I’ve never made a daily post, lets give it a whirl. Im in Flanders celebrating my Oma’s 93rd birthday in her 300 year old house. Crazy to think she was 15 when the war ended. Beer, frites, mussels, chocolate, and a functionless government.
Anyway, AMA, then I will ask you something.
Yesterday I learned that twin oaks is ending production of their fantastic tofu. I'm bummed, I don't know of a tofu that even comes close to the quality and firmness of twin oaks.
Noooooo....It is the best tofu I've ever had, too. This is awful news.
Omg nooo!
Dang! Does that mean the commune is switching up its revenue model?
I sadly don't know. The staff at little house market told me that twin oaks notified them about a week ago about the tofu.
Why are the good things always discontinued in life?
I loved living in Bruxelles. Good food, better food, great food. My high school hangouts were the bars around the Grand Place. I left for my senior year goodbye tour from Zeebrugge on a ferry to Dover on my hopped up 50cc Suzuki motorcycle. I found the Flemish people much more friendly than the Wallons in the area south of Bruxelles. That could have something to do with all the Americans living in the area around the city.
Bruxelles is the french spelling, it is a massive sore point amongst the flemish. My mother hates it but I have always been more partial to the dutch than the flemish, despite myself being flemish. It is telling that as a belgian I have been coming here my entire life, but beyond a single trip to the battle of the bulge I have never set foot in wallonia.
Really its two countries that despise each other taped together
Maar spreek je vlaams?
Neen and Dank je is the extent of my vlaams. I am from Montreal originally with Scottish parents so French was the option for me to learn. Cue Parisians telling me my accent was off. Having an EEC ID did make our life much easier than my American school mates. The gendarmes at the White Horse Inn at the Grand Place asking for ID cards on a Friday night . Blue (US) you stayed behind Yellow you were allowed to leave with no issues. I wonder what people in the US would think of officers with uzis standing in the pub checking IDs. This was in the mid to late '70s
That’s interesting, after the Zaventem bombings it was surreal to see Belgian military with rifles in the train stations as Belgians are so unused to seeing guns, most police dont even carry them for nigh on 30 years now. What was the point then?
I think it was more for the US audience though they did have them at traffic stops. We had a couple of bomb threats at ISB in Boitsfort. I think the non EEC community had a little more over site than the locals. We had an area referred to as the American Ghetto in Rhodes St Genes with the houses larger and all painted white.
> Really its two countries that despise each other taped together
Huh, wonder what that's like...
Well. They each have their own governments and languages so your joke doesnt really work here. We’re tearing ourselves apart within the same government and language. This is more like you made the US and Mexico the same country.
Belgium was created out of an agreement between Catholic France and Protestant Netherlands. The area that is Belgium now was in dispute for decades. Strangely a German Prince of Coburg was made King, Leopold I. The court/royal palace and legal system was conducted in French. A Vlaams individual could go trial and never really understand anything going on in court. Vlaams citizens were treated as less than.
Shout out to none of you asking me art questions (with one reasonable exception)
Feels like a good date
What was she doing when she found out the war was over?
well lets remember the european theater was over earlier than the pacific; as she tells it one day the belgian army was going down the street, the next day they were going the other way down the street and then there were germans and no school for a long time. Her father was a gamekeeper on some vague noble’s land so they were mainly growing their own food and stayin in the woods. I think the largest change was that she went back to school.
She seems rather blasé about the whole thing really. I think post-war europe was more difficult for her.
Whats your favorite beatles song?
My favorite Beatles songs are Yesterday and Across the Universe.
Is Yesterday cheating since really its just a Paul song?
I don't think so.
I also love Day in the Life, Eleanor Rigby, and Let it Be.
Long Tall Sally
Congrats to your Oma! How’s Flanders?
Cold and calm. I always equate it to The Shire and Belgians very much like Hobbits. They have their creature comforts and are a bit grumpy, gossipy, and petty; but overall a lil bit adorable and sweet.
Whats your favorite non-RVA place in Virginia?
Oof…. that’s tough. A couple of times in the summer we go to VA beach for the day, and VA beach as a town is exactly what you’d expect. However, that northern part of the beach away from the boardwalk is basically where I learned that I love the beach and swimming in the ocean. So that, I suppose.
What is your Oma like? I had a German Oma and Opa and they were the best humans ever. I miss them so much.
Little, old, sweet, and classy. Your storybook white-haired grandma.
What was their experience of the war?
Horrible. Opa was drafted. Oma and her 2 tiny sons spent a lot of time in bomb shelters. Opa was injured in Russia, came home on leave, went back and was captured by the US and taken POW, taken to a camp in PA. He had been a butcher previously, which benefitted him. There was no word of all this sent home, so they assumed he was killed or MIA.He just showed up again one day after the war. Life postwar was unbearable but the stuck it out until 1953 and then came to the US.
Oma lived to be 88, not a grey hair on her head ever.
While walking this morning I was in the crosswalk and the light was well into being red for traffic when a van ran the light while I was in the intersection. Shouldn’t have pulled that in a work van, buddy! I called the number on the truck. If the cops won’t stop people from running red lights, maybe your boss will.
What brought your family across the pond? I got kind of wistful this year when my mother finally managed to get e-mail contacts for all her English cousins. Turns out I don't actually have a very small family like I always thought, there are dozens of us over there- but one American military husband took us west. C'est la vie!
My father (american) married my mother (belgian) in Belgium and she came over with him to start their family
How'd you entertain yourself on the flight over? I can't sleep on planes so I'm always bored out of my mind, even when I pay for the in-flight wifi and watch a movie.
I take about 10 trans-atlantic flights a year, and a bunch of smaller ones. I havent watched a movie on the little chair screen in probably 8 years. I also have never really slept on a plane. I just cant.
My go-to is Civ V on my laptop. Its perfect if there is in-seat power which my standard KLM 652 AMS-IAD usually has. I also generally download a show to my ipad as a back-up or read.
If all else fails I am not above just staring at the seat in front of me like David Puddy. Planes are a vortex of space and time, everything seems forever and then its over and the memory is basically erased. So I can just zone out and essentially just be.
I just got a Switch, I’ll probably give that a whirl next flight.
What was your last flight?
We flew to Phoenix in the spring. It was fine. The longest flight I've ever taken was to Hawaii from Phoenix, I think it was 6 hours? It was the day after I got in a pretty bad bike accident so I was feeling like shit and sitting on the plane was absolute misery.
Oh. 6 hours aint shit. Thats a movie and a long stare out the window. Cant account for injury though, you could have a host of strippers, unlimited cheescake, and champagne in 1st class seats and that flight would still be a bummer.
>I take about 10 trans-atlantic flights a year,
Jeez that's a lot of carbon.
Right. Like anything he does will offset the carbon that Big Oil and the Chinese put out.
Frites and mussels sounds wonderful. Happy birthday to the Lady.
What's the best piece of advice your Oma has given you?
Translating here. “You know, the Dutch always say Belgians are stupid.. but sometimes, we really are stupid”
But nah in more practical terms, probably wash your face. That woman looks astounding for 93.
And your grandma? If you knew her
I didn't know either of my grandmothers. One died when I was ten, the other when I was twelve. I mean I knew them but I didn't really know them if you know what I mean. Same with my grandfathers, only they both died before I was born.
I do have a set of grandparents who were my mom's foster parents when she was a teenager in the foster care system. That grandfather, before he passed away, gave me a love of foreign languages, playing instruments, and being a life long learner in general.
Is your Oma’s house haunted like mine? This is funny timing but my Casper caused a loud “thump” in the kitchen a few minutes ago. He’d been quiet for weeks but announced his presence twice in the past few days: the “thump” in the kitchen and a loud sound of something falling off my bedside table near my head and hitting the floor. The bedside table one defies reality because there’s nothing on the table but my unscathed journal and a lamp.
Nope, not unless you count the bitchy neighbor. Just old as hell and makes normal old house noises.
I've just finished listening to the podcasts Uncanny and The Battersea Poltergeist, and now listening to The Witch Farm. All BBC productions with the same (amazing) host, and I am super spooked. My SO keeps "sneaking up" on me by walking into the room, lol, poor guy. I can't imagine having an actual Casper. Would you be willing to share some more stories? I am fascinated. Do you have any idea about the history of the house and who/what might be there and why? I am assuming friendliness since you've named it/them Casper.
Happy to oblige because I think the situation is pretty funny and I’d be intrigued too. It’s my first time experiencing a ghost/spirit/whatever. I wasn’t a believer before but like, what else am I supposed to do? There’s only so much I can ignore the footsteps going up and down the stairs when my cat is looking directly at the stairs and then back at me like “you hearing this shit?!”
So I assigned Casper a gender because he seems like a mischievous but usually fun guy. He makes a lot of racket in the kitchen, like random sounds. Once it was the sound of someone squeezing a Solo cup. Like, that’s a very distinctive sound unlike old house sounds or thumps. He also knocked a huge clock off the wall and I wasn’t thrilled to sweep up the glass, but that’s the worst he’s done. The bedside table incident this week was the closest to me he’s ever been and had it happened a few years ago, I would have lost my shit. But we’re cool now so I was like “well played, Casper” and rolled over.
The house was built in 1896. A longtime neighbor told me that a loooong time ago it was an unpermitted bar for gay patrons. Other than that lore, I don’t know anything about previous residents. It was a rental before I bought it in 2016.
So yep. That’s the scoop. A woman, her black cat, and a ghost all happily coexisting in Church Hill.
Edit to add: Nice to hear from you friend!!
That’s so cool and spooky too! I’m glad it doesn’t frighten you and Casper is friendly and keeps you and your cat entertained. :) I didn’t realize it was you until you said hi, that’s so neat, hi back!! I gave the ornaments and one of the wreaths as Christmas presents to my sister and best friends and they all loved them so much! I kept one of the wreaths for myself and I enjoy it every day. Hope you’re well, friend!
That update makes me so happy!!
I lived in mons(SHAPE) for 6.5 years as a kid was fluent in flemish and French. Now I just just barely understand.. Happy birthday Oma!
If you put some work into it I am sure it would come back quickly. I was great as a kid then lost pretty much all of it until my mid-20s when I put some effort in. Came back quick
Re learning Italian at the moment and it's coming back pretty quickly
Yeah dutch definitely is not very useful. I’d choose french if I was gonna re-learn one of the two you states previously. Unless you want to spend a lot of time in Flanders or Nederland
I’m aging into a love of old houses. What’s your favorite part of your Oma’s 300 year old house? What’s her favorite part?
I went to my first Girls Who Walk RVA event last night at The Park and had a lot of fun. I will say I went in determined to spend no money and they got…more than $0 out of me somehow. I’m usually stronger.
I almost didn’t go because I worried that most everyone would already know each other and I’d be the odd person out. I’m glad I took the chance because I met some great people. If you’re also tryna make friends, let this be your sign to be brave!
The wood work and sturdiness of it all. Beams bigger than me, brick and stone walls 3’ thick. Its also just very cute
Yay I’m glad you went! I wonder if we interacted and just didn’t know it!
What’s the weather like there?
Lil snow last night, otherwise cold and quasi-sunny. Hows rva?
Sunny, somewhat humid. We might hit 60 today.
Enjoy your time with your Oma!
Have you painted any murals in Flanders?
Of course. Lier, Gent, Antwerpen, Wevelgem, and Deinze
Yay! So happy that your Oma and her friends get to enjoy your work as much as we do!
Have you had any Flander's Red Ale while there? It's one of my favorites. What is your Oma's favorite recipe or a recipe of hers that's one of your favorites?
Beer, frites, and mussels sound amazing.
Starting my weekend off at work and it is very chill right now. Trying to read this new book over the weekend.
Op have you read anything good recently you would recommend?
I re-read LOTR trilogy last month always a great one. Currently going through the collected essays and letters of Hunter S. Thompson
What's your best piece of travel advice?
I had to start traveling a lot for work a little over a year ago but it still hasn't clicked for me.
Depends if you are domestic or international, I am assuming you are flying as well? If so pick an airline and stick with it, those perks really add up and make the whole thing enjoyable. I can not tell you how many times my fast-pass through Amsterdam security has saved my ass, as well as the private check-in. On top of that the lounge is nice.
As far as packing goes, light. I almost never go anywhere with more than a back pack. Why the hell would you need more than a weeks worth of clothes and why are you bringing your whole bathroom? How often have you been anywhere where you could not find toothpaste and soap? The only thing I stack up on is socks and boxers. All the socks.
Dealing with checked luggage is just adding time and weight at both ends. Unless you really need it, which is pretty much only for long trips, skip it.
Where you going?
Primarily domestic - thanks for the tips!
Des Moines, IA first, then Louisville, KY.
Domestic is easy and boring. Get pre-check, pick an airline that is logical and get them points on company dime.
Do your always fly KLM? have they switched to narrow body A330/321 for transatlantic flights?? They're so much slower than the older jumbos, I regularly fly home to Ireland with Aer Lingus normally and it took 8 hours on the return leg this last time. Excruciating.
Always. Generally an A330-300. I also find that the stated flight times are given with a generous cushion and we normally come in earlier. But yes a little slower than the jumbo’s I flew in my youth.
No questions, but Flemish red was my absolute favorite style of beer back when I drank. 10 years ago I would have been very jealous of your current position as it was really hard to find in the US.
What a beautiful place! Are you in the city or countryside?
Countryside
Stayed in a hostel in Brussels many years ago. Enjoyed the visit!
Feeling like I need a win today. Though everything work has said has been positive, kind of hard to not see all of the layoffs happening and get a little bit worried.
On the bright side, Day 20 of Dry January whoop whoop!
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After the family visited town this week, I seem to have caught a classic head cold. Being sick sucks, especially since grad school classes started back up this week. Womp womp.
Hey OP, is your Oma smarter than a Slate Senior Editor? Find out on this week’s Slate News Quiz!
Considering they are asking questions about American cabinet member positions I doubt she knows or give a shit.
>I doubt she knows or gives a shit
This is the way.
This is how I feel about all the questions like "who is the new prime minister of some country i cant locate on a map and will never visit." I don't venture out of rva because last time i checked the news it was depressing.
Bah-humbug
I also don't know different state's mayors or cabinet members.
9/12, 419. Is the Senior Editor smarter than a fourth grader?
I got the same! 9/12 419!
My question is whether your power is also out.
Hours has come in and out all morning, with the latest outage lasting for the last hour or so.
We're in north chesterfield, and I can't find any sort of explanation from dominion's website. Happy birthday to your Oma!
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HBD to Oma!
What is your all-time favorite travel destination? And then what’s the top place on your bucket list?
This is very tough. If I could snap my fingers and end up anywhere for an afternoon… the swiss alps. That shit is unreal. I did not think such beauty could exist in the world. It feels like visiting the elves.
But for a longer period of time… I have never not had fun in Prague. Yeah obviously Amsterdam is dear to my heart but that feels more like a home than a travel destination.
Utsira, Norway takes 2nd place for a day trip teleportation.
Top of my list… probably South Africa or New Zealand.
You?
This is giving me wanderlust!
Sadly I’ve never owned a passport. But domestically, Austin, TX was phenomenal.
As for my bucket list: tracing my roots in Ireland! Seems that the majority of my lineage traces to Donegal. Probably worth popping over to Glasgow for the Scottish ancestry too.
You aint gettin any younger, and the world aint getting any calmer
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply.html
Heya nils! What's your favorite pizza?
docskreba t1_j54t50x wrote
Stupid sexy Flanders.