It's a story of 2 people from different backgrounds forced to live together under one roof...and here I was going to pseudo-duplicate a Belgian and American living together under the guise of MTV's Real World. I just spent 15 minutes surfing for the opening lines of the show to no avail. The point being, today marked our return to the real world.

Eva's return is, of course, more drastic, whereas mine only necessitates removing myself from the bed and taking a shower and working a bit on some freelance work. Poor Eva. Nose to the grind after 2 weeks in paradise. Paradise. A bit of rain here and there, a big cozy tent, and meanderings around cities 5 times as old as the US is a country. I can't go into much detail, as I will be adding entries from the past couple of weeks and post-date them, but it was a great time.

Eva and I have not only decided that we should remain friends (one couldn't be so sure with the prospect of sleeping in a tent for 2 weeks) but we should remain girlfriends for as long as humanly possible. This is no proposal, as my friend Kathleen proposed to her girlfriend last week, this will just be something that happens. Maybe one of us will have a proposal up our sleeves...but as for now, we are content with our $7.95 silver rings that we exchange at random intervals; over coffee, next to burning catholic candles, in bed, in the car, and even more obviously over a nice meal. On our trip I even did the "drop the ring in the wine glass" trick. Only I didn't know it was supposed to be champagne and we soon rescued it and returned it to it's rightful place though we don't ever really know who the rightful owner is. Like I said, they're exactly the same. Just like sharing shoes i guess.

Enough of this verbal bit. I only meant to drop a bit about Kathleen and Rochelle, for which the modern world should be very pleased at their promised union. "What the world needs now" is more of the two of them, and the two of us, and some Bobbies and Erins, and some Nicholes and Jennifers, some Almas and Julies, some Susan and Leilas, some Colleens and Janets...and speaking of which, I just found an email from Colleen in my junk mail folder (don't ask me why it was there) letting me know that she just had her baby a month early. I can't wait to go to the store on Saturday and pick out some baby stuff to send. Eva and I are truly mad with baby nonsense in our heads. We don't know if it is that the world is producing more babies or that we are getting more needy of having one, because it seems we cannot go through a day without seeing adorable little babies in SUV mountain-bike baby strollers or a little blonde headed, bob-haired little tyke holding it's parent's index finger. And we say, "Awwwwwww..." And our hearts go ba-boom, ba-boom...and we get all misty eyed. We're not even on our periods.

Obviously I haven't typed in awhile because I am finding that I am ever so wordy this evening.

It's stifling in Antwerp. The air is completely stagnant and hot. It's midnight almost, and still no different than this afternoon. It is sooo warm that just having my laptop on my lap leaves sweat marks on my legs. No, I'm not kidding. 33 degrees Celsius. I'm not in the mood to figure out the exchange rate. The dollar is the same as the Euro, a yard is about the same as a meter, but a degree is completely different. I think it's multiply by 2 and add 30 or there about. At any rate it is hot. Really hot. Rumor has it (or rather it's an inside joke) that Antwerp is hot 5 days a year. Well we've only got 3 left then. Tomorrow it's supposed to rain. Go figure. :)

And mosquitoes. The flying syringes. The high pitched buzz in your ear insect. They are seemingly everywhere. I think I remember a children’s story how a man killed several flies with one swat. Well we aren’t as fortunate as several in one go, but we’ve been lucky enough to swat a few. The citronellas are burning, the electric poison is plugged in, and us with our ready stretched palms. (the slapping and clapping version of swatting)

Oh, finally, a faint breeze.

So the whole point is that I'm back. Back in time to remark on the subtleties of life in Antwerp. Back to the real world where we are already planning our next trip. Will it be England or a small camping trip to the Ardens? Will life prove to be different with a motorized form of transportation? (aka: Scooter) Will I manage to stick to concept of eating no Camembert moldy cheese and no salt and pepper chips? Will Eva prove to be less stressed now that she has gone on her long-awaited vacation? Will I actually paint a mural in our new place? Will I find a steady part-time job? Will I learn to make Thai sauces?

Wait and see.

IN THE NEWS:
An NPR bit (I will try to make it available here) talks about a report released about views of America in the world. It says that globally, America has a negative image. The catch word is called, "Public Diplomacy" and apparently we don't spend much money countering the ideals that Americans are arrogant, hypocritical, self absorbed, etc. Well I guess I'm doing my part by being an American abroad, eventhough I want to sometimes claim Canada.