C'est la vie

After a week of observing Belgians (and a lot of Europeans for that matter), I have come to one conclusion: NO ONE is fat. No one. It's a bit eerie and I just don't understand it. Apparently all the doctors in America have been getting it wrong; it seems chocolate, waffles, frites, bread, cigarettes, beer, and pastries is the key to a healthy body. It just baffles me! I will see a tiny woman walking around the streets with not an ounce of fat on her eating a big ole waffle. Something's not adding up. I think Europeans are just born with special fat-burner genes that us Americans left behind when we crossed over the Atlantic. Yeah they do all that biking and walking, but it still doesn't add up in my mind. My goal is to learn their secret ways while I'm here-guess I'll have to start by getting my diet to be like theirs. How torturous!

On a different note, I had an interesting conversation with my coworker Veronika today; we share a desk and she sits in front of me to the left so we're quite close now. She's from Bulgaria and speaks about 4 languages just like everyone else here (I'm such a slacker) and is really really nice. We started talking about English/American people and I said we normally get a bad rap for being really loud and obnoxious. She told me that, not to overgeneralize, but English/Americans are just sometimes over the top. She said she has a roommate that's British, and every time the girl sees her she makes a big scene and says how good it is to see her and gives her a huge hug. Veronika said in her little Bulgarian accent: "I just vant to tell her, you know, ve're really not dat close, you don't have to make dis big deal every time I see you." So funny and it's so true! She said Europeans, Eastern Europeans in particular, are very friendly and nice too, they just show it in different ways. This must be why I always think Europeans look so grumpy-they just show emotions in different ways than we do. I could still use a smile every once in a while...She did defend us though and say that English is a language that you have to open your mouth a lot wider for to speak and enunciate more than other languages so it kind of forces us to be louder (must be why I can never understand her when she mumbles things to me in English about this or that and I just have to casually laugh and nod my head and hope that was the right response).

So I'm learning new things every day and absolutely loving being in Europe! Running a bit low on clean underwear and socks though and haven't had a towel for the past two days (I have to shake off like a dog in the shower and use toilet paper to dry myself-that's class right there), so may have to take care of those soon but c'est la vie! Day trip to Antwerp, Belgium tomorrow and then Amsterdam and Brussels Saturday and Sunday! Yay! Bonne nuit!

Life is like a box of (Belgian) chocolates...

Goede avond! Today was my third day at work and just as tiring as the other two, but still loving it! Just can't fully wrap my head around the fact that I am living and working in EUROPE; it's a bit surreal. I totally love being in Europe and feel so cultured walking around Belgium in my fancy clothes (like I'm an adult or something), but I must admit I do love my America. Everything is just very different here! For example, all I want to do with my little bagged lunch-which the lovely Irish cooks at the institute pack for all the interns before we head off to work-is enjoy it at a table outside in the Belgian sunshine (which is rare mind you); is that a crime? I think I have found a lovely table on the side of the walkway in the downtown area when a waiter comes out of nowhere and asks me what I would like since I'm not allowed to sit there because the restaurant across the way owns it. I order a glass of water so I can stay sitting there and make him go away. He brings out this elaborate glass bottle of water and puts it in front of me and charges 4 euros; $5+ for water?? Oh mon dieu! Expensive water and no free refills on soda: that's what will keep me in America.

Other than my water episode, it was a lovely day. Did some good work at my internship and earned praises from my coworkers and boss and felt pretty accomplished and professional if you don't mind me saying! It was also kind of fun because I have to get some information from all the organizations in different countries throughout Europe, but I don't know the names of the contacts yet just their respective countries, so all of my drafts say "Dear France," "Dear Hungary," I should just leave it like that and see what happens. Maybe I'll get a bonjour and a baguette back from France! Oh the little things. Well that's all for now! Got over the hump day and now one more day of work until Amsterdam/Antwerp(Belgium)/Brussels weekend day trips! I'll leave you with some pictures to enjoy...tot ziens!

This little guy actually moves and rings the church bell every half hour in the little square right in Leuven-pretty cool huh?


There are two of these lions in the park that face the Royal Palace and I just think they are so funny! Here's my thought: England is normally represented by the lion right, and since England has historically been a European powerhouse, Belgium is trying to look tough by having these lions scared to see the Belgian state house. I thought it was insightful.


This is my little work station! It's not much but it is mine and it is in Belgium so I love it! I'm so official I even have my own company email address. That's right.


My first experience with Belgium chocolate! This is from Leonidas Chocolates...my plan is to try all the major chocolate places in Belgium and find out which is the best. I'm pretty excited to make this plan a reality.

My day in pictures

I'm a little bit lazy today, so I decided to just tell you what happened in my day in pictures! It's much more exciting that way anyways. Enjoy! Ciao!


I love Belgian lunches :)

I found this little gem and have already been three times! Hema is amazing. It's the Target of Belgium

Had to take a picture of the Belgian versions of HP...so cute! (note Eat Pray Love on the left too-neat!)

That's right doubters I joined the gym AND exercised there today. Side note, treadmills are not popular here. EVERYONE was on the ellipticals and bikes and not a single person was on the row of treadmills. I tentatively approached it and looked around to make sure someone wasn't going to shoot me or something when I stepped on. I bet I broke some unwritten rule or something-oh well.

I took this picture at 9pm-it stays light out for so long!

Ended the night watching a soccer game in the main square with hundreds of other Belgians! I wasn't sure if it was two Belgian teams or just one, but they all seemed happy that the blue stripped team won so yay for that! My friend Emily ordered a hot chocolate while we watched and they brought out a huge mug of hot milk and on the side was a chunk of delicious Belgian chocolate on a stick that you stirred into the milk-talk about delicious.

Well that's all for now! Good night!

A Day in the Life: I live in Belgium!

Well my first day of an internship/real job/Belgian work adventure is in the books! It was so much fun to travel into Brussels and act like a typically working Belgian. I tried so hard to seem like a local and fit in, which involves not being loud/talking in "American voices," looking at maps, or speaking really at all-at least three heads turn when you do; you just can't hide that American accent. I would've pulled off being a local too if not for two things. On the way there, when I arrived in Brussels I wanted to go the bathroom before my walk to the office and before I started my day. I knew you had to pay and so I took out my euro and the man gave me back 0,50 euros (that's how they write $0.50-crazy huh?) and I walked through the little turnstyle no problem and feeling pretty proud of myself. I casually turn the corner and run right into the men's room as the man at the front is yelling "Madam! Madam!" and ushering me to go in the other direction. Darn. I was so close to not messing up!

Work was a much smoother day and the people in the office are so nice! EASA is a non-profit organization that applies and supports advertising standards across Europe and beyond so that advertisements stay honest, decent, and trustworthy; right up my ally I'd say! The office only has about 7 people working there so they will definitely put me to use which is pretty cool that I will be contributing. There is a really cool British intern there who has been there a couple months and I instantly got along with him and he was really fun to talk to. Our boss, Oliver, is in Paris for two days in meetings, so he told David to take me out to lunch and show me some of the city. We went to a healthy food place where you picked all your food out that was already made and then paid for it. I had NO idea what anything was and after putting down a sandwich that I swear had raw meat on it with brie (BLAH), I decided to just go with what David got, which was a quiche so it wasn't too reassuring of an option. It turned out to be DELICIOUS. I've never had a quiche but the eggs were so light and tasty on a delectable pastry. Solid choice David. It was a really fun lunch hour and I always love British accents so that was fun.

I didn't have much actual work to do today and mostly just felt in the way, but hopefully I'll be able to help more as time goes on. I'm really happy I decided to do the internship and already think it's an amazing experience-I'm living and working in BELGIUM. What the?? Super amazing. My only other mishap of the day was on the way home when I had no clue which train I was supposed to get on and can understand French about as well as I can understand Mandarin. I saw a train that said it was going to Louvain, which I figured was close enough to Leuven and got on. I sat in a really nice cabin that was so comfy and not crowded at all and I was feeling very happy with my selection-at least I'd get lost in comfort! Then the ticket man came in and I confidently showed him my pass and he said "This is a 2nd-class pass. You are in 1st-class madam!" Woops! I thought he would boot me off the train all dramatically but I only had to pay the difference of 2 euros AND I found out that the train would stop at Leuven. Wasn't totally a lose-lose.

Soooo all in all it was a great day. My feet ache and I wanted to go to bed right when I got home; it's like I'm a real adult now or something. I'm excited to go back tomorrow and explore some more of Brussels and enjoy Europe!

Here's a few pictures from my walk to work:








(Just tilt your head on this one, I can't figure out how to rotate it)

Wandering around Leuven

My second day in Belgium was another success. After a lovely breakfast of warm baguettes with ham and cheese and a chocolate filled croissant (they are so heavenly I can't resist), I spent the rest of the day exploring Leuven! We decided to walk to the train station so I don't get lost tomorrow morning when I make the 20 minute trek to get to my internship in Brussels, and let me tell you it is a trek! Now I know why Belgium people don't get fat off of all of those pastries! Not only do I have to make that walk, but then I have to walk 20 minutes once I get to Brussels to get to the office I'm working at! Good thing the Lehigh hills have trained me...

Anyways, on the way back we stopped at a patesserie and enjoy a pastry that we didn't know how to pronounce and actually turned out to be not that great, but because we ate it outside on a Belgian walkway it was delightful. Then we spent the rest of the day just walking and exploring the city! There was a decathlon going on which we found out the hard way when a police officer blew his whistle at us and told us to stand back as four bikers whizzed by. THAT would have been a disaster. Leuven is a definitely a cool European city. It's not as glorious as Paris or London, but it has it's own secret charm and is definitely more family-friendly. The streets are cobblestone and every trip out involves at least a dozen stumbles and trips between our group, but I like it; the city has about 10 times more swagger because of those little medieval stones.

After our lovely walk I decided to explore the city on my own and went for an afternoon run. I was a little cocky and went out without a map or any sort of communication device thinking I knew the city after all the time I'd spent in it (a mere day and a half), andddd I got lost. Good news though, I ran probably about 7 miles trying to find my way back to our little institute. I didn't want to look like a lost American so I would casually pretend I was catching my breath (slash really was) and would desperately search for a street sign or monument that I knew. Most of the time I was out of luck. All the darn street signs are in Dutch/Flemish which I don't have the slightest idea how to read let alone pronounce, so they all look the same to me. Thankfully, after about 45 minutes, I saw a spire in the distance that belonged to the town hall building by my dorm; hallelujah! It was long and a little bit stressful, but I'd say the run was a success; getting lost is part of the journey right?

Belgian has been great so far and I am excited to see what my internship is like. I'm not gonna lie I'm a bit nervous (this is my first real job and all!). I wouldn't mind serving them coffee and making copies while I get my bearings straight, but I will suck it up and be ready for anything! I'll let you know what it's like tomorrow. Goede nacht!