Pictures! Get your free pictures!
Here they, come... as promised... a whole slew of them. Complete with explanatory captions.
Without further ado... a tour of our neighborhood:
Aerial View of our 'hood
To give you an overview, this photo was taken from the Bo-ny helicopter. Yep, I've got some pull at the company.
Our Favorite Bakery
If you turn left out of our front door and walk a few blocks, you will see this "patisserie" on the right hand side of the street. It is currently decorated with the Halloween motif. After buying our baked goods from another nearby bakery, Kristen decided to give this one a try. Their "pain au chocolat" is far superior to any other we've had.
Our Little Grocery Shop
Even though we usually go to one of the bigger grocery stores in the surrounding area, we do visit this one from time to time to pick up something simple. Like a bag of sugar, bananas, or even a vegetable. It is also the first store we shopped in when we got to Belgium.
Self-explanatory
Brusselites don't seem to have the same kind of etiquette as people in the US, when it comes to their four-legged friends. Not as bad as in Paris, but when you're walking here... it's a good idea to watch where you step. Some "fed-up" people display this sign outside their door.
The closest shopping area to us
This is Rue Tongres. It leads down to Avenue de Tervuren which is quite a busy street. On the right is Super GB, a larger supermarket. While this store is not as stocked as the DelHaize or the Colruyt we go to, it is good for the necessities. Also on this street is a butcher-shop, a Godiva outlet, a hair-salon, several clothing and shoe stores, two mall-like areas, and a few restaurants (one of which is the famous Le Pain Quotidien).
The butcher shop on aforementioned street
We haven't gone in here yet, but these freshly-made sausages sure are tempting. On weekends, there is always a line out the door. However, "going to the butcher" is still a bit intimidating for us because it involves interacting with a service person. Also, some amount of "local knowledge" is required as most of the goods are not labeled. Then there's the whole metric system. Sure, it makes much more sense than the silly feet, inches, ounces, and pounds, but we haven't "learned" it yet.
Our Metro station
If you walk down Rue Tongres toward the main road and turn right, you will come to this Metro stop. It is underground, of course, so there are some steps leading down. If you are blind, you can follow your nose because, wafting up from the depths, there is nearly always the maddeningly seductive scent of the best Belgian waffles in the city (we will devote a separate blog entry to these beauties).
A row-house on Ave. De l'Yser
This is Kristen's favorite house which she passes on the way back from our Metro stop. It's kind of hard to tell where it begins and where it ends, but it does have quite a bit of charm.
A square very close to our apartment
If you turn right out of our front door and walk a block, you will come to this square. This photo is taken from the opposite direction of which you would approach the square from our apartment. There is an obscenely ugly "fountain" in this square. It's the thing on the left that looks like an oil-rig. The tall building in the background is almost directly next to our building.
Need a band-aid?
This sign hangs above every pharmacy in the city. They are called "Apothek". They are funny little shops that specialize, rather than build out like a Rite-Aid or Eckerds. It is counter-service mostly.
Our well-stocked news-stand
On Thursdays we purchase the weekly issue of "The Bulletin" here and on Sundays, "The Sunday Times" (from London). They carry periodicals in many different languages. "Le Soir" is not the name of the shop, but the name of a French-language newspaper.
Another grocery store
The most enticing display of fruit in our neighborhood. Everything is always fresh. Note the "H" on the wall above the fruit. Must be a hydrant near here, eh?
Saturday, October 25
Friday, October 24
We got up this morning at 7:30 and it was still dark outside. I've never lived so far north before, and boy does it make a difference! It was fully light by 8:30, so after Rich left for work, I went for a jog in the park. Have I mentioned that its a little chilly here in Belgium? Well, it was cold enough to necessitate gloves, hat, scarf and three layers of sweatshirts for a mid-morning run. A nice morning though, with a few clouds and brisk breeze. On the way back from the park I was thinking how nice it is to live somewhere with seasons - although this is on the cold side for October. I cranked up the radiators when I got home and now the apartment is nice and toasty. It is now, however, SNOWING outside!!!!!!!!! A big flurry of fat flakes. It makes me giggle to see it. I don't know why, but snow is special. I guess that feeling comes from growing up in the Willamette Valley and not having the white stuff very often. Its been coming down for a couple of hours and now its starting to stick. I can't imagine that it will be around for long though. Its only October, right?
I took some pictures of the street, so as soon as I figure out how to upload them to the blog, they'll be here...**
Backyard
Street
~K.
I took some pictures of the street, so as soon as I figure out how to upload them to the blog, they'll be here...**
Backyard
Street
~K.
Friday, October 17
Hear, ye! Hear, ye!
After two full days of torture, I finally have the verdict from Bo-ny Europe. Two days of worrying, second-guessing the things I said in the epic interview, and trying to think of reasons why I would be an unfit candidate. I was almost sure that they would call yesterday, but as the day went by, I got more and more concerned. So, I finished my list of English breweries and started making preparations to call them today. After all, we were out of ideas. No more threads to pull at in Belgium, so it would be time to start pulling at English threads. We made a tentative plan for me to take a train to England this coming Monday. I would have to find a cheap, room somewhere and probably get a couple of jobs.
Kristen and I were both quite despondent last night and this morning. It was 11:30 and I still had not heard from Bo-ny. What would be the course of action today? I felt it would not be wise to start contacting breweries before I knew for sure whether or not Bo-ny would ask me to start on Monday. Would I face another long day of waiting for the phone to ring? I didn't want to be the one to call them, but since our contingency plan hinged on this one answer, I had no choice.
I called the Senior HR officer. She apologized for not calling me yesterday, but she had not been told what the call-center manager had promised us. She said she was just going to call me. I told her I was calling to find out the status of my application. She decided this would be a good time to practice a little more of her "Psy-Ops" training, so she asked me, "What do you think the status is?" I told her I didn't know and that they could have found some IT super-genius who had also been a Swedish-language teacher. So she relented and told me it was positive... they would like to offer me the position. So I said, "Great! I accept! Thank you!"
And as the giant weight began lifting off of my shoulders, we discussed the details of my starting the job. Since I am technically an employee of Randstad Interim on a weekly-contract basis, I need to communicate with them regarding payment of salary, vacation days, etc. Though we are treated like employees of Bo-ny, the people they have recruited through Randstad will stay as temp employees for four to six months depending on when Bo-ny decides to offer a long-term contract. However, they are only interested in people who can commit to atleast a year. Legally, however, a temp can quit 3 days into any given week. That is why the recruitment interview is so extensive. They really want to weed out the quitters and scaliwags.
So, what it boils down to is that Randstad sends me a contract and time-sheet each week and I fill it in, sign it, and send it back. The following week, my pay is automatically deposited in our bank account. That's one of the good things about this job, I get paid every week. Bo-ny also advised me to choose the highest tax-bracket so more money is taken out up front, rather than getting a big bill from the government at the end. And, no, there aren't really any tax-refunds here. What you pay out, stays out.
Anyway, I had to go to a place called Partena today to sign up for the "social security" service. Partena has branches all over Belgium. It's basically a health-insurance subsidized by the government. They cover a percentage of all doctor visits, hospitalizations, medication, dentist visits, etc. Also, if you are injured on the job, they will pay your salary until you can go back to work. It costs 6.45 euros per month or 8.40 when I add Kristen to it (that's between $5-$7). It was very easy to sign up for and the lady spoke English to me without an iota of annoyance.
That's that. It's official. I have a job. I can stay in Belgium! Time to celebrate!
--RP--
After two full days of torture, I finally have the verdict from Bo-ny Europe. Two days of worrying, second-guessing the things I said in the epic interview, and trying to think of reasons why I would be an unfit candidate. I was almost sure that they would call yesterday, but as the day went by, I got more and more concerned. So, I finished my list of English breweries and started making preparations to call them today. After all, we were out of ideas. No more threads to pull at in Belgium, so it would be time to start pulling at English threads. We made a tentative plan for me to take a train to England this coming Monday. I would have to find a cheap, room somewhere and probably get a couple of jobs.
Kristen and I were both quite despondent last night and this morning. It was 11:30 and I still had not heard from Bo-ny. What would be the course of action today? I felt it would not be wise to start contacting breweries before I knew for sure whether or not Bo-ny would ask me to start on Monday. Would I face another long day of waiting for the phone to ring? I didn't want to be the one to call them, but since our contingency plan hinged on this one answer, I had no choice.
I called the Senior HR officer. She apologized for not calling me yesterday, but she had not been told what the call-center manager had promised us. She said she was just going to call me. I told her I was calling to find out the status of my application. She decided this would be a good time to practice a little more of her "Psy-Ops" training, so she asked me, "What do you think the status is?" I told her I didn't know and that they could have found some IT super-genius who had also been a Swedish-language teacher. So she relented and told me it was positive... they would like to offer me the position. So I said, "Great! I accept! Thank you!"
And as the giant weight began lifting off of my shoulders, we discussed the details of my starting the job. Since I am technically an employee of Randstad Interim on a weekly-contract basis, I need to communicate with them regarding payment of salary, vacation days, etc. Though we are treated like employees of Bo-ny, the people they have recruited through Randstad will stay as temp employees for four to six months depending on when Bo-ny decides to offer a long-term contract. However, they are only interested in people who can commit to atleast a year. Legally, however, a temp can quit 3 days into any given week. That is why the recruitment interview is so extensive. They really want to weed out the quitters and scaliwags.
So, what it boils down to is that Randstad sends me a contract and time-sheet each week and I fill it in, sign it, and send it back. The following week, my pay is automatically deposited in our bank account. That's one of the good things about this job, I get paid every week. Bo-ny also advised me to choose the highest tax-bracket so more money is taken out up front, rather than getting a big bill from the government at the end. And, no, there aren't really any tax-refunds here. What you pay out, stays out.
Anyway, I had to go to a place called Partena today to sign up for the "social security" service. Partena has branches all over Belgium. It's basically a health-insurance subsidized by the government. They cover a percentage of all doctor visits, hospitalizations, medication, dentist visits, etc. Also, if you are injured on the job, they will pay your salary until you can go back to work. It costs 6.45 euros per month or 8.40 when I add Kristen to it (that's between $5-$7). It was very easy to sign up for and the lady spoke English to me without an iota of annoyance.
That's that. It's official. I have a job. I can stay in Belgium! Time to celebrate!
--RP--
Wednesday, October 15
We went back to the commune office yesterday to continue the Belgian identity card application process. This time, however, we brought along Jessica, a friend of mine from school who is fluent in French. Our appointment was anytime between 8am and 11am, so we decided to get it over with early. Jessica met us at the Merode metro station and we rode together to Parc, where we then found the appropriate tram to take us to the office. We were among the first people there, so there was no line to wait in. The same guy as last time was in the booth - I didn't even try to talk to him (still traumatized!), but Jessica had no problem explaining to him why we were there. He assigned us to a window and we sat down to wait our turn. Maybe 5 minutes later our number was called. After a few questions from the woman behind the glass, we were given a simple form to fill out and a short list of required documents to bring back: 3 passport photos, letter of registration from my school, 3 copies of the passports and visas, 6 euros for me and 12 euro for Rich. Fortunately we had everything with us, but lacked the multiple copies. It was only a minor delay while we ran around the corner, made copies in a newspaper shop and ran back. After giving her our paperwork, we were told, via Jessica, that the police would visit our apartment and give us another document to fill out. Then we must return to the commune office with the form and pick up our ID cards. Judging by everything I've seen so far, I'm guessing that this will be a long process. Bureaucracy is the same no matter what country you're in!
On the metro back to Merode, Jessica and I saw a sign advertising 20 euro haircuts on Tuedays, no appointment necessary, at a place right near our apartment. It was Tuesday - so we decided to give it a try. Its always a little scary getting a haircut at a new place, but this was worse! My limited French does not include words for 'spiky,' 'texturized,' or 'bangs.' I pantomimed and gestured my description to the hairdresser, and she did a great job. What a relief! Its silly, I know. I should be focusing my complete attention on putting information into my head, not worrying about my hair, but it feels good to have it all trimmed up. My first foreign hair cut. Woohoo!
~K
On the metro back to Merode, Jessica and I saw a sign advertising 20 euro haircuts on Tuedays, no appointment necessary, at a place right near our apartment. It was Tuesday - so we decided to give it a try. Its always a little scary getting a haircut at a new place, but this was worse! My limited French does not include words for 'spiky,' 'texturized,' or 'bangs.' I pantomimed and gestured my description to the hairdresser, and she did a great job. What a relief! Its silly, I know. I should be focusing my complete attention on putting information into my head, not worrying about my hair, but it feels good to have it all trimmed up. My first foreign hair cut. Woohoo!
~K
Tuesday, October 14
Just got back from the longest, most thorough job interview I've ever undergone. Man, these people at Bo-ny are thorough! Basically, I was interviewed by four people with a fifth person (an intern) spectating. The main interviewer was the HR Senior Officer. She was very good at asking lots of pointed questions that made me feel on the spot. The kind that there is only one "correct" answer to and if you don't hit it you're back-peddling and trying to regain ground. Things like: What do you expect from Bo-ny? How do you think this interview is going? What do you want to do with your life? Why do you think this job is for you? Can you see yourself answering calls all day long? How long could you see yourself doing this kind of job? You say you're easy-going and relaxed, does that mean your work is easy-going and relaxed? Stuff like that.
I was also interviewed by call-center operations manager who asked me similarly pointed questions, but more related to the particular details of the job. Things like: Why do you think you can do this job? Are you the type of person we're looking for? Thinking about your experience of this interview so far, what does it tell you about us? When I spoke he looked at me very intently. He laid everything out brutally honest and plain which was nice. The only thing they were missing was a hard, direct light shining in my face and a two-way mirror.
They also brought in the engineer who had graded my "technical test" (which took me about an hour to complete). He cross-examined me on the answers that I had gotten wrong or had not answered completely. Gave me a chance to redeem myself and/or prove further knowledge. He did say I did well on the test and that I had a strong, well-rounded knowledge of IT, but I had just been incorrect on some of the details.
Then they had one of the other Swedish employees come in to talk to me. There are only one or two of them, so they definitely need more. This guy had only been there for about two weeks. They couldn't test his Swedish, but they used him to test mine. We just chit-chatted about whatever, they had no idea what we were saying. I'm sure they'll take him aside later to ask what he thought of my speaking ability. Have to admit, I'm a bit rusty. I kept mixing in Danish words and having to throw in an English word once in a while. On a five-point scale, I'd give myself a three. It's going to take me a little time to get the Swedish part of my brain working again. And after that, I have to work on losing my Danish/American accent.
The interview session took almost three hours. Three hours of having to stay completely aware of my body language, my appearance, and my every uttered syllable. I generally have no problem answering questions and being honest, but when my answers strongly affect the outcome of something that directly applies to me, it's a different story. I am exhausted! But I do feel pretty good about the interview. I scored well on the test and I held my ground pretty well during the inquisition. Despite feeling extremely self-conscious, I did feel comfortable talking to them because they were all friendly, easy-going, open people.
The manager told me that I would be contacted tomorrow or Thursday about whether or not I got the job. If yes, I have to come in on Monday at 9 to begin training. If no, they will tell me why. They need to have a meeting first, to deliberate on my candidacy. They sure put a lot of effort into making sure they get the right person, don't they?
--RP--
I was also interviewed by call-center operations manager who asked me similarly pointed questions, but more related to the particular details of the job. Things like: Why do you think you can do this job? Are you the type of person we're looking for? Thinking about your experience of this interview so far, what does it tell you about us? When I spoke he looked at me very intently. He laid everything out brutally honest and plain which was nice. The only thing they were missing was a hard, direct light shining in my face and a two-way mirror.
They also brought in the engineer who had graded my "technical test" (which took me about an hour to complete). He cross-examined me on the answers that I had gotten wrong or had not answered completely. Gave me a chance to redeem myself and/or prove further knowledge. He did say I did well on the test and that I had a strong, well-rounded knowledge of IT, but I had just been incorrect on some of the details.
Then they had one of the other Swedish employees come in to talk to me. There are only one or two of them, so they definitely need more. This guy had only been there for about two weeks. They couldn't test his Swedish, but they used him to test mine. We just chit-chatted about whatever, they had no idea what we were saying. I'm sure they'll take him aside later to ask what he thought of my speaking ability. Have to admit, I'm a bit rusty. I kept mixing in Danish words and having to throw in an English word once in a while. On a five-point scale, I'd give myself a three. It's going to take me a little time to get the Swedish part of my brain working again. And after that, I have to work on losing my Danish/American accent.
The interview session took almost three hours. Three hours of having to stay completely aware of my body language, my appearance, and my every uttered syllable. I generally have no problem answering questions and being honest, but when my answers strongly affect the outcome of something that directly applies to me, it's a different story. I am exhausted! But I do feel pretty good about the interview. I scored well on the test and I held my ground pretty well during the inquisition. Despite feeling extremely self-conscious, I did feel comfortable talking to them because they were all friendly, easy-going, open people.
The manager told me that I would be contacted tomorrow or Thursday about whether or not I got the job. If yes, I have to come in on Monday at 9 to begin training. If no, they will tell me why. They need to have a meeting first, to deliberate on my candidacy. They sure put a lot of effort into making sure they get the right person, don't they?
--RP--
Monday, October 13
Some pictures!
We didn't take these pictures. They were on our landlord's site.
Jubelpark
Where Kristen jogs and I am sometimes dragged for a walk
Our Street (View 1) View 2
Rue de Noyer or Notelaarstraat, depending on your cultural loyalty
Apartment Exterior
Our's is the cream-colored one in the middle
Living Room
Where we spend a lot of our waking hours
Kitchen & Hall
Tiny kitchen with a two-space "range"
Couch & Heinous Lamp
Our semi-comfortable "couch" and the monstrous floor-lamp
We didn't take these pictures. They were on our landlord's site.
Jubelpark
Where Kristen jogs and I am sometimes dragged for a walk
Our Street (View 1) View 2
Rue de Noyer or Notelaarstraat, depending on your cultural loyalty
Apartment Exterior
Our's is the cream-colored one in the middle
Living Room
Where we spend a lot of our waking hours
Kitchen & Hall
Tiny kitchen with a two-space "range"
Couch & Heinous Lamp
Our semi-comfortable "couch" and the monstrous floor-lamp
Sunday, October 12
A truly splendid Sunday! The sun has been out all day long and there has been a refreshingly brisk wind blowing through our apartment, as we had our windows open. One of those picture perfect days! We went for a walk through the winding streets and then down the center of the stunning Jubelpark near us. I wish we had a camera so we could have taken a picture to use as enticement for the members of our family who are somewhat reluctant to come for a visit. Their names shall rename a secret (for now)... you know who you are!
Peaceful...
--RP--
Peaceful...
--RP--
Saturday, October 11
That's Europe For Ya!
Had a couple of experiences today that were prime "blogg-fodder". We decided to finally get off our butts to go to a movie. However, Kristen has had a craving for McDonald's for the past few days, so on the way to the movie theatre we stopped at one of Ronald's few locations within the city of Brussels.
First of all, the interior decor was similar to what you would find in a Starbucks. Dark colors and wood. No candy-reds or mustard yellows, aside from the sign outside. The second thing that is hard to miss is the fact that it was packed with people. If you've ever been to an In-n-Out Burger, this is the kind of throng that we encountered. The food tastes pretty much exactly like it does in the US. You have to pay 25 cents extra for ketchup. The drinks don't come with ice, but they're still quite cold. You can also buy a beer. Canned Jupiler (something akin to Miller or Coors), but beer nonetheless. They also had McCheese nuggets; wierd. Kristen had a double cheeseburger meal and I had a Royal (a quarter pounder)with cheese meal.
At the theater, we had to make sure we bought tickets for a VO (original language) movie, rather than a VF (dubbed in French). We chose Matchstick Men. Kristen got a student discount (5.25 euro ticket), but mine was the regular price of 7.50 euro. Of course, at the theatres in Brussels, beer is also available. And I'm not talkin' bout no paper cup, I'm talking about a glass of beer (to borrow a line from "Pulp Fiction"). The theatre had 12 screens, but since real-estate is scarce, they had to build up instead of out. We took several escalators to get to our theatre. The decor was spare and modern, slightly stark. With black, leather chairs in a lounge for people to wait for admittance. Inside was stadium seating, roomy seats, and a big, pristine screen.
It was nice to catch a movie. Been a while. Good movie, too. Highly entertaining. Matchstick Men... go see it.
--RP--
Had a couple of experiences today that were prime "blogg-fodder". We decided to finally get off our butts to go to a movie. However, Kristen has had a craving for McDonald's for the past few days, so on the way to the movie theatre we stopped at one of Ronald's few locations within the city of Brussels.
First of all, the interior decor was similar to what you would find in a Starbucks. Dark colors and wood. No candy-reds or mustard yellows, aside from the sign outside. The second thing that is hard to miss is the fact that it was packed with people. If you've ever been to an In-n-Out Burger, this is the kind of throng that we encountered. The food tastes pretty much exactly like it does in the US. You have to pay 25 cents extra for ketchup. The drinks don't come with ice, but they're still quite cold. You can also buy a beer. Canned Jupiler (something akin to Miller or Coors), but beer nonetheless. They also had McCheese nuggets; wierd. Kristen had a double cheeseburger meal and I had a Royal (a quarter pounder)with cheese meal.
At the theater, we had to make sure we bought tickets for a VO (original language) movie, rather than a VF (dubbed in French). We chose Matchstick Men. Kristen got a student discount (5.25 euro ticket), but mine was the regular price of 7.50 euro. Of course, at the theatres in Brussels, beer is also available. And I'm not talkin' bout no paper cup, I'm talking about a glass of beer (to borrow a line from "Pulp Fiction"). The theatre had 12 screens, but since real-estate is scarce, they had to build up instead of out. We took several escalators to get to our theatre. The decor was spare and modern, slightly stark. With black, leather chairs in a lounge for people to wait for admittance. Inside was stadium seating, roomy seats, and a big, pristine screen.
It was nice to catch a movie. Been a while. Good movie, too. Highly entertaining. Matchstick Men... go see it.
--RP--
Thursday, October 9
Still no word from any of my job prospects. A bit disconcerting. I called the young lady at Randstad (the first agency I went to) to ask if she heard anything. She said that I shouldn't give up on it yet, I have a good "profile", they will probably call me. I also called the other agency (where I took the test), but I didn't get in touch with the lady who interviewed me. She hasn't called back either.
This may just be the way things work here... long turnaround times, people dragging their feet in the hiring process, etc. According to my friend, Jeroen, there's a lot of paperwork when hiring someone and many companies are loathe to do it. So, perhaps that is why they have to deliberate and/or vacillate for so long. That's fine for them... they have a job!
It's only been a little over five weeks since we got here, but we don't have the luxury of a cushion to carry us very far. The cushion we have isn't much more than pillow-case now. It starting to get a bit tense. May have to do something drastic pretty soon...
--RP--
This may just be the way things work here... long turnaround times, people dragging their feet in the hiring process, etc. According to my friend, Jeroen, there's a lot of paperwork when hiring someone and many companies are loathe to do it. So, perhaps that is why they have to deliberate and/or vacillate for so long. That's fine for them... they have a job!
It's only been a little over five weeks since we got here, but we don't have the luxury of a cushion to carry us very far. The cushion we have isn't much more than pillow-case now. It starting to get a bit tense. May have to do something drastic pretty soon...
--RP--
Tuesday, October 7
Well, we can shed our coats and wool socks. Inside, that is! The heat was turned on this morning. Our landlord finally replied to Kristen's e-mail saying something like "Sorry for that. I will come and check it today." Anyway, it's on! Now, if we want, we can actually complain that it's too hot. Now if I can just get her to come by and see what's wrong with the two radiators that haven't come on...
--RP--
--RP--
Monday, October 6
It seems the "typical" weather of Belgium has finally set in. For the past week it has been cloudy, rainy and somewhat cold. It's still fluctuating a bit, though. The sun pokes through at least once a day and it varies between jacket temperature and several layer temperature. Today I wore a hat and gloves for the first time to go to the store.
Our apartment offers some protection against the cold. However, we have to stay semi-bundled inside as well. Toes, fingers, and noses get cold. Turn on the heat, you say? If it were within my power to do so, I would. We have radiators here, but the landlord has yet to turn the heat on for the building. Cranking the dial on the radiator does nothing. Apparently, it is customary for the Belgian landlords across the land to turn on the heat on October 1st. That date has come and gone, but still no heat. Kristen e-mailed the landlord on October 2nd, but she has still not responded. I called today and left a message on her cell-phone, but still no call-back. We're thinking they probably went out of town and forgot about the whole "heat thing". Strikes me as more than slightly unprofessional. Sure, it's not that cold, but I don't think I'm crazy to expect that I don't have to wear two pairs of socks, shoes, and sweater when I'm inside. Am I overreacting?
Aside from that, things are pretty good. We had our Jeroen, Valerie, and Arthur (our Belgian friends) over for dinner on Saturday. I cooked an "American Dinner" of barbecue chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob. They enjoyed it. Though Arthur, their infant child, got a little cranky for 20 minutes or so. Anyway, we had a good time and will hopefully do something like that again.
I'm still in flux regarding the whole job situation. I had two preliminary interviews last week, as well as a "technical test" to gauge my knowledge of software, hardware, and networking. The interviews were with two different job agents who have submitted me to their clients. Still waiting to hear back from them. Both jobs are call-center "tech support" positions for Swedish speaking people. So, if I am hired, my Swedish will improve tremendously which, if you ask me, is pretty funny. This is Belgium! They speak French and Dutch, but I now end up relying on Danish and Swedish. Two languages that have been heretofore pretty much useless. Now they are perhaps my greatest asset in the Belgian job market. The irony is not lost on me.
Keep your fingers crossed. I have a few other leads percolating, but nothing as solid as the two interviews. However, come December without a job, Belgium will kindly ask me to go live somewhere else (as I've stated before). Hopefully, I'll hear something tomorrow about these two jobs.
--RP--
Our apartment offers some protection against the cold. However, we have to stay semi-bundled inside as well. Toes, fingers, and noses get cold. Turn on the heat, you say? If it were within my power to do so, I would. We have radiators here, but the landlord has yet to turn the heat on for the building. Cranking the dial on the radiator does nothing. Apparently, it is customary for the Belgian landlords across the land to turn on the heat on October 1st. That date has come and gone, but still no heat. Kristen e-mailed the landlord on October 2nd, but she has still not responded. I called today and left a message on her cell-phone, but still no call-back. We're thinking they probably went out of town and forgot about the whole "heat thing". Strikes me as more than slightly unprofessional. Sure, it's not that cold, but I don't think I'm crazy to expect that I don't have to wear two pairs of socks, shoes, and sweater when I'm inside. Am I overreacting?
Aside from that, things are pretty good. We had our Jeroen, Valerie, and Arthur (our Belgian friends) over for dinner on Saturday. I cooked an "American Dinner" of barbecue chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob. They enjoyed it. Though Arthur, their infant child, got a little cranky for 20 minutes or so. Anyway, we had a good time and will hopefully do something like that again.
I'm still in flux regarding the whole job situation. I had two preliminary interviews last week, as well as a "technical test" to gauge my knowledge of software, hardware, and networking. The interviews were with two different job agents who have submitted me to their clients. Still waiting to hear back from them. Both jobs are call-center "tech support" positions for Swedish speaking people. So, if I am hired, my Swedish will improve tremendously which, if you ask me, is pretty funny. This is Belgium! They speak French and Dutch, but I now end up relying on Danish and Swedish. Two languages that have been heretofore pretty much useless. Now they are perhaps my greatest asset in the Belgian job market. The irony is not lost on me.
Keep your fingers crossed. I have a few other leads percolating, but nothing as solid as the two interviews. However, come December without a job, Belgium will kindly ask me to go live somewhere else (as I've stated before). Hopefully, I'll hear something tomorrow about these two jobs.
--RP--
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