When it's grey, there's an icy wind blowing and the rain is falling sideways and getting under the umbrella, or paraplu, as they're so delightfully known in Dutch ... and when you woke in a bad mood and even Ralph Fiennes would annoy you if he arrived in your day?
My day started like that and I put the first post into 'draft' because I was so surly I was horrid. Some mornings I just NEED that office to go to.
So I left and ended up smiling over all the 'firsts' I was achieving as a result; firsts that we often only experience as children.
I walked up to my new bank and withdrew my first 20euro, getting right through the process in Dutch without problems.
Then there's the library ... on my way to make use of my shiny new library card, I stopped at the Kubus Permeke cafe at the entrance and discovered that not only is it an aesthetically pleasing place to be, the onion soup is superb and there's a free library wifi setup here.
And there's the added delight of walking through Antwerpen's Chinatown to get here.
The only thing I haven't quite 'got' is how to eat onion soup while blogging ... then again, perhaps I shouldn't be.
Last night I attended my 4th social orientation class after a crazy day of running around ... it was on health matters.
I'm not subtle about missing New Zealand but where our kiwi health care is a mess, Belgium's health system is a smoothly oiled machine. There are no queues, so many costs are subsidised or refunded - it's like NZ years ago, when the politicians were still promising 'cradle to grave' care of the people.
The only questionable practice I could find, and in a way I see the sense of it ... unless you state in writing that you don't want to donate your organs after death, they will be taken.
But back to my lunch ... I tossed the little toasted cubes of bread into the soup, the grated cheese too, I buttered the soft-on-the-inside, crunchy-on-the-outside white bread roll and enjoyed my glass of sparkling water ... all for under 5 euro; with free internet, good music, a great view out over the cobblestoned square through floor to ceiling windows almost hoping that more people don't discover it while wanting to rave about it.
7 comments:
"Ralph Fiennes would annoy you if he arrived in your day?" Not bloody likely!!!
Food and beverages and computers do not mingle, they explode :D
Good to see you content, instead of your less cheery you.
The donor thing is logical. People won't become donors because it's too much redtape and they don't care enough. So by making everyone a donor except if you declare yourself no-donor, makes sure the waiting lists aren't too long, as in most neighbouring countries (cfr. donor show in the Netherlands). People who absolutely do not want to be a donor, are more willing to go through the redtape to declare themselves not a donor. So this system works whilst it respects people's opinion.
Well ... it's an indication of precisely how surly I was. As if any intelligent right-minded woman could refuse him.
And yes, Manic ... my comment release was back to front and I answered as I released doh! but I completely agree, although it could be called 'the harvesting of the ill-informed' ... something like that.
There were some fairly stunned immigrants just running through it again to be sure they'd heard right lol.
personally, i'm a little alarmed at myself at how easy it was for me to read back to back paragraphs on organ donation and onion soup.
Sorry about that too, furiousball ... I tried to go back and fix it but my free wifi was compromised somehow and things got veryvery wonky :)
Should be writing supportive comment on how I'm glad your gray day resurrected in small pleasures but I'm lost in lascivious thoughts of diving down Joseph Fiennes shirt. Ralph is good, but Joseph is better...but Ralph is good....
Will. Not. Think. of. Threesome.
No!!!! Am Wife AND Mother! Will only think, "What shall I make for dinner tonight?"
A Ralph and Joe sandwich?
Am bad, bad grrrl. Horrors!!!!!!
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