{"id":1124,"date":"2011-04-25T12:56:11","date_gmt":"2011-04-25T19:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rayivey.com\/wordpress\/?p=1124"},"modified":"2011-04-25T12:56:11","modified_gmt":"2011-04-25T19:56:11","slug":"spring-forward-day-37","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.rayivey.com\/wordpress\/spring-forward-day-37\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"rss\"<\/a>\"instagram\"<\/a>

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Brussels
\nApril 18, 2011<\/h3>\n<\/h2>\n

Day of Work<\/h3>\n
\"Est-il<\/a>
Est-il vrai que vous savez MM Chaplin et Jones de Glendale?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The office is just a few minute\u2019s walk from my hotel.\u00a0 The neighborhood we\u2019re in is breathtaking.\u00a0 In this fine spring weather Brussels gleams like an exquisitely-carved marble chess set under bright theater lights.<\/p>\n

And speaking of the IT guys in the office: they are extremely awesome.\u00a0 Fun, funny, smart, welcoming, and interesting \u2013 all in about six languages each.\u00a0 They explained to me the intricacies of the major political divisions in Belgium.\u00a0 The country is divided into two major regions: Flanders in the north, which is Flemish (pretty much Dutch) speaking, Anglophilic, and liberal; and Wallonia in the south, which is French speaking. Francophilic and more conservative.\u00a0 There\u2019s also a small minority of German speakers in the eastern-most portion of the country.\u00a0 Add to the mix that Brussels, the largest city, is mostly French speaking yet is located in Flanders, and that\u2019s actually a lot of politics for a country the size of Maryland.<\/p>\n

My three IT buddies are all proud Flemish speakers, and justifiably proud of their beautiful, enlightened country.\u00a0 At one point in the conversation we were discussing Africa and I mentioned Ivory Coast.\u00a0 \u201cOne of the biggest chocolate producers in the world, \u201d I said helpfully, having just learned this on my tour of the chocolatier.\u00a0 Jan was having none of that and set me straight.\u00a0 \u201cCacao<\/em> comes from Ivory Coast.\u00a0 Chocolate<\/em> comes from Belgium.\u201d\u00a0 Well, there you go.<\/p>\n

\"Flying<\/a>
Flying in the subway tunnels is officially encouraged. Actually, I got warned by an incredibly polite cop about a 500 Euro fine for taking pictures in the subway!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jan has been with the Client for eighteen years and helped build many of the Firm\u2019s foreign offices in Europe and Asia.\u00a0 I\u2019m hoping he\u2019ll be able to give me good advice on how to succeed during my stay in the Moscow office.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Worked very late helping migrate the offices computers to Office 2007.\u00a0 I\u2019m not used to putting in twelve hour days (I know, I\u2019m a wimp) but it was fun because it was a part of the process I had not participated in before.<\/p>\n

U.S. States Which Are Smaller Than Belgium By Area<\/h4>\n