P and I went to Antwerp this weekend and took Monday off so he could deal with all the silly Belgian paperwork things. It was so nice to get away from the utter shite Manchester weather for a few days.
We flew KLM, which involved flying to London City and then to Antwerp – each time in a 50-seater plane with propellers. Propellers! It was so windy and turbulent that I pooed in my pants about eleventy times.
Being back in Antwerp almost felt like going home. We had our bikes waiting for us and it is so nice and relaxing crusing around the streets and not worrying too much about getting hit by a car because the drivers are cautious of cyclists and there are loads of bike lanes. It was nice going back to Dansing Chocola for Looza and vodka, and some koffie verkeerd which always comes with yummy biscuits or chocolate.
The only bummer about Antwerp is that I don’t speak Dutch. Sure, I can say hello, goodbye, yes, no, thank you, please, and not much else, but it gets really frustrating going out to dinner with P and his family and not understanding 99% of what’s being said. So I bought an interactive Dutch course (leer Nederlands!) on CD-ROM. From just last night I can count to 20 and name about 6 colours. THAT is progress. Also, total dedication and love. Better fucking recognise!
There is a lot about Belgium that I really love – the culture, the food, the price of food and living compared to the UK, the laidbackness-but-not-quite, biking everywhere – I really could see myself living there for a while if the situtation arose. However, I don’t (yet!) speak Dutch so I couldn’t get a job and Belgium has the most ridiculous amount of taxes in possibly the entire universe.
Antwerp = (100% Ani Moller approval)-(2% for stupid taxes)
umm…well. Its been interesting lurking. Don’t really know what comment to make though. Thought I should.
ahhh for those days with posts about American foreign policy.
Ani, you should re-post a selection of those in your current archive for those interested in a giggle.
You’re never happy Ani, Houston was too warm, Manchester is too cold… Make up yer mind
You could say I’m a kind a silent reader of your blog for a very very long time and I’m glad to read that you love Antwerp because one guess where I live? ANTWERP
You have a very good taste 
Yay! Antwerp is niceness.