Waffling

Leggo my eggo is not my motto. It’s true. I’m not a waffle fan. I can count on one hand how many I’ve had in my life. They were alright, I’ve got nothing against them but they’re not for me. So when I came to Brussels and everyone told me waffles from Brussels were a tradition everyone had to try at least once, I was skeptical. This is an example of the prom effect. A prom effect—named by my friend John—refers to an event that gets built up to the point where people’s expectations are so high the actual event cannot live up to it. The best example is the high school prom. There is so much preparation and anticipation put into that one night, it’s almost impossible to live up to them. Most often, people ruin their nights when their expectations surpass reality and you end up ruining a perfectly good night. The answer: expectation management. If you kept your expectations low and under control, you’d be pleasantly surprised when the night exceeded them. The key is to keep expectations at a minimum. That way you are never crushed when they aren’t met.

Now back to my story. While in Antwerp last weekend, there was about an hour and a half before our bus was due to leave. Instead of walking around in the rain, Cassandra (my roommate and fellow Tour-ist) suggested we have a cup of coffee. Passing a nearby café, I suggested we go in and she immediately suggested waffles. I agreed. I’d have to do it at some point, might as well do it now.

Verdict: phenomenal. Glazed waffle with fresh (you could almost taste the vine) strawberries and light and fluffy whipped cream. The dough was strong enough not to become mushy under the whipped cream. I gobbled it in five minutes while Cassandra lazily munched away.