During this, my inaugural blog posting, I am going to complain.
We have been living in Brussels, Belgium for 6 weeks. It has been challenging, wonderful, frustrating, and enlightening. And this is only our second month. I know that someday we are going to look back at our first few months here and laugh at how exasperated we have sometimes been: “We can’t talk to anyone!” “Why did we pick an apartment on the 5th floor without an elevator?” “Why isn’t anything open on Sunday?” “What’s the deal with all the Smurfs?”
But, I am acutely aware of how fortunate we are to have this opportunity and am even more cognizant of how ridiculous my complaints are. And yet.
One of my favorite activities here is going to the market. There are several amazing daily outdoor markets in Brussels where you can buy anything from underpants to ouzo. We buy a lot of our food at these markets and my favorite is one in our neighborhood where several local farmers sell their produce. I have been taking french classes and my comprehension has improved to the point where a) I am able to ask how much things cost and b) I sometimes actually understand the answer I’m given. However, when I have to ask for an amount of something, say, parmesean cheese or mushrooms, well, it’s curtains for me.
Apparently I missed that day in school where we were taught the metric system. (And I do mean day. I went to public school in Kansas–I’m fairly certain they didn’t devote more than one day to teaching something as “out there” as the metric system). I am embarrassed to admit that I have no concept of how much a gram or a kilogram is. Sure, I know that one is bigger than the other (the gram, right?), but beyond that I am at a loss. At the market, items are usually listed in kilograms so I have to figure out how much that is, how much I want, how much that will cost in euros, and finally how to ask for it in french. It’s amazing that I ever come home with anything.
But, I will learn french and I will learn kilograms, (Celsius and meters on the other hand, are a different story). This is an adventure and I am ready for the ride. I just hope I have enough grams of underpants for the journey.
4 Comments, Comment or Ping
Dear Mindi–
Wonderful! With a sense of humor like yours, you’ll do fine. The blog is excellent and I’m guessing that even the Centigrade will become familiar. Enjoy the good eating. I’m working on your mother-in-law to get her passport so we can visit the bed and breakfast. Do you really have an extra bed already, or is it actually just breakfast you are offering?
Dad S.
September 4th, 2008
Mindi, I love the blog idea! I was wondering about the job thing too–I have always been jealous of EU citizens, because they have the European EFL market cornered. But you will find fulfilling ways to spend time, et tu peut etudier trop de francais tous les jours J’espere que visiter in un ou deux ans! (Did I just butcher that?)
September 5th, 2008
Mindi, it is funny, I rarely do the math in my head, I have gotten used to metric and C and all, but I don’t convert. I am sure soon enough you will be ordering mussels by the kilo and pate by the gram! I am not around much the next few months, but I don’t travel at all the week of Thanksgiving if you want to visit soon…
September 5th, 2008
Love it Mini, it is so fun to keep up with everyone on facebook and to hear about your adventures accross the big pond. When we are next in Belgium… who knows?! We’ll stop by. Stacy and John will be leaving this week to continue their journey to Oregon.
September 5th, 2008
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