First Snow

I love the first snow...long enough to take the dogs to the field (not that they care about snow but there's something I really enjoy about watching them run around in fresh snow) and take pictures. Then I'm over it.

What my ride home from work looked like.

Recent Local News - Who Wants an Elephant?

FRANCE

French Beer Tax

France has announced that it will raise the tax on beer

by 160 percent. If France chooses to do so, it is likely to

threaten hundreds of jobs in the Belgian beer sector, says

Sven Gatz, the Chairman of the Belgian Brewers. France

is the biggest market for Belgian beer (20 percent of the

Belgian beer production). Gatz expects the measure to

cause the sales in France to drop by 15 to 20 percent.

The brewers are especially upset that the tax increase

only applies to beer and not wine and liquor. The brewers

believe it is a case of discrimination and protectionism.

Prime Minister Di Rupo has already raised the issue with

French President Hollande while the latter made a remark

on the Belgian fiscal legislation that is attracting French

millionaires who want to evade the French tax on wealth.

BELGIUM

New Holocaust Museum in Belgium

The grand opening of the new Holocaust museum in Mechelen

was held last week in presence of Belgian King Albert

II. The building is built with a total of 25,852 bricks, i.e.

exactly the number of Jewish people and Gypsies who

were deported from the Dossin barracks in Mechelen

between 1942 and 1944. Of those deported, only five

percent came back from the concentration camps.

Belgians discover three new species of bees

A team of scientists from the Royal Belgian Institute for

Natural Sciences, has discovered three new South-African

bee species. The bees involved are primitive bees with

a length of only 6 or 7 millimeters. They have South Africa's

Cape Province as their natural habitat and have

only been spotted there.The bees have been assigned to

the new family Capalictus. The Belgian scientists worked

with America's Cornell University and London's Natural History

 Museum for their research.

Synthetic diamonds in Antwerpen

The Antwerp judicial authorities are looking into a fraud

case involving synthetic diamonds. Synthetic diamonds

can hardly be distinguished from real ones, only laboratory

research can provide real guarantees. The scam was

discovered in Antwerp's Gemological Institute. Apparently,

also counterfeit diamonds are being traded in the

city of Antwerp. This was discovered almost by accident,

when a trader had some checks done on 1,000 smaller

stones. 600 turned out to be synthetic or man-made.

The diamonds involved came from abroad (an American

supplier). People tried to sell them in Antwerp presenting

them as real, natural diamonds. They had been mixed

with other real diamonds to fool buyers, but a laboratory

in Antwerp discovered the scam. Synthetic diamonds are

cheaper than real diamonds, but not so much, because

it is very expensive to make them.

Remembering WWI

Belgium is getting ready to commemorate the hundredth

anniversary of the first conflict in which the whole world

was involved. The production company Studio 100, that

mainly focuses on children’s television and state show,

is in the final stages of negotiation to hire the Nekkerhal

in Mechelen for almost a year in order to stage a show

about the First World War. Among other shows, the public

broadcaster VRT will air an eight part show titled ‘Ten

Oorlog’ (To War). Heads of State will be invited to attend

a national memorial ceremony on October 15, 2014.

NETHERLANDS



Zoo gives away four elephants

A power struggle within a group of elephants at Emmen

zoo in the Netherlands has grown so out of control that

the zoo has decided to give away four of the herd free of

charge. The power struggle erupted following the death

of the herd's matriarch Htoo Khin Aye in June, when she

collapsed and died, squashing her three-week old calf

in the process. Since then, two rival strands of the family

have been fighting it out for control. The two leading

females - Htoo Khin Aye's oldest daughter and another

elephant who is the oldest female in the group - are now

continually bullying each other, helped by their sisters

and children. The dispute has become so serious the two

groups cannot exercise at the same time and have to be

kept separated. The zoo authorities have now decided

one female, her two sons and a daughter are to be found

a new home and given away free of charge to another zoo.

Plans to sell barbed wire dropped

The foundation in charge of a former Nazi concentration

camp in the Netherlands has scrapped plans to sell pieces

of barbed wire dug up at the site following protests from

Jewish groups. The Kamp Amersfoort foundation said the

sale of 50 pieces of wire for €10 each would not go ahead.

The sale had been planned to raise money to finance an

exhibition of artifacts found on site. 'It seems we have

hurt people and that was not our intention,' said the site

director. Jewish groups had described the planned sale

as 'completely tasteless and lacking in respect'. Up to

40,000 people passed through the camp during World War

II, of whom at least half were deported to death camps.

[Some grim news this week.]

Accident in the North Sea

(AP)  Rescuers called off search efforts for six missing crewmen

Thursday from a cargo ship that sank in the North Sea

 after a collision with another vessel. The presumed death toll

is 11 -- taking into account the missing and five bodies found so far.

A day after the Baltic Ace capsized in international waters off

Netherlands' southern coast, search helicopters, planes and coast guard ships

were called back to their bases amid icy conditions.

"Given the water temperature and the amount of time that's passed,

we don't have any hope for more survivors," Peter Westenberg

 of the Dutch coast guard said. Westenberg said passing ships were still

being notified by radio to remain alert for possible human remains.

The 485-foot Baltic Ace sank Wednesday evening after colliding

with the 440-foot container ship Corvus J near busy shipping lanes.

The cause of the collision wasn't known.

Dutch teens charged in linesman's death

(CNN) -- The Netherlands is reeling from the death of a volunteer

soccer official at an amateur football match over the weekend

which has led to three Dutch teenagers being charged with manslaughter.

Two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old -- all Amsterdam club Nieuw Sloten players --

were arrested and charged by Dutch police after the death

of a 41-year-old linesman Richard Nieuwenhuizen,

who was beaten by players following a match against his club Buitenboys

 in the city of Almere. Nieuwenhuizen's son was playing in the

match when the incident occurred. "Two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old from

Amsterdam, under suspicion of seriously assaulting a 41-year-old linesman

of the Buitenboys from Almere, will on Thursday appear before

a judge at the Almere court," the prosecutor's office said.

"The suspects will appear on charges of manslaughter, assault and public violence."

The judge will now decide whether to keep the three youths in detention in Amsterdam.

Nieuwenhuizen is the second man to die during an amateur football game following the

death of a 77-year-old, who was the victim of a karate kick by a 32-year-

old footballer during a game on December 3 2011.

T Minus 3 Weeks (Again)

Three weeks from now their plane should be landing and I get to see Mama, Daddy and Gran!!  I'm just a WEEEEEEEE bit excited!!!

This will be my first set of winter visitors. I'm not going to be carzy and hope for really good weather but it would be nice if it wasn't miserably cold and/or wet.  That's not too much to ask for, is it?

Can't I Just Take the Train?

I had to drive to Brussels for work yesterday. In general, I do not like driving. Here in the Netherlands it's not too terrible because the roads are good and people are nice and left turns are protected. In Germany the drivers are very aggressive and left turns are not protected.  In Belgium the drivers are aggressive, left turns are not protected and the roads are not as well maintained.   I am not an aggressive driver. Even if I'm first at the serpentine I let the oncoming driver through first. I have no "need for speed" so the higher speed limits here are not really of interest for me. I have no problem driving 30kph (20mph) through residential areas and even less if there are bikes (being a bike commuter I'm very conscious of driving gently near them and giving them the right of way).  I'm happy to sit in the right lane with the cruise control on maintaining a constant speed that is ideal for gas mileage.

That doesn't work so well on the freeway in Belgium. The speed limit is 120kph (approx 76mph). The right lane is full of big trucks topping out at about 90kph (around 55mph). I'd be comfortable with that except that it means spending more time sitting in the car and that's not comfortable for me. In the left lane are the people who want to go much faster than the 120 limit. If there are other drivers like me there certainly aren't very many. If you want to pass the big trucks you're going to end up with a very angry Belgian riding your bumper (there does not appear to be a "safe following distance" here) and flashing their lights at you to move to the right lane; even if you're doing 120.  Never mind that even if you could squeeze your car into that space in the right lane, it would require slamming on your breaks as soon as you did because, again, that lane is only going 90. If you don't move, the car behind you comes closer (how is that even possible?!?) and flashes more furiously.  I arrived in Brussels thoroughly stressed.  I just simply do not like it.

Then there was the knowledge that I had to do it again to get home.  By the time I got home all I could do was curl up and take a nap and my head hurt for the rest of the day. I'm so glad I can commute to work by bike, walk to the grocery store and take the train to most places I want to visit. When I moved back over here 2 years ago I was rather saddened to see such an increase in the number of cars and the amount of driving from 20 years ago.  I don't know where my next project will be but it will either be here, in Belgium or in Germany.  Wherever it is, I will be picking a house that allows me to walk, bike or take public transportation to work. I'm just not cut out to be a car commuter here.

Beaujolais Nouveau -Sunday in My City

The contents of this post did not take place on a Sunday and the only connection to my city is that it was a NATO event and NATO is located in my city. But I haven't had a chance to post about it until now so it's what you get :) I know this is supposed to be mostly a picture post but...Sorry!

Disclaimer: I'm a wine idiot. Really, I know nothing except that it comes from grapes. Further proof of my complete lack of wine knowledge to follow.

I'm not a very social person. I don't enjoy large gatherings of people. Mingle?  I'd rather not!  Many people have trouble saying "No" to things. I have trouble saying "Yes."  That's one reason why my current job is so nice. I'm alone. I work by myself and that suits me just fine. However, there are cultural events that take place being in a NATO community and sometimes I force myself to attend because, however much I dislike social events I do like things cultural. 

Last week the French delegation hosted an event called Beaujolais Nouveau.  All I knew was that it was a wine tasting.  Someone gave me a free ticket.  I forced myself to go.  Upon arrival you're handed a glass (a real glass, not plastic or some other disposable item) and it is immediately filled with wine.  Members of the French delegation walked around with bottles in hand refilling any glass that was even partially empty. I was a little surprised that there was only one one being tasted but it was free and I wasn't about to complain.

This was the only picture of the event I could find online and I didn't have my camera to take any pictures of my own.
[Source]

I didn't drink much as I didn't think drinking and biking was such a great idea!  However, there was also French bread and French cheese (mostly of the brie and Camembert type varieties) and I ate my fill of that. It was all just too good!

Anyway, the next day I saw the following news story title:

Beaujolais Nouveau French Wine Fans Take Red Wine Baths To Celebrate Its 2012 Launch

The story is here. That's when I learned that Beaujolais (a word that's impossible (at least for me) to type correctly the first time or ten) Nouveau is not just some French word for party (have I ever mentioned how terrible my French is?). It's a very specific wine.  I told you I know nothing. 

According to the story: 

"Gamay grapes in France’s Beaujolais region that are used to make the red are "harvested by hand, with no barrel aging, allowing the young wine to retain much of its light, fruity flavor making it a perfect pairing to popular holiday foods."

"As a result of the work of famed négociant Georges Duboeuf, the release of Nouveau has become a world-wide phenomenon with a race to get the first bottles to markets around the globe. More than 60 million bottles will be distributed worldwide,"

..the yearly launch of the Beaujolais Nouveau is celebrated around the world "with parties, special menus and festive cries of 'Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrive!'" Under French law, the third Thursday in November is the "earliest permissible release date" for the popular beverage."

Based on the fact that the Beaujolais Nouveau is already on clearance at the grocery store I'm guessing it's only considered a big deal for the day of release and then the novelty wears off?  I don't know but I picked up a bottle.  

If you want to read more interesting stories from more interesting places, head over to Unknown Mami and check out more Sundays in My City posts.

Random BENL News

Age limit to buy tobacco in the Netherlands
Dutch tobacco companies have written to the health ministry
urging the new government to put up the age limit for buying
cigarettes and tobacco from 16 to 18. Ministers plan to
increase the legal age at which teenagers can buy alcohol
from 16 to 18. This could also be applied to tobacco products,
Dutch tobacco companies say.

Sheep on moped
Police in Tienen, Belgium, arrested three men who were transporting
a sheep on a moped. The police soon discovered
that the three men were staying here illegally and that the
sheep had been stolen.

[I swear I did not make this up!]

More U.S. students in Belgium
Figures from the Institute of International Education show
that 880 Belgian students registered to study at a school
of advanced learning in the United States in 2012-13. The
figure is up 8.4% in comparison with only five years ago.
The institute's report also shows that 1,374 U.S. nationals
registered for academic studies in Belgium in 2011-12. This
figure is up 10.5% on the year.

Belgian weapons
Saudi Arabia is the most important purchaser of Belgian
weapons. Saudi Arabia purchases approximately one third of
all Belgian weapons valued at 253 million Euros. All weapons
for Saudi Arabia are produced in Wallonia. Nils Duquet of the
Flemish Peace Institute states “because FN Herstal is a crucial
company for the Walloon economy, the Walloon government
delivers weapons permits without much argument, even if
it concerns sensitive clients. It seems economic interests
prevail in Wallonia.” Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has not made
it a secret that it supplies weapons to armed groups in Syria,
says Thomas Baum, the Director of the Peace Institute.

[Note: Wallonia is the French speaking region of Belgium]

Nearly every Dutch household has internet
Some 96% of Dutch households now have an internet connection,
while 42% of the population have access to mobile
internet via smart phones, according to a new research.
Around 56% say the internet has given them better access
to government and official information and two-thirds have
more contact with their family. One third say they have made
new friends online.

How I Spent Turkey Day

I've spent different Thanksgivings in 5 countries on 4 continents and in 5 US states. 

21 years ago I spent Turkey Day in the Netherlands when I was here as a foreign exchange student. Honestly, I have no recollection of that particular day.  It's possible the family I was living with did something special but I don't remember. 

Then there were all the years I was away at university.  I know I went home a couple times and there was one that involved beer-soaked pork chops and ice skating with a couple friends and the year I flew to LA and drove to Las Vegas with Terri and her friend Ty but the rest were apparently not remarkable enough to imprint themselves on my memory.

I spent 2 T-days in Ghana.  The first was a typical Ghanaian experience.  Rob and Hilary and I decided to go to Tim's. We sent word via tro-tro.  He never got the message.  Tim decided he wanted to go somewhere and showed up at Hilary's. He and Hilary they sent word to Rob and I via tro-tro (tro messages were the best and worst way to contact people).  We didn't get the messages.  I showed up at Tim's, talked to his Japanese roommate, found out he wasn't there and left. Rob showed up much later, spent the night and came to my house the next day. I ate the loaf of pumpkin bread Brenda had made for me as my T-day dinner (she made the most yummiest pumpkin bread I've ever had!).  There wasn't any left by the time Rob arrived.  It was weeks or longer before we saw Tim or Hilary to find out what had happened.

The next year a large group of us gathered at Jesse's site and made a huge meal. I invited one of the teachers from my school and I pounded mashed potatoes in a fufu pounder.  I remember Erica helping me.  Tim brought a live turkey. I have no idea who did the killing and plucking.  For most of the years since I returned from Ghana I've eaten groundnut soup on T-day.  It's a spicy peanut Ghanaian soup that's pretty much my favorite food on the planet.  Except for 2008 when I was in Afghanistan. I know the DFAC (dining facility) there had a big dinner but somehow we had a turkey (shipped in dry ice or something) and our compound a the time had a full kitchen (that has since changed and now folks only have the DFACs) so we put together a full meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and...other stuff that I can't recall.

Two years ago, a few weeks after I arrived back here in NL, while still living in a hotel room I attempted to go to the communal dinner offered by the base.  I didn't know the conference center where it was being held isn't on the base proper.  I tried to find it but wasn't successful.  Last year I went to Barcelona. 

Yesterday, I came to work for a couple hours. Since I wasn't required to work I wasn't required to show up at my normal time so I slept an extra hour. I brought the pumpkin pies someone was nice enough to pick up from the commissary for me since I was at work until 7pm on Wed (pies that had to be baked for 75min! so I was up rather late).  I had to look up the German word for pumpkin as one of the Germans asked me what was in the pie and he didn't understand the English or Dutch words for pumpkin.  Sometimes Dutch and German are pretty close. Other times, not.  Pumpkin in Dutch = ponpoen. In German = kurbis.  So I learned a new German word.  After getting done everything I had hoped to get done I went to the dentist (teeth are clean and there were no problems).  Next I went to the gym and met with my trainer. It was a beautiful day yesterday (sunny with temps in the upper 40s) so I took the dogs to the back fields to run and I jogged with them (yes, after working out with the trainer).  Then I got on my bike and went to the centrum to get a few things I needed for some goodie boxes I'm sending to a couple friends. Yes, I was quite tired after all that! Finally I tucked into a nice bowl of roasted curried sweet potato soup (I would have made groundnut soup but I had the pot of sweet potato soup I made this past weekend and it seemed appropriate) and talked to the family via Skype.  The dogs ate a bag of cute Dutch house-shaped chocolates I had bought for one of the goodie boxes so I figured they didn't need any additional treats for dinner.  It was a very productive day.

I'm thankful I have a body that puts up with shenanigans like trainer then jogging then biking all in one day.  I'm thankful I have the means and ability to prepare almost all my food from scratch using real, whole ingredients (it could be all my food but I occasionally indulge in a pizza or Thai take-out or ice cream and, of course, CHOCOLATE (which is a little more than an occasional indulgence!)).  I'm thankful for chocolate!! Oh, and good dental care :) I thankful I have a life that has afforded me the opportunity to be on 4 different continents so far!

I wonder where I'll be next year on Turkey Day. I think, one of these years, I'll have to go to Turkey just so I can say I spent Turkey day in Turkey :)

Just Another Thursday

There's no Thanksgiving holiday in the Netherlands. As a US Gov't employee I get the day off although I plan to work part of the day.  I'll bring some pumpkin pies for the guys here on the construction site. Vlai (the Limburg (Limburg is the region in which I live) version of pie) is traditionally eaten/brought for any celebration. Pumpkin  is not a frequently-eaten item here. In fact, pumpkin (ponpoen) is the generic word for squash.  Squashes are mostly just a decoration here although you can sometimes find little pie pumpkins at the grocery store.  So I'm pretty certain these guys have never had pompoen vlai.

I also have a dentist appointment scheduled.  Oh yeah! I know how to live it up on a holiday!!  Really, it was easier to schedule it on a day I have off. 

Several people have expressed sadness at the idea of spending Thanksgiving "alone," working and going to the dentist. Really, it's just another Thursday here.  Besides, I don't need a huge meal to remember the things for which I'm thankful. 

Monday was World Toilet Day. I have a toilet and it flushes. For that I'm truly blessed (even if we've reached a Level 5 toilet paper crisis here on site).  I've lived without a toilet and with a toilet but no running water. I know how lucky I am!  I also have the two sweetest creatures who are gracious enough to share their love with me even if I work long hours and am sometimes too tired to take them for a nice long walk.  And I have the greast parents! Perfect...well, nobody's perfect. But I definitely lucked out in the parental department.  None of that will change if I go to the dentist instead of stuffing my face with turkey and mashed potatoes (not that I don't love me some mashed taters!!).

Dogs Around Town - Sundays in My City

Dutch people walk their dogs. Most of them multiple times/day.  Regardless of the weather. I walk my dogs once/day as long as it's not pouring rain.  Dogs are even allowed in some stores and restaurants.  Restaurants will bring a water bowl for them.  

My dogs waiting outside the grocery store (where they are not allowed).

 Some places about town have what I call "fixture dogs" because they're just part of the place.

This friendly one hangs out outside a clothing store. I believe s/he belongs to someone who works there. S/he's never on a leash but I've never seen her cause any trouble.  

She always comes to say hello to my dogs.

This dog seems to live in the store-front of this art...I'm not sure exactly what this place is. I've never seen it open but there's art in there.  When I ride past on my way to work in the morning the dog is always asleep right there in the window.

This morning we walked to the grocery store and it rained on our way back. Tex was born and spent his first 1.5 years on Phoenix, AZ where he never got wet. He still hates getting wet. Cheyenne very sweetly dried him off when we got back.

Normally it's Tex taking care of Cheyenne but he really hates being wet!

  Feel free to head over to Unknown Mami and check out all the other Sundays in My City posts. Next week, I promise, no dogs :)

Book Swap Update

My book arrived!!  I'm surprised it made it so quickly as there are things I'm waiting for that were ordered up to 2 months ago.  Anyway, I'm super excited!

The book my swap partner Angie chose for me is Over the Edge of the World by Laurence Bergreen.  It came with a note saying she read this book while hiking at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  I love that this book has an attachment for her.  I have a lot of book-place associations.  Many of my memories of certain places have to do with what I was reading there and many of my memories of certain books have to do with where I was when I was reading them. 

Angie said she looked at my goodreads list for ideas.  I'll admit, goodreads is something I started years ago and very quickly abandoned (unlike Angie who has hundreds of books listed in hers).  But she said from that very meager list she deduced that I like non-fiction. Which is true. And this is a book I've never even heard of so that makes it more exciting. There's a very real chance that none of what I need to get done today will get done as it's a dreary day (shocking for here, I know) and I have a brand new book that I can't wait to start reading.  Thanks so much, Angie!!  And thanks again to Jessica for organizing the whole swap.  I can't wait for the next one (did I say that already?  Well, it's still true!).