AU REVOIR, LA BELGIQUE!
"Goodbye to All That"
Robert Graves (1895-1985)
Loose Ends:
Having lived in another country for eight years definitely changed my outlook on life, community, friendships, and, most of all, my worldview. I've never been one for borders or the separation of humans into little islands. That being said, multiculturalism can bring delights to our souls. We can be citizens of the world and respect our differences at the same time. Living abroad for an extended period taught me more than just a medical education. It gifted me with a compass that has remained throughout my life, guiding me through difficult navigation, and at times, stormy seas, but it has left me with a deep sense of respect for the differences that we all bring to the human family.
In wrapping up the so-called loose ends of our sojourn abroad, I'm left with the wonderful thoughts and memories of those years, the friendships we made, our travels and cultural experiences, our visitors, and many humorous moments that are, now, mere out-takes in the home movies of our minds.
Visitors:
We always enjoyed having visits from friends and families, whether for work or pleasure, and being able to share some of Belgium's delights with them. My parents came over and I wanted them to experience the culture and ambiance but, being a joker by heart, I told my mom I was going to take her to a typical Belgian butcher. We drove over to Watermaal and pulled up in front of "Eddy's Meat Market" where Eddy, a Flemish butcher was holding court and doing a whirlwind of business. Eddy approached my mom and said, in perfect English, "what'll you have"? I ordered the cotes de porc and after wrapping them up, he handed the little package to my mom and said: "Two nice pork chops for the little lady!" She got a good laugh from that experience.
Other guests were my late cousins, Ellen Mayer and Caren Sperber, both traveling around Europe at different times. I remember taking Caren to Henri Premiere restaurant and seeing her devour a whole poulet a tarragon! It gave me joy! Another visitor was Suzanne's college friend, Natalie Ammarell who, today, does beautiful bird photography in Maryland.
Perhaps the most memorable family visit was that of Suzanne's brother, Frank and his wife, Linda. Frank was newly returned from the war in Viet Nam, and they, too, were doing the European tour. The day of their departure, we took them to the train station in Brussels as they were going on to Amsterdam. Waiting on the train platform, a train came into the station and, Suzanne, being her usual helpful self said, "Wait here, and I'll get on the train to make sure it's the Amsterdam train." I, for some reason, was holding her purse and, as she climbed aboard, the doors shut and the train pulled out of the station, leaving me standing there with Frank and Linda, not knowing where she was headed!! As it turned out, this was the ANTWERP train, not the AMSTERDAM train! The next train was the correct one and, as I said my goodbyes to them, I was left alone wondering if I'd ever see Suzanne again as I was holding her ID and her money and she had no train ticket. Fortunately, she returned on the next train from the north, having gotten off the Antwerp train, and, luckily, not being asked to show her ticket.
One night while we were living in Brussels, there was a knock on the door and, upon opening it, saw one of my oldest friends from as far back as elementary school, Arnie Belzer. He and his new wife, Arlene, were on their honeymoon, traveling around Europe. Somehow, he had tracked me down through my parents. After college at a Christian Brothers school (Iona College), he had decided to become a Rabbi and graduated from Hebrew Union College as a Reform Rabbi. We had a delightful visit with them and spent the day tasting the delightful chocolates and pastries throughout the city. After congregations in New Jersey and Connecticut, he went on to become the Rabbi at the second oldest Reform synagogue in America in Savannah, Georgia. We have visited them several time there and have even enjoyed a huge outdoor seder on his expansive lawn to which we brought our Catholic and Protestant friends. He is an expert on the Jews of China but is known for being instrumental in founding the now-famous Jewish food festival in Savannah, "Shalom, Y'all".
Memorable Events
Apart from visits from family and friends, there were other memorable moments such as the sad day in 1967 as I stood on the steps of the Palais de Justice overlooking Brussels and saw the huge cloud of smoke coming from the center of the city, hearing the klaxons of the ambulances and fire trucks. Innovation, the largest department store in Brussels had caught fire and tragically 325 people died and 62 were injured. It was a national tragedy and the cause was never found. Some think it was a butane camping cylinder in their outdoors department that exploded while others think it was a Maoist terrorist protesting the Vietnam war. A very dark moment for Brussels and Belgium.
The other memorable event was Nixon's visit to Brussels. We were active in the ex-pat community and always voted absentee for US elections which were often followed by evening celebrations in the Brussels Hilton by both the Democratic and Republican parties, always a fun event. Never a fan of Nixon, I went down to see his motorcade and stood in the throngs of Belgians who either cheered or boo'ed him. I remember seeing the crowd behind me part to allow a man in a wheelchair to go to the front of the parade line (the Belgians were always respectful of those with disabilities) as he wanted to see Nixon. As Nixon passed, I heard the man shout out: "Rentrez chez vous, salopard!!!" ("Go home you bastard!") Very funny.
There were other times when I was tear-gassed on the main campus of the university when the students were protesting the takeover in Greece by a military junta and another protest during the time of the Paris riots (remember "Danny, the Red'?) with cobblestones being thrown at the Parisian police. My picture ended up, in a crowd, on the front page of Le Soir!
St. John's School
Suzanne became a beloved teacher at St. John's School in Waterloo which grew considerably during her tenure there and still thrives today. We made many friends among the faculty and families of students, some of which continue today. The school was originally run by an order of Irish nuns who were a delightful bunch and they were soon joined by a group of Christian brothers from the Christian Brothers High School in Washington, D.C. which established an affiliation. The nuns were led by Sister Mary John, an open-minded, independent, and delightful woman and the Brothers were a hoot and loved to party! Sister Mary John decided the students, all from the international community, needed sex education and asked Suzanne if she was up to the task! Suzanne, a former Biology major in college, acquitted herself very nicely and those kids benefitted from Sister Mary John's vision and Suzanne's teaching.
I recently found the yearbook from her last year teaching there and it was full of beautiful accolades written by the graduating seniors. Many went on to successful careers in all endeavors. One of our favorites was Claudia Slacik who went on to have a very successful career in banking, becoming the chief banking officer for the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. We've touched base with her over the past two years. One student, in particular, stood out, Christine Kavanagh, a British/Canadian student. She was a very funny character and all she wanted to be was an actress. Suzanne used to take the students on trips all over Europe during holidays, including going through Checkpoint Charlie into East Berlin, Yugoslavia, Austria, sailing on a barge in the Zuider Zee in the Netherlands, and theatre trips over to London.
I would usually stay home to study or work in hospital but one time, I decided to go on a London trip as we would be going to see theater in the West End.
We were crossing the English Channel on one of those old ferries that were actually buckets in my opinion. As often happens on the Channel, a major storm came up, and the boat was caught in huge swells, causing everyone on board to become terribly seasick. People were hanging over the sides vomiting. As we all sat there with this group of very green-faced high school kids in fear for their lives, Christine Kavanagh, ever the entertainer, started to dance and sing and take everyone's mind off our dire situation, eventually getting us through the storm.
Years later, one evening, as I was watching Masterpiece Theatre, safe and dry in our home in Rochester, while watching a typical English mystery, I was taken with the face of one of the British actresses. Could it be our Christine? I called Suzanne in and we both agreed it certainly looked like her and, as the final credits rolled, it was indeed Christine Kavanagh. She achieved her dream and went on to act in several films such as "Vera" and "Titanic"(playing Marian Thayer).
A Memorable Trip
As Suzanne was gainfully employed, having supported me in ALL ways during my med school years, she came home one day and surprised me with a trip to Majorca. Mind you, back in those days, the dollar was extremely strong, not that we had very many of them. For the equivalent of around $160, she found a trip that included roundtrip airfare AND five nights in a seaside hotel. We wanted to get away for a while from French-speakers for some respite. My first clue was that we were the only non-native French speakers on the plane and the same went for the hotel, but we did make some friends among them. The hotel was lovely and included an ocean view, a pool, and nice meals. Majorca is a Spanish island and this, unfortunately, was during the time of Francisco Franco's oppressive regime. One night, I heard a ruckus and went to the balcony. There, below me, were two of his Guardia Civilia with their iconic metal helmets, beating the living daylights out of some poor soul who probably disagree with Franco. Fortunately, that was the only hitch in a wonderful vacation.
Farewell
Final exams of my final year were fast approaching and much was on our minds, transitioning back to the States, physically, culturally and emotionally, moving our belongings across the ocean, including our gentle giant, Rex, the German Shepherd, saying goodbye to many friends, and, most of all, passing all my finals! I had successfully entered the Resident Matching Program in the States and was matched with my first choice, a rotating internship at St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, NY. My internship was to start July 1, 1974 and medical school graduation was not to be at least until mid-July! So, we left Belgium a week before July 1, having completed my exams, without knowing whether or not I was truly a physician! "Stay tuned" for my next installment to hear of the journey home.
 |
| Photos taken by a Belgian friend, Bart Carotte, of our "neighborhood" |
"Goodbye to All That"
Robert Graves (1895-1985)
Loose Ends:
Having lived in another country for eight years definitely changed my outlook on life, community, friendships, and, most of all, my worldview. I've never been one for borders or the separation of humans into little islands. That being said, multiculturalism can bring delights to our souls. We can be citizens of the world and respect our differences at the same time. Living abroad for an extended period taught me more than just a medical education. It gifted me with a compass that has remained throughout my life, guiding me through difficult navigation, and at times, stormy seas, but it has left me with a deep sense of respect for the differences that we all bring to the human family.
In wrapping up the so-called loose ends of our sojourn abroad, I'm left with the wonderful thoughts and memories of those years, the friendships we made, our travels and cultural experiences, our visitors, and many humorous moments that are, now, mere out-takes in the home movies of our minds.
Visitors:
We always enjoyed having visits from friends and families, whether for work or pleasure, and being able to share some of Belgium's delights with them. My parents came over and I wanted them to experience the culture and ambiance but, being a joker by heart, I told my mom I was going to take her to a typical Belgian butcher. We drove over to Watermaal and pulled up in front of "Eddy's Meat Market" where Eddy, a Flemish butcher was holding court and doing a whirlwind of business. Eddy approached my mom and said, in perfect English, "what'll you have"? I ordered the cotes de porc and after wrapping them up, he handed the little package to my mom and said: "Two nice pork chops for the little lady!" She got a good laugh from that experience.
Other guests were my late cousins, Ellen Mayer and Caren Sperber, both traveling around Europe at different times. I remember taking Caren to Henri Premiere restaurant and seeing her devour a whole poulet a tarragon! It gave me joy! Another visitor was Suzanne's college friend, Natalie Ammarell who, today, does beautiful bird photography in Maryland.
 |
| Suzanne and Nat |
Perhaps the most memorable family visit was that of Suzanne's brother, Frank and his wife, Linda. Frank was newly returned from the war in Viet Nam, and they, too, were doing the European tour. The day of their departure, we took them to the train station in Brussels as they were going on to Amsterdam. Waiting on the train platform, a train came into the station and, Suzanne, being her usual helpful self said, "Wait here, and I'll get on the train to make sure it's the Amsterdam train." I, for some reason, was holding her purse and, as she climbed aboard, the doors shut and the train pulled out of the station, leaving me standing there with Frank and Linda, not knowing where she was headed!! As it turned out, this was the ANTWERP train, not the AMSTERDAM train! The next train was the correct one and, as I said my goodbyes to them, I was left alone wondering if I'd ever see Suzanne again as I was holding her ID and her money and she had no train ticket. Fortunately, she returned on the next train from the north, having gotten off the Antwerp train, and, luckily, not being asked to show her ticket.
 |
| Frank and Linda Blumenstock |
One night while we were living in Brussels, there was a knock on the door and, upon opening it, saw one of my oldest friends from as far back as elementary school, Arnie Belzer. He and his new wife, Arlene, were on their honeymoon, traveling around Europe. Somehow, he had tracked me down through my parents. After college at a Christian Brothers school (Iona College), he had decided to become a Rabbi and graduated from Hebrew Union College as a Reform Rabbi. We had a delightful visit with them and spent the day tasting the delightful chocolates and pastries throughout the city. After congregations in New Jersey and Connecticut, he went on to become the Rabbi at the second oldest Reform synagogue in America in Savannah, Georgia. We have visited them several time there and have even enjoyed a huge outdoor seder on his expansive lawn to which we brought our Catholic and Protestant friends. He is an expert on the Jews of China but is known for being instrumental in founding the now-famous Jewish food festival in Savannah, "Shalom, Y'all".
 |
| Arnie and Arlene on their honeymoon in front of the delight at Bon Marche" in Brussels |
 |
| Arnie and Arlene with family at their seder in Savannah |
Memorable Events
Apart from visits from family and friends, there were other memorable moments such as the sad day in 1967 as I stood on the steps of the Palais de Justice overlooking Brussels and saw the huge cloud of smoke coming from the center of the city, hearing the klaxons of the ambulances and fire trucks. Innovation, the largest department store in Brussels had caught fire and tragically 325 people died and 62 were injured. It was a national tragedy and the cause was never found. Some think it was a butane camping cylinder in their outdoors department that exploded while others think it was a Maoist terrorist protesting the Vietnam war. A very dark moment for Brussels and Belgium.
 |
| The smoldering remains of the Innovation department store (1967), an architectural gem lost along with many lives |
The other memorable event was Nixon's visit to Brussels. We were active in the ex-pat community and always voted absentee for US elections which were often followed by evening celebrations in the Brussels Hilton by both the Democratic and Republican parties, always a fun event. Never a fan of Nixon, I went down to see his motorcade and stood in the throngs of Belgians who either cheered or boo'ed him. I remember seeing the crowd behind me part to allow a man in a wheelchair to go to the front of the parade line (the Belgians were always respectful of those with disabilities) as he wanted to see Nixon. As Nixon passed, I heard the man shout out: "Rentrez chez vous, salopard!!!" ("Go home you bastard!") Very funny.
 |
| Nixon in Brussels |
There were other times when I was tear-gassed on the main campus of the university when the students were protesting the takeover in Greece by a military junta and another protest during the time of the Paris riots (remember "Danny, the Red'?) with cobblestones being thrown at the Parisian police. My picture ended up, in a crowd, on the front page of Le Soir!
St. John's School
Suzanne became a beloved teacher at St. John's School in Waterloo which grew considerably during her tenure there and still thrives today. We made many friends among the faculty and families of students, some of which continue today. The school was originally run by an order of Irish nuns who were a delightful bunch and they were soon joined by a group of Christian brothers from the Christian Brothers High School in Washington, D.C. which established an affiliation. The nuns were led by Sister Mary John, an open-minded, independent, and delightful woman and the Brothers were a hoot and loved to party! Sister Mary John decided the students, all from the international community, needed sex education and asked Suzanne if she was up to the task! Suzanne, a former Biology major in college, acquitted herself very nicely and those kids benefitted from Sister Mary John's vision and Suzanne's teaching.
 |
| St. John's School Faculty...Sister Mary John in the middle and Suzanne third from the right in the first row |
 |
| Suzanne's 8th grade class |
 |
| St. John's International School in Waterloo, Belgium as it is today! |
I recently found the yearbook from her last year teaching there and it was full of beautiful accolades written by the graduating seniors. Many went on to successful careers in all endeavors. One of our favorites was Claudia Slacik who went on to have a very successful career in banking, becoming the chief banking officer for the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. We've touched base with her over the past two years. One student, in particular, stood out, Christine Kavanagh, a British/Canadian student. She was a very funny character and all she wanted to be was an actress. Suzanne used to take the students on trips all over Europe during holidays, including going through Checkpoint Charlie into East Berlin, Yugoslavia, Austria, sailing on a barge in the Zuider Zee in the Netherlands, and theatre trips over to London.
 |
| Suzanne at the wheel of a Dutch sailing barge being helped by the Captain |
I would usually stay home to study or work in hospital but one time, I decided to go on a London trip as we would be going to see theater in the West End.
We were crossing the English Channel on one of those old ferries that were actually buckets in my opinion. As often happens on the Channel, a major storm came up, and the boat was caught in huge swells, causing everyone on board to become terribly seasick. People were hanging over the sides vomiting. As we all sat there with this group of very green-faced high school kids in fear for their lives, Christine Kavanagh, ever the entertainer, started to dance and sing and take everyone's mind off our dire situation, eventually getting us through the storm.
 |
| Truly, a bucket! |
Years later, one evening, as I was watching Masterpiece Theatre, safe and dry in our home in Rochester, while watching a typical English mystery, I was taken with the face of one of the British actresses. Could it be our Christine? I called Suzanne in and we both agreed it certainly looked like her and, as the final credits rolled, it was indeed Christine Kavanagh. She achieved her dream and went on to act in several films such as "Vera" and "Titanic"(playing Marian Thayer).
 |
| Little Christine Kavanagh today! She was 4th from the left in the second row class picture above. |
As Suzanne was gainfully employed, having supported me in ALL ways during my med school years, she came home one day and surprised me with a trip to Majorca. Mind you, back in those days, the dollar was extremely strong, not that we had very many of them. For the equivalent of around $160, she found a trip that included roundtrip airfare AND five nights in a seaside hotel. We wanted to get away for a while from French-speakers for some respite. My first clue was that we were the only non-native French speakers on the plane and the same went for the hotel, but we did make some friends among them. The hotel was lovely and included an ocean view, a pool, and nice meals. Majorca is a Spanish island and this, unfortunately, was during the time of Francisco Franco's oppressive regime. One night, I heard a ruckus and went to the balcony. There, below me, were two of his Guardia Civilia with their iconic metal helmets, beating the living daylights out of some poor soul who probably disagree with Franco. Fortunately, that was the only hitch in a wonderful vacation.
 |
| Tourist snapshot in Majorca of me having wine poured down my throat! |
Farewell
Final exams of my final year were fast approaching and much was on our minds, transitioning back to the States, physically, culturally and emotionally, moving our belongings across the ocean, including our gentle giant, Rex, the German Shepherd, saying goodbye to many friends, and, most of all, passing all my finals! I had successfully entered the Resident Matching Program in the States and was matched with my first choice, a rotating internship at St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, NY. My internship was to start July 1, 1974 and medical school graduation was not to be at least until mid-July! So, we left Belgium a week before July 1, having completed my exams, without knowing whether or not I was truly a physician! "Stay tuned" for my next installment to hear of the journey home.
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