#lavigueur

*Stalk me with more frequent, and shorter updates on Twitter!, Conveniently placed at the beginning of each blogpost, in case you don’t read the whole thing For those of you who hate clicking on things, like the hyperlink, my screenname = MattShenanigans*

Ok, so I’m two weeks deep into the European experience and am pretty sure that if I don’t post something in the next 24 hours, my family will think I’ve been kidnapped by terrorists (just kidding Mom; I know you’re reading ). True enough, though, I’ve been putting off this first post for too long, so here’s what’s new across the pond: rain, chips and frites, French & finance, and beer.

Rain:

It rains in Belgium. All. The. Time. No really. Know how it’s always snowing in Rochester, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia? Well it’s always raining in Belgium. Did the weather forecast say it was going to rain? Well, they’re right. (If they said it wasn’t going to rain, they’re lying). Did you do your “please don’t rain for the 7th day in a row” dance? Still raining. Did you eat oranges or wear green socks today? Definitely raining. As long as there are Pandas in China and Bush can’t get basic grammar right, there will be H2O falling from the sky in Belgium..

I, however, have stubbornly refused to get an umbrella. Mostly because it’s never really “pouring” and I actually kind of like the rain. Still, I’m starting to feel like this cat:

Maybe I’ll cave… eventually…

Chips and Frites:

Belgians love their frites (that’s French fries for you Freedom people out there). Think New York City and Starbucks but with Brussels and “frites.” They’re double fried here too, so I’m sure they pack quite the punch for your arteries, but whatever, it’s a cultural experience right . Actually, although I tried the frites once, I have since avowed not to touch them until my gym membership is in place next Monday (no pain, no gain). Delicious though they may be, they are just another stumbling block to hurdle in my inevitable rise to becoming an Abercrombie model (right after I get a late-term growth spurt of about 4 inches and get a six pack ). Long story short: the fries are awesome, and I will never be an Abercrombie model, so dig in!

Not Me:

I don’t know why I’m grouping chips in here too (junk food parte deux?) but they seemed like another Belgian food worth mention just because of all the crazy flavors now at my disposal. Apparently in Europe you can get pickle flavored, and paprika Lays. Who knew? Although I’m not really a huge fan of chips, I tried the paprika ones. They were pretty good, but they basically taste like toned down BBQ chips (which is kind of a good thing, since I always thought the BBQ was a bit strong anyways). No Ranch Doritos though for you ranch fans out there (I hate Ranch, so no loss here).

French & Finance:

So what do French and Finance have to do with one another (barring obscure connections of investment exploitation in French speaking African countries)(yes that was a plug)? Well, Finance was the class I started in at Vesalius College before I realized that, despite the professor insisting the contrary, it was probably over my head without some other background in Finance terminology and mechanics.  Upon coming to this realization, I immediately jumped ship over to French. Why French? Lots of reasons:

1.     I want to study international law and a lot of international treaties are in French (if they’re not also available in English)

2.     I’d studied French in High School, which preempted a potential repeat of my experience with the finance course (lack of knowledge base in your class = not a good thing)

3.     The books are cheaper than almost any other class (I’m a student on a budget. Nuff’ said.)

4.     I really like learning languages and wanted to return to honing my linguistic skills

5.     Being bilingual is a good thing: in the work place, trying to get into a work place, while meeting new people, while travelling (and French is a very widely spoken language.)

6.     Speaking of the widely spoken, basically everyone in Brussels speaks French, and while most people also speak English, there are exceptions. A refresher wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

So, wanting to play it safe (I haven’t formally studied French for 3 years now), I made the more conservative decision to enroll in Elementary French II…

And then they kicked me out.

First day of class: *insert French accent at your own discretion* “Mathieu was it? I think maybe you should possibly be in a higher level, non? Maybe bump you up one class level?” Again, the cautious approach: “Je ne sais pas… peut-être…” Took a placement test, got bumped up two levels (basically skipped a year)… So much for the cautious approach. Intermediate French II it is! I’m a bit worried that I’ve forgotten a lot of technical grammar skills, but hopefully when I’m back state-side, University of Rochester will let me enroll in Advanced French. *fingers crossed*

Beer:

Beer, along with chocolate and probably frites, will get its own post in due time, but for now I think it should suffice to say that there’s a lot of it here. Belgium is famous for its beer and the reputation is deserved. Upon my arrival in Brussels, we were taken to a famous, semi-touristy pub, widely known for its signature beer “Delerium” and its accompanying mascot, the Pink Elephant (draw your own conclusions ) as well as its impressive array of flavors and types of beer (they claim to have over 2,000 different beers on tap). Pub life is definitely an active and vibrant aspect of Brussels social culture (again, think Starbucks in NYC but pubs and bars in Brussels). I’ll leave that discussion there for now (don’t want to use up all my material for an inevitable post on Belgian beer!)

The Wrap-Up:

So that’s it for now people! Here’s a recap: Belgium = Rain (it’s probably raining right now); Frites + Assorted Chip Flavors = so many delicious ways to clog your arteries here; Me + Finance = French (weird…), and NYC Starbucks = Belgian Pubs and Bars (sad swap for me considering my notoriety as an avid Starbucks addict)

(Also, I will never get an umbrella, ever… I am not Rihanna)

Tune in next time!

-MattShenanigans