Abacus and Quill

Last night we went out for dinner at De Peper with some friends. It’s in a building that used to be the film academy. The building itself was rescued from being torn down and made into a bicycle path by squatters who now own the building and for all intents and purposes have turned it into an independently run youth and culture center. There are actually a few restaurants like this and I think we’re in for a run of checking them out.

It takes a bit of planning to eat there, as they don’t serve dinner every night and you must make reservations. But in return you get a tasty vegan meal for cheap. Everyone gets the same thing, a soup and a main course, and you’re asked to pay between EUR 7 – 10, plus extra for your drinks and dessert.

Last night’s dinner was Jerusalem artichoke tempura, a vegetable curry and black beans on short grained rice, and a bit of sliced beet and lettuce salad. It was well executed and filling, but just a bit boring. It will be worth a try again.

Then on to the entertainment. Tuesdays are ping pong night. There’s a well lit open room with two tables where they were playing some trance, and there are paddles and balls and you just go at it for a bit and then let the next guy have a chance. In the other room it’s darker, and there’s a bar. There’s one table in this room and they were playing a big group game. It went thusly: everyone has a paddle and stands all around the table. The first person serves the ball across the table and then steps to the right. On the other side of the table they try to return to ball and then step to the right. This gives you a large group of people moving around the table in a big circle, each hitting the ball in turn. You miss and you’re out. As the numbers dwindle it gets a bit hectic. The last two play a five point game to decide the winner. And of course you can stand around and drink a beer and watch if you’re not going to play.

We’ll do it again for sure.