I did survive my crazy week with only a couple mishaps.

The reception at the ambassador's residence was fine. Nothing spectacular. These type of events have made me realize that I could not have gone into a job where I made a lot of money and would have to go to these type of things always. I don't think I could handle the fake conversations that you get stuck in or the fake smiles. I do like the waiters consistently bringing food, but I can just as easily find it myself on the table, thanks. Another shining moment of the reception was the speech given my the US Ambassador to the European Union. It made all of us quickly reach for alcohol and hide. Embarassing? Perhaps. Ask me about it sometime.

Mishap number one resulted in me not singing in Italian. I was sick. With what, I couldn't tell you, but I did not look good. So while may classmates were singing their hearts out, I was in my room sleeping.

My lecture in Diepenbeek on Friday went splendidly. I didn't talk about anything I prepared to talk about because the students had so many questions that I easily filled the hour and a half with my long rambling responses. No majoyr mishaps occurred while I was there. It was a little nerve-racking trying to buy a bus ticket, but I prevailed. It was the trip home that I ran into some problems. I got to the train station in Hasselt (Diepenbeek) at 5pm. I had to change trains in Louvain. My train from Hasselt to Louvain was at 6 and it arrived at 7. Easy enough. I had dinner a hot cocoa with a fellow Fulbrighter in Louvain (beautiful city, by the way).  The trains from Louvain to Mons leave on the hour. So I get to the train station at 10 to 10. There is no train listed for Mons. I try to read a schedule, which is in Flemish, and I find a train that says that it goes to Mons. So I find it's platform and hop on. Happily reading my Barack Obama book as we reach Brussels-Midi train station. The conductor comes on and announces that this is the last stop of this train. I freak out. Thinking, it's the weekend. My last train from here is at 11 (it was 10:58). I run through the train station trying to find a train, but there isn't any. I wanted to cry. I thought I was stuck in Brussels. Finally, I found a train schedule. The schedule said that there is one more train to Mons at 11:40. I forgot that Friday night is considered a weekday still. I finally made it back to my room in Mons 5 and a half hours since I left the school in Diepenbeek and 2 and a half hours since I left Louvain. Please note, this country is the size of Maryland. It doesn't take that long to get anywhere here.

Saturday night I saw a wonderful film called "Paris, je t'aime". It reminded me of a collection of one-act plays. There were 18 different "sketched" by 18 different directors, including the Coen Brothers and Wes Craven. Each sketch had to take place in Paris and had to do something with love (not necessarily romantic). It was great.

Yesterday I went to a Christmas Party in Brussels. It was fun, but just not the same as the Christmas parties at home. *sigh*

That sums up the craziness. This week is going to be low-key. I have started to make travel plans for the spring. I will for sure be making my way to the following places: Paris, Madrid, Stockholm, Athens, Venice, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. 

I hope everyone is doing well and that the Holiday Season finds everyone in good cheer.