The perils of being native

Right now I agreed to edit an essay for Cute Czech boy.

It is actually written in excellent English, better then most native's.

Unfortunately he is studying agriculture, or something like that and the article is about "Preservation of Meat in the Tropics."

I'd like to add that I am a pseudo veggitarian:


"Two ways of cutting muscles or smaller muscle groups into strips are either on chopping board or in the hanging position."

Preparation of “biltong” has to strictly keep the procedure of proper bleeding and evisceration. The whole process include cutting (or rather tearing) the meat lengthwise so that group of fibers can be dried as a unit. After that the meat is salted so that the salt is rubbed in by hand before hanging or strips are left with salt overnight.

But on the bright side I found out that I can get a work permit!! Which is really exiciting because now I can legally work as soon as I get my identity card. Which will hopefully eventually come. (I only finished the paperwork a month ago, so according to Belgian beaurocracy that is like...yesterday)

I think I am away to much though to get a steady job, but I'm going to try and maybe teach a few English classes or something.

I am trying to get a volunteer job, but like Canada, volunteering these days has become the equilivant to an internship and is thus for people who like to build their resumes. Which means deadlines and qualifications. Gone are the days where organizations were desperate for someone, ANYONE, to organize their files. It has turned into a privilage. Damn slave labour is now hard to get.

There aren't even any homeless people in Leuven. I can't even organize a hat drive.

I'm a joiner. I need something to join.

Mother Fucker not again

I have bad news. Terrible news.


I lost my cell phone AGAIN. or someone stole it.

I'll start from the beginning and you can judge the events leading up to this horrible loss.

JGLA said she would be over at 11, and she was naturally an hour late. So I spent the time watching Greys Anatomy dubbed in French. (And no, I didn't understand anything, but you have to start from somewhere) When she finally did show up at half past midnight, we started drinking sangria, wine and vodka.

It was fun and we were just talking and then Boy Next Door came in. And I was kinda tipsy and kind of starting insulting Catholosim (which they both are) but in an academic way.

(NB: That morning I did BND curly-jew hair and it looks way better now. And I found out he is most defnitely NOT Jewish. But I still think that he's lying.)

So then we went to the kitchen to get some vodka and JGLA stole some marshmellows, and I participated. I really didn't have very much to drink, just 7% sangria. But I haven't really drank for a week so maybe my tolerance is low.

We went back to my room when...

Helpful Belgian knocks on my door in a robe and in a very disoriented voice starts telling us to shut the fuck up basically because we were way to loud and to leave the building.

He said it really meanly. We were really taken aback at this b/c he is usually really nice. And it was only 2am. BUt I guess 2am on a tuesday for some ppl is hard.

So we decided to leave and be respectful so we did.

We kept drinking vodka/gernadine mix until the Oude Markt (passing a police car btw who don't care) and then eventually went inside De Rector, a club in the markt.

It was supposed to be 2.5 euro cocktails. We found some Italian girls there. It was basically a meat market. Every Belgian guy was in his striped t shirt uniform as usual.

I asked this guy in a giant red stella shirt to give me his shirt...and he did. I think that was the highlight of the nite.


I was just dancing like CRAZY. And the JGLA started to kiss this Flemish black guy.

All these guys were wearing sashes that said MIM on them. I guess it was some sort of faculty party.

At the end of the night they were spooning pina colada mix into our plastic cups.


There were also a lot of French guys so I got to practice my French!!

I really didn't think I was drunk at all, but apparantly I was. But I don't think I was! Some guy bought me a stella and I had some pina colada and some vodka and sangria, but not A LOT. So I don't know how my phone came to be lost.

I put my coach wrislet down twice, but would a theif just take the whole purse? I mean its so small might as well. But I rememebr looking at my wrislet once and being like "Oh shit , it's open, i should close it" and then closing it. SO maybe it fell out???

But I went back today and it wasn't there:( And I checked the police station dammit.

So after De Rector closed and we stole some flowers and pina colada, we went to the Seven Oaks and danced there for a while. On the way we met some Belgian boys on bikes and they started talking in Flemish or French or something I really had no idea at hat point. They looked really young though.

I think they were saying like Flemish swear words or like vagina or something. I don't even care. So we danced at the 7oaks, JGLA kissed a guy on ecstacy, then I noticed my phone was missing. Kept on dancing.

Then sometime we called it a night (no idea when since my cellphone is also my watch, my alarm clock, my calculator etc)

sooo then we went home i guess. And i gave JGLA money for the bus. WHen I collapsed into my bed i realized the room was spinning and that i was possibly drunk afterall.

I woke up this morning to banging on my door. and i kept asking who it was and being like 'do you fucking speak english who is it?"

so finally i got up and answered and hoped it wasnt a serial killer.

But it was Helpful Beglian who proceeded to give me a stern lecture. I was just thinking "fuuuck off". He was really pissed at me, so then I got really pissed at him.

LIke seriously get OVER it. Who storms into someones room in the morning, forces them to answer the door w/o saying who it is and then gives a lecture? Is he my father? It is sooo patronizing. Like
ME: What time is it?
HIm: Time to get up

So now I just really don't want to speak to him.

Yea I get I was too loud, I'm SORRRY. I didn't realize that I was loud and when he told me we left right away. Like what else does he want? And then another guy said I was too loud. I'm like..yea i know sorry. it doesnt happen every day.

And I hate when people yell at me or are mad at me. I can't handle it. I'm too meek (seriously I can't deal with confrontation). It makes me feel like a little girl again.

And tonight there is a Sinter Klauss party where everyone splits into pairs and cooks a snack. Me and this guy baked banana cookies out of a recipe I basically made up!

I have so much time on my hands here I'm learning to cook.

And I got a package from home again today!!!!!!!!!!!! Which included kraft dinner (L)

K I'm going to go be depressed and bitter now.

Language

I am learning so much about languages.

Not only Flemish, but all sorts of languages.

I grew up in Toronto, where people speak a million languages and broken English. This helps a lot in a forigen country where people have varying skills in English. But really...English really IS the lingua franca.

Actually...if I were to ask a Belgian a question in English on the street, they would probably respond with better English then if i had asked someone on the streets of Toronto.

It's also really clear which people speak English the best.

People from countries who dub television (France, Spain, Italy Germnay) have a harder time speaking English, especially with pronouciation and ease of speaking.

And its funny becuase the mistakes people made are obviously b/c of their own language.

Belgians always say "I teach from you" becuase they don't have a world for 'learn' as opposed to teach.

Italians always saw 'This night' instead of 'to night' or use the definite article (the) at inappropriate times.

it really makes me appreciate being a native english speak (as they call me).

But I still want to learn French, Spanish and Hebrew and Arabic.

Everyone already thinks I can speak french just because i am Canadian. They don't really get the whole "only the french are bilingual' thing.



I make it my business to know how to say ' i don't know this language'...in the language.

It has come in extreme usefulness.

Especially when people assume I am spanish or italian. (which happens like 7 times a day, even when I start speaking english)

Or when they are drunk and forget their english langauge skills.

here is what i can say so far (phonetic spelling) :

"Ik sprake hein nederlands, ik sprake alain engels' ( I dont speak dutch, i only speak english)

"no hablo espanol" ( i don't speak spanish)

"io noso parlele italiano" ( i dont speak italian)

"je ne parle pas francais" ( I dont speak french)

" ani lo medaberet ivrit" ( I dont speak hebrew)

"maquimo Daniella" ( ITA My name is Daniella -- not danielle, euro's can't pronounce danielle

"O dizanovi ani" (I am 19 years old )

"Studio philosophia" ( I study philosophy)

Salaam alokom "hello, arabic)


I know...I know..I'm a genuis..just come out and say it!


lately though I have been trying to put out a real effort to speak french. I have only been listing to French radio, French podcasts, learn french podcasts and sometimes even trying to translate the newspaper!

I enrolled in a class, but, ahem, keep skipping it. But its really boring since I am only in level one. I will start attending when it gets past "Je suis etudiante"


I understood my first Dutch sentence the other day! "Where is my bike?". I was so proud, esp. since I'm not studying Dutch. I would love to if it was more widely spoken and they didn't already all speak English perfectly!

But for Europeans it is so natural for everyone to AT LEAST be bilingual, but it is also common for people to speak 4 languages.

In N.A if you speak one and a half languages it is impressive.


But if I learn French..(somehow...it is so difficult!) at least I will be able to use it in Canada, since bilingual positions pay so much higher!

Oh and Biblical Hebrew, which I am also taking, will also come in handy.

Irish Night!

JGLA(Joanna Gallagher Look Alike) decided to have an Irish night at her rez!

I went there straight from school to help.

There were a lot of potatos involved. And Baileys. You can't have Irish night without potatos and alcohol.


It was a lot of fun. There were Belgians from her floor, random Spanish girls, and I actually convinced Boy Next Door to come!

I have been trying reallllly hard to become friends with Belgians. It is not an easy process but I feel I am making progress.

For instance, I actually got invited to dinner with them the other day! (although they may have just been trying to be polite...) And I went jogging with Helpful Belgians GF who I actually like a lot now.

I even took Midwife (A girl down the hall) shopping for proper clothes since I bluntly and possibly rudely told her she desperately needed some. But she agreed and is now much happier!

Anyways, so yea, BND came and you know when you talk about ppl....and then the ppl you talk about come and meet the ppl who already know everything about them? And you're just like...shiiiiittttt, I hope no one drops anything because then I would seem like really weird and stalkerish even though what the hell else am I supposed to talk about???

Or is that just me?

But he did not have a good time...which I don't really blame myself for. Like...I have realized you really do have to take it upon yourself at a party to make the fun. dont wait for the fun to come to you BE the fun. (that is so inspirational isn't it?)

Like be friendlier!

Oh ....I forgot to blog about this one particular night...buuuut basically I met this guy who kept trying to hit on me (Slutty Slovakian) but not only had a wife and kids, but a girl on the side who he loved...AND coincedentally lived in my complex!

So when we went to the Irish bar (where I met him last week) he was there! With a girl! Akwaaarrrrd. He was like "OH I was told you fell and cut yourself and it was my fault" I was like..um yea...that sucked.

Because...in the Seven Oaks...I actually did happen to fall and cut myself on a beer glass and that was not fun. Probably because I was trying to run away from him.

And I think he was wearing the same sweater. Just sayin.


I feel there is a lot of Exchange cest.

Like JGLA made out with this Phd irish student, and then today we ran into this girl and she had also make out with him! I have no idea how they got on the topic though...I should ask....


Yea so basically I have given up on BND being any fun at all and am going to try hard to frequent the American residence, where there is funner N.A's.


Not to be all like N.A and think that my country is great...but it IS friendlier. And how much effort can I put in? Enough already. English speakers are just friendlier and not just because they speak english.

And suprisngly Germans are really friendly too. And realllly good-looking. But...I'm not sure if that's kosher.

It's the truth, w/e.

K I have to sleep, its my class day tmrw!

Worst Blogger ever

I know...I know...

But my life has actually gained a routine.

I wake up at 1:27 5 days a week, clean my room, cook lunch, go out shopping for something, all of a sudden I realize it's 5 pm and I have accomplished nothing.

Then I attempt to do some work, usually get 15 min done before being distracted by msn/skype/aol/facebook/wikipedia. Then I cook dinner, realize it is already 8pm. I go impose myself on my poor Belgian neighbours who have to put up with my babbling. Then I text people, usually Joanna-Gallagher-Look-Alike to see what's happening that night. I start getting ready, start drinking, realize my vodka is almost out, then go out.

We start off in the markt, going to 3 bars before we find one that we like. At 1am we will end up at the Seven Oaks, which is always happening. We will talk to approximately 6 random people and have the following conversation:

Are you Belgian?
I am. Where are are you from?
Canada.
CANADA! What part of Canada?
Toronto
That is the English part?
Yes
Tu Parle Francais?
Je ne parle Pas francais. Well..petit peu
What are you studying?
Philosophy.
What are you studying?
Civil Engineering.
Wow that is really hard.
Yes.

*Akward smiling and shuffling that resembles dancing*

Go back to Joanna Gallagher Look-Alike

We leave Seven Oaks at about 4:30 and go back to the Markt. There we will meet several more random people, but it being later and only the fun people being out, the conversations will be more interesting. They will take place on the cobblestone.

Where are you from?
Canada.
Canada!
Yes, You?
Belgium.
Wow. Belgian guys really like striped shirts don't they?
*Akward smile*
Lets take a picture!
*There will always be two guys who are a foot taller then me who feel the need to actally lift me a foot of the ground so I will fit into the fram*

We repeat this approx 3 times before we go to 2 more bars.

We will then attempt to go home, but run into a person we met at a party 3 weeks ago and had conversation #1 with.

Then Joanna Gallagher look alike will steal something, a chair perhaps, or a bicycle.

I will then be afraid of sunrise and go home. She will force me to walk her halfway.

By now it is 5:45.

I will crawl into bed, hoping not to run into anybody in my hall.

Then it starts all over agin.

Twice a week however I will wake up at 10 am, go to class, take notes, have conversations with native English speakers, go late to French class, it will rain and I will curse myself for not remembering a plastic bag for my bicycle.

Um...do you carry flour?

I . Hate. Slash. Love. Grocery Shopping.


I takes me like 3 hours to go grocery shopping. This is because it takes me about 10 minuites per item to figure out what it is.

Every time I come home there is at least one thing that is totally the wrong thing.

You would think growing up in a bilingual country that I would be able to at least read the french labels. But...no. It's better then my Flemish, but I can only catch the gist, not actually what it is.

For instance, if I wanted unbleached white flour...I can kind of tell what item is flour...but which is white? which is for baking? Which is organic?

Also, the grocery stores have a way narrower selection then we do on a lot of things. Like baking. They literally do NOT carry chocolate chips. What kind of self respecting grocery store doesn't carry chocolate chips?????


They have a massive alcohol section, the size of an LCBO in the middle of the store, but a weeny 10th of an aisle for salad dressing.


They have a massive cheese section stretching across an entire wall.....yet they don't carry cheddar.


I'm trying to bake vegan chocolate chip cookies (if you cook it yourself it like, cancels out the calories) and spent 1 hour staring at the baking section.


I hope I have the right stuff...I will tell you in a few hours.

Where the Poppies grow

Today was remembrance day.

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Won't it be excited when we get to 2011? Yeaaa it will.

So me and the Canadians decided to go to Ypres which is like 2.5 hours away.

I woke up at 7. That is an achievement considering I went to bed at 4.

My bike didn't break down on the way to the train station and I made the train with a full 30 seconds.

We got to Ypres and followed the people.

There was a contingent of Sikhs in the procession, because they fought as well when India was part of the British Empire. English Patient anyone?

This random girl stopped me and Tiffany and asked us some questions for her high school project. Wahoo, I'm a Belgian superstar now.

Then we saw a Canadian flag and just joined the procession!

The town was totally DESTROYED in WW1 and was rebuilt. It's remarkable how they rebuilt it, it looks identical. The history of Ypres is that it was a cloth making and military town. It has a massive neo-gothic building that was rebuilt.

So there were tonnes of British people there, tour buses full. There was this one adooorable little British boy with his ultra sterotypical British father.

My camera getting blurry though.

So after the ceremony where ppl from Canada and Britain read poems (Incluing Flanders Fields!) and the British guard or whomever those ppl with the bearskin hats did like music and other groups did musical stuff too. It was hard to see over the people though.

And it was raining hard.

And then all of a sudden, as the ceremony was ending, the sun came out. Swear.



Then we spend like a long while trying to find a cheap place to eat that could sit 8, and ended up at a Shwarma place.

Then we tried to go to Passendale (where the giant battles were held) but missed the bus that only goes every 2 hours, so we went to the very expensive museum instead.

There was a school group of British girls who had the CUTEST rainboots on. I can't wait to go to England and get myself a pair.

But seriously, war is soooo stupid. Like do people even know what they are fighting for? And is it worth it? LIke WW1..what the hell was the point of that? and everyone was miserable in it, an entire generation died, it created a recession, led to WW2 and basically...well...was stupid.


ON the way home, the fucking evil conducter caught me writing on my GO Pass, because you are supposed to write your destination before, and actually charged me 18 euro.

Who the hell does that?

So mean.

And yesterday a bank machine swallowed my Canadian Bank card. It literally said as it was swolloing it "THis card will be swallowed in 15 seconds"

At least it is a polite, evil, bank machine.

K i Have a giiiaant headache, going to bed.

Seriously, no REALLY

I can't help myself anymore. It has snowballed. I am officially a Jew.


I still get the same reaction from everyone though...which is a mixture of disbelief and weirdness.

Then they assume I know nothing about Judaism because I'm not orthodox.


I've given up.


Conversation

Adorable Chinese: I thought you were a half Jew
Danielle: No I am 100% Jew
Adorable Chinese: But you said your Dad was European
Danielle: Yes....
Adorable Chinese: So he is not Jewish
Danielle: He is still a Jew
Adorable Chinese: No
Danielle: Yes. He is both European and Jewish. This is actually possible.

How I Came out of the Closet

Cute Czech: Jews eat Garlic
Danielle: Um....no they don't
Cute Czech: yes they do
Danielle: Um....no
Adorable Chinese: She would know she is half Jewish
Cute Czech: You are not Jewish
Danielle: Yes I am Jewish...and I don't eat Garlic
Cute Czech: But you do not practice
Danielle: I am Jewish. My mother is Jewish, my father is jewish, i went to jewish school, i went to jewish camp, i went to israel, i speak hebrew. I'm jewish. And I don't eat garlic.
Cute Czech: Then you are not orthodox b/c they eat garlic for the health benefits

Why do I keep having the same conversation with everyone?

Friendly Mexican: You are Jewish! I usually sniff them out. I would never have guessed you are Jewish
Danielle: Oh no..trust me...I am Jewish. THIS is what a Jew looks like.
Friendly Mexican: I have Jewish friends
Danielle: At least someone in this building does



How many more times this week will I be having the exact same conversation?

I'm so mad now I admitted that I was Jewish. But at least there is something to talk about with all these boring Belgians.



Oh, and watch V for Vendetta. I just saw it and it was trés interesting.

Chinese Party

We Had a Chinese party in my residence.

Remember how I quoted this Dutch girl saying that "When Belgians get drunk, they are like normal people?"

It is..so...true.


IT was so much fun.

This Chinese guy cooked all this Chinese food. It didn't taste like real Chinese food, aka House of Chan, though. But it was still good fake (slash actually authentic) Chinese food.

It was like a Chinese Sweatshop in the kitchen with 20 ppl chopping and dicing and stirring.

Macintosh Belgian ( who is so unfriendly I never even realized he lived across from me but is the only other person in Belgium who also has a Macintosh)

and I had a really good conversation. I was so surprised. He was teaching me how to pronounce unpronounceable Flemish words. I am seriously considering taking Flemish now. It's really frustrating not being able to understand anyone is saying. They always forget to speak English, even though their English is flawless.

Anyways, it was just a fun night where Belgians finally loosened up a bit.


I desperately miss Starbucks though. you have no idea.

No, Seriously

The cat has now jumped out of the bag.

With Sinterklaas coming up, I can't help but talk about Hannukah, which is at the same time. Sinterklass is the Belgian version of Santa Claus (even though they also have that) and they celebrate it on Dec. 6.

But people literally do not believe me when I tell them that I am a Jew.

Example conversation:

Last week:

Helpful Belgian "I have never met a Jew in Leuven"
Danielle: "oh, well, now you have"
Helpful Belgian: "mmmhm"
Danielle: "Since..I am"
Helpful Belgian: "mmhm"


Today:

Helpful Belgian "We are going to have a Sinterklaas party
Danielle : "Can we have a Chistmakkah party instead? For Hannukah as well?
Helpful Belgian :" What is that?"
Danielle: Ya know, the Festival of lights, when the maccabees defeated the Assyrians
Helpful Belgian : Right so we will have a sinterklaas party
Danielle: what if we don't celebrate christmas?
HelpFul Belgian : you are in Belgium just do it
Danielle:But I am Jewish
Helpful Belgian : no you're not
Danielle: Yes I am
Helpful Belgian:no you're not
Danielle: what do you mean im not? I AM! I told you last week.
Helpful Belgian: But you said you weren't religious
Danielle: no...i said i wasn't Christian. But don't tell anyone!



Then Boy Next Door, when I told him I wanted to celebrate Hannukah, said "You just like any excuse to party, you just take on other ppl's celebrations"

Um what does it take for these people to get that...I am really and truly a Jew?


Like..honestly...even this German guy, who I told over Skype that I was Jewish said
"Really? You don't look like a Jew."

I am, correct me, if I'm wrong, the epitome of what a Jewish girl looks like.


So I am going to throw the best Hannukah party this town has ever seen!

Which shouldn't be to hard considering this is the ONLY Hannukah party this town has ever seen.

Football makes more sense then soccer

Doesn't it though? Rational Euros.

I have been so bored lately with this 5 day long weekend that I actually started jogging. I shocked myself and my calves by running straight through my entire workout playlist! That is a good 40 min. I have done it twice so far and it's great. The only problem is I feel like I'm going to die the next morning. But no pain, no gain.


Today my Belgian rezmates ask me to join them in a football game. Sure..no problem..I just went jogging, but whatever, football can be fun. I was on my grade 7 soccer team for like 5 min, it will come back to me.

So we biked to the Sports centre and started to play, not on grass, but on the green slippery material...in the rain. They weren't 'wussy Americans' apparantly. FIne, whatever, I'm a good sport. There were only 3 girls playing, and one of them got her nose smashed in by Boy Next Door. Poor girl. When that happens where I come from, the standard saying is "Good excuse for a nose job", but I don't think that would apply in this situation.


I'm used to playing basketball. Seriously. Point guard. I'm kind of intense when I play sports. Like, I'm not one of those girls who shrieks when the ball come at her (okay, sometimes I am, but only when it's about to hit my head) and I don't mind shoving someone out of the way to get to the ball. Which is exactly what I did.

I'm not going to say I played well, but at least I kicked the ball in some sort of direction often. And occasionally I even stole it! I kept randomly screaming all these like cheerleading cheers like "our team was red hot" but I felt like I was talking to a wall. So I stopped.


It was a lot of fun actually. Especially when my white t-shirt began to get see thru. But hey, I'm sure people were more focused on the ball.

I know most ppl don't exactly see me as an 'athletic' type. But I would like to break that misconception! When I play, I play hardcore. It's like people see things as mutually exclusive, like a girl who won't leave her room without mascara can't kick a ball and like it. As if!!


I should start a worldwide campaign against stereotypes.

Quotes of the Week

"Danielle, it's called football, not boobball"

~Helpful Belgian after the ball kept hitting me in the chest. Not my fault, their all taller then me.

I really wasn't expecting you to be good. But you are. You really surprised me
~ Boy Who Used To Live Across From Me

Cat is OUT of the bag

Okay, so the cat is definitely out of the bag. I am a JEW. And now people know. Not all people yet, but for some reason, a lot of people found out yesterday. That's pretty good, I mean , I made it until halloween before spilling it out. But the pressure was to great.

So I went to 'The Voice' meeting (the English newspaper on campus, of which the editor now knows of this blog, which was obviously not a smart move on my part because now I can't talk about them) and the Editor told me that his costume idea would involve 'shaving his head, putting a fake tattoo on his arm and going as a concentration camp guy'. No comment. Actually...here is a comment..I would have fuking thrown my drink at him. But thankfully he was joking. Then Irish editor came in and it came out that I was Jewish. Dammmmit! But at least I did not have to give my 'How to be Jew and why I support Israel' lecture series, which I have down pat. Also, I was drunk at this meeting which helped ease it.


Then I went home to dress up and try and convince my Boring (with the capital B) neighours to come with me. But they don't do Halloween. In fact, they don't do fun at all!


So I went to the Carleton Canadians house for their pre-Halloween party, They had decorated it really cutely! There were some new people there, including the guy who I KNOW is a Jew (from the first few blogs, remember?) plus his bitchy little girlfriend (literally she is little and bitchy, she is from like a subburb, she has no right to be bitchy)

Then we all transfered to Pangea. Here is a good example of how normal (ie. non Belgians) would react. I saw this Italian guy that I had met once the week before. As soon as I saw him, he said hello enthusiastically and kissed my cheek. If I saw a Belgian once, they would stand a metre away from me and nod their head before quickly passing by.

Then we went to various clubs. I, of course, kept get left behind b/c my my stupid heels. People need to learn to wait up for the whole group, especially the short ones. Kyle was WASTED at this point which was kind of hilarious.

And eventually we ran into Simon. Adam wouldn't tell me his costume....but...he was a Jew. He dressed up like a Chasidic Jew! It was sooo funny. B/c ppl actually thought he WAS a Jew. Okay..well he is actually a Jew. But you know what I mean.

And for some reason, being in this costume made him want to argue over Israeli/Palestinian conflict with me. Which ...let me tell you...disscussing the conflict at 4:30 in the morning, drunk, at a frites place is super fun. Especially when everyone is staring at you and no one agrees with you.

I admit I get a little passionate about the subject, but so does he. Someone commented that it was 'typical' of 2 Jews to argue like that. Well...2 Jews, 3 opinions.

But now ALL the philosophy people who were with us know that I am Jewish. Yuck. B/c now I get to be known as 'the short, Jewish girl'. They will probably put that on my grave or something. LIke you know when someone is refereing to someone in a conversation, and they just say 2 words about that person. Example "LIke, you know...that tall, blonde girl". Or "That funny redhead." I mean can't I be "That smart, short girl." Or "That funny brunnette". I mean..I am smart and funny. Right. Right????


And then these totally random Belgians joined in the conversation. Outside a club. Ugh. And they started talking about American and nuclear weapons and Israel. Like seriously. But fine. I really never want to have this discussion ever again. It's so old, I could write a transcript and it would be the same.


And then I danced, and then I went to sleep. And now I am writing this and planning to actually do school work today, on All Saints day, a national holiday.

Hope your Halloweens were good!