Belgium

Beth beat me to it..Belgian waffles was my first thought....I would have to name associate it with it..history anyone?  Anyone for an Belgian waffle while we "Hash" this out...just kidding. I've so far have known people from Germany, Finland, several from Japan, Canada...Boston...laughs...that' s here in the USA..but they got the most delightful way of talking... Ireland. Africa. All over South America and Mexico, Holland, England, Isreal, India, Australia, France Spain. Egypt. Probably others, but can't think of them right now. Whip cream please...ok..what you going to tell us Patrick about Belgium?... I know an lot of people do Eurpoean tours go through it enroute on the trip. I forgot Russia and China perhaps. Italy...I'm getting forgetful in my old age. One of my employees parents were missionaries in "Bangladesh" many many years ago. An local large and exotic car dealer out here has an "villa" in Italy,..we knew an guy that worked for him for some years also. Its an small world these days any more.Kid I grew up with he moved to Thailand to work for the US Government in exporting logs to the USA...he was an "banker" over here for many years.  Is there coffee with the waffles?

Use to talk to an kid in Isreal..he was going to the university or college over there, but he could hardly wait to get out of there. He said most the Middle Easterns do like to leave...because they fight so much, you can't make any progress in living standards if your room is being bombed. He says they are their own worse enemy most the time. He took just absoulute wonderful photgraphs also.

Food?

Well, that's a great topic. We've got a saying here that if you like food and eat a lot you're from 'Bourgondië. that's the region Brussels more or less.

Most Belgians do like to eat and have high standards about quality. Our national dish is what you call Chips (without the fish !!). Sadly enough most people call it 'french Fries'. Those b---rds steal anything ! But we've got some medieval document stating we were first !! We normally don't eat it with fish but we combine it with everything possible. When you visit Belgium you MUST go inside a 'frituur'. You'll never go back.

For the rest we've been influenced by almost every country in the world (see my mail about our history). So we ''ve always been used to almost every foreign kitchen througout history. the plus was, that we used everything we really like from those countries and over the centuries made our own international inspired kitchen, long before everybody else started to find out about them.

We Belgians find it very funny what foreigners consider Belgian. Like sprouts, Beer, Chocolate, Waffles. I agree all that is good over here but most Belgians probably would answer Fries (or chips) as the Belgian dish number one.

Chips are good, even without the fish. Do you douse them with malt vinegar, like the English?

I'd make a trip to Belgium, just for your chocolate  .

i have been to belguim its very nice i went bruge,blanckenburghe,ostend

mind you i was only 15 at the time i went with school.

i liked the ice cream.