Buzz About Belgium

Belgium is such an interesting country. More than a land that has struggled for its freedom for a thousand years, it's a place where people are simple and life, virtually uncomplicated. They love their bikes and their French fries. In fact, there are French fry stands everywhere you go and even fry controllers! Yep, men and women who work for the Belgian government who come out to the French fry stands to inspect the oil, fry quality and texture of the French fry. If a stand has those tiny, burnt little fries in any of their servings, the fry stand is closed down until the problem can be corrected. Yes, these are serious French fry connoisseurs and don't ever doubt that the best fries you will ever eat will be off of a small rickety stand in the middle of a remote Belgian village.

For many years, bikes have been the primary mode of transportation here. So much so, that prior to and during WWII a bike theft was seen almost as bad as a murder and many a velo thief was sent to prison for 20 years and some, for life. To this day, while other crimes have certainly begun to emerge in this quiet country, bike thefts are among those most prominently featured in their paper. A special column of theft statistics is listed each week in the paper. Zoersel, the town my parents live in, suffered through 38 bike thefts in the first quarter of the year. I'd say there's a ring operating here and it's time to bring in the team from CSI!

The schooling in Belgium is known around the world and Leuven University is attended by scholars from across the globe. The education here and elsewhere throughout Belgium is some of the best students can receive. During WWII, Penn State University and Leuven University began a Belgium/US student education program that is still in effect to this day. But, some of the schooling can be questionable and for those of you with kids, this will be particularly appealing.... The other day, my Aunt came by the house to tell us about her grandson who had been on a school field trip. The kids, ranging in age from 7 to 10, went on a four hour hike with no breaks to the Boshuisje, which is a small eatery in the middle of the woods. Once there, the exhausted children were given 30 minutes to eat and then 30 minutes to play games after which they were asked to hike back a grueling 4 hours in the hot summer sun.
Oh, and the games?
Standing in a field, tossing raw eggs at each other.
And ok, for those of you gasping right now, trust me - it took me a while to get over my shock as well. But now, I can hardly look a raw egg without busting out laughing at the ridiculous egg-game! Oh, and the real odd part (yes, there's more) - no one else but Mom & I thought it was weird!

So, while the trip has been great - the people aren't always hearts and flowers. They are a peculiar bunch who revel in sharing gossip and cleaning tips. I have learned about 7 new ways to clean a sink, I can rattle off a homemade recipe for furniture polish and can tell you where to buy some of the best mayonnaise in the country (for the fries of course). All if this pertinent knowledge I hope to forget the minute I step on US soil. They also have this odd fascination with the dead. Funerals here are not-to-be-missed social events that no one misses. It's a time to see and be seen and then of course there's the tradition of viewing the dead which everyone does here. Let me just say this, when I go - I don't want anyone staring at me. Unless of course it's a pic of me in my penior, found dead in my elaborate 75,000 square foot mansion at 82 after having a torrid affair with my 19 year old pool boy who is a cross between George Clooney and Harrison Ford (without twig-woman). ;-) I would expect to see that pic splashed across the front page of every paper across the country.

Oh, and one more thing - all the music here sounds like a polka... they have some interesting artists. Some quite good. For any of you classical fans out there, you might have heard of Helmut Lotti, who at 30 has already sold more records than most people in his genre. Then, there's this odd little singing group - their name escapes me for the moment - who have this song called "De Pizza Hut Lied" (The Pizza Hut Song) - and the only words (not kidding) are: "Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken" - One of the people in the band is dressed like a chicken, the others are all in traditional Belgian attire. The song is a crazy (and yes fun) mixture of the Chicken Dance and the performers hopping around on stage singing the names of fast food restaurants. Unfortunately, with the exception of Kentucky Fried Chicken, most of these places have begun to find their way into this country. Anyway, you won't believe this but the song is #1 here in Belgium. Well, that outta teach Brittney a lesson, dont'cha think?

It's been an odd time to be in this country. A week or so ago, the White House was encouraging a boycott on the Antwerp harbor asking all US companies to discontinue its use. The reason? An old law that forced Tommy Franks to answer to complaints brought about by some Iraqi residents residing in Belgium. Bush felt this was unacceptable and threatened to remove Nato from Brussels. When that didn't fly, he asked for a boycott of the Antwerp harbor, the 4th largest harbor in the world. With over 1,800 US companies residing here in Belgium, along with all of the other imports - a shut down of only 10 days would have taken this country years to overcome. The Belgian government managed to resolve this and while there is no love for the US government here, they managed to resolve this without any angry protests against the US or tossing US products ceremoniously out into the streets. There weren't even any disparaging "we hate the US" emails circulated. We could learn a lot from these people.

Yes, aside from their fascination with the dead, and their eclectic taste in music, there are amazing... friendly, charming and jovial, they will bend over backwards to make any and all tourists feel welcome and if they even hear the slightest hint of an English accent, they will immediately accommodate you by speaking English. They have lived through the pending wrath of Napoleon, the Great War, and WWII and know first hand that nothing is guaranteed, especially the promise of tomorrow. This way of thinking is evident in everything. Quite simply, they enjoy every moment and live only for today. Here, you won't see coffee cups or t-shirts that say "Carpe Diem" or "Enjoy life" because they already do, they live it and breath it everyday without a ceramic reminder.

Astronauts visiting the moon have documented the fact that at night, Belgium can easily be spotted from thousands of feet up. They say this is because Belgium is the most well-lit country in Europe. I say, it has nothing to do with lighting at all.

All About Antwerp

The name Antwerp comes from "hand werp" which means "hand throw." Years ago, when residents of this country could not pay their taxes, they were taken to the center of town and their right hand was chopped off and thrown in the Scheldt river. I suspect snorkeling at the bottom of that river isn't a great deal of fun.

The Great Scheldt river as it is often referred to is very important to this city. Thanks to this waterway Antwerp has become the second-largest harbor in Europe (after Rotterdam), and the fourth largest harbor in the world.

Antwerp for all of its medieval history and folklore is also quite literally a city within a city. I say this because several hundred years ago, the Schedt river swelled and flooded every square inch of Antwerp. Once the flooding subsided, residents found their beloved city in ruins. Some courageous and industrious "Antwerpians" began rebuilding, this time on top of the old city. We found this out when visiting the old St. Paulius Church. Portions of the original church can still be found in the underbelly of the magnificent structure that now resides above it. Tourists are invited to visit the remnants of the original church and a boat ride through the narrow canals provides a tour of the old city as well. Besides being a breathtaking building, the St. Paulius Church is an amazing collection of art work. Years ago, many if not all paintings were commissioned by churches which was the only way 16th, 17th & 18th century painters could afford to paint. The church houses many of the works by Peter Paul Rubens, Belgium's favorite son who lived in Antwerp and painted here most of his life. The stones that make up the floor were brought to the church by Belgian women who collected them in Jerusalem and brought them to Antwerp.

Our next visit was to Waterloo, or as it is also referred to "Napoleon's Last Stand." Waterloo was only the first of many bloody battles that would happen on Belgium soil and won Belgium a victory over the short little Frenchman who threatened to run and rule Europe. At the time of the battle (1814) Belgium was still a part of the Netherlands. After winning this war, Belgium also won its victory and became a country onto itself. I don't think the Dutch have ever forgiven us.

Bruges was our next stop. Called, "the Venice of the North" Bruges (Brugge) was founded in the 9th century by Vikings who settled here at the end of the little river 'de Reie'. Canals wind their way through this medieval town and past the small brick homes that are built on the rim of the many waterways that feed the city. Tourists can take a breathtaking voyage on narrow boats through these ancient canals and a trip to Bruges is not complete without it. Swans grace the waterways, drifting aside whenever the boats pass. Baskets of colorful flowers spill from windowsills and planters and even portions of the old wall that once protected this city can still be seen in various areas around the city.

As ever, I love this country and the people and ok, the food and of course the family. My mother comes from a family of 11 (parents made it 13) and my dad is from a family of 15. I suspect I have enough 1st and 2nd cousins to fill a stadium. For any of you who grew up in a small town, you know what I mean when I say they are colorful characters, each and every one of them. I could write tomes about these people and never tire for material.

Usually by day three once I have sufficiently recovered from my jet lag, my uncles take turns visiting with their families. These initial visits serve two purposes actually. The first is of course the visit, the second is matchmaking. Since I am single and my family worries about me being "alone" no single male within 75 kilometers is safe. If they own a bit of land and at least one cow, they are cajoled into visiting "the girl from the States." It's a painful visit and I have about as much in common with these suitors (and they with me) as I do with an African fruit fly. Bless their little fuzzy clog wearing hearts, most of them have never heard of email (and there is very little that compels me to milk a cow). I suspect if one of them spent more then 3 hours with me in the throes of my technology they'd flee my presence, certain I was an alien life form from another planet. Perhaps I am, I do live in California after all...

Biking is a big pastime for any Belgian and when I'm here I spend a good deal of time on one myself. Whenever we go biking, it is usually for a four to six hour ride through thick wooded areas, past gentle fields. Often times we'll see bunkers and forts, remnants of WWI & II. Belgium is mostly flat, making it a perfect biking spot. A typical ride will include 4-6 people, usually Aunts and cousins of mine. Halfway through the bike trip we spot at a cafe and stop to drink beer. This may seem odd to some, but to Belgians it's quite the norm. Belgium does, after all, boast over 350 different kinds of beer. One in particular, Trappist, is made by the monks near the city where my parents live. It's dark beer, and is usually accompanied by a splash of grenadine to cut the bitterness. Besides beer, Belgium is also known for waffles (if you're ever in the area, try the sugar waffles, they're out of this world), chocolate, French fries (guess what folks, the French didn't invent these) and smoutebollen (a kind of a donut that makes Krispy Kremes taste like roof shingles). Come for the biking, stay for the food.

My folks live on 1/2 acre land which is planted every spring. It's green and colorful and more beautiful than you can ever imagine. Right now it's filled with new potatoes, beans, peas, lettuce and tomatoes. For the most part, our meals come right out of our yard. In fact, I've been eating so healthy I think I'm getting a rash. I may need to crack open a can of something chock full of preservatives to keep from keeling over.