Yesterday started out gray, cool and a little windy. We took the team to all of the pleins (major places where people gather during the festivals). There really are festivals since each place has its own stage, organization, agenda and activities. Each caters to a different crowd although people flow into and out of the different areas during the day.
The reception for the Feesten was Friday night. Only VIP's allowed. Some events start on Saturday morning but most wait until the parade which begins at 2:00PM. We watched the parade and the police reported we were there with about 30,000 of our closest friends.
After that we split up. Some went for rest and they guys hit the rest of the areas and grabbed a pakje frietjes (order of Belgian french fries to go).
Most regrouped at 6:00PM to watch the Scottish Bagpipe and Drum Corps concert. Everyone was present by the time Flanderen Zingt (Flanders Sings) began. That was three hours of wild, crazy, Karioke-style sing-a-long. The 37 songs are being sung during the summer festivals all across Flanders that began on June 26th and go through the middle of September. Last year about 200,000 people sang the same songs. There are favorite Dutch songs, some in regional dialects from the five Flemish regions, a few French songs and several American rock and roll songs from Elvis to current bands.
At one point as we were standing in the crowd being jostled on all sides, (picture a friendly mugging) Gary asked me if everyone from the feesten was on this plein. Even though there were several thousand there, I assured him that many of the other pleins were equally packed. They are not expecting the typical 1.5 million visitors over the 10 days but it looks like it will be well over a million again (unless something drastic happens). Many think partying and drinking will help keep the swine flu at bay. Some are already sick but it is not from the flu. On the way home passed a guy sitting in his own vomit and looking confused. No swine flu symptoms though. Maybe a mask would have helped slow the drinking down. I'll mention that to others.
Most of us got home just before the rain began to fall but the concerts and parties went on all night. They newspaper reported that there was still a good crowd in town at 3:00AM in the rain. IT IS PARTY TIME!
Today is worship and bagging more cookies. Tomorrow we head out before 7:00AM to do outreach to the party-all-night crowd, distribute cookies to tram and bus drivers, sanitation workers, police and security guards. We will also have bottles of water to give away. May not go until dark again tomorrow but quite sure it will be more than a 12-hour day. After that, it will only be seven more just like them. IT IS PRAY TIME!
Gotta go round up the team and get them to the church on time. (Could be a song in there somewhere)
The reception for the Feesten was Friday night. Only VIP's allowed. Some events start on Saturday morning but most wait until the parade which begins at 2:00PM. We watched the parade and the police reported we were there with about 30,000 of our closest friends.
After that we split up. Some went for rest and they guys hit the rest of the areas and grabbed a pakje frietjes (order of Belgian french fries to go).
Most regrouped at 6:00PM to watch the Scottish Bagpipe and Drum Corps concert. Everyone was present by the time Flanderen Zingt (Flanders Sings) began. That was three hours of wild, crazy, Karioke-style sing-a-long. The 37 songs are being sung during the summer festivals all across Flanders that began on June 26th and go through the middle of September. Last year about 200,000 people sang the same songs. There are favorite Dutch songs, some in regional dialects from the five Flemish regions, a few French songs and several American rock and roll songs from Elvis to current bands.
At one point as we were standing in the crowd being jostled on all sides, (picture a friendly mugging) Gary asked me if everyone from the feesten was on this plein. Even though there were several thousand there, I assured him that many of the other pleins were equally packed. They are not expecting the typical 1.5 million visitors over the 10 days but it looks like it will be well over a million again (unless something drastic happens). Many think partying and drinking will help keep the swine flu at bay. Some are already sick but it is not from the flu. On the way home passed a guy sitting in his own vomit and looking confused. No swine flu symptoms though. Maybe a mask would have helped slow the drinking down. I'll mention that to others.
Most of us got home just before the rain began to fall but the concerts and parties went on all night. They newspaper reported that there was still a good crowd in town at 3:00AM in the rain. IT IS PARTY TIME!
Today is worship and bagging more cookies. Tomorrow we head out before 7:00AM to do outreach to the party-all-night crowd, distribute cookies to tram and bus drivers, sanitation workers, police and security guards. We will also have bottles of water to give away. May not go until dark again tomorrow but quite sure it will be more than a 12-hour day. After that, it will only be seven more just like them. IT IS PRAY TIME!
Gotta go round up the team and get them to the church on time. (Could be a song in there somewhere)
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