Where to begin. Ah, yes, my flight.
My flight was delightful. Besides the lady that was coughing for her life, and the two men that got into a fierce argument that ended in "bugger" at 3 a.m., it was peaceful. My body was unconsciously shaking in exuberant anticipation around 10 a.m., as I knew I would land shortly. Nothing is so unique as looking at new waters, and going independently to foreign lands. I felt so alive and adventurous. I was smiling from ear to ear as I navigated myself through the Amsterdam terminal, enjoying the fresh, chill-to-the-bone air, and hearing everything around me in something other than English. I wanted to go to Amsterdam (I will go soon I am sure), but of course I have my destination.
On my second flight I talked to this really kind lady who was a native of Belgium, and she gave me advice on how to assimilate best into the culture and area. Also, she extended her contact information within 5 minutes of knowing me - I found this to be unconventional and good.
Belgium is a very beautiful land, although it is overcast or dark for 2/3 of the day. This may be due to the weather I have been entrenched in (it's more cold than typical, apparently). What I loved was how the chaos of the buildings was constructively and welcomingly contained. The old, decaying, milky white structures mix with the fresher brick structures in a way that appears as if the buildings grew naturally alongside time, and without a need to address deterioration. The streets are tight, and the cars are so tiny yet spacious. What I love about the ways of Belgium is how everyone has this undeclared right of way (cars, people, dogs, you name it), and yet, this causes no problem, no distraught. I love this peacefulness...a natural flow of life...that pervades the city.
My room and shared apartment is very delightful. I am blessed to have been arranged to take part in a homestay with Ms. Elisabeth Gernay, who has been kind enough to extend her time and energy in helping me get my bearings of the area. She took me to the grocery store shortly after my arrival, and wow, was I immersed in some serious sensory overload. Not only was the drive to the supermarket interesting, but also the way of life seen alongside the road. People walk and bike as often as they drive, take the metro, tram, or bus. You can find a waffle or french fry stand as frequently as you find a fast-food joint in the U.S. I still have not tried these iconic Belgian food items.
The supermarket. Unlike in the U.S., the plastic bags are not free. One must bring their own or purchase bags at the store in order to use them. After you arrive and you park underground (with some amazingly skilled and tight maneuvering on the driver's part), you take a cart. All the carts are connected by this plastic strip, and the only way to disconnect the strip is by inserting a coin. You can then proceed to take your cart, and traverse through these side-collapsing doors that allow you to take an elevator into the supermarket. Why doesn't America do this? It would prevent a lot of shopping carts from being taken off the premises. Back to the supermarket. Inside the supermarket, you have the very neat option of taking a personal, hand-held item scanner. So, all items have a scan on them (except for some such as breads, you have to put the information in yourself), and you scan the items as you put them into the cart. The foods are much more fresh, and less processed. Furthermore, you can choose more easily what quantity of the item you wish to have. When you continue ultimately to the checkout, you do not have to take your groceries out. You simply need to present the scanner to the cashier, and pay as you wish. That is my kind of efficiency.
Today, after getting my items arranged, Elisabeth showed me around Brussels. I was very frustrated with my camera when it decided to die about 15 minutes into our journey. However, I want to go back to the nooks and crannies of a lot of the area, so I will make sure to get some footage. Meanwhile, you can be entertained by my work-in-progress filming skills/meet Elisabeth. In a whooping 17 seconds!
And...do I truly laugh like that? I'm sorry everyone.
We walked for a while around places I cannot yet remember or pronounce. I will get back to you. Then, we stopped in a cafe. She ordered a hot chocolate while I got a banana-lemon juice. I had never had banana juice, I was intrigued, so I tried it. Not bad. Meanwhile, as we sat and relaxed/regained circulation in the warm cafe, we set up my phone for international calls. When you come abroad, you need to make sure to have your phone unlocked before you come abroad and to purchase a SIM card at an international store in order to not be charged insane prices. You can then purchase minutes with your euros. Sorry for that temporary tangent. Proceeding. So, we then went walking more, to more areas I cannot pronounce and unfortunately could not take pictures of.
We took the metro to a stop near where we needed to be. The metro simply reminded of Trax lines back in Utah, but underground. It had an eclectic assortment of people, and it was a very quick form of transportation.
About 1 hour since leaving the cafe, we went to order pitas at a nice restaurant. I loved the calm, low-light aura of the room. It set me very at ease. I ordered une pita College (it consists of bacon, ground beef, corn, melted cheese) along with warm un tea menthe. I probably just spelled that wrong. Oh well. Alongside your pita are several bowls containing four different sauces: 1) mayonnaise (their style) 2) fry sauce 3) this yogurt herb thing and 4) this beef juice flavored thing. I liked the fry sauce the best. I guess my Utah upbringing can't help but conquer.
And, again, it was warm. A disclosure - I am wearing more layers of clothing than I traditionally wear in Utah, and those who know me know it is virtually impossible for me to declare myself as feeling cold. So, that gives you an idea of how chillingly cold it is. However, after a point, you simply get so numb that you might as well be warm.
We then walked a short way back to her car. I didn't realize her car was right there, I felt as if we were MILES away, my inner GPS was so thrown. We went to see a movie, and it was fun to go through the process of purchasing a ticket via a touch screen, a method you all see is becoming more prevalent in the U.S. I was thrilled that I could get a student discount for my ticket. Our theatre was #11, which was not in the same building as what we were in, so we had to go to a smaller theatre two buildings down. The theatre has a lower roof than what is traditional in the U.S., yet more comfortable seats. The advertisements were interesting, and while the movie we saw was in English, there was still the presence of subtitles in Deutsch and French. I really liked the experience, and I had a lot of fun doing this exploration and bonding with Elisabeth.
Now I am back at home, and working on preparing for my first day of work at the European Parliament, which is a little over 2 kilometers from my house, so I plan to walk. I am really excited, and I am curious as to what I will be doing.
