Monday. Watching BGS Championship with my brother. I got to watch a lot of bowl games with my brother. Maybe I should say had to, since there was only one TV and it was that or do nothing.
None of the teams I've routed for during any of the bowl games I've watched have won. And Oregon almost won. Auburn did play a good game. We got so excited, though, when they scored late in the 4th quarter to tie up the game (including a 2-point conversion). We screamed and whooped. And we thought for sure they were going pull it out. But then Auburn scored.
It was so frustrating. They kept running the ball instead of passing. And getting shut down. Their passing game was on. We couldn't understand why they kept going with what wasn't working instead of what was.
But, like I said, Auburn played a good game, so it wasn't so terrible. But I would have liked at least *one* team I rooted for to win.
Tuesday. Taking pictures around the house. I really hate not having a car. I never realized how much I really like having that freedom. And I look forward to being in a place that has a metro and where walking places is the norm.
And I got good news today. My passport is on its way back to me and I shall be departing for Belgium on Friday. Yay! A week later, but finally I will get there. Right in time for my internship. And worshiping with the church on Sunday :) I really hope that my jet lag isn't completely terrible. I don't think it will be, considering I'm used to taking naps at what is 9-10 pm Belgium time. But, we'll see. And I'm used to doing an all-nighter, too, better than some kids half my age...
The picture above is of a sculpture that my dad made when he was a pilot in the Navy. The dog used to have a snout and the bulb on top used to blink. I've always liked it.
Wednesday. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! The snow storm that hit Columbia yesterday came here to Maine :) We got over 9 inches of snow, which of course makes me happy. It also means that we're not going anywhere (we were going to go to Paciarino but they weren't serving dinner because of the weather). Lots of places were closed because of the weather. And there was a parking ban in effect from 10 pm to 5 am for the streets of Portland. Which makes so much sense. Clear the streets so they can plow. And guess what? The very next day the streets were clear! *Amazing.*
This is one of my mother's tchotchke.
Thursday. Ate lunch at Paciarino, which was a better experience than last time, but later that day I was burping all over the place. Uncomfortable!
After eating, while Alex decided to wait in the car, because "it's cold out here," I wandered around downtown Portland and took pictures. As I was taking one of my first pictures, the woman walking behind me said, "Oh, I'm sorry, did I get in your picture?" She'd been on the phone and hadn't realized I was taking a picture. I assured her that she hadn't, as I took photographs for a living. We started walking in the same direction and talking and it turns out she works for Maine Magazine. We exchanged information and I'm going to send her a link to my website. When I actually finish my website. (Go, God, go!) And somewhere in our conversation, I was able to find out where a camera store was so that I could buy a filter for my new lens. Cost me more than I wanted to pay, but it's better than breaking the lens.
I thought about using this picture, but chose the other one because it illustrates just how much snow they've had in Maine.
Friday. I leave for Brussels. Yay! Finally. I had a layover in Washington DC and then on to my 7 hour flight.
This is a picture of some of what I did on my 7 hour plane ride across the Atlantic. The outside air temperature was around -62*F.
'The Social Network' wasn't bad; I just don't get why people raved about it. Granted, Jesse Eisenberg did a great job of portraying Zuckerberg, I thought it was a pretty average movie. I don't think that it deserved a review of "impeccably scripted, beautifully directed, and filled with fine performances, The Social Network is a riveting, ambitious example of modern filmmaking at its finest." It may be because I really didn't like the 'protagonist,' Mark Zuckerberg. He was a jerk in how he treated people through out the entire movie. No loyalty, completely self-involved. Unlike Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, it wasn't endearing because he didn't value any relationships. At no time did he talk to people like he considered their feelings. At least Sheldon sometimes worries about other people's feelings.
The sad thing is, typically people aren't going look at the film and think that it is inaccurate in its portrayal of people like Zuckerberg. Quotes of Zuckerberg portray him as someone very interested in connecting with people (and connecting people), something the movie does not portray at all. The movie's character is more concerned with taking advantage of other people's need for connection, not making the world a more connected and open place.
Saturday. My first day in a foreign land. Brian (right) is the other master's student that is part of MU's exchange program here in Brussels. He met the taxi when I got to the apartment and helped with my bag (thank you, Brian!). For dinner, we checked out Da Vincenzo Restaurant and ended up eating with an older couple, Henri and Rachel. It was a really nice way to start out my time in Brussels :)
Sunday. Sightseeing in Bruxelles.
My first Sunday, I visited the Brussels Church of Christ/Eglise du Christ de Bruxelles. As I expected, I received a warm welcome. Interestingly, unlike in the States, the welcoming greeting consists of the double cheek kiss instead of the side hug. The church's membership is around 35, largely married couples. In fact, there are only 2 single members: Maureen and Natalie. Maureen is originally from Peru, so his native language is Spanish. Natalie speaks mainly French. Communicating among the three of us was very simple because of the language barrier.
Natalie took us to see the Grand Place, which was originally established around the 11th century. It's really a sight to see; the buildings are a mesh of Gothic, Baroque and Louis XIV styles, with gold inlay on many of the buildings. This statue, a memorial of Everard 't Serclaes, who rescued the city from a Flemish invasion in the 14th century. Tourists (like those in my picture) will rub the parts of the statue that are shiny for luck.
Click here to see more from the trip to Grand Place.
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