Oh, gracious I have not bloggged in ages. I can't even keep all the days apart anymore so much has happened. Let me just touch on some general themes...
The weekend was been a good “pause for reflection” for me. (I am such a Eurocrat. Last year the European Commission told all of Europe to go through a “pause for reflection” to figure out what to do about the rejected constitution.) I took time to think about what I am doing here and where I want it to lead.
So…that is a perfect segway for me to quote my new favorite Bible verse. It's from Proverbs. “To the man belong the plans of the heart but from the lord is the reply of the tongue.” How cool is that!
One very noteworthy event is that last Tuesday the launch for a global anti-forced
Prostitution campaign was held at the Parliament. This pop singer named Daniel Bedingfield gave a mini-concert for the launch. I can honestly say I have been a fan of his for years. (Also, his sister Natasha Bedingfield does “Single” one of the best songs ever made).
I used to listen to his album while preparing for white glove inspection at Patrick Henry College. Ahhh the memories. Those days I had an EU flag on my wall. Little did I know that I would one day be listening to Daniel Bedingfield live at the European Parliament.
Tuesday evening I got free tickets to a BBC movie called a "Cock and Bull Story" that was being screened at a local arts theatre. It looked like it would be good. It had both Greg Wise and Jeremy Northam. well, it was AWFUL. I hated it so much! within 15 minutes, I was wondering how I would survive another hour and a half. I was there with some colleagues so I couldn't just leave then and there. Not to be deterred, using my cell phone as a prop, I staged an imaginary crisis and vacated the premises. (The next day I ducked said colleagues to avoid being asked any awkward questions).
I am sooooo glad I left. The taxi costs came to about 10 euros altogether but hey, if time is money I think I made a killing that evening.
Thursday night I had dinner with my roommate. We are both so busy that we coordinated this dinner a week in advance via emails and text messages. It was a nice dinner. I like her very much.
I will be in the UK for Easter for my election rigging, oh sorry, political campaigning and I am going to spend the Sunday at her parents house in London. She says Easter is big deal in her (Polish Catholic) family. They go all out. Alas, no polish national costume.
I will have 3 free weekends in London. (plus 1 week of campaigning in the city and 2 weeks of campaigning in Northamptonshire) The first 2 weekends I will stay with my roommies family. The third I will stay with my friend Sarah whose family also lives in London. Friends in London are SWEET!
Friday I got some fantastic news. I had been majorly majorly stressing about this thing called a visitors group. (25 constituents coming from the UK to visit Strasbourg and I had to make all their arrangements for them). then guess what??? They cancelled! That was easily the best news I have heard all month. I was so happy when I talked to the woman on the phone. I hope she wasn't offended that I was so utterly thrilled that she was NOT coming.
One of the dominant themes of this week has been the 5 foot 1 inch of male ego I am condemned to work with these days! He is my boss’ old assistant from a few years back and is filling in until the new one starts. Let me at least start by saying something a bit nuanced… he is just like any human being with both negatives and positives. (ok, now that I have gotten that out of the way…) he is extremely condescending which I find utterly infuriating. Then I do try (operative word being "tried") to tell myself that it's better to be treated like a child and subjected to at times unnecessary scrutiny than to be left all by myself and mess things up.
I really don't think he means it badly. he just has a condescending manner. it is just that when he starts saying obvious things in a pedantic way it is time to cue that old Moby song, "that's when I reach for my revolver" etc...
(Speaking of revolvers, I threw caution to the wind and made a “pro-gun ownership” statement to my British colleagues. Non-Americans are always floored to hear such views being expressed openly. Try it sometime. The effect is hysterical)
Anyway, back to my colleague, I need to be humble. I think this is a good way for me to reflect on the way I myself interact with others in the workplace. in situations when I am the more knowledgeable one, am I being condescending? etc. so I will try to think of this as a learning experience.
Friday night I had dinner with 4 ladies from my church. It was great. I sometimes hear the expression “state of grace.” And I think that kind of expresses how I felt. It was Friday night, good food, good friends, fun conversation (about something other than the committee on budgetary control’s new report!) we went to a Mexican restaurant (I love Mexican food!) that exists more or less for the American expatriate community. It felt a bit like that bar in Casa Blanca where all the expatriates hang out. There is a delicious feeling of conspiracy.
The menus are in English. The busboys are Mexicans. It's all so familiar!
I went to back to the restaurant again this Tuesday for dinner when 2 of my second cousins (who also happen to be 2 of my favorite people currently living) came to visit me.
I am spending my Saturdays recovering from the stresses of my work week with some good old fashioned retail therapy! I went to H and M and found a great white linen blouse. It's very Out of Africa/Dr. Livingston I presume-ish. I also bought a simple little silver ring. It’s just silver and then it twists at the front. The next week I got a teapot and a cool jar to put coffee in.
I am so happy with my teapot. I think I automatically drink a lot more tea when I have one around and drinking tea makes me so very happy. It is a good stress reliever. I am already on my 5th cup.
so yeah, a coffee bean jar and teapot. I am definitely taking my pet caffeine addiction for a walk. However, hey, it's like I always say...there are worse things I could be addicted to. And considering the stress I have been under, it is a wonder I haven't succumbed to one of those yet.
I have discovered the most amazingly beautiful place in Brussels: Le Sablon. It is basically a square with shops on it. It used to be a sandy field where archers would go practice. They built a chapel to Mary which has gradually evolved into a grand cathedral (currently under renovation so I couldn't go in) it has a statue of Mary that some nun stole from Antwerp in the 1500s she had a vision that Mary told her that she wanted the archers to have the statue. And well, I guess it has stayed there ever since.
It also holds the burial chapel of the Von Thurn und Taxis family where my friend Michaela hopes one day to be laid to rest. (she has her eye on a billionaire TNT princeling). Michaela, I wish you a long and happy life of course, but it would be so very cool if you would die before me. Then I could come and pay my respects to you in that chapel!
There is also a lovely more baroque style church close by (which was not under renovation so I could go in) where Bruegel the elder was married in the 1500s. There is a lovely memorial to him painted by his sons.
there was also a really lovely wood carved statue of st. Margaret of Antioch. dressed in Tudor style garb. at first glance I thought it might be Anne Boleyn. (Of course, that would be impossible in a Catholic church!) It was very lifelike.
I went into a lot of home decor stores. its funny but there are so many Dutch people there. (and I don't mean Flemish, they sound very different) very chic types of Dutch people. yes, Dutch people care a lot about their houses. it's really very noticeable that this is where I have seen most of them.
Monday night I had dinner at my friend Stan's apartment. (In case, you are wondering: I am sure he's gay so it was definitely not a date.) He made a Portugese stew and it was very good. I brought the wine. his apartment is a bit more bohemian than mine so I am jealous. though mine is bigger and lighter and we have a lift. but still....there is nothing like Bohemian.
we watched...my very first episode of desperate housewives on his laptop. It was only one episode, but I have to say I thought it was really cool.
I helped him with his Dutch homework. His book is very un-PC. There is a picture of a man and a woman in an office and the man is labeled "de baas" and the woman is the "de secretaresse." shocking!
Tuesday as I mentioned earlier my 2 Dutch second cousins came to visit. I took the afternoon off work. They drove in but couldn't find Place du Luxembourg (those of you who have had the pleasure of getting directions from me will sympathize with them) so I ended up taking the metro out to where they were. then we had some nice coffee and wonderful cake at a cafe and chatted for ages. They had brought me a lot of drop which I adore and different royalty magazines. I couldn't sleep last night and have already read about half of them.
Then we went to my house and had some tea. I had bought some new teacups for the occasion. I had made biscotti. I had also bought a little plant for on the table-it is like a blueish purple-ish colour plant to match my cups.
It looked very nice if I do say so myself.
Then we went to... the Sablon. yay! And to the Grand Place of course which was amazing as usual. not so full on a weekday either. I know a nice way to get there that involves walking down a hill that has a magnificent of the city. There are nice statues of various members of the royal family along the way.
We didn't go the European parliament. It is a huge hassle getting people signed in for visitor's passes and the only cool thing for them would be to be to meet "my boss" who was out that day. plus...it's really not that interesting of a place. if you have seen the outside, you have seen enough in my opinion. we had some good views of the exterior though. (one of them from my balcony which was cool)
so yeah, they left around 9:30. We agreed that next time it would be me visiting them at their place in Amsterdam. (I can't wait!) so it was quite a long day. rather a very nice one though.
When I got home, I had a very nice chat with my roommate. just chatting about different stuff. lots of laughing. so that was great. I really like her. we are planning a godfather movie night next week and I will make spaghetti etc. we also had lunch together today. our landlord is kind of weird. very uptight. he wants to see her about something relating to "last year." so I have promised I will go along for the meeting and be her "bodyguard."
It is depressing that I have found such a great roommate...and she's married!
so what is on my itinerary...tomorrow I am going to attend a seminar on the EU constitution. (it's an all day event. I will just go and see how much I much I can take before I crack!) This weekend my good friend Sarah is having her goodbye party. it is a "fancy dress party"(as the Brits would say) you are supposed to come dressed up in catholic school uniforms. hmm...well, I think I will just wear my light blue blouse and then whatever I feel for the rest. maybe just jeans. if I could somehow locate a beret that might be cool.
Any suggestions on how I can adapt common wardrobe items to fit the stated theme?
oh man, it is almost 9 and I am still at my office. I am such a nerd. and I have so much more to write. Oh yeah, book throwing is officially back! I read a book that contained concepts I hated so much that overpowered by a wave of disgust I sent it flying through the air.
But more on that exciting story next time. I apologize for all the typos in this post. but right now for the sake of my own sanity, I have to attempt to make it home before 9 pm!
au revoir!
