Room with a view

Like many things, I've been meaning to start this for ages now. "Room with a view" is a brief snapshot on the places that I've stayed on my travels this year.

In no particular order:

Ace Hotel in New York. Very cool boutique style hotel. Building was originally a hotel, then an apartment block and now back to a hotel. Some of the residents are still living there. Chic decor and very friendly staff. Very reasonably prices. www.acehotel.com

Dull Holiday Inn just outside NY. Believe it or not this was more expensive than the Ace Hotel above.


Another funky boutique hotel just outside Montreal. More of a destination hotel on the other side of the river. Located in a mall type area with a good selection of restaurants and shops on your door step. www.dix30.althotels.ca

Can you tell this one is from Glasgow. I was slumming, like really. The Travelodge in the city centre, cheap but not particularly cheerful. Handy location though.

Aaah, the tranquil Four Seasons hotel in St Fillans just outside Comrie. This hotel has some of the best views in Scotland being based on the shores of Loch Earn. Worth every penny with the excellent food and very helpful staff. Just make sure you're ready for the weather and that you have your own transport because St Fillan's is difficult to get to. www.thefourseasonshotel.co.uk

I'm hungry and confused. Not a good combination because I can't figure out which symbol starts the microwave in our oven.

I need to learn!

Now that I'm back in the flatlands I have many things to catch up on...mostly good Belgian things like Sarah, beer, chocolate, friends...

Hopefully I'll have some time to catch up on my blogs this weekend!

D'oh!

It was 4.15am when I got up this morning. Can only mean one thing - jetlag! Oh well, at least now I can finish of my Dutch homework.

I'm going to Scotland this weeked, my friend Gill, who we call Ginger Gill cos she is rather ginger, is getting married. I stupidly booked the flights online last night whilst I was chatting on the phone and didn't realise until I'd paid that I'd booked my flights flying out from Scotland instead of Belgium. D'oh! The last time one of my friends got married I booked the wrong weekend on the Eurostar.

The flights are booked with Ryanair who's hours of contact are 9-17:45 each day and who charge 1.50euros per minute for the joy of speaking with their customer service dept. Most people are at work at this time and will not use their company phone for ripp-off euros per minute so they're not really making themselves approachable. I have found a fax number for their customer service dept so I'll try that and see what comes out of it.

Schatje, if only you were here...;)

Next stop for SVS and JM, floor number 2 ;)

Fix

The best cup of coffee since I landed in Canada is Tim Horton's French Vanilla cappuccino.

Well, I've just flown back from Toronto to Montreal for the evening. Tomorrow I fly to Vegas for a week and then I'm on the home stretch.

I'm regretting my choice of hotel this evening when I saw the large bird cage full of cockatiels and a Butlin-esque swimming pool...joy!

Toronto

I'm in Toronto for the next few days and arrived last night from Montreal. The last time I was here I was 9. That was erm, 11 years ago ;)

It's surprising to think how my life has evolved since then.

When I was 9 I wanted to live in Canada, now I'm in Belgium. I knew I was different from my friends but hadn't yet realised that I was gay. I thought I was going to be an accountant, instead I've built a career around my passion.

Time just goes.

You never know what's around the corner.

Who needs fast roller coasters when your life can be just as good a ride.

Grrrr part deux!

Ok, so now i have some party goers in the room below. I've just been to reception and been given some earplugs. Like that's going to work. And the music is still be played across the street.

Well, I'll be pushing for some discount on my bill tomorrow morning that's for sure.

Grrrr!

I'm staying in a very funky hotel tonight. Very impressed with the decor and the staff.

The only downside is that my room appears to be the closest to the fricken noisey bar.

First call to complain to reception has already been made and the noise hasn't gotten any less. Of course now i'm focusing on it so I'm thinking another complaint and a room change is on the cards shortly!

Out of office

I'm pissed off! Some people just don't get the whole out of office thing now do they.

I'm also pissed off because I have 200 emails in my inbox.

I'm travelling with clients so it's impossible to be 100% on your emails. The day is long enough as it is.

Some people are just ignorant. My coffee sucks too which doesn't help! And I've also just scoffed a box of chocolates that I had bought for one of my clients. Oh well. Desperate times, desperate measures he!

And not to forget I can't get the tv in my hotel to work!

Everything but sushi!

Sarah and I were in the mood for sushi tonight for dinner. So we headed out to a restaurant a couple of kms from where we lived. We knew that it would be a buffet set up with different options like teppanyaki, wok, sushi, and dim-sum etc. We guessed that it wouldn't be anything super special when we walked in, but we didn't quite expect to see the following choices on the sushi cart:

Apple tart
Chocolate cake
Corn salad

No sushi rolls to be seen.

We quickly went on to our second choice which is in the market square downtown, next door to my favourite restaurant. Out came our order of sushi. Good.

After I'd eaten 2 rolls that were vigourously dipped in wasabe and soy sauce, Sarah discovered a fruit fly in her soy sauce. Her soy sauce came from the same bottle I'd just used. Closer inspection showed more fruit flies inside the bottle. Grim.

A new bottle was brought out. Sarah inspected again. Same result. Yuck!

Onto the next level

Now that I'm partly a lady of leisure I decided to register for my next level of Dutch lessons. BTW, the partly refers to my inability to move properly not my gender.

I had to take my certificate along from the level 1 course that I took at Gent university. I was quickly informed that the level 1 course 'here' is 120 hours versus my 60 hours in Gent. Of course, I quickly explained that the Gent course was super super intensive and therefore more difficult that the rather slow 120 hours 'here.'

We reached a midway point which involved me taking writing, reading, oral and IQ tests. I think it's easier to get into Oxford. Not that I'm competitive or anything, but I had what would have been a 100% score snatched straight from my hands!

There was a copy of an invitation to a party that started at 20:00. The question was "at what time does the party start?" So I write at 8 o'clock, I mean, everyone knows that parties don't start at 8 in the morning right? I argue that they are both the same. Oh noooo! It had to be at twenty zero hundred hours didn't it. Because everyone in Belgium does army speak right? I think not! Result: 1 point deducted!

End result: all tests passed and I'm onto level 2. Woohoo!

Word of the day

Stofzuiger = hoover

2000 watts of pure excitement

Sarah is on her way home from Vanden Borre with our new hoover. I am so excited! Can you tell?

This is what happens when you're left at home all day without any human interaction.

I wonder how many attachments it comes with...?

Let us pray

Where ever dad goes, doesn't matter which country, as a devout Catholic he'll always find out the times of the local mass. Me, always living in a different country, has left him experiencing many different readings...on his own.

This is the dilema. He's here visiting me, so should I go to mass with him even though it goes against my own beliefs? The last time he was here my little brother was also here, so Johnnie went along with dad.

I'm thinking the seats won't be comfortable so it won't be good for my back...

Pops is bijna hier

Woo-hoo! My dad is coming over to visit for the weekend!

Stranded

In the middle of July I flew out to the USA for a business trip for 2 weeks. I was flying from Brussels to Amsterdam then on to Minneapolis. That was the plan at least.

Whilst sitting in BRU our plane was struck by a rather over zealous baggage truck driver. 2 hours later and we were finally allowed to fly to AMS. By this time I had missed my connection. Not a happy bunny. I was hoping I could catch another flight later in the day. No such luck.

I had to wait to fly out the next day. I was on standby for the first flight of the day and definitley had a seat on the second flight. The first flight was oversold soat least I was on the second flight but this meant I would miss my presentation. *Hmph*

I requested that my luggage be given back to me so that I could change clothes and get freshened up etc. After waiting 2 hours there was still no sign of my luggage and I was becoming more and more aware of the distinctive smell of AMS airport. It kind of smells like sandals in the baggage area...And I was getting thin with "just give it another 15 mins..."

I go back to customer services who officially declare me as 'stranded.' You don't say?! Well, being 'officially stranded' entitles you to a rather delightful *ahem* care pack that consists of many things you don't really need:

Yes, it includes toothbrush, toothpaste, deoderant, brush, creme, blah blah blah which is all great. It also comes supplied with a XXXL tshirt and a pair of socks. But where the hell is the underwear? There wasn't even disposable underwear! So unfortunately for me and the guy sitting next to me on the plane lol, I had to go the next day in the same clothes all the way to the States. Yuck!

As if the thought of having to wear your own nickers inside out for another 24 hours wasn't humiliating enough, they had a 'stranded persons' menu at the restaurant which had erm, 2 choices as opposed to the normal menu...nuff said.

Ziekenhuis

The ambulance crew fitted a neck brace to me before they got me out of the car. I've worn one of these before, and they're the most uncomfortable things ever! Part of me thinks that it's a ploy to distract you from the real pain else where on your body. Luckily this time (and surprisingly), they didn't have me on a back board. The only reason I say luckily is that backboards are also terribly uncomfortable. Or it could be the fact that the last time i was on one, I had actually fractured my spine that made me uncomfortable.


When I got to the ER I was complaining to Sarah and the doctors that the neck brace was really sore. Of course, there was nothing that could be done, I had to wear the brace until all of my scans were complete. I tearily said to Sarah that I was sure that it was cutting of the blood supply to my brain at the back of my neck around my occipital lobe. Sarah confidently replied that actually, all of my major arteries are at the front of my neck and out of harms way.

After all the complaining Sarah had a wee look at the brace and noticed that it was very aptly named - "Stiff Neck brace." ROFTL. Well, if I could have rolled on the floor at that time I would have. We had a good giggle about that. On further inspection, she had a look to see what setting mines was on. You know, giraffe, slightly long neck, fat neck, half a neck...no surprise then that mine was on the setting - "no neck." I kid you not. Again, we couldn't stop laughing and it was starting to hurt me lol. I'm surprised there wasn't a setting called 'brass neck!' Some product manager has a sick sense of humour.

Another thing that was causing me problems in the ER was my bladder et al. I was bursting for the loo but thought it best to wait until all of my scans were complete. 5 hours later and up on my ward, the nurse arrived with a bedpan. A bedpan, might I add, that has to go underneath my 'fractured' spine. Without going in to detail, believe me when I say that lying flat is just not conducive for certain movements. I succumbed, and at one point was making the typical constipated old lady in a hospital groan. Not fun.

The nurses were all very helpful and very congenial. If only they'd remembered to actually plug in my call remote! There was no room service for me for the first 24 hours... ;)

Time for a new perspective.

Believe me when I say that I am relieved to my very core that I'm ok. My mobility is getting better each day which is such a reassuring development for both Sarah and I to see. The more I think about the accident, the more I realise how lucky I was on Monday to be alive let alone minimally injured. Fortunately, this leaves me with an excellent opportunity for some soul searching and a chance to change the things that weren't going so well before the accident. I'm taking it that the accident was my wake-up call.

I was lying in bed last night when I began to wonder what if I had died. And what if someone had asked me after death, if you could go back and change some things what would you do differently. Before this week I'd normally answer this question with a rather defiant - "I have no regrets." I know I've made the wrong choices along the way, but at the time, I guess they seemed like the correct decisions for me. Hindsight is indeed a perfect science and after this week, I know there are things I would certainly do differently.

The first answer that popped into my head was to have more PDAs with Sarah. It's not that I'm not big on public affection, I just prefer to keep it between me and Sar. Sarah on the other hand -and which I have the utmost respect for- is a fully paid member of the PDA club.

Next on the list is to rebalance my work-life ratio. At the moment it is severly weighted towards work. I know this can be changed. It has to change.

I also have to get out and meet more people and take more Dutch lessons. This is the main reason why so much of my energy has gone into work.

It's funny, because I know life is too short. Some times it's just too easy to get lost in the day-to-day, forgetting just how short it really is. It's not rocket science. It's just action. I'm sure there will be more things added to this list as the days go on.

31 year old Scottish female from Geel

This was my identity on Monday 3 August.

Our offices had been closed for 2 weeks for the summer holidays and Monday 3 August was our first day back. After a good night's sleep on the Sunday, I got up and set off for work early eager to get started.

It was a beautiful morning, the sun was coming out and I was looking forward to my week ahead. As I passed through the last section of road before the motorway my day took a dramatic turn. Ahead of me, on the other side of the road, I saw a grey car trying to overtake very quickly and by doing so coming in to my lane. At the same time, the car in front of me tried to swerve to avoid collision and the next thing I know is that the grey car is heading straight towards me and I have no where to go.

"Oh shit!" was my last thought just as our cars impacted and the noise and entaglement begun. Luckily, my brain forseeing the potential for damage, shut me down and I passed out as our cars collided. We proceeded to do a 180 degree turn before coming to a stop and ended up facing in the oppositite direction.

I woke up, I'm not sure how much later, with my head on the air bag of the steering wheel. I could feel my nose dripping and could see blood on my hand. Dazed, I looked around the car and saw the shattered windscreen and the passenger's air bag. I was shocked and confused.

Not too long later, a police officer opened my door and asked me if I was ok. I asked him in Dutch if he could speak English. I had some pain in my arm, legs, back and abdomen. I noticed that there was smoke coming from the car so I tried to get out. He calmly advised me to wait until the ambulance arrived and asked me if there was someone I could call. We called Sarah and told her what happened. I can't remember too much of the conversation but I remember thinking that I must be ok if I could still dial my mobile.

Soon after, I was taken to our local hospital to receive x-rays, CT scans and an ultrasound. Fortunately, everything proved to be in order apart from a compound fracture on my L1 vertebrae. Whilst this was all being investigated, the driver who caused the collision, seemed to be in a much worse condition than me. I considered myself to be very lucky.

I was released from hospital on Tuesday with a back brace that makes me look a cross between a transformer and a power ranger. I was also preparing for approximately 2 months off work but Sarah went to my GP yesterday and we got some unexpected results. My GP has cross-referenced my notes from the hospital to my old medical records, so it turns out that the fracture on L1 is from my sledging accident that I had in Stirling about 8 years ago. Fantastic news! She's also advised that rather than having bed rest, i should try to be more active. I will call her later today for more information as I feel like I want a second opinion from the hospital results.

Only in America part 2

Some chic male American colleagues of mine were out having drink the other day some where in the mid-west when a girl approached them and asked -"Are you gay or European?"

Is being dapperly dressed a trait solely reserved or acceptable on European males???

The joys of jet lag part 3

Now I'm in the dog house because Sarah's sleep was interrupted throughout the night thanks to my insomnia. I feel a temporary move to Gent coming on...

Lagging

Well, I had to satisfy myself with dealing with the neighbour's boyfriend when I went upstairs to discuss their nocturnal washing habits. Haven't heard the machine since.

Typical that my jet lag is persisting so that I'm unable to fully bask in these washing machine free early mornings!

Some things are different across the pond

I went out with some colleagues for a meal the other week in the US. It was a seafood restaurant so naturally someone ordered fish and chips. What wasn't so natural was the waiter's reply to the order - "Would you like fries with that?"

God bless America!

Can't sleep part 2

Ok, so I'm jetlagged, but that doesn't excuse my ignorant neighbour from putting on her washing machine at 1.30am and again at 5am does it?

I think I'll be having a wee word with some one later!

Jet lag

I just came home on Sunday after a 2 week business trip to the States. I slept most of the day Sunday and the majority of the day Monday. The end result being that I'm now awake on Tuesday morning a 4am.

I think I'll hang fire for another couple of hours to start my day in ernest. Roll on coffee o'clock!

Hotel saga continues

At 2.20am I was rudley awakened by music coming from the room next to me. It took 3 calls to the front desk, 2 security visits and apparantly a quick shag for this motley crew to quieten down.

My bags are packed this evening and if they so much as crack a whisper I will be demanding a new room! And whilst I'm on it, I'll also be complaining about the cost for wireless and the noise air-co system. Grrr!

Not quite what it seemed

How do you know when your free room upgrade to a top floor garden is a rip off?

When there's a live band and a party going outside said room!

Luckily I'm off out tonight!

Dream come true-blue!

O-M-G! The date has finally come. We are off to see Madonna tonight!!!

It's warm!

I'm melting!!!

It's fizzy, it's ginger, it's phenomenal!

Ginger genius! And we wonder why Irn-Bru out sells coca-cola et al.

Guess who's back! *big grin*

Lesson learned

Unfortunately, and, as always, the hard way. In March this year I had a business trip to Taiwan. It was a heavy week, so on the last night in Taipei I went out for a relaxing meal with some of my clients. Said relaxing meal turned into the heaviest night of the week. I have one word - kampai!

The next day, yours truly had to travel from Taipei to the south of the island. Believe me when I say that I should have been in bed the whole day. Hangovers and Taiwanese public transport don't mix - please see pic below of toilet in Taipei train station.Not the most accomodating if you have to be sick.

The brown/grey section is cement btw.

Luckily I managed to find a disabled toilet to call on dear uncle Hughie. The plan after this part of the journey, was to travel by car to a seaside resort to chillax. Or so I was hoping. We finally arrive, 5 hours later, I officially have no stomach lining, only to be greeted by a ride on this

Someone was out to get me that day. If the hangover didn't kill me, the banana boat would.

Phone home, I doubt it!

Just bought a new phone.

Instruction manual 1 - Dutch. Instruction manual 2 - French.

This will be interesting...

Clepto cleaner

Now, I could be losing it a bit here, but I'm sure I left a lasagne in the fridge yesterday before I went to work. When I came home last night I noticed it wasn't there. To be fair, there is still one in the freezer so I could've made a mistake.

Call me suspicious, but this led me to check the contents of the bin. What did I find? An orange peel, a wrapper from previously moaned about fruit and nut chocolate - my last one! And a empty pot of yoghurt. What do these things have in common? They all belong to me.

I need to check the contents of the cleaning contract because I don't recall saying help yourself to my food when I'm not here!

Cleaner uperer

I was relieved to see that the cleaning lady had been today and she's done a fanstatic job and... nothing has been broken this time. She was meant to come last week but didn't. This was frustrating because I'd gone to the effort of writing a very long note in Dutch for no one to read it.

Today she's had a cup of water but left the cup unwashed by the sink. Contradiction or what?

Not that I begrudge her this. I just think that if she's gone to all the effort of tidying the apartment, that she could do the honours of washing her cup instead of me having to wash it! Kind of defeats the whole purpose of having help!

Desperate times call for desperate measures

You know that times are hard when your last resort for satiating the sweetie fix involves chocolate with fruit and nut. It's just not the same. Sarah did buy me emergency chocolate but I've eaten it already :(

I'm also down to my last 4 frozen meals that Sarah 'prepared earlier.' I'm wondering who I can visit to pad out the last few dinners before she arrives on Sunday.

Oh how I look forward to Sunday!

Haud yer wheesht!*

I went home on Friday for Dad's bday. The above sign greeted me as I arrived at the airport. Only Scotland could have such a slogan and, I think, get away with it. In the words of my native tongue, 'ah hink it's gallus!' But perhaps this is only appealing to Scots abroad because it's caused quite a bit of an uproar back haeme. Some would argue that it's 'pure dead embarrassing' and lacks class. But let's face it, the majority of Prestwick flights are Ryanair and I don't think 'class' is on the top of their passengers' agenda.

I for one will try to avoid Cryanair in the future. Every time I take one of these flights I feel like I'm on a school trip or club 18-30. What is it with mob rule and this demographic each time the plane hits a wee bit of turbulence? I think you'll find the reason Ryanair is so strict with their luggage policy is because their flights are always crammed with baw bags!

End rant.

*Scottish for - 'please be quiet.'

Belgian Belters

As much as I mock the songs on Belgian radio, it is by no means a reflection of my love for the local transmission. I stand proud when I say - Ik hou van Belg radio. I love the random mix of tunes, *cough,* continentals definitely have a different taste in music from the Brits - the tunes are all encompassing. I love the fact that the Proclaimers get air play here! I love that every time I get into my car, it's like travelling back in time (quite literally with the state of some of the roads around here, but that's another story).

What never ceases to surprise me though is the fact that Belgian djs will, very candidly, swear on the radio. And it's broadcast. There's no Mary Whitehouse over here folks. It shocked me at first but my British sensibility is getting use to it. I'm thankful actually, because it means that I get to hear the unedited version of that very catchy song by Ms Allen - 'Fuck you very much.' There's no way this would get airplay back on Old Blighty.

AWOL

I've just eaten a partially cooked meal. My body knows that Sarah isn't here lol.

Of course she's taken good care of me by preparing meals, recording TED seminars on cds, ordering me books, and leaving me lots of little notes scattered around the apartment.

But that doesn't take away from the fact that when Sarah's travelling, so too does our razor and my tweezers!

Sweetheart - is this what you want to come back to?

The result of not fully understanding directions in Dutch...

On my Tod

Sarah left for Boston on Friday. She'll be there for the next 2 weeks to study at MIT. Top blag! To help me to *cope* with her not being here for the next couple of weeks, my girrel very kindly and lovingly prepared no less than 10 home cooked meals, of which 7 are in the freezer. Included with each dish is an ingredient list and full cooking instructions lol. Unlike me, she doesn't appreciate toast as a good meal.

And, I just received 2 books from Amazon that she'd ordered so that my brain didn't dry out whilst she was away. I am vay lucky *big grin*

Talking of drying out though, the *only* thing she's asked me to do it to water the plants. I just hope they're still alive when she returns ;)

Belgian Belters

On the way home tonight in the car, I got to boogy to this...

The 80's are alive and well in Belgium. Oh the irony.

I'm off now to hunt out my leggings and huge can of hair spray ;)

To do or not...

I have been on my own this weekend. So I had a long list of things I *wanted* to get done. I managed to get some thing scored off, but they took a lot of energy getting them finished. The main thing that I'd been delaying was house hold chores. Normally we have someone come once a week to clean and iron, unfortunately for me they didn't come last week. It was my turn to step up to the mantle.

I spent 5 hours ironing on Friday night. Not fun. I don't mind ironing, just so long as it doesn't take a large chunk of my life away. Admittedly all of the shirts were mine apart from 2 of Sarah's. The saving grace, and ironically the reason it took me so long was because I found the starch spray. I was obsessed with having clean sharp lines on my sleeves. It's very satisfying seeing them hang in my wardrobe like carboard cut outs (so long as I don't think about the time it took).

I found an unopened box of Kellogs 'Just Right' in the cupboard, so of course that delayed my trip to the supermarket. After 2 days of eating cereal and toast I managed to find the motivation to go to Delhaize. Oh how I miss Tesco's home delivery service!

Sarah will be home in 4-6 hours. I think that should be enough time to put the *finishing* (and the starting) touches on the flat. I don't mean this in a 'oh shit the folks are coming home better get the place sorted.' At the risk of sounding just a wee bit cheesey, it's more her coming home gives me the inspiration that I need to get off my arse and take action. It makes sense to do it for her.

Ok, so now I must ...I think Nike know the pains of procrastinators...that's for another blog...

In de buurt

We have 2 video stores where we live. That's 2 locations where I can buy Ben n Jerry's ice cream. Sweet!

What I don't understand is, that both stores always have people smoking and drinking in them. That's what pubs are for surely? Is this a Belgie thing or is it just my special town???

I don't like people smoking in my local video store!

Friday flight

Things have been a tad busy over the last few months to say the least and now it's time for some perspective. We're off to Berlin for a long weekend and I'm going to lose myself in the mellifluous tones of Anthony and the Johnsons There will be lots of shopping, glow-stick waving, banksy tours, copious cups of coffee and lots of other little surprises.

The power of uninention

I always start out with the best intentions when I head home. After a very relaxing late lunch, I left work and headed straight to the DIY store. You see, the other week I bought a power drill. Upon arriving home I opened the box in eager anticipation to find that there will no drill bits included in the box - gutted!

Today I bought the drill bits. I started preparing things to put up the last curtain only to discover we don't have any more screws and that we returned Sarah's mum's ladders.

It's warm, my enthusiasm is waning, so I think I'll spend the rest of the evening chilling on the terras.

You know you live in a small town when...

You're fervently excited that Espirit has moved into larger premises down town.

I'm about to fall asleep

Our bartenders tonight were called Corky and Papi...
It's been snowing...
I've almost lost my voice...
We're off to the 'Mall of America' on Monday lol...
I'm off to bed ;)

Today's temperature

Sarah sent me out with a list of meds, on this list was a thermometer. Not just any thermometer, but an electronic thermometer. She's a physicist you know.

Since 2pm this anoon, I've been getting hourly readings since she got her new toy. Luckily she hasn't gone above 37 degrees yet.

Vertically challenged

You know you're in another country when shops don't stock jeans with a leg length less than 32"

She's a wee bit peely-wally

Sarah is sick. :(

It's contagious.

*meep*

Whilst I'm nursing her to the best of my capabilities. I'm really, really praying that I don't get it. I have 2 presentations to do next week in the States so I will be devastated if I catch it.

To avoid contamination, I've separated out the towels, toilet paper, poor Sarah's sleeping on the sofa - her suggestion so that I can sleep btw, and she's trying not to touch communal surfaces lol. Again, the last one was her suggestion just before she muttered something '...leper...'

I feel like I'm on the 'school run' (in a nice way ;))this weekend, taking care of Sarah and the house. It's like she's secretly preparing me for little Sarahs...Normally she does the cooking you see. She's adamant that she enjoys it and it helps her wind down. Even if I'm home first she calls me with the instructions to not even so much as look at a kitchen utensil. I'm happy with that set up because I'm not one to spend time in the kitchen unless it involves toast, chocolate, coffee or beer. So what's on the menu tonight? A taste of Scotland, packed full of iron and vitamins, and a great comfort food for this time of year - porridge.

I just googled porridge and found this excerpt - '...used traditionally in many cultures to nurse the sick back to health.' Guess what Sarah's having for the next 5 days?!

Faff

The joy of being a procrastinator is that I sometimes find my inspiration for things a bit late. Like feeling motivated to work when I should sleep. On the opposite side, it's a total struggle sometimes to pull myself out of bed in the morning. I delay getting up to the last nano second before I can get ready for work. Why is that? Am I such a control freak? There's also an edge of risk taking to it as well. Like driving a car until it's in the red and not wanting to fill up the diesel till the very last moment.

On the other hand, procastination does have its upsides. I enjoyed folding the dry clothes the other evening because I knew it was delaying the more daunting and arduous task of cleaning the kitchen. If it wasn't for my procrastination, I would've done all of my Christmas shopping in Belgium and lost out on the good exchange rate!

I'm going to get back to what I should be doing ;)

I made it through the wilderness...

This weekend was pretty monumental in our household. I finally got rid of this -

...and in it's place something a wee bit more Belgie. It's my first haircut since I moved, which is almost 12 months. Considering I used to get my hair cut every 6 weeks I'm amazed I lasted this long. Needless to say that the kapper did a good job despite the pressure.

AND, we acquired 2 tix for the Madonna gig in Belgium...somewhere. I have told Sarah that my life is pretty much complete now. Almost *hint* ;)

Sarah was a star, she doesn't even like Madonna as much as I do, but she got up early on Saturday morning and had her finger stuck to redial like her life depended on it. Unfortunately for me it was on speaker phone so I didn't get much of lie in ;)

The came, and they collected ;)

Refuse collection?

Sarah and I have every right to stand proud today. We have, for the second week in a row, actually managed to put out our rubbish bin. Not only that, we've put out the right colour too. Tomorrow is groenten day, otherwise known as kitchen waste - read as small green box that's too heavy to carry cos it doesn't come with wheels. Said green box is also a delightful, dredgy, sluicey hot bed for *gag* fruit flies and maggots *dry balk*

You see, when we first moved to Geel, we made an elementary mistake with the green bin. It was early one morning when Sarah was taking the bin out before work. I was in the bedroom when I heard Sarah cough very loudly with a dry, back of the throat sound to it. I cheekily shouted back 'hen, you better cut back on the hamlets!' No response came back, so I ventured out to see if she was ok only to discover my poor schat avoiding the dry heave with the offending green box nearby. The bin was on the terras, in the heat, and we'd put in some meat from a couple of days before. When schatje lifted up the bin lid she was horrified when she was greeted by leery big chunky maggots! Yuck! I'll spare you the pictures. Part of me is thinking I've written this story before...bear with me if I'm repeating myself lol.

After this we stored the bin in the garage instead of in the exposed heat of the terras, du-uh. The maggots persisted until one evening I gassed them with some cancer-inducing fly spray. This didn't kill them. Nothing short of a nuclear explosion would get rid of these things. So I spent the rest of that evening trawling the web for the best solution. Turns out that stomping on them is the best thing. Super-dyke Jo to the rescue with wellie boots an all. Fun. I have to say that squashing them gave me the same fulfilling feeling as popping bubble wrap.

Anyways, back to the point. Tomorrow we've done something a wee bit different. We've used a biodegradeable bag to put inside the green box, how exciting. We're now placing bets to see if the bin men will take it...

Height of ignorance

I like to think that Sarah knows me better than anyone. She can easily pick up on my moods, or thoughts that perhaps I'd rather keep to myself. She knows when I'm battling not to take that last piece of chocolate or one more slither of Speculoos from the jar. I like to think that my girrel knows me well!

Well, you'd think.

Today we had my health insurance form returned. Why I hear you ask? Because Sarah had put yours truly down with a height of 1 metre! 1 METRE!!! I'm 5 ft 2 and a 1/4 in my socks. I know she has this thing that she's taller than me -only just, by the way- but 1 metre! Really. And to think that she has a Phd that involves taking measurements ;p

Our daily bread

We're just back from a weekend in London toasting congratulations to some friends who have just gotten married...more on that later.

On our way back from the train station to home, we decided that we needed some bread. Now, in Belgium, unlike the UK, no shops are open on a Sunday and we don't do 24 hr super-uber-town-consuming markets either (thank god!). The only shop that's open on a Sunday is the bakerij which can be seen full of Belgian's popping out to get the Sunday bread, chocolade broodjes and other lekker goodies. I love it! I love the fact that Belgian's are crazy about their Sunday bread!

All the pastires aside, we got home at 8pm which meant that the bakerij was closed. But fear ye not! Any self-respecting Belgian street corner has...no, not that...

The Belgian brood automaat.

With the thought of toast with butter and a cup of Errrol Grrrey, this humble vendor made me feel happy about living in Belgium .

Return of the Mac

My writings have been rather sparse of late. It's not through lack of wanting to blog, it's through lack of time to sit down and clear my head to make space for a few words. I've sat down many times over the last couple of months only to produce 'drafts.' There's something about an un-final product that appeals to procrastinators ;)

Anyway, I digress, the last couple of months have been busy with a new role at work, going back home for Christmas, Sarah officially moving in -yay!- and me adjusting to living in this foreign land.

Here are some pics from the last couple of months...

Being entertained whilst Christmas shopping Glasgow style.

Whilst on a business trip to China, we visited a local restaurant. Imagine the demi-vegetarian's response when she realised where the strange smell was coming from...let's just say that I learned to manage my gag reflex and swallow without chewing!

Sarah having the bright idea to take all 10 boxes of lego back from her mum's (where they were perfectly happy I might add) and wash in our appartment. Thank goodness we don't have carpets!...gotta love her ;)

Some more pics from China. When I saw the writing below, at first all I could see was 'work!' Which made me feel uncomfortable with these workers, all industrious and working most hours of the day with this command barking down at them. I was very much relieved when I creaked my neck further to discover the 'Team!'

Ik hou van de sneeuw

I woke up unusually early this morning to a soft, thick muffled blanket of snow. *GRIN* There's something so utterly enjoyable about the smell and the sound of a snow filled street. Especially when it's still dark in the morning, and you're all wrapped up and have yer wellies on. It's dark, but yet the snow manages to reflect some light, giving a contradictory warm glow.

If it's still here tomorrow, I'm going to get creative on the terras...watch this space ;)

P for procrastination

Why is it I always feel compelled to blog when ever I have tonnes of stuff to do?! This has left me with an array of unpublished ramblings...which may explain my blank postings of late. So, herein is my effort for today ;)

I'm a fan of Drifters

This morning I received a parcel from a client with 3 Drifter bars inside - bliss! I've hunted high and low for these when I go back to the UK but to no avail. Well chuffed!

It's been a wee while since my last blog. Things have been very busy and my mood has been up and down over the past couple of weeks. I've sat down countless times at my laptop to write a blog but been unwilling to battle through all the different thoughts in my head, unable to clear a path for my thoughts to make their way unhindered onto the screen before me. So like any good procrastinator, I've simply not written.

Be nice, I'm a foreigner!

I think the Belgian authorities have it in for me just now.  I got randomly breathalised on Sunday for the first time and I've just received my first every speeding fine!!!

Do you think they'll accept my excuse that I'm still confused with the whole kilometre thing?!

Curtaintastic

Well, it's only taken us, erm, 6 months, but we finally have curtains up. Well, in one of our rooms at least.

This is just wrong!

Well there are a few things that are wrong here, the first being that Sarah and I had to visit Ikea again, and the second being the image below:

Christmas decorations on sale before Halloween???  What is that all about???  I only survived the whole experience because Sarah promised me a warm waffle when we got through the check outs!

Sol, sol, sol

Oh-my-god!
The teacher made us sing out in class tonight!
Individually!
Did not see that one coming!