the uncle and grand aunt from Alex.

The uncle of Alex, Jan Mensaert, was a writer. He lived for many years in Morocco. The country he liked the most. The grand aunt of Alex was Julia Tulkens, from Belgium, who became in Belgium pretty famous as a writer...

Here on this page, more about them. 

de nonkel en groottante van Alex.


De nonkel van Alex, Jan Mensaert, was een schrijver. Hij leefde gedurende vele jaren in Marokko. Dit was het land dat hij het liefste had. De groottante van Alex was Julia Tulkens uit België, zij was erg gekend als gedichten schrijfster.

Hier op deze pagina vind je meer van hen.

o tio e a tia avó de Alex.


O tio de Ales, Jan Mensaert foi um escritor. Ele viveu por muitos anos em Marrocos. O país que ele mais gostava. A tia avó de Alex, Julia Tulkens, da Bélgica, que tornou-se  bastante famosa na Bélgica como escritora...

Aqui nesta página, mais sobre eles.

Alex about his uncle Jan Mensaert

I don't remember me that much, and mostly my unle was in Morocco. I remember that he came almost every four year to Belgium to visit his mother, my grandmother. I lived with his mother. At that time, he was married with his American wife. He met her in Egypt. Together with my grandmother and grandfather, we went once to Morocco, to the city Larache, where he lived. That was in the year 1977. I was only seven at that time. I know that my uncle loved classic music. For sure Mozart. He even wrote once a book about this composer with the tittle: 'The suicide of Mozart'. I also remember that he wrote a lot of letters to his mother. She kept them in 2 big iron suitcases. I guess it were a few thousand letters.
When Jan came back from Morocco, I have seen how bad it went with him. Everyday more and more. He could not live without Morocco. That country was the only country where he could get used.
I always wanted to write a book about him and his life but, my grandmother gave things from him to a museum in Belgium, Het Toreke at Tienen and without those things, it would be very difficult to write a book about him. Also, with the special style of living and the many adventures he did, I'm wondering or that all would fit in just one book.

Alex over zijn nonkel Jan Mensaert

Echt veel herinner ik me niet, en meestal was mijn nonkel in Marokko. Ik herinner me dat hij zo om de vier jaar eens naar België kwam om zijn moeder; - mijn grootmoeder te bezoeken, waar ik trouwens bij grootgebracht ben. Die tijd was Jan gehuwd met zijn Amerikaanse vrouw, die hij in Egypte had leren kennen. Samen met mijn grootmoeder en grootvader zijn we hem eens gaan bezoeken in Larache, de stad in Marokko waar hij toen woonde. Dat was in 1977, en ik was toen nog heel klein. Ik weet dat mijn nonkel enorm veel van klassieke muziek hield. Vooral van Mozart, waar hij ook ooit een boek over schreef met de tittel: 'De zelfmoord van Mozart'. Ik herinner me nog dat Jan enorm veel brieven naar zijn moeder schreef. deze werden allemaal netjes bijgehouden in twee grote ijzeren kisten. Dat waren op zich wel enkele duizenden brieven.
Wanneer Jan terug kwam uit Marokko heb ik hem helemaal zien achteruit gaan. Hij kon alleen maar in Marokko aarden.
Ik had altijd heel graag een boek over mijn nonkel en zijn zeer speciale leefstijl geschreven. Helaas is er niets meer overgebleven van wat er van hem was. Heel veel had mijn grootmoeder tijdelijk uitgeleend aan museum Het Toreke te Tienen in België, maar wat er daarna met zijn dingen is gebeurd weet ik niet. Zonder dit alles is het dan heel moeilijk om zijn leven in een boek te gaan omzetten. Ik denk dan ook, dat met alles dat hij heeft gedaan en zijn avontuurlijke leven, dat het zelfs niet echt mogelijk is om dat in een boek te zetten.
 

Alex sobre seu tio Jan Mensaert

 Eu não me  lembro muito, e a maior partedo tempo meu tio esteve em Marrocos. Eu me lembro que ele vinha a cada quatro anos a  Bélgica visitar sua mãe, minha avó. Eu morava com sua mãe. Naquele tempo ele rea casado com a esposa americana. Ele a encontrou no Egito. Junto com minha avó e meu avô, fomos uma vez ao Marrocos, para a cidade Larache, onde ele viveu. Isto foi no ano de 1977. E naquele tempo tinha só sete anos de idade. Eu sei que meu tio amava música clássica. Com certeza, Mozart. Ele até escreveu um lovro sobre este compositor com o título: " O suicídio de Mozart ". Também lembro que ele escreveu várias cartas à sua mãe. Ela as manteve  em 2 grande malas de ferros. Acredito que deveriam conter umas mil cartas. Quando Jan voltou de Marrocos, eu vi quão mau as coisas iam para ele. Todo dia mais e mais. Ele não podia mais viver longe de Marrocos. Aquele país foi o único país onde ele acostumou-se.
Eu sempre quisescrever um livro sobre ele e sua vida mas, minha avó deu todas as coisas de meu tio ao museu um museu na Bélgica,"Het Toreke" na cidade de Tienen e sem aquelas coisas seria muito difícil escrever um livro sobre ele. Também, com o estilo de vida e muitas aventuras ele fez, imagino que tudo isto não caberia em apenas um livro.

Alex about his grandaunt Julia Tulkens

My grand aunt lived in an appartment on the 'veemarkt' from the city Tienen. From time to time I went over to visit her. I remember very well she was always clothed in white; Almost as a princess. Every time I came in she said to me: 'My sweet boy...'
I know she wrote a lot of poems. Mostly for children, as: My little sweet birds,...
They called her also poet of conception and became the honorary citizen of the city Tienen in Belgium.

Alex over zijn groottante Julia Tulkens

Mijn groottante woonde in een appartementje op de veemarkt van Tienen. Af en toe ging ik haar opzoeken wanneer ik nog een kleine jongen was. Telkens wanneer ik dan binnen kwam bij haar zei ze: 'Mijn lieve jongen...'
Meestal was ze in het wit gekleed, haast als een prinses.
Ik weet dat ze enorm veel gedichten schreef. Zoals mijn kleine lieve vogeltjes,...
Ze werd dan ook dichteres van ontvangenis genoemd en werd ereburgeres van de stad Tienen.

Alex sobre sua tia-avó Julia Tulkens

 Minha tia- avó vivia em um apartamento no "veemarkt" da cidade de Tienen. De tempos em tempos eu ia visita-la. Lembro muito bem que ela sempre estava vestida de branco; quase como uma princesa. Toda vez que eu chegava ela me dizia: "Meu doce garoto"...
Eu sei que ela escreveu muitos poemas. Maioria para crianças, como: Meus doces pássaros,...
 A chamavam tabém de poeta da concepção e tornou-se cidadã honorária da cidade de Tienen na Bélgica.