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.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
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.
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