The Quirks of Brussels

I was offered to join a traditional lunch yesterday, and I was so glad I joined! The meal is called, 'Raclette', and originates out of France, but also has some Dutch roots. Raclette is actually a way of cooking. It looks like an American, frozen pizza cooker, but little "pizza slice looking" slide into the machine and it melts whatever you have on your little, personal tray. Typically you put varies slices of cheese on them, it melts, and then you put it over an array of foods. For our other foods, we had fresh potatoes, mushrooms, peppers, salamis (not a fan, because they are slightly raw), and steamed broccoli. The tradition is that the people converse with each other while their cheese melts under the machine. It's quite a fun tradition, because it's one that requires people to slow down and talk instead of diving in like Americans are used to. The flatmates and I all prepared the meal together along with some of their friends. It was a wonderful afternoon!  

Something else that I find interesting about Brussels is that there is no sense of space. While sitting in a coffee shoppe, someone will sit directly next to you. While walking on the street, they will not say excuse me, but rather push by you. While sitting on a couch, they will sit in the seat next to you, even if there is room elsewhere. It's strange to me, but they're more personal when it comes to space. Their greeting is the same. They give a slight hug with a kiss on one cheek, NOT TWO. For two days, I was confusing them and kissing both cheeks, but I was finally corrected and now it's a joke! 

When it comes to the driving, I think it's a nightmare! Not everyone has a car, but if they do, it's the smallest European car or a work van. None of the cars seem too much better than the next, for they all seem to be fairly generic. Anyways, the streets here can be a bit hard to navigate through. Unlike the typical grid-like streets in America, they are windy, new ones start in random places, and you can easily get lost in no time! I have been taking the same route more-or-less in order to not become lost. Another fun fact: pedestrians > drivers. Some crosswalks have signals for walkers, but on smaller roads, they don't, leaving the pedestrian to walk freely, even without looking both ways! Belgians will slam on their brakes in order to allow pedestrians to cross, leaving the smallest amount of room between the car and person. Maybe I should walk around with a helmet on! Ha! 

Overall, Brussels seemed safe and charming. I'll miss this "Little Europe." 

Au Revior, God Bless, and as always, stay adventurous, 

Laura