Xpat Experience #1 - The Exchange

It occurred to me that I have been basically writing about our experiences traveling and have neglected the fun that has been living in Brussels as an American. This is the tale of Catherine returns a tea kettle. One of the rumors in the expat community is that it is ridiculously hard to return items in Brussels. Customer service is not what it is in America. In one way I like it; the salesperson leaves you alone to shop, waiters aren't hovering over your table pretending to care that you need water, butter, more coke, another drink, etc etc. If you want something you ask. If not, then you will barely get a hello from the service. There are of course the rare exception but as a whole, if you want something you have to wait patiently, ask a much of times, and make several different appointments.

So, our first month here Charles and I purchased an electric tea kettle. For a few days all was well. Charles prepared his tea no problem. Then one morning I noticed a huge pile of water underneath the kettle. Oh dear. After two more uses and continuing water leakage, Charles asked me to return the kettle. So in my ignorance of Brussels lovely resistance to exchanges I ventured back to the store. Before heading that way I researched and practiced how to say "this has a leak from the bottom" or a "une fuite à partir du bas" So, I went to the shop, picked up a newer better model of the kettle we purchased and headed toward the counter. When my number was announced I timidly told the scowling sales girl "une fuite dans la bas." The response was a blank stare so in a classic way of trying to get someone to understand I said a little bit louder, une foutre dans la bas. Now her scowl deepened and she replied Comment? So getting more brave I repeated quite loudly, une foutre, une foutre. She grabbed the tea kettle from me and ran toward the back room. After about twenty minutes, she returned and asked me in French if I wanted a autre one. Oui, I replied and proudly placed the new kettle on the counter. She exchanged the item, had me pay the extra, and then said goodbye. Pswhew, that was easy. I proudly shared my story with a fella expat who spoke French how well my exchange went. When I repeated what I told the salesgirl, she started laughing and said no wonder the girl was so quick to help. She told me I was saying "foutre"" not fuite so I looked up foutre vs. fuite. OOPPs! (http://translate.google.com/?hl=en#fr|en|fuite%0Afoutre)

Fuite and foutre sound very similar to an untrained tongue!!

Bling Bling Vroom Vroom

What a welcome sight la soleil (the sun) was for us in Portugal last week. We went with some amazing Texans we met here in Brussels. There was plenty of laughter, sun, indulgent spa treatments, wine, and good food. We spent majority of the time tanning. The men of the group, snowball and snowflake, were trying hard not to turn to tomato paste. It's nice to have some color on my body again after being in sunless Brussels for almost a year now. The food there was excellent. We discovered a new spice called piri-piri which rivals Tabasco sauce. A friendly waiter told us that it is made of olive oil, chili peppers, garlic, and a little bit of salt. Boy, does it taste spicy and yummy.

We took a captain hook boat ride (it was supposed to be a romantic sunset cruise but somehow because of language issues we were signed up for the pirate cruise). It was a lovely ride up the Algarve coast and the boys even jumped into the Atlantic Ocean. Because we thought we were having a romantic boat ride, no one brought swimsuits. But the boys braved it and jumped in with their shorts and boxers! I was too girly and didn't want to ruin my outfit.

One of the the things that was discussed during our trip is that Europeans have no issues showing skin. The girls go topless until they are around 12! Now, because the food these days have so many steroids, some of these girls really should be covered. It made for many a perverted afternoons watching these budding girls. But, as Americans we are prudish. For them it is natural. We saw more of the young girls topless and older women topless than the good ones (bling bling). And we saw lots of men's skin displayed in a colorful variety of speedos (vroom vroom). Those men weren't worried about turning to spaghetti. Sorry boys, nothing to see here. ;)