Got a phone call last week from the embassy requesting the driver's license and original bank statement from my financial guarantor. When the lady on the phone said she was calling from the Belgian consulate, my heart dropped to my toes. I thought there was something really wrong! But she was very nice, contrary to all the stories I've heard from my fellow students. All of my other application paper work was fine, just missing those two things (which aren't even listed in the instructions). So, I FedExed the required info on Monday and hope that is the last of the red tape.
One thing that did go smoothly was finding cheap airfare. I called a travel agent in Wilsonville who deals with wholesalers and he found an amazingly low priced one-way ticket from Portland to Brussels. So, I guess we're officially leaving! D-Day (departure day) is September 2. Yippee!!!
~K
Wednesday, July 30
Wednesday, July 23
Two developments today...
I got a speeding ticket! For going "50" in a 35. The "quotation marks" are there because I'm about 95% sure that I was going more like 45. Sure, that's only a 5 mph difference. But in terms of the cost of the ticket, that's like $30-40! Since I'll be a good citizen and pay it, it's going to set me back $109. That's a big nut for someone in the shoes I'm currently wearing! Could have been worse, I guess. I've settled for telling myself that it's my donation to the Oregon government. Perhaps, with my help and others like me, Oregon's public schools won't have to start their summer vacations three weeks early next year (FYI, they "misallocated" funds this year and many schools didn't have enough money to have a full school year).
The other development is that I took a job at Nike in Wilsonville. I got it through the temp agency. $8/hr. 6am to 4:30pm. Pretty long day of pulling inventory and packing boxes. Here's the job description:
Order Picker
Standing all day long filling orders for shipment. Setting up boxes, placing labels on boxes according to orders. Picking items, pulling footwear boxes from bins & cartons. Double checking filled cartons for accuracy, sealing cartons. Working in a fast-paced deadline oriented department. Requires strong interpersonal communication skills, basic math skills, English (both verbal and written). Heavy and consistent lifting through entire shift. Standing, sitting, bending, lifting and twisting repetitively throughout the day. Prior warehouse/material handling experience is strongly recommended. This department works very fast and without the experience it is difficult to keep pace while still maintaining accuracy.
Sound like your cup of tea? All you have to do is move up to Northern Oregon. They still need more people. And every thirty days you work with perfect attendance, you get a free pair of Nikes!
After I work for 1.5 days, I'll have the speeding ticket paid off that I got as a result of going for this job. Maybe I should send the bill to Nike...
--RP--
I got a speeding ticket! For going "50" in a 35. The "quotation marks" are there because I'm about 95% sure that I was going more like 45. Sure, that's only a 5 mph difference. But in terms of the cost of the ticket, that's like $30-40! Since I'll be a good citizen and pay it, it's going to set me back $109. That's a big nut for someone in the shoes I'm currently wearing! Could have been worse, I guess. I've settled for telling myself that it's my donation to the Oregon government. Perhaps, with my help and others like me, Oregon's public schools won't have to start their summer vacations three weeks early next year (FYI, they "misallocated" funds this year and many schools didn't have enough money to have a full school year).
The other development is that I took a job at Nike in Wilsonville. I got it through the temp agency. $8/hr. 6am to 4:30pm. Pretty long day of pulling inventory and packing boxes. Here's the job description:
Order Picker
Standing all day long filling orders for shipment. Setting up boxes, placing labels on boxes according to orders. Picking items, pulling footwear boxes from bins & cartons. Double checking filled cartons for accuracy, sealing cartons. Working in a fast-paced deadline oriented department. Requires strong interpersonal communication skills, basic math skills, English (both verbal and written). Heavy and consistent lifting through entire shift. Standing, sitting, bending, lifting and twisting repetitively throughout the day. Prior warehouse/material handling experience is strongly recommended. This department works very fast and without the experience it is difficult to keep pace while still maintaining accuracy.
Sound like your cup of tea? All you have to do is move up to Northern Oregon. They still need more people. And every thirty days you work with perfect attendance, you get a free pair of Nikes!
After I work for 1.5 days, I'll have the speeding ticket paid off that I got as a result of going for this job. Maybe I should send the bill to Nike...
--RP--
Friday, July 18
Registered with Adecco (a temp agency) today. Took a couple of their ridiculously simple tests. They don't have any office jobs at the moment. All they had to offer me was a couple of warehouse jobs (both of them graveyard shifts). I told them I wouldn't mind doing the $10/hr "pick-and-pack" job. That's from 6pm to 3:00am, I think. They had another one with similar hours, but it was for $8.73/hr. They're submitting my resume to the company today. I guess I should check voicemail to see if anything came of it.
The economy in Oregon apparently is at a 17 year low. Go figure...
--RP--
The economy in Oregon apparently is at a 17 year low. Go figure...
--RP--
Thursday, July 17
The Belgian consulate in Los Angeles received my application at 12:35pm today. The long road paved with red tape finally ends - I hope. It was such a pain in the neck to jump through all the required hoops, that I really believe the government uses this convoluted process to weed out the stupid people who want to study in Belgium. I sincerely hope I did everything right! This is what I had to do:
1. Two student visa applications, signed and notarized.
2. Two passport pictures, signed on the back, as well as my actual passport.
3. $60 application fee.
Then, one set of originals, one set of copies, appropriately collated and stapled:
4. Background check by my local police department going back five years. (A bit of a conundrum since I've lived in Florida, California and Arizona during that time.)
5. Medical certificate signed and notarized by a physician which says I do not have syphillis, leprosy or psychological disorders (!). In addition to the notarization of the doc's signature, he was also required to sign his name three times on letterhead and fax it to the consulate before I mailed it in.
6. A notarized letter of financial support declaring that I would be given enough money to be able to pay a year's worth of Belgian bills. The arbitrary magic number being $6000.
7. Bank statements verifying the availability of the requisite $6000, signed by a bank official.
8. A notarized letter promising that I will register with my local municipal authorities within three days of arrival in Brussels. But I can't register until I have proof of an address, so we better apartment-hunt really quick. (Proof of medical insurance, college diplomas, a letter of reference indicating my good character, copies of all the above documents and the apartment lease will also be necessary at this point.)
9. An official letter of acceptance from my university.
All of the above will then be counter-signed and notarized at the consulate, for $6.50 each. Then, if everything is ship-shape, the consul general will stamp my passport with a small 'Student Visa' stamp and Fed Ex it back to me.
This all seems a bit extreme to me. I just want to study, not join the Belgian equivalent of the CIA. Its Belgium, for heaven's sake! Not cold-war Russia. But, whatever. I'm done for the moment. Please, please let everything go through!
~K
1. Two student visa applications, signed and notarized.
2. Two passport pictures, signed on the back, as well as my actual passport.
3. $60 application fee.
Then, one set of originals, one set of copies, appropriately collated and stapled:
4. Background check by my local police department going back five years. (A bit of a conundrum since I've lived in Florida, California and Arizona during that time.)
5. Medical certificate signed and notarized by a physician which says I do not have syphillis, leprosy or psychological disorders (!). In addition to the notarization of the doc's signature, he was also required to sign his name three times on letterhead and fax it to the consulate before I mailed it in.
6. A notarized letter of financial support declaring that I would be given enough money to be able to pay a year's worth of Belgian bills. The arbitrary magic number being $6000.
7. Bank statements verifying the availability of the requisite $6000, signed by a bank official.
8. A notarized letter promising that I will register with my local municipal authorities within three days of arrival in Brussels. But I can't register until I have proof of an address, so we better apartment-hunt really quick. (Proof of medical insurance, college diplomas, a letter of reference indicating my good character, copies of all the above documents and the apartment lease will also be necessary at this point.)
9. An official letter of acceptance from my university.
All of the above will then be counter-signed and notarized at the consulate, for $6.50 each. Then, if everything is ship-shape, the consul general will stamp my passport with a small 'Student Visa' stamp and Fed Ex it back to me.
This all seems a bit extreme to me. I just want to study, not join the Belgian equivalent of the CIA. Its Belgium, for heaven's sake! Not cold-war Russia. But, whatever. I'm done for the moment. Please, please let everything go through!
~K
Tuesday, July 15
Bummer, man... bummer!
We finally found out the status of our security deposit from our apartment in Scottsdale. The landlord is pocketing it. He deducted the realtor's commission, the cost of having an ad in the paper, and rent for the period it is standing un-occupied in July. This left us owing him $294 to "cover his expenses", but he said that he was willing to call it even since we did such a good job cleaning the place up. Bottom line, I think we're just going to have to swallow it because if he held us to our lease agreement, he would have taken our deposit and charged an additional month's rent. He let us get out of their pretty easy.
But still, somehow I feel a bit wronged. We had paid our June rent before we decided we had to move. Even though we left on the 17th, we pretty much figured he'd keep the remainder. We worked hard to find someone to take over the lease before we left and had lots of people see the place. However, he decided to rent the property to someone that didn't want to move in until July 25th. So, I feel like since they "called off the search" early, we shouldn't have to pay for anything beyond June. Problem is if we start raising a fuss, he might just say, "Fine, you owe me $294". Or worse.
--RP--
We finally found out the status of our security deposit from our apartment in Scottsdale. The landlord is pocketing it. He deducted the realtor's commission, the cost of having an ad in the paper, and rent for the period it is standing un-occupied in July. This left us owing him $294 to "cover his expenses", but he said that he was willing to call it even since we did such a good job cleaning the place up. Bottom line, I think we're just going to have to swallow it because if he held us to our lease agreement, he would have taken our deposit and charged an additional month's rent. He let us get out of their pretty easy.
But still, somehow I feel a bit wronged. We had paid our June rent before we decided we had to move. Even though we left on the 17th, we pretty much figured he'd keep the remainder. We worked hard to find someone to take over the lease before we left and had lots of people see the place. However, he decided to rent the property to someone that didn't want to move in until July 25th. So, I feel like since they "called off the search" early, we shouldn't have to pay for anything beyond June. Problem is if we start raising a fuss, he might just say, "Fine, you owe me $294". Or worse.
--RP--
Monday, July 14
Cosmic Disarray
Something weird is going on today. Kristen was the first to notice it. She said she felt "out of it". I hadn't really noticed at first, but when I was up-and-about in town I felt it too. Sort of a feeling like you're a tarnished piece of silver instead of a gleaming one. At first, we thought is perhaps just us, but it seems to be widespread... at least in and around Aurora. People are driving erratically, parking badly, making decisions very slowly, fumbling around, dropping things, staring at the dairy section for an inordinately long time, stuff like that. Sure, people are like that everyday, but never this many all at once. Never enough to take note of it like this.
Makes me wonder if it's worldwide, just on the West Coast, or just in this "sleepy little town." It also occurs to me that perhaps it has to do with the position of the planets. Whatever it is, something is off-kilter. Strange.
--RP--
Something weird is going on today. Kristen was the first to notice it. She said she felt "out of it". I hadn't really noticed at first, but when I was up-and-about in town I felt it too. Sort of a feeling like you're a tarnished piece of silver instead of a gleaming one. At first, we thought is perhaps just us, but it seems to be widespread... at least in and around Aurora. People are driving erratically, parking badly, making decisions very slowly, fumbling around, dropping things, staring at the dairy section for an inordinately long time, stuff like that. Sure, people are like that everyday, but never this many all at once. Never enough to take note of it like this.
Makes me wonder if it's worldwide, just on the West Coast, or just in this "sleepy little town." It also occurs to me that perhaps it has to do with the position of the planets. Whatever it is, something is off-kilter. Strange.
--RP--
Sunday, July 13
A Few Words About Belgian Beer
(long post... scroll down if you're bored, please)
Belgian beer is some of the best in the world. While the Germans are famous for lagers sticking rigidly to their "purity law", the English for their rustic ales, the Scotts for the rich and malty brews, the Irish for their stout, the Belgians have elevated beer brewing to a high-art. They are the innovators, the auteurs of the world of beer. Belgian ale is famous for being full-flavored, aromatic, eccentric and high in alcohol. With 140+ breweries in this small country (11,373 sq. miles), it's no wonder they're so good at it.
I've always preferred a more flavorful beer over the bland and mundane (like Budweiser and so forth). My first great love in the beer-world was German hefe-weizen, a luscious beer made with 50% or more malted wheat (as opposed to barley). Weizens are straw to light brown and hazy due to the yeast-strain. It is an unfiltered beer with a tart, bready flavor and an aroma of fresh-baked bread and a hint of clove or banana. And supremely refreshing! It was originally "illegal" in terms of the purity law because wheat was not a sanctioned ingredient (only water, barley, and hops!). However, an exemption was made because this was one of the only beers that could be brewed in the warmer months (before refrigeration). Thank god for that! Now, almost every German brewery carries a hefe-weizen or weisse-bier.
After wetting my appetite with the only rebellious German beer, it was no surprise that I found a higher appreciation of the beers Belgium has to offer. While many brands have been on the market in the US for years, I never really tried them until I was in Brussels. It was there, quaffing Trappist and abbey ales like Westmalle and Affligem, that I reached a veritable beer nirvana. It changed my entire outlook on beer. The range of complexity in the beer-world is so wide that beer can no longer be wrongly pegged as frat-party material only or the choice of the every-man. The best of the Belgian beers should be considered as high-class as fine wine (and in many circles, it is). Beers like Westmalle Triple or Duvel can be "layed down" to age for years, continuing to change in complexity and flavor. Because they are bottled with living yeast and some additional sugar, the beer is carbonated naturally... in the bottle. This is why many Belgian beers are corked with champagne corks, rather than bottle caps. There is so much that can be said, but in lieu of me prattling on and on, here's a little "introduction" to the many styles of beer in the Belgian compendium:
Trappist ale and abbey ale There are currently six Trappist monasteries making commercially available beer. These beers are typically called dubbels (doubles) and tripels (triples), but you can sometimes find singles. This designates their alcohol content with singles being 6% (abv) or less, dubbels being 7-8% and trippels being 8-10%. Dubbels are usually dark brown with a rich, raisiny quality, while trippels are light brown to golden in color with a spicey, zesty aroma and flavor due to some added spices. Singles are generally just a weaker version of a dubbel or trippel. One of the trappist monasteries, Orval, makes a popular beer akin to a dubbel which has been adulterated by several wild yeasts and bacteria to give it a more sour quality (I know that sounds horrible, but more about this later). The designation "Trappist ale" can only be given to beers that are brewed by Trappist monks. Any beer in the same style not brewed by monks is called "abbey ale". Prime examples: Westmalle, Rochefort, Affligem (abbey), Westvleteren, Chimay.
Wit bier This is the Belgian and Dutch version of the german hefe-weizen. It is much lighter in color (an opalecent pale yellow) but generally with more haze than a weizen. These beers are usually made with almost entirely wheat (traditionally un-malted) and have some added herbs and spices like coriander and bitter orange peel. They are very light-bodied, refreshingly tart, and generally low in alcohol (3-5% abv). This is an old style of beer that fell out of favor when lagers become popular. However, in the late 60's a brewer named Pierre Celis brought it back to life when he opened Hoegaarden. The Hoegaarden wit is considered by many to be the hallmark example.
Saison One of my favorite styles, but one that is not largely produced. These are often referred to as "farmhouse ales" because of their rugged, rustic, earthy character. They are generally straw or gold in color, slightly hazy, highly carbonated and rather hoppy. Medium to light bodied with a thick, rocky head and an earthy, peppery aroma. They are supremely refreshing on a summer day, despite their 6% and up alcohol content. The prime example is Saison DuPont which I've only been able to find in 750 mL champagne bottles.
Lambic, Geuze, Faro, Kriek, and Framboise This is the category of beer that many ardent beer-drinkers hate and even more ardent beer-haters love. The common reaction is "This is beer?". Well, yes and no. Most examples in this category are composed almost entirely of un-malted wheat, a very small amount of hops and are "spontaneously fermented" with airborne wild yeasts and bacteria native to the Sennes valley in Belgium. They are generally quite sour in taste and smell along with some funky smell/taste characteristics like "musty", "horse-blanket", "barnyard", "enteric". Lambic is the pure form of the beer (i.e.- no additives) and is usually aged for 3 to 5 years. Geuze is a blend of young and old lambic which is a bit easier to drink (somewhat like champagne). Faro is a lambic sweetened with cane sugar. Kriek is lambic aged on cherries and Framboise is lambic aged on raspberries. Most examples are carbonated, but there are a fair amount of lambics that are "still" like wine. If you're feeling adventurous, try any offerings from Cantillon, Boon, Belle-Vue, or Lindemann's which are all available in well-stocked liquor stores in the States.
Flanders Red Ale This style is one of the most popular with the Belgians. It is a standard red ale fermented with brewer's yeast and then aged in wood barrels inoculated with varying wild yeasts and bacteria (like those found in lambic). This gives the beer a subtle to aggressive sourness, depending on the sample. One of the most popular commercial producers is Rodenbach which is available in the States, but can be difficult to find. These beers are full-flavored, refreshingly tangy, and sometimes astringent. Also, they are sometimes aged with macerated cherries to provide a fruitier sourness.
Flemmish Brown Ale or Oud Bruin These are complex, dark beers which originated from the town of Oudenaarde. The main characteristics are: medium to full bodied, high carbonate water providing a frothy texture, a complex mix of yeasts and malts, blended with aged brown ales, and a period of aging in the bottle before being released. The flavor profile usually brings to mind olives, raisins, and brown spices. Sort of sweet and sour. They are not hop accented and the bitterness is low. Oud Bruin (Old Brown) has been aged for a longer period of time. A notable producer is Petrus.
Strong Golden ale A style developed by the brewery Duvel-Moortgat and copied by many other Belgian and some American craft-breweries. This beer is 8-10% abv, sparkling gold, highly carbonated, light-bodied and aromatic. Duvel is the prime example: thick fluffy egg-white head, tingly carbonation, floral hop aroma, pear-like fruitiness and dangerously easy to drink! If you've never had a Belgian ale, start with this one. It is available in 750 mL bottles closed with champagne corks or 12 oz. "stubbies". It is re-fermented in the bottle to give it that amazing carbonation, so you'll see a bit of sediment in the bottom. Other examples are Hapkin and Pranqster.
Belgian Pale ale Aside from Belgian lager, probably the most "normal" beer. Not much different than standard English pale ales, though usually less hoppy and with a decidely Belgian yeast quality (raisiny, clovey, fruity aromas). The most famous Belgian pale ale is probably De Koninck which is available in some parts of the US. Another hoppier example is Poperinges Hommel ale.
Belgian lager Really not any different than lagers in the rest of the world and typically only produced by the two conglomerate breweries, Palm and Stella Artois. They produce products similar to Heineken. Stella is a reasonable lager which seems to have a love it or hate it status around the world. As for me, let's just say I don't crave it.
How to drink Belgian ales Most Belgian ales are "bottle-conditioned" which means that they are dosed with a small amount of sugar and fresh yeast before bottling. They are then stored in a, usually, warm room for anywhere from two weeks to four months. During this process, the yeast ferments the added sugar, absorbs any residual oxygen and carbonates the beer. This is also a crucial step in the formation of the aroma and flavor of the beer. However, the yeast sediment remains in the bottle. This can be a turn-off to the uninitiated, but with careful handling should remain in the bottle. Even if it did make it into the glass, it would only cloud the beer (and besides, yeast is really good for you!). It is best to chill the beer up-right for about a day after it has been transported. This allows the yeast to settle back to the bottom. Most Belgian ales should be served at about 50-55 deg F as this will showcase the complex aromas and flavors. Also, virtually every brewery has a special glass for each beer. You don't have to get pedantic, but follow this rule of thumb: trappist or abbey ales in chalice-shaped glasses, strong golden ale in a stemmed tulip-glass, wit in a "jam jar" or a tumgler with octagonal sides and Flanders ales in short fluted glasses. When in doubt, use a large wine glass or cognac snifter. Lambics (and beers of that ilk) are served in anything from champagne flutes to pint glasses.
So, what are you waiting for? Drive down to your most up-scale liquor store and pick up a sample or two!
--RP--
P.S.- There is a brewery in Quebec, Canada that makes fantastic Belgian ales, rivaling beers from Belgium even. It is called Unibroue. These beers are available in most of the US.
(long post... scroll down if you're bored, please)
Belgian beer is some of the best in the world. While the Germans are famous for lagers sticking rigidly to their "purity law", the English for their rustic ales, the Scotts for the rich and malty brews, the Irish for their stout, the Belgians have elevated beer brewing to a high-art. They are the innovators, the auteurs of the world of beer. Belgian ale is famous for being full-flavored, aromatic, eccentric and high in alcohol. With 140+ breweries in this small country (11,373 sq. miles), it's no wonder they're so good at it.
I've always preferred a more flavorful beer over the bland and mundane (like Budweiser and so forth). My first great love in the beer-world was German hefe-weizen, a luscious beer made with 50% or more malted wheat (as opposed to barley). Weizens are straw to light brown and hazy due to the yeast-strain. It is an unfiltered beer with a tart, bready flavor and an aroma of fresh-baked bread and a hint of clove or banana. And supremely refreshing! It was originally "illegal" in terms of the purity law because wheat was not a sanctioned ingredient (only water, barley, and hops!). However, an exemption was made because this was one of the only beers that could be brewed in the warmer months (before refrigeration). Thank god for that! Now, almost every German brewery carries a hefe-weizen or weisse-bier.
After wetting my appetite with the only rebellious German beer, it was no surprise that I found a higher appreciation of the beers Belgium has to offer. While many brands have been on the market in the US for years, I never really tried them until I was in Brussels. It was there, quaffing Trappist and abbey ales like Westmalle and Affligem, that I reached a veritable beer nirvana. It changed my entire outlook on beer. The range of complexity in the beer-world is so wide that beer can no longer be wrongly pegged as frat-party material only or the choice of the every-man. The best of the Belgian beers should be considered as high-class as fine wine (and in many circles, it is). Beers like Westmalle Triple or Duvel can be "layed down" to age for years, continuing to change in complexity and flavor. Because they are bottled with living yeast and some additional sugar, the beer is carbonated naturally... in the bottle. This is why many Belgian beers are corked with champagne corks, rather than bottle caps. There is so much that can be said, but in lieu of me prattling on and on, here's a little "introduction" to the many styles of beer in the Belgian compendium:
Trappist ale and abbey ale There are currently six Trappist monasteries making commercially available beer. These beers are typically called dubbels (doubles) and tripels (triples), but you can sometimes find singles. This designates their alcohol content with singles being 6% (abv) or less, dubbels being 7-8% and trippels being 8-10%. Dubbels are usually dark brown with a rich, raisiny quality, while trippels are light brown to golden in color with a spicey, zesty aroma and flavor due to some added spices. Singles are generally just a weaker version of a dubbel or trippel. One of the trappist monasteries, Orval, makes a popular beer akin to a dubbel which has been adulterated by several wild yeasts and bacteria to give it a more sour quality (I know that sounds horrible, but more about this later). The designation "Trappist ale" can only be given to beers that are brewed by Trappist monks. Any beer in the same style not brewed by monks is called "abbey ale". Prime examples: Westmalle, Rochefort, Affligem (abbey), Westvleteren, Chimay.
Wit bier This is the Belgian and Dutch version of the german hefe-weizen. It is much lighter in color (an opalecent pale yellow) but generally with more haze than a weizen. These beers are usually made with almost entirely wheat (traditionally un-malted) and have some added herbs and spices like coriander and bitter orange peel. They are very light-bodied, refreshingly tart, and generally low in alcohol (3-5% abv). This is an old style of beer that fell out of favor when lagers become popular. However, in the late 60's a brewer named Pierre Celis brought it back to life when he opened Hoegaarden. The Hoegaarden wit is considered by many to be the hallmark example.
Saison One of my favorite styles, but one that is not largely produced. These are often referred to as "farmhouse ales" because of their rugged, rustic, earthy character. They are generally straw or gold in color, slightly hazy, highly carbonated and rather hoppy. Medium to light bodied with a thick, rocky head and an earthy, peppery aroma. They are supremely refreshing on a summer day, despite their 6% and up alcohol content. The prime example is Saison DuPont which I've only been able to find in 750 mL champagne bottles.
Lambic, Geuze, Faro, Kriek, and Framboise This is the category of beer that many ardent beer-drinkers hate and even more ardent beer-haters love. The common reaction is "This is beer?". Well, yes and no. Most examples in this category are composed almost entirely of un-malted wheat, a very small amount of hops and are "spontaneously fermented" with airborne wild yeasts and bacteria native to the Sennes valley in Belgium. They are generally quite sour in taste and smell along with some funky smell/taste characteristics like "musty", "horse-blanket", "barnyard", "enteric". Lambic is the pure form of the beer (i.e.- no additives) and is usually aged for 3 to 5 years. Geuze is a blend of young and old lambic which is a bit easier to drink (somewhat like champagne). Faro is a lambic sweetened with cane sugar. Kriek is lambic aged on cherries and Framboise is lambic aged on raspberries. Most examples are carbonated, but there are a fair amount of lambics that are "still" like wine. If you're feeling adventurous, try any offerings from Cantillon, Boon, Belle-Vue, or Lindemann's which are all available in well-stocked liquor stores in the States.
Flanders Red Ale This style is one of the most popular with the Belgians. It is a standard red ale fermented with brewer's yeast and then aged in wood barrels inoculated with varying wild yeasts and bacteria (like those found in lambic). This gives the beer a subtle to aggressive sourness, depending on the sample. One of the most popular commercial producers is Rodenbach which is available in the States, but can be difficult to find. These beers are full-flavored, refreshingly tangy, and sometimes astringent. Also, they are sometimes aged with macerated cherries to provide a fruitier sourness.
Flemmish Brown Ale or Oud Bruin These are complex, dark beers which originated from the town of Oudenaarde. The main characteristics are: medium to full bodied, high carbonate water providing a frothy texture, a complex mix of yeasts and malts, blended with aged brown ales, and a period of aging in the bottle before being released. The flavor profile usually brings to mind olives, raisins, and brown spices. Sort of sweet and sour. They are not hop accented and the bitterness is low. Oud Bruin (Old Brown) has been aged for a longer period of time. A notable producer is Petrus.
Strong Golden ale A style developed by the brewery Duvel-Moortgat and copied by many other Belgian and some American craft-breweries. This beer is 8-10% abv, sparkling gold, highly carbonated, light-bodied and aromatic. Duvel is the prime example: thick fluffy egg-white head, tingly carbonation, floral hop aroma, pear-like fruitiness and dangerously easy to drink! If you've never had a Belgian ale, start with this one. It is available in 750 mL bottles closed with champagne corks or 12 oz. "stubbies". It is re-fermented in the bottle to give it that amazing carbonation, so you'll see a bit of sediment in the bottom. Other examples are Hapkin and Pranqster.
Belgian Pale ale Aside from Belgian lager, probably the most "normal" beer. Not much different than standard English pale ales, though usually less hoppy and with a decidely Belgian yeast quality (raisiny, clovey, fruity aromas). The most famous Belgian pale ale is probably De Koninck which is available in some parts of the US. Another hoppier example is Poperinges Hommel ale.
Belgian lager Really not any different than lagers in the rest of the world and typically only produced by the two conglomerate breweries, Palm and Stella Artois. They produce products similar to Heineken. Stella is a reasonable lager which seems to have a love it or hate it status around the world. As for me, let's just say I don't crave it.
How to drink Belgian ales Most Belgian ales are "bottle-conditioned" which means that they are dosed with a small amount of sugar and fresh yeast before bottling. They are then stored in a, usually, warm room for anywhere from two weeks to four months. During this process, the yeast ferments the added sugar, absorbs any residual oxygen and carbonates the beer. This is also a crucial step in the formation of the aroma and flavor of the beer. However, the yeast sediment remains in the bottle. This can be a turn-off to the uninitiated, but with careful handling should remain in the bottle. Even if it did make it into the glass, it would only cloud the beer (and besides, yeast is really good for you!). It is best to chill the beer up-right for about a day after it has been transported. This allows the yeast to settle back to the bottom. Most Belgian ales should be served at about 50-55 deg F as this will showcase the complex aromas and flavors. Also, virtually every brewery has a special glass for each beer. You don't have to get pedantic, but follow this rule of thumb: trappist or abbey ales in chalice-shaped glasses, strong golden ale in a stemmed tulip-glass, wit in a "jam jar" or a tumgler with octagonal sides and Flanders ales in short fluted glasses. When in doubt, use a large wine glass or cognac snifter. Lambics (and beers of that ilk) are served in anything from champagne flutes to pint glasses.
So, what are you waiting for? Drive down to your most up-scale liquor store and pick up a sample or two!
--RP--
P.S.- There is a brewery in Quebec, Canada that makes fantastic Belgian ales, rivaling beers from Belgium even. It is called Unibroue. These beers are available in most of the US.
Wednesday, July 9
Rich's frigid dip was really the highlight of a great weekend. After that, there wasn't much else to do except eat more birthday cake, tell tall tales, and go to bed! Monday morning I went for a long walk on the beach and said goodbye to all the sea anemones. When I returned to the condo, everyone was sitting around reading the newspaper, drinking coffee and nibbling on baked goods. I jumped in the shower and then emerged from the bathroom fifteem minutes later to see everyone racing around: packing, cleaning, taking out the garbage, putting stuff in the car and emptying the refrigerator. Wow, I guess vacation is over! We had the best time! Rich, Jenna and I said farewell to Dad and Bev, and hit the road. We made one quick stop in Depoe Bay to buy more caramel corn and some seafoam, before continuing up the coast. We were hungry (of course), so we made one more stop at the Dairy Queen in Lincoln City for lunch. A nice, junk-food way to end our lazy, gluttonous stay on the Oregon coast. After arriving back at Mom and Jake's, Jenna went home to do laundry and we unpacked and checked email. The world didn't end, even though I went four days without checking my email! Jenna came back later that evening for her birthday dinner, which consisted of chicken, potato salad, pasta, veggies, watermelon, and an ice cream cake. The next morning...back to reality and back to work at 10am.
My job at the antique shop is exactly what my brain needs right now. Lots of mindless physical activity and absolutely no responsibility or difficult decisions. Its very zen. And, I can walk to work. What more could I ask for?
~K
My job at the antique shop is exactly what my brain needs right now. Lots of mindless physical activity and absolutely no responsibility or difficult decisions. Its very zen. And, I can walk to work. What more could I ask for?
~K
The continuation...
We weren't glued together at the hips the entire time. For example, on Saturday I drove over to Rogue Brewing Company on the south side of Newport. I wanted to see if they were having a tour. Sadly, they weren't, but they were having a sale on over-stocked beer (I didn't buy any). It's a pretty large brewery, installed in a giant warehouse on the wharf. There's a sort of labrynthine passageway leading upstairs to the brewpub and restaurant. Since I was there, I had to sit down for a taste of a few of their beers. I ordered a sampler tray of four 4-ounce beers each slightly more dark, bitter, and strong than the other. Rogue is known for their highly hoppy beers, so by the end of that tray, my mouth was quite puckered.
Another thing I did on my own, though I had an audience, was to revitalize my impromptu membership in the Polar Bear Club (i.e.- people who jump into really cold water just to say they did it). It all started when Kristen and I were walking on the beach one afternoon. Looking out at the coldwater, I said, "Tomorrow morning, I think I'm going to jump in." After we got back to the condo and Kristen mentioned this, they convinced me to do it right away so as to provide some "birthday celebration entertainment" for Jenna. So, I did. We all walked back down to the beach. I was carrying a towel, they were carrying cameras. After standing at the edge of the water for about 5 minutes (to get in the zone), I took off my fleece and sprinted into the water. When I got out far enough, I dove under. I should have stayed down for at least 10 seconds, but I jumped back out as quickly as I had gone in. After being dunked in 35 deg F (or less) water, the wind seemed like a balmy island breeze.
At this point, I'd like to take the time to announce a tradition that I hope to uphold for the rest of my life: To keep my membership in the Polar Bear Club current, I will take a dip anytime I am staying near a body of famously cold water. The rules are simple, I must do it without a wet-suit and I must stay in the water for at least 10 seconds. Preferrably, someone will photograph or videotape the event.
This evening, Kristen will finish telling the tale of our vacation at the coast.
--RP--
We weren't glued together at the hips the entire time. For example, on Saturday I drove over to Rogue Brewing Company on the south side of Newport. I wanted to see if they were having a tour. Sadly, they weren't, but they were having a sale on over-stocked beer (I didn't buy any). It's a pretty large brewery, installed in a giant warehouse on the wharf. There's a sort of labrynthine passageway leading upstairs to the brewpub and restaurant. Since I was there, I had to sit down for a taste of a few of their beers. I ordered a sampler tray of four 4-ounce beers each slightly more dark, bitter, and strong than the other. Rogue is known for their highly hoppy beers, so by the end of that tray, my mouth was quite puckered.
Another thing I did on my own, though I had an audience, was to revitalize my impromptu membership in the Polar Bear Club (i.e.- people who jump into really cold water just to say they did it). It all started when Kristen and I were walking on the beach one afternoon. Looking out at the coldwater, I said, "Tomorrow morning, I think I'm going to jump in." After we got back to the condo and Kristen mentioned this, they convinced me to do it right away so as to provide some "birthday celebration entertainment" for Jenna. So, I did. We all walked back down to the beach. I was carrying a towel, they were carrying cameras. After standing at the edge of the water for about 5 minutes (to get in the zone), I took off my fleece and sprinted into the water. When I got out far enough, I dove under. I should have stayed down for at least 10 seconds, but I jumped back out as quickly as I had gone in. After being dunked in 35 deg F (or less) water, the wind seemed like a balmy island breeze.
At this point, I'd like to take the time to announce a tradition that I hope to uphold for the rest of my life: To keep my membership in the Polar Bear Club current, I will take a dip anytime I am staying near a body of famously cold water. The rules are simple, I must do it without a wet-suit and I must stay in the water for at least 10 seconds. Preferrably, someone will photograph or videotape the event.
This evening, Kristen will finish telling the tale of our vacation at the coast.
--RP--
Monday, July 7
We just got back from a weekend on the Oregon coast. Kristen's dad and step-mom, invited us out to stay in a condo they were renting on Nye Beach (near Newport). It was a long weekend of food, drink and relaxation. We almost kicked the 3-gal keg of beer I brought which is good because we sure won't be able bring it with us to Belgium. There's a lot of homebrewed beer left to drink before September. Especially since I brewed my last batch this past Thursday before we left for the coast. One is a Barleywine that will age for the duration that we are in Europe and the other is a simple beer to drink before. I'll probably leave all the left-over bottled beer with Jake because he is ready and willing to polish them off.
Anyway, to continue with the original thread... Kristen, Jenna (her sister) and I drove to the coast on Thursday night. About a two hour drive which we spent looking for a Taco Bell (we had a big craving). We never found one until after we had stopped at a seafood restaurant in Depoe Bay (10 minutes from our destination). Our dinner was the start of a gluttenous, stuff-our-faces-with-food weekend. A small sampling of things consumed: breakfast quiche, cinnamon rolls, caramel corn, pounds of pacific shrimp, many bowls of chowder, dungeness crab, smoked salmon, chips and salsa, raspberry/boysenberry margaritas, gin and tonics, apple pie, s'mores, chai tea, chocolate croissants, kiwi-wit homebrew, fried seafood, steamed clams, birthday cake, halibut, berries and more and more and more. Every day after dinner I proclaimed I would never eat again, but every day I did anyway.
Aside from eating and drinking, we did some touristy things (walking along the waterfront) and taking group photos at different landmarks. We also sat around reading, chatting, and people-watching. In addition we: walked a lot on the beach, waded in the frigid water (35 deg F at the warmest), played Balderdash, fired some works on the 4th, shared "scary stories" and laughed a lot. Those are some of the things we all did, tomorrow I'll tell you about a couple of things I did on my own.
To be continued... I have an appointment to keep.
--RP--
Anyway, to continue with the original thread... Kristen, Jenna (her sister) and I drove to the coast on Thursday night. About a two hour drive which we spent looking for a Taco Bell (we had a big craving). We never found one until after we had stopped at a seafood restaurant in Depoe Bay (10 minutes from our destination). Our dinner was the start of a gluttenous, stuff-our-faces-with-food weekend. A small sampling of things consumed: breakfast quiche, cinnamon rolls, caramel corn, pounds of pacific shrimp, many bowls of chowder, dungeness crab, smoked salmon, chips and salsa, raspberry/boysenberry margaritas, gin and tonics, apple pie, s'mores, chai tea, chocolate croissants, kiwi-wit homebrew, fried seafood, steamed clams, birthday cake, halibut, berries and more and more and more. Every day after dinner I proclaimed I would never eat again, but every day I did anyway.
Aside from eating and drinking, we did some touristy things (walking along the waterfront) and taking group photos at different landmarks. We also sat around reading, chatting, and people-watching. In addition we: walked a lot on the beach, waded in the frigid water (35 deg F at the warmest), played Balderdash, fired some works on the 4th, shared "scary stories" and laughed a lot. Those are some of the things we all did, tomorrow I'll tell you about a couple of things I did on my own.
To be continued... I have an appointment to keep.
--RP--
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