EuroLife

So its been 5 days now that I've lived with my host family? 5 or 6, but regardless, there are definite differences apparent between American and Belgian everyday life. The most obvious actually have to do with energy consumption, which is one attacking point that most Europeans have against Americans. First of all, there is a massive tax on most if not all energy goods: electric, gas, water, etc. This means that Europeans don't heat their houses as much during the winter, air conditioning is near unheard of in the northern countries, toilets use less water per flush, and showers are usually shorter. It seems as though it would be hard to get used to, but literally whole countries do it! and they save massive amounts of their money and the worlds resources per year doing so. It is quite a change, but indeed an eye opening experience (mother I know you've been trying to tell me this for years, and i gotta say you were right). However energy consumption is not the only drastic change in culture. Another main difference is meals. Its very much true, the stereotype that we give Europeans, that they sit at meals for hours on end having drinks and conversing after they are done eating. It seems strange to Americans, who are constantly rushed out of the restaurant because the manager just wants to "turn tables over", but in reality its a beautiful thing. As our instructor Jerry told us, dinner is the first part of a night's entertainment. You eat, enjoy a few of your drinks of choice, and then from there, depart au bar. It makes for more congenial and friendly atmosphere at restaurants and conversation tends to flow easier with your friends and neighbors than most people may think. And finally, there are the cars...everybody knows about them but to experience them is a whole other deal. They are tiny, like early 90's Hyundai Daewoo tiny. I can fit in the back of some, but I don't suggest anyone even slightly over 6'1" give it a try. And of course, once your squeezed into the backseat like a pack of sardines, you're in for a crazy ride. They drive crazy here. Signs and street lines dot the visage of the roads, but they seem to all be uninterpretable by me, the foreigner, and nonexistent to the resident drivers. All in all I think I'll stick with the metro. ciao