The US Elections

I've not actually said anything about what my mission really is this fall - explaining the US elections to Europeans! First, no one over here can believe any American would actually support John McCain. It is an interesting view -- and the Europeans were so hopeful that "we" would make the correct choice. Second, after the election, people congratulated me everywhere. I thought that was rather odd. A British colleague at Sussex said non-Brits offered him condolences when Princess Diana died, so that is a similar sentiment. But of course, no one over here understands the independent power of our Congress, so perhaps the most surprising thing is that they can't imagine that Obama will not get everything he wants as president. I've been having fun trying to educate them, but as you can imagine, it's not really sinking in. I've done a lot of post election forums, mostly in the UK -- and one at the American Embassy in London -- and it is amazing how much they know about our system, except this Congress bit. Now if only Americans knew about the politics of ONE other country....

First School Break Destination: Belgium

I would highly recommend Belgium for anyone who likes food and fabulous architecture. In addition to the chocolate, there are the Belgian waffles, mussels, friejtes, beer, and liquers and the rest just doesn't much matter. We spent most of our time in Antwerp and Bruges. Bruges, the 'Venice' of the north, was certainly picturesque, but far more oriented toward tourists than Antwerp. But Antwerp, the home of Robin's long lost relatives, won my heart. It has history, economic importance, a big port, fantastic artwork, an important fashion school, and not everyone has perfect English. It was also amazingly uncrowded (as was Bruges) and very pleasant most days. The Antwerp Zoo was a highlight! Coming up next....that darn American election, intriguing to all Europeans because how could anyone vote for McCain, they want to know....,.