Brussels, Belgium

SRC and I spent the most time in Brussels than any other stop on this European trip. We arrived Wednesday night and received a warm welcome from the FC Belgium office. The FC office in Belgium is part of FranklinCovey Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg) and can I just say that I was more than impressed with everyone that I met and the event they put together. I went to the event location that same night for my AV rehearsal and was very pleased with what I found. The AV set up was, again, a great set-up. Three screens: two side screens for graphics and films, middle screen for SRCs image. The AV tech tables were up in this balcony area which was really very cool but required a bit of maneuvering over boxes, cables, people, etc. Everything was so well organized and no detail was left undone. This speaks for the entire program as well. As I reviewed the AV with the tech crew and realized that everything that was required was provided, plus a few extras, I said, “I am in heaven right now”. Again I received a few “crazy blonde American” looks but that is what makes it so fun.

The program venue for this event was an old Cinema (movie theater) one that Charlie Chaplin performed in. So there was a bit of famous history for this event. There is also a gorgeous ballroom in this building as well which was used for breaks and lunch. It really was a great venue for this event. The main event room was filled to capacity with 400 participants attending. I did not see much of the audience from where I was sitting but SRC commented more than once that the group was very intense, in a positive way, as well as interested and intrigued by what they were hearing. SRC took them through quite a few interactive activities that got them involved in what was being taught. He took them through the Empathic Listening exercise which was a huge success with this group. At the conclusion of the program, Claudia, the main organizer of the event met SRC on stage to thank him and to present him with a big bouquet of flowers. She then asked that I come to the stage. Here I am up in this balcony surprised by her request and trying to make my way down as quickly as I can without tripping over cables or falling down the two flights of stairs. Once I made it to the stage I was also presented with a large bouquet of flowers. Very lovely indeed! It was a pleasant surprise that is for sure.

SRC and I made our way back to the hotel to unwind and change out of our business attire. We met up with Paul, Claudia, Anne, Joris and a tour guide. We actually did some sightseeing. I was so excited! Can I just say that I was very impressed with what I saw? There were two highlights for me: seeing a Chi Chi’s restaurant in the middle of Brussels and walking through the town market. We walked down this narrow street (walking only) with shops on either side. This street took us to an open square with more shops and restaurants. “Tis the season: we were lucky enough to see a huge Christmas Tree decorated with white and blue lights. It was already dark outside so it really was a beautiful sight. As we stood there listening to the tour guide tell us about the market and the buildings a laser light show started. As it turned out the show actually starts December 1st but we were there to see a bit of the rehearsal. It really was spectacular!

I went to dinner that night with Paul, Claudia, Anne and Joris. We took SRC back to the hotel and then drove to another area of Brussels to find the restaurant. From what I was told the cuisine and ambiance of the restaurant is Brussels: the food was delicious, I must admit. Paul and Joris had mussels as their entrée. I had never actually seen anyone eat mussels before so it was quite interesting to watch. Joris had this technique of using the shell as tongs/fork to extract the meat of the mussel from the other shells. Quite impressive! Oh, before going into the restaurant we passed more shops and I decided I had better go into a chocolate shop to buy chocolates from Belgium. I asked the gal who was assisting me what she would recommend. She recommended an assortment of chocolates. I wanted to make sure that I did not end up with a lot of alcohol filled chocolates. Why am I telling you this? My comment about no alcohol intrigued the group I was with so they asked me if it was a religious thing that I didn’t drink alcohol. This led to a discussion of the LDS church. I know I did not do a very good job but at least I was able to answer their questions. I was even asked about polygamy. It was great to be out with such fun, talented, and good people. I had a great time!

I have decided that words like “awesome”, “fabulous”, “cool”, “hoot” (my favorite word) don’t work well in these European countries. So, I found myself saying things like, “lovely”, “splendid”. Not bad words but also not part of the forefront of my vocabulary. Perhaps I will begin using them instead of the American slang. In Belgium, I found that the residents speak 2, 3, 4 languages: Dutch, German, Flemish, English, French. Here I am, an American, speaking one language and knowing a few words in two. SRC tells this joke when traveling internationally: “Those who speak three languages are trilingual. Those who speak two languages are bilingual. Those who speak one language is an American.” He always gets a laugh. It sure has me thinking about studying other languages.

So, here we are flying home. We are just about to complete the first leg: Brussels to New York (JFK). I am ready to be home but so happy about how this trip went.