Lessons in Belgian Life

Yesterday, I had to drop a sweater off at the cleaners. Of course, she asked for my name, which I spelled for her. My last name is English and so not as easy as Genevieve is for French speakers!

She then asked me if I was Irish, because of my last name. I said, no, American, and she said, "Oh, but you sing your 'L's, like an Irish person!" I decided this was a compliment.

We then had a sort of weird conversation about Americans and diversity and how Americans are the most accepting people in the world of other people's differences. I don't know if this is true, but it was easier to agree than anything else.

And then I turned to leave, dry cleaning ticket in hand, and she called after me. "Wait!" she said. "You forgot to pay!"

Pay? Where I come from, we pay for services after they occur, not before, but I handed over the money. And she asked, surprised, "In your country, you pay after?"

It's the little things that sometimes make you feel like you have no idea how to even go about life!