I just returned home from a long long weekend in Belgium. I was headquartered out in Mechelen, a small town just outside of Brussels with 1 of the best Belgians going, and her husband, an expatriated Canadian and longtime friend. They did their absolute best to encourage the impending move to Belgium. And so we did:
Much househunting. Finally settling on an apartment that defied almost all criteria Chiara and I had set. It’s small, with no outdoor space and an only so-so kitchen. But it’s in a sweet neighborhood smack dab in Brussels, with an, albeit tiny, spare bedroom.
One job interview. Of sorts. With a Dutch artist who’s opening a new gallery in Brussels and needs a rep. I could be that guy. Although it’s a commission job and involves mostly cold call sales, it’s at least something.
Watched local side KV Mechelen, of Belgian B League, win a nailbiter at the Mechelen stadium. Live and up close. Corey and I also spent a fair amount of time looking for KV Mechelen scarves, but to no avail. Yet.
Realize how important it is that I get my French out from every nook and cranny it now lies dormant, and set it on fire to burn brightly as a beacon of job-worthiness. It will certainly also involve the acquisition of new vocabulary and grammar. On those rare days when it is not cloudy in Belgium, my go-to phrase “Il fait beaucoup du brouillard,” [It’s very foggy] will not help me at all.
Some Belgian beer drinking. And some hockey watching. Including the Canucks on Hockey Night in Canada. And that following a Leafs Habs tilt that went to a shootout. Awesome! Victories to the Habs and Canucks made me happy.
But time ran out in Belgium. For now. Plenty more jobs to look for from Rome, and of course prepare for the move. But a newlook, newidea 2007 beckons.