We've been here for almost 11 weeks and I haven't posted much about our experiences. I think part of the reason I've been remiss in my writing is a mild case of culture shock combined with the normalcy of speaking English again. The transition from Belgium to England has been so simple that I haven't felt the impetus to put my feelings into words. There are, of course, many new things to talk about but for some reason I feel that it will be much less interesting for people to read about than our year in Belgium entries. Maybe this is because it has been less interesting for us.

The culture shock has been similar to what I imagine moving back to the U.S. would be: in-your-face advertising, fast food, teenagers in scanty clothing and trashy magazines all over the newsstands. Other things are worse than U.S., most notably the food and a sort of general pessimism that seems to be a British personality trait. Despite the pessimism, people are very nice to us and extremely willing to help or offer advice on any possible subject. Almost every day I get asked what I'm doing in Norwich and if I like it here. One thing we've been dealing with is trying to decipher the Norfolk accent. I guess I was expecting everyone in England to speak with a London accent, which is like expecting everyone in the U.S. to speak with a New York accent - very silly. But aside from that we've faced very few surprises.

We have made an effort to retain as many aspects as possible from the lifestyle we had in Belgium. Our apartment is in the city center which allows me to walk to both of my jobs, as well as a small grocery store. We also walk to the movie theatres, shops and restaurants. Rich rides his bike to school most days so our car is only used on weekends if we do a big grocery shopping trip or take a drive in the country.

What is missing, though, is something hard to define. The Belgians live with a certain sort of style that is more European (for lack of a better adjective) than the British do. Quality of life is most important in Belgium. Time for family, for long delicious meals, for sitting in a café with a coffee, for sitting in the park with a dog, for bicycling in the country. England seems to be shopping, television, soccer, shopping, drinking in pubs, clubbing and shopping. The presentation of simple things like a café meal or a bunch of flowers in Belgium is reserved, artful and thoughtful. Here it is fast and cheap. I know comparing the two countries is not exactly fair. Apples and oranges really. But I can't help it! Once you've fallen in love with a place it is hard to be objective.

Having said all of that, there are things that I love about Norwich and England. Coming soon...
~K