Belgium March 2006 - I figured out the milk thing

Someone here at the office was explaining to me that in the US, our milk is "fresh" so that's why it has to be refrigerated, but here, because it is processed at ultra high temperature it can be stored unrefrigerated for up to a year. Had to be refrigerated as soon as it is opened though. Here is what I found in my research.

When raw milk is left standing for a while, it turns sour. This is the result of fermentation: lactic acid bacteria turning the milk sugar into lactic acid. This fermentation process is exploited in the production of various dairy products such as cheese and yogurt.
Pasteurized cow's milk, on the other hand, spoils in a way that makes it unsuitable for consumption, causing it to assume an unpleasant odor and pose a high danger of food poisoning if ingested. The naturally-occurring lactic acid bacteria in raw milk, under suitable conditions, quickly produce large amounts of lactic acid. The ensuing acidity in turn prevents other germs from growing, or slows their growth significantly. Through pasteurization, however, these lactic acid bacteria are mostly destroyed, which means that other germs can grow unfettered and thus cause decomposition.
In order to prevent spoilage, milk can be kept refrigerated and stored between 1 and 4 degrees Celsius. Most milk is Pasteurized by heating briefly and then refrigerated to allow transport from Factory Farms to local markets. The spoilage of milk can be forestalled by using ultra-high temperature (UHT) treatment; milk so treated can be stored unrefrigerated for several months until opened. Sterilized milk, which is heated for a much longer period of time, will last even longer, but also lose more nutrients and assume a still different taste. Condensed Milk, made by removing most of the water, can be stored for many months, unrefrigerated. The most durable form of milk is milk powder which is produced from milk by removing almost all water.
UHT milk is very popular in Europe, whereas in North America, most of the milk sold is pasteurized.

But, their idea of regrigeration is not same as mine. They just don't do COLD here - I did buy some milk last night at a store that was refrgerated, but it was just barely cold - I opened it and poured it over cereal, but just couldn't bring myself to eat it after all. Now I have a fridge in my room, but it is set on the lowest temp and I can't change it. Same thing at office, fridge is set on lowest them and is soft with soft drinks, but they are not COLD. I have to put mine in the freezer for 30 minutes in order to drink it. And forget about ice - they don't believe in it over here. But, the office folks here are very nice about it - they keep an ice tray on hand for visiting Americans.

And UHT milk just tastes different than pasteurized milk - not bad, just different. I don't even like milk anyway, per se. Just like it on cereal or in hot chocolate. Once when I was a kid, my uncle offered me $4 to drink a glass of milk and I couldn't do it.

Now, about the bloody sandwich I had the other day. Several of you pointed out that you have eaten out with me and know I like my beef rare. That is true - but I guess there is a fine line between rare and raw - and for me that line is crossed when the bread is soaked in blood!!!

OK - enough about the food here. Different cultures are just hard on picky eaters, I guess. But, thank God for the chocolate. I have no complaints about that!!!