A sunny weekend is a good omen

This past weekend we went to a McK colleagues wedding, which was a great anthropological experience. The groom was in my start group back in September, and we've become friends and sounding boards since. The bride comes from a very politcally-connected family, so we were expecting a glimpse into the upper crust of Belgian society - not our normal milieu.

And it didn't disappoint. The uppercrustiness was cool - we saw (ok, had to be told who they were) the former Prime Minister of Belgium, a couple current members of government, and the first Belgian in space!

Its really a full day of events for the bride and groom, and I can only imagine how exhausted/dehydrated/hungry they are at the end. First was the church service at noon, which was held at a great old church in Leuven, a university town in Flanders (and probably the best university in Belgium-they are much more equal here than in the US, but I'd say its the one with an international profile). It was a Catholic mass that lasted about two hours, and was in Dutch, so I was just listening really hard for the end of Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Heilig Geist) so I'd know when to cross myself.

Things that made it not-your-typical-American wedding. There were 18 attendants on each side! The males all wore matching outfits, but the women had chosen their own - no common color scheme and certainly not the exact same dress. And each wore a hat. A Queen of England, multiplanar with feathers and bows and flowers kind of hat! The ceremony was long, but so are Catholic ceremonies in the States, but children were much more visible as was the wedding planner-ish guy. Also, the groom gave a welcome speech at the church before the priest did (I think they were welcoming, again, the Dutch! A lot of the prayers and readings were in the program, and from my limited Dutch a lot of the Biblical verses and vows are similar to ours- definitely in sickness and in health was mentioned!

The first reception is an outdoor cocktail and I think gets quite an extensive guest list. Later on there is a sit down dinner and afterparty of drinks and dancing for the closer friends (we weren't invited to this part) Anyway, it was held in a castle on the outskirts of Brussels, and was really amazing. A sunny afternoon, which is rare in Belgium! Here is a picture of us in front of the castle's donjon tower (dungeon!)

Bye Bye Brussels

So, keeping my priorities in line, its time to plan a going away party. Given the propensity of the neighbors to call the cops at the slightest noise (despite their never ending shouting matches), I need to find another venue. Local readers, any ideas?

As excited as I am about moving, it is sad to be leaving Brussels sooner than I'd planned. Things I'll miss:
Our apartment
The friterie on our block,
SAMOURAI sauce
Still finding new domestic beers on menus
My coworkers and friends
Speaking French on a daily basis

Things I won't:
The hours
The bureaucracy
The rain

A Belgian Weekend

So, I've received two articles recently from the New York Times about Rwanda: one praising the country's turnaround and leadership, the other talking about the difficulties of doing business there. No doubt both are very true. Email me if you want the articles.

Since this blog is subtitled Moving from Brussels to Kigali, and because I don't think I'll have frequent updates about Rwanda for a bit, I'll concentrate on life in Belgium for now.

July 21 is Belgium's national holiday, and we went with some friends to the Gentse Feest - Ghent Festival - for the night. It's basically a huge street party, a cross between a state fair, outdoor concert, and Foxfield. A great time, but Sunday morning we got up and drove to Oostende on the coast to run a 10km race. The weather was perfect and although it was tough to get started, I finished in 55:55 which is fine by me, and seems like a lucky number.

Rwanda Facts: A Thousand Hills

Rwanda is known as "Le pays des milles collines" which means the land of a thousand hills. Despite knowing a fair amount of random facts and Africa-related trivia, I didn't know too much about it before researching this job. I'm sure most of the world's first thought is the 1994 genocide, but apparently things are quite peaceful and stable now. Some facts: Population 9.9 million, land area around the size of Maryland, making it Africa's most densely populated country with over 1000 people per square mile. Bordered by Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania and Congo. Famous for the gorillas living in the Virunga National Park (with six extinct volcanoes). Located just south of the Equator, at an elevation of 1500m, meaning the climate is high 70s/low 80s year round.

From Belgium to her colonies...

Well, if you are reading this you probably know that I have been offered a job in Kigali, Rwanda. I have to make a final decision quickly, think about how to tell my current employer, and am a bit overwhelmed that all I need to get done - breaking my lease, packing (again!), getting shots, saying goodbye to Belgium, etc, etc.

I decided the best way to stay in touch will be through a blog, so this is really just a test post, as I am years behind in this phenomenon. More to come soon.

Come visit,
garron