This weekend was ALL Rotary, because we had the famous Kermesse aux Boudins. Boudins are a sort of Belgian sausage with two different kinds: white and black. The white ones (while still being a bit mysterious), are mostly safe and taste very good (I think they're made with pork). The black ones are made with blood however, and not just a little bit. I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I couldn't bring myself to give the black ones a try, but I just couldn't bare too. 
          The exchange students (and future students who will be leaving next year!) helped out Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon serving, cleaning, and selling raffle tickets. This event is how my Rotary club makes about 90% of their money for the entire year... it's always a full house, almost everyone likes boudin! (but if not there were plenty of frites to go around). It was a very tiring weekend but it was fantastic!!!!
        

        Yesterday, for the first time, I spoke in theater class. This may sound a bit dramatic, but it was actually the first time that anyone spoke in theater class, because until now all that we have done is mime and mask work! For the end of the year show we will present a play that the class has written based on the characters from "Pantalone". I thought that this meant an actual script, but the teacher informed the class that it will in fact be improv based on script outline! I immediately became nervous thinking about doing improvisation in French... improv in English can be difficult! But we did an exercise in class in which the teacher called us up two by two and gave each group a scenario and had to play it out. I was sure that he wasn't going to call me, how could he? But near the end he called me and another girl up, gave us a scenario, and we played it out. I started incredibly nervous, but after a minute or so I realized that it wasn't much different than a conversation with my friends! For the first time I did improvisation in front of people in another language... and it feels so good!!!

So now for a couple of questions that I've gotten from classmates over the past couple of months that have made me chuckle:
-Does your neighborhood look like "Desperate Housewives"? It's so pretty there!!!
-Are you a pom-pom girl? (Cheerleader). I want to be a pom-pom girl so badly!!!
-Do the bathrooms at your school in the U.S. look like the bathrooms in the movies? You know, all nice with the big mirrors and girls doing their hair and talking?
-Is your life at all like in Gossip Girl? 
-Do you have musicals at your school like in High School Musical? It's so cool!!! I want to be in a musical at school. 
-Do you use those cups, like the ones from Starbucks? Do you miss them here?

I love my friends here :)

        In the past week and a half or so I have made a good new friend here in Belgium, my friend Michelle's new host sister, Valentine. Jordann, Michelle, Valentine, and I have formed an extremely fun little group of bilingual buds (Valentine is learning English, and can actually carry on a pretty good conversation, but we still all speak in French a LOT. Which is totally fine by me!!!). It's actually the first time that Jordann, Michelle, and I have really spoken to each other in French, though it's still a bit strange! We have a lot of fun teaching each other slang and swears (or "gros mots"), and laughing like hyenas at our accents. Now that is something that you certainly don't get in French class. :) 

          I have now been in my new host family's house for a week, and I already feel like I've known them forever. That said, it is a bit of a strange experience changing host families. I feel as if I'm am in a sort of temporary situation, and that any day now I will be returning to my first host family. But while it's strange and I definitely do miss my first host family, I think it's a good thing to change families. From my experience (and many other exchange students that I've talked to), there's a feeling of restlessness, or needing change, that an exchange student starts to feel when things are too expected, there is too much of a schedule, and your exciting year begins to feel not so exciting... Yes, it is hard to imagine feeling bored as an exchange student. Before I came to Belgium, I read blog after blog from other exchange students, and the line that always got me was "It's been pretty boring around here lately". I would say to myself "but you're in another country! speaking another language! how in the world can you possibly be bored?". 
         What I came to understand is that while, yes, we are having an adventure that we will remember for the rest of our lives, that doesn't mean that every second is full, interesting, and cultural. In fact, I've found that that is the beauty of an exchange. When we have time to be bored, that means that we feel comfortable somewhere, that we're settling in. Part of this year is sitting on the couch watching bad T.V. with my host siblings because there is nothing else to do. Part of it is the hours at school that sometimes seem to take years. But part of it are the moments that make you feel like you are the Queen (or King!) of the universe. The moments where you feel so happy that you're afraid that your heart is actually going to burst out of your chest (sometimes I have to take a deep breath and then hold it just to keep back the huge jump or squeal of delight that I want to unleash!). 
       What I mean to say is, while an exchange is full of the expected and unexpected, every single moment counts in making this year- whose aspects I am surprised and delighted by each day :)

My new room with my new love Chocotoff on the bed :)

My new host mom, dad, and brother (my host sister Marianne isn't in the picture). I love their house, it's so cozy and there are books everywhere :)

Lola!

A beautiful old hotel/café in Brussels that I went to with my friend Michelle, her host sister, her host sister's friend, and her counselor's granddaughter. 

Les filles :)

         It has definitely been too long since I have done a blog post, I have been so busy! The 26th, I left with my first host family for 8 days in Switzerland. Between the incredible scenery, the skiing, and my host family, it was a trip that I will never forget. I felt as if I became much closer to my host family, especially my host sister, Perrine. Florence couldn't come because she has her exams in January, in my opinion they are much too serious about exams here! It would have been great to have her come as well. But in any case, it was a great week filled with "apéros" (the appetizer before a meal, white wine and lots of little snacks that lasts for about two hours), cheese, fondue (meat AND cheese), late nights, good talks, sledding, skiing, and to finish off the week