School Days are Here at Last

This is literally our longest summer vacation.  We left school May 19th, a week early, to attend my brother's wedding in Arizona. School in Belgium doesn't start until the first of September, tomorrow.  That gives the Fisher family 16 weeks off any "normal" routine. Starting tonight, we are back on the wagon by having all three in bed by 9.

Normally I would be breathing a sigh of relief.  All three kids gone, all day.  Ahh.  Now I can work on the Minute Menu plan and get it where it needs to be to become successful.  I can do all those things that I want to do without those constant interruptions.  Tonight however those feelings are 99% non-existent.  Tonight I am filled with anxiety, brought on by my own decisions.

Tomorrow my three children will start a new school, in a new town, in a new country with a new language.  They will not be able to comprehend the majority of what most people at the school are saying.  Here's to us...hoping that we all SURVIVE and THRIVE this coming year.

©ColleenFisher

School Shopping-In French

Today the kids and I spent the greater part of our day shopping for school supplies, in the all French speaking city of Lovain-la-Neuve, 20 km south of here.  I didn't know where to buy supplies, so I asked the director of the school, and he recommended a store called Ciaco. I ignorantly thought this would be great because the signs for the supplies would match up to what I needed on my list.  I would soon find out that none of the store assistants spoke English  It would make for an interesting and slightly frustrating day.

The 3 class lists of supplies were in French, of course, so I spent a few hours translating them with the help of my crutch, Google translate.  There were items I could easily guess what they were like l'calculatrice and l'compass or whose translation was easily converted by google, like des marqueurs suligneurs <(flo)>  (highlighters-fluorescent).  Others were less comprehensible like on Shea's list- 10 chemises transparentes.  Google translated them to be 10 transparent shirts....What?  (They really are sheet protectors.) Or une latte translated to be a strip. It's tape.

The kids and I started our "treasure hunt" early so we would have energy to complete the almost impossible.  We searched for what we thought were the easy items first.  The pens they use here aren't like the pens in America, or at least the ones I have purchased before.  A person buys a pen and then extra ink to refill in the pen.  Most pencils are like mechanical pencil, which are easy enough.  On the items I got stumped on I would go wait in line to "talk" to an associate.

The first time I tried to get help, I found out that no store associate spoke Englsih and nice man behind me spoke English and helped me talk to the store associate. The rest of the time my talking consisted of me pointing at my supply sheet and them walking me to the item.  After about the fifth time I could feel their annoyance.  I once asked a boy next to me where something was by using my same pointing method.  He was Logan's age and spoke English to me.  I asked him how he knew English and he told me his mother was American. His name is James.

Later that day, and still in the same store, I would meet James' mom Susan. I asked her where something was and she helped me translate items that where still incomprehensible from Googles' translation.  We talked for awhile and exchanged phone numbers.  She said to call her whenever I needed help or if I wanted to go get a coffee.  Today I am grateful for Susan and James.

Four hours and over 300 Euro later, we FINALLY left Ciaco...totally burnt out.

©ColleenFisher

Roller Parade

On your marks...Michael and Brent

Last night we were invited to go to a Roller Parade with one of Brent's colleagues "Michael from Australia." In Summer on Friday nights in the great city of Brussels, hundreds of people get on their roller blades/skate or bikes and do a 'Tour de Brussels'.  They have a beginner course for newbies from 8-9 pm and then you have an option to continue on  until Midnight, if you dare. 

The "beginning" course isn't a cake walk.  You have to cross some areas of road with cobblestones and tracks from the train.  There is one section in particular where you cross a cobblestone/track zone at a 5-way intersection, surrounded by people dining-just waiting for someone to bite the dust. Amazingly I did not fall. Yet.

Me in Downtown Brussels

After the "intersection of death and possible ridicule and embarrassment", you climb a hill.  Should be a warning sign for the future. I thought I would take it easy down this slope, so I went back and forth, kinda like skiing.  I continued to pick up speed and totally biffed it. I was already at the back of the rollerblading section and the helpers yell something like, "Newbie Down".  the DJ truck behind me stops and the assistants helps me up and takes my hand and tells me to skate with him the rest of the way down the hill.  I take his hand and we are picking up speed, but he is totally holding me up.  Kind of an amazing feet since I ain't no petite woman.  We reach the bottom of the hill at break neck speed...and then he lets go of my hand and skate off.  HELLO!  Totally lost control, and smacked into a parked car.  Yes, the door handle of an unlucky mini-cooper has left its' mark on my leg.
A police woman skates up to me and starts talking.  I say English?  She says, "You have a break, use it."  Uh, Wow.  Thanks for the Great Advice.

After the Fall-In the tunnel of Achievemnt

We reach the end of the beginning route and it's pretty flat, so we continue down.  Brent is now next to me on every decline.  I am  preferring the flat parts and even the uphills.  We are enjoying our stroll and then we see the next danger zone...a tunnel with a mammoth-sized decline.  Crap.  Brent is next to me and I am riding the break like it's my life line.  Then Brent starts to pick up speed and to save me, he lets me go. I attempt to weave back and forth to take it slow.  Nice try.  I smack right into Brent and down we both go.  I think the adrenaline was pumping because it didn't hurt that bad.  The rest of the way down the hill I hold on to the side of the wall like a toddler.  At the end of the tunnel the same "friendly" helper asks me if I want to ride the bus...a city bus filled with the weak, tired and occasional bloody participant.  I accept.

About two blocks later the whole roller derby is on break and I get off the bus for another try.  As I am leaving, my now seemingly personal assistant suggests I start near the front of the line.  Off I go to see if I can "keep up with the crowd" by starting at the front.  I think the only thing that changed was that the bus people didn't have to stare at my slow tushy anymore..for a little while at least.

We skate for a bit more and my legs are getting pretty tired.  It's the kind of tired you get when skiing and say, "Just one more run... then you break your leg."  I decide to board the bus and tour the rest of the city in the comfort of a public bus with some of my closest, sweatiest, road-rash wearing buddies.  Brent and Michael join me.  We ride the bus for the next 1+ hours.

It was a really fun night.  I was amazed at how many skaters were there.  The ranged from young children to senior citizens, trick jumpers to the ones whose only trick was trying to not to kiss the road.  (I obviously am in the latter group.  The road and I are still on speaking terms).  Next time, I am taking a bike and wearing a helmet.  Eat my rubber you asphalt!

The mini-cooper mark: a week later.

©ColleenFisher

Mechelen Take Two

Today we went to Mechelen.  This city is home to St. Rumbold's Tower.  It took over 300 years to build, talk about TENACITY! It is the symbol of Mechelen, and is 97.28 m high and contains two carillons, each with 49 bells.  (We went a few days ago too, but didn't have time to climb to the top of the tower before closing time.-Whoops. Poor planning but honestly no planning ;) )

Given our "dedication", we went back and conquered the 514 stairs to the top.  We were almost to the first bell room when we were given a "private concert".  (The only other people in the tower we saw were people who worked there)

Upon looking out of the windows, Hayden decided he didn't want to go up to the top anymore.  I told him that the stairs we came up were only up stairs and the only way down was to go through the top.  This sounds mean and made up, but it really was true.  After only a minute of tears, we were on our way again.  And the view was amazing.  There is no question why Napoleon used this tower to watch over his armies.  You can see FOREVER.


At the end of the "tour" we had the opportunity to sign the guestbook.  I let the kids write whatever they wanted.  Hayden was writing and asked me how to spell thought.  What is he writing...had to take a picture.  Honesty.  Love it.

©ColleenFisher

Abdij van Kaizersberg

Today's big event was to visit a place near our home called Abdij van Kaizersberg.  It was on the Leuven tourism site under site-seeing and near our home, so we took a short walk there to take a look.  Upon arrival the doors were closed, but another group was there and rang the door bell. A monk answered the door and spoke to the group and then it was our turn.

"Do you speak English?"  Yes.  "We saw this place on the Leuven tourism site, so you give tours here?"  No, this is a monastery.  We teach about 70 students everything from theology to medicine.  "Oh, ok.  Sorry to bother you.  Can we check out your grounds?"  No, they are not open until September.

Kind of a short lived excursion.

To the kids, "So, do you want to walk downtown for an ice cream?"  Yeah!  Phew. Saved.

©ColleenFisher

Minute Menu Plan

Lately our days revolve around trying to find a place to live and where to send our children to school.  Yes, we are STILL looking.  We thought we had a place Woluwe-St. Pierre, but they told us no.  Brent called the "agent" for a place in Blanden in the morning and by the afternoon, when our paperwork was ready the house no longer available.  We have a few more places lined up the next couple of days, so something will work out.

On a more exciting note, Minute Menu Plan is in Beta testing phase.  We have been working on a new software program the last few months that will bring an organized approach to meal planning.  We are pretty excited about it.  Here hoping the testing goes well and that we can release our software soon.

©ColleenFisher

Wanna Smoke?

Tonight we needed some fresh air and headed to our favorite park. We were in a lovely game of tag when Logan came down the huge slide and said, "There's a little kids smoking up there."  He tried to talk to me and I just said I spoke English and went down the slide.  I thought it must be some teenager trying to escape his Mamma's stronghold.  (There was some sort of Mother/child gathering going on.)

A few minutes passed and Hayden came and told me the same thing and added that the boy could speak English.  Time to investigate.  Sure enough there was a kid, smaller than Hayden, smoking a cigarette. He was a pro.   He wasn't the only one either.  There was a group of mini "adults" all lit up, walking around with one hand in their pocket and the other one holding there fix.  There mothers were right there.  It must be a cultural thing.

©ColleenFisher

Hapjetapje - "Taste of Leuven" Festival

Enjoying the Feast-i-val

Once a year in downtown Leuven they have a Feast-vi-val.  Many vendor line the different markets and sell "samples" of their food  and drinks for only a couple of Euros.  Quite the discount.  Many of the countries of Europe were represented here.  We sampled a few and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the crowd.  The band playing in the square was even dressed like chefs.  It was a deliciously, good time.

Local "Artist"

On our walk home we stopped at the "Bloody Nose Park"  Being an urban area, there is graffiti all over the place.  I often wondered how people got away with painting elaborate scenes.  Apparently it is done in broad daylight with as many cans of spray paint as possible.  Not an easy escape for anyone carrying all those cans if the Fuzz was after you, but it does make the finished artwork nicer.  Well worth the cost I think.

©ColleenFisher