Communication and looking for the truth

Last Saturday a train derailed in a city less than 10 miles from my home. It was a freight train with 13 wagons. After the derailment, three of the wagons carrying acrylonitrile exploded and caught fire.

Demo - Photo taken in 2009 - Copyright Marleen Hallaert 2009

After that we heard the following in press conferences:

• there are no wounded
• the smoke and vapor are not poisonous
• the derailment is because of poor maintenance of the tracks
• the derailment is not because of poor maintenance of the tracks
• the driver was driving too fast
• the driver was not driving too fast
• there are 3 casualties
• there is 'only' one casualty
• the casualty has nothing to do with the explosion nor the fire
• the vapor and smoke is dangerous
• we need an evacuation
• the casualty is a direct result of the accident
• the deceased cannot be taken out of his home because it is too dangerous for the first aid workers
• there are 17 wounded people
• there are more wounded people (49)
• the evacuated can go home
• the evacuated went home
• the evacuated who were at home are re-evacuated
• there are 102 people in the hospital
• everybody near the accident should remove all food stuff from their homes
• the driver did not have certification to drive in Belgium
• the driver did have certification to drive in Belgium
• the cows near the accident can still remain in their pasture, no problem
• people in the village should not eat any fruits or vegetables from their garden
• the governor blames the miscommunication to Murphy's law
• a toxicologist went public to warn the population
• the governor responded there are 'other toxicologists'
• people in neighbouring villages should not eat vegetables or fruits from their garden
• it is safe for the people in the neighbouring villages to consume the fruits and vegetables out of their garden
• Today, May 8, it is confirmed that people in the perimeter will not be allowed to go to their homes before May 18
• the train is still there, it is not safe to remove the remaining wagons
• Fishing is not allowed in part of the Scheldt, because of the toxicity of the extinguishing water which was released in the Scheldt.

It has been a terrible week already, miscommunication, non-communication, trying to find some truth in all the garbled messages.

And today, the local police issued the following status update:

"People, stop asking the same questions - read the communication. If we are not knocking at your door to evacuate, you are safe for the moment! If you feel anything, call 101."

Sad world.

Marleen

Long Winter

Just a little more patience needed to welcome the spring 2013.

Due to the snowstorm today,  more than 1600 km traffic jam in Belgium - a new record.  Trains have been cancelled to and from Brussels late in the morning.  I wonder how the commuters will get home today.

Studio - playing with ice

Lucky me, I am teleworking today and can write a little blog during lunchtime :-)

Marleen

Did you get framed today ?

How many of you did fall for an April fool's day joke today ?

                                          Photo taken last week at The Egg, Brussels


When I was a kid we got sent to get non existing stuff from the store, or sent for foolish errands. Nowadays it seems most jokes are funny articles in the press. An interesting story today when the Google algorithm sent a spoof story to the number 1 spot in the news - see here.

There seems to be a bit of confusion as to where the April Fool's day originated. Some people think it started when the switch was made to the Gregorian Calendar, as New Year was celebrated between 25th March and 1st April before the new calendar. But this story is probably not true. Le Poison d'Avril was first written about in France in 1508, in Flanders there is a poem dating from 1560 mentioning 'verzenderkesdag'.

In the middle ages, there was a festival called 'La Fête des Fous', which was very popular in France in the 5th through the 16th century. What the basis was for this festival, we don't know.

Marleen




PS interested in seeing more ?  Visit my Flickr photostream or my website.

Oscars 2012

With Rundskop/Bullhead nominated for Best Foreign Language film, the Belgians are a tad more interested in the Oscars this year.

     Picture taken an early morning last year at another Film Festival.

It is the sixth Academy Award nomination for Belgium.

Other Belgian nominees were:

1970: Paix sur les Champs
1988: The Music Teacher
1992: Daens
1994: Farinelli: Il Castrato
2000: Everybody Famous!

I hope they come home with the statue!

Marleen



PS interested in seeing more ?  Visit my Flickr photostream or my website.

The weather gods love Carnival

Yesterday it was raining cats and dogs well into the late hours.  But today, the weather held up !

                               The Kings in Waiting for their turn to be shown in the parade today.




More impressions of today can be found in this Flickr set.

Marleen


PS interested in seeing more ?  Visit my Flickr photostream or my website.

City Under Siege

As the city of Aalst is preparing for 3 days of Carnival celebrations, it looks and feels now like the city is under siege.

                                                         Photo taken today in the city center 


As from tomorrow though, parades, music, thousands of people and lots of alcohol.

Marleen



PS interested in seeing more ?  Visit my Flickr photostream or my website.

Strike first, ask questions later

Another wild strike this morning.  The fifth train strike in less than a month (only two were announced beforehand).  60 trains cancelled, other ones delayed, commuters late for work and left in the cold.

The conductors apparently 'were afraid their might be a problem in the future in the planning of their holidays'. This because the coordination office moved away from Brussels South - to a building 200 meters from the current spot.

     Foto taken on a Sunday afternoon sometime in 2006.

I always thought strikes were a last resort, but it would seem that these days strikes are used as a starting point and bargaining chip in negotiations.

Strange world.

Marleen




PS interested in seeing more ?  Visit my Flickr photostream or my website.