So while I was driving around taking photos of flowers and fauna, I remembered the local cemetery. I love cemeteries and really enjoy photographing them. I was wandering around there and taking pictures and remembered that back in college the Radio from Hell show segment "Things That MUST Go". This radio segment featured my submission one time (including nylons, 1-ply toilet paper, etc.) much to my delight. It was cathartic, and sometimes any relief is welcome.
These are a few of my favorite things (the Belgian edition):
1. Belgian friends
2. Belgian chocolate
3. Galler chocolate-filled waffle-things
4. Belgian waffles
5. Cupcakes D'Emilie
6. Turkish Scarf Shop
7. Eurostar
8. wooly sheep with stick legs
9. old buildings
10. historic stuff
11. my darling farm house's antique doors, door knobs, barns, and tile floors.
Things that MUST go:
1. Crappy Belgian healthcare (at least in Wallonia)
2. Dreary, cold constant rain
3. Traffic in Brussels
4. Gas Prices (its 176 dollars to fill my tank that normally costs between 30-40 in the US)
5. VAT (22% sales tax on all food, clothes, etc)
6. oil heating
7. crappy electrical wiring
8. expensive food that isn't worth it
9. the time it takes to check out because the cashier has to visit with every person that checks out thus causing a task normally taking 5 minutes to last upwards of 30.
10. BANKING
11. the absence of customer service
12. locals pretending to not speak english just to discriminate
13. having to buy water in restaurants
14. having to pay to pee in the restaurant you just bought water in
15. slow service in food establishments. It is impossible to eat in an hour or even 90 minutes. Plan on 2-3 hours for a basic meal.
16. roads
17. business hours (the man required to sign the document only works on tuesdays from 2-4:30, and he's on vacation the next two weeks) (shop's sign say it closes at 5, but employees lock you out at 4:35 because they will be completely shut upon 5 pm)
18. yielding to farm roads
19. signage (over abundance but never with street names)
20. Anti-American sentiment (it gets old)
I never really experience homesickness in the years I have spent the years outside of the US. I think this is as close as I get! :D Just in a moment of ex-patriotism, here is a parting thought:
These are a few of my favorite things (the Belgian edition):
1. Belgian friends
2. Belgian chocolate
3. Galler chocolate-filled waffle-things
4. Belgian waffles
5. Cupcakes D'Emilie
6. Turkish Scarf Shop
7. Eurostar
8. wooly sheep with stick legs
9. old buildings
10. historic stuff
11. my darling farm house's antique doors, door knobs, barns, and tile floors.
Things that MUST go:
1. Crappy Belgian healthcare (at least in Wallonia)
2. Dreary, cold constant rain
3. Traffic in Brussels
4. Gas Prices (its 176 dollars to fill my tank that normally costs between 30-40 in the US)
5. VAT (22% sales tax on all food, clothes, etc)
6. oil heating
7. crappy electrical wiring
8. expensive food that isn't worth it
9. the time it takes to check out because the cashier has to visit with every person that checks out thus causing a task normally taking 5 minutes to last upwards of 30.
10. BANKING
11. the absence of customer service
12. locals pretending to not speak english just to discriminate
13. having to buy water in restaurants
14. having to pay to pee in the restaurant you just bought water in
15. slow service in food establishments. It is impossible to eat in an hour or even 90 minutes. Plan on 2-3 hours for a basic meal.
16. roads
17. business hours (the man required to sign the document only works on tuesdays from 2-4:30, and he's on vacation the next two weeks) (shop's sign say it closes at 5, but employees lock you out at 4:35 because they will be completely shut upon 5 pm)
18. yielding to farm roads
19. signage (over abundance but never with street names)
20. Anti-American sentiment (it gets old)
 |
| Through the cut-out cross on the door. |
 |
| door cross |
I never really experience homesickness in the years I have spent the years outside of the US. I think this is as close as I get! :D Just in a moment of ex-patriotism, here is a parting thought:
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