Clothing Optional

Wee Update:

I live alone. My roommate finished her EVS project and moved back home last Sunday, leaving me a little worried about who would be moving in next. Turns out...no one! I have wanted to live alone for YEARS, but now that it's here, it feels a bit odd. My first order of business was to move into the larger bedroom. After that, I wiped down the entire flat with disinfectant wipes (I don't know how many people have lived here before). Now that the place is officially mine, my life has become:

like this

and this

and, of course, this

Additionally, I now have a spare bedroom for guests, in addition to the three spare mattresses and two couches. So come play!!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go crank up my music and sing and dance while cooking



xoxo
VB

Paris is to Echternach as Scotland is to Luxembourg

This past week was spent in Paris, France, and Echtnernach, Luxembourg. The dichotomy was fairly stark but I had pleasant times in both. Let’s start with the more fun:

Paris

It was my birthday! Thus I took the mere 2 hr train ride to/from Paris for a birthday weekend. I stayed with my friend, Lauren, whom I know from Edinburgh, and we had a lovely time seeing the city and celebrating. I got the chance to visit museums I had never been to, eat some delicious veggie food, and just hang out with a good friend, something I haven’t been able to do since I moved to Lux since everyone here is pretty new. We even indulged in some fantastic birthday cake, as my mom insisted on me getting, “the most decadent chocolate cake you can find.” I think we did a decent job meeting that criterion.

All in all, a very successful trip and a glorious way to kick of 27!

Echternach

My first task as a 27-year-old was to go to volunteer training, or “On-Arrival” as we call it. I will preface this section by saying that I have had a lot of volunteer training in my day. I’ve attended two pre-departure trainings (Boston and Leeds), and one On-Arrival in Belgium. I know all about the Intercultural Iceberg, the Emotional Dip Chart, and Learning to Learn. I’ve also volunteered in a foreign country/language and been expatriated six times. For me, I wasn’t expecting this to be a mind-expanding journey of new information and life-changing activities. Which is good because it wasn’t. I was, however, looking forward to meeting some of the other new volunteers.

Ten of us gathered in the north of Luxembourg at this small tourist city on the border of Germany. The location was scenic and the hostel nice, however I soon realized I was stuck in 4 days of what I like to call “this-piece-of-string-is-a-metaphor-for-real-life” activities and often pondered how I could get this piece of string to escape from training. These are activities where, despite appearances, you really weren’t just rock climbing, eating lunch, or trying to spell your name with a piece of string while blindfolded, no. These were in fact microcosms for my time as a volunteer or for life. It’s a good thing the scenery was so beautiful so I could roll my eyes while pretending to admire it :)

I don’t mean to sound like I went into this with a closed mind, because I did not. But I didn’t learn as much as I would have liked, which is a shame. I was, however, reminded of a few things when it comes to volunteering (e.g. setting goals for the year and thinking about how to achieve them), and, most importantly, met some very nice people. They come from Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Albania, and Hungary. I genuinely liked most of the people I met and I look forward to getting to know them better and sharing some time and experiences in Luxembourg. Most don’t live in Lux city, but the country is so small that it doesn’t make a difference and I’ve already seen some of them again!

My time in Luxembourg is progressing, but I’m still feeling quite homesick for Scotland. I don’t like it yet and it’s not yet home, but I have only been here for three weeks so I’m trying to stay positive and optimistic. So in reality, going from Paris to Echternach was really a microcosm for going from Scotland to Luxembourg, just minus the string.

xoxo

VB

Being a Real Person

Here’s the thing about working full-time: it’s full-time. As in, you don’t have much time to yourself. Totally forgot this about the real world and now finding that my spare time is rare time. I’m trying not to let it get to me too much since I do only work 37-hour weeks and have (most) evenings and weekends free, plus can take as long as I want for lunch and wear jeans (win!), but I’m already nervous that keeping in touch with friends and blogging may suffer a bit in the way of being a Real Person.

So here goes, the answer to the oft-asked question, ‘What exactly are you doing in Luxembourg?’ Until a week ago, I didn’t know much more than ‘working in the Communications Department,’ and ‘trying not to drown in French.’ Now I can give more details while confirming these initial nuggets.

The Communications Department at the Luxembourg Red Cross Headquarters consists of about 10 people. In theory, about 20% of my job will consist of helping this team with anything that has been, or needs to be, translated into English. On one hand, this is enjoyable, as I love and have a flair for editing. On the other hand, after a few hours I want to beg for mercy as I can only handle so much bastardization of the English language at a time. This is usually when I switch to the other 80% of my job…

Coordinating the International Section (IS). The International Section is a group of volunteers made up of non-Luxembourgers who help the Croix-Rouge Luxembourgoise (CRL). Nearly 40% of the Luxembourgish population is foreigners, so it’s a substantial section of the population this group is aimed toward. The IS has both social events for its participants and projects/activities that help either to raise funds for or awareness of CRL and its efforts.

It’s a great concept, except, right now, it’s a mess. The group doesn’t have many leaders, or many volunteers from the sound of it. Therefore I am to help bring in lots of volunteers, some of whom can be project managers and planners. I also need to help plan the upcoming events and determine what our agenda for 2012 will be. Right now I’m in the process of setting the mission, aims, and objectives of this group and what we can offer our volunteers. The hope is that by the time I am done here in one year, the group will be able to function on its own.

So far, it’s okay. Honestly, this isn’t my ideal job, but I do work with nice people and get a certain amount of freedom and responsibility. I think it will be a great learning opportunity and give me experience in many aspects of business in which I haven’t worked. And, most importantly, this will (hopefully) help those who need it in Luxembourg. The money (and awareness) this group raises will provide support for people who are struggling. I can’t think of anything better in a job. Except for when I worked at a place that had a 2pm cookie time. That was pretty awesome.

Voila, what I’m doing in Luxembourg. I have a lot going on outside of work as well; I have started to make friends with some really great people and begun to discover Lux (pictures to follow). Additionally, tonight starts my birthday festivities! Dinner out for about 10 people, then this weekend heading to Paris to turn 27. Even without the daily cookies, life is good. :)

Kisses,
Veggie Bourger

The Bourger’s Buns

I'm talking about where I live...what are you thinking of?

This past week has been a whirlwind and a blur. I don’t really know how I feel about Luxembourg, my volunteering, or anything yet, but I can at least describe where I’m living and working and start from there. Then I’ll eventually get into things like what I actually do at work and my social life, but right now, I’d like to talk buns.

I live in the headquarters of the Luxembourg Scouts. Seriously. This facility has two main buildings: one which has a large dorm and kitchen to house scouts and school groups, and one which has administrative offices and conference rooms. On the second/third floor (Europe/US) of the latter, there resides one apartment. It is a two bedroom flat and I share it with an EVS volunteer from Paris. She has been lovely and wonderful so far, but unfortunately leaves in a couple months when she finishes her project. Here’s to hoping the next volunteer is just as great!

I have my own bedroom and a pseudo-bathroom, which consists of a shower and a sink. I share a toilet room, lounge, and kitchen, plus the laundry room. Mmm washer and dryer :) The kitchen is pretty well equipped and includes a dishwasher. Not that I need to wash much on my own, but it shall come in handy if I ever entertain. Hint hint.

The location isn’t anything special, but it’s not inconvenient. There is a bus right out front and two more down the street, all of which will get me into the city centre in about 5 minutes and to the train station in about 15. I don’t have a grocery store or gym nearby, so I’m still figuring out how I’m going to manage those things.

It takes me about 15 minutes to get to/from work, possibly the shortest commute I’ve ever had next to when I worked in my dorm’s dining hall two doors down from my room. Once I get to the city centre, I walk through a park for about 5 minutes and then arrive at this building:

Unassuming, right? I was quite surprised since it's headquarters of the Luxembourg Red Cross. But it turns out they (CRL as I like to call ‘em) have about 17 or so offices around town, and this, it’s headquarters, just handles their Communications, IT, and Finance departments. So I work in a lil villa in the park.

And that, in a nutshell and several pictures, is where I live and work. Nice buns.

xoxo

Veggie Bourger

Introducing....Veggie Bourger!

Hi, I’m Valerie, the artist formerly known as Kosher Waffle, and I’ve just moved to Luxembourg. This has been a journey in the making and is certainly an adventure to come. Over two-and-a-half years ago I moved to Belgium to volunteer at a community for people with special needs and started this blog as a way of keeping my friends informed of what I was up to and ensuring that my story was shared without the alterations of creative storytelling (Mom). Now I am blogging for different reasons, which only makes sense as I am a different person. A lot has changed since I left America in July 2009. I have had eight incredible months in Belgium with marvelous people and exciting exploits. I had two back surgeries and am still recovering. I earned my Master’s degree in Public Health Policy in Edinburgh, Scotland, where I have just left after the best year-and-a-half I could have imagined. I have also been blessed to travel around and live in Europe quite a bit. My outlook on life is different, my goals are different, and even my friends are different; in 2009 they were mostly American, now they are mostly European.

So with this new volunteering experience comes a new blog. My readership will be different not only because of the changed (potential) readership over the past two years, but also because I am a part of the European Voluntary Service (EVS). The organizations that sponsor and organize EVS like their volunteers to have blogs so that they can both keep track of how the volunteers’ experiences are going and show prospective volunteers what it’s like to be an EVSer. It is merely an added bonus that my mother doesn’t get to put her own spin on things.

You may skip this paragraph if you have already heard all about EVS and what I’m doing in Luxembourg. The European Voluntary Service is a European Commission program that sponsors youth to volunteer in different countries. Similar to when I was in Belgium, I will have a sending organization, Xchange Scotland, and a hosting organization where I will work, Croix Rouge Luxembourgoise (CRL), or Red Cross Luxembourg. While working at CRL, all my expenses will be paid, including housing, food, transport to/from work, training(s), health insurance, and language courses. I will spend 1 year, working 37 hours/week and getting the beautiful 30+ paid vacation days (not including sick days)* with the Red Cross. Working for them is an absolute dream come true for me, and I cannot wait to learn all about how the organization works and get experience in this incredible humanitarian organization. I am so proud and so excited to be with CRL, that I’m honestly quite nervous!

Disclaimer: I haven’t been a grown up in nearly three years. Monday I will start again at a 9-5 (ish) job, wear real-people clothes and have designated lunch hours. I will remember what a ‘weekend’ is, plan things for ‘after work,’ and forsake my beloved jeans. This may be even more daunting than working in French! From my understanding, I’ll be in the Communications Department working on a variety of projects, from domestic to international. I will have more details next week, along with some anecdotes of the terribly awkward and/or faux pas situations in which I’ve managed to get myself.

I’m a bit rusty on blogging, so please forgive me if this isn’t as charming or witty as you expected or if it doesn’t stack up to Kosher Waffle. I can’t promise it will improve much, but I can promise that the more absurd my life gets (which is usually a pretty good guarantee), the more absurd the documentation shall get. Please let me know if you have any suggestions, questions, etc, and thank you so much for reading and taking an interest in my new adventure.

Lots of Love,

Veggie Bourger

*now you know why I stay in Europe

Sophie

A few Fridays ago I had a very special afternoon. Hanne, a Belgian friend and social worker, asked if I could help her with one of the girls she aids. Sophie is a teenager who goes to public school, loves to play music, and enjoys horseback riding. She is also in a wheelchair with little control over her muscles and mainly talks through a computer or the word-chart on her chair. Sophie was doing a project for school on religion; she chose to focus on Judaism, watched a documentary on the religion, and wanted the chance to interview a Jewish person. As Jews are hard to find in Western Belgium, I was sought out for the job. It was a really great experience talking about Judaism with Sophie, one I'd like to share.

Hanne and I went over to Sophie's house, where we sat at the dining room table as Sophie (via her computer) asked me a few questions and I answered as best I could in Dutch. It was wonderful talking with her. She asked me things about the role of men and women in Judaism, about kosher laws, the Sabbath, if we have someone like a priest, how strictly Jews must abide by the rules of the religion, etc. When she had follow up questions, Hanne would ask her "yes" or "no" questions, guessing first what her question might relate to and then guessing more specifics, with Sophie nodding either to the right or the left to answer. Sometimes the topic was so interesting, Hanne would ask Sophie if it was alright if she asked some questions, too!

It was awesome talking to Sophie. I felt like I was really having a conversation with her, despite the communication boundaries. I looked into her eyes, was patient while she answered, and could tell in her movements that she was reacting to what I said. She seemed to really be enjoying herself, sentiments echoed by Hanne afterward. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to get to know Sophie because it's not something a lot of people get to do. She is a very special girl, who had lots of normal teenage interests and talents, and is a pleasure to be around.

I also just had a great time talking about Judaism. My religion is a big part of my life, so being able to share it with interested subjects was really fun. Sophie and Hanne were very respectful and genuinely interested in what I had to share. It was fun talking all about my culture and being proud of Judaism for some of the answers I was giving. The whole conversation felt really nice, as I enjoyed educating and they enjoyed learning.

Just a small story, but I wanted to share! I have been back in America for a few days now, so this will probably be the last I do as the kosher waffle. Stay tuned!

xoxo
kw

Out of Their Minds, Into My Heart

It takes a certain type of person to leave their comfort zone and volunteer in a foreign country, especially when that volunteering involves working with people special needs, refugees, children (in another language!), and other socially important yet challenging subjects. It takes a special person to do this, and I've spent the past nine months lucky enough to build close relationships with people who fit this description.

There were about two dozen other volunteers in Flanders with me, and I feel very blessed to have become close with many of them. We haven't just become friends, we've bonded. We share a unique experience and have been each others support systems and encouragement. We've traveled the country together, shared tales of how strange Belgians are and how tough it is to make friends with them, and spent holidays away from home together (see the Thanksgiving post!) I've gotten to compare stories of working with special needs, learn about how difficult working for the environment and alternative media are, and be inspired by my friends' passions. Plus, we've had a LOT of really, really fun times together, often including the local brews!

One such evening was Friday, my "Totziensenverjaardagfeestje," or "GoingAwayandBirthdayParty." I wanted the chance to say goodbye-for-now to the group of people who have meant so much to me during my experience in Belgium. One of my friends let me borrow his beautiful, cozy basement where we could just sit, drink, and enjoy each others company. I didn't want to go to a bar or anywhere public; I wanted an intimate, personal evening with my friends. Twelve of my favorite people in the whole wide world joined me in Gent for the evening, and it was such a special and sweet event, one I will always cherish.

For hours we shared, danced, snacked, drank, and laughed. There were angel wings lying around in the house because of the play at work, so some of my friends found and got silly with them. Most of my friends even got me cards and gifts! I totally wasn't expecting that, but I tear up just thinking about some of their touching notes and presents. To be honest, the evening was bittersweet as I felt so sad knowing I had to leave them all, but so blissful in everyone's presence. I think I hugged and kissed everyone so many times they were sick of me by the end of the night. Okay, probably not, but by the end of the night they were the ones reminding me that I'd be back in Europe in the fall and we could meet up for new and exciting adventures.

I had an incredibly heavy heart watching one of my best friends wave to me from the platform the next morning. I cried on the train to Holland, texting my friends during my journey and waking up my poor mother in America for moral support. When I was first coming to Belgium, I was afraid I wasn't going to make friends. Now only did I make friends, I made cherished, life-long friends. There aren't people I hung out with just because they were around, or talked to about superficial and trivial things. These are unique individuals whom I love very deeply and will continue to be friends with long after I've left Belgium. As I said, it takes a certain type of person to volunteer abroad, and my life is now about a dozen of these people richer.

(Yes, I made another video...)



xoxo
kw

ps. Don't get me wrong- while this post may be heavily sentimental, it's important to note that, overall, this group of people is crazy

Tot Ziens...

Friday was my last day at work. There was an afscheidsfeestje (going away party) in my honor and some of the adults who usually don't come to the community on Fridays came especially for me. It was difficult to get through that hour and a half without tearing up, and it's a bit difficult to blog about it without getting teary as well.

I really loved my work. I have been with such special people; the people I've worked with are sweet, they're interesting, involved, intelligent, and kind. I have really become friends with many of them. We share inside jokes, have great memories together, and know each other very well. The fact they have autism makes no difference in how close we got or how much we have done together; they are my friends and I will miss them greatly.

That being said, their autism did make a difference in how much I learned. Many of them are so high functioning that despite having a disorder characterized by communication and social lacking, they can talk to me about their autism. We have had conversations about what it's like to be autistic, what it's like to get diagnosed, how it feels around other people, and why they do some of the things they do (e.g. clapping hands and rocking). Just picking their brains and actually getting to a point where they were comfortable talking to me about autism was amazing. This experience has surpassed anything I could have imagined. I have learned more than I could have expected and made friends I will always cherish and miss.

So the party...there was cake! And presents! The group as a whole gave me a few presents, as well as some of the individuals. I was nearly in tears when I got cards and gifts from some of the adults. One girl got me a basket of Easter chocolates that she decorated herself and wanted me to share with my parents (sorry, M&D, they aren't making it that far!) One guy who couldn't make it on Friday wrote a card and had my boss give it to me. Another who could make it to the party got me a card with very nice sentiments. Part of the gift from the group was a picture in a frame- one I had helped "Paul" make during our time together. I assured Paul and the group that that picture was going up on my wall as soon as I get home.

It was very sad saying goodbye. One girl was very upset during the party and Paul had a hard time when I actually left the building. I was very emotional leaving work for the last time and teared up a bit on the bus back to the station. I don't have the words to fully sum up leaving this community or the impact it's had on me. But I'll always have these many, many gifts from the last day...and the past 9 months.

xoxo
kw

ps another REALLY interesting article!

The Littlest Penguin

During my last week at work the children put on a play. It wasn't a play so much as an over-conceptualized moving production that took the audience through a series of five themed locations involving music, acting, dancing, poetry, and even food. It was quite an undertaking to put on, but a real joy to see the faces of the kids doing something of which they were proud.

My help in the project was limited, but what I was able to do I enjoyed. Months before the play, we put on workshops for the kids to introduce them to the different types of art they might wish to perform in the play; I helped with the poetry workshop. Yes, I did a poetry workshop in Dutch with kids. It was an adventure. Everything went well, although as I am used to speaking Dutch but rarely writing it, some of the kids corrected my spelling :-P Hey, anything that helps make them feel good about themselves!

Allowing the children to choose which type of art they wanted to do was really great for their involvement. They were so confident, so excited. They were enthusiastic leading up to the play (often telling me how many people were coming to see them in it), and would wave at me in excitement when they saw me in the audience. When I told them what a great job they did afterward, the kids BEAMED. It was amazing to see them so proud and confident. I find it wonderful that my last memory of the kids is them bursting with pride after a job well-done.

The best part of the play? The littlest penguin:



I also think the other dance from some of the kids was very impressive:



I am so proud of all the kids and will always look back at these photos and films with incredible fondness! I hope you enjoy them, too:)













xoxo
kw

ps- REALLY interesting article about guide dogs for children with autism

4 Questions, 9 Languages, Seasons Beatings!

For this post, we're putting the Kosher back in the Waffle. Judaism and faith are a big part of my life, and they have been an important and often fun part of my time in Belgium. I found a wonderful Jewish community in Brussels soon after I arrived in this country and have been fortunate to spend a handful of holidays with them, High and other. The latest, Passover, was such a treat since I was able to see most of my congregant favorites for one last time, enjoy some good, Jewy food, and beat these great people with some of that food. Please read on.

The best part of this congregation is the people; they are genuine, warm, funny, and come from all over the world. During each holiday, the shul tries to incorporate as many traditions from the different backgrounds as possible. It usually provides for a fun and unique Jewish experience. This year, instead of just reading the Four Questions in Hebrew and English, I got to also hear them in French, Spanish, Dutch, Hungarian, Russian, Swedish, and Welsh! I learned that most people struggle in their own language with the words "leavened/unleavened," the Welsh translation takes about five minutes longer, and that this night really was different from all other nights!

Then we beat each other with root vegetables. Really. In an old Persian tradition, everyone is given a scallion and then flogs each other with them during the chorus of "Dayenu." I think this ritual comes from simulating the whip of the taskmaster (the holiday is about our exodus from slavery, after all), but when someone hands me a spring onion and instructs me to whack my neighbor with it repeatedly, I don't ask too many questions. So there we were, well-dressed, respectable adults hitting each other with scallions while singing about Gd. Again, this night was indeed different from all other nights.



I will certainly miss this congregation, but I have exchanged emails with some of my dearest friends and even hope to possibly join the shul again next year for a holiday while I'm in Europe. And if I have to lash them with groceries to do it, well I'm just that dedicated to Judaism.


Happy Pesach,
kosher matzah