“Waiting” in Brussels…

Rana BERRO

 They say travelling is always about the experience and not the destination, and indeed, they are right.

During my mobility scholarship in Belgium, I experienced such a memorable adventure… And trust me, I would never have thought of doing it here in my home country.

The smell of our delicious shawarma made me homesick, as I was walking down the streets of Brussels…where I discovered this typical Lebanese cuisine restaurant O Liban.

I saw our famous mezza, our fine wine and our best-known sweets. I heard people speaking in Lebanese. At that precise moment, I realized that it felt exactly like home.

I don’t know how it came to my mind, but I decided to work as a waitress in that restaurant specifically, given that I had plenty of time and working for fun was not a bad idea.

And there, my experience began. I learned how to hold three plates in one hand and four glasses of wine in the other, just like a pro. To be honest, it was never an easy task since I broke three glasses the first time I tried to hold them and made some stupid little mistakes in front of clients; but I managed to do it perfectly at the end.

However, I have always wondered why they hired me, a translation student. Well, I was not a pro, nor I had skills. Then, I figured it all out. I am Lebanese, which makes it easier for us to communicate.

I know all our dishes by heart and being a translator was a plus for me. I was able to talk about the variety of the dishes we have in different languages. I was able to tell the clients about the ingredients of our mezza.

Then I realized that it was never about the skills because eventually, everyone will learn the technique. It was about the passion we share for our Lebanese cuisine and for the way we want to present our culture.

And that’s why foreigners love coming to the restaurant. They are in love with our famous dishes, sweets and “Almaza” beer. After all, the smile says it all.

My adventure ended after three weeks of clumsy hands, broken glasses, perfect sorting and mastering the waitress job.

I never thought I would be a waitress one day but I had the guts to do it and it was definitely a worth remembering experience.

So my advice to you is this:

Break out of your comfort zone and don’t be afraid to travel. Always have the courage to try new things for it will be a step closer to what you want to achieve in life.

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47 réflexions au sujet de « “Waiting” in Brussels… »

  1. This goes to show that no matter how far you go, you’ll always be connected to Lebanon!
    Enjoyed reading your article!

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  18. Such experiences show that being a translator has many great perks. Thank you for the advice Rana! I really should try new things more often.

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  20. Je sais très bien quel sentiment apporte cette expérience.
    Je l’ai déjà vécue aussi.
    j’ai aimé ta façon de la décrire

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