Pardon My French

Coming back to work after 2.5 years made me a bit anxious. Would I be good at it, would I enjoy it, would it make me too tired (more on that later), etc. On one hand, I was genuinely excited for this opportunity, and wanted to envision going back to work like this:



However, based on my previous work experience, I was honestly just hoping my job wasn't:



Last month I said that this is not really my ideal job, but that I appreciate the opportunity and experience. Since then, things at work have picked up a bit. I'm now feeling more excited about my position, and my job is starting to slide more toward the ‘ideal’ than ‘idle.’

I sat down with my boss nearly two weeks ago to discuss with him my goals and motivations for doing EVS. He was genuinely interested in knowing why I’m here, what I hope to get out of my time with the Red Cross, and what I needed from him in order to achieve my aims. It was a great conversation! He took down lots of notes as I explained that my primary goal for the year is to learn as much about the Red Cross as possible: how they work, how they work with other Red Crosses, if there was a potential career in the Red Cross for me, etc. He was absolutely on board, wanting me to meet with lots of people in different departments and even different national Red Crosses (e.g. the French Red Cross). Additionally, he had the idea for me to meet with people in other, related NGOs and potentially the Ministry of Health. It makes me very excited to think of all the learning I can do over this period; I want to fully (soy) milk this opportunity and make the most out of my time at the Croix-Rouge luxembourgeoise. So now, work is feeling a little more:




There is one part of my work that still intimidates me: French. I did study French for six years...about six years ago. I can get by when traveling in a French-speaking place and can decode fancy menus everywhere else (pas d'escarcot, merci). However, I am not confident in my abilities to send work emails in French, or worse, attend meetings in the language. Whenever my boss asks if I can try something en français, my internal reaction is



while my external reaction is



I do have the very patient and generous help of my colleagues, who take the time to read over my emails and attempt to answer my anglophone questions ("Why don't you use the subjunctive here?" "Does that preposition always follow that word?" "Why is 'masculinity' feminine?") I will hopefully start taking French courses soon so I can really focus on studying the language and have professionals to whom I can ask my technical grammar questions. In the meantime, my coworkers at least pretend my French isn't that bad.



Attending meetings in French is certainly more difficult- no processing time, and I'm expected to not zone-out, which is incredibly easy to do when listening to another language you don't fully understand (okay, I'm quite adept at zoning out even when things are in English...) During the last meeting we had in French, though, I understood enough of the context to contribute a few ideas. It was a great feeling! I hope that in each meeting I find myself understanding a little more, and being able to contribute a littler more. Although even with an upward trend, I feel that whenever I say something in French that actually adds to a brainstorming session, I will forever sit there like




Now, if you'll pardonez-moi, I'm going to go prepare for my morning with the Red Cross' International Department :)

xoxo
VB

Belgium de Lux

Things have been looking up lately in Luxembourg. I'm liking work more and feeling optimistic about my opportunities there, I've gotten to know some nice people I hope to become closer with, and Luxembourg as a place is starting to grow on me.

There has been a lot going on in the past week and a half, so I hope to share my recent experiences succinctly and without being (too) all over the place. Let's start with a quick trip to Belgium before we come back to Luxembourg.


In March, when I was still adjusting to my Lux lifestyle, I decided it would do me good to go someplace familiar and see friends for the long Easter weekend. I booked a relatively last minute trip for just €41 ($54), and for 3 hours on the train each way, I was Belgium-bound. I am SO glad I went! Many of my friends there were out of town, but I got to spend quality time with Tine, who I used to work with when I volunteered in Belgium, and Anne, who is a former EVS-er and always a blast (read: a lil crazy). Additionally, I had the chance go to my old synagogue for Passover (read this for my previous Passover experience there) and see old friends :) This year we did the four questions in ten languages!

Beating people with scallions during Dayeinu. I recommend reading the post linked above to understand :)

Be as crazy as you like in Belgium!

At one point, Anne and I got waylaid by a couple hundred zombies in the center of Brussels.

I can't stress how good it felt to be with people I love. I got to relax, hang out, eat well, and be myself. Tine even prepared an Easter egg hunt for me!! The weekend was also meaningful in that it reminded me of how relationships grow. I first met these two when starting out in Belgium, we became friends, and a few years later we're still close. I can only assume similar things will happen with the people I'm meeting now in Lux.

Back in Luxembourg, things have been busy. However, I have had the chance to get together with some of the wonderful people I have met. Last night I had a dinner party and there were nine of us here! In such instances, I am very blessed to have a dishwasher ;) It felt good to have my place/kitchen filled with people, and what lovely people they were. We'll have to do it again soon...and maybe with even more of us!

I am currently helping pilot an online course in Global Environmental Challenges, so my 'spare' time in April is being eaten up even more. I will post soon about Luxembourg, which I have yet to do since this is an odd place to wrap one's head around, and about my progress at the Red Cross. I am very keen to share these parts of my experience, but alas I must hit the books.

Until next time,
xoxo
VB

Keep on the Sunny Side

Disclaimer: If you have a very slow computer/internet (Mom and Dad), please give this a minute or so to load before reading

A friend recently told me that things must be going well in Luxembourg since my blog sounds happy and optimistic. I told him that my blog was participating in a ‘lies of omission’ campaign. It’s not that I’m not happy and optimistic, but I haven’t been as open about my struggles or the hard times I’ve had. There isn’t anything too drastic or tough going on in my life, but settling into a new place is difficult. However I’ve felt the need to hide some of this on my blog for a few reasons. For one, nobody wants to read anything that’s all



and nobody wants to be friends with that, either. I know this is a temporary phase that happens when you uproot and replant your life, so I don’t want to give the new people I’m meeting the impression that I’m a Debbie Downer or Negative Nancy. I’m Very-nearly-settled Valerie.

You’d think that for someone who moves to new countries as much as I do that I would have this down to a science, nay, an art form. And there is truth to the fact that I’m a skilled mover who knows how to navigate a foreign country. However, no matter how much you plan or know, nothing can make settling in easy. It takes time to get to know a place and feel comfortable there. Nothing can change that. It takes time for ‘people you know’ to become ‘friends.’ Nothing can change that, either. And it certainly takes time for the last place you left (Scotland in this case) to stop feeling like home and the place you currently live to stop feeling like an extended holiday destination. So, despite coming into this with much previous experience, I still find myself (more than usual) thinking



Additionally, there are a few things that may have made this experience a bit more difficult. For one, I possibly felt too prepared. I figured, ‘hey, I’ve done this a million times! You find a grocery store, find a doctor, find the local café with wifi, and you’re set!’ Besides, I’m great at meeting people and making friends, so it would be no time at all before I did that in a new place! Totally forgot the above-mentioned issues, and went from feeling



to feeling

.

The second thing that has made this experience more challenging is that I keep comparing it to the previous times I’ve moved to a new country. But you can’t do that!



It is so easy to compare my settling-in period with that of Scotland, or my volunteer project to that of Belgium, or the funny language with that of the Netherlands (okay, that one is legit, though). But that really is a trap! Those experiences were so different in so many ways, with possibly the biggest alteration being me. I’m such a different person now than I was while commencing my other overseas adventures that the comparison simply does not work. I must keep reminding myself of this because comparing is a natural thing to do. However, what I can take from these previous experiences is the knowledge that adjusting is a process, how I emotionally handle such processes, and that each phase, good or bad, will move into another one.

Right now I’m starting to feel more optimistic about things and am wrapping my brain around staying in Luxembourg for the next 11 months. It’s good to feel like I’m moving from the ‘lies-of-omission’ phase to an openly content one. It’ll be a process, but I’m Very-nearly-settled.

xoxo
VB

p.s. Jacob Bloomfield

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