Lilac Colored Glasses

So I have this other blog that I decided to call Komkommertijd.

What the heck does that mean, you ask?

Well, the literal translation from Dutch is “cucumber time.”

Why is the title in Dutch, you ask?

Well, because the blog will be written entirely in Dutch. In case you managed to miss the entire gist of Lilac Colored Glasses (and if you have…shame on you…go read the “basics” page), I’m an American expat who moved to Belgium at the very end of 2007. I’m currently partially fluent in Dutch but I recently failed the written exam that would have qualified me for a nice cushy state job in daycare (my job before I immigrated). I’m not allowed to take the test again until next year so I figured I better spend that time improving my written Dutch. What better way to do that then blogging?

So…cucumber time, eh? And that means……

Here in Belgium, there is very little news during the vacation time (July). The media really has to grasp at straws to get a semi decent (read that as not at all decent) headline. The news pretty much reports everything, even things of little or no consequence because they desperately need something to tell people about. They call this period “komkommertijd.” My Komkommertijd is a place for me to practice and improve on my written Dutch. Do I currently have the skills to give a detailed account of pressing issues? No, not at all. Do I have the ability to tell you about the little things going on every couple days or so? Totally, and hopefully I can tell you more every day. That’s the point of Komkommertijd.

*Translation to English is available on request…Babelfish=FAIL, just ask me and I’ll translate for you.