Not Yet

Last night, we enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner at our American friends' house. It was so nice to be with another family during such a family-focused holiday. As the conversation progressed, the topic became centered on the financial crisis. Our friends mentioned that another American here...and his family were being sent home a little earlier than expected. This made me think about how I would feel if we were told that we had to go back to the States in the next couple of months. As much as I truly miss my family and friends, I think I would feel such a sense of disappointment. There is so much more to see here. There is so much more culture to experience. There is so much more French to learn. I do miss the U.S., but I'm not ready to go back yet.

Delicacies

One food that I was unable to find here was black beans. Every store I entered, I would hope that their "World Foods" section would include this tasty legume--be it in canned form....or even dried. Well, I finally stopped in a gas station that has a sign which proclaims it carries "British & American Foods." Bingo! There on the shelves, were a variety of American "delicacies." They had Jell-o, Original Cheerios, Hidden Valley Ranch dip packets, cake mixes, and BLACK BEANS! Sam and I had quesadillas and black beans the other night. Before the food reached the table, I had to sample a bean, and it was the strangest thing: I had forgotten what they tasted like. They were actually better than I remembered! It's funny how something as easy-to-find in the U.S. can be such a treat elsewhere in the world. Which Belgian specialties will I miss after we move back to the States?

Chicago?

Are you sure this is Belgium? It has been snowing, non-stop all afternoon, with no signs of stopping. When we were house-hunting, before we moved here, we asked the agent, Bernard, how much it snows in this area of Belgium. He held up his index finger and thumb, as if he were pinching something very tiny between them--indicating "just a little." Well, I am looking at the accumlated snow on our patio table, and it looks like at least an inch between yesterday and today, and this is only November. So, I don't mind that we're getting all of this snow, but I sure hope they have the resources to clear it off of the roads.

English Retreat

This past weekend, we travelled to London with Brian's parents. It was such a relief to be able to understand the signs and what everyone was saying. Oh yeah, and the sites were great, too! It was thrilling to be amidst the hustle and bustle of London's rush hour (which is pretty much all morning and all afternoon, it seemed). But, even though we constantly almost got run over by the pedestrians; and even though we were exhausted from walking everywhere; we found relaxation in being in a land where we didn't have to try so hard just to communicate.

0:00

The other night, I was up late, trying to put together some travel plans with Brian's parents. Eventually, I crawled into bed. I looked at my digital alarm clock and did a double-take. "0:00" is what it said! My first reaction was that there was something wrong with my clock. Then I realized that it was just 12:00 am/midnight. They use "military time" or a 24-hour clock here, and I bought this alarm clock here in Belgium. Although their method of telling time is going to take some getting used to, I have to say that there is a definite positive aspect to using the 24-hour clock: no am/pm mix-up when setting your alarm!

Au revoir

Today, Roberta (AKA Grandma), John (AKA Grandpa), Sam, and I were leaving a WWII museum store, and the clerk said "bye-bye" to Sam. Then she said "Au revoir," which means "Bye" in French. When the Belgians say it, it usually sounds more like "auvoir," (oh-vwah or oh-uh-vwah) because they run the words together. Well, Roberta said, "Say 'au revoir'," to Sam, and he said "oh-wah". I suddenly felt a little faint, because I realized that this is one of his first words. He has quite a vocabulary developing now, but I never thought a French word would be towards the beginning of the list! Crazy!

Oh, My Darlin'

I love clementines! They are better than oranges, because they are easier to peel, tend to be sweeter, and don't have so much of that annoying, white membrane. I don't remember finding them in the store this early when I lived in the U.S., but maybe you all have seen them already. All I know is that they seem to be pretty popular here (maybe due to our proximity to Spain), because you can get them in the boxes (like you can in the U.S.), or you can pick out on your own one-by-one. This is the first time I have found a clementine with the leaves attached. ...And how did it taste? Delicious!

I Miss...

I don't want this blog to be overly negative, but if it is, it might just be a reflection of my personality...and quite possibly the stage of adjustment that I am going through as an ex-pat.

There are a lot of things that are really good here. I am glad to be in Belgium. That being said, there are a lot of things that I miss from the United States. Here are a few of them:

1) My family
2) My friends
3) The familiarity of Illinois
4) English
5) The grid system (roads)
6) Certain foods: provolone cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, Arby's roast beef sandwiches, skim milk, black beans, Reese's peanut butter cups, Mountain Dew, American-style Chinese food
7) The babysitters we had established.
8) Chili's, Applebee's, and similar restaurants. They are great for kids.
9) Closets
10) Being able to hang up a wet towel and have it be dry 24 hours later.

All Apologies

Maybe it's because of the language barrier, but...so far, I haven't noticed the Belgians to be very apologetic.

Maybe I just noticed it because it seems that a lot of Americans tend to be overly apologetic, especially when it comes to business. Today, I had to call the credit card company, because my account was flagged for fraud. I'm not surprised. It comes with living here and making purchases that I would not have made back in the States. Well, both of the people whom I talked to were so nice and gave great customer service and said "sorry."

When the phone company here skipped out on three appointments, they never said sorry to us at all.

Well, let me fine-tune my observation... There have been a few times that I've noticed the Belgians saying sorry. I guess it has mostly been with our more personal encounters. Last night, we had our first French class. Our teacher was quite late, because she couldn't find our house, and she said "sorry" several times. Also, our landlord said "sorry" a couple times when our heater broke and when I told her about the leaks in our house.

It should be interesting to see if my view of Belgians changes as I live here...or if I will find my initial observations to be true.

Belgian Supermarket, Part 3

I don't think all of the supermarkets are this way, but the one I usually go to has a specific way that you must prepare your produce. Most items must be weighed on the scale, and then you have to print out a sticker that has a bar code and the price of your produce on it.

I have had to learn a few tricks with this system, as it is not the same for every item. Most prepackaged items that already have a barcode on them do not need to be weighed. However, pineapples have turned out to be an exception. They usually already have a tag on them, but you must still weigh them. Kiwi (kiwis?) are sold by the piece, so you don't need to weigh them. It's kind of fun to print out that little sticker, especially for little kids who are interested in helping out at the grocery store. It's also good for finding out the price of your item, especially for big items like pumpkins. (I have seen limited numbers of pumpkins here.) I saw one huge pumpkin that was rejected...it was still in the store with a label on it already... The price said 15 Euros!! (a little over $20 USD) Yikes!

Party in the Potty

Brian, Sam, and I were getting ready to leave downtown Waterloo (next town over), so we could go to the 5:00 pm mass in Brussels. We decided we needed to go potty before departing. Conveniently, there were some toilets in the parking garage. "Smart," I noted, "If you don't give them toilets, they're just going to pee all over in the underground parking garage." So, we went inside this unisex bathroom. There were two stalls, a urinal, and a sink. When we entered, the bathroom was empty. When I came out of the stall, there was a line of women out the door. Wow! What a change! I walked over to the sink, and noticed that the urinal, which was only a few feet away from the sink, was now occupied by a middle-aged man. Lovely. I somehow just cannot imagine this scene happening in the U.S.

I Just Need Some Space

I was about ready to scream in the bookstore on Saturday. These crazy Belgians definitely have a different sense of space than what I'm used to. I was crouching, looking at a book in a bookstore, and a guy and a gal came up behind me...*right* behind me and were looking at the top row of books above me. When I stood up to look at some different books, I had to be careful not to brush up against them... In the U.S., what they did would be construed as a very rude thing to do. You just don't get in someone's space like that. But here, it is an everyday occurence. I'm not sure why, but I think it might have something to do with their limited space here. For example, when you are driving on the road, you often have a lot less room than you do on roads in the U.S. But, then again, I am from the Midwest, where it is pretty roomy. Maybe the East Coast (in the U.S.) is a little bit different...and maybe people get a little bit closer there. All my East Coasters....and people who have been to Europe....can you weigh in on this one for me?

Absurdities of the Day

1) English isn't their first language. Many of them don't know any English at all. So, why is it that the grocery store plays ALL English songs? Am I the only customer who knows what these songs are about?

2) How can Sam not like bananas anymore? That used to be one of his favorite foods. Now, he turns his nose at them. What is going on?

When it Rains...

My head was spinning this past weekend. Why is it that when something breaks, tons of other unfortunate events often immediately follow?

At the end of last week, Sam became ill with a nasty cold that he is still battling. Then, I found out that I need to have my car looked at. Then, our heater wasn't working properly. Then, I found out that we need to get a broken light in our driveway fixed. And...we have two leaks from the incessant rain, and no one can figure out why they are occurring. Oh yeah....and did I mention that I'm living in Belgium, and not only does getting something done take three times longer anyway, but I also have to speak French to get these services?

Well, today the heating guy came, and it's such a relief that he spoke some English. Also, he was such a nice and caring person. Tomorrow, the electrician is coming to fix the light. He was also very nice on the phone.

Maybe in the next few days, I'll have a pouring down of good experiences.

Langue

I actually don't know which French word to use. In my translation dictionary, langue and langage are both listed as meaning "language." Anyhow, I have been noticing some cool breakthroughs recently.

Today, when I was changing the laundry, I realized that I understand two words on the washing machine that I didn't know when I first moved here. It was an awesome feeling, because these two words were next to each other, so now I understand what the button I had been ignoring is for. I actually looked up the words when we first moved here, but I forgot them about two minutes afterwards. I was so inundated with new vocab when we first arrived. Another cool thing about these two new words is that I can remember how I learned both of them. Each new word is like a little trophy to me right now.

Samuel has also been having his own speech and language breakthroughs. He is getting so much better at imitating the words that we say. He is like a little sponge right now! As a speech-language pathologist, I can't help but revel in his emerging linguistic skills. Each new word in his vocabulary is also like a little trophy to Brian and me...and to Sam...because it helps Sam express himself better. It helps him to comment on his world...and request his wants and needs.

Sam and I are both going through an explosion of language, and it's hard for me not to notice and compare our development. Right now, I feel like a toddler of French. I am excited to learn how to express myself more clearly.

Rehearsals

I have noticed that I often rehearse things I'm going to say in my head before I say them out loud.

I especially do this when I'm going to say something in French. It's really interesting, because along with it tends to come an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. I think about what I might need to say to someone to make them understand my motives or to get what I need. Sometimes, I think halfway through a phrase or sentence and then start over, because I realize that I don't know that word in French yet...but sometimes, I do remember it in Spanish, which is not at all helpful.

I wonder if most people rehearse the words they are going to say. They probably don't all the time, but maybe at least sometimes.

Learning a new language is really fun and stimulating. I'm really glad I get the opportunity to do this.

(Navigating the) Belgian Supermarket, Part 2

Another big difference between the supermarkets in America and the ones here is that if you want a bag, you have to bring your own (or buy a reusable one there). There are no bag boys--you have to do it yourself. If you have ever been to Aldi in the States, then you kind of know what I'm talking about. Like at Aldi, most of the grocery stores here have the carts that you have to put the money in, too. You can even shop at Aldi here (I believe it is a German company), if you want, but it's not that great. A lot of the food there is not that good for you. Luckily, the reusable bags I told you about are very sturdy and can handle a lot of weight. It's a good idea. Less plastic in the landfills.

Good Day

Today was one of those days that leaves you feeling all warm and sentimental. Sam had some rough times, but the majority of the day was a lot of fun. This afternoon, we went to a park that has a lot of trails, some sculptures, and a chateau on the property. It's amazing, but this park is actually free. It was donated by a family for public use. After we move from here, this park will definitely be something that I will miss.

Well, tonight, Brian had a work dinner to attend, so it was just Sam and me all day. Having extra time with him can sometimes be exhausting, but tonight it was really fun. Part of that might be due to the fact that I also got to talk to one of my girlfriends on the phone for about an hour!!

Anyway, giving him a bath was actually fun! Sam likes taking a bath, until the cleaning part. Then he fusses (which is an improvement over the screaming and crying he used to do with it). Also, getting him dressed and helping him brush his teeth were more enjoyable than usual. Reading him his bedtime stories was very, very pleasant, too.

When it was time to put him in bed, I was a little sad. I started to think about how I have been really blessed to be able to stay home with him the past almost-two years. I felt wistful as I thought about how I will probably put him in preschool next year...and then he will go to kindergarten....and eventually, he will be big. It's days like these that make me want to slow things down and really take in life.

Car-Free Sunday?

"What is this? The Indy 500? There have been 12 cars in the past 60 seconds!" Brian said as we tried to enjoy our walk on the alleged "Dimanche Sans Voitures" ("Sunday Without Cars").

We walked by two people who also questioned the excess of cars on the road. They looked at us with puzzled faces and double-checked that today was indeed the day.

I honestly couldn't tell a difference from any other normal day. Were the people who were driving just breaking the rules? Did they know something that we didn't? There are some things that I don't think I'll ever figure out here!

Navigating the Belgian Supermarket

Before we moved here, I thought we were going to have to go to outdoor markets all the time to get our food. I had heard that Europeans shop at the market every day. My only experience of a Belgian grocery store was a fairly small one that was next to our hotel when we went house hunting. Well, much to my surprise, there are "hyper" markets here. I'm sure that some will tell you that it is a bad thing to have these types of stores infiltrate their culture here, but I was so relieved. There is one store that is very much like a Meijer or Super Walmart...in that it has groceries, clothes, electronics, books, and houseware items. It is massive. There are still some key differences when you shop here, though. My favorite difference is the bread. They have freshly baked loaves of all sorts of bread. You pick the one you want and put it in the bread slicer so you don't have to do that at home. Then you put it in a bag. It's so good. They have bread like we do in the States--presliced and in a plastic bag. But, this is their specialty, so why would I pass it up?

I'll fill you in on other grocery store differences later.

Dimanche Sans Voitures

Oh, yes. You read that correctly. This Sunday is going to be a "Sunday without cars." We were going to travel somewhere this weekend, but in light of how things work in this country, I would hate to not be able to get back home when we want to. They are actually cordoning off an entire area that surrounds our town and about four or five others. I think it's a Europe-wide ordeal--to show you that you don't always need your car--you can bike or walk places, too. It's a good idea, but this is also a region where few people go to church on Sunday. We do go to church on Sunday, but not this Sunday. The road closings begin at 10:00 am and continue to 5:00 pm. Church starts at 10:00 am. When we told an unaffected acquaintance (they live in a town that is not participating) who goes to our church about this Sunday, he said, "Well, what are they going to do? Not let you drive back to your house?" I wanted to ask him,"Umm...haven't you been living in this country since April?" But, instead, I only thought those words...and felt much the wiser.

Welcome, Terrible Twos

Well, I think it has officially happened. The terrible twos have infected my sweet, perfect, little boy. I have been witnessing some warning signs the past few weeks. You know....him ignoring me....throwing toys....screaming in the store after I tell him "no"....sticking his hand in his poopy diaper.... All the wonderful things that make me realize how much I love him after I put up with his antics. But, today, I decided that something had to be done. So far, I am going to try to not have to give him any "love pats", but man, do I want to sometimes! The past couple of days, I have tried doing a modified "time out" where I just remove him from the current situation and then sit him down by himself and I leave. He doesn't like it when I remove myself from him right now, so that is just about the only thing I can think of (besides spanking) that will get his attention. I don't quite know if he understands that level of cause and effect yet, so I don't know if it's going to work. But, I have to do something. Now, what do I do about the screaming in the grocery store? Because "no" only makes him scream more (because then it's funny to him that Mommy is mad). Where's Supernanny when you need her?

Hitchin' a Ride

It's not unusual to see people standing on the side of the road with their thumbs out here. I'm not exactly sure why, but a lot of people seem to hitchhike in this area. I usually see at least one person per week attempting this alternative form of transportation.

However, today was the first time I ever saw a senior citizen hitchin'. Not only was this person an elder, but this person was a lady! I'm not kidding! She even had a cane!!! I felt so guilty passing her up. I hope someone stopped for her. Bless her heart.

The First Rule of Sam's Club

As a mildly-seasoned parent, I have learned the hard and fast, number one rule of having a small child: Do not leave the house without food.

Simple.

It doesn't even matter if your intention is to leave the house and come back in 10 minutes. If you don't bring some type of food with you, you will probably be sorry. You could always get a flat tire...or get caught in some unforeseen traffic...or get stuck in the slowest checkout line in the grocery store...or any number of things.

Lately, we have been so "on the go" with errands and other activities that we have been running late for snacks, lunch, and supper. This means that Sam inevitably gets hungry and cranky and needs the food I have stashed in his diaper bag. Most of the time, it is crackers or some other remotely unhealthy snack.

It is funny to see the progression my parenting has taken since Sam was born. I would not have thought I would allow my child to eat so many non-nutritious things just so he wouldn't fuss and carry-on...and so I could get some things done... Not that I ever thought he wouldn't eat junk food...and no, it's not like I usually allow him to eat junk all day. I guess this is just par for the course. When the leader of your club is a toddler, some preconceived rules are bound to get the boot.

Endless

Today, it is a beautiful, sunny day in Belgium. Brian is lounging on the two, lonely chairs on our patio...soaking up the sunlight and listening to his Ipod. He deserves the break. He has been contending with long hours and endless e-mail since he returned from his trip to the U.S. Since he works for a global company, there is always someone who is awake and sending out an e-mail request. Always....

I am sitting in the kitchen, looking out at our scenic backyard and taking a break before Sam wakes up from his nap. I deserve this break. I have been contending with endless laundry and cleaning since we moved here. Most of the flooring is this (sort of) pretty salmon-colored tile. There is one floor of hardwood. Part of the upstairs is covered with a light-colored laminate. Sam's room and the guest room are covered with a thin layer of carpet (not the spongy, padded kind we're used to in the U.S.). Anyway, I am reminded of an e-mail "conversation" my friend, Lara, and I had many months ago. I had mentioned that I didn't understand why people had the notion that stay-at-home wives...or housewives are constantly cleaning. I didn't do very much cleaning at all in Aurora. Well, in Aurora, we had wall-to-wall carpeting and some vinyl flooring that hid dirt very well. Lara has hardwood throughout her house and has to clean it often, she told me. She said that back before carpeting was the norm in a house, frequent cleaning must have been a necessity.

Ahhhh....now I understand. If you drop a crumb....a hair....a speck of dust onto our salmon tile, you can see it. It really could stand to be vacuumed every day. Even after I get done vacuuming, I need to vacuum again!

And don't get me started on the laundry and ironing!!! Their washers fit half the amount of clothes in them here and take two to three times as long to complete a cycle (if you use anything other than cold water). Their washing machines are not hooked up to the hot water heater, but heat the water internally...so it's quite a lengthy process.

Well, Sam should be waking any moment now, so I'll just take in this view and forget about my cleaning for another couple minutes...

America, the Beautiful

It may be a cliche to blog about 9-11 today, but I don't feel that I have any choice.

I am not in the U.S. today, so I didn't get inundated with the coverage of the memorial services. I only heard a few snippets on BBC while I was driving in my car.

I guess today is one of those days where you want to be with or at least around someone who understands what it felt like to be in America on the day of 9/11. That was a scary day. Do you remember where you were? I have memories of my dad talking about being at school when he found out that Kennedy got shot. In the same way, I will always remember where I was...and how incredibly out of control the world seemed, especially in the couple of hours after all of the planes went down.

I would like to add that the U.S. really is a great country. It does have its problems, but so does every other nation...

There is not much more to say, so I guess I'll just end with a prayer that peace will prevail...Amen.

"She Must Not Love Life"

That is what Bernard said when we were going through a roundabout, and a driver took her turn, when it clearly wasn't her turn. Bernard was the guy from the relocation office who drove us to all of the houses we looked at on our house-hunting trip.

I think of that statement often when I witness the crazy, Belgian driving. However, most often, I utter that phrase when I see the maniacs on the motorcycles zipping through...and between traffic.

The other day, I was on my way to meet Brian, so we could pick up my car. I got stuck behind a line of cars, because this is a rural area, and there are lots of sloooooooow farm implements on the roads. Well, this guy on a "crotch rocket" decided that he didn't like how slow we were going. He thought it was a good idea to bypass the road, go through a rest area on the side of the road, and then merge back into the traffic. He ignored his yield sign and emptied out onto the road a couple meters in front of my car. Hello! I have a child in my car.

These cyclists do this kind of stuff all the time! On the motorway, they weave in and out of the lanes...sometimes riding between the lanes. All it will take is one person changing lanes and not seeing them zipping through where they shouldn't even be.

It's crazy! It really makes you believe that they couldn't possibly love life!! (Or care about anyone else's, for that matter!)

He Would Have

Tonight, while I was working out (gotta burn those chocolate calories!), the song that Brian and I danced to at our wedding reception came onto my Ipod. It made me think of my dad, because I remember him sitting and watching us while we danced. The other day, I heard the song that Dad and I danced to, which almost brought a tear to my eye.

It is always difficult to go through milestones without him. When Sam was born, I mourned his loss all over again. And now that we have moved to Europe, I can't help but feel sad, knowing that I can't share this experience with him.

Brian and I have talked a little bit about who we think will come to visit us while we are here. A couple of times, Dad has come up, and we wonder if he would have come. I think....that it might have taken a little bit of coaxing...but...at the end of the day...I think he would have.

An Act of Kindness

The other day, Sam and I were driving back home from getting groceries. It was raining, and we had just turned off of the highway onto a little road that takes us to another little road, that takes us home. We had to slow down, because there was a car stopped in the middle of the road--not an uncommon occurence here. Then I realized what was happening. There were two females in the car. There was a man in a suit, carrying a briefcase and an open umbrella, standing next to the car. One of the women was clearing a space in the backseat, so the man could sit there. Most likely, the man had taken the bus to and from work (the bus system has many pick up and drop off points, making it an excellent source of public transportation). Because it was raining, and it rains often here, he was prepared with an umbrella. I don't know if the women knew him. It is likely, since it is a smaller community. But, at the time, I figured that if they did know each other, they were merely acquaintances. The pick-up might have been planned, but I don't think it was. As I drove past this scene, I felt chills, as I often do, when I witness kindness in progress.

Michelangelo's Madonna & Child

We went to Bruges, Belgium yesterday, and we saw this statue while we were there. It is a Madonna & Child Jesus by Michelangelo. It is special, because not very many of Michelangelo's works were transported from Italy. To me, it is a very moving piece, because Mary looks very much like the Mary in Michelangelo's "Pieta." The Pieta is on display in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, which I was very lucky to see when I was in college. That Pieta statue moved me very much, as it depicts Mary holding Christ after he has been subjected to the crucifiction and has passed on from this world. Mary has a similar somber look in both statues. She holds Jesus in her lap in both, as well. I think that now being a mother myself, I understand both of these works in a whole new way. The love for a child is such a strong and all-encompassing thing...and to imagine going through what Mary went through when Jesus died...it is too much. I love Michelangelo's depictions of Mary and Jesus. They are both very tender and emotional. They are truly great masterpieces.

Poulet Rotis

Today is Sunday, the day of the poulet rotis (rotisserie chicken) at our local grocery store. Every time we drive past the small store and read the chalkboard sitting outside, we are reminded that dimanche (Sunday) is the day for the special. Today, on our way back from our English-speaking church in Brussels, we finally got one. We brought it home, and I boiled some potatoes avec (with) skins and then mashed them with the hand mixer. I also steamed some fresh green beans. Voila! Lunch! Better than Boston Market.

Answer to My Question

Yesterday, after Brian got home from work, I brought out the tiny, cute, French grapes I had just bought at the supermarket. "These grapes have seeds in them!" I ranted. It seems it is difficult to find seedless grapes here. "Who eats these things, anyway?" Well, it seems that our little Samuel answered my question for me. This morning, he begged for them, so I cut some in half to remove the seeds, nearly destroying them in the process. Then, I couldn't keep up with his pace, so I let him try a whole one. He spit the seeds out with disgust. However, at supper time, he was begging for them again. This time, I let him help himself, and he seemed to like that. One after the other, seeds and all, he ate the entire grape. And, no, he wasn't swallowing them whole. Sometimes, I could even hear the crunch of the seed. Gross!! I wonder if that's how the Belgians do it? Do they eat the seeds...or do they spit them out? Phew....another question, just waiting to be answered...

Progress

Today, the car rental company was supposed to come at 11:00 to pick up our rental car. We just got my car last week. We got the license plates in the mail on Monday. So, we're ready to give the rental back. Well, at 11:30, I called the rental place, and the guy was really nice, but this is what he said: "Oh...yes...we need your address again." Mmmm-hmmm. So, were you going to call and let me know that? I think they just maybe forgot, right? I gave him the address, and he said they would be here in a half hour to an hour. Well, I got a little annoyed, but I wasn't really even mad. My inner dialogue was, "That is so Belgian." Now that is progress!

Your Belgian Tidbit of the Day

Did you know.....?

...That if you buy a car from a dealership in Belgium, you better head straight to the nearest gas station, because they only put about a liter of fuel in the tank...?

Settling In

I have always been a lazy unpacker. Ask Brian. He will reassure you that my still-full suitcase is usually sitting on our bedroom floor several days after we have returned from a trip. Not that I didn't have a legitimate excuse this time (ahem...like, nowhere to put the contents!), but I just unpacked my suitcase today. Some of it had already found a home, but a lot of my clothes remained in my big, green bag...with the airline tags still attached.

Tonight, the tags went into the garbage, and the shirts, shorts, and socks went into the closet or my dresser. It felt good to finally put the suitcase into storage. It was clearly a symbolic gesture. Now that we have our furniture, and we're setting up our house, we are starting to settle in.

Farm Fresh

When we first moved here, we found the milk on the shelf and didn't like how that tasted, so we refrained from trying the eggs that were also on the shelf--there are none in the refrigerated section. It turns out that their eggs are very fresh here...and really good. This dozen just wanted to remind us of its source.

No More Camping

The other day, my friend, Kat, and I were talking on Skype, and she mentioned that she had plans to go camping, which she hadn't done since, like, 2005. I told her that I hadn't been camping since that year...or maybe even before that. It has been so long.

But, today, it occurred to me that I have kind of felt like I have been camping since we moved to Belgium. I'm not talking about the middle-of-the-woods type of camping, where you fetch your wood and pray that no wild animals will attack you or steal your food while you're sleeping. I'm talking about the camping that I have always done. It may have been in a camper or, at the least, a tent, and it most assuredly involved, at the minimum, a Port-a-potty. This kind of camping brought with it fridges...or, at least, fully stocked coolers. And...it was fun, because I was on vacation.

But, I'm not on vacation right now. I'm living here. And I don't want to feel like I'm on vacation while I live in my house. Today, after waking up from my very own bed...after sleeping on a PILLOW....and not a "fake" pillow made out of a towel.... Today, after walking downstairs only to find my furniture....and not the rental IKEA furniture.... Today, after eating from my own plates....and not thinking that I needed to take extra care of them, because they belong to someone else, I realized that I have not been at home up until this point. I was "camping." This was just a campsite that I was using. But, now, I see all of my things here. They were in the U.S., and now they're here. Since they are here, I can be more at ease. Now this can become my "home."

That's Belgium

We aren't quite yet to the point where we can say, "Yep, that's Belgium", or "That's the Belgian way", or as our Ex-Pat friend, Tina, would say, "That's how they roll in Belgium!" without getting a little annoyed. It's very difficult to move from a country where almost everything is instantaneous to a country where many major things have been taking us about three tries to complete. Let's tally up the scorecard, shall we?

1. Phone company: 4 appointments
2. Air container: 1 appointment
3. Package delivery: 3 failed attempts (1 package lost...still not recovered)
4. Rental furniture: 1 appointment
5. Belgian ID cards: 3 trips
6. Belgian driver's licenses: 3 trips
7. My car: Will be 4 trips for me, 3 for Brian
8. Sea container: 1 appointment
9. T.V./DVD player: So far, 2 trips (will probably be 2 more, at least)

And, by the way, our ID cards and licenses, don't really deserve those terms. They are really just some flimsy cardstock that take up a lot of space in our wallets and will be rendered useless if they get wet (which is likely since it rains here so often). It really is quite funny. I don't think the citizens are given these little "beasts", but we are because they are "temporary" cards and we are temporary residents.

Just so you know, I make an oath right now to never complain about U.S. DMV's ever again! The workers and the wait may be a little unsavory at times, but at least you get a durable card and you actually get the thing (usually) without needing to come back another time.

Possessions (7/25/08)

(Note: This blog was written when I didn't have a computer or internet access, but I wanted to share it anyway)

We got one of the packages we sent to ourselves before we left the U.S. today. The delivery guy was supposed to bring both parcels, but only brought one.

We get our air shipment on Tuesday--well, we're supposed to receive it then. Of course, anything could cause a delay.

The point of this is not to complain about not having our things. It has actually been a little "freeing" in some ways to not have all of our things. As Brad Pitt's character in Fight Club says, "The things you own, end up owning you."

Also, there is a rather high incidence of petty theft of personal property here. So, I'm not exactly looking forward to the fear that comes along with the idea of someone breaking into our house to steal something. I can imagine the anxiety that would linger from an experience like that--feeling as though your safe haven has been violated.

Anyhow, it's been good to be reminded that the things we own are merely things and not our lives. They do not define who we are. They can be used as tools for enjoyment or convenience...and in some cases, survival. But they don't make us who we are. We are the same people, vacuum or not...T.V. or not...internet access or not... I prefer life with these conveniences...but just for now, at least, I can see more clearly that they often clutter up my life. I would like to remember what a blessing they can be in my life...but also recall that they are not the end-all, be-all to existence in a modern world.

Culture Shock

A lot of things take double the time to complete here--when compared to the U.S.

When you're accustomed to your surroundings, you don't haved to think as much about the order of things.

Here, you wonder if there's some small, cultural difference that will put a glitch in your best-laid plans. Here, you have to think ahead about the questions they might ask in French...and what to do if they don't know any English.

But, as I have become more used to living here, I also see that there are a lot more similarities than anything else.

Chaos in the Silence

Well, things have finally slowed down a bit. It's probably because it's 9:50 pm, and it's time to go to bed, but actually all of today has felt like a deceleration. That doesn't mean that I haven't felt completely stressed out, but today definitely feels different. I feel almost reverent. What about?

Well....I guess some of it has to do with the fact that moving on makes you see what you have had all along. Change can be like that. The little things that you took for granted become magnified. But, change can also persuade you to cling to the familiar for comfort, even when the familiar has been a negative part of your life. Somehow the annoyances become glossed over. The same thing happens when people die. The bad qualities of the person seem to fade away.

Pretty soon, this house is going to be very silent. All of the boxes will be loaded onto the truck. Very soon, we will find ourselves in an equally silent, barren Belgian home. And although the house will be empty, a certain amount of chaos will exist, simply because we are trying to figure things out in that unfamiliar world.

I Despise Technology Today

Well, I still really like it...but today I am very, very, deeply frustrated by it. Yesterday was the beginning of the trend. I found out that more than half of our electrical items will not work in Belgium. I thought most of them would be useable, but it turns out that many of them need converters and not just outlet adaptors. The Radio Shack guy (can I use brand names on this?) explained to me that several of the items could probably work with a converter, but would need to be unplugged after about 30-40 minutes. Otherwise, they could overheat. Well, who ever heard of unplugging a fondue pot from the power source after 30 minutes? Who plugs in a cordless phone to let it charge and then remembers to unplug it after a half hour? Some of the items could be adapted by changing the plug (the box plugs), but it's usually not worth the hassle. Therefore, many of our things (e.g., baby monitors, phones, hand vac, blender) are going into storage. We will have to buy new (or used) when we get to Belgium.

The other reason I am mad about technology today is because our phone company shut off our DSL. And guess what! They can't turn it back on until next week. It's all because we are going to switch our current number to a very popular VoIP company once we get to Belgium. Well, the two phone companies have it out for each other and are playing the blame game and basically doing nothing to help us. It was my idea to have our current giant phone company give us free dial up for now. That's how I am able to post this today.

I really like and usually enjoy technology. But, it is so annoying when it doesn't work properly or easily. You just don't realize how much you rely on it until it malfunctions or causes inconvenience.

Roly Polys and Fireflies

As we count down the days until our newly planned move date, I can't help but feel a deep nostalgia for most everything in my current surroundings. I looked out across the corn field (the last in our area for miles) the other night, and I saw one of the surest signs that summer is here: shimmering fireflies. It led me to recall fond memories of childhood--catching fireflies in my hands and watching them flicker. I thought about how Sam will want to catch them pretty soon, too. But then I wondered if they have fireflies (I really call them "lightning bugs," but "fireflies" sounds more poetic) in Belgium.

It's interesting to watch Sam as he discovers all the things in this world. Just the other day, he reached out his fisted hand in my direction. Out of habit, I held out my open hand, palm up, to him. Oh, lovely. He gave me a live roly poly. It reminds me of the story a distant acquaintance shared regarding an early morning wake-up call in which her dog brought her a gift. Unfortunately for her, canines have limited avenues for procuring presents. I'm sure you can guess that the surprise was a dead rodent.

I guess I shouldn't neglect to admit that I have felt relief that I won't have to deal with the abundance of rude, Chicagoland drivers for some time. I don't think Belgian drivers are quite as rude. While I was in Belgium, there were some traffic jams, but I'm hoping the traffic conjestion won't be so endemic.

Well, I must be off. There are still many good-byes to say--to people and to the familiarity of Illinois. There are many things that I do not even realize I am going to miss. I will just try to take it all in--minute by minute, day by day.

I don't know

Or as they say in French, "Je nas sais pas." When are we leaving? Je nas sais pas. When will we get the work permit and our visas? Je nas sais pas.

It's difficult to live in such an uncertain world. We're used to being able to make plans and feel comfortable. Now I feel as though I am spiraling out of control. Nothing is in my control. Someone wants to come see the house when I have company, Sam is taking a nap, and there is food being delivered in 15 minutes? Well, great!

At our cultural training, they talked about the stages you go through after you move to another country. You have a honeymoon period where everything is new and exciting. Then you have a bit of a revelation and you get a little depressed. Then you recover a little. Then you plunge into an abyss of depression for a little while. I asked the trainer, "What about the time period before you move? Aren't there peaks and valleys there?"

The best advice I have gotten so far is that I can't over-compare the U.S. to there. I need to see what I'm experiencing as an adventure.

I have a feeling, I am going to need to see the next couple months (or however long) here as an adventure, too. There may be a period of time where we have no furniture and where Sam and I are living with my parents.

Hey, why not start today? Every day is an adventure with an 18 month old!

In the beginning...

It's a little difficult to figure out what exactly I want this blog to be. I am pretty sure I want to keep it, since I'm going to have so many new experiences coming up. But....who do I want to share it with? Will anyone even read it.... And if they do, will they really care?

What do I reveal? Do I remove my "mask"? --You know, the way we portray ourselves to others. Do I let my true self shine through as much as possible?

I don't want to come across as someone whose life is nothing but bliss. Yeah, I am going to be living in Europe, and I'm going to get to see a lot of new things, but I don't want everyone to think I'm bragging about my situation. I really just want to "connect" with you. I want to tell you about the things I see and do. I want to be free to talk about the things that are really cool or just interesting. I also want to be able to complain about the things that really suck.

You will probably roll your eyes at my corny-ness, but that's okay. I know I'm corny...and highly sentimental. I'm fairly intelligent, but I'm not a genius, so I might not have too many mind-blowing epiphanies that you haven't already realized.

Just as long as you understand that I don't really know what I'm doing with this blog...and that I'm not promising to be original, we'll be okay.

I want to be candid, and I want to "me", but like I said before.....how much "me" I am in this blog will depend on how it morphs throughout time.