21 June 2010 Monday

Meeting
It is always nice to see a familiar face. Met up with some people whom I’ve not seen for quite awhile. Met some other new people, including a Frenchman whom I managed to have a few sentences of French with haha. And I’ve arranged a number of meetings with yet some others.

Food
Breakfast was usual. Nothing special. Lunch was cup noodles. But in the evening, I had a cocktail reception and managed to grab some finger food. These included beef carpaccio, beef tartare, some salmon thing served on a Chinese spoon, some other fish paste served on small round biscuits and of course the famous Belgian fries. Dinner was a treat from a Taiwanese uncle. And I had a beef patty with alfalfa salad.

Cobblestone Paths
I used to love cobblestone paths. That 17th century feel that they add to the environment. The character that they add to the roads and streets. My love for these paths is decreasing quite rapidly though.

Try walking 7-8 minutes from the hotel to the meeting venue and struggling to walk on these paths on heels. ARGH!!!

Chocolates
An ubiquitous snack. Abundant. I think I’ve eaten more chocolate in these 2-3 days than for the whole of the past 3 months.

K
I wish K was here with me. :( I see chocolates and I think of him. I walk back to my hotel wishing he was there to hold my hand. And whenever I take pictures, I wish he was right there to see what I am seeing, to experience what I am feeling.

Service Staff
If the common idea is that service staff in France have horrible and snobbish service, then those in Brussels are much worse. Yesterday’s waiter cleared our plates without asking us if we still wanted our food. And the plates were clanking noisily against each other. Some food crumbs spilled out onto the table.

And then this evening there was an interesting exchange between the head waiter of the restaurant we went to and the Taiwanese uncle (TW) we had dinner with.

Waiter: Good Evening.
TW: For 3 people please.
Waiter: Good Evening. *Gives an attitude face*

TW: Um, for 3 people.
Waiter: Good Evening.
Me: Bon soir. (good evening in French)
Waiter: *nods and acknowledges me with a smile*

TW: Err.
Waiter: I said good evening to you. You need to say good evening to me!!! Before I will find a table for you!!!

TW: Oh, good evening.
Waiter: Ok.
TW: 3 people please.
Waiter: You need to wait an hour.
TW: *looks at me*

I stepped into the conversation with my broken French and managed to get us a table for 3. Outside the restaurant that is. Out in the open in a temperature of about 12degrees. Oh well, at least we had a table haha.