This is most likely my last post in December, because Sunday I'm leaving for Switzerland with my host family!!! They have family friends who live right in the alps, and we're staying there for a week. I am so excited to ski in the Swiss alps, I can't believe that I'm going to (if the crazy snow that we're having here doesn't keep us from leaving!). 

         I wanted to write about something that has come up and is a bigger part of my life here than I was expecting: establishing a language. It's something that I never thought about in the U.S. because everyone speaks English, and if their native language is not English it's very rare that I would speak Spanish/French better than they spoke English. There are a lot of people who speak English in Belgium. Many who speak it perfectly, and many who just know enough to get by, so if I decided that I didn't really want to learn French, living based on people's knowledge of English wouldn't be extremely difficult (except for in my host family of course).
         I've found here that once you establish a language with someone (choose the language that you're going to speak with each other) it's strange -awkward even- to speak another language with them. For example: I have a friend at school who speaks English very well. Her mother speaks English well, and she takes classes at school, and her accent is great. Even though she speaks English as well or better than I speak French, because the language that we met each other in and that we communicated the most in at the very beginning of our friendship was French, it's honestly too strange and a little difficult to speak English with her. I've realized that sometimes it doesn't matter what language one person speaks better than the other, but what language the relationship started in. Of course this doesn't mean that my friends at school don't have fun and say "How are you Savannah?" and then giggle, or that they don't ask me about English words or expressions, this happens all the time. But our real language- the language that our friendship is in- is French. 
        Of course there are some exceptions to this "rule" which come up with other exchange students. There are a couple of exchange students who speak French and English equally as well- but since they are here learning French sometimes it is a bit hard to switch into English. I'm thinking of one girl in particular, an exchange student from Ecuador who goes to my school. When we talking just the two of us or with kids from our school we speak French, but if we are around other Americans we speak English together. 
      I just wanted to do a post on this because it is something that I never really expected would be part of my life here. I always thought it would be obvious knowing what language to speak in, but now I know that it's not! :)

       For some reason 4 months seems a whole lot bigger than 3 months... But I'm sure that's exactly what I will say at 5 months as well. I've been thinking a lot about my time here, about how short it actually is, especially because Lucas, the exchange student from Brazil, left yesterday. Sunday night we (the 3 host families) had a big dinner for him, it was a happy, sad, but all around wonderful night. I just remember back in September when he told me that he was leaving in middle of December, at the time it seemed so far away but it has already come. Right now June seems so far away but I know that it will pass more quickly than I can imagine and than I want. I'm really feeling like I need to relish every second!!!
     Here are some pictures of the Christmas decorations and a lovely sunset from the other night:

        The time for exams has arrived-one every day, for a little over a week. I never knew that exams could be such a big deal. In the U.S. (in high school anyway) of course exams count-but if you don't do very well it usually doesn't affect your entire final grade too much. Here on the other hand, your exams ARE your final grade. So while I'm studying (and I'm pretty sure I did well on my history exam), I'm definitely not going as crazy as my classmates. 
      But what better way to prepare and relax before a week of exams than to get a pedicure? And who better to do it than a bunch of tiny fish? 
My host mom Valérie had told me about this "fish pedicure" that she and her friends were going to do, and as soon as she said it I was disgusted. Another month or so went by and I forgot about it, and then a couple of days ago she told me that two of her friends weren't able to go, and that Michelle and I could go if we wanted! At first I thought no way... there is no way I am sticking my feet in a basin of fish ready to suck of dead skin. But then I thought, when else am I going to be able to try this? So I decided to go, and I'm so happy that I did! It was one of the most bizarre sensations I have ever felt. Before going to the fish bowl we soaked our feet in warm water with rose petals, and then went into another section of the small, cozy, and very nicely decorated zen spa, and put our feet in what was like a small fish tank! The fish swim over and start cleaning your feet, it's ridiculous. But they don't just take of dead skin-they actually depose an enzyme that helps your skin, and it definitely showed! My feet were so soft afterwards-all of ours were. After the fish treatment we went into a little room and laid down on a massage table for a little reflexology foot massage. Definitely my idea of a good Friday night!!!

       Winter has arrived in Belgique with snow and freezing temperatures and Christmas decorations :) While Thanksgiving hardly exists here, Christmas is a very big deal, at my friend's school they have a tree up! They also separate the Santa element from Christmas, there's a whole other day for that! It's called "St. Nicolas" and it's on December 6th, this way all of the presents and Santa hype is separate from actual Christmas, which I find nice. 
        Along with the snow comes a very different school atmosphere at the Collège, here are some tips to survive it (or enjoy it more!) :) :
-Snow=Snowballs, which equals having to duck every five seconds when you walk outside (between every class)
-Since everyone goes in and out of buildings so much, the entrance to the buildings are filthy with slush, you must be careful where you walk!
-Bundling up with layers and scarves is an art form, it has to be, because otherwise everyone would be out of style! My current favorite is a gigantic knit scarf around the neck, even inside, that you can bundle into
-Complaints. The first snow in the U.S. always brings an abundance of cheers and Christmas carols, everyone is excited even if it means shoveling. Here on the other hand, even with kids, the first snow bring "Nooo! It's snowing!! I'm going to be all wet and cold!"
-The snow makes the main building of the collège look like a winter castle!
-Finding a place by a heater in one of the many buildings is imperative for lunch hour, otherwise your teeth will be chattering through bites of your sandwich
-December means exams, which means talking about all of that work and studying that you must do (exams are much more important here than in the U.S.)
-Through all the complaints about the snow, this weather brings a boost of energy and excitement to the school (helped by the fact that many classes are missed because the teachers live far away!)