And Still More Red Tape Blues

It seems just based on odds alone I could leave the town commune at least once without feeling like I've been beaten. The odds were still against me today. While what I feel like is downing a bottle of red, gorging on chocolate and hiding under my desk, I have...

Pucker Up!

I shift awkwardly from one foot to another. I avoid eye contact. "I had a great time, thank you," I stammer. I never make the first move. Suddenly they lean in. "Oh no, which side are they going for," I ask myself, "and how many times?" It's the first kiss....

A Healthy Surprise

Visiting the doctor is not generally my favorite way to pass the time, but when you have to deal with the medical system in a new country, it can be even more intimidating. I always used to be a pretty healthy person; I never even had the typical kid sicknesses...

The Inevitable Question

"So … what exactly do you do all day?" This is a question I am asked frequently, in one form or another by friends and family, Belgian friends and by fellow expats. However, it's a difficult question to answer, because I understand the implications behind it. In North America, we...

A Necessary Evil

For most expats, air travel is a necessary evil. Over the past few years, I've gotten pretty used to flying and I have no problem with short haul flights. Crossing the Atlantic however, leaves a lot to be desired. I've just returned from the two-week marathon visit to Canada. The...

Still More Red Tape

Some days it feels like Andrew and I are mummified in red tape; and I mean really sticky tape of the Duct Tape variety. It seems that no matter how many hoops we jump through to please the Belgian government officials, there is always one more hoop on the horizon....

Een Beetje Tongue Tied – Learning Flemish in Belgium

Andrew and I are taking Dutch lessons. I alter between thinking this is a noble way to integrate more fully into our community and considering it a totally masochistic endeavor. Neither of us are strangers to learning languages. Being brought up in Canada's bilingual province, New Brunswick, it was considered...

Eatable Europe

Living in Europe has shaped some profound changes in my lifestyle. One of the most significant is how I view food. Gone are the microwave meals and fast food mega-combos. I'm exposed to produce I've never even seen before and I consider the dining process much differently than I once...

The Rain in Belgium Stays Mainly … Everywhere

I'm not sure if I will ever get used to Belgian rain. I always thought that rain was... well, rain - water falling from the sky. Belgian rain has a totally different consistency than Canadian rain, or at least the Maritime rain that I am used to. In fact, Belgium...