Everything is going well for me in my new host family. Now I feel comfortable here outside of my room. However, there isn't really anything to do in the village I live in. The population is about 200 people. But it's really cute. There is currently a bunch of road work going on, which, combined with the rain, has turned most of the village into a muddy mess.
Last night was a Paloma's (girl from Mexico) birthday party. She invited a bunch of friends over and we hung out at her house for a while before going out to eat. It was a good night. Our oldie, Fer from Argentina, was there too. And since she'll be leaving on Janurary 8th, she gave each of us newies a little gift for our next birthdays, since we wont be able to celebrate them with her. So I have a leather key chain from Argentina. And I actually have a key to put it on too.
Birthdays are always really fun occassions to get together. Sometimes I wish I would be having my birthday during my exchange. Unfortunatlely I'll be leaving before that rolls around.
So there are only three days left until Christmas!!! and it looks like I will be having a green Christmas for what is probably the first time in my life. It did snow here a couple times in the past week or so, but that has all melted. Apparently its 10 degrees Celcius outside right now, and looks like we'll reach a minimum of 3 degrees until Christmas. But I'll be able to skype with my family back home on the 27th. They're all getting together and celebrating Christmas then, so I'll be able to see the whole family.
This Christmas will definitely be different, and I'm not sure what to expect. Though I'm sure I'll enjoy it no matter what :)
New Year's ought to be fun as well. I'm going to a pretty big party with a lot of people I know. Some of my good friends are having another party, so they won't be there. I think that's the only thing to keep my night from being perfect. But it will be pretty good anyway.
Since I've finished all my exams for a week now, I've been on holiday already. Just tomorrow I have to go back to school to get my report card (yikes!) and I think there are classes in the morning (though I'm not really sure what the point in that is) and a mass in the afternoon. But I'm glad to go to school that day because it gives me the opportunity to give out some Christmas gifts to some friends :D
Merry Christmas! :)
Also, Happy Hanukkah, since that started the other day.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Changed Families
Wow, it's been a while since my last post! But the months pass by way too quickly! In two days I'll have been here for four months! That's crazy.
So today I changed host families! In my new house, I have internet, so I'll be able to post more regularly. I'm currently multi-tasking and doing this while finding a place in my room for all my stuff. While I was packing the last couple days, I realized I had more stuff than I thought I did. But after Christmas more of the stuff will be gone as I give gifts to people. I have two bags full of stuff just to give away!
Last night, my last night living with my first host family, they gave me a gift. It was a little chain bracelet. That was too nice of them. So I gave them their Christmas present a little early. But it was really touching... and even more so when I left this morning! My host mom (I guess now former host mom?) and one of my sisters actually cried as I left. It was really unexpected and I didn't realise how much they actually loved and appreciated me. It also took until my last week there to really realise how much I love and appreciate them too. Sure I had a few things to complain about... but that's just part of what makes it like a real family! Like I love my family back home, but of course I'd get annoyed with them all the time - that doesn't really make me love them any less. By the end of my stay with my first host family, I got really close with my youngest host sister. Usually she'd come in my room and we'd just hang out or goof around and play fight. And they were also all writing a letter to my parents. My host mom and Adeline were trying to write in English (I corrected my host mom's, but Adeline didn't want hers corrected), and Marie wrote in French. My parents can understand a decent amount. If not, one of my mom's best friends is a french teacher, so I'm sure they'll figure it out.
On Friday, I went shopping in Brussels with Autumn and Paloma. I bought something to wear for the New Years' party I'll be going to, as well as a real warm winter coat and a nice huge warm scarf. I also finally tried out the ice cream at the Homemade Australian Ice Cream place I see in all the big cities in this country, and it's SO GOOD! It was a good day.
So today I changed host families! In my new house, I have internet, so I'll be able to post more regularly. I'm currently multi-tasking and doing this while finding a place in my room for all my stuff. While I was packing the last couple days, I realized I had more stuff than I thought I did. But after Christmas more of the stuff will be gone as I give gifts to people. I have two bags full of stuff just to give away!
Last night, my last night living with my first host family, they gave me a gift. It was a little chain bracelet. That was too nice of them. So I gave them their Christmas present a little early. But it was really touching... and even more so when I left this morning! My host mom (I guess now former host mom?) and one of my sisters actually cried as I left. It was really unexpected and I didn't realise how much they actually loved and appreciated me. It also took until my last week there to really realise how much I love and appreciate them too. Sure I had a few things to complain about... but that's just part of what makes it like a real family! Like I love my family back home, but of course I'd get annoyed with them all the time - that doesn't really make me love them any less. By the end of my stay with my first host family, I got really close with my youngest host sister. Usually she'd come in my room and we'd just hang out or goof around and play fight. And they were also all writing a letter to my parents. My host mom and Adeline were trying to write in English (I corrected my host mom's, but Adeline didn't want hers corrected), and Marie wrote in French. My parents can understand a decent amount. If not, one of my mom's best friends is a french teacher, so I'm sure they'll figure it out.
On Friday, I went shopping in Brussels with Autumn and Paloma. I bought something to wear for the New Years' party I'll be going to, as well as a real warm winter coat and a nice huge warm scarf. I also finally tried out the ice cream at the Homemade Australian Ice Cream place I see in all the big cities in this country, and it's SO GOOD! It was a good day.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Roma
I LOVE ROME
It's such a wonderful city! It even smells good there.
I got there last Wednesday night and my aunt, I guess (she's the wife of my Nonna's cousin's son), picked me up from the airport, since I'd be staying with them. On Thursday, I went around and saw so much. In the morning, I visited a lot of ruins, such as the colosseum, roman forum, and palatine hill. I took 400 pictures of ruins. It's just so cool to me though, because I've never been in a place with so many things from so long ago still in existence. After a very long morning on my feet, I went back to the apartment, had a little bite to eat, then went out with my aunt to see the Pantheon, Trevi Foutain, Piazza di Navona, and Piazza di Spagna. I also had real Italian gelato, and it was wonderful.
The next day I slept in a little, then went to see the Vatican. St. Peter's Basilica was a lot bigger than I actually imagined. But the Vatican Museum was really cool, it has a lot of interesting things. One of the things I saw that was most noteworthy would have to be the Sistine Chapel. Silence is oligatory in the chapel, and it's forbidden to take pictures.
That night, we went out for pizza. And one of the things they have a the resauraunt are pizzas called "coccodrillo". Basically what they do is make a pizza and roll it up so all the toppings are on the inside, and it looks like a crocodile! (hence the name coccodrillo) They put olives on toothpicks for eyes and everything! It's so cute. then we had real Italian gelato again :)
On Saturday, we went for a little walk, not too far away from the house. We went to the museum of the wall, which is a little part of the wall of rome by the door of San Sebastiano and tells some history about Rome's walls. It was cool. I got to go up outside on the top of the wall and I could see mountains in the distance! In the evening, we went to the Borghese Gallery, which has many works by Bernini and Carvaggio. It amazed me to actually see the detail in some of the statues! It's incredible that these artists were able to carve marble as if it were butter, making it look like real silk or skin. The detail is impeccable!
That night, I went out with my cousin and some of his friends to see a Muse tribute band concert. That was a pleasant surprise too, because I didn't know what I'd be doing that night, and it's a good thing that I like Muse! :) So that was a lot of fun as well. We got in sort of late that night, and I got up the next morning at 5:30a.m. to get ready and get to the airport. My journey home was smooth, but I was very tired by the end of the day Sunday.
Friday, November 11, 2011
London, baby!
During the week of vacation we had at the beginning of November for all saints day, I went with a Rotary-organized trip to London for a few days, which was very cool.
On Wednesday afternoon I made my way to Tournai again to sleep at Greta's so I'd actually be able to catch the bus the next morning. The bus was only stopping in 3 cities, none of which are near to me. Thursday morning came around and we boarded up the bus and headed of to Calais, where we would take the ferry to Dover. The "ferry" is actually a monster of a boat. I don't know how big it is, but it has multiple decks that can be filled with buses, trucks, and other vehicles.
When we arrived in England, we got back on the bus and drove off (on the "right" side of the road - scary) to Canterbury. We took an audio-tour of the cathedral there, which was actually quite interesting.
After that, we made our way to London. The bus dropped us off at Piccadilly Circus, and there we had some free time to eat and do some souvenir shopping. We met up at the bus again after this and went to the hotel. Most of us stayed down by the bar and hung out and talked, and by midnight I was ready for bed.
The next morning I ate a huge breakfast of toast and jam, cereal, bacon, fruit, yogurt, and a croissant at the hotel. We then went of to Windsor Castle, where we also had an audio-tour. Unfortunately, it was forbidden to take pictures inside the castle.
After the castle, we had some time to grab a bite to eat before continuing on with the itinerary. I always made a profit off of the money that Rotary gave us to eat by finding cheap places, or just having a little ice cream at lunch instead of real food because I was still full from breakfast :)
We went back into London and visited Madame Tussaud's wax museum. It was interesting, but wax people sort of freak me out. I did participate in this little X-factor thing, though. It's basically Britain's version of American Idol. I went in a little room with a microphone and my "team" of two other exchange girls, and we sang "Don't Stop Believing" It was fun, but sort of embarrassing to watch afterwards.
When we were done at Madame Tussaud's we moved on to the Hard Rock Café. Before eating, we had a chance to look around the gift shop, and we got to go downstairs in a special little room with various instruments and costumes of great musicians like B. B. King, the Beatles, Elvis, Queen, David Bowie, the Who, Jimi Hendrix, etc etc.
After dinner, we went to the Phoenix theater to see a musical. It was called Blood Brothers, and it was absolutely phenomenal!! So that was a good end to the day.
The next morning, after another big breakfast, we went to see and walk around the Tower Bridge, and most of the day was free time around London, with the exception of meeting up at Trafalgar Square to get organized and get into our groups for which museum we wanted to go to. I chose the British Museum, which was an awesome choice! I just wish that I could have had more time there. I could spend a week in that place. But the most important thing was that I saw the Rosetta Stone :D
When we were basically ushered out of the museum because it was closing, we got a hot chocolate at Starbucks and figured out what we wanted to do before meeting up at 11pm. At this point, I was with Greta, Maisa (from Finland), and Amaury (Belgian rotex guy), and we inspected the map and metro lines, and we went off to see the London Eye, then walked all the way down to the Globe theatre (because the metro line wasn't in service). After trying a few places without any success, we found somewhere to eat, then headed off to the metro by London Bridge, to get back where we were supposed to meet up by Piccadilly Circus. If you don't know where these places in London are, or how far apart they are, let me just tell you that we walked A LOT. But it was a very good day, so it was well worth it.
We boarded back on the bus at 11pm and headed for home. I didn't sleep well on the bus. After I finally got home, between being on the bus, ferry, bus again, train, waiting for my next train in Charleroi for an hour and a half, the train home, then the walk from the train station home, I was exhausted and slept all day long Sunday.
On Wednesday afternoon I made my way to Tournai again to sleep at Greta's so I'd actually be able to catch the bus the next morning. The bus was only stopping in 3 cities, none of which are near to me. Thursday morning came around and we boarded up the bus and headed of to Calais, where we would take the ferry to Dover. The "ferry" is actually a monster of a boat. I don't know how big it is, but it has multiple decks that can be filled with buses, trucks, and other vehicles.
When we arrived in England, we got back on the bus and drove off (on the "right" side of the road - scary) to Canterbury. We took an audio-tour of the cathedral there, which was actually quite interesting.
After that, we made our way to London. The bus dropped us off at Piccadilly Circus, and there we had some free time to eat and do some souvenir shopping. We met up at the bus again after this and went to the hotel. Most of us stayed down by the bar and hung out and talked, and by midnight I was ready for bed.
The next morning I ate a huge breakfast of toast and jam, cereal, bacon, fruit, yogurt, and a croissant at the hotel. We then went of to Windsor Castle, where we also had an audio-tour. Unfortunately, it was forbidden to take pictures inside the castle.
After the castle, we had some time to grab a bite to eat before continuing on with the itinerary. I always made a profit off of the money that Rotary gave us to eat by finding cheap places, or just having a little ice cream at lunch instead of real food because I was still full from breakfast :)
We went back into London and visited Madame Tussaud's wax museum. It was interesting, but wax people sort of freak me out. I did participate in this little X-factor thing, though. It's basically Britain's version of American Idol. I went in a little room with a microphone and my "team" of two other exchange girls, and we sang "Don't Stop Believing" It was fun, but sort of embarrassing to watch afterwards.
When we were done at Madame Tussaud's we moved on to the Hard Rock Café. Before eating, we had a chance to look around the gift shop, and we got to go downstairs in a special little room with various instruments and costumes of great musicians like B. B. King, the Beatles, Elvis, Queen, David Bowie, the Who, Jimi Hendrix, etc etc.
After dinner, we went to the Phoenix theater to see a musical. It was called Blood Brothers, and it was absolutely phenomenal!! So that was a good end to the day.
The next morning, after another big breakfast, we went to see and walk around the Tower Bridge, and most of the day was free time around London, with the exception of meeting up at Trafalgar Square to get organized and get into our groups for which museum we wanted to go to. I chose the British Museum, which was an awesome choice! I just wish that I could have had more time there. I could spend a week in that place. But the most important thing was that I saw the Rosetta Stone :D
When we were basically ushered out of the museum because it was closing, we got a hot chocolate at Starbucks and figured out what we wanted to do before meeting up at 11pm. At this point, I was with Greta, Maisa (from Finland), and Amaury (Belgian rotex guy), and we inspected the map and metro lines, and we went off to see the London Eye, then walked all the way down to the Globe theatre (because the metro line wasn't in service). After trying a few places without any success, we found somewhere to eat, then headed off to the metro by London Bridge, to get back where we were supposed to meet up by Piccadilly Circus. If you don't know where these places in London are, or how far apart they are, let me just tell you that we walked A LOT. But it was a very good day, so it was well worth it.
We boarded back on the bus at 11pm and headed for home. I didn't sleep well on the bus. After I finally got home, between being on the bus, ferry, bus again, train, waiting for my next train in Charleroi for an hour and a half, the train home, then the walk from the train station home, I was exhausted and slept all day long Sunday.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Best Weekend So Far
I can't believe October is over in a couple days. I've only been here about 2 and a half months, and I have somewhere around 8 more to go, but time is going by so fast and I often find myself wondering how I can possibly bring myself to leave this place.
I've had a lot of fun the past few days. Friday was a good day at school. I found out I got 12/20 on my french essay, which I was very proud of. It was also good because I didn't have any afternoon classes so I just hung out and had fun with my friends. We left school at lunch hour and went to get fries, then came back and played some soccer and musical chairs. After school on Friday, Autumn (exchange student from Phoenix) and I caught the train to go to Tournai where we'd be meeting up with a few other exchangers for Greta's Hallowe'en Party. There was Claire, from Missouri; Emma, from Florida; and of course Greta, from Iowa. There were a bunch of Greta's belgian friends her party too, as well as some other exchange students living in Tournai who all seem pretty cool. We danced and talked and got to know other exchange students and some of her Belgies for a few hours until some people went home and the rest of us went out on the town. Us exchangers split up from the others for a little while and we ended up running into some French guys from Lille who were in Tournai for the night just for fun and they were giving out stickers of themselves. So we ended up hanging out with them and we brought them back to Place-St Pierre with us to hang with everyone. Being with the french guys made me feel very belgian because I was being thrown off when they said things like "soixante-douze" rather than "septante-deux" and in saying goodbye they do two kisses instead of one. Towards the end of the night we got some fries and said goodbye to everyone so we could go back to Greta's to sleep, since we'd have to get up at 9 the next morning. It was such a fun night!!
The next morning Autumn and I came home by train, I showered, then went off to Dinant with my host mom, Adeline, and Fabian. It's a really nice town! There's crazy escarpment, a cathedral, aaand it's the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, the guy who INVENTED THE SAXOPHONE. So that's pretty awesome.
We came back for about 6pm, then Adeline and I went off to babysit for the family she babysits for almost every weekend (and I also happen to know the father because he's a Rotarian here).
Then at midnight, we went to Baileux for the Halloween Soirée where I danced for about 4 hours straight with 3000 other people under a chapiteau. I mostly stuck with my friends and classmates though. It was such a good weekend. Since my host sister and I got in super late last night, I woke up at about 3pm today.
I don't have school this week because of Toussaint :) And I go to London on the 3rd!
I don't know when I'll have the time to post again, but it might be after both London and Rome, so be prepared for a huge one :P
I've had a lot of fun the past few days. Friday was a good day at school. I found out I got 12/20 on my french essay, which I was very proud of. It was also good because I didn't have any afternoon classes so I just hung out and had fun with my friends. We left school at lunch hour and went to get fries, then came back and played some soccer and musical chairs. After school on Friday, Autumn (exchange student from Phoenix) and I caught the train to go to Tournai where we'd be meeting up with a few other exchangers for Greta's Hallowe'en Party. There was Claire, from Missouri; Emma, from Florida; and of course Greta, from Iowa. There were a bunch of Greta's belgian friends her party too, as well as some other exchange students living in Tournai who all seem pretty cool. We danced and talked and got to know other exchange students and some of her Belgies for a few hours until some people went home and the rest of us went out on the town. Us exchangers split up from the others for a little while and we ended up running into some French guys from Lille who were in Tournai for the night just for fun and they were giving out stickers of themselves. So we ended up hanging out with them and we brought them back to Place-St Pierre with us to hang with everyone. Being with the french guys made me feel very belgian because I was being thrown off when they said things like "soixante-douze" rather than "septante-deux" and in saying goodbye they do two kisses instead of one. Towards the end of the night we got some fries and said goodbye to everyone so we could go back to Greta's to sleep, since we'd have to get up at 9 the next morning. It was such a fun night!!
The next morning Autumn and I came home by train, I showered, then went off to Dinant with my host mom, Adeline, and Fabian. It's a really nice town! There's crazy escarpment, a cathedral, aaand it's the birthplace of Adolphe Sax, the guy who INVENTED THE SAXOPHONE. So that's pretty awesome.
We came back for about 6pm, then Adeline and I went off to babysit for the family she babysits for almost every weekend (and I also happen to know the father because he's a Rotarian here).
Then at midnight, we went to Baileux for the Halloween Soirée where I danced for about 4 hours straight with 3000 other people under a chapiteau. I mostly stuck with my friends and classmates though. It was such a good weekend. Since my host sister and I got in super late last night, I woke up at about 3pm today.
I don't have school this week because of Toussaint :) And I go to London on the 3rd!
I don't know when I'll have the time to post again, but it might be after both London and Rome, so be prepared for a huge one :P
Friday, October 21, 2011
I hate the letter R and temperatures under 10 degrees
I'm good to go to Rome in November!! :D I'm very excited! I'm going to try to teach myself some simple italian phrases. Too bad I don't really know anyone here who speaks Italian. Well... there's the chemistry teacher, but I don't like her very much. She snaps her fingers at me to pay attention like every class, and I'm already looking at her or the blackboard. It's not like I'm sleeping or anything. At least I only have chemistry once a week!
I wrote my first French essay this week! Actually, in one day. But it did take all day. Procrastination has followed me to Belgium. However, I think I should get a good mark on it; I was very proud of my work.
In French class the other day, we were watching the videos of the oral presentations we did a few weeks ago. I hate watching videos of myself and hearing my voice already, but this was a disaster! I was speaking French with my awful accent in my awful voice... I did not want to be in the room. But I witnessed how horrible my accent actually is even though I'm trying my absolute best to pronounce everything the way it should be said... it just doesn't come out right. It's so hard ): I know it's completely normal to have an accent and it would be weird if I didn't. But hearing it on a recording just embarrassed me so much and made me not want to speak at all, especially in French ): and I don't know how else I can improve it, because I'm already trying my best ! I can't believe I actually have friends here that can stand talking to me! But for them I am thankful.
Today the school had to do a race thing. My grade did it later in the afternoon. I'm pretty sure I was supposed to run it, but I just didn't and no one said anything, so I just watched other people run and Autumn (the American exchange student), and I taught funny English expressions to a friend who wants to go on exchange to the States next year. But sometimes talking with Autumn is very amusing because we note a lot of differences in people here as compared to people back home, and we understand each other's slang and humor - it's stuff that people here just wouldn't find as funny, no matter how well they understand English. The most prevalent one today was shorts. A fair amount of guys here wear shorts that average at a length much shorter and/or tighter and/or in brighter colours than most guys would ever dare to wear back home. One of my friends was wearing white shorts, another bright purple... it's just very interesting to watch these guys run. And there's this one guy who has crazy thigh muscles (think speed skater), and we just call him Legs when we talk about him.
It's getting so cold here! In the evenings/nights/mornings, it's down to just above freezing, and I think the hottest it got all day today was 10 degrees. I'm definitely going to start wearing mittens to school next week.
I'm pretty sure the Rhétos trip won't overlap with my Spain trip! The Rhétos trip usually takes the last three days of the Easter holidays, and the first three daysof school after that. And I think I'll be going to Croatia. It will be between Croatia and Scotland, and Croatia will be much warmer, and I'd probably be more likely to visit Scotland in the future than Croatia. Even though I have a bunch of friends going to Scotland, I'll still have a lot in Croatia too. We shall see. I've yet to really decide; these are just my thoughts.
I wrote my first French essay this week! Actually, in one day. But it did take all day. Procrastination has followed me to Belgium. However, I think I should get a good mark on it; I was very proud of my work.
In French class the other day, we were watching the videos of the oral presentations we did a few weeks ago. I hate watching videos of myself and hearing my voice already, but this was a disaster! I was speaking French with my awful accent in my awful voice... I did not want to be in the room. But I witnessed how horrible my accent actually is even though I'm trying my absolute best to pronounce everything the way it should be said... it just doesn't come out right. It's so hard ): I know it's completely normal to have an accent and it would be weird if I didn't. But hearing it on a recording just embarrassed me so much and made me not want to speak at all, especially in French ): and I don't know how else I can improve it, because I'm already trying my best ! I can't believe I actually have friends here that can stand talking to me! But for them I am thankful.
Today the school had to do a race thing. My grade did it later in the afternoon. I'm pretty sure I was supposed to run it, but I just didn't and no one said anything, so I just watched other people run and Autumn (the American exchange student), and I taught funny English expressions to a friend who wants to go on exchange to the States next year. But sometimes talking with Autumn is very amusing because we note a lot of differences in people here as compared to people back home, and we understand each other's slang and humor - it's stuff that people here just wouldn't find as funny, no matter how well they understand English. The most prevalent one today was shorts. A fair amount of guys here wear shorts that average at a length much shorter and/or tighter and/or in brighter colours than most guys would ever dare to wear back home. One of my friends was wearing white shorts, another bright purple... it's just very interesting to watch these guys run. And there's this one guy who has crazy thigh muscles (think speed skater), and we just call him Legs when we talk about him.
It's getting so cold here! In the evenings/nights/mornings, it's down to just above freezing, and I think the hottest it got all day today was 10 degrees. I'm definitely going to start wearing mittens to school next week.
I'm pretty sure the Rhétos trip won't overlap with my Spain trip! The Rhétos trip usually takes the last three days of the Easter holidays, and the first three daysof school after that. And I think I'll be going to Croatia. It will be between Croatia and Scotland, and Croatia will be much warmer, and I'd probably be more likely to visit Scotland in the future than Croatia. Even though I have a bunch of friends going to Scotland, I'll still have a lot in Croatia too. We shall see. I've yet to really decide; these are just my thoughts.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Month 2, Day 2
Now I'm finding it a little harder to find things to talk about in this blog because now nothing seems out of the ordinairy. This is my life now, and it's normal to me. I'm sure there are plenty of interesting things going on, but they've just become normal to me. I've been here already for two months yesterday!
At school, the Rhétos (seniors) have been all busy thinking about and voting for colours and designs for the t-shirts and sweaters we will all get in November, as well as where to go for our Voyage du Rhétos in April. Hopefully, I will actually get to go. I'm worried that it might overlap with the trip I'm taking to Spain with Rotary, so I'm hoping the one with school will be the day after I get back or something so I can actually go with them. I'd really hate to miss out ):
But there are so many choices!! A few different places in France, Croatia, Budapest, Austria, Copenhagen, Prague, Scotland, Portugal, Tuscany, and Barcelona are among them. Croatia seems to be in the lead as so many people have signed up for that one. I've yet to decide where I want to go. But I can only put my name down on one, and almost all of them are interesting to me!!
I got a letter from one of my best friends back home yesterday, which I absolutely loved. I like getting real letters in the mail :)
I also went shopping in Charleroi after school yesterday. I managed to find a pair of boots for winter for 25 € ! But that was an enjoyable afternoon. When I arrived at Charleroi by train I met up with Martine, who's basically like a host mom to me here, except I won't live with her. Her daughter is out on exchange to Texas, and I'm basically here in her place. So she takes care of me :P But she's super nice and really fun and we get along very well.
I'm strengthening my friendships at school, so that's good too. I have a few people I consider close friends, and then I'm just normal friends with a large number of people.
At school, the Rhétos (seniors) have been all busy thinking about and voting for colours and designs for the t-shirts and sweaters we will all get in November, as well as where to go for our Voyage du Rhétos in April. Hopefully, I will actually get to go. I'm worried that it might overlap with the trip I'm taking to Spain with Rotary, so I'm hoping the one with school will be the day after I get back or something so I can actually go with them. I'd really hate to miss out ):
But there are so many choices!! A few different places in France, Croatia, Budapest, Austria, Copenhagen, Prague, Scotland, Portugal, Tuscany, and Barcelona are among them. Croatia seems to be in the lead as so many people have signed up for that one. I've yet to decide where I want to go. But I can only put my name down on one, and almost all of them are interesting to me!!
I got a letter from one of my best friends back home yesterday, which I absolutely loved. I like getting real letters in the mail :)
I also went shopping in Charleroi after school yesterday. I managed to find a pair of boots for winter for 25 € ! But that was an enjoyable afternoon. When I arrived at Charleroi by train I met up with Martine, who's basically like a host mom to me here, except I won't live with her. Her daughter is out on exchange to Texas, and I'm basically here in her place. So she takes care of me :P But she's super nice and really fun and we get along very well.
I'm strengthening my friendships at school, so that's good too. I have a few people I consider close friends, and then I'm just normal friends with a large number of people.
This weekend I have birthday parties to go to! Those should be fun.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Clarification :)
It has come to my attention that any Belgians following my blog may have miscontrued what I was trying to say in my last post, so this post is for them:
Désolée aux Belges qui a lu mon dernier publication dans ce blog. Je ne pense pas que vous êtes stupides, pas de tout! Je trouve que beaucoup de vous etes très intelligent. J'ai seulement voulu de dire que je trouve que l'école ici est moins dur que l'école chez moi. Évidemment, il y a des cours qui sont plus difficile qu'autres (par exemple, pour moi FGS est vraiment difficile), mais il y a aussi certains choses que j'ai déjà appris.
NB - Je ne suive pas quelques cours que les autres étudiants dans ma classe suivent (comme néerlandais, maths, et physique). Alors, je peux rien dire sur le difficulté de ces cours la. Aussi, j'ai fini le 6eme chez moi ;)
- C'est pas mieux, c'est pas pire, seulement différent! -
Désolée aux Belges qui a lu mon dernier publication dans ce blog. Je ne pense pas que vous êtes stupides, pas de tout! Je trouve que beaucoup de vous etes très intelligent. J'ai seulement voulu de dire que je trouve que l'école ici est moins dur que l'école chez moi. Évidemment, il y a des cours qui sont plus difficile qu'autres (par exemple, pour moi FGS est vraiment difficile), mais il y a aussi certains choses que j'ai déjà appris.
NB - Je ne suive pas quelques cours que les autres étudiants dans ma classe suivent (comme néerlandais, maths, et physique). Alors, je peux rien dire sur le difficulté de ces cours la. Aussi, j'ai fini le 6eme chez moi ;)
- C'est pas mieux, c'est pas pire, seulement différent! -
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Mostly School
Permission to go to Italy is still in progress, so I don't have any updates about that, but, in exactly one month from now, I will be in London, England :) I'm really looking forward to that trip too. Bonding time with some exchange students I don't normally see is always nice. And I've never been to London before, so it should be good. I'm sure I will take a lot of pictures.
School is still going well. And it's still a bit easier to understand things with every day, but I fell like I've reached an extreme slowing down in my learning curve. Maybe it's just because I'm used to being bombarded with new information by now, or that I just did most of my learning within the first month of me being here, so now it's just slowing down. I think it's the second one. I don't learn as many new words per day anymore, execpt when I have geography class. Basically we sit there and read articles all class... and it takes me about 10 times as long to read one, because there is a word in every sentence or two that I don't know... there are lots of underlinings and random english words written in green on my notes.
But while we're on the topic of school, I want to say that I think, if I were a native french speaker, school here would be a breeze! Everything in my chem and bio classes that we're doing now, I learned two years ago. And my french class... well we're preparing to write and essay. The teacher is going on and on, class after class, explaining how to write this essay... back home, teachers took one class or less to explain an essay. After that, it was go do it, and if you have any questions talk to me on your own time. Teachers here explain things foreverrr. Like my biology teacher has been dicsussing Mendel and his peas and hybrids and Punnett squares for like 3 classes now... not even unveiling new information each time. Just going over and over the same stuff. I think it should only take one class for the amount we've learned so far. But, back to french class. The requirements for the essays here seem to be much more leniant than back home. In my grade 12 english class, I wrote 10 page in-class essays, and 7 page typed up essays. I saw an example of an essay here, and it was 2.5 pages. And that's not even taking into consideration the huge margins because stuff was written in the side! If it had normal margins it would have been 2 pages.
If I was fluent in french, I would be laughing. And my french class are the most advanced french students in the school. Maybe my grade 12 english teacher was just that much of a hard ass, (don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the woman) that I now believe if a paragraph is not (at least) almost a page long, it is much too short... but man these guys have it easy.
For another thing in french class, I might be analysing George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four again. That could be interesting. I wish I had kept all my stuff for my various essays on my computer... but, surprisingly enough, I remember a lot.
Us exchange students get extra french work, but it's grammar stuff, to help learn the language better, and not what we're doing in normal french class. Today our teacher for that gave us Treasure Island (L’île au trésor), and we have to read two chapters by next week. I think I am able to handle it. But it's weird, because the teacher for that gives us worksheets with things that range from being as simple to identifying masculin and feminin, to as hard as filling in the blanks with the proper word (7 options, they all sound exactly the same, mean totally different things) ex. Sens, sans, s'en, sang, sens, .... and two more
and we are supposed to know which goes in the blank of a completely french saying that doesn't even translate into english. So it goes all over the place, from being things I learned when I was 6, to things I haven't even the slightest clue what they mean!
I watch Castle on Monday nights. It's on TV here, but it's always repeats ): and watching it isn't the same without my mom. It's also not as funny in french, but I still enjoy it, and because they are repeats and I have seen the episodes before, I can imagine what they actually said, in their english voices, and it is funny, so it's ok. But I wonder if I'm ever going to see any new episodes.
I finished my second book since being here yesterday. I obviously need to find more things to do on school nights (actually read like 510 pages in a week). But I don't usually have much homework to do, and somehow all my other friends do. And I'm sure it will take me a lot longer to read "L’île au trésor", especially since I'll probably have my french-english dictionary open more than the novel!
School is still going well. And it's still a bit easier to understand things with every day, but I fell like I've reached an extreme slowing down in my learning curve. Maybe it's just because I'm used to being bombarded with new information by now, or that I just did most of my learning within the first month of me being here, so now it's just slowing down. I think it's the second one. I don't learn as many new words per day anymore, execpt when I have geography class. Basically we sit there and read articles all class... and it takes me about 10 times as long to read one, because there is a word in every sentence or two that I don't know... there are lots of underlinings and random english words written in green on my notes.
But while we're on the topic of school, I want to say that I think, if I were a native french speaker, school here would be a breeze! Everything in my chem and bio classes that we're doing now, I learned two years ago. And my french class... well we're preparing to write and essay. The teacher is going on and on, class after class, explaining how to write this essay... back home, teachers took one class or less to explain an essay. After that, it was go do it, and if you have any questions talk to me on your own time. Teachers here explain things foreverrr. Like my biology teacher has been dicsussing Mendel and his peas and hybrids and Punnett squares for like 3 classes now... not even unveiling new information each time. Just going over and over the same stuff. I think it should only take one class for the amount we've learned so far. But, back to french class. The requirements for the essays here seem to be much more leniant than back home. In my grade 12 english class, I wrote 10 page in-class essays, and 7 page typed up essays. I saw an example of an essay here, and it was 2.5 pages. And that's not even taking into consideration the huge margins because stuff was written in the side! If it had normal margins it would have been 2 pages.
If I was fluent in french, I would be laughing. And my french class are the most advanced french students in the school. Maybe my grade 12 english teacher was just that much of a hard ass, (don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the woman) that I now believe if a paragraph is not (at least) almost a page long, it is much too short... but man these guys have it easy.
For another thing in french class, I might be analysing George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four again. That could be interesting. I wish I had kept all my stuff for my various essays on my computer... but, surprisingly enough, I remember a lot.
Us exchange students get extra french work, but it's grammar stuff, to help learn the language better, and not what we're doing in normal french class. Today our teacher for that gave us Treasure Island (L’île au trésor), and we have to read two chapters by next week. I think I am able to handle it. But it's weird, because the teacher for that gives us worksheets with things that range from being as simple to identifying masculin and feminin, to as hard as filling in the blanks with the proper word (7 options, they all sound exactly the same, mean totally different things) ex. Sens, sans, s'en, sang, sens, .... and two more
and we are supposed to know which goes in the blank of a completely french saying that doesn't even translate into english. So it goes all over the place, from being things I learned when I was 6, to things I haven't even the slightest clue what they mean!
I watch Castle on Monday nights. It's on TV here, but it's always repeats ): and watching it isn't the same without my mom. It's also not as funny in french, but I still enjoy it, and because they are repeats and I have seen the episodes before, I can imagine what they actually said, in their english voices, and it is funny, so it's ok. But I wonder if I'm ever going to see any new episodes.
I finished my second book since being here yesterday. I obviously need to find more things to do on school nights (actually read like 510 pages in a week). But I don't usually have much homework to do, and somehow all my other friends do. And I'm sure it will take me a lot longer to read "L’île au trésor", especially since I'll probably have my french-english dictionary open more than the novel!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Envie d'aller en Italie!
On Sunday, I went out of Belgium for the first time since being here. I went to a small town in France, still very close to the Belgian border called Fourmies. One of my American friends, Autumn, invited me to go with her. She was going because her host mom was competing in a race there. We spent the afternoon lazily walking about the town, then sitting in a place for a couple hours after ordering fries for her and a banana split for me :) I was still sore from dance on Saturday, so I didn't really enjoy walking around; I was happy to just sit and be lazy... But I think the waitress didn't really like us she gave us weird looks because we were speaking english and, though we spoke to her and ordered in French, I said "banana split" with my normal english/canadian accent, and so I think she didn't understand at first...
Monday was just a normal school day, and I talked to my french teacher about an oral presentation I'll be doing. He's very nice, and he said it doesn't matter if I'm not talking as much as the other students, no one is expecting me to, all he wants is that I try my best and speak as much as I can to practice and get better at french. I like him, as well as pretty much all my other teachers.
Today is Tuesday, and it's a random holiday :) So I slept in until just after 11am, and then after lunch I took a shower then went to walk for 5km in the woods with my host mom. It was actually pretty nice. The weather was absolutely perfect. I wore shorts and a t-shirt, but it was really hot in the sun. But since we were under the trees and whatnot, it was pleasantly cool.
After, I went to check if I had any more money in my bank account and make a small withdrawl, then my host mom and I went to the grocery store. I got strawberry and peach flavoured yogurt :')
Tomorrow, after school (since it ends at noon) I'll be going to Brussels and meet up with some other exchange students.
Also, my Aunt (who lives in Rome) and I started talking on the computer last night, and now we're trying to arrange a time for me to visit them in Italy :) I just hope I can get permission from Rotary! That's the only thing that would be standing in my way. I've already e-mailed my YEO.
Monday was just a normal school day, and I talked to my french teacher about an oral presentation I'll be doing. He's very nice, and he said it doesn't matter if I'm not talking as much as the other students, no one is expecting me to, all he wants is that I try my best and speak as much as I can to practice and get better at french. I like him, as well as pretty much all my other teachers.
Today is Tuesday, and it's a random holiday :) So I slept in until just after 11am, and then after lunch I took a shower then went to walk for 5km in the woods with my host mom. It was actually pretty nice. The weather was absolutely perfect. I wore shorts and a t-shirt, but it was really hot in the sun. But since we were under the trees and whatnot, it was pleasantly cool.
After, I went to check if I had any more money in my bank account and make a small withdrawl, then my host mom and I went to the grocery store. I got strawberry and peach flavoured yogurt :')
Tomorrow, after school (since it ends at noon) I'll be going to Brussels and meet up with some other exchange students.
Also, my Aunt (who lives in Rome) and I started talking on the computer last night, and now we're trying to arrange a time for me to visit them in Italy :) I just hope I can get permission from Rotary! That's the only thing that would be standing in my way. I've already e-mailed my YEO.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Beat the Blues
Early on this week I was feeling really down and I missed home a lot, but by the time Wednesday came around I was feeling better, and by Thursday I was in a perfect mood again. Having friends here really helps. Monday was a horrible afternoon for me, but I didn't get as sad as I could have been since I had some people there comforting me. My friends here in Belgium are awesome. They have told me that they are all there for me, and if I ever need anything or just someone to talk to, that I can go to them, and they all want to make sure I have an amazing year here. I am truly glad a fell into a place and a school with such wonderful and warm people.
This past week at school had been different. I didn't have much in the way of classes, because my french class was doing an exposition in the library all week on jewish children who were hidden during WWII. I had to summarize the story of one of these children, and talk about it to all the other classes who came during the week. Of course, all in French. It was difficult for me to get up there in front of people my own age and teach them something. I would have had no problems in English, but I totally wasn't confident with my french. I had everything written down, so I knew what to say, I just felt like I had the worst accent ever or that no one understood what I was saying. It was the worst to present to a group people who were indifferent. They weren't really paying attention, or they were looking at other things, and I just wondered what the point in me even talking to them was if they weren't going to listen. But I made it through a week of presentations unscathed, and now I have a better idea of how to prepare for next time I have to something like that.
On Thursday night, I went to another Rotary meeting. I got there at 7:30, and I got home at 11:45. These are seriously long meetings. But it was an important one because that was the night the governor was visiting. At one point, during his speech, he asked if anyone knew, in English or in French, Rotary International's theme for the year. Excited to actually know somehting, I blurted out "Reach Within to Embrace Humanity" before anyone else really had the chance. I always get very surprised looks when I actually know the answer to something. Another notable thing about this meeting was the appetizer. It was something I'd never had before, but it was absolutely delicious. I didn't understand the part during the description of it where they said raw meat, but I'm sort of glad that I didn't. Because if I had known beforehand that I would be eating raw beef, I would have said no. All I head was beef and I was like "Bring it". Anyway, it was very thinly sliced raw beef with shaved parmasean cheese on top, and I'm pretty sure there was some lime juice in there. It was amazing!! I -think- it's called Carvacio, or carpacio... I'm not sure.
On Friday night, I went to my second host sister's birthday party. I didn't really know anyone there, so I felt a little out of place, but it was good. This was the first time I actually met her in real life. But I met a bunch of new people, and I can actually remember almost all of their names! I'm getting a lot better with names now. It was hard to remember everything when I first got here because there was just so much going on in my head at once. Translations, names, faces, places, words, everything. So much new information was entering my mind at once there was no way I could have been able to remember everyone's name the first time meeting them. But now I think I know the names of every single person in my class :)
But I talked to my future host mom a bit. She's nice, and she seems very motherly, but fun at the same time. I think I will enjoy living with that family. That night, I slept at their house, in my future room. They're still using it for some storage since I won't be living there until December/January, but it's very big, and it has a big circular window :) I like it. And I don't know if I was just tired, but the bed is comfortable too.
I also met my future host dad, but I didn't talk to him too much. And I have already met and talked to my host brother via facebook, and he was at the airport with his mother when I first arrived. We also both go to the same school, so we say hi when we see each other there.
This morning I got home from my 2nd family's house and immediately went to a dance class with my host sister. This was the first dance class I've really taken (one week when I was like 7 doesn't really count-especially since I don't really remember it) and some of the girls there have been taking dance for 13 years. So I wasn't exactly awesome at it. But I think I did okay for my first time. And I know I will be very sore tomorrow. I'm probably going to go back again next week. It was enjoyable over all, and I'll probably get better each time.
Tonight I have a barbecue to go to, and I know most of the people there, so that should be fun.
And next week we have a random holiday on Tuesday, and I plan on going to Brussels with some exchange students on Wednesday.
This past week at school had been different. I didn't have much in the way of classes, because my french class was doing an exposition in the library all week on jewish children who were hidden during WWII. I had to summarize the story of one of these children, and talk about it to all the other classes who came during the week. Of course, all in French. It was difficult for me to get up there in front of people my own age and teach them something. I would have had no problems in English, but I totally wasn't confident with my french. I had everything written down, so I knew what to say, I just felt like I had the worst accent ever or that no one understood what I was saying. It was the worst to present to a group people who were indifferent. They weren't really paying attention, or they were looking at other things, and I just wondered what the point in me even talking to them was if they weren't going to listen. But I made it through a week of presentations unscathed, and now I have a better idea of how to prepare for next time I have to something like that.
On Thursday night, I went to another Rotary meeting. I got there at 7:30, and I got home at 11:45. These are seriously long meetings. But it was an important one because that was the night the governor was visiting. At one point, during his speech, he asked if anyone knew, in English or in French, Rotary International's theme for the year. Excited to actually know somehting, I blurted out "Reach Within to Embrace Humanity" before anyone else really had the chance. I always get very surprised looks when I actually know the answer to something. Another notable thing about this meeting was the appetizer. It was something I'd never had before, but it was absolutely delicious. I didn't understand the part during the description of it where they said raw meat, but I'm sort of glad that I didn't. Because if I had known beforehand that I would be eating raw beef, I would have said no. All I head was beef and I was like "Bring it". Anyway, it was very thinly sliced raw beef with shaved parmasean cheese on top, and I'm pretty sure there was some lime juice in there. It was amazing!! I -think- it's called Carvacio, or carpacio... I'm not sure.
On Friday night, I went to my second host sister's birthday party. I didn't really know anyone there, so I felt a little out of place, but it was good. This was the first time I actually met her in real life. But I met a bunch of new people, and I can actually remember almost all of their names! I'm getting a lot better with names now. It was hard to remember everything when I first got here because there was just so much going on in my head at once. Translations, names, faces, places, words, everything. So much new information was entering my mind at once there was no way I could have been able to remember everyone's name the first time meeting them. But now I think I know the names of every single person in my class :)
But I talked to my future host mom a bit. She's nice, and she seems very motherly, but fun at the same time. I think I will enjoy living with that family. That night, I slept at their house, in my future room. They're still using it for some storage since I won't be living there until December/January, but it's very big, and it has a big circular window :) I like it. And I don't know if I was just tired, but the bed is comfortable too.
I also met my future host dad, but I didn't talk to him too much. And I have already met and talked to my host brother via facebook, and he was at the airport with his mother when I first arrived. We also both go to the same school, so we say hi when we see each other there.
This morning I got home from my 2nd family's house and immediately went to a dance class with my host sister. This was the first dance class I've really taken (one week when I was like 7 doesn't really count-especially since I don't really remember it) and some of the girls there have been taking dance for 13 years. So I wasn't exactly awesome at it. But I think I did okay for my first time. And I know I will be very sore tomorrow. I'm probably going to go back again next week. It was enjoyable over all, and I'll probably get better each time.
Tonight I have a barbecue to go to, and I know most of the people there, so that should be fun.
And next week we have a random holiday on Tuesday, and I plan on going to Brussels with some exchange students on Wednesday.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
First train ride alone; successful
Not much happened during the last week at school except for the field trip to Brendonck and that us exchangers selected our schedules. I'm still in Français-Langues, so my classes are basically staying the same. But now we're more split up so I wont have all my classes with all the other exchange students (except Alejandro, from Peru). And hopefully we will be able to take a 5th year german class, since that is the first year they learn German at school (all my other classes are in 6th year).
On Friday, we went to Brendonck. At the beginning of our tour around the camp, the tour guide was giving us a the history behind the building. Brendonck wasn't built specifically to be a concentration camp; it had been a military fort and the germans thought it would be a good place to use and build on to when they invaded and took over Belgium. She had asked the class a question. The question was, who was the king during world war two? I knew the answer: Leopold III. But no one in my class said anything. I said it very quietly and I think only the guy next to me heard me say it. He looked at me in surprise that I even ventured a guess. He didn't know if I was right or not because he had no idea. No one answered, so the guide said it: Leopold III. I had been right and my classmate was very surprised. I felt proud :)
Overall, the concentration camp wasn't totally as creepy as I thought it would be, but it wasn't exactly nice; however, it was very interesting. I didn't get much of a weird vibe, I just felt weird knowing I was walking in the same places as starving jews being forced to work for nothing, or someone in the wermacht or gestapo. And I didn't like being in the torture chamber, or touching anything.
On Saturday, I woke up early and got ready to go to Mons for some hanging out and shopping with some other exchange students. My friend Greta invited me to go since it was her birthday that day. Greta and I met at La Louviere just over a week ago at our inbound orientation. She's the girl from Iowa I mentioned. Anywho, I took the train all by myself, transferred successfully, and continued to Mons. In total it took about 2 hours to get there. Near the end of the train ride to Mons, I heard some voices speaking English, so I knew it much be other exchange students going to the same place I was. I went over and said hi, then we got off the train a couple minutes later. Just outside of the train station, there was this Nutella van. And they were doing surveys about breakfast and Nutella and stuff. I eat Nutella like 99% of the time. But I hadn't eaten it that morning, I'd just had a plain croissant et un pain au chocolat. But it's okay because after we did the survey they gave us a little thing of Nutella and I ate it by itself right there in that square.
We were making our way to the grand place and the shopping area, and on the way there was a nice church, so we decided to go in an take some pictures. Then we figured out that a bunch of people were coming in for a wedding. We weren't exactly dressed properly (not to mention not invited), so we left. We got a bite to eat right by the grand place. We ate "american" food at an indian place in Belgium. But it was nice, I thought. While we were eating, we saw a lady wearing ridiculously huge green and white striped overalls and a bright red moustache/beard/braid combo wig. The few women that were with her were wearing those greek/roman (not sure which it is) leaf things that you wear when you're wearing a toga? Anyway, she came up to usand explained that she was going to be getting married next week, and that it was tradition to dress up like this and walk about the town trying to sell a little bottle with some red mystery drink that would supposedly bring nirvana. And she would sell it to someone for any price. 10 cents or 100 euros, whatever they wanted to pay for it. So two of the girls I was with bought a little bottle each for a euro.
After eating we split up into smaller groups and went shopping. I bought a coat, a shirt, and a scarf. All of which I did need. Except maybe not the scarf... but I didn't have a red scarf, and it wasn't expensive! We got ice cream, twice... and then we went to a little bar for a few minutes and met up with everyone again. Greta and I then left to catch the train back to Tournai. We went back to her house and jumped on the trampoline they have in the yard. That was a lot of fun :) A little later on we went out to celebrate her birthday.
In the morning, we went downstairs and the table was full of candy and chocolate, and there were chocolates arranged to shape a big "18" in the middle of the table, and there were chocolates around Greta's place like a sun... It was really cute :) Her host family is super duper nice :) After breakfast we got ready and then went to mass in a cathedral... which was done by a bishop, so it was a pretty important mass. I went for the architecture, the organ, and the choir. Which were all great.
I left for home from Tournai at 2:30, and I got back just after 5pm. Tournai is a really great town. There is so much history there! So I had a really great weekend. Greta and I get along really well and we were talking non-stop the whole time we were together. Except for in mass; we do have respect.
School tomorrow already!!!
On Friday, we went to Brendonck. At the beginning of our tour around the camp, the tour guide was giving us a the history behind the building. Brendonck wasn't built specifically to be a concentration camp; it had been a military fort and the germans thought it would be a good place to use and build on to when they invaded and took over Belgium. She had asked the class a question. The question was, who was the king during world war two? I knew the answer: Leopold III. But no one in my class said anything. I said it very quietly and I think only the guy next to me heard me say it. He looked at me in surprise that I even ventured a guess. He didn't know if I was right or not because he had no idea. No one answered, so the guide said it: Leopold III. I had been right and my classmate was very surprised. I felt proud :)
Overall, the concentration camp wasn't totally as creepy as I thought it would be, but it wasn't exactly nice; however, it was very interesting. I didn't get much of a weird vibe, I just felt weird knowing I was walking in the same places as starving jews being forced to work for nothing, or someone in the wermacht or gestapo. And I didn't like being in the torture chamber, or touching anything.
On Saturday, I woke up early and got ready to go to Mons for some hanging out and shopping with some other exchange students. My friend Greta invited me to go since it was her birthday that day. Greta and I met at La Louviere just over a week ago at our inbound orientation. She's the girl from Iowa I mentioned. Anywho, I took the train all by myself, transferred successfully, and continued to Mons. In total it took about 2 hours to get there. Near the end of the train ride to Mons, I heard some voices speaking English, so I knew it much be other exchange students going to the same place I was. I went over and said hi, then we got off the train a couple minutes later. Just outside of the train station, there was this Nutella van. And they were doing surveys about breakfast and Nutella and stuff. I eat Nutella like 99% of the time. But I hadn't eaten it that morning, I'd just had a plain croissant et un pain au chocolat. But it's okay because after we did the survey they gave us a little thing of Nutella and I ate it by itself right there in that square.
We were making our way to the grand place and the shopping area, and on the way there was a nice church, so we decided to go in an take some pictures. Then we figured out that a bunch of people were coming in for a wedding. We weren't exactly dressed properly (not to mention not invited), so we left. We got a bite to eat right by the grand place. We ate "american" food at an indian place in Belgium. But it was nice, I thought. While we were eating, we saw a lady wearing ridiculously huge green and white striped overalls and a bright red moustache/beard/braid combo wig. The few women that were with her were wearing those greek/roman (not sure which it is) leaf things that you wear when you're wearing a toga? Anyway, she came up to usand explained that she was going to be getting married next week, and that it was tradition to dress up like this and walk about the town trying to sell a little bottle with some red mystery drink that would supposedly bring nirvana. And she would sell it to someone for any price. 10 cents or 100 euros, whatever they wanted to pay for it. So two of the girls I was with bought a little bottle each for a euro.
After eating we split up into smaller groups and went shopping. I bought a coat, a shirt, and a scarf. All of which I did need. Except maybe not the scarf... but I didn't have a red scarf, and it wasn't expensive! We got ice cream, twice... and then we went to a little bar for a few minutes and met up with everyone again. Greta and I then left to catch the train back to Tournai. We went back to her house and jumped on the trampoline they have in the yard. That was a lot of fun :) A little later on we went out to celebrate her birthday.
In the morning, we went downstairs and the table was full of candy and chocolate, and there were chocolates arranged to shape a big "18" in the middle of the table, and there were chocolates around Greta's place like a sun... It was really cute :) Her host family is super duper nice :) After breakfast we got ready and then went to mass in a cathedral... which was done by a bishop, so it was a pretty important mass. I went for the architecture, the organ, and the choir. Which were all great.
I left for home from Tournai at 2:30, and I got back just after 5pm. Tournai is a really great town. There is so much history there! So I had a really great weekend. Greta and I get along really well and we were talking non-stop the whole time we were together. Except for in mass; we do have respect.
School tomorrow already!!!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
On second thought, I don't miss driving that much anymore...
So I don't really have time to make a whole new post on top of everything else I have to do when I come online, so this is mostly copy and pasted from an e-mail I'm sending to my mom.
So my host mom managed to run her car into a little wall on the side of her sister's driveway... and it got stuck there. The driveway is on an incline so she was reversing into the driveway and managed to hit the wall at an angle, and keep going, and then get it stuck so that she couldn't pull out. and it was on such an angle that it wouldn't work if she tried to go back and turn the wheel the other way. She had to call one of our neighbours to help us. Somtimes I don't really like driving with my host mom. But at least the strong neighbour men (who I'm pretty sure are both firefighters) managed to get it out.
And another thing that has made me newly uneasy about the road is that yesterday I witnessed a terrible accident. Thankfully it was only one car, but it was still totally awful. We were on the highway, driving back from a Youth Exchange Orientation meeting (but it was the host mom of another exchange student driving, not mine). There was a car on the other side of the highway that we witnessed hit the short wall on the side of the road. The noise that that made was what first grabbed my attention. So all a really saw was a bunch of dust and the car. Then I look behind to see if the car was still there. I expected it to still be on the road but swerving a little to try to regain control. But no. This car went tumbling over the wall and I watched it with my jaw on the floor as it rolled a few more times. We pulled over for a moment, but there were a bunch of other people pulling over, getting out of their cars, and pulling out their cell phones, so we decided to keep on going. So I don't know if whoever was in that card is even alive... it's horrible. It was a truly scary thing to witness and still doesn't seem real. I've only ever seen anything like that on TV. The only difference is this wasn't just a stunt and someone could be dead or in a coma for all I know. It seems about as real as the dream I had last night were two of my guy friends here in Belgium dressed up sort of like Jesus and we making me lay on the ground with my hands under me an flicking water at me.
Okay so my classes are French, English, German, History, Geography, Phys. Ed, Biology, Chemistry, and Religion. School is soo different here.
Friday I only had english, french and geography class. I got to school at about 7h30, because usually school starts at 8h05. I was alone for a little while, then a couple girls I knew arrived and I stuck with them for a while until a bunch of other people showed up. I already know a lot of people thanks to my host sister, so I was talking with a bunch of different people and I already knew a few who would be in my class. High school here is really a lot like grade school in that you stick with your class all day. You're with the same 25 or so kids. And its a weekly schedule, not daily, so you don't have the same classes at the same time every day. I don't exactly know what will be when, so for the first week I'm just going to follow my classmates. The first day we only went to english, french and geography, then we had a sort of mass to celebrate the beginning of the school year. I filmed the songs for my host sister because her boyfriend, Guillaume, was playing guitar. Guillaume is in my class and I guess he's sort of my friend too ( i dont really know who to call my "friends" yet because I sometimes feel like I havent made a lot of my own friends yet, and that they're my host sisters friends and not mine, but I know I'll strengthen the relationships that I already have with some of her friends and make new ones so I will have a lot of my own friends, but that will come with time) So I sat next to Guillaume in french class. And his dad is the teacher, too. He started the class by reading a story and I understood a bunch of it. I was trying really hard to pay attention the whole time. I actually have to try really hard to pay attention here when everything is in french. its not like at home in english where I can be 75% asleep and still know what's going on. Here i have to be 100% attentive 100% of the time if I want to be able to follow a conversation or a lesson. Even then I usually dont get everything, but I get the general idea or topic.
Like last night I was at a meeting thing for the jeunesse de Seloignes (a group of older adolescents/young adults in the tiny town/neighbourhood of Seloignes who plan events and stuff) and it was a meeting where they were discussing what to do for their next ducasse, what color to make this years t-shirts, and different day-trip possibilites they can do together. It wasn't extremely exciting stuff and I was just sitting there listening. But it dawned on me that I was actually understanding a good 75% or more of what was being said. I was able to laugh along at the jokes, and not just prentending to laugh, or laughing because everyone else was laughing. I actully genuinely understood a lot. I thought back to when I was with people the few days after I got here and remembered how I barely understood anything. maybe a word here or there. Its truly amazing.
I don't know if I'm going to be included in this little day trip or not they were discussing. I probably will be if I pay and/or have nothing else to do that day. I think they are planning on going kyaking somewhere here in Belgium. I think it would be nice. And its a lot cheaper than the other options they were considering, like London, EuroDisney, and Paris. I'm already in on the london trip that Rotex is helping to organize in November, and its not that hard to get to Paris. EuroDisney would be interesting though. But still it's basically in Paris so I could go there for a day with other exchange students. Maybe I'll bring it up with a few people I met at the district orientation yesterday. I met a sweet girl from Iowa. We talked a lot. She lives in Tournai, which is pretty far away from where I live, but it wouldn't be too hard to get together every once and a while by train. We exchanged cell phone numbers and are already facebook friends.
So I'm in on the London trip, and I just requested to be in the Spain trip. Italy is booked. Its been booked for a little while now. I didn't think everyone would be so proactive since the trip is in April. I really wanted to go to italy. I could have put myself on the waiting list, but in doing so, I wouldnt want to wait around forever only to not be able to go on the trip, and then miss out on both trips. I'd rather go to Spain than nowhere. and I'm sure it will be amazing too. And there's a greater possibility of me travelleing to Italy alone, or with family, or even sometime this year and meet up with family I don't know very well. Whereas I may never have the chance to go to Spain again. So I was initially dissappointed, but I'm not too upset about it.
Anyways. The 6th year (Rhétos, which is equivalent to our senior year, or grade 12) is going on a field trip next friday to a concentration camp. Breendonck. Its still in Belgium. I just wikipediad it, and it wasnt a particularly big concentration camp, but it was mainly used as until people were transported to Auschwitz. It should be very interesting. I wonder if I will feel that vibe that everyone talks about (whos been to a concentration camp) where you can feel the souls of the people that died there, or you can sense that it was an evil place or something like that.
So my host mom managed to run her car into a little wall on the side of her sister's driveway... and it got stuck there. The driveway is on an incline so she was reversing into the driveway and managed to hit the wall at an angle, and keep going, and then get it stuck so that she couldn't pull out. and it was on such an angle that it wouldn't work if she tried to go back and turn the wheel the other way. She had to call one of our neighbours to help us. Somtimes I don't really like driving with my host mom. But at least the strong neighbour men (who I'm pretty sure are both firefighters) managed to get it out.
And another thing that has made me newly uneasy about the road is that yesterday I witnessed a terrible accident. Thankfully it was only one car, but it was still totally awful. We were on the highway, driving back from a Youth Exchange Orientation meeting (but it was the host mom of another exchange student driving, not mine). There was a car on the other side of the highway that we witnessed hit the short wall on the side of the road. The noise that that made was what first grabbed my attention. So all a really saw was a bunch of dust and the car. Then I look behind to see if the car was still there. I expected it to still be on the road but swerving a little to try to regain control. But no. This car went tumbling over the wall and I watched it with my jaw on the floor as it rolled a few more times. We pulled over for a moment, but there were a bunch of other people pulling over, getting out of their cars, and pulling out their cell phones, so we decided to keep on going. So I don't know if whoever was in that card is even alive... it's horrible. It was a truly scary thing to witness and still doesn't seem real. I've only ever seen anything like that on TV. The only difference is this wasn't just a stunt and someone could be dead or in a coma for all I know. It seems about as real as the dream I had last night were two of my guy friends here in Belgium dressed up sort of like Jesus and we making me lay on the ground with my hands under me an flicking water at me.
Okay so my classes are French, English, German, History, Geography, Phys. Ed, Biology, Chemistry, and Religion. School is soo different here.
Friday I only had english, french and geography class. I got to school at about 7h30, because usually school starts at 8h05. I was alone for a little while, then a couple girls I knew arrived and I stuck with them for a while until a bunch of other people showed up. I already know a lot of people thanks to my host sister, so I was talking with a bunch of different people and I already knew a few who would be in my class. High school here is really a lot like grade school in that you stick with your class all day. You're with the same 25 or so kids. And its a weekly schedule, not daily, so you don't have the same classes at the same time every day. I don't exactly know what will be when, so for the first week I'm just going to follow my classmates. The first day we only went to english, french and geography, then we had a sort of mass to celebrate the beginning of the school year. I filmed the songs for my host sister because her boyfriend, Guillaume, was playing guitar. Guillaume is in my class and I guess he's sort of my friend too ( i dont really know who to call my "friends" yet because I sometimes feel like I havent made a lot of my own friends yet, and that they're my host sisters friends and not mine, but I know I'll strengthen the relationships that I already have with some of her friends and make new ones so I will have a lot of my own friends, but that will come with time) So I sat next to Guillaume in french class. And his dad is the teacher, too. He started the class by reading a story and I understood a bunch of it. I was trying really hard to pay attention the whole time. I actually have to try really hard to pay attention here when everything is in french. its not like at home in english where I can be 75% asleep and still know what's going on. Here i have to be 100% attentive 100% of the time if I want to be able to follow a conversation or a lesson. Even then I usually dont get everything, but I get the general idea or topic.
Like last night I was at a meeting thing for the jeunesse de Seloignes (a group of older adolescents/young adults in the tiny town/neighbourhood of Seloignes who plan events and stuff) and it was a meeting where they were discussing what to do for their next ducasse, what color to make this years t-shirts, and different day-trip possibilites they can do together. It wasn't extremely exciting stuff and I was just sitting there listening. But it dawned on me that I was actually understanding a good 75% or more of what was being said. I was able to laugh along at the jokes, and not just prentending to laugh, or laughing because everyone else was laughing. I actully genuinely understood a lot. I thought back to when I was with people the few days after I got here and remembered how I barely understood anything. maybe a word here or there. Its truly amazing.
I don't know if I'm going to be included in this little day trip or not they were discussing. I probably will be if I pay and/or have nothing else to do that day. I think they are planning on going kyaking somewhere here in Belgium. I think it would be nice. And its a lot cheaper than the other options they were considering, like London, EuroDisney, and Paris. I'm already in on the london trip that Rotex is helping to organize in November, and its not that hard to get to Paris. EuroDisney would be interesting though. But still it's basically in Paris so I could go there for a day with other exchange students. Maybe I'll bring it up with a few people I met at the district orientation yesterday. I met a sweet girl from Iowa. We talked a lot. She lives in Tournai, which is pretty far away from where I live, but it wouldn't be too hard to get together every once and a while by train. We exchanged cell phone numbers and are already facebook friends.
So I'm in on the London trip, and I just requested to be in the Spain trip. Italy is booked. Its been booked for a little while now. I didn't think everyone would be so proactive since the trip is in April. I really wanted to go to italy. I could have put myself on the waiting list, but in doing so, I wouldnt want to wait around forever only to not be able to go on the trip, and then miss out on both trips. I'd rather go to Spain than nowhere. and I'm sure it will be amazing too. And there's a greater possibility of me travelleing to Italy alone, or with family, or even sometime this year and meet up with family I don't know very well. Whereas I may never have the chance to go to Spain again. So I was initially dissappointed, but I'm not too upset about it.
Anyways. The 6th year (Rhétos, which is equivalent to our senior year, or grade 12) is going on a field trip next friday to a concentration camp. Breendonck. Its still in Belgium. I just wikipediad it, and it wasnt a particularly big concentration camp, but it was mainly used as until people were transported to Auschwitz. It should be very interesting. I wonder if I will feel that vibe that everyone talks about (whos been to a concentration camp) where you can feel the souls of the people that died there, or you can sense that it was an evil place or something like that.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
School soon!
First thing I have to say is that figuring out the transfer of finances sucks. I am here with about 12.54 euros in cash and and empty belgian bank account because I dont have access to my Canadian bank account to be able to transfer my money over. I can't do it online because I don't have a password. I hope I can sort it all out soon.
Other than that everything has been going great. I've been making friends with Belgians as well as other exchange students, and I've been keeping relatively busy. My french is much better too.
I've been a little sick too since I've been here. It's not that bad, it's only a cold, but I think it's getting much better now. I hope to be in perfect health for friday, which is the first day of school. School here goes from 8am until 4pm, and I have nine classes... But I think the first day is really only a half day, and Wednesdays are just the mornings too.
Other than that everything has been going great. I've been making friends with Belgians as well as other exchange students, and I've been keeping relatively busy. My french is much better too.
I've been a little sick too since I've been here. It's not that bad, it's only a cold, but I think it's getting much better now. I hope to be in perfect health for friday, which is the first day of school. School here goes from 8am until 4pm, and I have nine classes... But I think the first day is really only a half day, and Wednesdays are just the mornings too.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Dans le beau pays de Belgique
Well I'm in Belgium. It's a beautiful country. It's going to be hard to keep up with this blog because my first host family doesn't have internet. Right now we're at my host mother's sister's house.
I'm really glad that I have a host sister my age, Adeline. She's introduced me to her friends, so I actually know some people.
I arrived on Friday morning and I went to bed at 8pm that night. On Saturday night, I went to a party that a group of young people hosted in one of the villages here. I met a lot of people there, but I don't remember most of their names. It was just too much at once! but I had a great time. My host mom picked us up at 3am. To most people here, that's early. Sometimes they party until 7am! We woke up at 10am the next day and went out and met Adeline's group of young people to advertise for the party that they were hosting this weekend coming up. I like the advertising for these parties. We taped posters on about 5 cars, a van, and two trailers, and we drove around all day through the villages blasting music, honking our horns, and handing out flyers. It was fun.
I'm keeping active while I'm here and I'm not just eating chocolate, fries, and croissants all the time. Yesterday Adeline and I went to the pool and swam for about an hour and a half, and they day before we walked around for 2 hours so I could see the town and take some pictures, and I also went for a short run with my host mom.
But the food is great. There's only one thing so far that I've tried that I don't like. They are these mini hot dogs that come out of a can.
Belgians claim to have invented french fries, and they have tons of different sauces to put on them. Mayonnaise is very popular too. But I don't think anyone here has ever thought of dipping their fries in chocolate (which is another thing Belgium is famous for). I was cold, and I made the mistake of ordering hot choclate with my fries. I didn't think there was anything wrong with that, but the +20 other Belgians I was with thought it was pretty funny. I asked Adeline if they'd all think I was weird if I dipped my fries in chocolate, and she looked at me as if I had three heads! I'm going to get her to try it, even though she thinks its disgusting. I got her, her boyfriend Guillaume, and my host mom to try them with salt and vinegar, which is also unheard of. I don't think any of them thought it was bad.
I'm having a great time in Belgium and meeting a bunch new people. Every day my french is getting better, and I'm sure when school starts it'll be getting exponentially better every day!
And today I got a cell phone with an AZERTY keyboard. Soon I'll feel like a true Belgian :P (except for the bit about chocolate+fries)
I'm really glad that I have a host sister my age, Adeline. She's introduced me to her friends, so I actually know some people.
I arrived on Friday morning and I went to bed at 8pm that night. On Saturday night, I went to a party that a group of young people hosted in one of the villages here. I met a lot of people there, but I don't remember most of their names. It was just too much at once! but I had a great time. My host mom picked us up at 3am. To most people here, that's early. Sometimes they party until 7am! We woke up at 10am the next day and went out and met Adeline's group of young people to advertise for the party that they were hosting this weekend coming up. I like the advertising for these parties. We taped posters on about 5 cars, a van, and two trailers, and we drove around all day through the villages blasting music, honking our horns, and handing out flyers. It was fun.
I'm keeping active while I'm here and I'm not just eating chocolate, fries, and croissants all the time. Yesterday Adeline and I went to the pool and swam for about an hour and a half, and they day before we walked around for 2 hours so I could see the town and take some pictures, and I also went for a short run with my host mom.
But the food is great. There's only one thing so far that I've tried that I don't like. They are these mini hot dogs that come out of a can.
Belgians claim to have invented french fries, and they have tons of different sauces to put on them. Mayonnaise is very popular too. But I don't think anyone here has ever thought of dipping their fries in chocolate (which is another thing Belgium is famous for). I was cold, and I made the mistake of ordering hot choclate with my fries. I didn't think there was anything wrong with that, but the +20 other Belgians I was with thought it was pretty funny. I asked Adeline if they'd all think I was weird if I dipped my fries in chocolate, and she looked at me as if I had three heads! I'm going to get her to try it, even though she thinks its disgusting. I got her, her boyfriend Guillaume, and my host mom to try them with salt and vinegar, which is also unheard of. I don't think any of them thought it was bad.
I'm having a great time in Belgium and meeting a bunch new people. Every day my french is getting better, and I'm sure when school starts it'll be getting exponentially better every day!
And today I got a cell phone with an AZERTY keyboard. Soon I'll feel like a true Belgian :P (except for the bit about chocolate+fries)
Monday, August 8, 2011
Woah
Knowing that I'm leaving in three days is the weirdest feeling... I have so many mixed emotions. They are predominantly excitement, happiness, nervousness, and fear. I am almost completely packed and ready to go. I just need to do some laundry, and put my clean clothes into suitcases. I just made some pins that I'll be giving to other exchange students today, and very soon I'll be completely ready to get on that plane.
But I'm so anxious. It's weird because I try to picture everything in my mind, all the little details. Like what the plane will be like, the airport, finding my luggage, meeting my family and all the people who will be at the airport, the town I'll be living in, the buildings, my bedroom, and my school... I have a mental image for all of these things and places, but I know that what my mind is building is probably completely wrong, because I don't know much about what these places look like. I know I'm going to get there and everything will be so new and not what I pictured... and it's weird knowing that, with as much that I do know, I really don't know anything. It's exciting... and scary... But, in three days, (or four when I actually arrive) I will know...
The time I've spent waiting and anticipating the next year of my life seemed to drag on... but looking back, it went by very quickly... I'll be in Belgium in the blink of an eye! and I can't wait.
But I'm so anxious. It's weird because I try to picture everything in my mind, all the little details. Like what the plane will be like, the airport, finding my luggage, meeting my family and all the people who will be at the airport, the town I'll be living in, the buildings, my bedroom, and my school... I have a mental image for all of these things and places, but I know that what my mind is building is probably completely wrong, because I don't know much about what these places look like. I know I'm going to get there and everything will be so new and not what I pictured... and it's weird knowing that, with as much that I do know, I really don't know anything. It's exciting... and scary... But, in three days, (or four when I actually arrive) I will know...
The time I've spent waiting and anticipating the next year of my life seemed to drag on... but looking back, it went by very quickly... I'll be in Belgium in the blink of an eye! and I can't wait.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Almost ready!
I leave in 14 days! That's two weeks!
I don't really have any new news... I'm just very excited and wanted to share my excitement. I've started packing things like sweaters, shoes, medicine, gifts, and things I'm bringing that I wont be wearing/using in the next two weeks.
Everyone who finds out that I'm going on exchange to Belgium for a year says the same thing. It's always the same questions. "For a whole year? That's a long time." and/or "What a great experience!" I just nod and smile and continue the conversation as if I hadn't had the exact same one a hundred times already. But I don't really mind. I like talking about my exchange to people :)
I don't really have any new news... I'm just very excited and wanted to share my excitement. I've started packing things like sweaters, shoes, medicine, gifts, and things I'm bringing that I wont be wearing/using in the next two weeks.
Everyone who finds out that I'm going on exchange to Belgium for a year says the same thing. It's always the same questions. "For a whole year? That's a long time." and/or "What a great experience!" I just nod and smile and continue the conversation as if I hadn't had the exact same one a hundred times already. But I don't really mind. I like talking about my exchange to people :)
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
23 days until Belgium
I finally got a letter back from my host mom and from my youngest host sister! Their writing is so beautiful! I guess they actuallly teach good penmanship in school in Europe. I think I will get along very well with my first host family. They are very kind and say they are looking forward to having me stay with them. I'm looking forward to staying with them too :)
The weekend before last, I went to Central States in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is an amazing youth exchange conference that occurs each year. There are outbound, inbound, rebound, and rotex students. You get to meet so many new people, it's great! And if you don't already know a lot about your host country, this conference is a great opportunity to ask questions and talk to people who have just come back from there. I also think it's worth mentioning that I shook hands with President-Elect of Rotary International Sakuji Tanaka! I tested out my japanese on him and his wife. They laughed and started saying stuff I didn't understand in Japanese, so obviously they understood what I said :P All I know how to say is "I don't speak Japanese very well yet" haha.
Well I've started to clean out my room for when I'm not there for the next year. My parents are going to use it for a while since they are re-modeling their bedroom, and after that they hope to host an exchange student. So they will need space to use in my room. I think it's going to be weird living in a room that's just getting emptier and emptier...
I leave in 23 days!!!! That is so unreal!!!!
The weekend before last, I went to Central States in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is an amazing youth exchange conference that occurs each year. There are outbound, inbound, rebound, and rotex students. You get to meet so many new people, it's great! And if you don't already know a lot about your host country, this conference is a great opportunity to ask questions and talk to people who have just come back from there. I also think it's worth mentioning that I shook hands with President-Elect of Rotary International Sakuji Tanaka! I tested out my japanese on him and his wife. They laughed and started saying stuff I didn't understand in Japanese, so obviously they understood what I said :P All I know how to say is "I don't speak Japanese very well yet" haha.
Well I've started to clean out my room for when I'm not there for the next year. My parents are going to use it for a while since they are re-modeling their bedroom, and after that they hope to host an exchange student. So they will need space to use in my room. I think it's going to be weird living in a room that's just getting emptier and emptier...
I leave in 23 days!!!! That is so unreal!!!!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Counting Down the Days
I booked my flight this past Monday, July 4th. I leave in 35 days! I am so excited.
I attended a Windsor-St. Clair Rotary club meeting this morning with my dad. The new president of the club was inducted today, and so was a new member. I also attended a meeting last night for the new club of Windsor-Walkerville.
The Central States Rotary Youth Exchange conference in Grand Rapids is this weekend. I'm looking forward to meeting many other outbound, inbound, and rebound exchange students. I'm sure it will be a lot of fun, but I'm not exactly sure what to expect. I'll try to make a post about it as soon as I can, but that might not be for a little while since as soon as I get back from Grand Rapids, I'll be leaving to go visit my friend in Burlington for the week! So I'll be busy. Then I'll have to start packing!
I don't even know what I'm going to bring with me yet. I mean, I have a general idea, but it all depends on what I can fit into my suitcases without them being overweight. The suitcases can't be more than 23kgs (50.7lbs), and a second suitcase costs $50! I know I'll need more than one, and I guess that's not too unfair of a price. I'm only allowed one carry-on. So I'm going to bring the biggest backpack I can find and stuff as much into it as I can carry! My flight will be 7 hours and 40 minutes. I can probably watch three movies in that time... or at least read a whole book or two.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Everything is Coming Together
I just got my visa back today! It's so pretty :3
Now my travel agent is looking at flights. I might be arriving in Belgium on the 12th of August! But I just asked the District Chairman and Youth Exchange officer over in Belgium if it was okay that I come then, since I'm supposed to be there more like the 15th. I don't think there should be a problem with it, but it's always good to ask.
Time zones are a bother. If a flight leaves from Toronto, it will land about 7 hours later in Brussels... but that 7 hours is 7 hours to my body. To my watch, it will really be more like 10 or 11 hours. Which means that my night of sleep just got cut out. So I will be awake for 2 days straight. It's basically just like pulling an all-nighter. My body will feel like it's 2am, but really it will be 8am, and instead of going to sleep when I get off the plane, it will be morning and I'll have to go about my day! Hopefully the excitement of being in a new place will help me power through!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Visa Application: sent!
I got everything together for my visa application and it will be arriving in Montréal at the Consulate on Tuesday morning :)
I didn't end up needing a police clearance, and I only had to send one of my guarantee forms (both pages of course) and one visa application. I hope that there will be no problems with anything that I have sent. I feel like it would be just my luck that I messed something up and that I wouldn't be able to get my visa and have to redo and resend the entire application...
But if everything goes according to plan, I should have my visa and passport back before Canada day! And most definitely before I go to the Central States conference in July! Wooo it's all happening so fast!
I'm still waiting to get a letter back from my host mom. Canada Post being on strike certainly doesn't help matters along -.-
High school is almost over! I graduate in 9 days! I'll be starting to study for exams tomorrow. I would have sooner, but I've been busy with work, preparing my visa application, and other school assignments. At least I only have three exams this semester. I was just talking to my host sister earlier and she was telling me that she had ten written exams and three oral exams! That's insanity. I'm going to have to be doing that next year. I don't think I'll be able to handle that!
I can't believe that at one point I didn't think I'd end up going on exchange. I remember a couple years ago I had a steady boyfriend who I didn't want to leave and I remember I was considering going on exchange then, but (temporarily) decided against it because I wanted to stay here with him. We ended up eventually breaking up for other reasons, and I'm glad that I was young enough to still have this wonderful opportunity available to me. Now, I believe my year away would have most definitely be worth the time spent away from someone I love. But somehow I still manage to regret a little about not going on exchange earlier! Then I could have been a yo-yo! (an exchange student who went out on exchange twice!)
The moral of the story is, to anyone considering going on exchange, DO IT. Don't let anyone ever hold you back. Because it will be worth it :) You don't want to regret giving up an opportunity such as this when you're older. I have adults constantly telling me how lucky I am to have had this opportunity and that they wish they could do an exchange. Don't grow up to be like those people! Do an exchange :)
Monday, June 13, 2011
Visa Application Time
I finally got my guarantee forms back last week! So now I'm in the middle of my visa application process! I was excited to get my forms back at first... but then I looked at all the stuff I had to do, and I just wanted it to be done and over with! All the stuff that's still needed seemed like a very intimidating list at first, though now it doesn't look so bad. I'm glad that I already have a passport that I got last year, so that's one less thing I have to do. I still have to:
1) See my doctor again so he can sign a medical certificate that says I have no contagious diseases and stuff like that.
2) Get some passport-sized photos for my application
3) Completely fill out the application
4) Possibly get a police clearance
So once you break it down it's not so bad.
Then I have to mail it off with my original passport, 2 original copies of my guarantee forms, 2 original copies of my application (pictures included), medical certificate, police clearance (if needed), and $252 Canadian.
But the visa application was very confusing... but a little help from people who have done it before really cleared up a lot. I just need to verify a few more areas with my travel agent, then I'll be done that part.
In other news, I sent a letter to my host mom last week!! It's all in French, since I'm not sure how much (if any) English she speaks. I can't wait for her reply!!
I am so excited! I'll be there in about two months! Time sure flies. I am almost done with high school here! I graduate on June 28th and I can't wait to be finished! I wonder if high school in Belgium will be much different than it is here. I know it will be a great learning experience though. I wonder what sort of classes I'll be taking... I hope they're easy and that I'll be able to pass them all! haha. But I also don't want to spend all of my time there doing homework. I will try in school, for sure, but that school year wont really count for me. I mostly want to use it as a way to help me learn more french and make new friends. But I do sincerely hope I will be able to understand and learn things from my classes as well.
I'm very nervous and self-conscious about my french-speaking abilities... It's so hard to understand people unless they're speaking very slowly. I hope my host families will be patient with me. I'm sure I'll pick a lot up very quickly, but still.
I'm so excited for my parents too!! While I'm gone, they might be host parents for a boy from Brazil! I'm just sad that we won't have an exchange student in the home when I'm living there! They've never been host parents before, and I know this will be an amazing experience for them. I think it will help them have a more inside view on what I'll be going through while I'm away as well.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Rotary District 6400 Conference
I am at the conference for Rotary District 6400 here in Chicago! It's amazing! I'm getting to meet other exchange students from South Africa, Australia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, France, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, Thailand, Taiwan, India, and a few other countries. It's great to hear their stories, see how much they love exchange, and see their close friendships with each other. Seeing them and talking to them makes me look forward to my exchange. Being at this conference has reintroduced me to my excitement for my exchange, as lately I have been feeling nervous about it. I know that I will miss people back home in Windsor A LOT. But I know that I will make new friends and family, that it will be worth it, and that I will come back to Windsor to be with my old friends and family again.
There are truly wonderful and inspiring people from the district and all around the world here this weekend! There are so many people here who have done, are doing, and will continue to do amazing service for their communities, their countries, and the world. I'm honoured to be among them and to hear some of them speak about the wonderful work they have done. I am in absolute awe of what people can actually accomplish when they put service above self. I see the amazing things people are doing, no matter if they are big or small projects, and it fills my heart with joy.
I hope to be able to make positive difference in the world one day, even though I feel like nothing I will ever accomplish can compare to the things some of these Rotarians, and non-rotarians, have done. But I will still strive to make a difference in the world. I will start by attempting to spread understanding and peace on my youth exchange. I hope to be able to set an example through my actions and my words so I can be a role model for anyone who looks my way. I am starting my life as a future Rotarian by beginning the journey of exchange and having received the honour of becoming a Paul Harris Fellow just this morning. Thanks very much to my dad, Carlo Abati, for making that possible for me; it was a great surprise.
In fact, none of my involvement with youth exchange and Rotary would be possible without my father. He is great Rotarian who knows the meaning of involvement in the community and service above self. I am so proud to have him as my father. He has done so much for me. He pushes me to get involved and to talk to people, and I have learned a lot from many people he has pushed me to talk to, or listen to. Therefore, I have learned a lot from him. He has taught me what Rotary is all about and he lives that out each and every day. He makes me want to strive to be a better person.
I am truly looking forward to my future in Rotary as an outbound exchange student to Belgium and when I return as a rebound. I know there are so many amazing Rotarians in the world I have not yet had the honour to meet, and I look forward to the days when I will.
Service above self is what Rotary is all about, and it's a great motto to live by. Though many times it is difficult to put others before you, it only gets easier, because the outcomes are worth it. I want my future to be full of service like many of the Rotarians here this weekend. I see how fulfilling it is and I want my life to be like that.
There are truly wonderful and inspiring people from the district and all around the world here this weekend! There are so many people here who have done, are doing, and will continue to do amazing service for their communities, their countries, and the world. I'm honoured to be among them and to hear some of them speak about the wonderful work they have done. I am in absolute awe of what people can actually accomplish when they put service above self. I see the amazing things people are doing, no matter if they are big or small projects, and it fills my heart with joy.
I hope to be able to make positive difference in the world one day, even though I feel like nothing I will ever accomplish can compare to the things some of these Rotarians, and non-rotarians, have done. But I will still strive to make a difference in the world. I will start by attempting to spread understanding and peace on my youth exchange. I hope to be able to set an example through my actions and my words so I can be a role model for anyone who looks my way. I am starting my life as a future Rotarian by beginning the journey of exchange and having received the honour of becoming a Paul Harris Fellow just this morning. Thanks very much to my dad, Carlo Abati, for making that possible for me; it was a great surprise.
In fact, none of my involvement with youth exchange and Rotary would be possible without my father. He is great Rotarian who knows the meaning of involvement in the community and service above self. I am so proud to have him as my father. He has done so much for me. He pushes me to get involved and to talk to people, and I have learned a lot from many people he has pushed me to talk to, or listen to. Therefore, I have learned a lot from him. He has taught me what Rotary is all about and he lives that out each and every day. He makes me want to strive to be a better person.
I am truly looking forward to my future in Rotary as an outbound exchange student to Belgium and when I return as a rebound. I know there are so many amazing Rotarians in the world I have not yet had the honour to meet, and I look forward to the days when I will.
Service above self is what Rotary is all about, and it's a great motto to live by. Though many times it is difficult to put others before you, it only gets easier, because the outcomes are worth it. I want my future to be full of service like many of the Rotarians here this weekend. I see how fulfilling it is and I want my life to be like that.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Communication
I am so excited for my exchange... I can't believe I still have to wait 5 1/2 months! I almost wish I could just leave right now!
Some people from Belgium have found out who I am and are adding me on facebook. So far I have my first host sister, Adeline; second host sister, Anne; second host brother, Gilles; third host sister, Manon: and an exchange student who is coming to Texas from Belgium, Laura. And by talking to them online I can practice my french! I'm trying not to use a translator for very much. I hope to be significantly better before I leave. I've already learned a few things talking today alone! I've only actually had conversations with Laura, Adeline, and Anne. They are all so nice and they say that people there are excited to meet me. I don't think they have any idea how excited I am to meet all of them.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Getting Started
Hello everyone,
I just had my first orientation today. I got to meet the other outbound students from District 6400, my district, and I found out where they are all going. There are about 10 of us, but two were absent. It seems like I am the only one who actually knows anything more specific than just the country! I guess I'm just lucky that way. A few days ago, I received an e-mail from the inbound chairman for District 1620, my host district in Belgium. The district covers the West side of Belgium. My host club is supposed to be the club of Chimay-Couvin. I even found out that I will have three host families throughout the duration of my exchange and I know their names and where they live. I have looked at everything on Google Earth, including the school I will be attending. I am so excited and I am already calling it "my school" and "my town".
I just had my first orientation today. I got to meet the other outbound students from District 6400, my district, and I found out where they are all going. There are about 10 of us, but two were absent. It seems like I am the only one who actually knows anything more specific than just the country! I guess I'm just lucky that way. A few days ago, I received an e-mail from the inbound chairman for District 1620, my host district in Belgium. The district covers the West side of Belgium. My host club is supposed to be the club of Chimay-Couvin. I even found out that I will have three host families throughout the duration of my exchange and I know their names and where they live. I have looked at everything on Google Earth, including the school I will be attending. I am so excited and I am already calling it "my school" and "my town".
At the orientation today I received my navy blue blazer. This is what identifies rotary exchange students: a blazer often covered in pins. Of course, I don't have many pins yet, but I hope to have a lot by the time I return. I also got an outbound student handbook and a book called The Exchange Student Survival Kit. I'll read those over the next couple days. I'm sure they will come in handy.
Now I need to get my guarantee form back so I can get a flight and a visa... but that might not happen until April or May!
I plan on posting with any new information, and during my exchange I want to make posts as often as I can!
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