Speak to Me — in Dutch!
Learning a new language can be a challenge, especially when you are a native English speaker learning Dutch.
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It’s Carnival Time in Belgium
It’s almost Easter, the time of year when Belgians go a bit mad — with color, festivity, and, of course, beer. It’s carnival week. People let their hair down and don colorful wigs and crazy costumes for three days of revelry. It’s been a tradition since the Middle Ages! There are parades, music, and merriment.
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Shop ‘Til You Drop in Europe
Planning a trip to Europe? If you are a shopaholic, mark your calendars for January and July. It’s the perfect time to do your European shopping, and with the dollar’s current strength against the euro, it’s time to grab your credit card and hop across the pond for the big, seasonal sales. While they aren’t
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Experiencing The Best of Belgium During the Holidays
The ball dropped in New York City’s Times Square, and fireworks blazed across the skies across the world. Yeah, it’s 2023. Hallelujah. It’s hard to believe that we could celebrate again after COVID forced so many festivities to be canceled for so long. In Europe, even the Christmas markets returned this season. Boy, I’d missed
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Travel Smart and Dodge A Bullet
COVID-19 has been a nightmare for nearly three years, a nightmare I thought I’d avoided. I had four vaccinations and no infection, and even dated someone infected with the virus. Yet, I escaped it. Okay, I admit it. I was feeling a bit cocky. I dodged a bullet, or so I thought. And then, just
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The World Has Gone Mad
Every four years, the world goes mad. Why? World Cup football, or soccer as we Yanks say, returns, pitting 32 teams against each other in a race for bragging rights — and $42 million in prize money. The runner-up gets $30 million. Just by qualifying for the competition, the players’ wallets get a bit thicker
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Thanksgiving in Europe
Thanksgiving, which we affectionately called turkey day when we were kids, has always been my favorite holiday. For me, it’s about friends, family and food. But for Europeans, it’s just another day on the calendar. Thanksgiving in Europe is just an American thing. Why I Love Thanksgiving Unlike Christmas, Thanksgiving is free of crazy commercialism.
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We’re Mad as Hell
“I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.” That wasn’t just Peter Finch’s rallying cry in the 1987 film Broadcast News. It’s a battle cry around the world these days. Here in Belgium, anger about rising costs and reduced buying power have come to a head with a “national day of
Bad Renters: A Cautionary Tale
There are so many challenges being an expat living in Europe. I didn’t think renting a house would be one of them. When I left Minnesota in 2016, I rented out my house, first to family members who took loving care of it, and then to renters vetted by a local management company. I never expected
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Charleroi Is Back in the News
Charleroi Airport, Belgium’s second busiest airport, closed to departures for the third day in a row on Wednesday, October 19. It doesn’t seem like the season for strikes, but the airport became a chaotic scene this week, especially on Monday afternoon when access to the airport for departures was restricted. A strike by the airport
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