March 17, 2003 : a car and the arrival

Before heading to Berchem station a bit earlier than usual to pick up Nichole and Jennifer, we received a phone-call.

I had assumed it would be them calling from the airport to let us know that they had arrived safely and that they were running a bit late. Instead it was Rita, Eva's mother, letting us know that her mechanic-friend had found the perfect car for us, that it had already been purchased (by Rita, so we'd just pay her back) that she was going to insure it through her insurance company, and that we might have it by Friday.

Wow!

It's a Diahatsu. Japanese. Small. The man seemed to think it was in perfect condition, was the perfect car, and a great deal. It's all done and taken care of. Now we just have to pay back the appropriate people and we have a car. How can this be possible?!?!?

Not only is it bizarre that we are going to have a car that we've never seen/picked out, but all parties involved seem to be in agreement.
A: We're happy, of course!
B: The mechanic-friend of Rita is pleased that we're getting a good deal and one that the daughter of his friend can drive with confidence
C: Rita is happy because her mechanic-friend thinks it's a good deal, so we're not driving a rust-bucket death-trap.
D: Joris and Eva will soon be learning to drive.

I really don't know what else to day, except for the fact that we're sort of in shock. We still have to get the scooter taken care of, and will try to get it in running condition as to give it to Jasper, or keep it for city-driving, but really! A car!

On the way to the station I hunted down every car along the street that was a Diahatsu and considered what ours would look like.

I mustn't forget my priority purchases once we get the car are: gas-lid-lock and fix-a-flat for the trunk.

We didn't know when Jennifer and Nichole would arrive exactly, and as there is really only one train every hour arriving from Schiphol airport, we knew they would either be there then, or an hour later, or an hour later, and so on.

We walked the platform and prematurely assumed they were going to be on the following train, when in the distance we saw them approaching. They looked fairly refreshed, and the four of us settled in for breakfast at Panos.

Eva left for work, and the three of us headed home. They seemed to be in good spirits and had had a nice flight. We situated their things and headed into the city for a quick tour (pre afternoon dropping-dead and early-evening re-awakening)

We hit all of the hot-spots; tram-ride, Groenplaats, Cathedral, Schelde, quaint-streets, points-of-interest, and even passed a few: Geen Orloog/No War! signs. While on the Groenplaats, Jennifer asked me what made people able to tell a tourist/American from the rest of the masses of people. I told her that I wasn't the best judge of that, but before we took their picture in front of the Ruben's statue, I simply said, "Look around, how many fleece, jeans, and people without coats/scarves do you see here?"

And then she laughed. :)

We then headed to Del Haize to pick up enough food to feed the four of us for the rest of the week. They were surprised by the smallness of the isles and selection of goods I have long-since-forgotten are different than things in the states.

By the meat isle, Nichole says, "I want to eat some meat." And though it sounded sort of barbaric and funny, we bought enough to have ciabatta-bread hamburgers when we got home, to which they both replied that our meat tasted meatier and delicious. Needless to say, that after wanting meat so badly, mid-hamburger, Nichole drifted off to sleep and Jennifer and I chatted a bit before she too went to sleep.

I couldn't leave them on their first night here, and though I had every intention on going to Dutch classes, it seemed more important to hang out with my friends who had just traveled 2000 miles to hang out here. When Eva got home we headed into town. Before we left the both of them said, "hey, try to make us more European looking and Nichole took one of Eva's old coats and Jennifer added a scarf to her own outfit, and the four of us boarded a tram, wondered around a bit in town, and ended up at Caramba, a Mexican restaurant I haven't noticed since my first week living here. (when I had already started thinking that I'd miss Mexican food) It was delicious. We drank the smoothest/tastiest/strongest margaritas we've each ever had, and it made the rest of the night warm and cozy.

After dinner we headed over to the wine cellar-bar (I can never remember the name) to let them sample some additional Belgian drinks. We each ordered something different and sampled each other's order. Not wanting to miss the last-tram, we headed to the station at Groenplaats, saw that a tram was 2 minutes away, ran down the stairs, missed it by 1 minute, and waited for the next one. (only an 8 minute wait)

Once on-board the tram, at the next stop a guy sat down in front of us, turned around and it was Jasper, Eva's middle-brother. At our stop, I invited him to an additional round of drinks at a bar on our street. De Ijzer. It's a pseudo-happening place we always seem to pass-over, much like the Parisian cafe two doors down. It's yet another place we've added to our nice neighborhood list. I suppose one doesn't have to live "in town" at all. It's just taken a year and a half for us to realize it.

We parted ways and came home to listen to Bush's address to the American people streaming online. Since Eva's not an American, and since she had to work tomorrow, the three Americans watched the slightly-pixelated face of our (our country's!) president and then mulled over his words.

They arranged the couches to make a bed, and I crawled into bed where I immediately settled down into one of the few times out of the year when I snore. At least that's what they said.

IN THE NEWS:
Country stations across the United States have pulled the Chicks from play-lists following reports that lead singer Natalie Maines said in a concert in London earlier this week that she was "ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas."

And on a more serious note: President Bush gave Iraqi President Saddam Hussein a final ultimatum tonight to go into exile within 48 hours or face attack by 280,000 troops poised for war in the Gulf region.