We've been here for seven months now and are getting ready to have our fourth strike in the country of Belgium. This one will be a doozy and I'm very thankful, for once, that we aren't in Brussels. I think as a bit of a background, you need to know that Belgium has only recently gotten back their federal government. They were without one for a little over a year. The French and Flemish regions don't really mesh well.
That being said, the country has done...ok....without it. In response to the new government and the poor economical climate, the public workers strike to have their voice heard. The strikes usually involve the transportation workers, they seem to be the lead on these things. In December, the teachers were included. This one that begins at 2200 Sunday the 29th to 2200 Monday the 30th will involve transportation, sanitation, teachers, road crews, and any public employee that you can think of. Many businesses will be closed because their employees can't make it to work because of transportation. Other businesses are closed in support of the strike.
From what we've heard, roads can be all together blocked, but they can hinder your path. Major intersections to the motorways will be picketed, intersections in cities will be picketed, the airports will be involved, it's just going to be a mess.
Because the schools can't be allowed to close entirely, they will be run as daycares on Monday. From what I understand, it's almost at minimum manning. Some will be out picketing, some stay home because of transportation and some come in. I don't know what the calling tree looks like for that situation, but as with all good schools, I'm sure there is one in place.
My son goes to a Belgian school and when I picked him up on Friday, I asked about how the strike would affect his school. I was told that they don't strike, it will be a school day as usual. All teachers and staff will be there. When I asked why that was, I was told it's because their principal doesn't allow them to strike. That was very interesting to me, but with our limited skills for each other's language, I was happy to get that much.
My main question is this: does this involve the police and other emergency services? No one has been able to find a good answer. Are they on minimum manning? They're a public service, they have as much right to strike as the rest of the public employees.
It's all very different to understand. What I do know is that all the strikes have happened on Mondays, Fridays or the day before a major holiday.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
The Smell of Money
Since the winter, we've seen 4 truckloads of cattle leaving the area farms. I assume they're snowbirds heading for warmer places. The ones that are left seem to all be in the barns. The farm down the street has several barns full of beef and dairy cattle staying warm inside.
The cows all being inside seems to have created quite a mess and last week seemed to be the week to clean out the barns. Whew! What a stink.
The smell hit my son and I when we walked out of the door one morning for school. "Mom, it stinks like poop out here." Yes it did! We were unlucky enough to follow one truckload of fertilizer out to the main road. At a safe distance, of course.
I came home, did the housewife and mother stuff that drives me bonkers and left in the afternoon to pick up my son from school, again, following another wagon load of stinky stuff. The farmer just laughed when I passed him, again, and waved. I should have held my nose, he would have really gotten a chuckle out the the silly American.
By the next morning, I spotted 5 huge piles of newly unloaded money making fertilizer in the field. What goes in, must come out!
The cows all being inside seems to have created quite a mess and last week seemed to be the week to clean out the barns. Whew! What a stink.
The smell hit my son and I when we walked out of the door one morning for school. "Mom, it stinks like poop out here." Yes it did! We were unlucky enough to follow one truckload of fertilizer out to the main road. At a safe distance, of course.
I came home, did the housewife and mother stuff that drives me bonkers and left in the afternoon to pick up my son from school, again, following another wagon load of stinky stuff. The farmer just laughed when I passed him, again, and waved. I should have held my nose, he would have really gotten a chuckle out the the silly American.
By the next morning, I spotted 5 huge piles of newly unloaded money making fertilizer in the field. What goes in, must come out!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Birthday Party
My son went to his first birthday party today since we've been in Belgium. The party was at ImagiPark, which was a pretty cool place all on its own. The people at the party made it even better.
Since my son goes to the Belgian Kindergarten on SHAPE, his class is made up of kids from all over the NATO area. The little boy today has American parents, though his mother is Japanese born. The other classmates and some friends from his father's work, made the party very eclectic. One of my son's buddies from France was there and another from Italy. There were also kids from Germany and Romania there. It amazes me that all these other parents speak passable English. I've got enough French to ask for a dozen or two eggs from the woman down the road, a beer at the bar and where the bathroom is. I can also tell you if a person is running, swimming, eating, cooking or drinking. That's all I've got! These parents are apologizing up and down because their English isn't good and they're doing great! Am I embarrassed that I don't know more? Yes, yes I am.
Anyway, the party was a great time. For 9EU per child, they were able to play in this huge indoor park for hours, have cake and refreshments AND things were set up and taken down for you. I might be seeing another party there in the future, say 2 months from now....
I'm also looking forward to talking to these parents again, they were so friendly and had so many questions about the States and I had questions about their countries. It was just a great afternoon. So many nice people and my child just completely zonked out at bedtime tonight. aaahhhh, what a nice Sunday!
Since my son goes to the Belgian Kindergarten on SHAPE, his class is made up of kids from all over the NATO area. The little boy today has American parents, though his mother is Japanese born. The other classmates and some friends from his father's work, made the party very eclectic. One of my son's buddies from France was there and another from Italy. There were also kids from Germany and Romania there. It amazes me that all these other parents speak passable English. I've got enough French to ask for a dozen or two eggs from the woman down the road, a beer at the bar and where the bathroom is. I can also tell you if a person is running, swimming, eating, cooking or drinking. That's all I've got! These parents are apologizing up and down because their English isn't good and they're doing great! Am I embarrassed that I don't know more? Yes, yes I am.
Anyway, the party was a great time. For 9EU per child, they were able to play in this huge indoor park for hours, have cake and refreshments AND things were set up and taken down for you. I might be seeing another party there in the future, say 2 months from now....
I'm also looking forward to talking to these parents again, they were so friendly and had so many questions about the States and I had questions about their countries. It was just a great afternoon. So many nice people and my child just completely zonked out at bedtime tonight. aaahhhh, what a nice Sunday!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Trips and Tours
SHAPE, along with most of the military bases around here, offers a Trips and Tours service. They're always going to great places for decent prices. There have been many trips that I've wanted to go on since we've been here, but haven't, for one reason or another. (rowdy 3 year old being #1)
This January, they're taking a brewery tour of two different breweries, one of them to a monastery that brews not only beer, but makes cheese and bread as well. It's a great price, adults only, transportation included, but outside school hours and during the week. Along with the food, they're going to Brussels this month for a quick tour and a French cooking class. For the price they're offering, the transportation is virtually free. They're also going to Disneyland Paris at the end of the month for a great cost.
They take several trips to Amsterdam since it's close and there are always new families that want to go there but are afraid to venture out themselves. They try and specialize them as well, the trip coming up is going to the art galleries.
Over ski week, (yes ski week, it's an actual break that school lets out for) Trips and Tours is going to Lisbon, Portugal. Awesome! Since they're flying there, the prices are a little bit more, but how great would it be to go to sunny Portugal when it's so dreary and rainy here in Belgium. Now, if they were taking a ski trip, my husband would have been the first one in line for the trip, but they're not.
This past week, the morning radio show had on the director of Trips and Tours, who's first language is not English, but speaks it with a fabulous accent. She was talking about the fun trips they had planned and was really excited about the trip they had planned for spring break. (2 weeks off here for spring break.) They had scored a great deal at a 4 star hotel with an indoor pool that offered breakfasts and dinners included in the price. They are going to Spain!! Spain, in April on a 10 day vacation. I heard that and my heart sunk a little, I have to admit. 10 days!?! That was going to be so expensive.
Then she said the prices for adults and children and said to come in to see what the best deal was for each family. OK, after hearing her prices, I thought she had misspoke and I did murmur a small explicative. The DJ thought the same thing and had her repeat the prices she mentioned. We were going to be able to take a 10 day vacation to Spain for less than it would cost me to fly to Nebraska alone.
So, here's the deal. We're going to Lloret de Mar, Spain for a 10 day vacation! (8 days when you cut off travel time) We'll get to see Barcelona, visit the beach, see gorgeous cathedrals and architecture, see Parc Marineland, among many other things.They have a trip planned to a Medieval dinner show that my son will love! I don't want my time here to go any faster than it already is, BUT, April can't get here soon enough.
Again, thank you US Army for sending my husband to this great duty station!
http://www.lloretdemar.org/info/
This January, they're taking a brewery tour of two different breweries, one of them to a monastery that brews not only beer, but makes cheese and bread as well. It's a great price, adults only, transportation included, but outside school hours and during the week. Along with the food, they're going to Brussels this month for a quick tour and a French cooking class. For the price they're offering, the transportation is virtually free. They're also going to Disneyland Paris at the end of the month for a great cost.
They take several trips to Amsterdam since it's close and there are always new families that want to go there but are afraid to venture out themselves. They try and specialize them as well, the trip coming up is going to the art galleries.
Over ski week, (yes ski week, it's an actual break that school lets out for) Trips and Tours is going to Lisbon, Portugal. Awesome! Since they're flying there, the prices are a little bit more, but how great would it be to go to sunny Portugal when it's so dreary and rainy here in Belgium. Now, if they were taking a ski trip, my husband would have been the first one in line for the trip, but they're not.
This past week, the morning radio show had on the director of Trips and Tours, who's first language is not English, but speaks it with a fabulous accent. She was talking about the fun trips they had planned and was really excited about the trip they had planned for spring break. (2 weeks off here for spring break.) They had scored a great deal at a 4 star hotel with an indoor pool that offered breakfasts and dinners included in the price. They are going to Spain!! Spain, in April on a 10 day vacation. I heard that and my heart sunk a little, I have to admit. 10 days!?! That was going to be so expensive.
Then she said the prices for adults and children and said to come in to see what the best deal was for each family. OK, after hearing her prices, I thought she had misspoke and I did murmur a small explicative. The DJ thought the same thing and had her repeat the prices she mentioned. We were going to be able to take a 10 day vacation to Spain for less than it would cost me to fly to Nebraska alone.
So, here's the deal. We're going to Lloret de Mar, Spain for a 10 day vacation! (8 days when you cut off travel time) We'll get to see Barcelona, visit the beach, see gorgeous cathedrals and architecture, see Parc Marineland, among many other things.They have a trip planned to a Medieval dinner show that my son will love! I don't want my time here to go any faster than it already is, BUT, April can't get here soon enough.
Again, thank you US Army for sending my husband to this great duty station!
http://www.lloretdemar.org/info/
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Another Blustery Day
What a terribly, blustery day in Belgium! I knew it was suppose to rain today, but I didn't know it was going to be another day that bends over the chateau trees making me worry about my roof and car.
The winds started last night and put down some significant rain and it was grey again this morning. After another heavy morning storm, my son and I took off for a quick trip to the Exchange to get a new play-doh toy and some water. (the water here is filled with nitrates and I'm assuming cow....runoff, so we drink bottled. I know, snootchy)
As the sun came out, we took off and got out in the open away from out part of the 100 acre wood, of which our house sits in the clearing, my son told me to look out for rainstorms. He was right. All around our area were big, gray storm clouds. We were able to keep Wanda Wagon on the road with the winds blowing us around and get to the Exchange without getting poured on. We spotted 2 different rainbows, that was the highlight of the weather. We zipped in and out of the Exchange quickly to be greeted by a huge crack of lightning and thunder. Both of which are pretty rare around here. It rained and poured on us the whole way home. (only 5 miles or so) Wanda was not as easy to keep on the road this time, and we had a bit of mud time, which is easy to do with these narrow roads on a good day. With listening to my son worry about the storms, something he definitely gets from me, we pulled into our woods. The rain started lessening a bit, when we turned down our road, it was down to sprinkles. We could see the clouds moving in, so we made a dash for the house, bringing only the new toy. It was too windy to bring in the water bottles and the wind was picking up again.
No sooner did we get shoes and coats off, down came the rain. It rained so hard the worms sought refuge in the house. (the house is old and crooked, they come in through the gap in the back door. super for heating purposes) Shortly after we cracked open the new play-doh, the electricity went out for a bit. Then I discovered that the lightening tripped a breaker. Another odd thing about Belgium, we've had more tripped breakers here than in all the other places we've lived, combined. Why is that, do you suppose?
We've had brief respites throughout the day without rain and wind, but it's picking up again. I love it here, but the daily vitamin D is a necessity.
The winds started last night and put down some significant rain and it was grey again this morning. After another heavy morning storm, my son and I took off for a quick trip to the Exchange to get a new play-doh toy and some water. (the water here is filled with nitrates and I'm assuming cow....runoff, so we drink bottled. I know, snootchy)
As the sun came out, we took off and got out in the open away from out part of the 100 acre wood, of which our house sits in the clearing, my son told me to look out for rainstorms. He was right. All around our area were big, gray storm clouds. We were able to keep Wanda Wagon on the road with the winds blowing us around and get to the Exchange without getting poured on. We spotted 2 different rainbows, that was the highlight of the weather. We zipped in and out of the Exchange quickly to be greeted by a huge crack of lightning and thunder. Both of which are pretty rare around here. It rained and poured on us the whole way home. (only 5 miles or so) Wanda was not as easy to keep on the road this time, and we had a bit of mud time, which is easy to do with these narrow roads on a good day. With listening to my son worry about the storms, something he definitely gets from me, we pulled into our woods. The rain started lessening a bit, when we turned down our road, it was down to sprinkles. We could see the clouds moving in, so we made a dash for the house, bringing only the new toy. It was too windy to bring in the water bottles and the wind was picking up again.
No sooner did we get shoes and coats off, down came the rain. It rained so hard the worms sought refuge in the house. (the house is old and crooked, they come in through the gap in the back door. super for heating purposes) Shortly after we cracked open the new play-doh, the electricity went out for a bit. Then I discovered that the lightening tripped a breaker. Another odd thing about Belgium, we've had more tripped breakers here than in all the other places we've lived, combined. Why is that, do you suppose?
We've had brief respites throughout the day without rain and wind, but it's picking up again. I love it here, but the daily vitamin D is a necessity.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Bonne Annee'
A few weeks ago I blogged about my family making Christmas goodies for our neighbors and how we thought it was a good idea to reach out to the few people who do live "close" to us. We had gotten one container of Belgian snacks back in return.
Since those blogs, we've gotten another container of cookies that my husband loved with his morning coffee, several cards with the one word I do understand, "merci" and an absolutely scrumptious Bonne Annee' cake.
Bonne Annee' is how to say Happy New Year in French, and let me tell you, this cake made us very happy. Very, very, happy. It had a crunchy crust, almost like a graham cracker on the bottom, then it had a thin layer of chocolate cake. Belgian chocolate cake, there's more cocoa involved in Belgian chocolate and it is wonderful. Then there were two different jams in the middle, surrounded by chocolate mousse. And if that wasn't enough, it had a sweet, red frosting, almost like ganache covering it. Oh, and some decorative chocolates on top, because you need decorative chocolates after eating the rest of this heavenly concoction. The whole thing is compacted into an 8 inch log-shaped cake of pure sinfulness.
I ate one slice of it and almost immediately went into a sugar rush, I was like Hammy from Over the Hedge. (kid's movie that we've watched 50 times) I could feel my blood rush with sweet, sweet sugar. My son loved it, his sweet tooth is bigger than mine and kept wanting more of the jam in the middle. Then my husband came home and tucked into it. He wondered why he couldn't fall asleep last night, I've got a good idea why.
The delectable little treat is now sitting wrapped up in the fridge calling my name in French. It is suppose to be in my husband's lunch box and not in the fridge tempting me. I must be strong, I have "Résolutions du Nouvel An" to keep and they don't call for more than one helping of that sinful Bonne Annee' cake. But it might appear in my dreams.....
Since those blogs, we've gotten another container of cookies that my husband loved with his morning coffee, several cards with the one word I do understand, "merci" and an absolutely scrumptious Bonne Annee' cake.
Bonne Annee' is how to say Happy New Year in French, and let me tell you, this cake made us very happy. Very, very, happy. It had a crunchy crust, almost like a graham cracker on the bottom, then it had a thin layer of chocolate cake. Belgian chocolate cake, there's more cocoa involved in Belgian chocolate and it is wonderful. Then there were two different jams in the middle, surrounded by chocolate mousse. And if that wasn't enough, it had a sweet, red frosting, almost like ganache covering it. Oh, and some decorative chocolates on top, because you need decorative chocolates after eating the rest of this heavenly concoction. The whole thing is compacted into an 8 inch log-shaped cake of pure sinfulness.
I ate one slice of it and almost immediately went into a sugar rush, I was like Hammy from Over the Hedge. (kid's movie that we've watched 50 times) I could feel my blood rush with sweet, sweet sugar. My son loved it, his sweet tooth is bigger than mine and kept wanting more of the jam in the middle. Then my husband came home and tucked into it. He wondered why he couldn't fall asleep last night, I've got a good idea why.
The delectable little treat is now sitting wrapped up in the fridge calling my name in French. It is suppose to be in my husband's lunch box and not in the fridge tempting me. I must be strong, I have "Résolutions du Nouvel An" to keep and they don't call for more than one helping of that sinful Bonne Annee' cake. But it might appear in my dreams.....
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