wow, it has been almost a month since the last time I posted. Time just went so fast this last weeks.

first I had my job interview, after that I had to get ready for camp, then we had the camp and back at home I found myself with a teenager to look after.

The job interview went just fine, I stil have to send in my CV and find out some stuff with our lawyer, but normaly I will start working half time in september.

Getting ready for camp took a lot of time, I had broken my campping backpack so I had to look for another one, I also needed to get all the material ready for the 24 hours game and the activity we organized for the cubs to learn the cub's prayer. It might not seem so bad, but I had to do all that with Patrick being sick and me beginning to get sick as well.

Finally it was time to go to camp. The first day was without the cubs so we could get things ready. the day went quite fast and soon the first cubs began to arrive and our spy camp could really get started.

We had some objectives during the camp which I am happy to say we reached. We tried to get into the pack a jungle spirit, we also wanted each six to become more indepenent and over al for the kids to be more responsable for what they did.

I will not say everything was easy, we did have some problems but ended up figuring them out. the kids were not angels all the time and more than once they did got into our nerves, but after having the casino night canceled most of them learned the lesson.

The best part of it all was to see how a child can change in only one week if you put your heart to it. I was amazing to see some cubs that were really shy during the year and at the beginning of the camp suddenly become so sure of themselves. It was great to see how the gap between girls and boys faded a little bit by the end of the camp and how the difficult kids suddenly became great partners to work with.

If you want to see some of our camp pictures just go to our website to take a look at the album http://benedikto.tripod.com .

Anyway a major event also arrived at the middle of the camp. On wenesday Patrick went to pick up my little brother to the trian station (he took a flight to paris and then a train to brussels). He will be staying with us untill August the 15th.

I came to live to Belgium when he was 10, at that time he was a sweet and cheerfull little boy. now three years later he has become a teenager, and as a teenager he is not always easy to live with.

To begin with he is WAY too spoiled by my parents. He is used to have everything he wants when he wants it and it is hard for him to figure out that the lifestyle here in Belgium is not the same that in Mexico.

The first week with him was the hardest. He left a mess everywhere, took things without asking, took for granted that he could take anything he wanted from the frindge, etc..Little by little he has understood that we expect him to ask if he wants something and that we expect him to clean after himself. I was also sad to figure out how impolite he has become. Last weekend we went to the sea side (Knokke) to visit Patrick's parents and it seems Alex does not know the word thanks or please.

But well despite all the problems I am happy having him around. I think that being aournd us is helping him. He is quite surprised not to hear arguments nor fights between Patrick and me and he hears all the time between my parents. He is also getting used to the fact that we don't have a house maid and everyone helps with the cleaning. He is happy to find himself more independent than he is at home and he is beggining to change his spoled self to a polite littly guy who it is becoming easier to live with. I just hope that he will be able to take home all those good changes.

I know I will be sad when he takes his flight back home but I have figured out that it is too early for me to look after a teenager... I guess that is why they come so little and cute when they arrive to life, that way you can get used to them and grow with them and even then it most not be easy either but it sure is more natural.

Hi, how did your weekend go? As you might know if you came by my blog lately I was on scout mater trining. I got back on saturday, but it took me all sunday to recover.

 Acutally I had lots of fun. Yes the theory part was BORING, but we also spend lots of time playing and singing and learning new techniques to use with  our scouts and cubs.

The only bad part of it all was the rain. For those living around Belgium I guess you know what I mean. We had 2 days of rain no-stop with big storms at night. It could have been ok if it wasn't during the first two night of camp.. belive me, it is not easy to sleep in a tent when all you hear is raindrops all night long and you try to warm yourself in a summer sleepingbag.

But at the end it was worth it, of course by the end of saturday it was imposible to stay awake and on sunday I stayed in bed all day long.

 Today I would have gladly done the same but I had an apointment for a job offer. Yes, I am not even out of college and I have had a really good offer already... maybe the only one I will get since it comes from a company where I did my internship and it has nothing to do with the diploma I will be getting on september.. diploma that I am sure won't really get me any where (do you know of someone willing to hire a script wirtter and film analyst fresh out of college?) whaterver, the job I am offered is not really exciting but it is sure a nice title to put in my CV and a really nice envirenment to do it, so I might as well say yes...

Well now I am off to get some more rest, I have to get my stright back since Iam off for camp with my cubs on thursday 11 and I will be staying there for 10 days this time... and when I get back to brussels it thre will be no rest since my younger brother is comming spend his summer with me, and I also need to get myself to work on my thesis.

Well have fun evryone and have a nice summertime.

I am off to training for scout masters for 4 days.

Even if I have been a sout for a couple of years now, i have to admit this is going to be my first real camp.

How can that be possible?

Well I have two over protective parents that did not like me going camping when I was a scout... wait they did let me go one... but the campm was held in our summer house, so I guess it doesn't  count.

I have been to many inside camps, but I don't count those ones either since we slept in beds and there were no mosquitos to bother us.

Well I will tell you how it goes when I get back. After this camp I will have a 4 days rest before I head for my cub's big camp.

Take care everyone and happy 4th of july for those living in the USA.

Hi, well  I have been gone for more than a month.

Exams, getting camp ready, exams... and then some more exams.

The bad part is that my exams are not over. In september I still have 5 more and I also have to hand in my thesis... great isn't it? no vacations for me this year.

But exams will not stop me from going to camp. But before heading for 10 days of life in the forest I have to go to take the first leavle of scout leader training for 4 days. I guess it is going to be fun... at least lots more than my books are at the moment.

As for preparations for camp I am in charge of the 24 hours game. seems it is a tradition in every big camp.

The game is going to be just in the middle of the camp. The theme is spys, so the first  day, saturday we are having some mini-olypics to see who can make it to spy training. then monday and tuesday morning the kids are going to learn all sorth of spying and surviving techniques. tuesday morning they are going to have a peliminary mission that is going to get them ready for the big day. Fianally on Wenesday they are off to stop the enemy. And that is where the 24 hrs game comes.

We are going to drop the kids on groups of 6 at different spots about 3 kilometers from the place where we they are going to meet the operation leader.

The kids will have to find they way and while doing so they need to find the different part of a map of the enemy zone and they also have to gather some wood for construction building.

When they reach the gathering spot they will hand out the different part of the map to the operation leader who will tell them that after studing the map he thinks it is not safe to return to the camp, but that to protect the map they will have to build a camp on the spot, and they will need to keep their eyes open so the map is not stolen.

After having done some constructions it will be dinner time. But since we are on a survival mission each cub will need to haunt his dinner. (hidden sasages that will be later cooked by the fire).

Once dinner is over and games have been played and songs have been sang by the fire it will be time for the leaders of each six to get together to decide how turns are going to be taken to protect the map during the night.

Next monrning they will discover that dispite the fact that turns had been taken to protec the map a part of the map has been stolen. The camp will then go on alert and all adults near the camp will need to be hunted.

After having hunted all the chefs the cubs will find in the place of the map a new puzzle. A secret message that the kids will need to figure out to discover that to save the world they will need to stop an attack that is planned for next day.

But that is another story that another chef is taking care of.

to be able to survive the mission each cub will take with him his sleeping bag, some dry meat, an apple, some cookies, water and a lamp.

also each six will have some cord, a compass, a map and a first aid kit.

And of course the kids will be looked after all along the game by the chefs.

So, any sugestions?