Busy Busy

It has been a busy few weeks. I originally thought that I would be spending some time in the US on business but was rerouted to Korea and Japan instead. It was my first time in Korea, but being that I spent less than 36 hours in country, all I can really say is that it was like San Jose except with more coffee shops.

Japan was essentially the same as it was the last time that I was there. Maybe a bit more expensive. I like Japan. The food is tasty and yet healthy at the same time. The people are extremely nice and helpful. Traffic is insane. On this trip what should have been a one hour cab ride to the airport turned into a two and a half hour gauntlet of wrecked vehicles. I probably should have taken the train, but my colleagues in Tokyo made my taxi arrangements and I did not want to seem ungrateful. As it was, I walked up to my gate as boarding started, so no damage done.

While in Japan I did have the opportunity to wander around a little bit in the evening with some of my colleagues. Mostly we wound up at fairly touristy spots but it was good to see other parts of Tokyo.

Returning to Belgium, I was home for all of 16 hours and then SWMBO and I drove to Reims in the Champagne region of France. We had a four day weekend that turned into a three day weekend due to my Asia trip, so we tried to make the most of the time that we had.

Reims and the Champagne region as a whole was great. Driving there from Brussels took us through some beautiful rolling fields. The wine region itself is quite picturesque as well. And as would be expected, the food is really good too. We partook of our share of champagne during the trip and I have to say, as an American, i dont think we do it justice as a wine. Champagne is really good with food. The acidity cuts through rich foods, which is about all you get in this part of the world. We also found several that were quite reasonably priced and excellent.

My travel schedule through the end of the year is similarly insane. SWMBO and I head to Venice on Thursday and then follow that with a trip to the US. We will be home briefly and then I am off to Australia. I will try to keep up with my posts and perhaps review a beer or two.

Directions

SWMBO and I must really look like we know where we are going because we are magnets for people asking for directions. A typical sightseeing stroll for us results in at least one person and often many more stopping and asking us for directions. Usually in French. If we are in the center of Brussels, often, we can provide the directions providing we can communicate. Other times, not so much. Today was one of those times. We decided that the beautiful weather warranted a park visit but we decided to go to a different one for us, a large one near the Atomium.  http://atomium.be/?lang=en We wandered around for a while when a car pulled up next to us and a gentleman jumped out with a Bon Jour and asked us for directions. I had no idea where he wanted to go, but fortunately the next people he stopped did. From the looks of the hand gestures, he was pretty well lost. About 10 minutes later a little old man greeted us. Again with a Bon Jour and then asked where the Palais Royale was. I struggled for a couple of minutes trying to figure out how to say "I think it is down that road but I am not sure." in French. He then said to me, "You are not so good at this, the french". True little old man, true. But at least I was able to give him the correct directions, so I am not totally worthless.

The whole exchange got SWMBO and I talking while wandering the park grounds. If we had tried this expat thing 15 years ago, our experience would have been totally different. When I go to work, 90% of the time, everyone speaks english. It is accented, but it is still english. I come home from work and our cable package has in addition to the Flemish and French channels, the Discovery channel, History channel, E, ESPN and a variety of other essentially American and British channels. And of course, everything I read or download on the internet is essentially American generated. It is only when you head out to shop or go to restaurants that you really have the sense of foreignness. For me, it is almost like living in the US Monday through Friday and then weekending in Europe. So after living here for more than a year, my French has not gotten any better. SWMBO's Flemish is improving rapidly, but she has to be in the community more than me. She lives in Belgium full time. I am only a visitor.

Soggy

Belgium has lived up to its rainy reputation this week; especially this weekend. The rain has been relentless. Consistent, if not torrential. It is the kind of rain that keeps you from following through on plans or making new ones. 

SWMBO and I had originally planned on going to Antwerp to shop and explore. After breakfast though, it was apparent that it would only end in profanity, so we switched plans and opted for the mall to see if I could find a fall coat.  Having lived in Maryland the last 20 years, I never really needed anything heavier than a wind shirt or a sweater at this time of the year. In the Mid Atlantic, you go from Summer to Winter without too much of an Autumn. Belgium is different. It is more like New England. The temperature can swing pretty dramatically over the course of a day, never mind the constant threat of rain. So I need to find something.

We started at the mall. The Woluwe Shopping Center is the closest thing to an American mall we have here. It is small but has a decent selection of shops as well as a boucherie, fromagerie, a grocery store and a little Italian market. What it does not have, are too many options for the male shopper; at least the American male shopper. SWMBO believes that we just have to shed our American fashion sensibility and integrate. Which is easy for her to say. The women’s clothes are fashionable if a bit more revealing than in the US.  For men, you can go in two directions, either formal i.e., sport coats, etc. Or you can embrace your inner euro-trash self and find something colorful, shiny and skin tight. Not much in between the two.

From a fashion standpoint it doesn’t really matter however, because I am afflicted with something more difficult to shop for, American size. I think most stores in Belgium cater to an average male size of about 5 foot 7 and 145 pounds. After a day of shopping not just in Woluwe, but also around Avenue Louise, I honestly did not find a jacket that would have fit me in high school. It was a little frustrating because it is not as though my gut was doing me in. For the most part, they were just built for really tiny guys.

So it looks like I will hold off getting a jacket until I can get either to the US or to Germany. Someplace where large is large.

Oktoberfest

A year ago, my brother met us in Brussels after a few days in Munich attending Oktoberfest. He had such a great time, we planned to meet him there for the 2011 version. So we arrived there a week ago ready for the tapping of the first keg and to experience the spectacle of Oktoberfest.

I had heard that it was like the mother of all Frat parties. I had expected crowds and copius amounts of public drunkeness, but nothing prepares you for the scale of this. Literally tens of thousands of people drinking, eating and singing. And then a few hours later, drinking, eating, singing, falling down, expressing their love for strangers, and generally devolving into incoherance. It is a little staggering is the amount of human carnage that develops as the day rolls on. I will refrain from a full description  but suffice to say I saw more than one young gentleman fall into the urinal in the WC.  Oktoberfest is not all degenerate behavior, but you don't have to look far to find it.

On our first day , we arrived very early because we didn't have any tent tickets. Fortunately, the weather was amazing after an evening rain and we found an outdoor section of the Paulaner tent. We were joined by a couple of Brits and a lovely young Aussie/Bavarian and her lovely Bavarian/Bavarian friend. (We referred to her as Bavarian Cameron Diaz, because that is who she looked like). The Aussie/Bavarian was quite a good promoter of Australian tourism. ("You have to hold a Koala, they pee all over you, it's wonderful"). Hard to argue with that kind of enthusiasm.

I would be remiss at this point if I did not mention the dirndl. The dirndl is the traditional dress of Bavarian women and it is amazing the variety that you see at Oktoberfest. Everything from the traditional demure dirndl to truly shockingly revealing dirndls. In almost all varieties however, the 'ahem' bosom, is prominantly displayed. I tried to talk SWMBO into getting one under the theory "When in Rome" but she refused. Maybe another time.

Most of the afternoon at the Paulaner tent was quite good. There were only a couple of altercations involving a Polish Tablemate and his "girlfriend". The best part was Polish guy's friend restraining him which caused the girlfriend to take the opportunity to get a couple of vicious right hooks in. One to the ribs and one to head. Those natural instincts can't be trained.  I think she could be a contender.

German Oktoberfest beers are served in one liter measures which frankly are a challenge to the bladder. It makes the small 33 cl glasses of Belgian strong ale look much more efficient. One would think that the volume alone would be a barrier to people getting completely crippled and yet the evidence to the contrary was easy to find.

The second day was much more civilized, She Who Must Be Obeyed has a college friend who lives in Munich and she scored us some tickets to the Ochsenbraterei Tent, where we sat on the upper level, out of the fray. The photo with the Blue and White streamers is from that tent. SWMBO and I were happy to be up top but I think my brother would have preferred to be in the middle of the action. For us however, it was great. We spent the evening with a bunch of fun people, sang Neil Diamond and Jon Denver songs (I didn't understand that either)  and had a really good time.

Random Thoughts

Belgium is the only country I know where you wait longer to have your hair cut, than to see your doctor. This evening I spent an hour in line at my barber shop waiting for my turn in the chair, while last week, I called the doctor, made an appointment and was out of his office within the hour. I also got my meds in the same amount of time. But of course, that socialized medicine stuff would never work in the US. Makes me wish the barber were similarly socialized.

Thinking about other socialized services that apparently don't work, we have the US Post Office. We have been watching the ordeal of the US Postal Service from this side of the Atlantic with interest. The downside to their troubles of course, is who will deliver the Victoria's Secret Catalog each month? The demise of the Postal Service will also be a blow to the Thank You card industry. I have never understood why it is the thought that counts with gifts, but apparently gratitude requires formal stationary. Now what are we to do? FedEx'ing our salutations will get pretty expensive. 2011 could be the last year with Christmas Cards, which might be a good thing until you consider the fact that they will be replaced with those annoying E-cards and worse yet, the electronic Christmas letter. No longer will they be just a saccharine photo of the kids with the dog dressed in antlers and a happy go lucky account of the years events. Now they will be a full High Definition onslaught of Christmas Joy.

At least we will be able to wait until December 24, 11:59 PM before we send it out.

Graduate School? Didn't you just finish first grade????

I just had a discussion with the Sun Devil about graduate school options. She graduates from college in the Spring. Although truth be told, she could probably do it this semester but it is more fun to take the full four years and further deplete her inheritance.

There is nothing that makes you feel old like discussing graduate school options with someone who it feels like 20 minutes ago you were helping tie their shoes. It is a good kind of old. She could be holding up liquor stores or running for the Republican nomination. So it could be much worse. Still, it is amazing how quickly the time has gone. I truly miss sitting in the bleachers watching her play softball or having her kick my butt in Crash Bandicoot. Those times are gone, but I think about it all the time.

This is what we are destined to do however. Grow, change and move forward. I hope that graduate school will give her the skills and confidence that the next part of her life will require. I know she is strong and intelligent, so I shouldn’t worry too much. But I would like a couple of games of Crash Bandicoot.

Summer Fun in the US, A Few Observations

Almost through our US vacation. We have a couple of days left and the the Sun Devil heads back to Arizona and we are back to Belgium. I thought I would share a few observations from out trip.

Boston is a great city. (but I am biased)

Rain Delays stink.

Fenway is the best park in Major League Baseball.

We Americans are way too fat.

My golf game has gone to hell.

The US is the best place for steak.

Small dogs are not fond of boat rides.