Employment Opportunity

"Good morning and thank you for calling ACM Travel Consultants. How can I help you today?" I've never worked (or even been trained) as a travel agent, but with just about everyone I know planning the trip across the Atlantic 'to visit' this spring, I'm starting to feel like a one-woman...

The Unbelievable Saga of the Ikea Bed (or – Hell of a weekend)

As all things in our life these days, getting a bed for our spare room turned out to be more of an ordeal than it should have been. Hell, we live five minuets from an Ikea, how hard could it be…? We started with the best of intentions. We had...

Parking Problems

At 7:30 this morning, the doorbell rang. Luckily it was one of the few days that Andrew was already up and heading in to the office. (Lately he’s been working from home late into the evening so the mornings haven’t been quite so early.) When he opened the door, a...

A Cut Above

I had my hair cut this week. This is not, under normal circumstances, an arduous challenge. However, as an expat, doing mundane, everyday tasks can be a bit of an ordeal, especially in a new land and in a foreign tongue. As a woman with short hair, I tried to...

A travel-hardened pro

Compared to Canada, Belgium is an incredibly easy country to get around in. There are loads of buses, trams and metros, but my favorite Belgian travel method is, by far, the train. Canada has trains of course. However, the golden age of rail that our country was built on is...

Living with the Landlords

I couldn't shower this week because there was a retired Flemish couple in my bath tub. My landlords were repairing our shower and the stress of having them in the house for two days was starting to get to me. A few months after we moved in, I noticed a...

I’m LEGAL(ish)!

Finally. This morning I had a call from the commune to come and pick up my Identity Card. It's orange, which means it's tied to Andrew's. So I still can't work. However, now that I have it I am allowed to stay here for a year (then I have to...

A Word of Advice for Expats

So, after six months of waiting, I think I have finally had my police visit. I say 'I think I had' it, because I didn't actually answer the door. After a bad night, with little sleep, I was still in bed at 9:30 when the bell rang. Andrew, who had...

Come and Knock on my Door

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt. “Oh no… the doorbell!” Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Stumble. Clomp. Thunk. Crash. Stomp. Stomp. Rattle. Screeeeeetch. That is what it sounds like, every time I have to answer my front door. I’ve commented before on the unusual architecture of my home. The front door is no exception. You...

Articles About Expat Life (Page 14)