That’d be “number two” in English, for those of you without any conceptualization of language at all or Babelfish. Perhaps I used that title because this is my second post from my new residence IN BELGIUM with my boyfriend IN BELGIUM. Have I mentioned that I now live IN BELGIUM? Okay, so yeah, that could be what this title is about….but perhaps it is also about, what I was just told, in Dutch (or at least Flemish) is called “the big errand.” As in; guess who couldn’t run a big errand for almost a week…yeah, that’s right, yours truly, the queen of anal retentiveness, c’est moi.

So, there’s my big news of the week, my friends. I’ve ridden the feared and cursed bike twice so far (and once was today and can I just tell you how unpleasent bike riding is when you’re carrying around 5 days worth of digested food in your colon?), we took the bus route to the street my class is on, we went shopping in preparation for our big New Year’s meal (shitake soup [no pun intended, honest], tandoori chicken and Buddha’s Delight), and after almost an entire bottle of prune juice, a huge bowl of something akin to All-Bran, and two of these beauties , I was finally able to drop a deuce, go do the big errand, whatever you want to call it. Much to my relief.

I really was NOT wanting to bring in the new year filled with old poo.

(I was going to post a few pictures from the mall, but I think you’ve tolerated enough from me this evening)

Happy New Years everybody!!!!!

It was a busy day here in Cabana Land. CB and I woke up at 6:30 in the morning and drove down to the city centre where we parked in the student area so I could get my bearings a bit. At this point Gent sort of feels like a 5000 piece jigsaw puzzle in which some sections are close to complete and I can really see the picture while all the areas in between are still in thousqnds of pieces and scattered all over the floor. Student area, city centre, CB’s immediate neighborhood: those I hqve mapped fairly well in my head, at least to the point where I can find certain landmarks to get me back to where I’m familiar. If you asked me how to get from one of those places to another you’d most certainly get a blank stare in return. Once I’m there, it’s all good, but all the space between point A and point B is taking me a long time to learn (yes, I’ve only been here for 36 hours, but still, usually I’m not too bad at familiarizing myself with places).

Anyway, we went to the town hall and registered me as a student living with CB. Within the next week or two a local police officer should be stopping by to confirm that I am, indeed, living here. I was considering flinging a bra-full of tampons at him, just to prove I am intimately established here in the house, but that silly “social decorum” part of my brain just won’t let me. After that we went and got a coffee (shops weren’t open yet) and then went on to shop. It was a real marathon shopping day; we were out until about 3 in the afternoon. I got pretty cranky towards the end (hours walking in chilliness + blisters on the backs of both heels + severe jetlag do NOT a happy Korie make, my friends) and we finally headed home where CB mercifully let me take a nap. We’re trying to get me used to the time change as fast as possible, seeing as I start class in less than two weeks, but it’s not looking like it will be easy. Even with a pretty full night sleep, I was already starting to yawn and rub my eyes and drag my feet by 8 in the morning (it was 2 a.m. according to my Eastern Standard Time oriented body clock). And yes, after rereading that, I’m thinking what you’re thinking and yes, I do act like a toddler missing her nap when I’m exhausted.

So anyway, after supper this evening we took the car back to CB’s parents’ house and brought back some things they had picked up for us at Ikea. We just finished having some cocoa (cacao in Dutch, but not how you think it’d sound) and CB is watching some television. Like I said, I’ll try to update every other day or so if I can. After New Years CB goes back to work and I’ll have a lot more time to be online rather than gazing adoringly at my boyfriend.

With fond memories and warm wishes to all of my friends and family in the United States, wherever you are.

Hello Belgium.
Hello Cabana Boy.
Hello future!

Most likely I’ll catch up with all of you in 2008, but I will try to pop in before then, if possible. I hope your days are filled with health and happiness until next we meet.

I’ve been hearing that a lot these past few days. Ever since Friday it seems like most of my time has been spent saying goodbye to everyone around me. By the end of the day I’m usually tired and I haven’t been feeling much like blogging lately. Mostly I think it’s because I don’t want to spend much time thinking about things. It’s funny, I haven’t cried in front of anyone. Through all the goodbyes and hugs and gifts and well wishers my eyes have remained bone dry, a hectic but coddling smile plastered across my face.

Yes, I’m excited.
Yes, I’ll be sure to keep in touch.
Yes, I’ll be back to visit in July and I’d be happy to get together then.

And that’s all true. Today I had lunch with Cheeto and her family and it was so nice. I love spending time with the whole family. They are kind, generous, loving people and I look forward to keeping in touch with them. Same goes for Squirt’s family and Gruff ‘n’ Bravo’s family. I’m just not getting very emotional. Normal people would get emotional right?? Sometimes I forget how prone I am to bottling up my feelings. The only time I cry is when I’m alone. All weekend I stayed up late, waiting for my parents to go to sleep, avoiding my room and curling up in my second favorite spot in my parents’ house: my dad’s recliner in the family room to watch some old tv shows that I won’t be able to see when I leave. I look around and think about how none of it will be anywhere close to where I am. I watch Rex curl up and fall asleep on my bed and realize I won’t see him again for almost a year. That’s when I cry; when I think about how much I’ll miss my cat.

And as for my “new” life?

I’m ready already.

Right now, with everyone saying goodbye it feels like a wake here in the U.S.

And I know I have a wonderful man waiting for me across the Atlantic, along with a home, a different lifestyle and a lot of love.

And those are some important things to live for.

Have you ever read a book so captivating, so intense and well written that you almost don’t want to finish it? Once it’s finished there’s no way to ever truly recapture the initial wonder and surprise, the susense each new chapter brings as you wend your way through whatever imaginary world you dared to enter by opening the book. Of course you can always reread it, but once you know the ending the story is never quite the same. I hate when I reach teh end of a good book. I hate that there is no way to look further, read more. The characters, the setting, the story: it all just ends, leaving me blinking and dazed, contemplative and sad, wanting more; wanting to scrape every last image, emotion and word from the pages. A masterful book is like creme brulee that way…I chip into it anxiously, swoon luxuriously until the end at which time I sadly and dejectedly wish I could just sit there and lick the bowl (see why my boyfriend loves me so? hehe).

At the same time, I’m also one of those notorious people that skips ahead to random pages in the book, reading a fragment or two before returning to the actual page I’m on. I used to read the first page of a book and then go right to the end and read the last page, but I’m a mature woman now and I’ve learned the value of literary foreplay. However, there are times when the suspense of a story is so excruciating that I have to skip ahead a little and put my mind at ease with a tidbit or two of closure. I get that wrapped up in books.

The current object of my obsession is Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. I was a bit slow getting into The Golden Compass, although it piqued my interest months ago when I saw the website for the movie that is out in theaters this month. Once I got into it though, there was no stopping me. I flew through it in a little over a week (mind you I only read during the kids’ naptime at work, so that means, after I get my paperwork for the day done, I get to read for about 45 minutes-1 hour a day). I then went out and bought the remaining books in the trilogy, thinking it would be a good read for the plane. Ha! I finished The Subtle Knife on Friday and I’m almost halfway through The Amber Spyglass already. I don’t think it’s going to make it until Christmas day. But that’s ok! I’ll just have to find another amazing book for my 11 hour journey to Brussels.

Anyway, I’m just totally, totally engaged in this series of books. I can’t stand waiting to turn the page to find out what happens and at the same time I dread reaching the final page. I strongly recommend that you read these books if you get the chance.

And in that vein, I’d like to take the time to promote Soccer Mom In Denial’s Day To Read. On January 10th, stay away from the computer. Go make yourself a nice cup of cocoa, wrap up in a warm blanket (or head on down to the beach if you live in Australia) and crack open a book. Read a chapter or two. Or the whole thing. Whatever you like, but take the time out of a busy day to enjoy reading.

Oh and I totally was pissed that somehow my supercool original ermine daemon was morphed into a hare daemon (I blame my brother) plus, CB missed it somehow and never voted and he counts more than anyone (except my parents maybe). So here…we’re trying it again. If you know me at all go vote and we’ll see what I end up as in 12 days.