...at least in Brussels. I would never want to get into a debate with someone as to who the biggest University of Georgia Bulldog fan is, but I think Kyle definitely wins the prize for the biggest one in Brussels. I have rarely seen Kyle get this giddy about something. First, he was planning where to watch the UGA vs. Boise St. game. Keep in mind that with the six hour time difference, the game was not even going to START until 11:30 pm, but that was of no concern to Kyle. He had the bar planned out, he was going to talk to the manager ahead of time to reserve a place to watch the game (keep in mind that American college football ranks below ANY cricket, rugby or soccer game over here), he had talked to other guys about who would go, and he had read every sports page relating to the game.
And then the bad news came...we would not be able to get the game on the American Military Sports Network that we had originally thought would show it. Kyle was distraught. So distraught that he got out of bed at 1 a.m. last night to brainstorm SOME way to get the game. He was a determined man and this was the only thing on his mind. And finally, he came up with a plan...The Slingbox. Basically, Burt (Kyle's dad) goes to BestBuy and purchases a Slingbox. He will hook it up to his cable and internet connection at home in Dalton, Georgia. Kyle will download some software onto our computer, enter a password and voila, we will be able to watch the TV channels that are on the TV in Dalton. Personally, I am not 100% sure all of this will work, but Kyle is very hopeful. Keep your fingers crossed!
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Monday, August 29, 2005
Not in my job description.
So I had a pretty good laugh today. I turned on CNN (one of the three stations we consistently get in English) and there was live coverage of Hurricane Katrina. I don't understand why it is that reporters feel the need to be out in the storm to show people just how bad it is. For me, you could just point a camera at the signs being blown off billboards, roof shingles in the air and trees blowing sideways and I would believe you. But no, for some reason these reporters feel like they have to be out in the elements to give true coverage. The funniest part about this to me is that all the people I knew in college that were Television Broadcast majors were all very attractive and into their looks. Knowing this makes me laugh even harder when they are getting pelted with horizontal rain and barely able to stand up straight because of the wind.
The guy I was watching today on CNN was not able to stay in one place due to the 100 mph wind. As if that fact wasn't enough to get him inside, he then decided to say that within minutes the STEEL lightpost that he was standing 10 feet away from would probably be uprooted because that is what happened in the last storm. Kyle doesn't like TV journalists because he doesn't think they have many brains and this type of 'live reporting' sure isn't helping their case. If you want to see some of this live reporting click here.
The guy I was watching today on CNN was not able to stay in one place due to the 100 mph wind. As if that fact wasn't enough to get him inside, he then decided to say that within minutes the STEEL lightpost that he was standing 10 feet away from would probably be uprooted because that is what happened in the last storm. Kyle doesn't like TV journalists because he doesn't think they have many brains and this type of 'live reporting' sure isn't helping their case. If you want to see some of this live reporting click here.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
"I carried a watermelon."
So I have figured out the best way for me to learn a new language. I was just flipping through the TV channels and came across my favorite movie of all time--Dirty Dancing. I was so happy it was on, but then I realized that it had been dubbed over in Italian. After listening for a few minutes, I realized that the best way for me to learn Italian is to just watch it this way because I already know all of the lines to the movie. When I heard, "Nessuno mette il bambino nel angolo" I knew that they were saying, "Nobody puts Baby in the corner." Now if only all of the lines from Dirty Dancing could be applied to life in Belgium...
Friday, August 26, 2005
Current Events
U.S. magazine subscriptions are really expensive to get over here. This is why the American Women's Club has a place where you can take/leave any magazines you might have or might have brought back from a trip to the States. There is a wide variety of choices from Newsweek to Sports Illustrated to all of the typical gossip magazines. People, US Weekly, Star and those types are always the first to go. The only problem with this swap is that by the time a magazine has been brought back from the States, it is usually a little outdated. For the past few days I have found myself reading articles like, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston are Getting a Divorce! or Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise Are Engaged! Beggars can't be choosers though and I devour every little bit of celebrity gossip I can.
One day I saw not one, but TWO Real Simple magazines. I was amazed they had not been snatched up yet. Just as I grabbed them, I looked at the dates--June 1999 and November 2000. Yes, I was excited about reading a magazine that was SIX YEARS OLD! And the scary part was that all of the information seemed the same as anything I would read in a current issues--proper skin care, a few recipies, the best clothes for different shaped bodies. Since it didn't seem to matter whether I was reading a 2005 or 1999 magazine, it made me start to wonder, "Why do we read magazines at all if they always have basically the same information?"
One day I saw not one, but TWO Real Simple magazines. I was amazed they had not been snatched up yet. Just as I grabbed them, I looked at the dates--June 1999 and November 2000. Yes, I was excited about reading a magazine that was SIX YEARS OLD! And the scary part was that all of the information seemed the same as anything I would read in a current issues--proper skin care, a few recipies, the best clothes for different shaped bodies. Since it didn't seem to matter whether I was reading a 2005 or 1999 magazine, it made me start to wonder, "Why do we read magazines at all if they always have basically the same information?"
Monday, August 22, 2005
Saturday, August 20, 2005
I Talk the English
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The above invitation is borrowed from one of my favorite sites. Sal DeTraglia is an expat living in Spain and is a really funny guy. Check out his website. Read the text of the picture closely and if the text is too small, double click on the picture. So this "invitacion" is a prime example of what it is like to speak to someone that is not fluent in English. You can get the idea of what they are trying to say, but you are never 100% sure that it is the correct interpretation. The really frustrating part about this is that since I have minimal French, and the other person has minimal English, there comes a point that we will never be able to fully communicate. When you start to really think about it, you can get incredibly sad thinking that you live in a place where you can't fully communicate with 60% of the people.
Friday, August 19, 2005
How to NOT introduce yourself
Throughout my time here in Brussels I have noticed a really annoying thing happens when I introduce myself--nothing. I am not quite sure if it is a Belgian, French or just a whole European thing, but the people here are stingy when it comes to giving out their names. Here is an example of what I am talking about. Say I have started talking to someone at a party. The conversation would go like this:
Emily: "Hi, I am Emily Wingfield" (I would then shake the other person's hand.)
Other person: "Hi." (and then there is dead silence while they just stare at me--no name is offered, nothing.)
After about 5 seconds of this akward silence, I would start to talking about the weather or how we know the host and then by the end of the night, I still have never heard the person's name. This has happened SEVERAL times and not just to me, but to other people I know too.
Just today I had a meeting with someone here in Brussels. I later realized that I am not even quite sure I was meeting with the right person, because when I introduced myself they never gave me their name. Who knows who I was talking to?!?
Emily: "Hi, I am Emily Wingfield" (I would then shake the other person's hand.)
Other person: "Hi." (and then there is dead silence while they just stare at me--no name is offered, nothing.)
After about 5 seconds of this akward silence, I would start to talking about the weather or how we know the host and then by the end of the night, I still have never heard the person's name. This has happened SEVERAL times and not just to me, but to other people I know too.
Just today I had a meeting with someone here in Brussels. I later realized that I am not even quite sure I was meeting with the right person, because when I introduced myself they never gave me their name. Who knows who I was talking to?!?
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Excited About Wal-Mart???
Yes, you just read the title of this post correctly, I am excited about going to Wal-Mart. Keep in mind, I used to do anything possible to AVOID going to the dreaded "big corporate American company eating up all the Mom and Pop stores and then leaving their huge stores vacant to build an even bigger SUPER store." I HATED WAL-MART--that is, until I moved to Brussels.
There is a Wal-Mart in Aachen, Germany, and my friends Andrea, Lisa and I just drove two hours each way to get to it today. I wish there had been a camera to capture the smile on my face when I saw the blue sign. We spent over three hours there just wandering up and down the isles. The store doesn't have a huge amount of American products, but the prices are much cheaper in Germany than they are in Belgium and the layout was similar to an American store. On Friday nights, you could even go to the store looking for a date!
We could also find workers in the German store that were actually helpful. Keep in mind that customer service is non-existent in Brussels. Kyle's German co-worker later told me that everyone in Germany knows that the only place you can get somewhat friendly help is at Wal-Mart and that is only because all the big wig American managers come in at the store openings and all the employees that they have to use the "American standard" of customer service. Now if only companies in Belgium would start enforcing that...
There is a Wal-Mart in Aachen, Germany, and my friends Andrea, Lisa and I just drove two hours each way to get to it today. I wish there had been a camera to capture the smile on my face when I saw the blue sign. We spent over three hours there just wandering up and down the isles. The store doesn't have a huge amount of American products, but the prices are much cheaper in Germany than they are in Belgium and the layout was similar to an American store. On Friday nights, you could even go to the store looking for a date!
We could also find workers in the German store that were actually helpful. Keep in mind that customer service is non-existent in Brussels. Kyle's German co-worker later told me that everyone in Germany knows that the only place you can get somewhat friendly help is at Wal-Mart and that is only because all the big wig American managers come in at the store openings and all the employees that they have to use the "American standard" of customer service. Now if only companies in Belgium would start enforcing that...
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Thinking Like a Man
I have some type of weird summer cold. Basically, it feels just like the flu (sore throat, cough, fever, runny nose), except that I am wearing shorts and a t-shirt and it is August. The two things I like about having a cold are that 1. I eat a lot less and 2. I think like a man, meaning, I don't really think that much at all. Don't get me wrong, this is not a male bashing post, I just don't believe that men think as much as women. One of my favorite movie scenes is in 'What Women Want' when Mel Gibson can first hear women thinking and is blown away by how we constantly have something on our minds.
I usually walk to the video store about two times a week, which takes about 10 minutes each way. My normal internal thoughts would be something like this,
"Why is there so much dog poop on the sidewalks? I hope I don't step in it. If I stepped in it, what are the treads of my shoes like, would a lot get stuck in them? That child looks too old to be in a stroller. Should she still be sucking on a pacifier at that age? I wonder if that couple is dating or married. What should I cook for dinner tonight? I need to e-mail that person back. I need to call Julie Anne. What day does Kelly get back from Egypt? I hope Sam is doing ok in New York. I feel bad Kyle is working so hard. Why are all these people getting kicked out of their homes on the Gaza Strip? I need to ask Kyle about that. What am I doing tomorrow, should I rent the Cambio Car?"
Since I have a cold, my internal thoughts while I walked to the video store today were more like this,
" Is there a car coming?...................................................Watch for the dog poop....................................................... Where are my keys?............................................. "
Basically, I just zoned out for 20 minutes and didn't think about anything and man it was refreshing. I could get used to living like this!
I usually walk to the video store about two times a week, which takes about 10 minutes each way. My normal internal thoughts would be something like this,
"Why is there so much dog poop on the sidewalks? I hope I don't step in it. If I stepped in it, what are the treads of my shoes like, would a lot get stuck in them? That child looks too old to be in a stroller. Should she still be sucking on a pacifier at that age? I wonder if that couple is dating or married. What should I cook for dinner tonight? I need to e-mail that person back. I need to call Julie Anne. What day does Kelly get back from Egypt? I hope Sam is doing ok in New York. I feel bad Kyle is working so hard. Why are all these people getting kicked out of their homes on the Gaza Strip? I need to ask Kyle about that. What am I doing tomorrow, should I rent the Cambio Car?"
Since I have a cold, my internal thoughts while I walked to the video store today were more like this,
" Is there a car coming?...................................................Watch for the dog poop....................................................... Where are my keys?............................................. "
Basically, I just zoned out for 20 minutes and didn't think about anything and man it was refreshing. I could get used to living like this!
Monday, August 15, 2005
Lost In Translation
My brain gets quite a workout over here. Not only is this because I am trying to learn French, but moreover, it is because even when speaking English, I am trying to say the correct word that fits whatever audience I am talking to (whether they are from America, France, Britain, etc).
If I was talking to an American, I would say, “Last week we went on vacation to Salobrena, Spain, with our friend Kelly who went to college in the States. We left our apartment in Brussels on 8/1/2005 at 6pm. Kyle and I had our own room on the second floor of the hotel with an adjoining toilet and bathroom. Unfortunately, there wasn’t an elevator, so the hotel stairs made it difficult to get Kelly’s stroller up and down. Luckily I was wearing my tennis shoes when I walked the stairs, and the exercise helped get my fanny in shape. Also, the stroller only weighed about four pounds. Kelly and I took the car to the grocery store one day and got lots of good food. After standing in line for a long time to check out, we finally loaded it all into the trunk to get it all home. We got chips, pickles, cookies, and fries. While we shopped, Kyle and Rich watched some soccer on the TV.
The first night we went out to a restaurant. I wore pants and a cute sweater. For our appetizer we had grilled zucchini. Our entrée was salmon. For dessert we had scones with whipped cream. The waitress asked how we would like our tea and I said, 'With milk and sugar please.' Overall, we had a great time!"
___________________________________________________________________
If I was talking to a non-American, I would say, "A fortnight ago we went on holiday to Salobrena with our friend Kelly who went to university in America. We left our flat in Brussels on 1/8/2005 at 18h. Kyle and I had our own room on the first floor of the hotel with an adjoining WC. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a lift, so the hotel stairs made it difficult to get Kelly’s pushchair up and down. Luckily I was wearing my trainers when I walked the stairs, and the exercise helped get my bum in shape. Also, the pram only weighed about two kilos. Kelly and I took the car to the supermarket one day and got lots of good food. After queuing for a long time to check out, we finally loaded it all into the boot to get it all home. We got crisps, gherkins, biscuits and chips. Whilst we shopped, Kyle and Rich watched some football on the telly.
The first night we went out to a restaurant. I wore trousers and a cute jumper. For our entrée we had grilled courgettes. Our plat was salmon. For afters we had scones with clotted cream. The waitress asked how we would like our tea and I said, 'white with.' Overall, we had a jolly good time!"
**Just a few things to note if you happen to be talking to a Brit---a fanny to them is a girl's front body part, not the behind. They will get quite a chuckle if you call something a fanny pack. A rubber to them is an eraser. When Brits say pants, they mean underwear.
So the worst thing you could ever say in a dressing room in England is, "Does my fanny look big in these pants?" (By the way, this exact thing has been shouted across a dressing room by an American to a British friend of mine and the Brits almost start crying they are laughing so hard when they hear that story.)
If I was talking to an American, I would say, “Last week we went on vacation to Salobrena, Spain, with our friend Kelly who went to college in the States. We left our apartment in Brussels on 8/1/2005 at 6pm. Kyle and I had our own room on the second floor of the hotel with an adjoining toilet and bathroom. Unfortunately, there wasn’t an elevator, so the hotel stairs made it difficult to get Kelly’s stroller up and down. Luckily I was wearing my tennis shoes when I walked the stairs, and the exercise helped get my fanny in shape. Also, the stroller only weighed about four pounds. Kelly and I took the car to the grocery store one day and got lots of good food. After standing in line for a long time to check out, we finally loaded it all into the trunk to get it all home. We got chips, pickles, cookies, and fries. While we shopped, Kyle and Rich watched some soccer on the TV.
The first night we went out to a restaurant. I wore pants and a cute sweater. For our appetizer we had grilled zucchini. Our entrée was salmon. For dessert we had scones with whipped cream. The waitress asked how we would like our tea and I said, 'With milk and sugar please.' Overall, we had a great time!"
___________________________________________________________________
If I was talking to a non-American, I would say, "A fortnight ago we went on holiday to Salobrena with our friend Kelly who went to university in America. We left our flat in Brussels on 1/8/2005 at 18h. Kyle and I had our own room on the first floor of the hotel with an adjoining WC. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a lift, so the hotel stairs made it difficult to get Kelly’s pushchair up and down. Luckily I was wearing my trainers when I walked the stairs, and the exercise helped get my bum in shape. Also, the pram only weighed about two kilos. Kelly and I took the car to the supermarket one day and got lots of good food. After queuing for a long time to check out, we finally loaded it all into the boot to get it all home. We got crisps, gherkins, biscuits and chips. Whilst we shopped, Kyle and Rich watched some football on the telly.
The first night we went out to a restaurant. I wore trousers and a cute jumper. For our entrée we had grilled courgettes. Our plat was salmon. For afters we had scones with clotted cream. The waitress asked how we would like our tea and I said, 'white with.' Overall, we had a jolly good time!"
**Just a few things to note if you happen to be talking to a Brit---a fanny to them is a girl's front body part, not the behind. They will get quite a chuckle if you call something a fanny pack. A rubber to them is an eraser. When Brits say pants, they mean underwear.
So the worst thing you could ever say in a dressing room in England is, "Does my fanny look big in these pants?" (By the way, this exact thing has been shouted across a dressing room by an American to a British friend of mine and the Brits almost start crying they are laughing so hard when they hear that story.)
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Happy Birthday to My Mom!!!!!!!!!
I think it takes being a mother to actually understand a mother's love. Although I don't have any kids yet, since all of my friends over here have kids, I feel like I have as close to an understanding of a mother's love as any non-child rearer will ever have. To sum it up, a mother's job is the hardest, dirtiest, most labor intensive, responsible, and unappreciated job in the world. I mean really, who in their right mind would want an occupation with this as the job description.
And yet, a mother's love is boundless and she keeps doing it day after day. I want to thank my mom for being such a wonderful mother. Every mother is different in her own wonderful way, but my mother is wonderful because she is always enthusiastic when I call, is a caregiver to so many, has really good taste, stands up for what she believes in, even if it is not the popular thing, is incredibly thoughtful, has raised two great daughters through her love, tough love, understanding, discipline, and caring. I won't tell you how old she is turning today, but I will tell you that I sure am glad she is my mom. And I love her.
Make Up Your Mind Already!!!
I wish the weather would just stay one way or the other! Walking to church today was cold, but dry, so we didn't bring an umbrella. Walking from chuch to lunch it started to rain, then stopped raining, then started to hail big M&M size balls, then stopped, then drizzled rain. Throughout this time Kyle and I would walk for a little bit, then hide under a shelter, then walk 20 feet, then hide on the front porch somewhere. I had planned on going for a bike ride, but since it kept raining, I decided to just head home. Once I got home it was sunny and clear outside. As I was putting on my shorts to now go for the bike ride because it was sunny, it started to rain again. It has been like this ALL DAY LONG!!! Finally, to show you just how annoying it is, I took this picture of the roof we look out onto. Notice that it is bright and sunny and yet also pelting rain.
Friday, August 12, 2005
Hash House Harriers
Before you think I am running a drug house now that I live in Europe, let me explain the Hash House Harriers. Well actually, I don't know too much about them, but I am very intrigued. They describe themselves as "A drinking club with a running problem." Since I don't consider myself a runner, much less an athletic person, I figured this group would go about the pace I could handle. Apparently they have a group in Atlanta and many other cities throughout the world. I would love to hear some feedback from anyone that has gone on one of these runs.
I have looking into going on one of the runs more than once, but I have never gotten the courage up to actually attend. Yesterday I attempted to run, which was basically jogging for a block and then walking for two blocks and then jogging again. My only impetus to keep running was my vanity of being embarassed to stop running and start walking just as I passed someone. So basically my mantra was, "Just run until you are out of that person's vision and then you can walk."
Not everyone knows this about me, but when my family first moved off of Peachtree Battle (in Atlanta) I was 16. I noticed that a lot of cute guys would always run up and down Peachtree Battle. So one day I decided to go for a run in hopes of meeting a guy. Well, I ran all the way down to Peachtree Road, went to the Burger King and ordered a Whopper and fries and called my dad to come and pick me up. Talk about a father's love--he was even proud of me for just running in general!
I have looking into going on one of the runs more than once, but I have never gotten the courage up to actually attend. Yesterday I attempted to run, which was basically jogging for a block and then walking for two blocks and then jogging again. My only impetus to keep running was my vanity of being embarassed to stop running and start walking just as I passed someone. So basically my mantra was, "Just run until you are out of that person's vision and then you can walk."
Not everyone knows this about me, but when my family first moved off of Peachtree Battle (in Atlanta) I was 16. I noticed that a lot of cute guys would always run up and down Peachtree Battle. So one day I decided to go for a run in hopes of meeting a guy. Well, I ran all the way down to Peachtree Road, went to the Burger King and ordered a Whopper and fries and called my dad to come and pick me up. Talk about a father's love--he was even proud of me for just running in general!
London Photos
Hope you enjoy the photos from our trip to London last weekend!
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=121a73ha.bgx54gbu&x=0&y=-rc3yrf
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=121a73ha.bgx54gbu&x=0&y=-rc3yrf
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Julie Anne
I met Julie Anne through Sam and we have had a great time hanging out. She has recently started her own blog and really knows what she is doing! She has helped me out with some HTML and we are having a great time figuring this stuff out together. Julie Anne was the one who taught me how to do the 'Other Links I Like' on the lower left side of my screen. Hope you enjoy!!!
Who knew a Georgia grad could do HTML???
Wow, I must say I am pretty proud of myself right now. I have been working on improving my blog for the last few days, which has required hours of working in HTML. For a girl who likes to talk in words and not code (I didn't go to Georgia Tech you know) this has been a huge stretch for me. I have managed to get a counter on my blog, but it is still not in the location where I want it to be (scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page and you will see it.) I have also figured out how to make the hyperlinks open on a new page so that you will never have to leave the Wonderful World of Wingfields In Brussels Blog.
On my wish list of what to figure out next is how to have a list of the books I am reading and movies I have recently seen running down one side of the blog (with images of them too.) I would also love to have either a quote of the day or a photo of the day. One thing is for sure though, I will never be able to write like this.
On my wish list of what to figure out next is how to have a list of the books I am reading and movies I have recently seen running down one side of the blog (with images of them too.) I would also love to have either a quote of the day or a photo of the day. One thing is for sure though, I will never be able to write like this.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Smokey
Mom and I were just talking about Peter Jennings death. Emily aka 'giving people the benefit of the doubt and being gullible' thought that he just happened to get lung cancer and hadn't done anything to bring it on himself. That is because in all of the articles I read about his death, never once was it mentioned that he smoked for 34 years. Mom and I both discussed that in all of these articles it would have been great to mention his addiction to 1. help others quit and 2. give those have have quit yet another reason to stick with it and 3. show people who deny that smoking is bad that it really does kill.
I am pretty used to everyone smoking now that I live in Brussels. In London this weekend I was with Americans who just came over from the States. They reminded me of how shocking the amount Europeans smoke is to most Americans. After being in a smoky bar and having my eye dry out due to the combination of the smoke with my contacts, I was left with the question:
Because let me tell you, if one thing would ever deter me from smoking it is the feeling of having little bits of plastic melted onto my eyeballs.
I am pretty used to everyone smoking now that I live in Brussels. In London this weekend I was with Americans who just came over from the States. They reminded me of how shocking the amount Europeans smoke is to most Americans. After being in a smoky bar and having my eye dry out due to the combination of the smoke with my contacts, I was left with the question:
Do contact lens wearers smoke less than non-contact lens wearers? And if you were a smoker but then got contacts, would it encourage you to quit?
Because let me tell you, if one thing would ever deter me from smoking it is the feeling of having little bits of plastic melted onto my eyeballs.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
This was the scene outside our window for the past few Friday evenings. There is something called the Roller Parade where people can rollerblade all through Brussels. I don't think I am quite fit enough to participate yet! http://www.belgiumrollers.com
Monday, August 08, 2005
Tick Tock (read Honest Emily first)
In case you all have just read the post below and are thinking, "That Emily is too lucky; debating between taking a nap or having a beer"---just remember that all good things have their bad sides too. It is 7:20 p.m. and Kyle just wrote me "We might leave work a little early tonight and then I would need to log on and work on something from home later."
I said goodbye to him at 10 am and have since gone to the grocery store twice, had lunch with friends, e-mailed, gone shopping, swept the kitchen, read a book, worked on my blog for two hours, talked on the phone, did a load of laundry and cleaned some dishes. Looks like I might need to find a few more things to do to kill the next 2 hours. I think I am most frustrated about this because his boss is on vacation for the next three weeks, so I have a feeling this will be the pattern until September.
10 p.m. -- Poor Kyle just got home.
I said goodbye to him at 10 am and have since gone to the grocery store twice, had lunch with friends, e-mailed, gone shopping, swept the kitchen, read a book, worked on my blog for two hours, talked on the phone, did a load of laundry and cleaned some dishes. Looks like I might need to find a few more things to do to kill the next 2 hours. I think I am most frustrated about this because his boss is on vacation for the next three weeks, so I have a feeling this will be the pattern until September.
10 p.m. -- Poor Kyle just got home.
Honest Emily
So I just had a very tough decision to make. Kyle and I had a wonderful weekend in London, but we both were exhausted this morning when we had to be at our French lessons by 8am. So here it is, 4:50pm and I had to make the decision--did I want to take a nap or open a cold Leffe Blond beer and work on my blog? For my love of each and every one of you out there, I opted to skip the nap and instead work on making my blog better. You know that was an act of love.
I have been talking with my friends about my blog and they all encourage me to be more honest in it. I am fairly honest, but there are definitely some things I don't include because I don't know exactly who is reading this. But I must say, I am tired of filtering things and not just being my true self. It takes a lot of effort to always keep entries sanitized and clean. My new favorite blog to read is www.dooce.com and one of the reasons I love it is because the author is so honest in it. So here goes...
--I am listening to my new favorite musician Jack Johnson as I am writing. I really like his style of music, but I wonder if it might all start sounding the same after awhile.
--I abolutely HATE the French language. It is incredible confusing and really annoying how you don't say all of the letters in a word.
--I love having friends (like Kelly and Julie Anne) that I can talk about saving money with. Why should I feel bad about saving money considering I am a 25 non-working person living in Europe?
--I just bit into a piece of chocolate and it had mold on the inside of it. Not only was it disgusting, but it kind of made me sad to think that there is nothing in life that will always be perfect (the way you think a good piece of chocolate will be.)
--Belgium has the best beer in the world. We had a great time in London, but I will honestly say that they had crap for beer choices. I have truly become a beer snob and Belgium has the best.
I have been talking with my friends about my blog and they all encourage me to be more honest in it. I am fairly honest, but there are definitely some things I don't include because I don't know exactly who is reading this. But I must say, I am tired of filtering things and not just being my true self. It takes a lot of effort to always keep entries sanitized and clean. My new favorite blog to read is www.dooce.com and one of the reasons I love it is because the author is so honest in it. So here goes...
--I am listening to my new favorite musician Jack Johnson as I am writing. I really like his style of music, but I wonder if it might all start sounding the same after awhile.
--I abolutely HATE the French language. It is incredible confusing and really annoying how you don't say all of the letters in a word.
--I love having friends (like Kelly and Julie Anne) that I can talk about saving money with. Why should I feel bad about saving money considering I am a 25 non-working person living in Europe?
--I just bit into a piece of chocolate and it had mold on the inside of it. Not only was it disgusting, but it kind of made me sad to think that there is nothing in life that will always be perfect (the way you think a good piece of chocolate will be.)
--Belgium has the best beer in the world. We had a great time in London, but I will honestly say that they had crap for beer choices. I have truly become a beer snob and Belgium has the best.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Friday, August 05, 2005
A Sad Day in Brussels
In sad news the Carney family is moving back to New York. They have been here five years, had two children born here and have made quite a network of friends. They have been packing up since last Tuesday and I am sure it has been quite a tumultuous week for them. Friday morning they will head back to the States and to a whole new life.
One of the saddest things I have heard here is that the hardest adjustment for school age kids to make is not moving abroad, but instead, it is moving back to the States. One woman told me that her children have moved internationally four times and back to the States twice. While abroad, the kids are always going to the local international school where everyone has been new at some point, so most people are pretty accepting. But when her children moved back to the States, people didn't understand where they had been, or why they had been there and they didn't really want to take the time to find out. A majority of the children at the US school had been there for years, so there were plenty of cliques formed and they didn't really care to include anyone new.
As my friend Julie who has just moved back to Minnesota says, "It is hard to sum up six months of living in a foreign country into two sentences, because that is the only amount anyone really cares to hear." Another thing I have heard is that if you have an easy adjustment in living abroad then it will be a harder adjustment moving back and vice versa. I have had a very easy time getting adjusted over here (compared to most) which only leaves me worrying about my adjustment for when we move back. For as many guide books as there are out there concerning being an expat and how to live in a foreign country and I think there needs to be one for having lived in a foreign country and then moving back to your own because that can be as big of an adjustment as anything.
Sam had an interesting realization recently as she was examining everything in her house and then being reminded of memories as she was saying goodbye to friends. Moving from such an extreme situation as we have here in Brussels where friends are your family and everyone if very close knit is almost like dying and seeing a review of your life. You see the impact you have made on people as you move on and they all stay behind.
I hope the Carneys know what an impact they have made on so many lives.
One of the saddest things I have heard here is that the hardest adjustment for school age kids to make is not moving abroad, but instead, it is moving back to the States. One woman told me that her children have moved internationally four times and back to the States twice. While abroad, the kids are always going to the local international school where everyone has been new at some point, so most people are pretty accepting. But when her children moved back to the States, people didn't understand where they had been, or why they had been there and they didn't really want to take the time to find out. A majority of the children at the US school had been there for years, so there were plenty of cliques formed and they didn't really care to include anyone new.
As my friend Julie who has just moved back to Minnesota says, "It is hard to sum up six months of living in a foreign country into two sentences, because that is the only amount anyone really cares to hear." Another thing I have heard is that if you have an easy adjustment in living abroad then it will be a harder adjustment moving back and vice versa. I have had a very easy time getting adjusted over here (compared to most) which only leaves me worrying about my adjustment for when we move back. For as many guide books as there are out there concerning being an expat and how to live in a foreign country and I think there needs to be one for having lived in a foreign country and then moving back to your own because that can be as big of an adjustment as anything.
Sam had an interesting realization recently as she was examining everything in her house and then being reminded of memories as she was saying goodbye to friends. Moving from such an extreme situation as we have here in Brussels where friends are your family and everyone if very close knit is almost like dying and seeing a review of your life. You see the impact you have made on people as you move on and they all stay behind.
I hope the Carneys know what an impact they have made on so many lives.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Kids, kids and more kids
I have had a fun, but exhausting day. It is only 7:30 pm and I am trying to just keep myself up until 9 before I go to bed. Kyle and I went to our French lessons today. As usual, Kyle knew a heck of a lot more French than I did, but at least I didn't cry or curse during this lesson (which is definitely an improvement).
After French I worked out at the gym for an hour. The good thing about weighing yourself in kilos is that the number is smaller, but the bad thing is that one kilo equals 2.2 pounds, so it is much harder to lose just one kilo. I don't love exercising, but my time in the gym is made even worse by the horrible music videos they play. Frenchmen LOVE ballads. I don't know about you, but nothing makes me want to burn calories more than a good ballad! Check out this guy's web site. I am always having to watch his videos and I think he is definitely in love with himself. Here is another bad one. (Click on Ecouter un extrait). The other most annoying video ever is by the next Britney Spears wanna-be slut. Maria Isabel is only 10 years old, but throughout the video she is trying to do stripper-esque dance moves. If you are bored at work and want a good laugh, click on the top video link where the sentence starts "No te pierdas." And now imagine trying to work out to this junk.
After exercising my mind and body, I decided to try and exercise my patience. I went to the park with 3 other women and total of 10 children (9 of which were boys) ranging in age from 1 week to 7 years old. After the park I went to lunch with Kelly and my new friend Rebecca. On the way home from lunch we picked up Kelly and Rebecca's children from the babysitter (which brought my total child interaction for today up to 13) and we all went to the market. I must have had a little too much wine at lunch because when we then ran into Sam and the kids I invited them all back to our apartment. So from 3-6:30pm we had 6 kids and 4 adults in our little apartment. The kids were great together and the adults had a lot of fun hanging out. However, now my kitchen looks like a bomb has gone off and I have a splitting headache. The scariest thing to realize is that some women out there really do have that many children that close in age together (ages 7, 6, 5, 3 1/2, 1 1/2, and 8 months.)
After French I worked out at the gym for an hour. The good thing about weighing yourself in kilos is that the number is smaller, but the bad thing is that one kilo equals 2.2 pounds, so it is much harder to lose just one kilo. I don't love exercising, but my time in the gym is made even worse by the horrible music videos they play. Frenchmen LOVE ballads. I don't know about you, but nothing makes me want to burn calories more than a good ballad! Check out this guy's web site. I am always having to watch his videos and I think he is definitely in love with himself. Here is another bad one. (Click on Ecouter un extrait). The other most annoying video ever is by the next Britney Spears wanna-be slut. Maria Isabel is only 10 years old, but throughout the video she is trying to do stripper-esque dance moves. If you are bored at work and want a good laugh, click on the top video link where the sentence starts "No te pierdas." And now imagine trying to work out to this junk.
After exercising my mind and body, I decided to try and exercise my patience. I went to the park with 3 other women and total of 10 children (9 of which were boys) ranging in age from 1 week to 7 years old. After the park I went to lunch with Kelly and my new friend Rebecca. On the way home from lunch we picked up Kelly and Rebecca's children from the babysitter (which brought my total child interaction for today up to 13) and we all went to the market. I must have had a little too much wine at lunch because when we then ran into Sam and the kids I invited them all back to our apartment. So from 3-6:30pm we had 6 kids and 4 adults in our little apartment. The kids were great together and the adults had a lot of fun hanging out. However, now my kitchen looks like a bomb has gone off and I have a splitting headache. The scariest thing to realize is that some women out there really do have that many children that close in age together (ages 7, 6, 5, 3 1/2, 1 1/2, and 8 months.)
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
The Wingfield Hotel
We have been quite busy over here in Brussels with guests, going away parties, and getting to know you luncheons. Rebecca was here for a week, after finishing up her study abroad in Florence, Italy. We took her around Brussels and then explored farther out into Belgium. One day was spent in Antwerp touring around. The town has a great vibe and seemed like a good place to go back to visit again. The next was spent in Knokke, which is a beach town on the coast of Belgium. When we first got there we noticed all of these stand-up partitions that divided everyone out on the beach. We thought it all seemed crazy until we actually tried to lay out on the beach ourselves. The wind blew at such a high speed that you needed the dividers as wind breakers! We packed our sunscreen, but ended up wearing our fleeces instead. The best part about the wind was the beautiful sailboats in the water and amazing kites in the air.
I had one afternoon to wash the sheets and towels before our next guest arrived. Stephen, the brother of Leslie Buschbom (who is now married to Ivy Cadle--both friends from UGA) has been backpacking through Europe after finishing up his study abroad in New Zealand. He was only stopping through Brussels for a night, but we had enough time to show him around and (hopefully) give him a good taste of Brussels.
I had one afternoon to wash the sheets and towels before our next guest arrived. Stephen, the brother of Leslie Buschbom (who is now married to Ivy Cadle--both friends from UGA) has been backpacking through Europe after finishing up his study abroad in New Zealand. He was only stopping through Brussels for a night, but we had enough time to show him around and (hopefully) give him a good taste of Brussels.
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