Sigh. boo. sigh.

2 days before my 2 week probationary period with work was up, they told me that they're sorry, but they can't keep me.  They said that I do a good job and that I work hard, but the language barrier is too difficult to work with in such a fast paced environment.  I asked if I could use them as a reference and they said yes and they'd give me a good one.  I guess that's this cloud's silver lining.

Writer's Block

I couldn't think of a title for this post.  So, here's a little segment of my favourite show, the Golden Girls explaining the feeling (watch video).

Right, well today I'm going to go to the printer place (I don't have a printer here) - I'm going to print out 2 new pieces of music.  Today I've reserved one of the two practice rooms at Hanlet Pianos for 1.5 hours so I will be able to get lots of practicing done.  I have to remember to bring a pencil this time though... I'll put one on my bag now so I don't forget to bring it!  Done.

In other news, I have opened my bank account which is great, but they have to send me my bank card.  I guess that's in the mail, but I haven't received it yet.  This whole this is taking a really long time.  I reflect back 2 years and realize how fast and efficient everything was in Korea.  I had a bank account within a week of my getting there.

What else.  Oh, I've recently become re-addicted to a Nintendo DS game called Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box.  I've had it on my nintendo ever since I bought the nintendo in Korea, but I haven't played it for about a year.  Anyway, it's a storyline game where you have to solve puzzles, mysteries and brain teasers to be able to advance in the game.  It's quite fun. 

I'm also excited to get my bank card so I can deposit the cash I have, and then instead of paying by cash I can start to say things like, "Je voudrais payer par carte" (I'd like to pay with my card).  One of my first purchases will be to buy a 10 trip train ticket that is good for any destination within Belgium.  I have to wait to get paid first to do that, but once I do (I'm not sure when that is), I will buy one.  It more than pays itself off.  My destinations include Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Ypres, and maybe Oostende.  I would also like to go back to Liège, but only if I still have a trip or two left.

Well, my practice room is reserved from 1:30pm unti 3pm so I'm not sure what I'll do after that.  I think my manager will call at some point today to give me my schedule for next week.  At that time I will be able to tell if I will be available for the social events scheduled for next week which are: Thursday Feb. 3rd (already February?!) there is a Bar Trekking meetup group meetup.  I haven't gone to one of their meetups yet, but many of the members are the same people who go to the Brussels meeup group.  (There are 3 that I am a part of - Brussels meetup [usually bowling meetups], Brussels French Meetup [the people I went to the Delirium Café with] and the Bar Trekkers [who have an event on the 3rd of Feb.]).  The other social event will be with the French meetup group and that is on Saturday when they will go BOWLING!  I hope I can make it because I looooove bowling.

I think that is all of the news for now.  Aside from what I've written here, life is pretty steady - nothing really hugely new going on.  Work tomorrow morning at 9am.  I've decided I like working close shifts (at night time until the wee hours of the morning) better than working in the morning.  That's all.

Alright, time for a shower, then off to practice!  Au revoir tout le monde!

The weekend, and protests

Hello!  Well today (after 7 months without a government), there was a protest with about 30 000 people in Brussels.  It was peaceful, just a bunch of people trying to send a message.  The article can be read here.  Once again, if the country makes it until March somethingth, they will beat Iraq for the longest running time by any country without a government!

Anyway, Friday was very nice.  Firstly, I went to the bank and FINALLY opened a bank account!!!! YAY!  Then, I went to the Museum of the Far East that I mentioned in my last post.  It was great.  There were 3 buildings to explore - The Japanese Tower (big, tall and red in the pictures), a Chinese Building (most of the pictures of inside are that building) and a Japanese Art Museum section which was in a building that I don't think I took pictures of now that I'm thinking of it.  Anyway, here are the pictures!

 The Japanese Tower

The Chinese Building

A nice view of the Japanese Tower

Inside the Chinese building.  It was originally designed to be a restaurant, but never actually became one.  Because of this, the first floor is nice and open to accomodate regular people and small crowds, while the upstairs is divided into several small rooms for private parties.  Both buildings were built around 1909 - 1910 and commissioned by King Leopold II of Belgium (the guy who was responsible for making Brussels really quite nice)

I like this one.  It's looking out and you can see the Asian style (although they would never use orange bricks in a nice palace-type building there) and Europe in the background!

That was that.  Work this weekend was good, same old.  I've discovered the most common question I get asked while clearing tables is "What is the password for the internet" and people will ask me for something from the menu so I've gotten quite good at saying, "Je suis désolé, mais vous devez aller et demander au bar, en fait" which means "I'm sorry, but you have to go to the bar and order there actually".  It's become quite habitual actually.  I've also gotten quite good at saying, "Je vais revenir et nettoyer la table pour vous.  Attendez s'il vous plait" which means "I'll come back and clean the table for you.  Please wait".  Sometimes people answer me in English because they hear my accent.  The funniest is when the people don't speak French so they just look at me blankly.  I'm happy that that happens often - it lets me know I'm not the only one around here who doesn't speak French!

Alright, it's late.  I'm going to bed.  I had a lovely hour long Skype session with the family today, they put me at the empty seat at the dinner table!  It was very nice I got to see everyone (except Melissa because she was ice fishing in the frigid north!  Last I heard, wind chills were nearing -50°C.  That's craziness.  I like to complain here about the cold and rain, but it's not even below freezing so perhaps I should give myself a slap on the hand for that.

Ok, going now.  Hope everyone's weekend was great, and that you'll have a good week too!

Bye

Delirium Café

Well last night was the night of the meet up group's first function of the year.  We went to a place called Delirium Café.  It was very fun.  I spent the whole night speaking (in French) to a girl named Susan from Kenya.  This is the group where non-native speakers get together to practice French.  It was very nice!  Anyway - more about the café.  It's located very close to the Grand Place.  It has 2500 different types of bottled beer, and 27 beers on tap!!!  In 2004, it won a Guiness World Record for having 2004 beers in stock and ready to serve.  Now, they've upped the number and the selection is very impressive!  I had to work early, so I only tried 2 different beers.  I rather forget what they were - I remember one was something ambree I think, so I got it because I like darker beers (or brown ones anyway), but it was sweet and almost a bit fruity which I didn't much care for.

Right.  It was a really really nice night, and it was great to meet new people!  I'm looking forward to whatever they do next!  They were thinking of going bowling, and there is a vote online for it, so I am going to vote 'yes' to bowling... OF COURSE!

Alright, time to go.  Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!

Lots of things

Well today I will open my bank account (I have to go back and sign some kind of paper), and I will go to the Museum of the Far East.  I'm so excited about the museum, I will take lots of pictures!  I think some of it is outside so it will be nice and bright.  That's good.  I work the weekend (from 9am both days), so I'm getting my museum / tourist activities done today rather than then!

Well, in other news, my 2 favourite shows were hilaarrrrrrrious this week.  Modern Family was so funny and can be watched through sidereel as can Hot in Cleveland which was just as funny. 

Alright, time to go.  I have to brush my teeth, and drink coffee (not in that order) and put on a sweater and get on with my day.  I just wanted to update because I feel I haven't done that in a while. 

Oh, I decided (I'll just mention before I go) that I will learn Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2.  It's easy but beautiful so that's a good thing.  I wanted to learn Op. 27 No. 2 because someone played it at UWO that I remember, but it's too hard.  Maybe it will be one of those ones where I just play the parts that are easy enough because it really is a nice one.

Alright, now it's time to go.  Bye now!

Work

Well work went well.  That was quite the alliterative opening sentence.  My job was to collect dishes and wash them.  Pretty straight forward.  I work tomorrow and I'm assuming I'll either do the same thing, or begin training at the bar.  Anyway it felt good to work again.  I really don't like the feeling of not working.  Mainly because of the lack of money that comes in, but also because I feel useless... like an ornament of society... a bump on a log if you will. 

Anyway it was nice to work again.  I guess that's what I'm getting at!  I'm getting ever more excited about Friday when I will be able to see the people in the French meet up group once again.  I have to work the next day at 9am, so I can't stay out too late, but it will be nice to go out even if it's just for a drink and a chat, then to go.

Now that I don't have to worry about running out of money, I think I will plan a day trip on a train to another city of Belgium.  I will try to get to Ypres, but I'm not sure if I can get there by train.  In any case, I will see what other city I can get to.  Perhaps Antwerp.  that place interests me too.

Right then.  I'll go now.  Time to start my day!  (I realize it's 4pm, but I didn't sleep until 4am last night, so my day is allowed to start late).

Bye all!

Work

Well, it's been almost a week since I found a job.  Today is my first day so I'm nervous.  I'd be much less nervous if I had the same job at home, but this will be entirely in French.  On the other hand, I'm very excited to improve my French and to be able to meet new people.  I haven't been to many museums or anything since my last post.  I have been a slave of routine!  Anyway, yesterday... for the first time in a really long time, we had blue skies and nice warm weather.  It didn't feel like January weather at all!  Actually, it almost felt like May or June.  It was so nice.  I think the temperature was around 15, but when you've been rained on in temperatures just above zero for a few weeks, 15 seems like the tropics!

This coming Friday, the French Meetup group of Brussels is going to meet up.  I'm excited because this is the group of people I haven't seen since we went to the toy museum way back in November (I think it was).  It will be nice to see them again, and this time I will be more comfortable speaking French with them (the last time I hardly knew enough to have a short simple conversation!)

Aside from that, my social calendar is quite empty, but hopefully that will change soon with the other meet up group.  I would like to go bowling soon, but they don't have anything planned.  Perhaps I'll have to take it upon myself to organize something!

Ok, I will eat a little something (my stomach feels a bit queesy but I think that's because I'm nervous) so if I eat a sandwich or something I'm sure I'll feel a bit better.  Then, it's time to go to work!  I will write here how it goes of course.  I wonder what I'll learn my first day! 

Have a great week everyone!

New beginning

Well, like I promised in my last post, I will put some pictures up here of the BELvue museum.  But first, I should mention - decisions were finally made about the maternity leave at the school and in the end, I won't be covering the spot.  So, I put out resumés and had some pretty unbelievable luck.  I applied to a total of 11 places, and at one of them a girl was working who said to try a place called Café Belga because her friend works there and she knew they were hiring.  I knew about Café Belga.  It was a place I went to within my first week of arriving in Belgium (my October 6th post has a picture from it... actually it's just a picture of beer, but you get the idea).  Anyway, I went to drop off my resume and before I knew it, I had had an interview and was hired!  I'll go back on Thursday with my information and then start working on Monday!

Here are those pictures I promised!

 This was the situation on the plane on the way here.  The seat totally reclined into a perfectly flat bed.  It was truly magical.  They had champaigne, real flowers in the washroom, lights that dimmed, and a person who came around and took my coat until the flight was done!

 This is in the courtyard of a building that is next to the Palais Royale.

 The roof of part of the BELvue museum

 Inside the museum

 This is that comic book character I like - Gaston.

A staircase in a weird building.

That's all for now!  You may remember me mentioning that I was going to make squares.  Well, today I made them and they're in the fridge cooling.  They are chocolate peanut butter marshmallow squares - my Mom gave me the recipe.  She makes them at Christmas time. 

Oh, one more thing before I go - my nephew Logan now has 7 teeth!

K bye

I'm back!!

Well I'm back in Belgium!  I got back on Thursday (the 6th) and today is the 9th.  Since then, we've played host to a French girl named Sandrine (who enjoyed video games and board games and therefore is one of my favourite people).  She comes from a placed called Lyon in France.

It was nice to show her around the city because I'm still looking for ways to improve my walking itinerary for anyone who chooses to come visit (I'm expecting some visitors!).  We went to a museum (I'm working on your suggestion Uncle Paul!) called BELvue.  It was a nice museum centred around Belgian history and development both as an independent country and its monarchy.  It was very well laid out and I thought it was very interesting!

On the 7th Belgian beat the European record for a country going the longest without a government.  If we make it to March 30th, we will beat the world record which is currently held by Iraq!!

In other news, Iraq is not a natural word to type.  The moving of the left pinky is rather uncomfortable.

Right.  Well, that's about all.  Sandrine left today.  Tomorrow I plan to go to the commune and harass them about my Belgian identity card (which I thought would have arrived here whilst I was in Canada) and perhaps do some laundry.  I'm also going to make delicious squares at some point.  I returned with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and mini marshmallows (all of which are next to impossible to find here).

That's my first update from my second (much longer) stay in Belgium.  I have taken some pictures (in the BELvue museum) and I'll put them up here soon.  That's all!

Have a great week everyone!