A BELGIAN SAFARI
My first and most memorable overseas trip was in July 1997. We went to visit my youngest sister in Belgium.
My family teases me because I adapt so easily to new cultures. I spoke Flemish with my sister’s in-laws from the moment I met them. On the hour-long drive to beautiful and charming Ghent, I was astounded by the buildings, the heavy traffic, the green landscape, wind turbines and the cleanliness of the country. My husband, Danville, our two-year-old daughter, Reza, and I stayed with my sister Charmaine’s in-laws in Lovendegem, while our mother stayed with Charmaine and her husband in their apartment in St. Amandsberg. Our hosts’ house was on a quiet street with a huge cornfield next to it. It looked quaint from the outside but was spacious inside. They had a story for every ornament, painting and artifact.
They were the kindest people. When
