Ready, Steady, Go! I had a great time yesterday evening. After having dinner outside in the garden, we decided to go and watch an athletics competition nearby. At first, I thought it was a run-of-the-mill event with local athletes but it turned out they had invited a field of international athletes, some of them with Olympic experience. My six-year-old daughter was very much impressed, especially by the pole-vault contest. The 100-metre dash was also amazing. As we were very close to the track, we could feel the energy bursting out of the athletes every time they dashed just in front of us. It was sensational!

Paying compliments Today I would like to write an entry about compliments. Paying compliments to people you interact with, whether complete strangers, friends, colleagues or relatives, is something I find extremely difficult. Why is it so hard to show people our appreciation or to praise them just for being who they are? First of all, a genuine compliment must come from the bottom of your heart. You must mean it, otherwise it might be perceived as being backhanded and will do more harm than good. So, before paying somebody a compliment you should first check your intentions. Do you really mean what you are about to say? Or is it just a way of running somebody down through a double-edged praise? My second piece of advice is: Don't overdo it! Praising somebody to the skies might seem like a nice thing to do but, in my view, exaggeration is bound to backfire. First, the person on the receiving end will probably doubt your honesty and, more importantly, you will make it difficult for him or her to actually accept your compliment. Accepting a compliment is arguably more difficult than making a compliment! Last but not least, we should not be afraid of paying compliments to people as long as we truly mean it! It could be anything, ranging from someone's haircut or culinary skills to showing gratitude to a friend or loved one for their support after you went through a rough patch. Small acts of kindness can make a huge different!

So young and yet so wise Yesterday, I attended a conference on the prosecution of war criminals in war-torn Congo. The panel of speakers were engaging, articulate and erudite. The audience was made up of people from all walks of life, but all sharing a keen interest in Africa. I particularly enjoyed the speakers' ability to explain complex legal notions in layman's terms without oversimplifying the subject-matter. While I was waiting for the bus to get back home, I was joined by a young lady whom I had noticed at the conference. She greeted me and asked whether I had enjoyed the event. After some small talk, it turned out that we both shared a keen interest in foreign languages. I did not need to ask where she came from as her accent immediately gave her away. She grew up in the US and was taught Spanish by her mother at an early age. Later, she set out learning French and Italian as a teenager. She now reads law and wishes to brush up her French as she is planning to study international law in France next year. We talked about this and that while waiting for the bus. She told me that, next to her study, she was helping migrants and asylum seekers with their paperwork in the US. After having worked as a trainee in several US law firms specialised in business law, she had figured out that working around the clock and under constant pressure just to climb up in the corporate pecking order was definitely not her cup of tea. Hence her move to Europe where the workaholic culture is less prevalent, or so she hopes. She seemed to know exactly what she wanted with her life. So young and yet so wise!

Sports Before diving into today's topic, i.e. sports, I would like to say how grateful I am to those italki members who take the time to correct notebook entries. I have corrected a few entries written in French myself. It takes just a few minutes of your time but is a valuable feedback to those who hone their writing skills in a foreign language! The first sport I did as a child was rugby. I do not recall whether I was keen on playing rugby myself or whether I was influenced by my father's interest for the game. Anyway, I kept playing rugby until the age of 19 and ultimately decided to quit because I dreaded the idea of playing in the adult leagues where I would have played against people twice my age and, more importantly, twice my weight! After that, I took up several sports which I had been doing sporadically before like tennis, badminton and mountain-biking. After I graduated and moved abroad, I gave up all these sports - though I still ride my mountain-bike occasionally - and started running. I usually go running several times a week. These days, I am more into outdoor sports like trail-running, surfing, kite-surfing, mountain-biking again, etc. Being connected with nature - the sea, woods, etc. - helps me cope with the strains of modern life and I usually feel invigorated after working-out outdoors!

Time Flies (2) In my previous post, I wrote about my early childhood and how remeniscing about my past made me feel both nostalgic and excited. The next stage in my trip down memory lane is dedicated to my best childhood friend. His name is Eric. We fell out of touch some 25 years ago when his parents decided to move to a different region where his deaf sister could attend a special school. As luck would have it, he got in touch with me recently through Facebook. I have a vivid recollection of all the wild adventures we planned together, like sailing around the world or travelling to the North Pole with a dog-drawn sled. Unfortunately he now lives in Canada which makes it difficult to meet face-to-face. Still, I hope that one day we will reunite and catch up! Sometimes I wonder whether he has changed with time or whether we still share the same dreams we had as boys. Maybe I shoud just book a flight to Canada after all!

Time Flies (1) I am not the kind of person who broods over the past or talks endlessly about the good old days. I much prefer looking forwards than looking backwards. Yet when you learn a new language or seek to hone your skills, it makes sense to step outside of your comfort zone and try new things. After all the odds are that your past and your recollections will crop up in your next conversation. Hence this notebook entry about my early childhood recollections. I may write a sequel to this post to describe more recent memories. I have always wondered what my earliest memory was. According to experts, adults only remember things they experienced after the age of 4. Thinking back of my infancy, several moments stand out in my mind though there is no way I could tell whether they occurred when I was 4, 5 or 6. For instance, I can conjure up vivid images of my father teaching me how to ride a bicycle on the car park close to the block of flats where we used to live back then. I also remember throwing Playmobil toys equipped with a makeshift parachute from our balcony on the 4th floor. Other memories are understandably hazy and do not cover a full event (i.e. like learning how to ride a bike) but are more like snippets of things that occurred to me when I was a child. Remarkably, all my memories from this period seem to be good ones. I do not recall anything unpleasant like falling down and getting hurt or throwing a tantrum. I suppose that I tend to look back on my past with rose-tinted spectacles and suppress any negative experience. Anyway, trying to bring back memories of yesteryear and reminiscing about the past is an interesting thing to do. I now feel a bit nostalgic but also curious to learn more about my childhood. Next time I see my parents I will definitely inquire about some of the events that occurred back then, for example when we moved to a new house or went on holiday to a certain place. These milestones will probably help me put some order in my earliest memories!

Surfing in the North Sea I have to confess that I am more the couch potato type than the sporty type. But recently I've decided to turn over a new leaf and take up some new and challenging outdoor activities. Yesterday I went surfing in the North Sea at Scheveningen, a seaside resort close to the place where I live. The weather was gorgeous. Sunny with a pleasant breeze. So we headed to our favourite place to rent a wetsuit and a board. I was eager to jump in the waves and try to surf my way back to the beach. I quickly put the wetsuit on and dashed towards the water. I love the feeling of being one with the water. Surfing requires all your attention. You have to wait for the best wave and then use all your skills like balance and strength to ride it successfully. It can be such a rewarding experience! On top of that you forget about all your problems while you are in the water. It's similar to meditation. Very relaxing and great to recharge your batteries!