Arriving

Wow okay, so SO much has happened in the past few days that I will start in chronological order in a few posts. Today is the first day I got internet. Lets start with the flight.

After checking in my 2 suitcases with a combined total of 125 LBS (and 50$ extra) , lugging them miles across the airport with a broken toe, eating a 9$ airport sandwhich, I finally got on my flight. I passed out on the flight, and flew to Chicago. USA airports have such good food! They have Starbucks, mckey D's, Manchu Wok, I'm not going to lie that Mcdonalds saved my life since I forgot to order a Kosher flight food. And yes, I realize the irony of eating the decidely non-kosher mcdonalds instead of non-kosher flight food, but the food on the plane is always ham and cheese, and mcdonalds isn't real meat anyways...

So I connected flights and after a long and boring flight where I slept with a pashmina shawl literally covering my entire head, looking like an insane Muslim, I arrived in Belgium!

So I got my bags, loaded them on trolleys (every airport I go to is more civilized then Pearson) and went to the train station. I paid my 3 euro for a train to Leuven and enlisted the help of an Italian girl to help me lift my suitcases onto the train. It wasn't easy, let me tell you. The senery for the 20 min. it took to go to Leuven from Brussels looked exactly like Canada, except the grass was a more vibrant green. From the train staion at Leuven I took a Cab to the Monastary where I was staying. Good thing I didn't take the bus since there was this giant hill (surronded by horses-I kid you not) where you had to walk up.

The cab driver REFUSED my tip..and that was when I knew I had entered a forign country.

As we drove, the WHITE cabbie (also a first) Said "Leuven is really small. Here is the centre of town." and literally one minute later "And here we are on the outskirts."

I checked in, removed the cross of Jesus from my wall, washed my hands and took the bus into town.

I was determined to find an appt. immediatly, so went to the housing office.

I didn't realize how FLEMISH Belgium acutally was. I kind of thought that it would be english-like, but EVERYTHING is in Flemish. Not even French, which I can kind of understand, but all the signs and labels are in Flemish which basically looks like this : Schronstraaatvensmaker.

I found the housing office after getting lost for an hour (Father Oblaten, the monk, gave me a map of Leuven, all 2 km of it.) The lady at the desk gave me some brochures and then told me the free computer and phone would be open at 2:00, because as I was to learn, Belgian people don't work. They open at 10:00 am, close from 12:30-2, and then are open until 5:oo pm. Sometimes they close on Wednesdays, for no particular reason, and even when they are there , they feel no urge to serve you promptly.

Who needs an hour and a half lunch???? Ppl in Canada eat lunch at their desk for 15 min and work from 9-5 MIN.

So I wandered around town for a while,then came back after lunch and proceeded to call landlords. There was only one who would give me the same day appt. So I went to see it. He was late of course, but I met a nice boy from Holland who also took a room.

I saw the room, realized it looked like an Ikea dorm room showroom and took it. The rent is super cheap, the bathroom and kitchen are about a mile away and the Chinese guy next door chain smokes and only walks around in his pajamas.

I went back to the monastary, literally FELL into bed (I had been up for 36 hours) and thought of all the great horror movies that could take place there.


The next day I went to the Belgium Loblaws, Courfoor, and bought grocerys, linens, etc. I then stole the cart and wheeled it up the mile long hill to the monastary, unpacked it, rolled it all the way back down, then went to the bank until I realized that it was 1:00 and the bank was obviously closed for lunch. (yes, even BANKS close for lunch) and of course the ATM was out of service.

I moved in, unpacked, wandered around some more, met some ppl, had dinner with someone I met.



The cab took Visa though. He also refused a tip, but I forced it on him. (trust me he deserved it after lifting my suitcases.