Weeks 21+22: Brussels and Bruges

The first two weeks in Belgium have been a nice adjustment to the European way of life, with the Particular restrictions or having cool fall weather to compliment the changing leaves. While I have not explored too much outside of Brussels, I've had the pleasure of starting to familiarize myself with the city that I'll be calling home for the next year.

My first weekend included a trip to the center of Brussels, the Grand Place. There, my coworker overtook me on a tour of the popular places, zoals the third peeing statues of Belgium, the museum row, and the Delirium bar, famous for having the biggest selection of beers in the world. The Latter Has A menu the size of a small textbook, with beers from across Belgium and around the world. In my attempt to assimilate to the culture, my friend recommended a Kreik bear. This beverage tastes mostly of cherries, but is a good way to pass an afternoon in good company.

The next weekend I Decided I Should Be Formally more acquainted with the city, and did a walking tour of Brussels center. While we saw many of the same monuments as before, I was enlightened of the myths and histories of Brussels as well as a few fun facts about the city and the country of Belgium overalls. I was ook fully educated on the correct way to consume waffles, fries, and beer, the three primary perks of Belgium. (When I brought` up chocolate as the most Important Belgian delicacy, my tour guide threatened to throw me out of the tour! Apparently bear ranks higher.)

Each weekend I try to take a trip to one of the local markets to get my fresh produce and meats and cheeses for the week. These range from cute neighborhood markets to sprawling booths reminiscent of an Asian bazaar, providence and a variety of foods at very reasonable prices. My favorite places at thesis is the chicken trucks: theyhave entire food trucks That Are dedicated to roasting chickens on the go, complete with fully functional striker and cages to roast the separated pieces of meat. I have yet to purchase an entire chicken from one thesis or trucks, but They smell delicious as you walk by so it's on the list.

In an attempt to see more of Belgium and enjoy a gorgeous day, I overtook a daytrip to Bruges with a friend: this is a small town built along a canal, about 1 hour by train from Brussels. It's truly worthy of being a tourist destination, as the scenery was gorgeous, Especially in the sunshine. My favorite part was the myriad of chocolate shops That Are famous in this town: noteworthy samples included Cabernet Sauvignon chocolate, chocolate whipped cream, chocolate and cannabis. All in all a day well spent visiting an adorable, Typically European city in Belgium. 

Weeks 19+20: MY to TH to BE

These past 2 weeks have been a flurry of travel as I spent my last week in Malaysia before heading to Thailand for a client meeting, and then finally going to Belgium, which will be my destination for the next year!

On my last day in the Malaysia office, I brought my co-workers an all-American breakfast of pancakes and maple syrup, imported from New Hampshire. I also included some apples with peanut butter, which I had been eating for breakfast the past few weeks but a flavor combination which none had heard of before. I got mixed reviews on the latter: some thought it quite tasty, others will never eat it again, but we had fun breaking bread together. Before I left my coworkers also brought some traditional Malaysian food and Aunt Annie’s pretzels to share as an afternoon snack. It was a bittersweet goodbye, as I was sad to be leaving such amazing people and wonderful friends, but it was time to move to the next place. Luckily, I had one last night in Kuala Lumpur and was joined by a few of these friends for my final dinner at a local cafeteria. This is a picture of me drinking juice from a bag: in Malaysia, they give you drinks to go in a plastic bag expertly tied with a straw, something that I had never seen before. I was told that this is great for motorcyclists, who can hang those bags from their handlebars and lean down for a sip at stoplights!

Next stop was a 5 day layover in Thailand to meet with my client there. While it was fairly uneventful, I did enjoy the company of my colleague Vivien (from China) and we got some foot massages while talking over the day’s progress. The client also surprised us with some Mango Sticky Rice, my favorite Thai dessert, amidst all the delicious Thai food I was privy to eating. They also gave us desserts in the shape of ducks which were like gelatinous coconut milk. Sadly, the king of Thailand passed away on my final day in the country, so there is now a historic event to mark my departure from one of the most beautiful and friendly countries I’ve had the privilege of visiting.

Finally, I arrived in Belgium and was greeted warmly by my coworkers there. We enjoyed a delicious lunch of bread and cheese (which I had been missing greatly while in Asia) followed by remarkable Belgian chocolate, before I headed to my apartment to fight jet lag. I will be spending a full year in Belgium, working as usual but going on adventures in the Europe area now. Because I have longer here, my weekends will no longer be packed with a trip every weekend, so my blog posts will continue, but less frequently. However, stay tuned as I plan to seek out the history and culture of this continent to the best of my ability, so this is not the end!

Week 18: Bali

This week I was surprised with a 3 day weekend (thank you extensive Malaysian holidays!) and decided to use my extra time to travel to Bali. I picked this destination because my aunt, uncle, and cousins who are currently spending a year living in China were vacationing there, and so I’d get the double benefit of spending time with family. I especially enjoyed my visit because I got to be goofy and try out activities I never would have experienced otherwise, so a special shout-out to the Gee/Robinson family!

The first day in Bali we rented a car to go see significant sites around the island. These included a temple that was reminiscent of Indiana Jones and some tiered rice paddies that had the most vibrant shades of green that you’ll ever find. The highlight though, was a visit to a valley that had 5 waterfalls, tucked away in the back roads of the island. It was a gorgeous hike down through the jungle, where our guide taught us about all the local fruits and even pointed out a clove tree, which smelled distinctly of Christmas. At the bottom, we were instantly cooled in the mist that sprayed off the waterfall, and even ventured into the refreshingly cold water for a dip. The natural beauty of Bali is incredible and this waterfall was no exception to that rule, despite the inevitable carsickness when getting there via narrow, windy roads.

Day 2 I managed to convince one of my cousins and my aunt to rise before the crack of dawn for a sunrise hike up a famous and spiritual volcano. The early morning wakeup call was well worth it: we were treated to spectacular views of the other mountains and the surrounding valley as the sun came up. At the top our guide provided us with a breakfast of bread, fruit, and some eggs that had been steamed in the volcanic gasses. This turned out to be exceptionally tasty, and a good respite before the trek back down. Later that evening, my uncle and I went to see one of the traditional Balinese dances. This was one of the most unique performances I’ve been privy to watch, as the music was all provided by a vocal chorus of men or women. The dance told an ancient story and portrayed these tales using dance and characters in exceedingly detailed masks. The grand finale was a bonfire of coconut husks that a man in a trance danced through and kicked around in his bare feet. I’m not sure how he managed to do that night after night, but it was certainly spectacular!

My final day in Bali was one of relaxation. My aunt and uncle treated me to a day at the spa, including a full body Balinese massage and a soak in a private hot tub, all overlooking a river that provided the ambiance for the experience. It was incredibly relaxing and refreshed me in preparation of going back to work the next day. In the afternoon we enjoyed lunch while the skies opened up around us, then proceeded to a local monkey forest. This was a nature reserve area where you could observe and interact with the monkeys, including feeding them bananas and other fruits for sale. Though not my favorite activity (which should not come as a surprise to those who know me well), my cousin’s enthusiasm and excitement made the experience very enjoyable, so I clearly picked the right people to travel with. Thus my long weekend came to an end, but it was relaxed and refreshed that I returned to Kuala Lumpur for my final week in Malaysia.