2009, Brussels

it's about high time that i update this blog for several reasons. one, it's 2009 and i haven't posted / thought of any new years resolutions. and two, i'm in brussels, and i'd like to update all of you on what i've been doing.

but the actual (and only) reason i ever update this blog is because i have nothing better to do. if you remember, after a recess from too many mind, i posted several homesick and angsty entries when i was in peru last summer. so you can expect the same (if not more!) in both quantity and quality during my stay in brussels.

so to catch you up to speed: i'm in brussels, belgium for the next several months working as an intern for the foreign agricultural service of the USDA. yes, like USDA beef. except in our office we work on agricultural policy issues pertaining to US and EU relations. big ones now are hormones in US beef, genetically modified food/feed and biofuels. issues that i know little to nothing about, at least right now.

i arrived on a friday and caught a cab to my flat, which is in central brussels. since then i've pretty much sat in this chair (the one the computer is facing) for the past several days, waiting for a familiar screenname to pop up amidst a shoddy internet connection.

i've travelled a few times before, sometimes alone, and i

 know that i always hate a place when i first arrive.  it's gotten more severe recently, probably because i'm happier and more settled in california than i've ever been, but within a week or so i fall in love with my new country or culture or workplace.  i only see the good things and become insufferably optimistic.  this "bright and sunny" chris may run counter to your view of me, but trust me, he exists.  as of now, he lays dormant under the gray and cloudy skies of brussels.

speaking of brussels, here's a view of the alley/street from my window.  there's a little kitty cat that watches me from the flat across the street.  i'd wave at him but, as you can see, the curtain is drawn and usually a man is standing right there cooking for most of the day.  so i usually just give the kat a little head nod on my way into my apartment.

since i've spent most of my time so far in my flat, i might as well tell you about it.  the building is old but inside it's cozy and everything seems to work correctly.  except for the shower, which the first few days didn't produce hot water.  that, and most of the little holes in the shower head were clogged, so water would shoot out of the few remaining open holes with tremendous pressure.  i took one arctic blast shower, which included no shampoo but soap, and no towel.  i've since had the landlord fix the shower, bought shampoo and a towel.  i'm excited to take a hot shower, be completely clean and then dry myself fully.  

see that's the thing so far, i half expected to come to europe and have an amazing cultural experience, what with old architecture and statues at every corner.  but so far i've been too inundated with the chores of survival, like getting food at the grocery, buying toilet paper (a story for another time) and learning the subway system, all in a foreign, french-speaking

 society.  i'm sure i'll get to the cultural stuff soon enough.  let's move on.

here's my bed.  where the magic happens.  the magic of not being able to sleep because of jet lag.  it's actually very comfortable...  i'll give it to anyone who comes and visits, and u will see!

and here's the kitchen.  i spent several days hunting the convenient stores for salt and pepper.  i was convinced they didn't have it, until i ran into my landlord there and he showed me the several rows of salt and pepper that i somehow missed.  also, i bought what i thought was alfalfa, and when i tried to extract it from the box, it was stuck to this brown

 soil-type stuff.  i looked up what it was online and it wasn't alfalfa, but watercress.  i have no idea what that is.  

mmm to be honest my brussels experience so far hasn't been as bleak as i'm making it out to be.  two nights ago, i went out with some of my friend's friends, a couple that just moved out here.  we explored some of the bars and had some belgian beers.  i noticed one that i had back in atlanta called tripel karmeliet, and guess what?  it tastes much better in belgium!  this is true.

afterwards we had some belgian fries with some curry ketchup.  it was a fun night, one that i hope i'll repeat on most nights that i'm here.  but until i have a consistent social life, i'm happy that i have such a comfy flat to hole up in.

oh and my 2009 resolutions.  i guess you can tune out here, if you've made it this far.  or start reading here if you don't particularly care about my non-exploits in brussels.  first off, what did i resolve to do in 2008?  i don't even remember.  hm.  i might as well start there:

1) reconnect with god - uber fail

2) not to be a selfish bastard - i failed horribly in some ways but gained some ground in others

3) go to the gym - umm.. if you see me you'll know

4) read and write - i guess i didn't do so bad in this area

so this year i resolve to do those four things again, except do them for real.  for reconnecting with God, i think i'm gonna go to a church when i get back from europe.  maybe start reading the bible.  it would've been a good idea to bring one with me to europe...

for number 2, i realize that i'm a lot less caring than i was before.  i should start caring about other people, and really listen to them even if i think their problems are petty like mine.  i've made friends with some real caring people and you can totally tell the difference between them and everyone else.  i guess i'm just so impressionable sometimes that when i'm around too-cool hipster elitists, i become one against my every intention.

number 3, go to the gym.  why do i even put this up.  i think a part of me is waiting for my metabolism to slow down and for me to just get fat like everyone else does - by doing nothing.

number 4 - reading and writing.  i actually kicked major ass last year because i wrote on my own, wrote for the newspaper and i read lots of good books.  this year i'm going to write a lot - for my thesis.  which i resolve to finish.  and i will read lots of books.

number 5 - get a real job.  this isn't really a resolution... it's more like, if i don't do this then i'll starve, or just be really pathetic and live at home.  which i resolve not to do.

number 6 - learn a language.  it's about time i learn a language other than english, and i mean really know how to speak it.  almost all the jobs i'd like to have require fluency in at least two languages.  maybe if i have no friends after next week i'll enroll in a french learning class, so at least something fruitful will come out of my time here other than a few publications and a hole in my wallet.  

number 7 - seven is a good number to stop at.  what should the last one be?  i don't know.  give me some ideas!

until next time.  au revoir!