You have reached the Operator.

The keyboard on this public terminal has a dying spacebar. This will make posting annoying but not difficult. Either way, happy Saturday morning (twenty after nine) from Brussels.

I like Brussels more and more that I'm here. The streetcars... hearts. If you ever come here, take line 29 out to Heysel (the plains in the north of the city where the World's Expo was several times and where the Atomium sits) and sit facing backwards. Around the third to last stop will begin about a quarter mile of the most amazing graffiti murals on both sides of the tram. Breathtaking and wet-looking!

I've declared today the last one that I'll speak English for a while. Any time I hang out with anglophones, my confidence in my French drops. If I want to speak English, I can call home. Speaking of which, I need to get a calling card once I get back to France tomorrow.

I called my mom yesterday. I heard New York had six inches of rain -- it's been peachy but cool here. She told me McCain had tried to bail on last night's debate (which happened while I slept so I have no idea whether anyone made a fabulous gaffe) and everyone now thinks he can't multitask. I'm inclined to agree.

I picked up a copy of Charlie Hebdo, one of the best political cartoon and satire publications. The centerfold this week has some frightening but funny depictions of Sarah Palin: they have McCain riding her as a bucking bronco; another of her trying to plug in every kitchen appliance she has and no outlet left for the nuclear bomb trigger that would "make dessert"; and one where she rips open her shirt and her breasts are giant testicles in the sac. I felt embarrassed reading this in public after I saw that last one.

I'm going to check out a job fair today. My goal in getting my spoken French up to scratch is to work in Europe, so this would give me a better idea of what else I would need to do.

So, gimme an update! How are y'all doing? I miss the majority all of you!