Musings, Learnings and Morsels of Wisdom picked up so far...

- there is such a thing as governors on cars
- the yield to the right rule is NO joke!
- adjusting to living in Brussels is easier than adjusting to working in Brussels
- never use the detergent dispensing drawer on a Dutch washing machine
- wearing heels on cobblestone is never a good idea 
- I'm certain to end up with at least one broken ankle!
- even a few weeks feels like a very long time when you miss your family
- the best fries are sold near the old stock exchange building
- just overhearing someone speaking English makes me feel a little less isolated
- waffles are good any time of day
- its impossible to look at the clock and not immediately calculate what time it is at home
- accomplishing even the smallest task (grocery shopping, joining a gym, setting the GPS in English vs French) makes me very proud of myself
- seeing people with their dogs breaks my heart just a little bit
- I could live here a long time and still not try every beer on the Delirium beer menu
- there is a lot here that I am excited to show others

Went for the Bier - Fell in LOVE with the Chicken!

Last weekend was Oktoberfest. In Munich, Germany.  The 200th Anniversary of Oktoberfest actually and it was AWESOME!  What an experience!  My friend Mary, a coworker from the homeland, was in Germany at BASF's headquarters for the week.  We drove over Saturday morning after spending the evening in Mannheim, Germany.  Jeremy was in Germany last week as well, so I was able to spend a brief 12 hours with him (better than nothing!).  


So, Oktoberfest!  Mary and I were in Munich for about 15 minutes before making our way toward the fairgrounds (stopping for a few "primer" biers along the way - I mean, hey, we didn't know how bad the crowds would be and how long until we'd be served.  A couple biers go a LONG way in the patience threshold you know, it was really a public service).  Munich's population is about 1.5 M people... and well, during Oktoberfest, more than 6M people attend over 15 days.  Crazy.  The walk into the fairgrounds was packed with men wearing lederhosen (great socks!), women wearing dirndl (awkward Halloween-costume-ish), small children, tourists, the overwhelming smell of bier mixed with urine.  We have made it.  Walking into the fairgrounds, I didn't quite expect the scene.  I wasn't thinking Carnival rides and games and cheap trinkets, but yes, that is Oktoberfest.  

I had read online that you need to make reservations for the bier tents.  By the time we decided we could actually go, we couldn't get a reservation.  Luckily, 2 gals (that don't take up too much space on a bench) can easily find their way inside a tent (or 2.. or was it 3... no, no 4).  Anyways, we had no trouble getting in and making plenty of new friends.  A lovely local couple the first night that nearly had me spewing my beer when the lady asked if I had a facebook so she could "friend" me.  We also meet a few creepers, but thats all part of the experience.  On Sunday we were seated inside the Hippodrome tent with 4 guys from Denmark.  Hilarious!  They wore great hats, sang fun drinking songs, took a turn blowing into the Camilla's breath-a-lizer (for sport - you get a cool certificate if you blow over the legal limit - Mary and I are thinking of taking that to the States, but thinking lawsuits would ensue for certain!) and yelled out Prost!  about every 5 minutes.  Needless to say, Mary and I had a great time.

BUT - let me tell you the best part!  I thought I'd be eating sausage and pretzels the entire time.  Well, I definitely didn't miss out on any of the pretzels (ate quite a few of those), but the main dish served at Oktoberfest is BY FAR, the BEST CHICKEN I'VE EVER HAD!  Wow, Great Stuff!  Needless to say, we had chicken a LOT.  Oh my! Prost!!

Brussels 1, Denise ??? Hazard Lights

Had my first "What in the WORLD?" experiences that I have to share. Now, looking back, I can laugh at it myself, so I'm certain others will really enjoy this.

Last Thursday was my first official day in the new office of Waterloo, Belgium.
{Yep, that Waterloo - Napolean defeated in 1815. And yes, there is a re-enactment every other year - get your plane tickets! Ha!} Anyway, back to last Thursday. The admin supporting our group organized for a rental car to be delivered to the office for me to use for the next few weeks as I start the process of buying a car. I left work for the day (around 7pm - they work LONG hours here, more on that another day) and went into the parking lot with my set of keys. In the parking lot is a nice, relatively new Mercedes B series car. It is an automatic (yay!) and has a built-in navigational system (100% required for these wacky streets, even the locals need one).

Once inside the car, I surprised myself with the speed in which I was able to change the gps system from French to English. I get my apartment address programmed in and all looks good. I proceed to leave the parking lot and experience my first brussels commute.

Dreve Richelle, the street where the office is located, is quite busy for a two lane road. The Ring Road (freeway) is very close to the office so there is a bit of a backup. No worries, I'm from Detroit - I can merge. :) So far, so good. I head a short distance of 400 meters (see, already talking like a European), around one round-about (thank you PDP experience and my time spent in NJ) and turn left to merge onto the Ring. And... that is when the "what in the world am I doing here??" moment occured.

As I merge onto the Ring Road with plenty of additional motorists behind me, I feel the car struggling to accelerate. And by struggle I mean, "Why won't this car move????". I quickly check to make certain that the gear shift is in automatic mode and not "semi-automatic" mode (clutch-less shifting). Nope, thats NOT the problem. I pull over. Hazard lights on. "Can I go back to the US yet?" Anger.

I try again. Same issue. Pull back over. Frustration. I get out the manual. Its in Dutch. Awesome!

I check the dash. I turn the car off, I turn it back on. I try again. Same result. Definition of insanity? Yay, you got it! Close to tears. I consider calling Jeremy. I try. No answer. Tears.

So, there I am. First "real" day in Brussels and I'm on the side of the road, hazards flashing and crying. Perfect! "Get yourself together, Denise!" I flip through the manual again. Yay, thats pointless. I look all over the place on the instrument panel... and whats that? Whats the little light on the control arm for the cruise control (perfectly placed behind the sterring wheel and out of view)? Hmmm, its lit up in pale yellow. Next to the indicator light it say LIM. I switch it off. LIM? LIM? .... Limit? "DOES THIS STUPID CAR HAVE A GOVERNOR???" Yes, yes it does! Besides having the traditional cruise control, it also has a limit switch and will not allow the car to accelerate over a set speed, in my case 30 kph. Well, fantastic.

I continue my commute. Traffic is heavy, but I make it.

I get by with a little help from my... (American) friends

Just finishing up my first weekend in Brussels. Had a nice time checking out the city, doing a little grocery shopping and enjoying two BBQ's with some American coworkers and friends (my family away from family).

Saturday night I was invited to dinner in Overjise at the home of the Galvin's. George and I worked together in Louisiana in 1999 and now we are both in the Waterloo office (they moved here last August). He and his wife Beth have the adorable little 18 month in these pictures. Sean is just as sweet as can be!

Sunday night I was invited over to the Freidingers home in Waterloo. Dave and his wife Alicia relocated this summer and have two daughters, Callie is 11 and Sienna is 3. Wonderful girls. We celebrated Dave's birthday which will be on Thursday. It was so nice to have enjoy some "family" time this weekend. I feel very fortunate to have these guys as coworkers and their families as friends.

Place des Martyrs, 21

Here are some pictures of the inside of my place. My shipment hasn't yet arrived from the US - so its pretty empty right now of personal things. Hopefully the air freight will arrive this week and the sea containerwithin the month.

This is the building front hallway, mailbox and my door straight ahead. (Ha, ha my refection in the glass door).

This is the dining room. (So, THIS is the dining room!)

This is the living room. I'm looking forward to my things arriving so I can fill up the bookshelves and put something on the mantle.

This is the kitchen - have to learn using an oven in Celsius. Lots of new ways of doing things.

Place away from Home

I arrived in Brussels on September 8th, 2010 jet lagged and anxious. I’d been waiting for this day for a long time, mostly with fear and apprehension. But here I am and now its time to make it work! (Insert Tim Gunn’s direction here!) I made it to my office to get my apartment keys and then found the apartment (I will post some pictures soon). I impressed myself with a trip to a grocery store and actually purchased enough items to make dinner! Denise 1 Brussels 0! I have a feeling that score will change very, very soon.

Here are some pictures of my new place away from home. I don't think I can (or will) call this apartment home.

Home is not the place where you live, its the place where you belong. And I know I belong with those I love. But for now, this is my new place.

This is the Square where my apartment opens into. Place des Martyrs - named for the fallen heroes that were buried here in 1830 after the Revolution (Belgium's fight for independence). It is said that Charlotte and Emily Bronte stayed here.

Here is a shot of my building and front door, Number 21.