Snow

It snowed a lot in Brussels yesterday. Although winter is the most depressive season of the whole year as we see the sun less, and we leave work when it's pitch dark, but every year I wait for the first snow. I notice it usually comes later but this year it comes earlier than last year. I love the feeling walking under the snow, and just around the corner, there would be some musicians playing music, the smell of fresh coffee being poured out the coffee maker, the people sitting around wooden tables with their afternoon coffee/tea and cookies carrying what seems like a fun and interesting conversation or just simply taking a rest after their shoppings, the air that brushes my face is chill but pleasant. It gives a happy feeling. Anyway, we are now almost end of November and the end of year feasts keep on coming one after the other.

Beginning of this year for me was not great, but the other haft has been so far great. Projects that have not been able to carried out this year will hopefully be worked out next year-my own business for example?, and there will be a couple of travels to do, which of course, makes me quite happy.

In two weeks I guess, Brussels will start its annual Xmas market like many places in Europe, they offer almost every year the same thing but it's also an annual thing to meet with friends over hot wines, fat foods ;-) and look at the decoration in the Grand Place.

Talking about foods, recently I have been eating out quite often, and I came across a restaurant that is run by the whole family, mother, father, and two sons. Their philosophy is to offer slow food, a term that I have heard quite often lately. Slow foods, foods are cooked as they should be cooked, and the nice things about that resto is the warm, family atmosphere. People sit next to each other, looking at the other people dishes, smiling, talking about the economic crisis (should we?), what will happen next?, where the next trip will be? It's all so great! Or the African resto that runs by a big African mama (believe me you can put a glass on her butt and it will stand still, she knows it, and makes fun about it herself), I like her a lot. Her place is pretty small, what she offers is a dish per day, and the way she talks about how she makes a dish give us the envy to eat (although her chilly sauce could make your tongue completely numb) just before the dish is actually served with rice or plantain banana accompanied with a smoothie of ginger, orange, pineapple...

Why go to heaven when there are several ones on Earth? ;-)

Turkey day comes early ;-)

Thanksgiving day chez Ben, and we were all as stuffed as the turkey itself ;-). I am very impressed, Ben can definitely cook and he does that really well! (of course, that with a certain lady's help ;-))

New kid on the block ;-)

Welcome miss Mina Pauline!

Party foods

Halloween foods ;-)

Flemish rabit with beer and prune

Home made pop corn for the scary movie nite ;-)

News

After two short city trips, I have started my full time job ;-), so things have been a little bit crazy because there are new things to learn, new colleagues, new place...Also, I have to adjust to a new time schedule: waking up at 6am on blistering mornings like those we have today, prepare lunch (since there is not many food options around the conpany, apart from the sandwishes), and then leave the house at 7am or so to catch a train....It has been two weeks like this so far, and I don't seem to see it as an issue because I quite like the new company.

Anyway, I have been looking around for tickets to visit my aunt in Vancouver, and there are some good deals, which I am quite happy. Thanks go to those who travel and provide me with good websites ;-). I will be visiting my aunt for two weeks in January, and if I have time, I might learn to snowboard for the first time in my 30 years of life ;-). In short, many things to get excited about ;-).

I also ordered and bought a couple of interesting books to keep me busy with the time I spend on the train 5 days a week. I am now reading a book entitled "The reluctant fundamentalist", which is super beautiful written, and informative.

What's else? Oh yeah, I will also have the first time, Turkey day (thankgivings), typical American holidays ;-), one of things you like to have friends from another country, background, culture is that you will get to know about their holidays and how they celebrate them. Like end of last month, the Diwali holidays of Indian, never heard of it until my friends and neighbours gave me some sweets, apparently it is like Xmas in India ;-). Well, all that will follow with plenty of end of year activities.

Oh Wo(man), I am gonna be beezee ;-)!