Belgium "Did you know..."

We've learned some interesting things from our friends and acquaintances in Belgium.

* Some interesting trivia (which may or may not stand up to scientific validation):

* Chocolate is part of a balanced breakfast (or lunch or dinner)

* Chocolate croissants and donuts are okay for lunch, but juice boxes are unhealthy (?)

* Ice-cold beverages are not good for you because it binds up your stomach

* School playgrounds are not always for public use

* White socks are only for "sporting"

* Beer should never be consumed from the bottle. It should be poured in to a glass, with different shapes being best for each different type of beer

* Big hedges make good fences and can be trimmed to have very sharp-edged corners

* Many kids on bikes and cars going both directions can fit on a one-lane road

* Below freezing is not too cold to ride one's bike to town or school

* It really does make sense to list the date in day-month-year order

* Bread is best fresh baked and with no preservatives

* When stores are closed, ie: Sunday afternoon, bread can be bought from a gas station vending machine (and it's not bad)

* Metric really is easier to work with

* Coffee is not a "to go" kind of thing - it's something you sit down for and enjoy with a little slice of cake and piece of chocolate.

* Just about anything can be cooked in a deep-fat fryer - friets, chicken nuggets, hamburgers...

* Not only can alcohol be consumed at school functions, it can be a "moneymaker" if a parent group runs the bar

* Half-time at a sport competition (ie: basketball game) can be a good time for a drink at the adjoining cafe/bar found at all sports venues. And if the game is early, such as during a tournament, then 10 am is not too early to have a beer or a glass of wine. (After the game is another opportunity.)

* You can't turn right after stopping at a stop sign in ever country.

* "Friets" (a.k.a. french fries) really originated in Belgium - American soldiers, unsure of the borders, ate friets and thinking they were in France, called them French Fries. Belgian Friets are very good, due to the double cooking method - one time in hot oil to cook the potato and a 2nd time at in much hotter oil to crisp the outside. - It does make a difference!

Enough for now. I'm not saying which of these I buy into, or which ones are based in fact. I'm just passing on what we've "learned". More will be added, especially after my family has time to think about what they want to add.