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Belgian Football: The Red Devils

Since moving to Belgium I've made a concentrated effort to learn about and enjoy European Football. I must admit it took me a while to get over pansy players who dive compared to the rough and tough hockey players of the NHL. I've been slow to learn the 'hard' rules and still can't clearly define what constitutes a ...

Love & Marriage: My First Belgian Huwelijk

[caption id="attachment_1149" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The happy couple[/caption] This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the wedding of Billy's sister, Natasja and her fiancé Jelle. I was really excited for the occasion after hearing all of their plans for the past couple months. This was an eagerly ...

Belgian Beer Weekend: The 14th Edition

Back in September, the boys and I journeyed out of Leuven for the 14th edition of the Belgian Beer Weekend in Brussels. I haven't been to Oktoberfest in Munich yet, but I think this could rival the famous German festival in terms of quality beer. There were three beer stations set up in Central Brussels; the Grand ...

Learning Flemish: Positivity, Equality, and Empowerment

After two full weeks of Flemish classes, I have made a few more observations and conclusions about the Flemish from their language. I realize that these are wide, sweeping generalizations but they are observations that have I had since my first month in Belgium as a tourist in 2011. 1. The Flemish are "glass half-full" ...

Wine Tour of Loire Valley, France

Back in July, I was invited on a couple's weekend wine trip with my fella, his sister, and her fiancé to help pick out the 'bubbles' for their upcoming wedding reception in October. Early one Saturday morning, we jumped in the car and made the ten-hour road trip to Chinon, France. Chinon is a village in the Loire Valley, ...

Learning Flemish: My First Impressions

In Vlaams-Brabant, my home province in Belgium, the Flemish language seems to be a blend of Dutch, French, and English. Here in Leuven, I have become accustomed to hearing all three. Probably more English than usual since my Belgian friends are very accommodating and will switch to English to include me in conversation. I'm ...

Ten Belgian Bands You Should Check Out

Here is a list of ten Belgian bands that I think the rest of the world should know about. This list covers a few different genres, featuring songs from the past and the present. For me, discovering the great music of a culture is one of the biggest pleasures of traveling. So here it goes! Steak Number Eight Young dudes ...