My First Package from Home!

I received the most wonderful package from home today thanks to my fabulous mom and sister!

I knew the package was coming, because my mom had told me to keep a look out for a FedEx delivery so I wasn't too surprised when the door bell rang (it usually startles me since we don't have many deliveries here).  I answered the intercom and asked the delivery man to wait one moment and I would meet him downstairs.

Then it was the mad scramble to find my shoes and keys and run down the stairs.  A little out of breath, I opened the door but no one was there.  I looked up and down the street for the delivery truck but he was long gone... really?!  I guess I should be grateful that he left me a blank notice that I missed the delivery.

I so wanted something from home so I tried to call the delivery company, but they told me I had to send an email and they would reschedule the delivery.  So I sent an email just not a very nice email.  Granted I was polite but I definitely gave them a little piece of my mind.  I think it was a combination of being home sick and really tired of the crazy work ethic of the Walloons (French Belgians).  Who really thinks it is okay to open up a store at 11:00 and close at 15:00, including an hour lunch break?!  It honestly blows my mind sometimes.  Oh how I miss the CONVENIENCE and EFFICIENCY of America.

Not to totally rag on the people here.  There are several kind, hard working people, but just the overall outlook on business and customer service is so strange to me.

Anyways.... after my rant, I am proud to say that I have a real taste of New Orleans in our apartment... King Cake Vodka!

Now just to wait for the perfect night and drink recipe to open it.  The bottle is so cute, I might just fill it with water once it is gone and keep it in our bar cabinet!  But my favorite part about it is who it came from!

My First Missed Mardi Gras!

Happy Mardi Gras!  Even with a Carnival celebration in Cologne, the festival season has not been completely fulfilled for me... I miss Mardi Gras in New Orleans!  I think I stalked everyone's Facebook photos throughout the day just to get a glimpse of the festivities.

I was determined to bring a little New Orleans to our apartment this evening.  My initial thought was alcohol, because what else screams Mardi Gras?!  But Dustin and I are both trying to get over a cold and I don't think I have fully recovered from the celebration in Cologne.  So what else screams New Orleans and Mardi Gras... FOOD!  Jambalaya was the choice for dinner since I can easily find all of the ingredients here (of course it was a reduced fat recipe to make myself feel a little better!)

Homemade Jambalaya & Salad

And what else would complete dinner rather than king cake and Community Coffee's Carnival Cake flavored coffee!  The king cake was not even close to real king cake and it definitely wasn't reduced in calories at all.  But I don't feel to bad since I did suffer through an hour of P90X plyometrics this morning... BLAH!

Carnival Cake Coffee

Little King Cakes with Gold Sprinkles

Definitely not enough Mardi Gras for me, but I guess it will have to do.  Oh what I wouldn't do for a good parade and a Sangria Swirl from Superior... Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler!

My First Carnival!

My Louisiana-native self was quite depressed about missing Mardi Gras so Dustin treated me to a weekend of Carnival Celebration in Cologne, Germany!

We left Friday evening after he was off work and drove a quick two and half hours to Cologne.  (I am still in love with how close everything is here!)  Since we didn't check into our hotel until pretty late that night, we drove out to the city to grab a bite to eat and a cocktail to kick off our weekend!  Since most of the places we wanted to try were already closed we decided to walk around until we found something.  That is when we ran into a "South African Street Food" restaurant.  We both laughed at the sign but once we got to the front of the restaurant we had to step in.

Our German African Dinner at Shaka Zulu

It was full of fun colors and eclectic art as well as a whole page of cocktails (I felt like I was back in New Orleans!)  Since we didn't know what half of the food was (African food in German, yeah we were lost!) we decided to do the sampler menu.  Dustin had an African beer and I had a pomegranate caprinha, which was quite yummy.  But the drinks weren't even comparable to the food.  First we had warm bread with a garlic spread, potato soup with chili pepper, chicken curry pastry, roasted sweet potatoes and mushrooms, some traditional veggie dish, sauteed spinach with peanuts, stewed beef and rice and corn grits.  It was so delicious!  We walked around a little more after dinner just to people watch and check out all the costumes but called it an early night so we would be refreshed for the next day.

Mardi Gras Lights at the Hotel
(I know they look blue in the pic, but promise they were purple) 

The next day we grabbed Starbucks before heading to Neumarkt.  They had a huge party in the square, with a live band and plenty of beer.  We only stayed for a little while because it was too crowded to even get beer.  We did a little window shopping and bought a mask for me and a hat for Dustin so we would feel more festive without costumes.  Since things were quieting down around Neumarkt, we followed to crowds to the city center for more beer and dancing in the streets!

Dustin in front of the party in Neumarkt 

Cheers!

Dustin in his hat in front of the Cathedral

It's the Morgan in You

Carnival Beer

We eventually made our way to a local bar for beer and wine and people watching (of course!)  By this point I knew Dustin was on the verge of being hangry (hungry angry) so we stopped at a German restaurant for some wiener schnitzel and fries.  I know how to make my hungry German boy happy!  Then it was off for some more exploring and bar hopping.  We had a blast... eh maybe a little too much fun!  Everyone was so happy, all drinking and singing old German drinking songs, Trinklieders!  I also loved all of the costumes.  It was like Halloween and Mardi Gras all mixed together!  

Lady Power! haha

At the Jazz Bar... my favorite stop of the night!

 We were a little slow getting up this morning but we eventually made it to breakfast and were off for some exploring.  Ironically we ended up at a parade route right when the parade was starting.  The parade consisted of 38 groups, all schoolchildren representing their school.  The costumes were all handmade and they threw loads of candy.  Supposedly it is a really big deal for the schools, which you could tell by the amount of time and effort they put into the costumes.

Pie Themed Costumes

Birthday Themed Group

Mona Lisa's

So much fun!

Shoes!

We then ventured our way back towards the city center.  We luckily caught another parade.  This one had more floats and different groups.

Clown Float

Rhine River Float

 We headed home early so Dustin could finish his school work, but not before Dustin got his bratwurst!

It is so easy to make him happy

 On the way home we passed through some crazy sleet, but it eventually turned into snow which made for a beautiful end to our fabulous weekend!

Crazy Sleet

German Snow!

My First NATO Sporting Event!

This morning Dustin called me from work with a really silly question... "Want to get out of the apartment for a little bit?"  Umm... of course I do-Duh!

Supposedly they have a variety of sporting events with teams from each country competing for points to win the bragging rights of... being the most athletic country?!  Anyways today's event was a big swim meet and I guess they needed another American swimmer so one of the guys asked Dustin to participate.  It is so weird to me.  In what reality to do you get off a half day of work to go swim?

It was quite an interesting experience.  Just the whole facility is weird.  (I totally would have taken pictures if I wasn't worried about offending someone)  The only way to the pool is through the locker room which leads to showers that then lead to the pool.  Not too crazy right?!  Well the showers are filled with about 3 inches of water... gross!  I had to take off my boots, roll up my jeans, and plunge through the moat to get to the pool just to watch the event.  I also think I got my fair share of speedo's, beer bellies, and chest/back hair to last me a lifetime!  Don't worry I'll spare you the graphic details.  I know.... not a picture you want to imagine!

Not to totally trash talk the event... it was fun to watch the meet and all the fans supporting their country. In the end the good ole US-of-A came in 3rd.  Not too bad for a bunch of guys who pretty much just have silly desk jobs and the abundance of great beer and chocolate these days.  

Now we're in for another full night of me cooking and surfing the internet while Dustin does school work so we can actually enjoy our trip to Cologne this weekend... Hopefully we'll get back to our French lessons one day!

My First Solo Trip!

After stressing all morning and a few little detours, I successfully completed my first trip to Brussels by myself.  Maggie, who is in my sorority, is studying abroad in Brussels, so we decided to meet up for drinks and dinner.  I was so excited to catch up with her, that is until I realized I'd have to navigate through the train station by myself.

I got to the Central Station in Brussels easily, not too bad!  Then came the hard part, the metro!  Until last night I didn't even realize there was a metro in Brussels much less where it is.  After studying the station map for a bit I reluctantly walked down this long underground tunnel.  An ounce of hope emerged when I saw a big blue "M" sign in the distance.  Guess I was going the right way.

I figured once I found the station, I would easily just purchase my ticket and hop on the metro.  Obvious, that is if the ticket counter wasn't hidden in the corner.  After I found the counter, I purchased my ticket and was off to line 1 to St Catherine.

Maggie and I walked to the city centre and stopped in a little Italian restaurant for a delicious dinner, yummy wine, and great girl talk.  After dinner we grabbed a few glasses of wine at a wine bar down the street.  It was great to catch up with her and exchange horror stories of moving in and getting all settled.  11:00pm snuck up on us so we quickly finished our wine and headed to the metro.

My stop was first, so we said our goodbyes and I rushed to the train station.  I was so worried about missing the train that I boarded the wrong train!  Thank goodness the gentleman next to me spoke English and could see my confusion.  He tried to tell me that the train wouldn't stop in Mons, but the translated version sounded more like there were no more trains to Mons tonight.

I tried to conceal my freak out as I texted Dustin to see if he could come pick me up from Brussels or wherever the train was taking me.  Once we stopped at Brussels Midi Station, the gentleman guided me back down the station.  At this point I was holding on to my purse for dear life and preparing myself to make a dash if he came any closer.  But there was no need to be fearful of him.  He pointed to the sign and even escorted me to the right platform before repeating the time the train would come over and over and giving me specific directions (board the next train that comes!).

Once I boarded the train I asked 3 other passengers where the train was going, just confirming that Mons was on the list.  I was still hesitant and couldn't relax until I made it to the Jurbis stop which I knew was right before Mons.  Not to brag, but I am quite proud of myself for making it there without any problems and then actually making it home.  While I like to say I can handle a big city, a language barrier + public transportation = something I need to get use to!  Ehh, I'll blame the train mix up on the wine and lemoncello!

My First Girls Night Out In Belgium!

Since the boys were having a poker night, a few of us girls decided that we were going to have a girls night out instead of waiting at home for the boys!   Oana, Julie, Nahira and I took the train to Brussels early in the evening.  Since we had to make the last train leaving Brussels at 11:43, we had a few cocktails at one of the local Irish pubs.

It was great to actually get out and have some girls to talk with.  Granted I am completely in love with Dustin and my favorite part of the day is when he comes home, at times I quite frankly just need to socialize with someone else!

The girls were so welcoming and completely down to earth.  Definitely some of the best women I have met here so far.  Instead we just got to enjoy a few delicious cocktails and girl talk.  It was so refreshing and definitely something I needed.

I know we would have definitely stayed out all night and possibly visited a few dance clubs... if only the last train wasn't so early!

My First Car Purchase!!!

Monday evening, Dustin and I looked at a car for sale in Brussels.  The couple selling the car were so kind, hospitable, and accommodating.  A few hiccups in the afternoon made us much later than the agreed upon meeting time, and they still welcomed us in.  The car was perfect, a little blue Nissan that, although it is a little older, was in pristine condition, an automatic, and only 2800 Euros!  We were sold on it before even test driving it.

After looking at the car, Marina and Igor offered us inside for coffee and tea even though it was obvious they were ready to eat dinner.  Altogether, the car was wonderful and the couple were even more wonderful.

In Belgium, it is mandatory that a car passes an inspection before it can be sold.  Igor and Marina brought the car for the inspection early this morning and we met them on Shape to transfer the registration.  Igor even gave us a discount for the few scratches on the bumper from parking on the streets here, and I only paid 2500 Euros for the car.  It felt amazing to purchase a car for myself!

While the boys were doing all the fun paperwork, Marina told me about all the outlet stores (they call villages) and the local discounts and deals.  I would have never known that the museums in Brussels offer free admission after 1pm on the first Wednesday of every month.  She even offered to sign me up for a members-only discount store.  I am not sure how she knew my love for a bargain!

Now just to finish the paperwork and get our tags and I will have the freedom to explore Europe!

My First Power Outage and Adventure to the Ration Store!

Today was quite the interesting day.  I had quite a bit of work to do and a few jobs I found that I wanted to apply for.  So as soon as I woke up my fingers hit the key board and I was on a roll!  That is until the power went out.

I texted Dustin, jokingly asking him if he paid the electricity bill.  His answer to me was that he had received it but it wasn't due until the beginning of February... wait it is the beginning of February!  Come to find out that the bill isn't due until February 12th and it is normal for the electricity to go out for an hour or so every once in a while.  Well, good to know!

About an hour later the electricity was back on and I was determined to finish up the work I had planned to do.  After restarting the router several times the internet refused to cooperate.  By this point I decided to just get dressed and go out for a walk.  Before completely bundling up I checked the internet and it was working!  Woo Hoo, Right?!  NOPE!  Now Yahoo Mail was experiencing "technical difficulties."

I threw on my coat and bundled up in all the other cold accessories and was out for a walk.  It was -6 Celsius in the middle of the day and with the sun out... Brrr!  I think I stopped in every store just to warm up enough to walk a little farther.  That obviously didn't last long so I just headed back to the apartment knowing Dustin would be home soon.

Once he got home from work we headed to Shape to check the mail and then stopped in at the coffee shop on base for a cappuccino.  Out of the corner of my eye I spotted the ration store and Dustin, reading my mind, informed me that he had finally found his yellow ration card.  Straight to the store we went!  It was beautiful... just like a duty free shop in an airport but all the wine and champaign is permanently 10% off!  (Don't be embarrassed, my eyes lit up too!)

We spent quite some time picking out three bottles of wine, some of them costing only 2 Euros.  Although we did splurge on a 5 Euro bottle! :)  Dustin got his fancy scotch, which by the way cost three times as much as my three bottles of wine.  Who said girls were more expensive?

I am completely in love with this store and will definitely make multiple visits... I can get my wine, perfume, and nice cosmetics all in one place!  This whole military life isn't that great but I am definitely finding the perks... and taking complete advantage of them!

My First Belgian Superbowl Sunday!

Happy Superbowl Sunday!  Let's go Giants!

It is only 12:30 am and the game is about to start... oh the joy of time zones!  What is an American to do without football?

After a busy day of mass and running errands, I coaxed Dustin into helping me put together one of the wardrobes we purchased.  The boxes did not look that intimidating, until we opened them and saw the number of pieces not to mention the mere fact we had to number all the pieces our selves.  Well 3 hours later, we are both alive and we have one functioning wardrobe so I'd say it is a success!

Our Wardrobe... One Down, One to Go!

Keeping with our pizza Sunday ritual, I made a yummy veggie pizza and instead of beer, Dustin chose coffee as his beverage of choice to enjoy the game.  He requested a WHOLE pot so he'd stay awake but it doesn't look like that will be happening.

It is not the same without a party or a big tv, but I'm excited to watch the commercials... I mean the game (cough, cough).  

My First Time Washing Dishes in the Bathtub!

Today, only two weeks after he was suppose to come, our land lord finally decided to come fix the leak in our kitchen sink and to remove the stupid French stickers on the wall.  

His girlfriend had suggested using a blowdryer to heat the glue for the stickers so they would come off the wall without taking off the paint.  After all the research I did online to figure out how to get the stickers off, that did not pop up.  Well let me tell you, if you are ever in the situation to take those applique stickers off your wall (and who would really want to put them on in the first place?) just using a hair dryer helps them peel right off!  

Easy as Cake!

About 15 minutes later all the silly French sayings were gone... Amen!

The silicone is still drying on the sink so we will find out how well that was actually fixed.  Our poor land lord isn't really the best handy man although he tries!  That also meant that I had to wash the dishes from dinner in the bathtub.  And there is no visual documentation of this... thank goodness!  I don't think it was the prettiest sight!  I have never been more thankful for a kitchen sink! 

My First Belgian Neiger (Snow) Day!!!

Since our land lord is hopefully coming over tomorrow to fix the leak in the kitchen and remove the stupid stickers on our walls, I spent the day scrubbing the entire apartment.  Not that it is super dirty or anything but for some reason I just want it to be spotless before he comes so he doesn't give us any grief about hanging up curtains or putting up light fixtures.

By the time Dustin got home I was exhausted but I instantly regained my energy when he told me to look out the window and much to my surprise it was snowing!!!  Not just the snow flurries I was so excited to see earlier in the week, but real snow!  It was coming down so fast and all I was hoping for was it to fill our little back yard area.

The Snow in Our Back Yard

By the time we were bundled up enough to venture outside, the rooftops and our porch were covered with a clean, sparkly, white layer of fresh snow.  I got my winter wonderland!

Our back yard about 30 minutes later!

We stopped in the patisserie downstairs for a cappuccino to go and a croissant for Dustin before walking up to the top of the hill to see the amazing scene the snow had created on Mons.

The View of Our Street!

The Church of St Waudru

Despite the cold, I had talked Dustin into walking all the way around to the University of Mons so we could venture in the beautiful park that lays in the center of the University.  The snow was perfect, completely untouched, and just layering the entire park with a perfect layer of glittering white snow.  It was just too perfect to leave it along so we all know what that means.... SNOW BALL FIGHT!!!!

I totally kicked Dustin's butt!!!  After a few disapproving stares from those walking through the courtyard and frozen hands, we decided to venture back to the apartment to defrost!

After a hot cup of coffee and a little rest, we ventured out in the cold to have dinner somewhere in the Grand Place.  It was just to beautiful not to enjoy the scenery.

The Winter Wonderland aka the Grand Place!

We passed some adorable kids with their sled, mini snow board, and puppy all playing in the snow.  They were adorable!  We decided to eat at Le Royal since they had a fireplace and the perfect view of the city center.  A salad with warm goat cheese, mussels and frits, beer, and wine... um yes please!  Delicious and an absolutely beautiful view... I couldn't ask for a better date night!

Our View for Dinner... Excuse the reflections in the window!

We then went to a local bar for a mojito before heading home, snuggling up in the warm bed, and looking at the winter wonderland outside our apartment!

It is days like today that I am so thankful to live in such a beautiful place!  It would only be better if the rest of our family and friends were here to experience it with us!

My First Installation Pass & Another Furniture Purchase!

As of today I can officially enter Chievres without signing in and even by myself!  Dustin completed all the paperwork and made an appointment for us to meet with Mr. Patrick today to get my installation pass.  We expected to only get a monthly pass but it is good for a whole year... if only it was that easy to convince Belgian authorities to let me stay here that long!

Since Dustin was off for the rest of the day we drove up to Brussels to order the rest of the furniture we had picked out from Habitat.  To cut down on the delivery cost we are having it delivered when our sofa is, so we won't have it until the end of March, but I am still super excited.

So here is our new coffee table:

And our new dining table:

Now just to wait for everything to get here... that is the worst part!

And to finish the day right, a quick yummy snack style dinner (smoked salmon, cheese, apples, carrot, celery, and hummus), wine, and Rosetta Stone French lessons!