Thu, 9 February 2012
| Index | Last | Var.(%) |
|---|---|---|
| BEL 20 | 2270.63 | -0.42 |
| DAX | 6788.8 | 0.59 |
| IBEX 30 | 8902.1 | 0.60 |
| CAC 40 | 3424.71 | 0.43 |
| FTSE 100 | 5895.47 | 0.33 |
| AEX | 325.12 | -0.06 |
| DJIA | 12890.46 | 0.05 |
| Nasdaq | 2927.23 | 0.39 |
| FTSE MIB | 16653.83 | -0.09 |
| TSX Composite | 12497.94 | -0.18 |
| ASX | 4357.1 | -0.15 |
| Hang seng | 21010.01 | -0.04 |
| Straits Times | 2981.17 | -0.03 |
| ISEQ 20 | 503.71 | 0.33 |
Text size
It's so hot I have fantasies about shoving past the camera-toting tourists and sticking my head into the path of Mannekin Pis' famous stream.
Yes, I finally understand why I saw adults and children in Germany strip down into their underwear in public to cool off with whatever water was handy. It's tempting. So tempting. When your face is shiny and flushed, your feet hot and sweaty, your shirt stuck to your back and your wedding ring digging into your swollen hands, it's not hard to envision abandoning modesty and decorum and just cooling off.
My, how I have changed. I used to joke I was a reptile in my last life and that's why I loved warm weather. I used to think the heat didn't bother me, but DUH, as an adult, I never lived in a house without air conditioning and if you've always enjoyed an icy blast of brisk air hitting you in the face when you open your front door, you have no clue about what it's like to live in the heat. I admit it.
 |
|
All the sunshine and spotless blue skies have been picturesque, but the absence of Belgium's trademark gray skies and showers has meant the heat has been building in the brick and stone for quite some time. The last few nights, the temperatures haven't dropped, the curtains haven't lifted with a breeze and when I crawl onto (not INTO) the bed at night I feel a bit like a burger on a giant griddle: flat, motionless and flipping over at regular intervals, imagining I'm sizzling in my own fat. (If only it would melt away in the night, all the sweat would be worth it!) Like an electric nanny, the fan hums and rocks the heavy air around me and after much splaying and sighing, I drift off to sleep.
During the day, I feel as inanimate as a rock. I hate to move except to shuffle over to the faucet for a drink of water or to the shower to freshen up and wet my hair. I don't like to cook and I don't like to eat. This is a good thing from my perspective, though the other members of Chez V wish I'd snap out of it.
But while the heat is turning my life into one long siesta, it sure beats the depression that comes with the endless cold, wind and blowing rain we lived with last spring. So despite the sweat and inertia, I'll take it hot — and try to be cool about it.
21 July 2006
© 2006 Veronica McCabe Deschambault. All rights reserved.
This handy guide from Expertise in Labour Mobility includes how to write a CV, application procedure, interview dos and don'ts, Belgian management culture.
Belgium’s first alternative directory assistance services - available through the shortcode 14-14 - can now be accessed on the internet.
Moving to Belgium presents a host of challenges to expats, not least of all finding the right home.
The psychological effects of global mobility can be physically painful.
Twitter
LinkedIn
Facebook
Flickr
0
