I can't sleep because I am going to Paris tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This weekend began with the fancy Braine l'Alleud Rotary Club 30th Anniversary dinner. It was very fancy, everyone was dressed up and the food was tiny (but there was a lot of tiny food so it was OK, and absolutely delicious!!!). It was great meeting and talking to more people from the nearby Rotary clubs, events like this are so fun!
Yesterday I went to an exposition in Brussels on American history and how Europe has influenced it. It was really interesting to see the U.S. through European eyes, here are some things that I realized:
-America can be a radical place. Things are usually done how we want them to be done, there is a huge underlying mentality of freedom to do what we want that isn't as prominent in European society.
-The American Revolution really inspired the French Revolution.
-The U.S. is a young and optimistic country, and our way of life and government often shows that.
-The United States is the land of media. I never really realized it until I came here, but some of the biggest ideas that people have about The States come from movies, TV shows, and music, not the news.
-If it weren't for the United States, the decades of the 20th century wouldn't be nearly as defined. We have specific images that our mind goes to when we think of the 50s, or the 80s, almost all of those images, whether it's housewives in high heels or leotards and leg warmers, came from the U.S.
-The U.S. introduced Tupperware to Europe
Today I woke up late and ended up going to a castle with Michelle and her host parents in a town called La Hulpe, which is about 15 minutes from Braine-l'Alleud. It was honestly one of the nicest afternoons I've spent here. The fields and forests around the castle were beautiful, the weather was crisp, fresh, and very fall like, and it was so much fun walking around hearing French, Dutch, and German! After the walk we stopped in the little tavern and we had a crêpe, and some of the best hot chocolate I have ever had. The café was so cozy and full of people, and just as our food came out it started to rain! It was wonderful.
Needless to say, I'm still loving Belgique!
Yesterday I went to an exposition in Brussels on American history and how Europe has influenced it. It was really interesting to see the U.S. through European eyes, here are some things that I realized:
-America can be a radical place. Things are usually done how we want them to be done, there is a huge underlying mentality of freedom to do what we want that isn't as prominent in European society.
-The American Revolution really inspired the French Revolution.
-The U.S. is a young and optimistic country, and our way of life and government often shows that.
-The United States is the land of media. I never really realized it until I came here, but some of the biggest ideas that people have about The States come from movies, TV shows, and music, not the news.
-If it weren't for the United States, the decades of the 20th century wouldn't be nearly as defined. We have specific images that our mind goes to when we think of the 50s, or the 80s, almost all of those images, whether it's housewives in high heels or leotards and leg warmers, came from the U.S.
-The U.S. introduced Tupperware to Europe
Today I woke up late and ended up going to a castle with Michelle and her host parents in a town called La Hulpe, which is about 15 minutes from Braine-l'Alleud. It was honestly one of the nicest afternoons I've spent here. The fields and forests around the castle were beautiful, the weather was crisp, fresh, and very fall like, and it was so much fun walking around hearing French, Dutch, and German! After the walk we stopped in the little tavern and we had a crêpe, and some of the best hot chocolate I have ever had. The café was so cozy and full of people, and just as our food came out it started to rain! It was wonderful.
Needless to say, I'm still loving Belgique!
Before the Rotary dinner :)
Michelle, Jordann, and I
Michelle, Jordann, and I
With Michelle and Chantal (her host mom)
Le Château Solvay
Gardens
No editing-it's rainbow wood! :)
Crêpe Mikado
Cozy Café!
Already a week since my last post and it has gone by so fast! I had a great weekend of going out with friends (speaking French!! :D), it felt so wonderful.
Sunday was Florence and Perrine's birthday (yes, both of them!). They're two years apart but were born on the same day, so they almost always have a joint celebration. It was really fun and actually gave me a bit of a Thanksgiving fix. It's very cold here and actually seems like November in Massachusetts, their grandparents and family friends were here, and we had a big, delicious meal. Birthdays here are very important, and the celebrations that I've gone to here have all been great!
I received my report card today, I wasn't expecting too much, but it was actually better than I thought it would be. I still got an"échec" (fail) in science, math, and history, but so did half of the other students! My other courses ranged from acceptable to great, and my "titulaire" (homeroom teacher) said to keep up the good work! So I'm feeling pretty content. I still have a very long way to go, but I feel like I'm getting there step by step.
It's actually starting to be difficult to imagine being home. I had a dream the other night that I went home in the middle of the year, and it was so strange! All I could think in the dream was "but I'm supposed to be in Belgium until the end of June! I need to get back there! I miss it!". I've actually had a few dreams like that, and I found out that some of the other exchange students have too! Sometimes I still can't believe that I'm actually here though, there are moments where I feel like I'm in a dream. That is probably because for a year this was a dream, and now I'm actually here. It's absolutely crazy :)
Sunday was Florence and Perrine's birthday (yes, both of them!). They're two years apart but were born on the same day, so they almost always have a joint celebration. It was really fun and actually gave me a bit of a Thanksgiving fix. It's very cold here and actually seems like November in Massachusetts, their grandparents and family friends were here, and we had a big, delicious meal. Birthdays here are very important, and the celebrations that I've gone to here have all been great!
I received my report card today, I wasn't expecting too much, but it was actually better than I thought it would be. I still got an"échec" (fail) in science, math, and history, but so did half of the other students! My other courses ranged from acceptable to great, and my "titulaire" (homeroom teacher) said to keep up the good work! So I'm feeling pretty content. I still have a very long way to go, but I feel like I'm getting there step by step.
It's actually starting to be difficult to imagine being home. I had a dream the other night that I went home in the middle of the year, and it was so strange! All I could think in the dream was "but I'm supposed to be in Belgium until the end of June! I need to get back there! I miss it!". I've actually had a few dreams like that, and I found out that some of the other exchange students have too! Sometimes I still can't believe that I'm actually here though, there are moments where I feel like I'm in a dream. That is probably because for a year this was a dream, and now I'm actually here. It's absolutely crazy :)
I have been here for two months now, and it feels like yesterday that I wrote my one month post. Like I said before, time passes in the strangest way while on an exchange. On one hand I feel like I've been here forever, and on the other hand these two months have flown by. One thing I know for certain: I couldn't be happier. In August it was a complete up and down. One day I would be crying and the next laughing and smiling. September evened it out much more, and towards the end the ups and downs were over and I felt good most of the time. And now in October, it has completely leveled out, and it reaching a happier level each day! Everyone at school is wonderful, I feel like I am really making some friends. The classes are going well and I'm understanding them pretty well (ignoring the 20% on physics test... :P, but I'm not good at physics in the U.S. anyways!). But most importantly: French! Most of the time I feel confident while speaking and I can understand so much. I am really starting to appreciate what a beautiful language it is, I love speaking and communicating so much.
A little list of facts/observations:
-Everyone dresses pretty nicely here. You never see a kid wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants at school here. The guys wear polos/fitted t-shirts/nice sweatshirts/sweaters. The girls dress similar to girls in the U.S. but more fancy, with a few differences:
-Fitted leather jackets are everywhere
-Big, knit sweaters are popular (that are 3/4 sleeved with long sleeved shirts sticking out)
-Heeled boots
-No flip-flops
-Belts are very big, and not just for keeping your jeans up. Many girls just loosely put a belt on around their hips and over their shirts
-The other morning didn't know what I wanted for breakfast, and then i saw the lasagna that we had had the other night in the fridge. I took it out and heated it up to eat, and when Valérie (host mom) and Perrine (sister) walked in the kitchen they couldn't believe that I was eating something with vegetables, cheese, and meat for breakfast. I guess they wouldn't like cold pizza for breakfast either? :)
A little list of facts/observations:
-Everyone dresses pretty nicely here. You never see a kid wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants at school here. The guys wear polos/fitted t-shirts/nice sweatshirts/sweaters. The girls dress similar to girls in the U.S. but more fancy, with a few differences:
-Fitted leather jackets are everywhere
-Big, knit sweaters are popular (that are 3/4 sleeved with long sleeved shirts sticking out)
-Heeled boots
-No flip-flops
-Belts are very big, and not just for keeping your jeans up. Many girls just loosely put a belt on around their hips and over their shirts
-The other morning didn't know what I wanted for breakfast, and then i saw the lasagna that we had had the other night in the fridge. I took it out and heated it up to eat, and when Valérie (host mom) and Perrine (sister) walked in the kitchen they couldn't believe that I was eating something with vegetables, cheese, and meat for breakfast. I guess they wouldn't like cold pizza for breakfast either? :)
On Saturday I woke up at 6:45, and with my host mom, her friend, and my friend who is an exchange student from Brazil, and drove about 40 minutes South to Namur, the capital of French Belgium. Once there we met up with all of the other exchange students (it was a Rotary event), and we all walked to Parliament. There, we spent about half an hour talking with each other before sitting for two hours listening to one of many long Rotary Presentations on trips and rules. I was able to talk with not only exchange students that I came over with, but I got to talk to the Australians, which is always fun. They have all been here since January and are leaving in about three months. None of them want to go home! It's so interesting to talk to someone at that point in their exchange; it's a bit like looking into a crystal ball. They have all grown to love it here so much! (As I already am).
After that we all we took a boat ride down the river in Namur, it was incredibly beautiful!! It felt so good to be outside in the sunlight and around hills (I've missed the Berkshires!). I think I may like Namur more than Brussels. It was a wonderful trip with Rotary- I'm so happy that we have events like this.
That evening I went to a dinner with all the Scouts (most of my Belgian friends :) ). We looked at pictures from their trips and events last year, talked, took pictures, ate, it was a great night! I really love being with that group of people.
Here are some pics!
After that we all we took a boat ride down the river in Namur, it was incredibly beautiful!! It felt so good to be outside in the sunlight and around hills (I've missed the Berkshires!). I think I may like Namur more than Brussels. It was a wonderful trip with Rotary- I'm so happy that we have events like this.
That evening I went to a dinner with all the Scouts (most of my Belgian friends :) ). We looked at pictures from their trips and events last year, talked, took pictures, ate, it was a great night! I really love being with that group of people.
Here are some pics!
It has been a month since I've started school and I feel a fair amount of progression. First off-when I got here I had never done physics in my life and this afternoon I did a problem completely by myself and got it right. I know that is boasting, but I'm just so happy and relieved!! (We have a test Monday). For math however, after the quiz that was so bad my prof didn't even grade it, I decided that I really needed some help. The teacher said that I could do the 4th year curriculum for trigonometry (I'm in 5th year), so that way I could actually learn what everyone else already learned! During class I am now doing my own work with a little "4ème" packet, and I couldn't be happier with it. It was hard to let go of the lovely idea of doing great in every class - but for an exchange student, that's nearly impossible at the beginning.
Being here has really made me let go of trying to do well at everything. It's a very humbling experience; between not doing well on tests, needing things clarified multiple times, making mistakes and stumbling when speaking, and classmates smiling at you as if you're five years old. But with all of that, small accomplishments make you feel on top of the world in a way that nothing else can: understanding a class in its entirety, having a conversation without slowing down with a group of (in my case Belgian) teenagers, understanding the argument between your host sisters at dinner, and, with formulas learned in another language, doing a single physics problem.
I LOVE BELGIUM
Being here has really made me let go of trying to do well at everything. It's a very humbling experience; between not doing well on tests, needing things clarified multiple times, making mistakes and stumbling when speaking, and classmates smiling at you as if you're five years old. But with all of that, small accomplishments make you feel on top of the world in a way that nothing else can: understanding a class in its entirety, having a conversation without slowing down with a group of (in my case Belgian) teenagers, understanding the argument between your host sisters at dinner, and, with formulas learned in another language, doing a single physics problem.
I LOVE BELGIUM