Living the Expat Life...

Trip to Tenerife

2011-07-03T23:39:00.013+02:00

I've been to Tenerife before, in fact, one of my first blog posts was about that trip! Well, we went back again, and this time I got the opportunity to take some pictures of the local wildlife! This mostly includes a few crabs and some lizards (that I bated with a ripe banana, which worked a treat!), but it was a lot of fun!

I'm pretty sure these two were having a little fun...

Crabs!

Garden Party

2011-07-03T23:08:00.007+02:00

First of all, I'd like to say sorry for the long absence. I honestly don't have much of an excuse, work kept me busy for a while, but for better or worse that is no longer the case (though it was my decision).

Onto the garden party in St. Boniface! I'm afraid I'm pretty unaware of upcoming events, so these things tend to sneak up on me, though they are always fun. In the morning they started putting grass/turf all over the street and they had already hung mock-laundry between the buildings. A DJ set up, there were drink stands and the part started in the afternoon.

Once the party really got started in the evening, I have to say, it was eclectic. I saw people of all ages, all races, all sexual orientations just having a good old time. Had I not over-indulged the night before (jello shots are dangerous, people) I would have joined right in!

Events like this are what really keep Brussels interesting and fun. You just never know when there will be a party on your doorstep!

Only in Belgium

2011-03-22T14:11:00.003+01:00

Taken from Brussels Unlimited:

Demands for Courthouse Scaffolding to be Removed

The city authorities have orderede the removal of scaffolding at the Palais de Justice, one of Brussels' landmark buildings.

The demand comes amid warnings that the rusting scaffolding has been in place so long it is in danger of collapse.

It was erected several months ago (I think they mean years) as part of the ongoing restoration work. Deadlines for its removal have come and gone with no sign of it being removed.

A spokesman for the committee responsible for the restorations said: "The scaffolding has been there so long now that a whole generation has never seen the Palais de Justice without it."

Of Beards and Boats

2011-02-02T22:59:00.019+01:00

It occurs to me that I never posted about my Thanksgiving back in the good old US of A! Of course the meal was delicious, my dad and I cooked up a storm and fun was had by all. I could go on more, but I think it might be better to let the few pictures I have speak for me.

Dad and I were co-chefs, in the past I had the title of sous-chef, but he said I graduated to executive chef this year... :)

The pies weren't the most beautiful things I've ever seen, but YUM. Pecan and caramel pumpkin... how can you go wrong?

The gigantic turkey on its rotisserie on the grill. THIS is the way to make tasty turkey!

Our awesome turkey-timer was in the shape of a turkey and it's legs stick up in the air when the turkey is done! (it also looks like the mini-turkey is saying toouuuuuuuuchhh dooowwwwwwnnnnn!!!) P.S. This turkey timer was later eaten by the mice that live in the snack drawer.

Dad with the done turkey, post pomegranate-black pepper glaze. Seriously. Best. Turkey. Ever.

After dinner things got a bit silly...

And it only continued from there. That's my brother, Jake.

He has kind of a hard time growing a beard, so Mom tried to help him out. I think he looks a little amish in this one.

See how much fun aluminum foil can be? Now it's ears!

Then of course Nana had to get in on the fun! As you can see, we all take Thanksgiving very seriously.

Finally, the foil turned into a boat for squash.

And here are the chefs the next day... still looking a little silly.

The end.

*Addendum*

Mom has pointed out to me that she cooked too! (Though she couldn't remember what...)

Summer Moon

2011-02-01T22:19:00.004+01:00

Well, it's not exactly summer, in fact, the bitter cold and humidity make that painfully obvious, but in trying to figure out what to post I came across this picture from this past July.

This is the view from my bedroom window, and I have to say, it's pretty freakin nice. Brussels may not be the ideal travel destination for many people, and dealing with the bureaucracy if you live here can be a nightmare (19 mayors in Brussels and no national government?? Really??), but on certain summer nights it's grand to be in old Belgique.

Trying to see a movie in Brussels

2011-01-30T14:13:00.004+01:00

It's another lazy Sunday, and Miguel and I are thinking of seeing a movie, so while having coffee over at Blomqvist's, we check out the movie schedule at the UGC on his blackberry. There was one I had been thinking of seeing for a while called "Another Year," though for the life of me I couldn't remember what it was about, so we clicked the title to look at the synopsis. This is what it said:

Printemps, été, automne et hiver. La famille et l'amitié. Amour et réconfort. Joie et peine. Espoir et découragement. La fraternité. La solitude. Une naissance. Une mort. Le temps passe...

Spring, summer, autumn and winter. Family and friendship. Love and comfort. Joy and Pain. Hope and discouragement. Brotherhood. Solitude. A birth. A death. The passing of time...

Riiiiight, so this could be just about any movie ever made. Awesome. On to imdb...

Of Rain and Umbrellas

2011-01-25T17:41:00.009+01:00

First of all, I wanted to apologize. I have been a very neglectful blogger lately. I guess working 40(+) hours a week in addition to being in the middle of the cold, gray, rainy Belgian winter takes the energy right out of me. Sometimes I think the endless clouds, rain and milder temperatures are worse than the bitter cold with the possibility of snow and/or sun, but what do I know?

I complain about the rain, but it does make the city shine and sparkle at night. The drops hit the street where a car's headlights are shining and it looks like glitter is falling rather than rain. But then, of course, a big drop falls on your head, or you step in a previously unnoticed puddle and the magic is gone. The rain sucks again.

The rain coupled with the constant (and powerful) wind just outside the escalator to the Porte de Namur metro have created an umbrella graveyard along the sidewalk and in the square. Mangled skeletons of umbrellas turned inside-out one too many times litter the area. The smart (if damp) people close their umbrellas before reaching the square risking their comfort to save their umbrellas. Selfless, really.

Since I don't have any pictures of the umbrellas to share for the moment, I will leave you with a picture I took late in the year in 2010. I think it's the appropriate color...

When the winter rains come pouring down on that new home of mine, Will I still be in your eyes and on your mind?

Musée d'Art Fantastique

2010-10-05T11:55:00.010+02:00

Brussels is a strange town. You never know what you're going to find, or where a particular path will lead you. I thought I had gotten used to this, and that there wasn't much left that could surprise me. How wrong I was.

I went to the Horta Museum for the first time last week with some guests that had been staying over. The house was gorgeous with the feeling of almost being a living breathing being. There was something beautiful to be found in every detail to the point where it became difficult to process it all.

After being so stimulated and moved by such a work of art, we left to make our way home. It was only a few doors down we came upon something so strange, so bizarre, so completely different that we decided to stop in for some comic relief. This was the Musée d'Art Fantastique, and fantastic it was. There was a beer festival going on at the time, so we couldn't resist going in. We were greeted by this:

And this was only the beginning. I don't know if I can properly describe some of the things I saw, so I suppose I will just have to let these pictures give an idea. You had better believe I'll be going back the week of Halloween! So enjoy, and if you are in Brussels and you are up for something... well, like this, go. Gawk. enjoy.

Romance in the Cheese Aisle

2010-09-22T18:39:00.003+02:00

One thing I've really had to get used to while living in Brussels, and really, Europe in general, is lack of space. In the US, especially in the suburbs, there's nothing but space. The roads are wider, the restaurants bigger, the aisles in the grocery store are big enough for 2 carts at once! Imagine!

Here in Brussels I feel like I'm in the way everywhere I am. Waiting to be seated in a restaurant anywhere I stand I'm in the way. Shopping for clothes I have to squeeze between racks to let other people past. On some of the sidewalks it's impossible to walk by another person without touching them.

Of course, this closeness, this lack of space is always made more difficult by certain individuals who seem to have no concept of the people around them. People will walk down the narrowest of sidewalks 3 in a row (slowly) and will make no move when someone tries to go the other way or pass them. Crates are left blocking half an aisle in stores where a child will have parked his or her tricycle blocking the other half. People will MAKE OUT in front of the cheese section of Delhaize making it impossible to reach the parmesan or gouda! I mean, really. The cheese section?

So maybe I'm a spoiled American (ok, I definitely am), but at least I don't feel the need to have some tongue with my cheese.

The Kitty Dance...

2010-08-28T01:27:00.005+02:00

Inspired by the orange thread.

Eew, bugs...

2010-08-23T10:34:00.002+02:00

I hate bugs.

I don't think this comes at a surprise to anyone that knows me. I don't even really think this comes as a surprise to those people that don't know me, but have seen me around bugs. The make me do crazy things like jump around and shriek at awkward times. I would not do well in the rainforest. I would almost certainly be making more noise than the monkeys, while my leaping around would frighten off any other interesting wildlife.

So now that you have that background...

I was in Holland last week, er, 2 weeks ago? It doesn't really matter. In any case, I was in the South of Holland with all the trees, where the average age can't be lower than 65. I was sitting outside with Miguel and most of his family eating dinner at the hotel, when a bug decides to fly over to me and land on my shirt. (They are like cats, the are instantly attracted to the person that is most disgusted with them.) I maintain a certain level of calm as Miguel goes to casually brush it away. Only, it doesn't go as planned. Oh no.

I can see by the look on his face that something has gone horribly horribly wrong. And that I'm not going to like it. Yep, that icky little bug has gone DOWN my shirt. Shit. How do you maintain any level of dignity in front of your in-laws whilst digging around the front of your shirt for a bug? A bug that you're afraid to touch? It looked like I was trying to fondle myself. At dinner. Shit. The alternative was to strip. Which is better (or worse?)??

Mercifully, before my shirt was clean off, Miguel said, oh, it flew away, it's gone. Now, I was pretty skeptical, I didn't see it fly away. I thought I could still feel it. But when the alternative was stripping, I thought ok, maybe it really is gone. I tried to calm down, but I was still laughing/crying from panic and sheer embarrassment for a good while.

So, the meal ends. (I know you didn't think the story was over yet...) We go back to our room. I had not yet forgotten about this bug, and I was anxious to make sure it had indeed flown away. Miguel had confessed later that he lied, and that he hadn't seen it fly away. Shit. I got undressed with my eyes closed and asked him to check.

He laughed.

There it was, squished and plastered to my boob. Not that I saw it, my eyes were closed the whole time. He brushed it away. I cried. Then laughed. Then cried.

I hate bugs.

Cat Saga

2010-08-22T18:17:00.008+02:00

I have been meaning to post about this for some time, but have put it off for good reason. Anyway, here goes.

Last month, Miguel and I were walking from the Foire du Midi to De Bruckere to see a movie. We were nearly to Bourse, when across the street we saw a black and white cat in front of a convenience store. We decided to go over and check it out, since we rarely (if ever) see cats on the street here. This cat was hanging out on a busy sidewalk, not flinching at people or dogs, just standing her ground. I thought this was strange, especially since our cats are scared of everything. She came up to us, so I started petting her and convinced Miguel to go to the store we were standing outside of to get some food. As soon as he was near the door she started meowing (she had a deep, loud meow) and going crazy! We tried to get her some water too (by buying a styrofoam carton of figs, taking out the figs and pouring water in there). The moment we openend the tin of food she was at it. She had bits of it all over her face, and we could tell she had been starving.

At this point I had seen enough and refused to leave her there, though Miguel was worried about making her our problem. (At this point I had guessed she was a girl because many people here do not fix/sterilize their animals.) We asked for a box in the convenience store, which he gave us reluctantly, but when I tried to put her in it she jumped right out. One of the neighbors in the same building as the convenience store had been watching all this played out, and threw us down a roll of packing tape. (We also found out from another neighbor that the cat had been around there for a few days.) I put the cat back in the box and held it shut while Miguel taped it up. She struggled a bit, and meowed as we walked her home (a schlepp from Bourse). As we walked I began to get nervous. I had already called my vet at home (on a Saturday night) as well as everyone I knew that might be able to take her in. I was reluctant to bring her home because I didn't know if she was healthy and I did not want to expose our cats to anything.

By the end of it, no one was able to help, and I didn't feel right about leaving her in a park, so we took her home and locked her in our (very large) bathroom. After spending some more time with her, petting her (which she loved) and feeding her a bit more, we noticed that she was skin and bone... everywhere but her belly.

I immediately left the bathroom, grabbed my computer and googled "how to tell if a cat is pregnant." According to what I read, we indeed had a pregnant kitty on our hands. So what was left to do but give her a name? We settled on Fabiola (also thename of the queen of Belgium). We were resolved to at least get her to a shelter, though they were all closed on Sunday, so it had to wait until Monday.

During this time I made sure she was well fed, had plenty of water, a warm bed and a toy to play with. She got plenty of attention, and we began to grow attached. She purred when petted, she purred when she ate, she meowed when we came in the bathroom, she played with us, used the litter box like a pro, but mostly she slept. I became resolved to do everything I could for her, though I knew that adopting her, especially in her condition and with 2 cats of our own, would be next to impossible.

So Monday rolled around and I found a list of all the shelters in the Brussels area and called all of them, asking if they had room for our little, up-the-spout Fabiola. All but one, Blue Cross, were full. When I called Blue Cross all they said to me was bring 10 euros. I can't say that this gave me the best feeling about the place, but there was no other option. Laura, a friend of mine, and I decided to go that very morning. I packed Fabiola up in a carrier (one we no longer use for our cats), and carried her to the taxi hub nearby. 14 euros later, we were at the shelter and talking to the woman at the front desk.

She spoke no English, took my 10 euros, asked a couple of questions and summoned a guy from the back room. He lifted the carrier and took her though a door, down a corridor. Not having had a chance to say goodbye, I asked the woman at the front desk if he could bring her back, she told me in cold French no, and mentioned something about microbes. I tried to argue with her, but my already mediocre French failed me, more so because I was growing more upset by the second. There was nothing to be done. I couldn't get her to listen to me and I could no longer keep the tears behind my eyes. We had to go.

The taxi driver was waiting for us, as he said he would, and as soon as we got in the floodgates opened. Thank god Laura was there, if only to give me a much needed hug. We got back and I called Miguel in tears, begging him to come home for lunch, which he did. I explained what had happened, and he decided to call to see if we could get her back. The gist of that phone call was that no, we could not get her back. We had signed the cat over to them. Not only that, but they didn't have to release any information about the cat and it would have been illegal for us to keep her.

Now, I understand that she may have belonged to someone else, but any vet here can check for a chip or a tattoo (which most pets have here). Also, it's entirely possible that once her owners found out that she was pregnant they got rid of her on purpose. It then occurred to me that what if all the shelters had been full? Would it still be illegal? What were you supposed to do then. It turns out, if that is the case, you just have to leave the cat where you found it. To me that is just unbelievable.

So we got no more information from the shelter. I would think that when it's a person's job to care for strays and take in animals they would be more compassionate. More understanding. Nicer. I just couldn't believe my experience. One thing is sure though, in case Fabiola's time is running out at the shelter they have my number and will call me.

So that is the end of the story. I know it's not the best of endings, but I do take comfort in the fact that she will at the very least be fed and well looked after.

If you read this and are looking to adopt a cat or kittens, the website for the Blue Cross in Belgium is here. Fabiola is not listed yet, but I imagine that is because she is still nursing.

Overheard in Brussels

2010-08-22T18:12:00.004+02:00

I was walking into town with Miguel yesterday, and as we walked by an Italian restaurant we heard: "Guarda la questa bianca bianca!" (Look at that extremely white girl!) I didn't think much of it, until I turned around and saw that they were pointing at me! I know I'm pale, but I didn't know I was that pale! *sigh*

Our Nightly Concert...

2010-08-09T00:55:00.003+02:00

This video was taken from our bedroom window at about 12:45am. He had been singing for about a half an hour before the video and is still singing now. Grrr....

*Update* He just stopped, it's now 1am. I yelled "Arete!" down there, which seemed to do nothing, and was about to call the police when he left! Miguel said I should have blown my Vuvuzela at him. That's a much better idea....

Come back singing guy... Here singing guy...

"Now You're in Brussels..."

2010-07-15T01:48:00.005+02:00

I heard this song on the radio at Delhaize the other day and nearly fell over laughing! And now, thanks to The Belgian Waffle I have video! I am practically in tears laughing. My god.

*edit* Scratch what I said before. I actually have tears streaming down my cheeks right now from laughing so hard.

PS., Here is the original song by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys for comparison. And oh, what a comparison.

Of Baking and Patriotism

2010-07-05T01:12:00.006+02:00

So it would seem that I am destined to be followed around by the letter B. Why, you ask? Let's see. My name is Brody. I live in Brussels, Belgium. I'm a blogger. And now, I bake! Professionally!

I had the absolute luck to be approached by the owner of a rather nice cafe here in Brussels to begin baking for them! He had heard I baked from another cafe owner and friend, and decided to give me a shot! Now, I have never in my life baked on such a large scale as I am required to do with this job. 12 cakes at a time, measuring flour and sugar by the bag, but, though I was daunted at first (and still am a bit) I find that I'm getting used to it, and actually really enjoying it. The only downside is... the heat. I know, I know, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. And really, once I get going, it's not so bad. But when the weather is right around 90F (32C), and you are stuck in a basement kitchen doing heavy lifting with ovens blazing, well, then we can talk!

The great thing is, I love doing it. I've always loved baking (probably because then I have something tasty to eat), and so far I still do. I was posed the question last night that since I bake so much now, do I still enjoy doing it on my own time. I tested that out today, the 4th of July, by making an American flag cake. That was my plan for my big show of patriotism (as of last night after some bowling and a few beers).

My idea was to get some food coloring at Delhaize and use 3 different colors of frosting to decorate. Easy, right? Well, this is Belgium, so, wrong. No food coloring to be found (where I could have sworn I saw it before), so I decided to get a bag of M&Ms thinking to use those instead. When I got back home I found that I did have blue food coloring and colored red sugar sprinkles, score! Here are pictures, it's not the most beautiful cake ever, but at least it was tasty!
My friend Laura, also American, came over to share the cake with us. Fun was had by all!

So there you have it, I still enjoy baking, especially when it's an imperfectly rendered symbol of patriotism!

A Sign from Above

2010-06-17T12:43:00.005+02:00

Yesterday was the kind of day (with regard to weather) that makes you feel lucky to be alive. It was that perfect temperature, warm in the sun with a stiff cool breeze, and not a cloud to be seen. I decided to go for a walk in the royal park, bring a book, get some ice cream, make an outing out of it.

After a nice walk, I got an ice cream cone and sat down at the perfect empty table, partially in the sun, partially in the shade. I was concentrating on not letting the dripping ice cream get all over me and thinking to myself: "Today, I really like Brussels." No sooner had I finished that thought in my head... *SPLAT* A bird shit (or shat?) on my table, the splatter narrowly missing my purse. And I mean a big shit. That thing rocked the table!

I laughed, a little stunned, wondering if I should move (but where to? All of the other tables were taken) or if I should worry about getting a special delivery on my head or even in my purse. Is bird poop like lightening? Will it strike the same place twice?

I tried to maintain my calm, ice cream-in-the-park attitude, but all I could think about was what would I do if a bird pooped on my head, like, would I laugh or cry? Would I take the metro home or walk? And so, the mood was effectively ruined and I decided to head home.

So what do you think, was it a sign?

This probably shouldn't be funny, but...

2010-06-15T23:57:00.002+02:00

I can't stop laughing!

Camera Troubles...

2010-06-14T12:40:00.006+02:00

So I have had bad luck with cameras lately! I bought my camera (a nice little Canon Powershot SD870 IS) 2 years ago, and up until recently it has served me very well. Now, not so much.

First, the screen started to give out, strips of pixels just died. Then more patches were gone! Because the camera doesn't have an optical viewfinder, this is very annoying. But ok, I was willing to deal with it, since the spots didn't show up on my pictures. Fine.

Well, I decided to break out the camera yesterday to try to capture a pic of Cleo and Sophie getting their play on. I was taking pictures and video, no problem... until I decided to look at them. In every picture there was a fuzzy black line from the top of the screen to the bottom, and it was darker when I had the camera zoomed in. Ok, I thought, maybe it's just the camera and it won't show up on the pictures! WRONG. Examples:
It's just my luck, too, that the flower carpet is this year! It only happens every other year, and here is a picture someone else took of it:So while normally I would be content enough to wait a few months and save for a camera, all I can think of now is NEED CAMERA NOW. It doesn't help that after playing around with Dad's camera for a while, I am seriously coveting a Canon Powershot G11.

Time to get schem- er, saving...

Observation

2010-06-05T00:36:00.002+02:00

The weather has been really lovely here the last few days, and it has put me in a great mood! I was walking around in the sunshine 2 days ago, going to check out DOD (why have I not gone there before?) and I was paying no attention to the sidewalk. Then it occurred to me: It is risky to walk along and pay no attention to the sidewalk in Brussels. One of two things will imminently happen. 1) You trip on the cobblestones, or 2) step in dog poo.

Ah, the sad truths of living in Brussels. Good thing there's plenty of chocolate!

Shooting and Palais de Justice

2010-06-03T13:58:00.004+02:00

Well, apparently Brussels is going to shit.

Miguel has been following the news a lot more closely in his new job, and just called to tell me that two people were JUST shot dead at the Palais de Justice; one judge and one court employee. At around 11am. On a Thursday. A beautiful sunny Thursday. WHAT THE HELL? Here's the info.

Last Friday night there was also a stabbing in Place Flagey. No one was killed, but three injured.

Finally, I only recently found out about an attack at the Porte de Namur metro, MY metro stop, on New Years Eve 2009/10. One man was attacked and thrown from a good height onto the tracks. Though he survived, this attack probably scares me most of all.

OH. MY. GOD. WANT.

2010-05-29T19:44:00.005+02:00

Please, oh pleeeeeease someone get this for me!!!

Of Crime Shows and Imaginations

2010-05-27T12:12:00.004+02:00

So I really have an obscene amount of things I need to post about, not the least of which is my parents' visit now almost two weeks ago (le sigh), but I wanted to start with this.

I have come to the conclusion that I watch way too many crime shows. This is a fairly new thing for me, since I had never watched an episode of any of the acronym shows (the CSIs, NCIS) or the others: Bones, Criminal Minds, Castle, The Mentalist while in the US. Since moving here, however, it's all I watch, granted, it's the only thing that's on other than reruns of According to Jim or Charmed. So now Miguel and I have several "crime nights" a week.

Now, I fancy myself pretty used to seeing violent acts and stuff on tv, I don't really squirm when seeing a particularly gruesome body (though I usually choose not to eat much during those), nor do I have nightmares. Unfortunately, however, I think my tolerance is wearing off.

I have always been wary of going into a dark (supposedly) empty house or building (i.e. when house sitting, or during a power outage), but now my imagination is getting more vivid. When letting myself into the basement of the cafe, I often turn the lights on and look around for a body. When I get upstairs and open the bathroom or storage room door, I do the same thing, waiting to hear the heavy thud of something grisly falling out.

Now, today, not 20 minutes ago, my crazy imagination reared its ugly head here in my apartment. I had just stepped out of the shower, when I heard a heavy knock on the door. Not being prepared for a visitor, and kinda panicking, I yelled (in English) "Who is it??" No answer. I heard footsteps, and then a far off knock, probably upstairs. I tried to put it out of my mind despite my pounding heart and get on with my post-shower ablutions. No sooner had I turned on my hair dryer, there was another loud KNOCK-KNOCK, and no footsteps. I tiptoed by the door in my bathrobe with no intention of opening the door, all the while cursing my lack of peep-hole and praying that this was not some kind of attacker that could break through the door after realizing that there was no one else in the building. I waited silently for a while, listening, feeling my heart beat faster and harder than normal. After a while I heard the footsteps retreating back down the stairs and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I would live, at least for now, to see another crime show.

A little Introspection

2010-04-26T17:18:00.000+02:00

Indecision. I have to wonder if it plagues anyone other than me, though I know deep down that it does.

I am so torn between whether I am self-centered and selfish to a fault, or selfless to the point of sacrificing my own happiness for that of others (or, in some cases, just one other). How do I know which? Or is it both, each being spurred on by the other.

All of my life I have been plagued by indecisiveness. When asked to pick a stuffed animal or 2 to have on my bed, I had to have all of them so as to hurt no ones’ feelings. When asked what was my favorite day of the week, my answer was all of them for different reasons (assignment failed). When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I had 5 or more answers, depending on the day. I always thought that when I grew up, I would somehow know what it was that I wanted to do, whether it turned out to be veterinarian, marine biologist, concert organizer, writer... but the older I got, the more confused I became.

Every time I decided to focus on something new, I would make it to a certain stage, and then it would cease to be fun, or, what I had imagined it to be. Just like when I went to Sunday school at the local synagogue and quit the moment we started to actually learn Hebrew. I’m not sure if I lack the drive or focus, or if I just like too many things.

As it turns out, one of the upsides of this particular personality trait is that I’ve become a bit of a renaissance man (er, girl). I know a lot about a lot, just not enough about any one thing to be any kind of expert. I can tell you all about the parts of a cell, talk knowledgeably about taxonomy, quote many great writers, tell you all about music from the Middle Ages to what is playing on the radio as I type this. I can skillfully clean an espresso machine, snake a drain, train a cat, cook a delicious coq au vin. I can do all these things and more, but where does all the fit in on a CV/resume?

I feel that I have been trapped by Brussels. When people ask me how I, an American, came to live here, I find it hard to tell them the truth. I came here for my husband. I came here for him and for his job without a second thought to what I would do. Sure, I had TEFL certification, but did I really want to teach? No. It was merely a plan for something I could do until something better came along, though I still have no idea what that was supposed to be. I’ve lived here for 1 1/2 years, and I have never had both feet in the country. I have ideas like opening up an English language bookstore, or starting an English language newspaper, but I know those will take time, and I plan on being out of here in 2 years, maximum.

So what’s left for me here? I’m teaching a lesson or 2 a week, working part time (very part time) at a cafe and doing a tiny amount of baking (for said cafe), and I’m doing some babysitting on the side. Though I’ve applied for many an office job (at the US Embassy and NATO) I don’t really have the right skill set (or interest) for those kinds of jobs to make me all that happy. I don’t want to work for a big corporation, or a consultancy, and I really have no interest in public diplomacy. It doesn’t help matters that my French is barely functional. (I am really quite good at stating what I do not want and what I am not good at, but not so good at the opposite.) So, as it turns out, Brussels is not the best place for little old me.

But there I go, blaming Brussels, when, wouldn’t it be similar (if not just the same) anywhere I go? My indecisiveness would come right back to bite me in the ass, and I would be right back to where I am no, just at a different locale. What does this mean for my future? Am I doomed to work at jobs I am unhappy in (or, perhaps simply bored by) for the rest of my life? Should I just bite the bullet and get the non-ideal job, knowing that it does not have to be permanent, just so I have something to do with my time (not to mention an income)? Am I clinging too hard to my principles to let myself even have half a chance?

1 Kiss, or 2? (Or maybe 3?)

2010-04-14T11:54:00.007+02:00

As an American in Europe, I encounter all kinds of cultural differences and I try to adapt accordingly. These include everything from table manners (eating everything on the plate vs. stopping when full) to how direct to be when asking a favor (extreme American politeness vs. being straightforward to to the point). I have found problems with one, in particular, that until recently I remained silent about. Kissing people on the cheek. I have no problem with the custom, in fact, I think it's nice! No, my problem lies in the awkwardness of the nuances in that custom.

Some people kiss on 1 cheek. Right or left. Some kiss on both, right then left, or vice versa. Then you get into the 3 kisses, right left right? Left right left? Which way you go and how many often depends on the nationality of the person you are dealing with. But then, if a French person meets a Dutch person, whose style gets precedence? As an American, do I get a say in the style? If I start going left, does the other person have to go left? What if we both go in the wrong direction and bump noses (or worse, lips?)? What if I go for one, they go for 2, and I look like I don't like them, because I can only stand for 1 kiss? Or what about the opposite? If I go for another kiss and come on too strong? Or what if they don't do the kiss thing at all, and are really just going for a hug and I get it all wrong? Oh, the anxiety!

And then there's the kind of kiss. There's the actual full contact kiss on the cheek, the cheek touching and kissy noises (but no actual kissing), there's the cheek touch, but no kissy noises, the air kiss with no touching of the faces... I'm sure there are more, and all add to the anxiety fo these social encounters! So what if I go for a full on kiss on the cheek and totally offend someone who wants nothing to do with my lips on their face?

And then you get into how soon do you kiss people? Normally there's one meeting with just a hand shake and then after that kisses are fair game. But what if this is a business associate? A client? A friend of a friend? How many meetings does it take to get to that level of familiarity? Do people get offended if I get it wrong?

Perhaps there should be a standard way of doing it? Or if that is no good, what about a list of guidelines for the outsider (erm, me) so I don't feel so flustered every time I say hello or goodbye to someone and end up feeling completely awkward!

Though I have to say, I feel better knowing that this is a problem for others, including other Europeans! The Irish, the Germans, the French, the Dutch! I'm not alone! Still, though, I would love to have a version of the kiss greeting to stick to that could at least be somewhat universal. Anyone else?

Newspapers in Belgium

2010-04-13T22:21:00.004+02:00

To whomever reads this in Brussels, or really, anywhere in Belgium...

I know there are daily newspapers like Le Soir and De Standaard online as well as the less regular Bulletin and Flanders Today, but do you feel the need for a more regular local newspaper in English? I find that I settle for not knowing what is going on around me rather than look online or try to decipher newspapers in other languages. Yesterday's incident made me realize that if the incident had not happened so close to me, I doubt I would have known about it at all. It really made me realize how little I know about the goings on in the country I live in.

So here's the question: If there was an English language free daily paper, would you pick it up? Read it? Even get it delivered? I'd love to hear any opinions.

Armed Robbery, 1 Dead, 2 Injured

2010-04-12T17:08:00.012+02:00

There are so many things I've been wanting to write about lately, and I will get to them. First, though, I have to address something that happened today very close to where I live in Brussels.

I live on Rue Saint Boniface, which is a very "up-and-coming" neighborhood with lots of restaurants, cafes, bars, etc. It also blends with the Matonge, which is the Congolese quarter. Many of the buildings are beautiful and boast Art Nouveau architecture. This area is also a real mixing pot of all different cultures, inhabited by immigrants, expats and even a few Belgians! It may have its faults, but I have really enjoyed living in such a dynamic and lively place.

Today, though, something happened that is making me consider moving to another area. I was just finishing lunch with Miguel, our friend Laura had just left with her little dog, Wilson, in tow. It was nice and sunny outside, so we had the window open. That's when we started hearing sirens. More and more sirens, prompting us to look out the window. Traffic was being re-directed, there were lots of police cars and some ambulances, then a helicopter circling. Miguel was about to go back to work, so he said he would check it out and let me know.

About 10 minutes later he called to tell me someone had been shot outside the jewelry store on Chausee de Wavre (just about a block from our apartment). He said they were blocking everything off and treating someone on the street, someone may have died. I went down to find the situation unchanged, I couldn't see much, but the helicopter continued to circle ominously.

I later came across this article (which can be translated via Google translate).

I'm still rather shocked about this. I know violence happens in cities, as do robberies, drug use, etc., but to have a violent crime happen just a stone's throw from my front door makes me uneasy to say the least.

UPDATE Both robbers in the Chausse de Wavre case were apprehended. Now, Brussels is dealing with another jewelry store robbery in Schaerbeek in which one of the assailants was killed and the other wounded by the shop owner. There was also a fatal shooting on the ring road as well as riots in Saint-Gilles.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T20:47:00.002+01:00

Today has been quite busy! Miguel's aunts and cousin are coming into Brussels tonight to stay for a couple of days!

I'm trying to be a good hostess and have the apartment clean and a nice dinner awaiting their arrival. The place is clean enough, I made brownies, coq au vin and I have a soda bread in the oven (it is St. Paddy's Day, after all!). So I'm finally having a sit while the bread bakes and the stew reheats!

Maybe it's time to start celebrating...

The Stubborn, Optimistic American Abroad

2010-03-16T22:14:00.003+01:00

There are so many differences between Belgium and the US. It's hard to know where to begin, it's also hard to stop myself from complaining sometimes. But...

I'm sure I've mentioned the lack of "service" in "customer service." Well, here I go again! On Friday night, Miguel and I went to the movies to see Shutter Island. The theater was packed and the movie was fantastic, but the problem came when I got home and realized I had forgotten my super-awesome Sigg water bottle in the cup holder of my seat. Miguel, being the wonderful husband that he is, and it being late (10:45pm, weirdos are out by then) offered to go back to retrieve it for me. So off he goes, braving the weirdos and clubbers on my behalf. Sadly, he returned a few minutes later, water bottle-less.

At first I thought he was joking when he said he had no luck. Apparently, the woman there said that he couldn't go up to the theater because there was a movie going on. Also, though he made it clear that it is an aluminum bottle (so I don't have to keep using plastic ones), she said it would probably have been thrown in the trash. Uh... what? She also radioed the clean up crew, who said they had cleaned the theater and found nothing. This was Miguel's report. He told me to leave it be and we could check again in the morning.

Maybe it's because I'm American, instilled with such values as optimism and stubbornness, but I was not about to accept that answer. I looked up the movie showings, and when Miguel had gone back there was no movie showing in that theater! Oy vey. So, to Miguel's protest, I equipped myself with my Swiss Army Knife and my cell phone and headed out to wage my battle with UGC Cinemas and retrieve my beloved water bottle.

I arrived (after talking to Miguel on my cell all the way there) and walked in feeling good. I explained in my horrible French that I had left my bottle there. She said yes, your husband was here, but there is a movie going on now. I said, in my stumbling, but forceful French, "No, there is no movie in that theater, I was in the last showing that ended at 10:30." She looked at her board and said ok, go ahead. Already I had done better than Miguel!

I schlepped up the stairs to theater 14, went through both sets of doors and burst into... a pitch black theater. I quite literally could not see my hand in front of my face (as Groucho Marx would say, "You wouldn't get much enjoyment out of that!"). I didn't dare to walk forward for fear of tripping over the seats, so I went back to the hallway. Luckily, I had brought my ipod touch, which has a handy dandy app called "flashlight" which is just a white screen that gives off just enough light to make a difference. With that on, I inched down the aisle seeing wrappers, plastic water bottles, etc. everywhere (they obviously had not cleaned that theater) until I came upon my very own light blue aluminum one! Triumph!

I went back downstairs thinking 2 things: How I won, and how I would gloat to the woman downstairs, but more importantly, to Miguel! The American way works! Of course, once I saw the woman again, I held up the bottle and said happily the equivalent of "I find it!" and then tried to push, rather than pull the door, looking more than a little like an idiot. Oh well.

So there you have it. Score one for the foreigner!

Ga Ga for Gaga!

2010-03-15T01:15:00.011+01:00

So this is a blog normally devoted to the trials and tribulations of living in Belgium. Well, and my cats. But I feel the need to post a little something different tonight.

I just bought my tickets to see Lady Gaga in concert in Antwerp! Love her or hate her, most people know of her, and have heard at least one of her songs or seen one of her crazy outfits. Some people dismiss her as "too weird" while others are of the opinion that she is, well, not all woman. Me, I find her (and her music) fascinating, intoxicating, bizarre, fun, addictive and just plain genius.

Her latest video if for the song "Telephone" which is featuring Beyonce. It is some kind of crazy mashup of Tarantino (Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill), Thelma and Louise, Michael Jackon, Madonna and of course, GAGA.

Just watch it. Trust me.

I also really liked this break down of all the action and themes.

So that's it for now, I cannot WAIT until May! Gaga, here I come!

Jobs!

2010-01-14T01:35:00.005+01:00

The time has come to find a job! A real job. Not just a lesson or two a week along with baking a couple batches of brownies for Ulric. Both of those things are good for an extra couple bucks, but the fact is, I (we) need more, and I want to be busier. So, since I got back to Brussels after the holidays I have been on a quest for the right job for me. Here in Brussels. Those 2 things don't seem to converge very often here, so this is a challenging project!

Option 1:

Teaching English at a school or getting jobs through a company. At this point, teaching at a school is MUCH more tempting. It would mean regular hours, not having to register as an independent (which would mean having to pay for insurance, pension, etc. out of pocket and in advance). I have applied to a childrens' language school here in Brussels, and have an interview on Friday! That should be interesting, and could be really good for me!

Option 2:

US Gov't. There are a couple of openings there that really interest me, an events coordinator and the other is to handle logistics for visitors (to Brussels or Belgium, I'm not sure). Both require someone who is detail oriented (definitely me) and someone who wants to deal with people a lot, and all different kinds of people at that, which sounds awesome. Not to mention that they pay generously, and I could get in with the American community there! So I need to get the info on the positions and get cracking!

Option 3:

Internship at the Radisson Blu (hotel). I'm not sure if the position is even paid, and I wouldn't be able to start until July, which is definitely a downside. The internship would be for 4 months, with the expectation that I would be hired when it was over. I can't say that it's something that really interests me, but at this point I suppose I should keep all my options open.

I am also totally open to other things that come my way, or at least I'm trying to be. I'm not all that interested in getting in with any of the European institutions, lobby groups or consultancies, and unfortunately that makes up a lot of the jobs here. Still, though, I'm trying to think outside the box and do whatever I can. In the meantime, there will always be the brownie baking and a couple individual lessons.

In other job news, Miguel has something big coming up, but I hesitate to give details, just in case I jinx it. So... more on that later!

A few pictures from Stockholm!

2009-11-30T18:52:00.009+01:00

Totally looks like...

2009-11-09T22:27:00.007+01:00

Ok, this will be poignant for those of you that have heard of the psychic, Miss Cleo.

Miss Cleo (TV Psychic) vs. My cat Cleo

Picture of the day!

2009-11-09T22:22:00.003+01:00

Please, oh PLEASE, someone give me a caption for this picture!

Pictures from our (not ver costume-y) Halloween Party!

2009-11-09T01:27:00.017+01:00

Lucy and me on the new sofas!

High Five!

Sittin' on the sofa...

Sophie, the scariest one of all!

Our candy-licious spread!

Bloody cupcakes!! (Actually, pumpkin with cream cheese frosting!)

Jack

Miguel getting into Guitar Hero (and the Halloween spirit...)

heehee...

Me singing! (Yay, PS2)

Fin.

Wilco at Ancienne Belgique!

2009-11-08T00:09:00.006+01:00

This week I discovered Ancienne Belgique!

Ok, so I knew about it before this week, but I kept forgetting about it, and thinking it was farther away than it was, and I didn't check the website. This week, however, I got a copy of The Bulletin, a weekly magazine for English speakers in Belgium, that lists all the goings on. I happened to see a picture of the Flaming Lips who are playing at the AB next week, and so I immediately went to their website to see if there were any still available. (Of course not.) I also saw that Wilco was playing the very next day (Friday the 6th), and that show was also sold out. Bummer... right? WRONG!

Under each concerts there were comments listed, and after checking a few, (I had to translate many of them from Flemmish to English) I discovered that there were still tickets to be had! I used google translate to compose an email in Flemmish to one guy, Christof, who had one ticket to the Wilco show. At this point I doubted I would get it, but hey, worth a shot! A few hours later he notified me that indeed, I had the ticket! And for the original selling price! HURRAH!!

A few clumsy emails in Flemmish later, we switched to English and had decided upon a meeting place and time. I must note here, what did we ever do without cell phones??? Anyway, we met up without a hitch! He was a youngun (well, 21 yo) from Ghent (about a half hour from Brussels by train) who was a huge Wilco fan and who reminded me a bit of Mike Zeifang. His brother was supposed to go with him, but canceled at the last minute. Lucky me!

We put our coats into a locker (I'm telling you, this venue was amazing!), checked out the opening act (who we agreed was a bit too "experimental"), got BIG glasses of Stella (for a remarkably low price) and proceeded to get standing places about 5 people-layers from the stage.

I'm not even sure how to describe the concert. It was totally awesome. It was a sold out crowd (approx. 2,000 people) that obviously LOVED the band. They played a fantastic set, with an encore of roughly 8-10 songs! Jeff Tweedy had some fun talking to the crowd. He asked us why in the world would the Belgians vote themselves the most boring people? (Did they really??) He complimented the excellent health care system, as 2 band members had to use it! He teased a guy about double-fisting (holding 2 drinks) the entire concert, and got us all to sing along to "Jesus, etc." (He said we did the best of any "second language" crowd, YAY!!! hahaha, I say yay, even though I don't count in that group...)

I left Christof with 3 cheek kisses (I don't think I'll ever know the right number, it's different with everyone I meet! And it's hard to play it off if you go for an extra, or don't go for it, oy! The stress!) and "Handshake Drugs" stuck in my head. A short 15 minute bus ride and I was back home! I think I will be going to the Ancienne Belgique a lot more in the near future!

Picture of the day...

2009-10-31T13:13:00.004+01:00

Someone wants to go shopping...

Edited for Miguel!

WEDDING!!

Oh, that Sophie...

2009-10-31T12:39:00.006+01:00

So I posted before about my cat Sophie, and her peeing issues and the struggles with medicine. Well, we took her to the vet, this nice one that we had early on that we hunted down to in his brand new practice, Dr. Smets. We told him that we had tried so many options, from multiple litter boxes, to different litter, to getting rid of the futon where she used to pee, even to a cat anti-depressant. We needed a solution.

Well, after giving her an examination, to make sure it wasn't a physical problem, he prescribed a couple of things. I had told him how I hated the effects of the clomicalm, and he said that there were other solutions. 1. Feliway, a cat pheromone diffuser that apparently makes cats happy without side effects and 2. Zylkene, another drug to make cats calm, but totally natural, actually made from some chemical found in cheese! So no dopey, drugged up cat side effects! Yay!

So the first thing I got was the Feliway, because as much experience as I have giving cats pills (oh Phil...), I didn't want to stress Sophie out. So the diffuser has been plugged in for over a week now, and no accidents on the new sofas, or anything else! That's good, though who knows if she would have peed on anything without the meds anyway, it's pretty sporadic. So then yesterday, I got the Zylkene, thinking, oh well, it wouldn't hurt to have it on hand. Well that evening I was showing it to Miguel and we were trying to decide whether to give it to her. I shook the bottle, and the cats came running (I guess it sounded like treats?)! I put one on the floor for Sophie to sniff out. When Cleo tried to approach, Sophie grabbed it in her mouth and ran off! She was protecting her pill!

She went into the corner, and proceeded to try to figure out what it was. She would try to eat it, but it stuck to her little kitty lips and she couldn't get it off. Then she would drop it, pick it up again, and the saliva would stick it to her mouth like glue. She even had to pull a squirrel move, using both of her front paws to try to get it in, all the while protecting it from Cleo. Eventually, while trying to chew it, she punctured it, and white powder spilled out onto the floor.

This she tried to sniff, and ended up (while exhaling) blowing some of it into her face. She then licked it all up and walked away. Such a strange little cat!

So we thought ok, this is probably a one off, she won't do this again tomorrow... I shook the bottle again, and took out a pill and put it on the floor, and sure enough, as soon as Cleo came near, Sophie was off with that pill, and when she finally punctured it, she licked up all the powder! So there you have it! My strange little cat who won't eat ham or chicken scraps (while her sister will devour them), and who is apparently stressed or depressed, will happily self-medicate! Problem solved!

Rough Day

2009-10-23T16:54:00.003+02:00

I'll finish writing about the wedding later, but I feel the need to blog about today...

I've showed you pictures of my little cat Sophie. She is so sweet, and loves nothing more than to sit on my lap (or my chest or knee, if my lap isn't available). I love her to death, but we've been having our problems.

She has had trouble, really, since we got her, with peeing in places she shouldn't. We keep making the mistake of trusting her, thinking that because it's been a while since the last accident, she's grown out of it. We always end up regretting that trust. The other day, we decided to leave the bedroom door open during the night, and we nearly made it, but at about 8am, while Sophie was innocently (or so I thought) sitting on my leg, I started feeling something very hot. Yep, she peed through the comforter and sheet, down to my leg and the mattress. Now mind you, this was 8am on a Saturday. VERY grumpy and upset, Miguel and I get up to throw everything into the washing machine (actually took 2 loads, as the machine is tiny), flip the mattress, remake the bed, etc.

Now, this was the final straw for me, and I decided to take her back to the vet. I had finally found our first vet, Dr. John Smets who has a great manner, good, modern technique and speaks English very well. I had been to a different vet about the same problem, and he prescribed Clomicalm, which is an animal antidepressant that really only served to make Sophie very groggy, disoriented, grumpy, frightened and drugged. This made me upset, stressed, guilty and very nearly sick to my stomach. We lasted 3 days. It took her about a week to return to herself.

So, I went with Miguel to take Sophie to Dr. Smets who gave us a couple new options, both natural, that god-willing, will work. One of them is Feliway, which is a cat pheromone diffuser, which I bought yesterday and installed.

Now, I was told it would take a few days to really kick in, so that's fine. But this morning Sophie was meowing pathetically outside the bedroom door, begging for attention. I finally obliged, deciding to watch her at every second. Cleo of course came barreling in too, and jumped on the bed. Sophie followed suit and IMMEDIATELY went for the spot where she peed the other day, and got into a squatting position. I wasted NO time and kicked her (through the duvet from underneath) off the bed. She ran off and hid behind the futon in the living room. I'm telling you, it did not take her 30 seconds in the bedroom to do this. So I'm trying to be optimistic, but it's becoming more and more difficult.

So that was how I started the day, and the rest of my day has been spent cleaning and baking. I am making brownies for the cafe downstairs to sell on Saturday. This is our first collaboration and I'm really hoping it goes well, so there's pressure. So I made the first batch and put it in the oven, and then sat down to look over the recipe again. It's my grandmother's, and it makes some of the best brownies ever. Of course, that was when I realized that, instead of putting in a teaspoon of baking powder, like the recipe said, I had put in a teaspoon of baking soda. Not good. It smelled weird and rose WAY too high. As soon as it was cool enough I dumped it directly into the trash.

I then cleaned the dish (and all the rest of the dishes I had dirtied) and proceeded to make the NEXT batch of brownies. Of course, I broke a plate in the process. While they were baking, I did the dishes AGAIN (I had also done the dishes from the night before, right before I started baking). It's times like that I reeeeally miss having a dishwasher. I was nervous while that batch was in the oven, because I still have to do one more batch today, and I really don't have time for 4 batches of brownies in one day. Thank god that batch was ok, and now only one more to go. Lord.

I also have a lesson today, which I think (and hope) I'm prepared for. All I really feel like doing, though, is curling up on the futon with the good cat (hahaha) and watching a movie.

Wedding Week!

2009-10-19T11:48:00.003+02:00

So I've been back in Brussels now just over a week after 2 and a half weeks in the US. I was there to get MARRIED. I'm a WIFE now. So now it's time to blog about wedding week! One day at a time...

We kicked things off on Tuesday night with a concert. But not just any concert, U2!!! (And Muse!!!) Cutter, a dear friend of mine, and, in fact, the officiant at the wedding, works as a videographer for U2, and so was able to get us in! Us being my parents, Miguel, his mom (my mom's best friend, Lisa) and me. We had amazing seats, but abandoned them to go to the "Red Zone" and ended up being about 15 feet from Bono and the Edge. It was pretty sweet! They played a great set, though I think they got too caught up in their theatrics and causes (Bono especially), which was distracting from the music. This is coming from the girl who generally only goes to concerts in small venues for a more personal experience. Anyway, it was a great show, and thanks to Cutter for getting us in!!

Wednesday, after sleeping in, it was all errands and packing to leave for the beach the next day! Busy busy busy, but not much to talk about!

Thursday we got up at a decent hour to finish packing, pack up the cars (Mom and Dad were taking one, Miguel and I were taking the other) and set out! (which we of course didn't do til around 12 noon...) The drive was uneventful, and we made it within 6 hours. As it turned out, Nana, Papa, Uncle Gary and Alberto were all already there, so we had a nice happy hour turned dinner with them!

Friday began the chaos. People arriving, hair consultations, nail appointments, etc! After all the appointments it was time to try to calm down and get ready for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner! We met at the Village Beach Club, and everyone that was in the wedding walked out onto the beach. We were organized by my planner, Kathy, who took charge immediately. Most of us took off our shoes as we prepared to do the walk through. As it turns out, we are a hard bunch to manage, as we get distracted easily and have a tendency to dissolve into giggles.

Then came the dolphins. As if we weren't already distracted enough, dolphins began leaping out of the water. There would be a dorsal fin, and another, and then one would just go for it and leap clean out! It was amazing, and as a result, none of us felt too secure about what we were going to have to do the next day.

We then all hopped into cars and proceeded to Argyle's. the chosen place for the rehearsal dinner. They had a BIG sign that said: "Congratulations Brody and Miguel!" That made my night already, my name was in lights! Inside, we had a happy hour and mingling time, and were then directed to our tables. Miguel and I had a little table isolated at the front. The only problem was, we spend all our time together, we wanted to mingle more! So we took breaks from our eating and got in the way of waiters so we could talk to everyone. I stole fries from my 6 year old cousin, Austin, took a family shot (not the picture kind) with Mom, Dad, and Jake, a cousin shot, we celebrated Pat Cunningham's 18th birthday with cake and a song, listened to Seamus sing, had European Union Flag cake, made a few speeches and really just had a blast!

After that, it was on to the s'mores party on the beach! We arrived and immediately saw even MORE people we wanted to see! I talked so much I never even made a s'more! And then, not 30 minutes later, it started to POUR down rain. There was no point in running, it was better just to realize you were going to be wet, and have fun with it, which we did! I would even go as far as saying we frolicked. The only casualty was Vince's glasses, which we did find, but they were smashed. Sorry Vince! We hung out (very damp) for a while before changing into dry clothes, but even then we continued partying in the house until about 2am, when my mom intervened, saying that we had a big day tomorrow and needed sleep! Yes mom...

But this is already long! I will write about the big day, but later! I will leave off with saying that I'm sorry there are no pictures in this post, but if you want to see some I'll give you the link!

http://ampersanderstudios.zenfolio.com/brodymiguelwedding

Password: 100309letson

Enjoy!

Every now and then...

2009-09-20T22:37:00.004+02:00

We need to stop and smell the roses.

The Return of Picture of the Day

2009-09-02T10:58:00.003+02:00

Here we have Bob L'Eponge instead as "Bob le Gaufre" (Bob the waffle). How very appropriate!

Back in Belgium

2009-09-01T17:35:00.004+02:00

I'm back in Brussels, and while I am glad to be back, and glad to get back into the swing of things, I have immediately been made aware of the flaws of this city (and country). And no, I'm not just talking about the weather!

Just in the last couple days:

1) Slow service at restaurants/cafes- Now, I know this is the case in a lot of Europe, and I know that I'm American, and that the American system for servers (getting paid basically nothing and working for tips) is seriously flawed. And I even know that it's nice not to be bothered sometimes when you just want to sit with a coffee and a book, or with a beer and some friends for an extended period of time. However, if you need to make a movie or something, it is best not to even try to go out. Getting the check is an effort, and I have succeeded, once, in walking out on a 50 EUR tab (don't worry, I went back to pay the next day). We stood outside of the restaurant debating whether to go back in that night for 10 MINUTES, and no one came out to make us pay, or even noticed. Then the next day, it was actually difficult to pay. So I guess the restaurants here (like the public transportation system) run on guilt.

2) Bandwidth caps- These are basically a limit on how much you can use the internet, download and upload things. This is a pain in the ass. As soon as you go over your limit (20-50GB per month) not only are you charged per GB, but internet speed falls to about the same as dial up. Very few other countries have such things, and I'm sure if enough people complained about it they could be removed, but the people here seem to be overwhelmingly passive, and so, while living here I must conform. (This leads into the next topic...)

3) People are PASSIVE- If there is anything wrong here with service (restaurant, internet, phone, cable, heating, etc.) the way to deal with it seems to be to just accept that there are flaws and move on. No one wants to deal with said flaws, it's too much work, so they just let them go. The sidewalk on Chausee d'Ixelles has been torn up for God know how long (I trip every single day I go out) and does anyone ever think, hmm, perhaps we should fix this? Nope. (Part of the problem is there are large stones set in sand. Sand which shifts over time, causing those large stones to crack under the weight of so much foot traffic.) We just turn a blind eye, or, in this case, stare at our feet so we don't trip. With this explanation perhaps you can see how Belgium went without a government for 8 months.

4) The Post Office- I never have good luck at the post office. When packages come for me, apparently they ring the bell, but I'm suspicious, because even when I'm here ALL DAY, I don't hear it, and then have to go and pick whatever it is up. Also, I had friends visiting a couple months ago, they wanted to send some Italian olive oil back home to friends and family, so I took them to the good old post office (where the queen of mullets -short bangs, short above the ears, straight and all the same length in the back down to the base of her neck- is always on duty). Over a month later I went back to retrieve something, and they show me a beat up package which still contained it's bottle of olive oil. It took me 10 minutes of broken English to get them to give it to me, but also to get out of them that it had been sitting there for 2 weeks, and I hadn't been given any kind of notification! And the final straw: I sold my old laptop on ebay a few days ago, and I needed to send it out to the Netherlands. I took it to the post office, and surprise: it wasn't all that expensive! (yay) However, because it was over 3 kilos, it could not be insured. They don't do insurance. What the hell??? They actively try to sell you on insurance for packages in the States! And it was not allowed! You'd think the bigger the package, the more likely it should be insured! So fingers crossed it gets to its destination...

ALL of that said, Belgium is a nice country to live in. I have a nice apartment, I live in a great neighborhood and I enjoy my life here. But maybe, just maybe, they should put ME in charge of a few things.... (Muahahahahaha!)

Sorry for the long absence!

2009-08-24T01:19:00.004+02:00

I've been back in the good old US of A! I know, I know, I was just here, but I had to come back, mostly for vacation purposes, but also to make some decisions about the wedding. I go back to Brussels on Friday.

I spent my first night at home here in my parents' house, eating Chinese food with my good friend Lena. Somehow in my sleep-deprived, travel-addled state, it was all I could think of eating. I was more tired than usual due to my ridiculous trip.

Ok, so I know August is a really bad time to travel, high ticket prices, crowds, etc., and yet I decided to do it anyway. Of course, I didn't have a whole lot of choice, those wedding decisions weren't going to decide themselves, so away I flew, adding a nice chunk of change to what I already owe the parental units. The problems started when I got to the airport in Brussels...

I was told at the ticket counter that the economy class of the Continental Airlines flight I was supposed to be on was overbooked. Sad face. But, they were giving upgrades! Happy face! So in my overly optimistic mind-set, I marched right through security, not stopping, not passing go, not even collecting 200! I get to the gate and there is a very long line, God knew what for. There was a free woman at the desk, so I went to talk to her, but one of the people in line said "There's a line, ya know!" so I was forced back. After waiting line for about 10 minutes to be asked the same security questions I had already been asked, they said I couldn't go through, because I didn't have a seat assignment! Then I went up to the free woman at the desk. I gave her my prepared schpiel which included "I just got married!" She glared at me. "You have to wait like everyone else!" (she said sternly.) If she had been American I would have been put in first class, or at least business!

So she took my ticket and I was free to go get the bottle of water I had passed by before in my effort to get to the gate quickly. After that errand, I returned, and the same woman told me I still didn't have a seat assignment. Miguel read off the European passenger rights to me on the phone (if I had been bumped off the flight there would have been a new flight and money!) but alas, I was called at the last second and given a boarding pass. I looked at my seating assignment, knowing that little number would mean nothing to me until I was on the plane. And oy, did it mean something to me then!

I was in the worst seat possible. Directly in front of the bathrooms (noisy, the seat didn't recline) and in the middle. Being in the middle sucks. A lot. I like to get up and walk around and have easy access to the bathroom. The guy on the aisle kept falling asleep (how he could, god knows), so I think I only went to the bathroom twice. During the whole 7-8 hour flight. Twice. Normally I go 4-5 times. Grr. Nor did things get better after that flight was over. Oh no...

That flight was into Newark, NJ. There had been, and were still, thunderstorms all afternoon. And I mean ALL afternoon. So I picked up my luggage to go through customs. No problem. I took it to the designated luggage drop off area and waited in another line. I then showed my boarding pass to the guy there. "I'm sorry ma'am, that flight has been cancelled." "Say what now?" Crappity crap crap.

On to the Continental window. My connecting flight was supposed to leave at 2:40pm. After waiting in yet another line the woman says "I can get you on another flight that leaves at 9:00pm." *jaw drops* I ask "Don't you have anything else?" her: "Are you ok with flying into Reagan National?" me: "Dear god, yes!" her: "I can get you on a flight at 5pm." me: "Done! And make it a window seat!"

So smooth sailing from there eh? No problem. Just a few hours... MMhmm. So I go to the gate for that flight. I sit for a few minutes, and BOOM delayed. Keeping in mind I got to the airport about 8am. I sit a while longer. BOOM delayed again. A few more minutes BOOM cancelled. Say what now? The tell us to go to the Continental desk. Wait in line. Again. I get to someone and they say "That flight isn't cancelled." ????? Go back to the gate, but now it's another flight there, not mine. I check the board, and now my flight is set to leave from a few gates away at 7:45pm! RAPTURE!!

The rest is easy. I got on that flight and made it home. TA DA.

There's more to tell, but not now. I just saw Julie & Julia and was in a blogging state of mind, not knowing what the hell I would talk about (I never really know), and here is a super long entry! Voila!

Anna's Visit!

2009-07-21T22:46:00.002+02:00

Anna left a week ago today after a wonderful visit! We had a week of wandering around Brussels, hanging out and just generally enjoying each other’s company.

She got here on Wednesday of last week, and after my customary visit to Belgium’s only Starbucks, we were on our way back to my humble abode. The bus ride was excruciatingly slow because it was rush hour, so it took ages to get back. Miguel helped carry the bag upstairs, and I let Anna settle in for a well deserved nap.I got her up around 12:30 so we could meet Miguel and a couple others for lunch at El Vergel (our fave lunch spot). That was delicious, as always, and a fun lively atmosphere.

The rest of the afternoon was chilling, going grocery shopping, and mini crime night (NCIS and CSI Miami). Exciting, I know!

The next day, Thursday, was quite cloudy, but after lunch we decided to attempt a walk to the Grand Place. We got about halfway there when the clouds broke apart and it started POURING. Like, these clouds were not messing around, we’re talking BIG, fat-ass rain drops that were VERY cold. So we decided we needed to take shelter somewhere (as neither of us had an umbrella), so we ducked into this cafe, Au Cherch Midi, where the proprietor promptly shooed us out, saying they were closed (even though there were loads of people at tables, eating and drinking). I’m never going there again! So then we were stuck out again, to wander until we found a ledge to duck under. Mind you, were completely soaked and cold at this point. We did go into this cool furniture shop that had some pretty amazing pieces, but a single pillow cost about 400 EUR. We were followed around by one of them women that worked there, she probably thought we would steal something, or damage it beyond repair. After that, we found ourself a ledge and an overhang and stood there for about 15 minutes, waiting for the rain to let up. Did it? Not really. We got tired of waiting, so when it had lessened to a pour, we ventured out.

On the way back I stopped to pick up a free magazine to use as an umbrella-substitute, and was complimented by another passer-by (in French) at my ingenuity. We made our way to Veritas (a place that had umbrellas) and I went over to pick one out. At that point we were very close to home, but I didn’t own one at all (stupid cheap umbrellas, always breaking), so I decided it’s now or never. I talked to a couple of girls also looking at umbrellas, about how there were cheaper places to buy them, but they broke and why clear umbrellas are better. Anna and I then went home and dried off, and decided leaving the apartment was overrated.

The following day, we actually did make it to the Grand Place, and all around Brussels without rain spoiling our plans (though we brought the umbrella anyway). We wandered all around the center, and did lots of touristy things (like get Anna one of those disposable cameras). We saw the royal park, the Palais Royale, and lots of other things. We got her some chocolates to take home, and some good cookies at Maison Dandoy. After that we dragged our butts back home.

We also went out for a lovely dinner that night at Belgo Belge (a Belgian restaurant we live really close to, but hadn’t tried yet). Anna treated (bc she’s awesome) and we had some great food. I had duck breast in Kriek (cherry beer) sauce, YUM. We then went to l’Ultime Atome (another restuarant/cafe very close) and got dessert (Dame Blance, vanilla ice cream with melted Belgian chocolate poured on top, again, YUM). We returned home stuffed and happy.

Saturday saw us up and out by 1pm for more sight-seeing and the like. We walked through the Sablon, to the Grand Place, saw the Mannekin Pis, got waffles, saw a movie and got the bus home. Sunday, the church bells woke us all up around 10, and we wandered around groggily getting our breakfast together. The rest of the day (and Monday) we spent walking around more, getting souvenirs (for Anna), chocolates, going out to dinner etc.

All in all, I would say it was a VERY successful visit! (Pictures coming soon!)

Hit and Run

2009-07-17T09:47:00.000+02:00

On Tuesday, Miguel and I decided to take a walk in the royal park after work. We made it about halfway around the perimeter, when we heard “SCREEEEEECH, CRASH!!!! SCREEEEEECH, VRROOOOM” After the first screech, we turned to look, and saw this navy blue sports car, complete with spoiler take a turn WAY too fast, slam into a parked convertible Mini (knocking the back bumper clean off), and then tear away.

Being that hit-and-runs disgust me (how inconsiderate can you be, I mean honestly), I wanted to do something about it. We stood looking around for quite a while, talked to a couple other witnesses (there were loads, it was a nice, bright day and there were a lot of people in the park, as well as leaving work) and continued on our way. I wanted to call the police, and Miguel was saying he didn’t have the vocab in French. We were still walking and talking about it, when we saw some federal police right across the street, and talking to one of our fellow-witnesses, no less. We decided we had to go over and share what we saw, and it turned out the guy knew some English. The guard from next door came over as we described the car, and started ranting (in perfect English) about how this happens a lot, and people are so inconsiderate, etc. After Miguel gave the officer his ID, we said goodbye to the guard (who left us with the remark that more people should be like us, haha) and continued on our walk.

So there you have it, there’s always something going on!

...

2009-06-29T21:32:00.002+02:00

ANNA'S COMING!!!
(I might get in trouble for this...)

Porte de Namur Street Party

2009-06-28T22:37:00.004+02:00

For the past 2 days there has been a massive street party, right outside my window. Streets blocked off, the smell of grilling meat, masses of people, mostly Congolese, swirling through the neighborhood. It's been quite something.

There have been bad parts, deafening music, mostly African (I assume West African), one song blending into another for hours and hours. Fighting our way through the crowds, Miguel and I lost each other on a number of occasions. Having to keep a close eye on ALL belongings, moreso than usual. Also, the fish they grill smells like the salt fish in the stores around here, like fish that's been dead for a long time...

There have been interesting/funny parts. Looking at knockoff bags (sorry, I will not buy a Gussaci bag, no matter how "authentic" you claim it is), interesting outfits and some fun music. Just tonight they played "Beat It" and as we watched out the window, a guy on the street started dancing, the actual choreography, MJ's choreography! A crowd gathered almost immediately, and began clapping and cheering, and then, offering money. All of these people, waving 5, 10, 20 euro bills at him, not unlike one would do at a strip club (not like I know about that from experience...) and he took the money! Apparently it's a sign of appreciation.

I have to say, there is MAJOR respect for famous African Americans here. Obama is practically idolized, and it seems there is some serious appreciation for Michael Jackson here. So maybe, just maybe, we're not so different after all.

Picture of the day...

2009-06-23T19:41:00.003+02:00

This is what you can do with cupcakes and googly eyes.

Warning, it's a long one!

2009-06-22T14:46:00.017+02:00

I'm now back in Brussels (have been for a week) after my trip home to the US and my mini-break in Dublin and London.

It was such a treat being back home, especially since I hadn't been in 5 months! My room, my house, my family, my friends, nothing had really changed. I did notice a few odd things though: For starters, my bed seemed very high and the toilets seemed low. I tried many times to race up the stairs to where my room is, to no avail. I always tripped on the last step or two, it seems my legs/feet forgot how many there were. Getting back into driving was easier than I expected, and not nearly so nerve wracking as I was prepared for.

I went into Washington, DC a few times, and felt as though I was seeing the city through different eyes. It was clean and inviting. Familiar, but fresh. It made me look forward to moving back there eventually. I think part of the change has to be in some way related to our wonderful new president, Mr. Obama. This was the first time I had been in the country with him as president, and it made me feel very proud, and more patriotic than I have been in years.

Two weeks passed very quickly, and then it was time for "The Great Schlepp." I packed my bags, one big, one small, and was driven to the airport by my parents. After checking my luggage (not too heavy for this flight) I went to my gate. Imagine my joy when I found out that my Aer Lingus flight had scheduled a last minute stop in Boston on the way to Dublin. This was just dandy, especially since on the way to DC from Dublin we had to stop in Shannon because something was wrong with the plane. But oh well, so Boston it was.

We gained quite a few more passengers there, including 2, who took the seats next to me. I was in the middle row where there are 4 seats, and this was a mother and child, and they took up the remaining 3. They couldn't leave me one freakin barrier seat. So I immediately started building up my grudge against them. The woman asked me if I would be willing to swap seats with her husband, who was in the row behind us (after I finished watching my movie, she suggested). I agreed, since he had an empty seat next to him.

So this sparked a conversation between us, and it turns out she wasn't SO bad. She and her husband were American, going to their house in Ireland. She had taken a sleeping pill and brought with her a thermos of white wine, which she had gotten from a post-security airport restaurant. She seemed quite tipsy as it was, and offered me a couple glasses, which, how could I refuse? She basically told me her whole life story (having adopted her daughter from Russia, how she didn't really like the American world view, etc.) before passing out. I never did swap with her husband, both were asleep before I could get back to my movie and finish it.

We landed in Dublin a few short hours later, and surprisingly, getting through the passport check/customs was a breeze. I then found Siobhan's dad without too much trouble, and we were on our way to their house. We arrived, and I was famished and exhausted. He grilled me a couple rashers of bacon, I made some scrambled eggs, and we had some toast and tea to go with it. It was just what I needed. I then retreated up to my room for a good couple hours of naptime.

I spent the majority of the rest of the day watching tv and hanging out, waiting for Siobhan to get home from work. When she did get home we had a light dinner and went to see a movie, Last Chance Harvey with Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. It was a nice movie, though nothing spectacular.

The next day I took the bus into town and caught a glmpse of this odd jacket on the guy in front of me. It looks like it would be ideal for a motorcyclist, but he was riding the bus... Anyway, I spent the afternoon wandering all over Dublin, listening to random buskers and then meeting up with Miguel's Aunt Joan and cousin, Maureen. We had a drink in a cafe, chatted, and by then it was time for me to go meet Siobhan and get home. We got a ride from her sister, which was very nice, and then decided to have a girly night in. We got some popcorn, some Rock Shandy and a copy of Bride Wars. We also brought her dog, Bob in to watch with us. He kept staring at me, and his stare was not unlike the dramatic chipmunk on youtube.

Early the next morning we were off to London! We got a taxi about 7:15am, picked up Bronagh and we were on our way! I miraculously didn't have to pay anything extra for my luggage and we made our way to McDonald's for the breakfast of champions, and then to the flight.

We arrived in London Heathrow, and of course, the Tube was down because of a strike. One painfully expensive cab ride later, we were at our hostel! (which was right by St. Peter's Cathedral) We went to a cheap place for some lunch and hunt out back at the hostel for a few hours. Hey, we were tired! We then got all dolled up to go to dinner and the Britney Spears concert. To those of you who are judging me right now, I fart in your general direction.

We had some good food at Ye Olde Cock Tavern (no joke). I had fish and chips, and we all shared a pitcher of some cocktail I can't remember. Then we were off to find the bus that would take us to the O2 stadium (fuckin tube). It took a year and a mitvach to get there, by which time we had missed Ciara. Eh, no big deal. Brit Brit was the main attraction. Too bad our seats were in the last possible row!We could still see (in was a concert in a round) but not well enough, and there was no big projection screen (big mistake O2). Still, it was a fun concert!

We got lost on the way home and wandered for about 45 minutes before getting back to our (very nearby) hostel where 2 other girls, Emer and Mairead were waiting for us. We had a chill night so we would be rested up for the next day. The Tube was back up and running, but we decided walking was better, and so we wandered all over the city before returning to the city. The girls went to see Avenue Q (which I had seen) and because I didn't have a lot of money, I stayed in and had a nice evening in. (I was still jet lagged, after all.) I did go out for an evening walk to take some pictures:
The next day we walked all the way down to the West Bank, saw loads of street performers, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the London Eye, etc. I'm afraid those pics will have to come later, seeing as this is already the longest blog entry in the history of the world. And no, I have never exaggerated in my entire life. I hope you managed to get through this post, if you have, congrats! You win!

2009-06-07T04:12:00.004+02:00

So I'm back in the States and have been for 2 weeks now. I'm back in Europe on as of Tuesday and back in Brussels as of Saturday the 13th.

I've had a good time being back, I have grocery shopped (and ate) to my heart's content, watched a bit too much tv, seen lots of friends,
attended one wedding...

and have seen 3 movies (thus far).
-The Soloist- wonderful, moving, true story
-The Hangover- hilarious, silly, entertaining
-Drag me to Hell- scary, funny, campy, wonderful
And tomrorow I'm going to see Up (the new Disney/Pixar film).

I have also done a good bit of shopping for "necessities." It's been a good time, but I'm looking forward to my triumphant return to Europe (and to Miguel). And now it's less than 4 months to OUR wedding, how crazy is that?

Snow White came to Brussels

2009-05-21T12:42:00.002+02:00

So, little tidbit (because I am procrastinating), Tomek, the Polish guy we were out with last night was talking about going to Germany. He actually didn't know where in Germay he was going, but he knew it was where Snow White was from. None of us had heard of this part of Germany, and were all kind of skeptical. Fast forward to today...

I decided to look it up, and apparently (according to Wikipedia) the story of Snow White has a ton of parallels with Margarete Van Weldeck (1533-1554) who was very attractive, had problems with her stepmother, grew up in Waldeck (a town in Germany) where children (known as dwarfs) worked in mines, etc. THEN, Margarete moved to Brussels! Where she attracted the romantic interest of several nobles, including Phillip II of Spain, who wanted to marry her, but she fell victim of a poisoning! (And died at the age of 21.)

So there you have it, the possible (probably) inspiration for the folk tale Snow White came to Brussels.

Holidays in Brussels...

2009-05-21T12:26:00.006+02:00

Are great. Today Miguel has a day off, so we slept in, and then noticed the market just outside the window! (Living in Boniface has its advantages.) So we got dressed and wandered around before having a lovely breakfast of eggs, bacon and tea on the terrace of L'Ultime Atome (the same place we had drinks last night, they must be getting sick of us over there) and enjoyed the lovely weather.

The only problem with holidays here, though, is everything is closed. It's worse than a Sunday! We had to go into town to buy the beer I wanted to get for my dad (Tripel Karmeliet and Kwak), but it all worked out, and now it's time to pack!

It's going to be weird driving again, and not having to lug groceries up 3 flights of stairs. Hurrah vacation! USA (and Whole Foods), here I come!

Reason to love Brussels (other than the chocolate)

2009-05-21T01:21:00.003+02:00

Tonight I went out for drinks with a few friends to say goodbye before my big trip to the States. we were all talking and having a good time, when I looked around and realized what an interesting group we were (at least based on nationality). We had:

1 Irish/Spanish
1 Irish
1 Belgian
1 Jordanian
1 Polish and
1 American.

Yep, Brussels is pretty cool.

Dora the Explora

2009-04-23T22:03:00.003+02:00

Today I was babysitting Faisal, and after his nap I told him he could watch part of a movie/DVD, and he chose to watch some Dora the Explorer. I had heard of it, but I had never watched it before today. I haven't seen a show that brainwashing since Barney. It was made to make kids repeat after the characters on the screen, so everything is said very slowly, in simple terms and at least 4 times over.

I had Faisal turn it off after about 10 minutes and we proceeded to play with "tracks" (trains). The entire time, he wouldn't talk to me, he was repeating the dialogue of the show. Particularly "We're a team, there's nothing we can't do!" but when he said it, it was like "We're a teeeeam." He sounded like a brainwashed zombie. Just saying "We're a team. We're a team. We're a teeeeeeam." Actually, scratch the zombie, it was more like he was a ghost haunting someone with that phrase. Plus, I don't think zombies can say anything besides "Braaaaaains..."

Yeah, I think I'm gonna avoid Dora from now on.

2009-04-22T22:53:00.003+02:00

I must miss the States a lot. For the last 2 out of 3 nights, I've had dreams about going grocery shopping back in the US of A. The first dream was in Giant, the second was in Whole Foods. I absolutely cannot wait to go. Is that sad?

Mmmm, America.

Things and Stuff

2009-04-21T23:02:00.018+02:00

So it's been about a week, and what has happened?

Brice went on to this farm near Liverpool to learn about joinery and live in a teepee/wigwam. (I told him he had to go to that farm because he got to live in one. If I could, I would, just to say I had.) Miguel and I then had to get used to having the apartment to ourselves again, ourselves and the cats, that is.

We're all doing fine, though Miguel did get hit by a car today! Ok, it was more like, the car was backing up very slowly into him, but he is totally fine, not even a bruise. We banged on the car though to let the woman know we were pissed.

Oh, I've been trying to come up with something to put on the walls (they are kinda boring as of now) and it occured to me I could paint them with a design or a mural or something. Since we are living in a very art nouveau neighborhood I want to do something, well, art nouveau-y. I've been doing some sketches to test things out...

Feel free to leave thoughts or ideas!

So now, just to remind you all that I have cute cats, I present you with...

1) Plotting kitty
And 2) Sleeping kittyAnd, for good measure, both cats together on my awesome new (used) chair!
In other news, both Miguel and I got our hair cut today (at different places), he's not so happy with his, but I love mine! (this picture also featuring my semi-new glasses!)And since this is already a picture heavy post, I may as well include another couple from good old photobooth! (Sophie the just plain cute and Cleo the camera hog)

Oh, Miguel and I went to see "He's Just Not That Into You" tonight (the premier here in Belgium, cue "ooh"s and "ahh"s). It was pretty good, cute. Not anything AMAZING. Also, Jennifer Anniston has seen better days... (Does saying that make me mean?)

Anyway, Brussels is fine otherwise. Really nice weather, outdoor cafes, trees with leaves, indoor picnics, friends, it's pretty good! I do miss home though, and am really looking forward to my visit!

So, I guess that's it for me for now! I hope everyone is doing well and had a great Eastover!

Dear Mom and Dad

2009-04-15T00:44:00.003+02:00

And really, whoever else reads this and might have $44 lying around... This is awesome.

Can I have it? Please?

Today I did something fun...

2009-04-14T22:36:00.005+02:00

I met up with my best friend from kindergarten here in Brussels!

I had searched for her on facebook a month or so ago, and added has as a friend (stalker that I am) and she added me back! And it turns out, that her mom lives in Brussels! Since she lives a country over, we decided to meet up the next time she was in town. So that was today!

I was a bit nervous as I waited for her (for all of 5 minutes) at the De Bruckere metro station, seeing as we hadn't seen each other for roughly 19 years. We walked over to an Exki (a sort of healthy fast food shop) and sat and talked for hours! The time passed so quickly, that she missed the train she had intended to take. So, with another half hour to kill, we went over to O'Reillys for another while and sat on the balcony overlooking the Bourse (this building).

So we are going to keep in touch, and hopefully hang out a lot more! And that is my news. The end!

Happy Eastover!

2009-04-12T13:24:00.003+02:00

Brussels is pretty dead today. Everything is closed and people are at home, at church or traveling. There's not much to do but relax and plan dinner (lamb, potatoes, green beans and lots of chocolate). So... here is my picture of the day!

I hope everyone has a nice holiday, and I'll probably be posting again soon.

Something new...

2009-04-10T23:48:00.005+02:00

I'm going to try introducing a new "segment" to this blog called "Picture a day." Some will be of Brussels, some will be of elsewhere. Some will be old, some new. I think you get the point.

So, without further ado... the Picture of the Day!

2009-04-10T23:17:00.003+02:00

So in Belgium, and really, in Europe, there's not a lot of AC. AC is walk over to the window, open the window, and step back. The only problem is (for entomophobes like me) bugs fly in. I also do not yet own a flyswatter. Problem?

Not any longer!

I have 2 cats, under a year old... they are the best bug-catchers out there! They may knock over a vase or two in the process... but psh, I would do that with a fly swatter!

So there you have it.

Also, there is a piano bar downstairs that has great music, and it wafts up into the apartment.

So this is what it would be like...

2009-04-10T12:32:00.005+02:00

For those of you that are not francophones (and can't figure out the picture) this film is called Make Love with a Belgian. Yup.

It's been a while...

2009-04-08T21:43:00.014+02:00

I apologize for the lack of posts, I've been slacking off. I'd like to say I've been busy, but I haven't really. Here's a brief account...

-I went to a park with Miguel, which was fun

From Living the Expat Life...

-I got sick with some crazy sinus/cough thing and didn't leave the apartment for about 2 weeks. I was full of green snot, had no voice, and was up all night a couple nights coughing. It was lovely. Miguel took good care of me until I finally went to the doctor and she fixed me up with everything BUT antibiotics.

-Somewhere along the line, I think before I was sick, Miguel and I went to the equivalent of China Town here and took pictures of products with funny names.

-Just after I got back on my feet, a good old friend came to visit! Brice! He's still here and hanging with us. He's a lot of fun to have around and bum around town with. He also does the dishes. :-)He also takes a lot of pictures and is fun to go to bars with. We went to one called Delirium on Sunday and tried a bunch of kinds of beer. My first was one on tap called "Pink Killer" (a grapefruit-y beer which, happily, didn't kill me), then Barbar (a tasty, strong honey beer) and then I had a St. Idesbald Blonde (all, as far as I know, Belgian).

All the while we were looking around the bar (there was a lot of beer-kitsch), talking to random people (mostly tourists, but interesting tourists), Brazilians, Americans, Aussies, Brits, etc. We noticed that there was a lot of money (esp. US dollar bills) on the wall. We decided to write on one and donate it to the cause. The bartender put it up for us! (He also took this pic of it for us...)Greenwich St. represent! Brice then went to bum a cigarette off of these guys who turned out to be British soldiers that served in Northern Ireland (he sure can pick em!). They were friendly and bought us a few rounds of something, no idea what. They were already quite inebriated...

So then was the long walk home followed by a bit of a same-day hangover. It was a lot of fun though, and totally worth it.

So that was one of our adventures. Our other was last night. After getting my tax refund (and stimulus check! btw, I think "stimulus check" should be a euphemism for something!), we decided we needed a celebration! We decided to FINALLY go to the restaurant we live above, Au Vieux Bruxelles! We got a bottle of pinot gris from Alsace, a starter of a selection of sausages, Brice and Miguel each got mussels (Mig with garlic sauce, Brice with blue cheese), I got a vol au vent de poularde (kinda like a chicken pot pie), all of it came with frites, and then we got a couple of desserts (mini creme brulee and a mini dame blanche-- vanilla ice cream served with melted Belgian chocolate. Everything was totally delicious and we will be going back there. I did try the mussels, and while I'm not a fan yet, they were certainly palatable and I will try them again. Dad, you would love this place!

So that's the latest of my adventures. I would like to share with you a funny thing about Brussels. Most of you have heard of the Manneken Pis, aka. the peeing boybut fewer people have heard of the Jeanneke Pis, aka. the peeing girl! Yep. There is such a thing, and now, finally, I have a picture!So there you have it folks. I hope you have enjoyed this post, and I will try to post more soon!

Weird Brussels

2009-03-02T22:35:00.002+01:00

So the other story I had to tell was about this picture. You see, behind this police car there is a garage for people that live in that apartment building (right across the street from ours). Now, people park there pretty frequently, and then when someone that can park in the garage wants to get in or out, lots and lots of honking ensues, which prompts us to look out the window at what's going on. Most of the time it's one of the Congolese causing the trouble. Well, when we got back from the movie on Saturday, this police car was parked there! Please note the arrow pointing to the no parking sign! So there you have it.

Saturday Night Movie in Brussels and Strange Occurrences

2009-03-02T11:48:00.008+01:00

So Miguel and I decided to go and see a movie Saturday night, because there are tons out that we want to see. The choice of the night was Milk. It just opened here last Tuesday, so we were actually on top of it this time. So a Saturday night movie date was the name of the game. We got our tickets in advance this afternoon to avoid the queue, so we thought we were way ahead of the game. Ha. Ha. Ha.

So we set off with plenty of time to get a good seat and catch the trailers. To start out, if I haven't mentioned it before, we live in a great neighborhood in Ixelles, Boniface, right by the Matonge. This is a mostly Congolese (Afrikaan) area, and the people there tend to be a bit different from your average Belgian/Bruxelloise. They like to walk in groups of 2, 3 or even 4 people and block off the whole sidewalk. This reminds me very much of Siena on market day, so I've decided that playing chicken is a great idea, and now for the most part I don't move an inch. I've decided that I, too, am entitled to a piece of the sidewalk, and so, when confronted by these groups (several times a day) I square my shoulders and prepare for impact. And, unfortunately for my shoulder, I normally get hit pretty hard. So I got slammed more than a few times on the way to this movie mostly due to my own stubbornness.

So we get to the theater pretty much without incident, and go in with our tickets. I stopped to get some popcorn and Miguel went downstairs to get seats. You usually have to get there quite early to get a good seat. So I get my popcorn, and head down to meet him, and I see this huge crowd of people. Well, I thought it was huge at the time, but it was going to get a lot bigger. So I kinda push my way through, looking for Miguel, and he finally finds me and says that they've blocked it off and aren't letting anyone in. Ok. So at the time it was 6:50pm, and our movie was set to start at 7:10. As we wait, the crowd grows. It starts to fill up the entire downstairs lobby. If there had been a fire, most of us would have been trampled to death. We all stand around, wait, look at each other quizzically, tap our feet for ages. Then, a staff member comes out and called for all those going to "Salle 8" (we are 7, so it's a no-go). So by now it's 7:05, and everyone is antsy from all the standing around, my popcorn is half gone end everyone is fed up. Then, we see these people sneaking around the empty snack counter into the theaters. So the people at the very front of the line see this and get pissed off. It's now 7:08. Someone opens the velvet rope, and we all charge in. Luckily, miguel and I were near the front. We grab our seats, and watch the auditorium fill up. And it did fill up. This is a huge one, and nearly every seat was occupied.

So we settle in for the trailers. This is a weird thing about the UGC Toison D'Or (the theater we go to normally). They show the trailers before the start time of the movie. At 7:10 when the lights go down there are commercials. The same commercials. Every. Single. Damn. Time. The kind of commercials that make you mutter to yourself, I paid for a ticket why? Nevertheless, we got through those and the show started.

I'll say now, Milk was an excellent movie. So well done, well acted, etc. But I'm sure many of you have already seen it so I'll move on.

When I go to the movies I like to be transported. I like to soak in the film and, if it's good, stay in my little reverie for as long as possible. Well, this is not possible at the UGC on a Saturday night. We get out of the show (along with the mob), and we're going up the maze of stairs to the ground level, and a woman kicks her foot back while walking, and it connects, very painfully, with my shin. Now, had we been in the US, or maybe any other civilized country, this person would have looked back and apologized. Not here. She was walking in the middle of the staircase, so she couldn't have thought she kicked the railing. So, with the full knowledge that she just kicked someone, hard enough to give them a bruise, she walked on, talking to her friend. This made me angry. So angry that on the walk home I pity the people that tried to defend their 12 inches of sidewalk.

So that is why we don't go to the movies on Saturday nights.

And here's an odd story from Friday night. Miguel and I were walking back from happy hour with the American Club (which was fun) and Miguel says "Look, a guy peeing." Now, this was 9:30 on a Friday night, there were quite a few people walking around, and this guy (Afrikaan) was taking a piss on a white van while talking on his cell phone. As the owner watched in horror. Finally, his spoke up and told the guy to move off. The guy proceeded to walk around to the back of the van and continued peeing and talking on the phone. The owner then came around to tell the guy off again, that it was his van, etc., and the peeing guy was all apologetic, and patting the owner on the shoulder, etc., while we looked on, rather horrified/disgusted. So gross.

And there you have a bit of weird Brussels.

This gives a new meaning to the word "Pussycat"

2009-02-21T15:00:00.001+01:00

So, as you know, my 2 lovely kitties are in heat, and have turned into little whores, sticking their lady-bits into whatever they can.

So, I'm n the living room, playing on my PS2, and I take a break after a level, and I hear from the kitching "I'm hot blooded, check it and see/I've got a fever of a hundred and three..." Cats cooing and meowing away. I go in, and say Miguel, what are you listening to? "Foreigner." So I said "I don't think I can take listening to "Hot blooded" while the cats are running around doing their kitty cat sex thing. So he went to the next song. The next song which I thought would be better. And what was it, you ask?

"I. Can't. Get. No... Satisfaction"

I groaned and said, "What, do you have it on your 'cats in heat' playlist??"

What a day...

2009-02-20T23:48:00.001+01:00

So today was one of those doozies of a day when hiding out in the apartment and sending Miguel out for food seems totally acceptable.

This morning was fine, I bought food for lunch, waited for Miguel to get home, the usual. Just before he got there I was petting the cats and they were acting strange... they were over-affectionate, quite vocal and kept sticking their little butts in the air. My next thought: shit, their in heat. As soon as Miguel got in we called the vet and made an appointment for them to get spayed. So for the next couple of days we're gonna be living with those two little cats sticking their little va-jay-jays in our faces. Awesome.

So there really wasn't anything I could do about that right then, so I left for work, a little early because I had to get there before 3. No problem, I left at 1:45 (normally it takes about 40-45 minutes, I left extra time). I get the first and second train, no problem. I get up to the tram. Now, that station, Montgomery, is the beginning/end of the line for 2 trams, the 39 and the 44. I take the 44. The one up there when I got to the platform was the 39. Ok, I sit and wait. But there was some drama that I didn't understand, people that were waiting for the other one were getting on the 39 after the driver said something. What he said, I have no idea. I figured it didn't apply to me, because I had to get to Terveuren, the end of the line. So I wait, no problem.

The 44 pulls in, I get on, I sit down, put my ipod on and start to play solitaire on it. I get about halfway, and the driver starts herding everyone off the tram. Oy, what now?? I had no idea. We all stood around for a while as the tram went back the way it came. Then another 44 came up to where the last one had been. We got on. I realized as I got on... wait, this isn't a tram. This is a bus! Cue me paranoid staring out the window, looking around and back at my fellow passengers. (Some of whom were I think some kind of sports team, a bunch of guys, some in Jamaica colors, talking and laughing very loudly). We're stuck in traffic and I'm getting paranoid about the time, checking the time on my ipod. I also had forgotten my cell phone, so I couldn't call if I'd wanted to. Then, the bus stops and everyone gets off... but me. Then the bus goes again, and I decided to ask the driver to make sure it was going to the end of the line. It was.

We made it to Terveuren where Dana (Faisal's mom) was waited in her car. It was 3:01.

So that was it? That was the whole bad day? haha NOPE.

The first part of the day with Faisal was fine and normal, except he didn't take a nap. He was pretty wired, and Dana said it was optional. So I thought he would be fine. We even went for a walk to Aldi (kind of a discount grocery store), and that was fun. We got back and played, read, drew things, etc. Then we were talking about cats, and I was teasing him about his cat (my cats' mother) whose name is Duck-Cat (Duck for short). I was saying "you named your cat after a bird, how silly!" Which he loved, for the record! He laughed and said "tell it again!" Then he got another idea and said "Hey, look at this" and picked up 2 of his plastic dinosaurs and chucked them at me, one hitting me right in the nose. Now, I know he didn't mean to hurt me, but he did, so I explained to him calmly why we don't throw things and that it had hurt me. Then came the tantrum. Not screaming, but throwing his books on the floor, shaking the table, etc. Thank god it was 6:30 and Dana came up and helped me diffuse the situation. She helped me explain that I wasn't angry, I just didn't want him to throw things at me. Dana had to give him a little package of fruit snacks to get him to get back to normal. He's getting his nap next time. Oy.

So then we go to the car (by the way, I usually leave at 6, Fridays 6:15, so 6:30 was late), go to the tram station, I get on, and settle in for the ride home. But there is something up with the stupid tram and the driver gets everyone off at the SAME STOP as on my ride there and we all got on a 39 tram to get back to Montgomery. I get on my first train, and THAT is messed up and only goes half the distance I need (2 stops!) before they announce end of the line, wait for the next train. So I was extra-super late getting home around 7:45, and hungry, tired and grumpy.

AND the cats were in heat and acting kinda nuts. But Miguel, being the great guy he is, went out and got me take out and made me feel better. So for now, the stupid transport system here can bite me.

The end.

PS. the good news is, my computer is now fixed, though going to get it is a bit of a story. Not for now though, for later.

Weird Belgium

2009-02-18T11:11:00.001+01:00

So we have tv that we don't pay for. We get a good few channels including BBC1 and 2, some Dutch channels with subtitled English programming, etc. I can't really complain. But we were doing a bit of research to see if there was any way we could watch the Oscars. It turns out one company did buy the rights, and it's one of those premium channels, etc. We don't get it. That in itself does not bother me. What does is that, even if we wanted to switch companies and pay, even if we wanted to order that fancy shmancy movie channel and stay up all night watching the Oscars, it wouldn't work. They don't offer service in our area. They offer it in other parts of Brussels, no problem. But Ixelles, nope, it's a no go. That particular telecom company only offers mobile phone service in Ixelles.

That would not happen in America. It would be like HBO saying, ok, you're in DC, but, oh, in Northwest, sorry. We don't offer service in Northwest. Can I interest you in a keychain instead? Yeah. So there you have my rant.

Congrats Miguel!!!

2009-02-18T10:54:00.000+01:00

So this isn't about me at all!! Miguel found out today, not 10 minutes ago that he will be getting an indefinite (so, basically permanent) contract at Eurocities in June when his old one runs out! Job security! Yay!!! So that is the news, real update later.

Oh, Belgium

2009-02-12T21:49:00.000+01:00

So this isn't a full update, but just a bit of complaining about Brussels in a humorous way.

So today Joan and Maureen (Miguel's aunt and cousin) got here from Dublin. It was my job to go out and collect them at the airport. I checked the bus schedule and thought, heh no problem. The weird thing was, I knew the bus I wanted, the 12. The 12 is the express to the airport. The 21 is the non-express to the airport. Hence, the 12 is the one I wanted. I decided on that, checked the times and where it went (Place Luxemburg), and thought ok, that works. Miguel said I could pick it up in front of Fat Boy's (the American burger place in Place Lux).

So I got up this morning around 7:30 and got ready to head out to the bus stop. I got there, and in front of Fat Boys there are signs for the 21 to the Brussels Airport, with a separate tariff (price) to go to the NATO building. It also lists the 12 in the schedule, but not in detail. Ok... A 21 comes by and it says NATO, I ask, and it does not go to the airport. I looked all around Place Lux for other signs, but nothing. So, fine, I go back to Fat Boy's and I wait.

And wait.

And then, there's a 12, but it didn't stop! So I start chasing it, like a dog, through Place Lux. And out of Place Lux. And away I go, catching up at stop lights. This goes on for a while, but finally, I lost the bus. Shit.

I start walking back. to Place Lux, coughing and sniffling and sweating away despite the chill. All of a sudden, there is another 12! Shit. I ran again. I chased it a slightly shorter distance back to just at the corner of Place Lux where it stops, lets people off, and I get on.

And wait. For nearly 10 minutes. Where I was, where I had chased the bus to, was, in actuality, the end of the line! So there I sat as my breathing gradually slowed waiting for the lights to come on and the engine to start. About 10 minutes pass. Finally, we got going.

The upsides to all this were: 1) Starbucks at the airport (the only one in Belgium that I know of) and 2) On the way back, I was THE expert on the bus. I was trying to get Maureen and Joan tickets for the bus, and the machine wasn't working (it's a euro more expensive when you buy on the bus). There was a queue that I supposed was angry at the hold up. I eventually gave up on my transaction, and when the man behind me had trouble, I explained it to him. Then the rest of the line started to ask me questions about the fare, the bus itself, etc. After explaining everything to about 10 English-speakers and taking control of the situation, the bus arrived and we got on. The came the questions about where the bus stops, and if I would tell them when we were in such-and-such a place. All of this I did until we got off the bus where I had got on. So I came off as an expert, having nearly failed to ride the bus once. The airport should totally hire me.

Long overdue...

2009-02-03T23:23:00.000+01:00

This post is dedicated to Tracy, who reminded me that I need to post more. I know I should, but time seems to pass too quickly!

Work has been ok, my little charge was still recovering from the flu last week, and so wasn't terribly energetic and was even less able to communicate. He had a tantrum last Friday that started before I got there. It turned out he was hungry, but unable to say it, and so lots of tears and screaming ensued. Thank god his mom was able to help me for the first half hour or so. I'm going back tomorrow, so I'm hoping he's all better and ready to play.

The other thing about work is, it feels great to finally be earning some money, even though it's not much. It makes me feel a bit more like a functioning member of society.

In other news, I finished another book this past week! Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, by Mary Roach. Great book, both hilarious and educational. If you haven't done so, go get a copy and get reading. The book I read before Stiff was World Without End by Ken Follett, which was so much like Pillars of the Earth it was almost annoying. Still, totally addictive and wonderful. Right now, I'm on Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik, which is such an inspiration to me. It's about an expat American in Paris, there are so many things I can relate to, and I just love it. Thanks for the recommendation, Kathleen!

So I suppose I should take this opportunity to talk about the weekend, which was really fabulous. Friday night we were totally lazy, but we made up for it on Saturday! Between cleaning, grocery shopping, baking and partying there was almost no time left to sit down! After grocery shopping Miguel and I went to this awesome store, HEMA (kind of like a Dutch Target). I got this great fish sticker book and a kinder egg (chocolate egg with a toy inside)... And yes, I am still about 5 years old. After all the errands I made chocolate chip cookies, we ate dinner, and set off for the party and Fionnuala and Siobhans'!

I don't really know where to start on the party. I'll say this, the beer and wine were flowing freely, as was the conversation in at least 4 different languages. The cookies were a huge hit. We tried to do some group Irish dancing at around 1 or 2am, which I'm sure the neighbors were thrilled about. Chocolate was hidden in bras. There was an argument about which TV show was better, Married with Children or According to Jim. Classical music came on the ipod, and we all decided it was too posh for our party. And the rest was just general nonsense. Fun was had by all. Almost the entirety of Sunday was spent recovering.

Sunday evening we had people coming over, Rachel and Chris (Rachel works with Miguel) and I got it into my head to cook! I made sticky chicken, rice and green beans! The sticky chicken was pretty awesome. I haven't had it in years, and it reminded me of when I was little and ate it, and would have a plate full of bones and soiled napkins. We ate it in a more civilized (or should I switch to UK English? civilised?) way that night, but Miguel and I ate the leftovers the next day and had sauce from ear to ear.

By the way, sorry (esp. sorry to Anna Cima) for the lack of pictures in this post. I don't have the right pictures to illustrate things, my camera has been used mostly for photographing the cats. I swear I'm not obsessed...

Oh! I totally forgot the biggest news of the last 2 weeks! We got new heaters!! Ones that really work, and are cheap and keep us warm and are not smelly! Our apartment is almost too warm!

Now, I don't know if I've talked about the ordeal it's been getting these heaters, but it's been insane. I started trying to obtain 2 new ones (out of the 3 in the apartment, the one in the bathroom worked, the one in the kitchen would be on for about 10 minutes, and shut off and stay off, the one in the living room gave off a horrible smell) in October. We had several visits from Fernando, the building maintenance man, who then got the flu. A couple weeks later he says he can't fix them anyway, we need to call the gas company. That appointment took over a month to get, and then they said well, we won't have new ones for you until late January or early February. Great. That's winter. So we had to get these electric heaters that the landlord paid for, but they cost a pretty penny to run, but we have yet to get that bill.

Now, the arrival of these new heaters was a much anticipated event, the only problem was the installation itself. Service here in Brussels leaves something to be desired. The guys smelled very strongly of cigarette smoke and BO, were noisy as hell and made a total mess of the apartment. I was asked to help them break down a box (I'm pretty sure it's not my job...) and they left another huge box in the kitchen for me to deal with for myself. They didn't do a thing with the old heaters and left them in the hallway. They scared the shit out of the cats, and even let one out who I had to chase down the stairs. The heaters also smelled awful when first turned on, so I had to open all the windows. But I will say this. All of that doesn't matter now that I can be warm. I love them and would go through it all ten times over to have these heaters.

Anyway, I should probably wrap this up. To those of you that have made it this far, kudos to you. To Anna Cima, who I'm pretty sure hasn't made it here... for shame. I will try to post more frequently from here on out. :-)

This guy is comfortable with himself.

2009-01-26T22:08:00.001+01:00

Ya gotta love seeing people like this.

Bagels in Belgium, Fire, New Job and New Rug

2009-01-25T12:16:00.000+01:00

So I suppose the first thing to report is the existence of a bagel place here in Brussels. One within walking distance. One that makes them fresh. Not only that, but the place itself is comfortable and homey. They play great music, encourage hanging out with a shelf full of books (most of them in French, some in Dutch), and offer a full menu of lovely bagels. In other words... I am very happy.

Miguel and I went last weekend and during a long chat I've decided to add a new segment to this blog. "Weird Brussels." Look out for it.

So last Sunday night we were settling in after going to see Burn After Reading and we heard sirens. Normally, this is no big deal, but they were louder than usual, so we went to the window. Outside 3 fire trucks and an ambulance were stopping just outside our building! We immediately ran downstairs to see what was going on. After being joined by other neighbors we asked a fireman who said there was smoke in the building next to ours (they're connected) and the floor above ours (we're on the 3rd). We stand and watch as the cherry picker (no idea what that would be called here) went up to the window. They had to use force to open the window, and when they did the smoke started coming out. Miguel said "We're not ready for a fire!" I looked at him, trying to suppress a laugh and said "No one is ready for a fire!" After standing around a while longer to make sure things were safe we chatted with neighbors until it was definitely safe. So that was the big news for that night!

The other news of the week (other than having a new president) is this: I started my job! Granted it's very part time (9 hours a week), but it's something, and it's something I enjoy! I am babysitting/working with a 5 yo American boy who has special needs, most likely autism. (Interestingly enough, this is the same American family we got our cats from, so I hang out with our cats' mother while there.) Anyway, I spend 3 hours a day, 3 days a week playing with Faisal and getting him to communicate with me. We play with play dough, read, play tracks (build train tracks), color (I drew an awesome killer whale for him and he scribbled over most of it), and watch the killer whale part of Happy Feet. So far he responds really well to me, imitates what I do and say and seems to have a great time. So I hope that will continue to go well.

Oh, and starting a couple nights ago there was a smell of gasoline in the apartment, coming mostly from downstairs. Awesome. So we called our maintenance guy, who couldn't find any problem, but opened the stairwell windows. So we decide to check that we're not getting an pigeons inside and sure enough, not only was there a big fat pigeon on the stairs, but there was also pigeon poop/pee over 2 stairs! And of course, WE had to clean it up. Stupid bird. As if the noise they make outside the bathroom isn't enough.

In other news, we FINALLY bought a rug! No more hard, cold, wood floor for us. It's as much to keep us warm as it is to make the living room look nice. It's a great rug, and it was VERY much on sale. I really wanted a Persian-style rug, and am quite pleased. The cats are obsessed with it, and therefore it had to be vacuumed today, not even 24 hours after the purchase had been made.

Speaking of the cats, Cleo had a little accident today. She hasn't learned that fire is painful yet, though she has gotten too close to the heater or a candle in the past, because some of her eyebrow-whiskers were curly/singed about a month ago. This time, she got the rest of her eyebrow whiskers, and also her paw. One of the little tea lights was flickering, and Cleo thought to bat at it/teach it a lesson, resulting in a slightly burned paw. She tried to play it cool like she had known what she was doing all along, but some of her fur on that paw was blackened. Poor kitty. Too bad it was also really funny.

And to end on a fun/cute note, here are a few of the cats being, well, cats. Enjoy! Oh, and please note, anyone can comment on this, even if they don't have blogs. So, Mom? Dad? Jake? Anyone?

Back in Brussels

2009-01-13T11:58:00.000+01:00

So as of Dec. 30, Miguel and I re-entered freezing mainland Europe, and made our way back to Brussels. We came home to a freezing, messy apartment with a few cat messes and no food, we do live a glamorous life. There was not much to be done that night, or really, in the next few days because of New Years, so we settled in.

The 31st I woke up with a chest cough, which made unpacking nearly impossible, so that was put off yet again. We did manage to have a great New Years night though. Our friend Fionnuala had us over to her apartment, which was great, because I finally got to meet her boyfriend, Matt, from Paris. He and I had quite a few things in common, including being constantly approached by strangers no matter what city or country he or I was in. (For me, whether it's a raving lunatic, a drunk dude on a bus, someone asking for directions in a place I don't know, or even just a tourist, they always approach me, and feel like they can talk. I rarely meet other people with a similar, um, disposition?) Anyway, the evening was grand, we had lots of wine and chili for dinner. We only stayed until about 1am, and then we decided to be civilized and leave.

After that night, we had a few days when Miguel didn't have to go back to work, so we had some time to clean up, stock the kitchen, get the cats readjusted and get ready for our house guests... And so begins a brief (yeah right) account of our visit with Christy, Alex and Niall (aka. Golly).
This is the best picture we could get of all of us. The visit was great despite the crowded apartment. For those of you thinking to come and visit us, be forewarned, we have a futon that 2 sleeping people can fit on, if you have a 3rd person in your party, bring a sleeping bag or something! Golly, the one lying across, had no such thing, but he managed to sleep ok with the help of wine.

Because Miguel had work, I took to showing them around. As many of you know, my sense of direction is, well, special, but I managed not to get lost, even without a map! We wandered around the Grand Place, saw the Parliament, the Manekin Pis (who was wearing an Elvis suit, for some reason), the palace (where Christy and Golly rang the doorbell where there was a sign in both French and Dutch that said NOT to do that), and the bodies exhibit. The exhibit was amazing, totally worth the 16 euros. The boys impressed every person they passed with their pure class. Their version of "merci beaucoup" (which they said wherever they went) was "merry buckets." They took pictures of the "Kunst-Wet" metro station (in french it's called Arts-Loi meaning art and writing). They took pictures in front of the gay bar, Homo Erectus, and just generally terrorized the town. It was hysterical, and really fun, not only did I get to play tour guide (which I love, even if I don't know where I'm going) but I got to cut loose a little bit.

We had a big party (well, big by our standards) that Thursday, for which I made Nana's chocolate cake! It was a lot harder than I anticipated, seeing as I didn't have a mixer, I ended up borrowing one from a neighbor for the frosting, otherwise it would have been near impossible. I also made some sugar cookies. We had 15 people over, the most we've ever had, and had a fantastic time! The cake was for the birthdays of several people, including myself. The cats wanted a piece too... Too bad chocolate is bad for cats. The evening was a great success, and I met some cool new people and expanded my social circle a tiny bit more.

Soon after that our guests left and things almost went back to normal. Another of Miguel's friends was visiting from Barcelona, Iverna. She wasn't staying with us, but we hung out with her a few times, which was great, she was really cool. And we now have an open invitation to Barcelona!

So I'm sure there is more to tell, but this is long enough. I'll be writing again soon!

Spain, the Highlights

2009-01-03T19:43:00.000+01:00

So Miguel and I were in Spain for about 2 weeks. That is an awful lot of postponed blogging, so it's shortcut time! The highlights of Tenerife... (In no specific order).

1) Siestas. Siestas are awesome. Every day, after about 2pm, sometimes 3, everyone would adjourn to their rooms and stay there for a couple hours, meaning, nap time! It was awesome.

2) The drive around the island. Miguel, his dad, his brother, Andre and I took a day to take the full trip around Tenerife, via car.
-We annoyed the red car in front of us by tailgaiting so much he had to pull over!
-We got a great view of the Island.
-We were told to "Shh!" every couple of seconds by Andre, who was trying to read "Twilight." (I told him it was for girls, hahaha)
-Miguel's brother, 13 yo Andre likes to yell suggestive things at women. We were passing a biker, and he started yelling "guapa!" He got as far as "guap..." before he realized the biker was a man!
-We almost ate lunch at Hooters!
-We ended up eating lunch at "The Chinese," which was actually pretty good, but no Cheng Du.
-I napped, open-mouthed, all the way home.
-Also, getting to call Miguel Señor Cebollas (Mr. Onions) all day because he ate raw onions and smelled like them for HOURS.

3) We watched "Almost 300," a cheap rip-off of "300." It was actually hilarious. Family entertainment for all.

4) Miguel senior's jokes. All very difficult to translate, mostly involving gay people, whore houses and other sundry things. Miguel junior decided to stop translating at one point I learned not to ask.

5) The grocery stores. Some of them were HUGE. The best part was the fish area where they had tons of whole fish, crabs, shrimp, octopuses /octopi, squid, etc. Dad, you would have loved it!

There was also a wall of serrano ham (like parma ham but tastier), which is basically a cured pig leg. Not terribly appetizing, but neither were the shrimp with legs and antennae.

6)Our trip to Loro (parrot) Parque (park)!
There were parrots, penguins, fish of all kinds, tigers, gorrillas, and of course, parrots! We walked in through the "Thai Village," after a brief argument with the ticket lady, we proceeded to spend our day amidst the wildlife. We saw a parrot show, a dolphin show, an orca show and a sea lion show! All of this was followed by a ride on a long yellow train and then a hike up a mountain thing to get to the bus stop. DEFinitely needed a siesta after that day!

7)Our Noche Buena (the night before Christmas) feast! We had lots of different kinds of cheese. We also had a stuffed turkey and potatoes. The turkey was delicious, but I called it a Turken, because it was about the size of a chicken. That thing wouldn't have survived a US Thanksgiving dinner of 3 people!

8) Our Christmas Day dinner at an old converted Monastery. Check this place out! There were several different kinds of restaurants in this place. We ate with Miguel's Dad, Anke, Andre and Anke's friend Antje and her family. It was a lot of fun, especially wandering around the monastary and looking at all the animals on the grounds. They had everything from goats to these animals I affectionately named: Turducks or Durkeys. See if you can guess why...

Yep. Durkeys. I got Tiramisu for dessert, and they put a candle in it, and sang happy birthday to me in Spanish, and I blew it out. It was the only time I've ever eaten in a restaurant on my birthday! Silly Christmas, everything being closed...

9) Meeting Maria Jesus (nicknamed Bubi). She is Miguel's aunt, and completely hilarious, despite not knowing English. We first met when Miguel Sr. made his famous paella...

We saw her several times after that. My favorite time was at the Casino, which really isn't a casino, but a member's only club for the rich and/or well bred. She did a good job spreading the gossip. She then told us about her exorcism!! That's right. She had an exorcism done on herself. She said that when the priest (who does this free of charge for those suffering from black magic) touched her forehead, he jumped back! He told her it was a blond woman wishing her ill, and doing, well, god knows what. I was more fascinated than anything.

10) Getting Miguel's hair cut. Now for this one, I don't have a picture... yet. I have plenty on my camera, which is currently in the custody of a friend and has been as of New Years. Anyway, after everyone complained about Miguel's hair being too long, it started acting up. Miguel's hair did, that is. So, we were forced to go and get it cut, with Miguel Sr.'s friend Cristel. She was a total riot (we had met her before) and spoke perfect English, though she was German. We had a good laugh, drank some Vermouth, and were on our way.

So there you have it, 10 highlights of Spain. There could be more, but 10 is such a nice number to stop at. Plus, it's dinner time! Until next time!

Just a quick one...

2009-01-02T01:29:00.000+01:00

So I know it's been a while, and you all are probably chomping at the bit for more of my adventures... And I will satisfy your curiosity... At a time when Cleo (one of the cats) is not intent on posting her own entry (mostly containing a lot of "q"s). She won't take her paw off the computer, so I'm assuming she's impatient for me to get off. Both she and her sister are very curious about the computer, as evident by the following picture...

So there you have the babies. They were very happy to see us when we got back from Spain. There is going to be a massive blog about that, whenever I can get to it. I'll say this, it took me a while to get over the jet lag, missing 2 nights of sleep, missing my usual Christmas with my family, etc. But all in all, it was a good trip, I enjoyed the warmer weather (though it was icky for quite a bit of the time) and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting that side of Miguel's family. I only wish my Spanish were a bit bettter. So for now, just a couple pictures of Tenerife...

So I hope everyone had a great Christmas/Hannukah, and Happy New Year to all!

6 Countries in 3 Days

2008-12-19T15:48:00.000+01:00

So for those of you that like reading about my travels and exploits, I have decided to go the blog route rather than sending group emails. So remember to check back every couple of days to see what I am doing this side of the Atlantic!

So I started this latest trip on December 15th with my Aerlingus flight to Dublin, Ireland. I said a (slightly teary) goodbye to Dad after he dropped my off at the security line and began the great schlepp. I made it to the gate, and soon after I did, I was paged at the counter. The woman asked me if I had a return ticket to the States booked, which, of course, I didn't, seeing as I will now be living in Belgium. I explained that I would be getting married over here (legally) and showed her my paperwork. She accepted it, and explained that she was required to ask due to regulations. Fine, I explained myself, no problem. Soon after that, I boarded the flight and started chatting with my neighbors (2 seats away, a little boy of about 4 and his mother). Sometime during this conversation, a flight attendant comes over to me with a plastic cup of champagne, saying she heard I was getting married! Well, I thought, this is a great start to the journey! It was even better that she brought me another just before takeoff!

So, having started the journey well, I settled in with my book, my water, and my personal entertainment system. I watched Pinneapple Express, an episode of Fawlty Towers, one of Sex and the City, etc. The flight went by remarkably quickly, and I found myself thinking, maybe travel isn't so stressful! But I still had a while to go...

Upon arrival in Dublin, I breezed through security without even having to show my paperwork (much to my surprise), and settled in to wait for Miguel to arrive. He snuck up on me and gave me a big hug and we were off to the airport Starbucks! (The same Starbucks where my purse was stolen back in February.) That Starbucks was to become my home for the next 11 hours. I ate, I slept (short naps), I read, etc. 19 hours into my trip, it was time to head to the gate where flight number 2 would be leaving to go to Brussels!

Of course, that flight was delayed. We finally boarded, and made it there in an hour and a half. Then began the trials of strength, endurance and love as Miguel and I struggled with sleep deprivation, copious amounts of luggage and stairs. Just think, 2 people + ~200lbs. of luggage + 1 train + 1 taxi + 4 flights of stairs... all that =STRESS AND PAIN. Still, we managed, Miguel doing most of the schlepping. At this point it was 11pm local time, we still had to have the neighbor, Natalie, up to talk about cat-sitting and then find dinner. Sleep didn't happen until around 2am Brussels time.

10am, I am forced out of my glorious sleeping to get up, have breakfast and run errands. Groceries had to be bought for lunch, chocolates had to be bought and shipped, things needed to be delivered to Miguel's office, we had to pack for Tenerife, etc. etc. etc. Finally, we were finished and ready to leave! Of course, halfwat to the metro station, I realized I hadn't packed my camera, and had to run back to the appartment, up the 4 flights of stairs, search through the still unpacked luggage and find it, then run back. I eventually made it, gasping and sweaty, to the train station, where we made our train to Holland with no trouble. Holland? You ask. Keep reading...

So once in Nijmegen (the oldest city in Holland) we were picked up by Miguel's mom (Bernadette) and her husband (Nick) and were ferried back to Groesbeck where they live. We were given tea and food and were told we would be leaving for Dusseldorf (where our next flight was to leave at 6am) at about 12am. Mind you, Dusseldorf is about a 20 minute drive from Groesbeck, meaning another long stretch in an airport. It was no use arguing with Nick about the time we would be dropped off, we were stuck. So we leave, right on schedule.

We arrived at the airport grounds which were once used as an American military base during WWII, and finally to Airport Weeze. What a strange airport it was! A huge empty space, the few chairs that were there were already taken up by other passengers already camping out. The stairs going to the second level were blocked off, and there was loud music coming from the bar upstairs. After Nick and Berna left, we wandered for a bit, then decided to see if the lift was working, which it was, so we could check out the "forbidden" upstairs. There was no one up there really, save for the people having the party at the bar. We found some seats, and settled in for a long night. It's a good thing we didn't try to sleep, because every few minutes, the drunk party-goers would take over the PA system and make fake announcements, sing jingle bells, etc. It was a very bizarre experience. Finally, at around 4am we ventured downstairs to get checked in and get rid of some of our baggage. We then proceeded to the gate (a very short walk) and got some cards to pass the time. Shortly thereafter, we boarded the Ryanair flight amidst the stampede of other travellers, and prepared for a long uncomfortable flight.

4 1/2 hours. On a ryanair flight. After staying up all night. With non-reclining seats. And no leg room. Bad. Horrible. Miserable. I was exhausted, feeling claustrophobic, exhausted, feeling a little panic-y, and exhausted. Despite the horrible sleepiness, I could not sleep. It was far too uncomfortable. Several times I thought I would cry. Especially when the kid in the row behind us started throwing up. But no, somehow I remained conscious (if catatonic) for the entire flight.

And then of course, after landing in Tenerife and getting our bags, we had a 45 minute bus ride followed by a 15 minute ride in the car before arriving. It was cloudy and a little rainy. (Of course, the 1 place it's always sunny and warm is cloudy and rainy when I get there. Of course.) After that was over (I slept through most of the bus ride), we greeted Anke (Miguel's dad's wife), got some food, and I went to get a shower. Little did I know, the shower downstairs where Miguel and I were staying doesn't really get hot water. It was warm, I thought it would heat up, so I got in. No. Halfway through shampooing, it got colder. And colder. I turned off the water and asked Miguel. He said to try Anke's shower. Same problem. I then went to shower number 3, which worked well, though I remained chilled. After the shower fiasco, it was SERIOUSLY time for a nap.

4 hours later...

The rest of the night was spent watching Meet the Spartans (300 spoof) and eating pizza. Miguel's Dad, Anke and Andre (their son) were all so nice and fun to be around, despite my exhaustion. I couldn't understand too much when they lapsed into Spanish, it will help when I get over my jetlag.

So when I finally got to bed last night, I went right to sleep, of course, then, to wake up at 3am, wide awake. I read for several hours, and when sleep still wouldn't come, I resorted to tylenol PM which sufficiently knocked me out til 12.

So there you have it. 6 countries (USA, Ireland, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Spain) in 3 days. All on very little sleep. But I'm alive, being taken care of, and that's that. Sorry for the super-long post, I hope you find it entertaining... Please, feel free to email me (brody.letson@gmail.com). I have internet and I want to hear from people!

Happy Holidays everyone!!