My last post was more about how I've been feeling than what I've been up to, so here's what I've been doing!
This weekend I went to my first birthday party! A couple of kids from school invited me, and I felt so thankful even for that! (That's what comes of being an exchange student... you feel so grateful and immediately love anyone who invites you to do anything!!). The party was wonderful. I feel like I really got to know a lot of the kids in my grade and like I have some real friends at school now. Even if I don't understand everything, at least I have people to eat lunch with!
I've realized that even though school is really important, the most important part is participating in activities and being with people. Right now I'm putting most of my effort into making friends and doing activities, but school is going pretty well so I think I have a good balance! Math class changes every day: sometimes I feel like I'm understanding and sometimes I just want to cry in the middle of my teacher's lecture. I think it will probably be off/on like that for awhile. However, my other classes are pretty good. I had a quiz in history today, I'll see how I did Friday!
Sunday I went to the "Fête du Cheval" (the horse festival) with my friend Michelle (exchange student from Colorado). It was great!! We got to ride a cow (pictured below :) ), watched horseball (a sport that I actually LOVE watching!!!), and ate frites with andalouse sauce.
Andalouse sauce is this delicious sweet/savory, ketchup/mayonnaise type sauce, and I am in love with it.
Something that I figured out about Belgium: At school, girls don't wear back packs. In fact, it is a bit of a social taboo for a high school girl to carry one. Bags are the "cool thing". Well, I blatantly ignored this rule one day when I had so many things to carry that the thought of putting them all in a little bag made me crazy. While no one looked at me strangely or acted any differently towards me, during lunch a couple of my friends told me that they could "help me find a new bag!" while looking at my like I had so much to learn. They seemed happy to assist the poor Americaine" who doesn't know the rules. I bring a bag to school now. :P
Bonne Nuit!!
This weekend I went to my first birthday party! A couple of kids from school invited me, and I felt so thankful even for that! (That's what comes of being an exchange student... you feel so grateful and immediately love anyone who invites you to do anything!!). The party was wonderful. I feel like I really got to know a lot of the kids in my grade and like I have some real friends at school now. Even if I don't understand everything, at least I have people to eat lunch with!
I've realized that even though school is really important, the most important part is participating in activities and being with people. Right now I'm putting most of my effort into making friends and doing activities, but school is going pretty well so I think I have a good balance! Math class changes every day: sometimes I feel like I'm understanding and sometimes I just want to cry in the middle of my teacher's lecture. I think it will probably be off/on like that for awhile. However, my other classes are pretty good. I had a quiz in history today, I'll see how I did Friday!
Sunday I went to the "Fête du Cheval" (the horse festival) with my friend Michelle (exchange student from Colorado). It was great!! We got to ride a cow (pictured below :) ), watched horseball (a sport that I actually LOVE watching!!!), and ate frites with andalouse sauce.
Andalouse sauce is this delicious sweet/savory, ketchup/mayonnaise type sauce, and I am in love with it.
Something that I figured out about Belgium: At school, girls don't wear back packs. In fact, it is a bit of a social taboo for a high school girl to carry one. Bags are the "cool thing". Well, I blatantly ignored this rule one day when I had so many things to carry that the thought of putting them all in a little bag made me crazy. While no one looked at me strangely or acted any differently towards me, during lunch a couple of my friends told me that they could "help me find a new bag!" while looking at my like I had so much to learn. They seemed happy to assist the poor Americaine" who doesn't know the rules. I bring a bag to school now. :P
Bonne Nuit!!
MIchelle and I with the cow!