, hoe gek dat ook mag klinken, maar in Vlaanderen is zoiets mogelijk. Het toeval wil dat ik ook in Florida, waar ik al 32 jaar woon met mijn gezin, weer maar 7 km van Anneke woon.

Mijn Vlaamse jeugdjaren waren net als die van Anneke gevuld met enorm veel muziek, vele baloptredens samen met mijn drie broers met wie ik het orkest “The Nordas” vormde. En zo, zonder het echt te beseffen, volgde ik automatisch Annekes leven en muziekcarrière mee. De eerste ontmoeting met Anneke was heel toevallig eens in Aalter aan het rondpunt. Anneke kwam daar geregeld op bezoek bij de familie Latre die er een gezellig café op nahielden met een stal vol rijpaarden er achter. Die paarden werden verhuurd voor ritjes in de bossen van Aalter, en naar ik vernam had Anneke daar zelfs een paard gekocht. Ikzelf ging daar ook regelmatig om in het pretparkje achteraan de herberg te gaan spelen…dus niet op de schimmel maar op de schommel…Tja, ‘k was dan zeven of acht  jaar  en dat was mijn Disney World dan…we waren met weinig kontent. We schrijven 1963 en daar stond plots voor mij Anneke Soetaert met haar entourage. Ik dacht bij mezelf, “Wow! Hier staat een superster” want ik had haar al meermalen gezien op televisie en echt veel beroemdheden had Vlaanderen in die periode niet. Bewondering tot en met maar ik durfde geen woord tegen haar zeggen. Anneke het tieneridool, een beeldschone, lieve verschijning, wie had gedacht dat ik haar 47 jaar later zou mogen begroeten als vriend, gebuur, en lid van mijn Belgian Club of Florida? Wat een kleine wereld toch… Anneke is nog even mooi, vriendelijk, vrolijk en charmant als toen, en ze heeft nog steeds die mooie unieke stem…

Marc: Hoe is het zingen eigenlijk begonnen?

Anneke: Toen ik een jaar of twaalf, dertien was zat ik op kostschool bij de nonnekes in Tielt, niet te ver van mijn geboorteplaats Ruiselede. Mijn ouders hadden me een gitaarke gekocht en in Tielt was ik dus ook nog naar de muziekschool gegaan om wat akkoordjes op de gitaar te leren. Ik weet nog heel goed dat ik in mijn klein kamertje op een bewuste avond echt op mijn knieën zat te bidden en Onze-Lieve-Vrouw vroeg om van mij een bekende en goeie zangeres te maken. De eerste optredens waren op school en via mijn beste vriendinnen die het hadden klaargespeeld dat ik terechtkwam in de “Ontdek de Ster” waar ik “I’m gonna knock on your door” zong en ook won. Uit die bekende internationale zangwedstrijden zoals “Ontdek de Ster” en “De Knokke Beker” zijn trouwens ook beroemde zangers als Roger Whittaker en Elton John geboren… Het leek wel een soort Eurovisie Song Festival vanuit Vlaanderen in die prille eerste jaartjes van de Vlaamse Televisie. Ik kreeg er mijn eerste platencontract bij Arcade. En zo begon de bal echt te rollen. De eerste opnames waren “Blue Beat” en “Johnny Boy” en de grote hits zouden gaan komen…

De eerste echte grote doorbraak kwam in de “Knokke Beker” van 1963. Na een auditie in Brugge werd ik uit 800 jonge talenten uitverkoren om deel te nemen aan de nieuwe BRT show… samen met Louis Neefs, Kalinka, Marva, Jimmy Frey, Rita de Neve, Ronny Temmer, Chris Wijnen. Mijn liedje “Rio De Janeiro” werd een enorme hit waarmee ik ook won! Dan kwam Canzonissima 1967, gepresenteerd door Jan Theys. En daar won ik ook met het nummer “Ciao, Adieu, Bye bye ”. En ja, ik was plotseling een echte zangeres met heel veel werk, veel succes, vele hits en vooral zeer veel fans, die ik blijkbaar nog altijd heb.

Marc: Wat was voor jou het mooiste moment uit die jaren in Vlaanderen?

Anneke: Een Amerikaanse muziekfirma kwam met de musical “Hair” naar Europa en in elk land zochten ze naar een zangeres om de hoofdrol te zingen. In Duitsland werd dat Donna Summer, en in België was ik dat. Ik kreeg staande ovaties in Brussel tijdens die voorstellingen, vooral met het nummer “How Can People Be So Hard” dat nog altijd een van mijn lievelingsnummers is. De reacties waren enorm en het Amerikaanse showbizz team was in de wolken met mijn vertolking.

Marc: Hoeveel opnames heb je zo gemaakt?

Anneke: Ongeveer tachtig … veel met het grote radio en tv orkest van de BRT en dan later met eigen of studio bands.

Marc: Wie waren toendertijd jouw idolen?

Anneke: Brenda Lee, Rita Pavone, Paul Anka en natuurlijk Elvis.

Marc: Wie waren jouw orkest of band?

Anneke: Wel, geloof het of niet, maar The Pebbles was er eentje van… verder had ik nog The Tipsy’s, The Five Pennies en de enorm goeie gitaarband The Jokers. Begin jaren zestig kon je die bands ook op de dijk van Blankenberge gaan bekijken; enig was dat om als kind ‘s avonds daar te staan en die Shadows geluiden enz. door de avond te horen weergalmen… Ja dat waren de beginjaren voor de Vlaamse muzikanten…veel muziekscholen waren er in die tijd niet, dus ook niet te veel orkesten.

Marc: En toen kwam Scott Bradford in je leven, de geweldige Amerikaanse keyboard speler van de toen zeer beroemde Belgische band “Jess & James.”

Anneke: Ja, via Ward Bogaert van de BRT werd ik in het Amerikaans Theater  in Brussel aan hem voorgesteld en het werd liefde op het eerste gezicht. We werden een stel, muziekvrienden en alles wat erbij hoorde…en we trouwden. Mijn naam in de muziekwereld werd nu Ann Bradford; Scott en zijn band werden mijn begeleidingsorkest. En zo maakten we weer grote hits als “Weet Je, Weet Je”. Ik voelde dat we heel wat muzikale richtingen aankonden en we hebben dat ook gedaan.

Na een paar jaar in Vlaanderen kreeg Scott enorm heimwee en wou terug naar de States (Greenwich, Connecticut). Onze liefde voor elkaar was heel sterk en ik vertrok mee naar een totaal onbekend Amerika. Van zingen kwam nu heel wat minder in huis. Ik was de vrouw van de muzikant en niemand kende me hier in de States. Het leven werd plots totaal anders. Onze dochter Thaïs werd geboren maar ons huwelijk kon na enige tijd niet meer blijven bestaan. Na de echtscheiding ben ik hertrouwd, opnieuw met een Amerikaan, John Valence, de man met wie ik nu nog altijd in liefde mijn leven deel. Onze zoon Jonathan werd geboren in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Ex-man Scott verhuisde later naar Atlanta, Georgia en ik, met mijn John en de kinderen, naar het zonnige Boca Raton in Florida waar we nu nog altijd wonen. Gelukkig wonen de kinderen en kleinkinderen in de buurt. Scott is later ook naar Florida komen wonen, niet te ver van ons, daar hij enorm veel van zijn dochter hield. Jammer genoeg is hij een paar jaar geleden overleden en dat was een zeer pijnlijke zaak voor onze dochter Thaïs.

Marc: En nu na al die jaren je nieuwe CD:  “Anneke Soetaert, Gisteren en Vandaag”. Hoe is dat tot stand gekomen? Je hebt eigenlijk niks meer opgenomen in zowat de laatste 35 jaar of zo…

Anneke: Het zingen is altijd in mij gebleven. Maar vooral na de dood van mijn allerliefste moeder in Vlaanderen, een aantal jaren terug, besloot ik voor haar mijn lievelingsnummer “Ave Maria” te gaan opnemen in een studio hier in de buurt; zo zou ik weer vrede vinden met mezelf. Ik moet wel zeggen dat ik meer en meer begon te denken dat mijn trouwe fans in Vlaanderen daar ook wel echt recht op hadden; men begon echt aan te dringen dat ik nog eens zou zingen. Ook de Vlaamse vrienden hier in Florida vroegen me altijd. “Allee Anneke, wanneer neem je nog es iets op, of wanneer treed je nog es op?”. En zo, na lang overwegen en veel omwegen heb ik nu eindelijk de nieuwe CD op de markt gebracht met nummers van vroeger en nu. Ik moet je vertellen dat ik er zelf zeer gelukkig mee ben, vooral met mijn allernieuwste nummer, “Laat me dromen.”

Marc: Hoe is de keuze van de nieuwe nummers gegaan ?

Anneke: Een nummer waar ik al vele jaren weg van ben is het slavenkoor (“Va pensiero”) uit Nabucco van Verdi. Die melodie zat al jaren in mijn kop om maar ik kon er niet de juiste Vlaamse tekst op schrijven, tot onlangs de titel “Laat me dromen” in mijn hoofd begon te dwarrelen. En zo begon ik te schrijven en te herschrijven. Het resultaat is iets waar ik enorm gelukkig mee ben…Het is een tekst waar zowel jong als oud, gelukkig of ongelukkig iets kan in terug vinden voor zichzelf. Ik zing het zeer graag. Mijn man en ik zijn zeer fier op het eindresultaat van de CD. Ook de vele reacties die ik nu al krijg van vrienden en bekenden en fans zijn allemaal echt positief en het doet me deugd weer de reacties van gelukkige fans te kunnen lezen. “Gisteren en Vandaag” is een goeie titel. Verder hoor ik enorm graag het liedje “Kringetjes” en ook “Oh Paradise”, een nummer dat  Sylvain Van Holmen (The Wallace Collection) voor me schreef. Het is een echt bijna latino-tropical meezingertje en vooral ook dansmuziek. En dan natuurlijk “Ave Maria”, het lied waarmee het eigenlijk allemaal begon en waardoor ik ergens terugkom waar ik ben vertrokken. Ik voel mijn moederke en ook mijn verbondenheid met haar, en vooral het hogere in het leven, de verbondenheid met God. Want zo leef ik verder in een diepgegroefd geloof. Ja, we zijn zo opgevoed, thuis hé, en dat blijft verder in me leven, ook hier in Amerika.

Marc: Hoe ga je om met het leven hier in Florida?

Anneke: Ik woon in Boca Raton met mijn allerliefste man John Valence. Mijn geliefde dochter Thaïs en haar tweelingen Maya en Skyla vlakbij – en geloof me, de kleinkinderen zijn alles voor mij. Mijn zoon Jonathan gaat volgend jaar in mei ook trouwen en daar kijken we nu al naar uit. Het wordt een geweldig mooi feest. Ik ben weer gelukkig. Want net zoals voor iedereen heeft het leven ook voor ons zijn ups and downs… laat ons zeggen dat ik nu in een “up” zit.

Marc: Anneke, eerst en vooral dank voor dit gezellig gesprek. Ik zie en voel dat je gelukkig bent en ik zou je graag in naam van alle fans waar ook ter wereld en ook hier, als president van de Belgian Club of Florida,… nog heel veel mooie jaartjes van geluk, goeie gezondheid en vooral nog veel mooie muziek willen toewensen. Ik hoop ook dat men in Vlaanderen gauw plaats maakt voor jou in die nu zo beroemde “Eregalerij” van Radio2 Daar hoor jij zeker thuis en mag je naam in grote letters zeker niet ontbreken…

Anneke: Wel, ik zou ook graag via deze weg iedereen willen bedanken…voor al die mooie tijden daar in Vlaanderen en ook hier in de States. En speciaal dank aan al mijn trouwe fans. Voor jullie heb ik die langverwachte nieuwe CD opgenomen. Ik hoop dat iedereen er tevreden mee zal zijn. Vele groetjes aan alle fans en misschien tot ergens in Vlaanderen nog eens. Wie weet?

NB: De CD “Anneke Soetaert – Gisteren & Vandaag” kan via internet gemakkelijk besteld worden op http://www.annekesoetaert.be/

The life of a Flemish-American cycling champion

By Robert Fossez

Nestor Gernay is an interesting guy. When you meet him for the first time you realize immediately that you don’t have to do with the average immigrant, but with someone who has devoted his entire life to maintaining the ties between Flemish and U.S. cycling and promoting everything else to do with Belgium and Flanders in this country. Now sixty-eight and very healthy, with a generous smile and deep blue eyes, when he begins to tell anecdotes, there is no stopping. It is soon clear that his heart still lies in Tielt, West Flanders, from where he and his parents moved to this country in 1954.

We went to find Nestor on a cool autumn afternoon at his spacious country house in the hills of the tranquil village of Saluda in the state of North Carolina. His house is on top of a hill and from its deck, Nestor has a magnificent view over the valley. While we enjoyed his story over a pint, the autumn sun went down over the surrounding mountain range. He had already pedaled a few miles through the hills on his racing bike that morning.

But first I want to tell you how I discovered Nestor and his Shangri-la. As we are wont to do, my wife Katleen and I were driving in the Smoky Mountains last summer, admiring the scenery, when I suddenly came around a bend and saw on top of a hill a villa where a Belgian flag, a Flemish Lion and an American flag proudly hung side by side. I was so startled I almost landed in a ditch. The region is simply not known as a Belgian settlement like Detroit or Moline. Since I am always looking for other Flemings in America, I immediately wanted to go and see who lived there. Unfortunately no one was home. Nevertheless, we took note of the address and, once back home in Greenville we found, after some detective work, Nestor’s address in Tybee Island, Savannah, Georgia. And as they say here, “the rest is history …”

Nestor was born on New Year’s Eve, 31 December 1942 in Marialoop, a hamlet near Tielt. His father had a bakery and his mother stood by his side day and night to make the establishment a success, which was not always easy during the dark war years. As soon as he was tall enough to reach the dough trough he began to help his father, even though he was soon sent to bed was sent as baking is a nocturnal job and Nestor had to be fresh in the morning to attend Catholic school. His childhood in Marialoop was that of a normal West-Flemish kid and Nestor felt, even during the war, happy and safe in the family circle. However, by the end of 1940 business went downhill and in 1950 the family moved to nearby Meulebeke. Nevertheless, it came as a shock to Gernay when his father gathered the family around the kitchen table on a winter evening in 1954 and announced that father and mother had decided to move to America.

His mother had an aunt who had moved years ago to Dunellen, New Jersey. She had now invited the family to cross the ocean and seek and their fortune in America. The first years were difficult years in New Jersey for the family and especially for Nestor. You can imagine how lonely and abandoned he felt when he, as an eleven-year boy who spoke no English, landed in an area where he knew nobody. Nestor still gets emotional when he tells me about a tough period. The winters in the northeastern U.S. start early and last long, and the family was often stuck indoors, so they did not start making friends immediately. Even when Nestor started eighth grade he could not understand a word of the lessons in any subject, it might as well have been Chinese.

Shortly after their arrival his father found work in a bakery and his mother cleaned houses five days a week in the neighborhood. Although Nestor had already harbored dreams of becoming a bicycle racer in his early youth in Flanders, his interest in cycling began in earnest in the summer when he rode to work every day by bicycle. He had been hired by a local nursery to pull weeds eight hours a day for 25 cents per hour, which even in 1954 was a miserable wage, but Nestor did not mind because he could commute by bike. For four years he held that job and so he gained good training for his hobby. After much saving Nestor’s father could again open a bakery of his own in 1960. Nestor now had to help his father at night to prepare the dough and do the baking, but he was not happy to toil for 12 hours long in all that dust and oppressive heat. Anyone who ever worked in a bakery knows it is hard work! A year later, in 1961, Nestor had had his fill and he decided, at age 18, to enlist in the U.S. Air Force. Anything to get away from the hard labor of the bakery. In December of that year he became an American citizen and three days later he arrived for his “boot camp” at a base in Texas. During his four years in the Air Force, including three on a military base in Albany, Georgia, he began serious training on the racing bike. In 1964 he trained for the Olympics and in that context, he found an opportunity to return to his beloved Flanders for a while. He requested to be sent to Belgium for two months as official representative of the U.S. Air Force at the Olympics. Again one of his dreams was fulfilled.

An event during his tour of duty in the Air Force that would have an impact on the rest of his life was the friendship he struck up with Jim Bell, a cycling fan from Charleston, South Carolina. Meanwhile, Cupid’s arrow had found our friend Nestor and in 1963 he got married, as a result of which he would soon be blessed with two charming daughters. After his contract ended, Nestor went back to Dunellen. However, he had not forgotten Jim’s invitation and he was ready to leave industrial New Jersey with its cold winters behind him and seek brighter horizons in the south of the US. Taking along his bride and all their belongings, he moved to historic Charleston to work with Jim in construction. They were both tough guys and trained many hours on the racing bike under the palm trees and plane trees in and around Charleston. Not long afterwards Nestor was asked to come to Savannah on the Georgia coast to manage a bike shop, and this was the beginning of his complete devotion to cycling. When the film “The Last of the Belles” was filmed in Savannah, the producers asked Nestor if he could manufacture some old-style bicycles to be used in the film. He immediately agreed, and was offered a cameo role in the film. Because of that role he befriended the star of the film, the English actress Jane Seymour. They had many long conversations about all kinds of things “between takes,” as they say in the film industry.

Shortly thereafter, some friends of Nestor’s wanted to invite the world famous Belgian riders Eddy Merckx and Patrick Sercu to America and Nestor was appointed their chaperone and minder during their two-week stay in the States. Nestor flew to Kennedy Airport in New York to receive them and drove the two riders to the Trexlertown Velodrome in Pennsylvania. According to Nestor, the next two weeks the best of his life and he’ll never forget them. The three of them had a lot of fun together and like true Flemings they went for drinks every evening, sampling all the bars and lounges of the area. They were young and life was good.

They say the apple does not fall far from the tree and that is certainly the case with Nestor’s daughter, Colette. At the age of fourteen, she already showed an interest in her father’s cycling. In 1977, at age eighteen, Colette became American Champion in the Major Taylor Velodrome in Indianapolis, Indiana. Before the race, Eddy Merckx had once again visited America to open a dealership for his bicycle brand in Chicago and he’d promised Colette she could to come live and train with him in Belgium if she made national champion.

So, shortly afterwards she went and spent six weeks at Eddy’s place in Meise near Tervuren. In 1978, Colette won the second place in the Championship of America for Juniors on the road in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and came second in Seattle. Nestor himself took third place with the veterans in Milwaukee in 1981 and third place in Pensacola, Florida. These were national competitions. Together, Nestor and his daughter Colette conquered several silver and bronze medals over the years. The reputation of the Gernay duo traveled all the way to Flanders and the mayor of Meulebeke decided to honor his famous former citizens. The town of Meulebeke wanted to celebrate the return of its famous expatriate and put on a fabulous party.

As mentioned earlier Nestor has another daughter, who has worked for 19 years at Disney World in Florida and of whom he is equally proud.

Circa 1972 Nestor opened his own bike shop in Savannah under the name, “Nestor Cyclery” which he ran until 1994. During that time he founded the cycling club, “The Savannah Wheelmen,” riding under the colors (yes, you guessed right) black, yellow and red like the Belgian flag. Nestor spent a full month in Belgium in 1976 as the manager of the American Junior team for the World Championship in Gooik near Geraardsbergen. In the same year he was racing in the “Jean-Pierre Monseré Evening Criterium” in Roeselare. “Jempi” had died in 1971 after a tragic accident. The race consisted of 75 rounds and the 50 top amateur riders from Belgium competed. Thanks to one of his Belgian uncles, Nestor was able to participate at age 39. He rode in the lead with nine other riders for several rounds but in the end he had to give up because of a flat tire.

A few years later, Nestor started the first triathlon in America. These days there are thriathlons all over the world but how many people know that a Flemish immigrant from Tielt was the inventor of this concept in competitive cycling? Although I did not always follow cycling in America closely over the years, even I had heard of the Nestor Nestor Cup. In 1982 he founded the Nestor Cup in Savannah with the participation of, among others, Ferdy Vanden Houtte, who was champion of Belgium, spokesman and teacher at the Flemish Cycling School. The Consul General of Belgium in Atlanta, also showed up in person to encourage the Nestor Cup riders.

Apart from cycling, Nestor was always willing to help if the event had anything to do with his former homeland. For example, when the Royal Ballet of Flanders came to Savannah for a 20-city tour of America, it was Nestor who, unasked, organized a reception committee and gave them a generous welcome. But the biggest event that Nestor will remember with pleasure was a visit to Savannah by the Belgian warship “Westdiep” and the public relations fiasco it entailed. Nestor had heard that a flotilla of NATO ships was expected at the Port of Savannah, including the Westdiep. Naturally, he wanted to go there and see all that. The first thing he noticed was that each NATO country was represented by a diplomatic delegation, but when the Belgian ship witcame into view, there was not a soul from Belgium, except our Nestor, on the quay. He was again the unofficial welcoming committee! The captain and crew, after they got over their surprise and embarrassment, were delighted to find at least Nestor there and and invited him on board for a glass of champagne to toast the distant homeland and the nearby Savannah.

During the week that the Westdiep was docked in the port of Savannah, the washing machine on the ship broke down. A friend of Nestor’s took a truckload full of dirty clothes to the laundry and delivered them two days later, washed and neatly folded, to the ship. And if that was not enough, Nestor invited the captain and his seven officers to his home to eat steak and frites, with Belgian beer. After that generous welcome the captain wanted to do something in return. Normally under maritime law, no civilians are allowed on the bridge of a ship, but the captain wanted to make an exception. From the quay to the point where the ship was entering the open ocean, Nestor stood on the bridge with the officers. After disembarking, he stood on the quay while all officers and sailors stood in a row on deck and saluted him and blew their brass bugles. Undoubtedly a very moving moment for our man from Tielt. And to top it all, the captain of the Westdiep later wrote a letter to the Embassy of Belgium in Washington to recommended Nestor as the best man for the job if ever Belgium was planning to open a consulate in Savannah. We could certainly agree with that.

Na het zeer vroeg overlijden van hun eerste zoontje Achiel (1925) werd in 1926 hun tweede zoon Thomas geboren. Thomas Naeyaert huwde in 1948 met Madeleine Salvail en zij hadden samen vier dochters: Patricia (1949), Suzanne (1950), Diane (1952) en Kathleen (1960).

Het was op vraag van Michael, de oudste zoon van Kathleen dat de familie een bezoek bracht aan de geboortestreek van overgrootvader Arthur. Michael had in zijn laatste jaar middelbare studies een eindwerk moeten maken over een familielid die zij heel bijzonder vonden. Op voorstel van moeder Kathleen heeft Michael een eindwerk gemaakt  over de roemruchte escapadeverhalen tijdens de Eerste Wereldoorlog van de legendarische figuur Arthur Naeyaert, gebaseerd op het naslagwerk van Leon Meersseman: “Soldier without a uniform” gepubliceerd in de “Gazette van Detroit” vanaf december 1987 tot maart 1988.

Op zaterdagnamiddag 28 augustus waren Kathleen, Ken, Michael en David op bezoek  bij de familie Jules en Marie-Thérèse Naeyaert-Demuydt in de Halfuurdreef te Veldegem. Het was een gezellige koffietafel met de voltallige familie. Jules is de zoon van Victor Naeyaert, de tweede oudste broer van Arthur. Arthur was de oudste zoon van 13 kinderen; zijn vader was Franciscus Naeyaert (1870) en Idalia Vandierendonck (1867) was zijn moeder.

Zaterdagavond waren onze Canadese bezoekers te gast in Torhout bij Jozef Vackier en Gilberte Coudenys. Gilberte’s vader, Julien Coudenys, zoon van Alphons Coudenys en Maria Vandierendonck was een neef van Arthur.

Zondag 29 augustus was voor ons allen een drukke en gevulde dag: vooreerst een bezoek aan het stadhuis van Torhout waar Eddy De Ketelaere, schepen te Torhout en tevens schoonzoon van Jules en Marie-Thérèse Naeyaert, ons alle hoekjes en kantjes van het stadhuis liet zien. Aan de voorzijde van het stadhuis werd een familiefoto genomen onder het vensterraam, waarlangs Arthur in 1915 bij zijn eerste gevangenneming is ontsnapt. Daarna was een bezoek aan de Westhoek voorzien om heel wat oorlogsgeschiedenis op te frissen. Eerste halte was een bezoek aan het Duits militair kerkhof te Vladslo, gevolgd door een bezoek aan de Dodengang te Diksmuide. Een bezoek aan het Canadees Militair Kerkhof te Langemark kon zeker niet ontbreken voor onze Canadese bezoekers. Het bezoek aan “Tyne Cot Military Cemetery” te Passendale maakte op ons allen een diepe indruk hoe verwoestend deze gruwelijke oorlog wel was voor zoveel jonge mensen. Met een bezoek aan het “Flanders Fields Museum” te Ieper werd ons bezoek aan de Westhoek afgesloten. Na een gezellige babbel  en etentje in een leuk restaurant te Brugge namen we afscheid van onze Canadese vrienden. Kathleen, Ken, Michael en David, van harte bedankt voor jullie bezoek  aan de geboortestreek van jullie (over)grootvader Arthur Naeyaert.