Thursday, September 30, 2010

Les Cookies, Au Naturel (Oh And College)

I'm back in my normal house. Where the internet connection works :) After doing a lot of research on the problem, I found that it is a pretty common issue with Macs. Some routers just aren't compatible. And at first I was crushed. My Mac has betrayed me. I thought they were perfect. I guess not. But then I realized that was stupid, and it's not that big of a deal. That's life. There will always be a problem with something. Thank God it's just an internet connection and not something more crucial to life!

However, that did mean that I couldn't post on my blog last night again, and I apologize to my faithful readers (though I'm not sure if you exist... Do you exist??)

Yesterday was Wednesday, and that means a half-day of school here in Belgium. And I have decided that that is the single most ingenious idea for the school systems of America that I have ever heard of. Because I finished school at noon yesterday, I was able to a lot of things with my day. Productive things. I ate lunch with my third host family, did my daily Facebook check (with the help of an ethernet cord), sent a few emails, worked on my college apps, wrote 5 college essays, made cookies with Manon and Philippine, ate dinner with the fam, and watched MTV and House in French.

The cookies were quite an operation. I got the recipe for good old-fashioned American Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies. Apparently, it is not normal to use baking soda for cooking in Europe. Also, chocolate chips are uncommon, the vanilla extract is like a thick goo, and the butter is different. Not to mention that "packed brown sugar" is impossible when you have to use a scale to measure things out in grams. So even though they were delicious and the Belgians enjoyed them immensely, they were not quite the same as the cookies that I used to make at home, and I was slightly disappointed. But I got over quickly because they still tasted fantastic.

The other thing that I noticed: I was eating cookies here, from a box this time, and I turned the package over to look at the Nutrition Facts. Thing is, they don't put Nutrition Facts on anything here. Ironic, isn't it, that in the States we put that on things because we are supposedly concerned about our health, but we're obese and in Europe, where there are no Nutrition Facts, people are thin? Anyways, there was no Nutrition Facts. But there were ingredients and there was a set in English. And do you know what was listed as being in those cookies? Milk. Eggs. Chocolate. Flour. Sugar. Vanilla. Etc. Not hydrocarbonpolyglycerinbicarbonatjkfjdksaljfhsglajsdf. I was amazed and impressed.

In other news... College is stressing me out. So far I have picked out four that I will apply to. My top choice is NYU. I have about eight essays to write for said colleges, plus filling out the common app. PLUS because I am in Belgium and want to pursue an audition-based program, I have to make a DVD while I'm here of my dancing, singing, and and acting skills. Ugh. It's a lot of work and it is difficult for me to handle right now. BUT I did get a lot done yesterday and it makes me feel a little better.

P.S., I went down to dinner just now and Campbell's tomato soup. It was definitely the taste of home and now I am happy :)

I am now off to dance, and afterwards, I will crash. Bonne nuit!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

So Yah, A Horse Stepped On My Foot...

I didn't write yesterday. I apologize. I am not staying at my normal house these few days, because my host parents are out of town, and I am staying with my third host family until Thursday. And for some unknown reason, I cannot get my computer to connect to the WiFi here. It is quite the predicament and I have no answer...

I got here on Sunday evening, after my wonderful dinner with my host grandparents. I settled in, Skyped with my family, and went to bed. The next day was Monday. Yesterday. There was no school! It was some sort of French holiday, but to be completely honest, I couldn't tell you which one it was, because I still don't really understand what's going on around me. I just smile and nod and pretend I have all the knowledge in the world. And so far, it seems to be working pretty well!

On our day off, my future host sister, Manon, and I spent the majority of the day together, doing pretty average, every day things. We got up, got ready, ate breakfast, watched a little tv, did some homework, ate lunch, and then tried to think of something fun to do. What we ended up deciding on was to teach me how to ride a horse. So yesterday, for the first time since about sixth grade, I went horseback riding. I donned the normal spandex pants, special shoes and such, and went with Manon and my younger future host sister, Philippine, to their friend's house to ride. After getting our horse and dealing with it's behavior problems, we finally were able to saddle him up. It took a good 45 minutes to do because we had to do quite a few things to get him to stand still long enough to do anything. We had to push him this way and that, clean up after his business, even take the goat out of it's stall and move it away from the horse since the bleating was scaring him. Finally, we were ready to go. We took the horse down a couple streets to a closed in track where they could teach me the basics. Manon rode first and showed me how to do everything, and then I mounted that horse and had a great time riding for the next half hour. She taught me all kinds of things and said that I learn very fast. And I had a great time! I hope that I get to go horseback riding with her often and learn more because it was a lot of fun :)

Until we had to put the horse back in the field. We took him back to the stables to get the saddle and bridle off, and then, of course, it happened. Right as I was undoing one of the buckles on the saddle, the fat old horse stomped right on my foot. I let out a shriek of pain and backed away immediately to try and feel what had happened. Luckily, no bones were broken and the pain subsided fairly quickly. I was left with nothing but a tiny itty bitty bruise on the corner of my toenail. No harm done! So I guess I forgive the horse...

After our adventure with the horse, we returned back to the house and made a giant stack of crèpes! I'm serious. We probably made over 100 crèpes. The whole family had some and Manon and I spread some wonderful chocolate spread over some, others with sugar, and ate our weight in the lusciousness that is crèpes. Absolutely wonderful. Afterwards I spent some time on the computer and doing some studying and such. We then ate dinner (some beef stroganoff type dish, applesauce and frites) and then Manon and I headed upstairs for the night, going to bed very early around 10.

Today was an average day at school. Nothing really to report. I had my first hour with Père Boly, then Science, 2 hours of gym, Social Sciences, and English. After school, we went to the café as usual, and then Manon and I took the bus home. We watched some TV, (Drake and Josh. Mmm love Drake Bell!!!) did our homework, ate dinner (spaghetti), and then I went to dance. Now I am here, writing this blog and contemplating bed, since I am exhausted, as usual. So that is all for today. Tomorrow, I shall write about my ever-growing frustration with college apps. Bonne nuit!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

New Grandparents And Old Memories

Today, I was woken up around 8 30am by my dreams, and was pretty upset that I wasn't able to sleep more. But I got up anyways, watched a couple episodes of Frasier, and packed my bags to stay at my 3rd host family's house for the next few nights, since my host parents are out of town. However, before I headed over there, I had another adventure waiting for me.

Around 10 45, Benoit and I took off from the house, went to Damien's university to pick him up, and then headed to Waterloo to visit the parents of my host mom. Of course, this whole time, I'm under the impression that we were meeting my host parents there and we would all be together. But that was not the case. We got there and I met my host grandparents and then I realized that it would just be us five for lunch. Which at first, I was worried it would be awkward. But I soon discovered that they are wonderfully delightful people. They were very nice to me and we talked in French the whole time and had a fantastic meal together.

First, we had homemade tomato soup. Now let me just make it clear that I am incredibly used to Campbell's tomato soup, and didn't realize how much better it is homemade. It was so delicious! That was followed by steaks with garlic butter, potatoes, and green beans in a cream sauce. I don't really care for steak, but it was really very very good. Of course, it was too much food for me and I was completely stuffed before I could even finish it, and I had to leave some food on my plate :/ Which I absolutely hate doing because wasting food, I think, is disgusting. But I couldn't help it. There was no way I could eat another bite. I also had a glass of wine with lunch, which was very strong, and I didn't really like it, but I drank it anyway to be polite. Dessert was chocolate mousse, which was heavenly.

The whole time, I was constantly reminded of my own grandparents back home. Their mannerisms, the food, the house, the way they treated their grandchildren... I really missed my grandparents back home. All grandparents' houses are similar in that way. They are full of warmth and comfort and love. And good food. Always good food!

After dinner, we watched some TV, looked at some pictures and had some good conversation. It was really great and I had a fantastic time. I hope that I get to see them often!

Around 4, we left to take Damien back to the university, and Benoit and I went home for about an hour before taking me to my 3rd host family's house. I am there now, and let me just say, I can't wait to live here. Don't get me wrong, I love where I am now, but this house is a castle!! My friend, Manon, who will be my host sister, showed me my future bedroom. It is currently under construction, but it is absolutely HUGE and it looks like it will be beautiful! I am so excited to have host sisters too. I ate dinner here, we watched Moulin Rouge and now I am waiting anxiously to Skype with my parents.

Overall, I had a fantastic day, as usual :) Tomorrow, there is no school because of some holiday that I don't understand. But hopefully being in a house where nobody speaks ANY English will help me a lot with my French. We will see! Bonne nuit!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Kayaking In Belgium




Today, Saturday, I woke up at 7am. Why, do you ask? Because I had to meet up with two other exchange students, Talia and Gaby (Mexico), at 8am to go kayaking with Rotex! Rotex is an organization through Rotary that is formed by people who went on exchange in past years. They organize all kinds of fun activities for the exchange students. It's a great program!

All of the exchange students met around 9am at a train station, Houyet. There, Talia and I met up with our fantastic friend Oakley (from Oklahoma). From there, we all walked over to the river to prepare for our "descente de la Lesse". We stood around for a while, talking, paying the twelve-euro fee, eating, and checking in. Finally one of the people from Rotex stood up and gave us the instructions for what to do. And I am proud to say that the first time around, he spoke in French, and I understood every word! That is when we found out that we would be doing 20 kilometers!! The next step was to pick our partners. I went with Oakley. Each pair was then to get a bucket, which we filled with the things that we wanted to take on the kayak with us, but we didn't want to get wet. Oakley and I put our lunches in there, and I also took my camera. We sealed up our buckets, threw the rest of our things on a truck to meet us at the end, picked up our paddles and life-vests and waited to get our kayaks. While we waited, we decided to have some fun taking pictures with the ridiculous life-vests and paddles.





Finally, it was time for us to go. We got in our kayaks, two by two, and they slid us down a sort of slide that let us out into the river. Luckily, the splash was not that bad, and we were able to start right away! It didn't take long for Oakley and I to realize that we are a fantastic team of kayakers! We took off right away, and kept going full force until the lunch stop. It was absolutely gorgeous. It reminded me a lot of the campground that we used to keep our trailer at back in Ohio. The river was beautiful. There were trees all around that towered over us. The only downside was that the weather wasn't so hot... It was actually quite chilly and it threatened to rain. Although there were patches of the day where the sun would come out and it would be nice and warm with blue sky. But, just like Cleveland, it would change in the blink of an eye. Oakley ended up getting really soaked, because that's what happens when you go kayaking. Luckily for me, I had an extra rain jacket that I draped over my legs so that the water didn't soak through my jeans. Ingenious, I know. But a little ways in, we came across a group of guys, not with Rotary, that decided it would be a lot of fun to block our kayak and splash us with the paddles. Needless to say, we were not amused. I was lucky and didn't get too much water, but Oakley kept getting hit my water. Eventually, we were able to pass through them and get ahead.


By the it was time to stop for lunch. We ended up in front of everyone and were the first ones to get to the bank. We ate lunch at a campground with a nice little restaurant where we all ate our packed lunches and many of us bought fries, myself included. Since we were the first to arrive, we were the first to order fries, which meant that we got the freshest ones. Slowly, more and more people began to show up, and the weather got worse and worse. Unlike myself, everyone was soaked. I was luckily very dry (except my butt... But that's cause I ended up sitting in water from the beginning), but there were a bunch of people that showed up all wet. Some of them even capsized. Then it started to rain. Lovely right? So we had to take off for the second half in the rain. When it started off, it wasn't too bad; just a drizzle.

Oakley and I took off again, making good time and having a blast talking and enjoying the relaxing water. We passed a castle at one point, took some pictures, and marveled at our amazing skills at steering around obstacles and keeping such a great pace. At one point, it start to downpour, at which time I got very wet and was praising God for the waterproof coat that my host mom had provided for me. We took shelter under a tree for a few minutes until it let up a bit and continued on our merry way. We talked to other exchange students, went over some rapids and were having a great time, especially once the sun came back out.


And then, the waterfall.

I'm not exaggerating. We had to go down a waterfall. Up until this point, I was still almost completely dry. And I was happy! And then we went down the waterfall. And the splash at the end got me. A huge tsunami (ok that is an exaggeration) of water came at me and all of the sudden, my whole bottom half was soaked. We stopped for a minute on a bank right after the fall and I yelled. I was not happy. But we got back in the kayak and muscled on through. After a while, it wasn't so bad. But there was water in the kayak which was throwing off the balance and things started to get a little rough.

And then, the second waterfall.

This one was worse. So much worse. This time, I really did have a tsunami come at me. And anything on me that was dry before, was no longer dry. I was soaked through now. And it was awful. There was so much water in the kayak that we had to stop to dump it out. By this point, we were ready to be done. But we didn't know how much we had done, let alone how much was left. So we just kept going, still keeping a pretty good pace and staying at the front of the pack. After some more paddling and a little bit of whining, we finally ended up at the finish. We got out of the kayak, praised the ground, and then searched through all the bags on the truck for our changes of clothes. We then changed into dry clothes, grabbed the Rotary-provided snack (waffles of course), and headed into a café for some needed rest and warmth.



After about 2 hours of chilling, talking, meeting people and eating waffles, Talia, Gaby and I left with one of the Rotex guys who drove us to Huy to meet Talia's host mom, who then took us home. During the car ride, we listened to American pop music, talked about the Rotex guy's exchange, got lost a few times, and had quite a bit of fun! At one point, we stopped on the side of the road and from what we understood, it was because we were apparently meeting Talia's host mom there, and he was just going to leave us on the side of the highway... But it turns out that we had to drive a bit farther and then stop on the side of the road again to meet her. Which we did. We then went back home and I was dropped off first. Right away I went inside and took a nice long shower. I have never been so grateful for a hot shower in my life. I then ate dinner, which was wonderful and hot. Soup with vegetables and noodles and meatballs, lasagna, cucumber-tomato salad, and bread and cheese. Delicious. And now, I am beyond exhausted, but I am happy with my day. I got a great workout, had fun with my friends, and just had an all around good day.

So it is time for sleep. Goodnight!

Friday, September 24, 2010

September 24 in Belgium

It's Friday. Thank God. This week lasted forever. I had a few tests this week, I had homework this week... It hit me that I'm back in high school. Wasn't I supposed to be done with this in June??

Today was school picture day. Which meant that we missed a bunch of class to go outside and goof around on benches and chairs and take really fun pictures with our class. The only downside to this? It was quite chilly today and it has been raining here so it was muddy and the benches sunk into the ground and I definitely almost fell off a couple times! But it was nice getting out of class :)

Todays schedule consisted of the usual hour with Père Boly, three hours of French, an hour of Geography, an hour of English, and an hour of Science. In those three hours of French, we watched a movie. In French. That I didn't understand. But I enjoyed it nonetheless. With Père Boly we took pictures and ate chocolate. In Geography, we took pictures, and in Science we took a test. But because I am hopeless with the French language, I didn't take said test. Instead, I read an article, in French, about Chernobyl. Lovely. In English, we went to our special room to read our books. Except we didn't end up reading. Somehow, we got into a very intense discussion about our lives. And it was difficult for us. Let's just say it left Talia a little less than calm.

Because I am a good person and a fabulous friend, I decided that I was going to do something very nice for her. So after school, before heading to the bar as usual on Fridays, I stopped at Point Chaud and bought my friend a waffle. And I walked into the bar and ran up to her and gave her the waffle and huge hug, along with the reassurance that I will always be here for her :)

At five o'clock, my host mom picked me up and took me home. And I have been here ever since. Watching Ratatouille, Facebooking, and talking to people. Great for a Friday night, eh? I have to say, that is a big frustration for me. There were definitely things that I could be doing tonight. And what is keeping me from doing them? My lack of transportation. Oh how I wish I could just take my keys, get in my car, and drive wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I miss that. *sigh*

FOOD FOR TODAY!
My dinner was: Chicken in a curry sauce over rice with salad in a mustard dressing. Delicious. Not too spicy and full of flavor. Chicken melted in my mouth and the dressing was a perfect compliment. Not to mention it smelled incredible. No dessert today because when I got home from school, Karine gave me an eclair covered in chocolate from that wonderful bakery. And I ate the whole thing. I even ditched the fork and knife. It was so good.

That is all for today. Average, boring. Tomorrow, kayaking with Rotary! Expect pictures :) Bonne nuit.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Flowers For My Loved Ones

I wanted to go out and find you a daisy.

Because daisies are innocent, like you.

But I could not find a daisy for you.

So I tried to find a rose.

Because roses are beautiful, like you.

But I could not find a rose.

So I tried to find a lily for you.

Because lilies are colorful, like you.

But I could not find a lily.

So I tried to find lavender for you.

Because lavender is sweet, like you.

But I could not find any lavender.

So I gave up and dropped down in the grass and buried my head in my hands.

Because all these things in the world were true, but none seemed to be just right for you.

And I looked up and looked around and all of the sudden I found that I'd been sitting in a field of clover all along.

And when I looked closer, to my surprise I found, that every single one had four leaves, and my heart was filled with joy.

Because clover is innocent, like you.

And clover is beautiful, like you.

And clover is colorful, like you.

And clover is sweet, like you.

And all this time I had been too distracted to see what was right in front of my eyes. That more than anything, I am lucky to have you in my life.

So I picked some clover and brought it to you, and told you this story. And you laughed and your eyes were happy and bright as you told me that you are lucky too. And you put that clover in a cup of water and sat it down in the kitchen window. And even after it wilted, we know that it lives forever.

Because we are lucky to have each other.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

There's Nothing Better Than Chocolate

I really don't have anything exciting to say today... I'm just beyond exhausted so I can't even come up with something creative to write about ha.

Today was Wednesday. In Belgium, that means half-day. I had my first hour with Père Boly, as usual, second hour was étude, followed by Math and then Geography. And that was the end of my school day! I proceeded to go to lunch with Talia and a bunch of people from school, except that the restaurant that we were going to go to, Mister Potate, was closed. Which is odd, considering everything is open Wednesday afternoons. Nobody understood it. It's supposedly the best restaurant in Hannut, so we were pretty upset. But we went to Point Chaud instead, which is kind of a sandwich joint. (ha... joint... I'm immature) I got a ham and cheese sandwich. But I should have gotten the panini with brie cheese... Stupid me. Note to self: Order the panini next time!! Oh and can I just say, good bread makes everything better!

Afterwards, Talia and I and a few of the guys went over to the bar as usual and chatted for a while. Another random note: I hate when people smoke. Just hate it. It disgusts me. It's so common here. Everyone smokes and it's no big deal. Almost everyone that I have met smokes. But I don't. I can't even stand the thought of it. And getting a face-full of smoke all the time is not fun. I'm going to have lung cancer by the end of the year, purely from second-hand smoke!

Anyways, once we were finished up at the bar, Talia and I and our friend Quentin jetted over to a local bakery to pick up some chocolatey goodness, since Talia and I were on some weird chocolate rush all day. We got a delicious cake that was covered in chocolate and topped with chocolate cream. We shared that as we walked to the bus stop to catch the bus to go to Talia's house. Once we got there, Quentin waited with us for a little while, but the bus didn't seem to be coming. After he left, Talia and I sat and had some girl-talk time, but it got the point where we decided the bus wasn't coming and decided to head over to the other stop to catch the 2:55. We had some extra time so we went across the street really quick to the grocery store and bought a chocolate bar and a package of chocolate-covered waffles. We shared half the chocolate bar, but don't worry. I stashed the waffles for another day :)

Once we got to Talia's, we decided to go for a walk, since it was absolutely gorgeous out today. The sun was brilliant and it was nice and warm. I was wearing jeans and a long-sleeve shirt though, and it was kinda toasty... But a good walk nonetheless. We ate the other half of the chocolate bar on the walk too. At 5:30, Karine came to get me and I went home where I proceeded to Skype with my sister and talk to Ryan and even get a little sleep in before dinner. Dinner tonight was pork chops (which I don't typically care for, but these were good, of course!) and cauliflower with a delicious cheese-sauce that was to die for. Of course, cheese sauce makes everything ridiculously tasty. And cherry yogurt for dessert.

My language skills have been increasing dramatically this week! I think it is, honestly, because I have just been speaking more this week! I have been talking more to my friends and family, especially Karine. I tell her about what is going on back home, what is happening with my family, etc. I have had lunch with Mathilde twice this week, and we spoke in French the entire hour. I speak French with Quentin and Talia and Talia's host family also. I find it easier to speak, especially when I have something to say! I feel that my accent is pretty good too. The only frustration I have is that I feel like French is not as expressive of a language as English. It's extremely difficult to explain why I think that. The bottom line is that there are not as many words. Literally. In English, we have many words to describe the same thing, but they all have a slightly different meaning. Here, there is one or two words for everything. And there are no equivalents to many of the phrases that I use in the States, such as "cool beans". I find that frustrating because I am a very expressive person with my words in English and I use many different phrases and have a pretty extensive vocabulary. Oh well, I'm sure I'll figure something out!

So overall, it was a very average day. Nothing too exciting, so I'm not sure why I wrote so much, but I hope you enjoyed the play-by-play of my day :) À demain!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

An Average Day, Some Extraordinary Words

Today was an average day. I went to school, I went to the post office, I came home, I went to dance, and now I'm here.

You know, I never used to write like this. I was always a creative writer, but my words never flowed like they do here. And realized it's all because of one word:

Appreciate.

Talia has been living by this word the entire time she has been here. And the other day, I understood why. Now I don't know if our reasons are the same, but here is what I have determined. For some unknown reason, since I have gotten here, I have a new appreciation for the little things in life. Have you ever taken the time to just stop, and look at the world around you? There is life everywhere. We live in a society in the States of hussle and bussle. And I can't say that I don't like that way of life. I do. But it's different here. Here, when I go for a run, I feel the wind in my face. I hear leaves rustling. There are no cars whooshing by or sirens blaring or cell phones ringing. On my run Sunday, I stopped where there was an opening in the trees and looked out over one of the fields. I was listening to music and just standing, watching. And I noticed so many things that I knew were there, but never paid any attention to. Like a spider crawling over plants or leaves brushing each other as small animals crawl through them. It's amazing how much life is around us and we never pay any attention to it. And I have a whole new level of appreciation for such things.

It's because of this appreciation that I find the words to write the way I do here. I wrote in the States, but I never shared it with anyone, because it was all so pointless. They were feelings, yes, but they had no meaning. It was all writing just to write. Here, I write because I have words swelling in my heart and when I look out my window and see the blue sky and clear, calm countryside, or the heavy rain, or the soft drizzle, or the cows or whatever may be out there, there are words to describe what I feel.

So yes, today was an average day. But I have an appreciation for my average day, because there were little things in it that made it extraordinary. I went to a dance class and released all of my negative energy. I got through yet another test. In French. I had multiple conversations in French with both my host mom and one of my friends from school. I ate amazing food. I'm in Belgium.

Monday, September 20, 2010

So Much Time, So Little To Do...

Today was a really boring day at school. Because basically, I had the normal French class first hour, but then second and third I had étude (study hall) because my teacher for both Social Science and French was gone for the day. She had to take her son to the doctor because he is sick :( Apparently there is something going on with his mouth... I wasn't entirely sure because I couldn't really understand her but the rest of the class made faces which led me to believe that whatever it is, it's quite painful. So I feel sorry for the little guy and I really hope he's better soon.

But anyhow, I had two hours of study. I which I didn't do much of anything. I worked a bit on my final project, the TFA. It's basically this huge paper on our topic of choice. And when I say huge, I mean huge. We're talking 30-50 pages here. In book form. With tables of contents and chapters and footnotes. Really intense stuff. The topic that I chose is: The Evolution of the Arts through the 20th century and entering the 21st century. Good stuff right? It'll be in 3 parts: Performing Arts (theatre and dance), Visual Arts (film and photography), and Music. I made a very basic outline for the project today and intend on starting it soon, considering it will be a boatload of hard work, especially considering it will be in French.

After my two hours of study, I had math, in which I got my first math test back. 23/45. As far as I'm concerned, that is not bad considering I didn't understand half of what the test was asking of me since it was in French. So I'm happy with that score, especially because there were other students who speak French that did worse. So go me!

After math was lunch, where I met up with a girl from my jazz dance class, Mathilde, and we found an empty room and ate our sandwiches and then she taught me the first of a three part dance that I have to learn for a performance on November 20th. It was really great because I spoke a bunch of French and found that I'm starting to be able to speak without having to strain my brain. We had great conversation and I only had to ask her to repeat a couple times and as far as I know, she understood just about everything I said too! Plus the dance is easy and fun and I'm picking up on it quickly.

After lunch was double English. And the nice thing about English is that since the professor is having the Americans read books, she doesn't need us to be in class, so we are able to go to another empty room to read. So Talia and Mikayla and I spent the last two hours of our day talking and reading and doing homework. Which was relaxing. Today was a very easy day at school. And after, we went to a local restaurant and got some croissants, mine with raspberry and theirs with chocolate. After enjoying the wonderfulness that is Belgian food, we hung out at the café for a while, as is typical, and I was hit on my a 60-year old man. He was definitely drunk, but my friends were with me and they were talking to him in French and laughing so I know he was harmless. He kept saying that I was too young for him. Yes, this I know.

Now I'm home, and I think I'm going to make it an early night, considering I wanted to chuck my iPod at a wall this morning when the alarm went off. Bonne nuit!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

La Fête de Wallonie







Ok so as everyone knows, it is time for me to talk about the epic weekend that I had in Namur, at the annual Fête de Wallonie. Basically what it is, is a giant party that takes place in the streets of Namur. Almost like a street fair. There are tents and stages set up all over the place and bands play in some and in others there are big speakers set up blasting music (American, of course). And Namur is great because there are little squares and open spaces everywhere between the old shops and buildings. There were little stands set up everywhere, lining all the cobblestone streets, selling beer and fries and fair food and even some with jewelry and clothing. But mostly drinks. The most popular, other than beer and krique (cherry beer), is "pecket". Which, from what I understand, is like the equivalent to flavored gin shots. Talia says they taste like cough medicine. There are a bunch of different flavors in a bunch of different colors. There is about a 35-40% alcohol content in pecket. And that, along with many many other kinds of alcohol, was being sold on the streets! Because, hey, I'm in Belgium!

The first night, Friday, I went with Talia and her host sister and a bunch of people from school. And I would like to say that I had a fantastic time, but I would be lying. It wasn't very much fun for me, but it started out bad from the beginning. We spent a lot of time chasing after the Belgians as they weaved through the crowds and very quickly ran through the streets. I wasn't even paying attention to where we were going because I was so focused on not getting lost. There was also another problem. See, I am deathly afraid of puke, puking, and anything that has to do with it. I'm serious. It's a phobia. And one of the first things that we saw when we got there was a man lying in between two of the stands, in his own vomit. I was beyond disgusted and felt sick for the next half hour. I just cannot handle that. And then one of the people we were with got sick after chugging a beer. And he was sitting next to me. Let's just saying I about died. I jumped up and even though there was a table behind us and I couldn't get out, I literally jumped over the table to get away from him. So it was just not good to begin with. The other problem is that I really don't drink. If you've been keeping up with the blog, you know that I have never had anything alcoholic to drink before I got here, and even when I did try the beer at the Rotary gathering, I didn't like it much. Soooo therefore I wasn't really having as much fun as everyone else. We didn't spend a lot of time listening to the bands either, and when we did go to one of the places with music, it was lame and freezing. And another thing... Guys were just peeing in public. They would just go up to the corner of a building and do their business. Which was disgusting. So I didn't enjoy that aspect of it either. Basically, I just was not having a good time. And then I started to get homesick and actually started crying like a little baby because everything was just bad. Then everyone started hugging me and telling me they loved me and it was a little better then. I just missed hugs so much and when I was constantly being hugged, things were ok. And then Talia and I went on a quest for another piece of pizza and things were good. We moved to another tent, with good music and dancing and such. That's when the Belgians broke out in the "rock" dance. Which is this super awesome swing-type dance that they do and I so very much want to learn! It looks like so much fun! At 1 30, we met Talia's host brother in front of the train station to take us home. I stayed at Talia's that night, along with another friend of Geraldine's (host sister). We made Mac&Cheese at 3am and ate half with the cheese sauce and half with ketchup and cheese. Which was quite interesting... Talk about Belgian delicacies :P

The next morning I woke up at 10 30am and decided that I should go to dance class. So my host mom picked me up at 11 and I went to my class. Afterwards, we picked up Talia and went back to my house to chill for the afternoon. We had lunch (pumpkin soup, rice, stuffed tomatoes, vegetable sauce, with apple cake for dessert), took a nap, and got ourselves ready to go for night two. Around 6pm, Benoit drove us to Namur since he was going anyways. While it was still light out, we took advantage of that and walked around Namur and tried to figure out where everything was and where the things were that we went to last night. We found the Pizza Hut pretty easily, where Talia got a piece of pizza. Then we went on the big adventure to find the tent with the good music. Which took us about an hour as we wound through the complicated streets of Namur. At the same time we were in hot pursuit of a sandwich for me, which was surprisingly difficult to find. After finally stumbling upon the tent, we went out and kept looking for a sandwich. Which we did eventually find and it was delicious. I was very happy. Then we spent the rest of the night chilling, talking to random Belgian people and eating Churros. Eventually we met up with Mikayla and her host brother and had a dandy time :) Until a drunk guy fell on me and I freaked out and ran away. But still, Saturday night was sooo much better than Friday. I had a lot of fun! The music was better, also. At midnight, we met my host mom in front of the train station and Talia and I went back to my house for the night. We slept until about 11am this morning, and then got ready and went down to eat lunch with my family. And guess what we had? A blast from the past, (well the beginning of my exchange anyways...) stuffed zucchini and zucchini flower!! And pumpkin soup, which I really like. And beans. With some really delicious crème brulée type cake for dessert. We then took Talia home, picked up Damien from a friend's house, and then I worked out. After a nice hot shower, I took a little nap and then went down for dinner. Zucchini soup, salad, and fancy cheese with bread and ham. I then watched "The Proposal", Skyped with my parents, and now I am about to get ready to hit the sack. It was a pretty good weekend overall :) Now another crazy week at school. Are you ready? Cause I am!

The Little Things...

The weirdest little things remind me of home. Like just now I glanced at the clock and it said 12:08. Instantly I thought, 5th period is over. Time to see my boyfriend. And this is not a sad thought, and doesn't upset me, I just think it's interesting how such little details of my life here can send me into a whirlwind of reminiscing and memories. But again, not in a bad way. Because like I have said before, my life here is separate from my life in the States. Everything from home is distant. Some things, like the time on the clock, bring me close for a while, but then it's over and I'm back, enjoying my life en Belgique. Which is why I can now talk to my friends and family without being sucked into depression. Which I enjoy :) So now, I think fondly of home, and live happily here.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

One Month - I'm Grateful For... Everything


Ok so this weekend was "La Fête de Wallonie". And I have lots to say about that and pictures to post as well, but it's is 1:17am and after two nights of the craziness of Namur, I am way too exhausted to talk about that right now.

But today I noticed that Maxabella posted a linky on her blog for the things that we are most grateful for. And I decided to participate in this one because this week was rough, and I would not have gotten through it without all the things in my life that I am so blessed to have.

This week, I am grateful for people. People make you feel better when you are sad. People help you when you are lost. People explain to you how to buy fries in the French-speaking cafeteria at school. People encourage you when you're having a rough day. People are the best! And when I say "people" I am specifically referring to my friends and family. They are getting me through this experience without a doubt. I have been here for one month, and it would have been disastrous without all the people that have pulled me through it. But even more so, I am grateful for all the people that made this possible for me. My family, for their support and encouragement in my decision to go abroad. My friends, for being there for me and cheering me on as this experience drew nearer and nearer. Rotary, for sponsoring me and allowing me to have this fantastic opportunity. My host family, for being completely wonderful and welcoming. Madame Beck, for introducing me to this amazing program, and helping me through the entire process, as well as encouraging me and being basically the best French teacher ever :) I would be completely lost without all the things I learned from her, both in the French language, and in life. And I'm being completely sincere. Thank you to all.

I am also thankful for another amazing happening this week. Friday, at 1pm, my baby cousin, Charlie, was born. You all remember my aunt and uncle's wedding anniversary, and how I said the baby was due any day? Well he's here! And we welcome little Charlie John into the world with open arms :) I only wish that I could have been there with my family to celebrate this joyous occasion. Now I'm just waiting for pictures and I couldn't be more excited!

I am also thankful for a few other, materialistic, things. Skype. AIM. Cell phones. Facebook. Email. Basically technology in general, specifically the technology that allows me to keep in touch with the people that I love back home. Letters also. I love hand-written letters. There is just something so thoughtful and heart-warming about receiving a letter :) I am grateful for Mac & Cheese, peanut butter, and pizza. I am grateful for hugs. I am grateful for memories.

I am grateful for life, basically.

Tomorrow, I post about la fête. Promise. Bonne nuit :)

Thursday, September 16, 2010

I'm Running Out Of Creative Titles...






Last night, I did not post. And that is because I was absolutely exhausted and I had stayed up late the last couple nights on Skype and I definitely couldn't let myself get roped into the internet. So I made myself go to bed around 11pm. Still not early enough... Tonight, after my dance class I intend to get right into bed. That means sleeping by 10! Maybe...

Yesterday was a very very good day though :) Yesterday was shopping spree day! Yesterday was Wednesday. That means two real classes and out of school by noon. Talia and I caught the bus right after we got out and went back to her house where we ate lunch with her whole family. It's incredible how good oven pizza is here. After lunch and getting a lovely hand-drawn map from Talia's host sister, Madame De Wulf drove us to the train station in Huy to catch a train to Namur for some serious shopping. On the way to the station, we got a text from another exchange student from Mexico, Eduardo, and he ended up meeting us at the train station and coming with us! I'm glad he enjoys shopping, because I told him that if he slowed us down, I would kick him out. But he's good company!

We arrived in Namur around 2 40 and spent about 10 minutes trying to figure out how to get out of the train station. It's huge! But the architecture is great. By 3pm we were in the city, deciding which shop to go to first. It ended up being Zara, which is like an H&M but a little more high class without being too expensive. Very popular in Belgium. Over the course of the next three hours, we went to quite a few stores and I spent-- well, it's kind of shocking... Are you sure you want to know? Ok fine I'll tell you. I ended up spending about 230 euros yesterday... But I got a lot for my money! Ready? I'm about to give you all the breakdown of where these 230 euros went:

Zara--
*3 cardigans, 12.95 each. One brown (I've been looking for that forever!), one gray, and one royal blue.
*1 skirt, 6.99. Adorable! Turquoise with little flowers on it.

Pimkie--
*2 scarves, one 8.95, one 7.95. The first is gray with silver running through it and the second is plain black, but super soft. Lovely.
*1 long silver pendant necklace, 5.95. It's the type with a bunch of pretty shiny dangly things all bunched together at the end of a chain. Very pretty.
*1 short silver pendant necklace, 5.95. This is the same type of bunchy necklace, but with less things and a little bow halfway down the chain.
*1 pair of earrings, 3.95. Silver dangle earrings with a silver bow and an embossed pearl at the end.

H&M--
*1 scarf, 9.95. Yes, I know I went a little accessory crazy... But this one I could not pass up. Cream colored with pink and red roses on it. It also has green in it because of the leaves of the flowers.
*1 pair of black thigh-high tights, 6.95. It's a basic essential!
*1 pair of black leggings, 7.95. I owed Talia money, so these were hers.
*1 sweater, 19.95. Cream with navy stripes. Very warm and comfy. Exactly what I need in the chilly Belgian weather.
*1 pair of capri yoga pants, 14.95. I didn't bring any sweatpants with me! And I can't keep wearing shorts in gym class; it's just too cold. They are basic black with a foldover waistband.

Camaieu--
*3 pairs of skinny jeans, 19.95 each. I know, three pairs seems like a lot. But I NEVER find skinny jeans, so I took advantage of the fact that these actually looked good on me. Besides, it's necessary for wearing boots. One pair of dark wash, medium wash, and black wash.
*1 pair of earrings, 5.95. Gold dangle earrings. Circle pendants with a wood finish back and a pretty gold overlay. They were necessary!

éram--
*1 purse, 19.90. Gray with fantastic pockets, cute lining and a really cute embellishment in the corner. I really did need another. I brought one bag with me!


There it is. The breakdown of everything from yesterday. And then today, I spent another 65 on a pair of black boots... I know I know I'm a shopaholic! But I promise, this is it for a very very long time! Cross my heart.

After shopping, getting Eduardo on a train home, and having a heart attack when I calculated how much I had spent, my host family met up with Talia and I and took us to dinner at this very classy Lebanese restaurant. I was so excited because I absolutely adore Lebanese food, since I am Lebanese. And I will be completely honest, it was, hands down, the best Lebanese food that I have ever had at a restaurant. I have never had spinach pies that tasted so much like the ones that my grandma used to make. Fantastic hummus and tabouleh, along with many other traditional Lebanese dishes. There was good company, good conversation and good food. Not to mention a great atmosphere! And this was all after a great day of shopping! What more could a girl ask for? So I'm sure you now understand why I basically passed out when I got home.







And then today happened. I don't know why, but I was just in a really pissy (for lack of a better word) mood all day. There was no reason for it though... I had my first test of my exchange today. In math. It wasn't a complete disaster, but I definitely had a hard time with it. And my brain ached after. But then I went and bought those boots and I was extremely happy because it takes me forever to find boots I like. I'm so picky. Then I hung out at the bar with my friends, went home, did some ab workouts, took some artistic pictures of my jewelry (cause I'm a dork) and I have dance in a couple hours and I'm happy.

This weekend is a giant party in Namur called the Fête Wallonie. I think that's how it's spelled... Anyway, it's a huge blowout and there will be food and music and crazy people and it's all in the streets of Namur. I'm going with some friends and we're leaving right after school tomorrow and spending the night there. I am so excited! But this also means that I probably won't be writing tomorrow. However! If this party is as epic as everyone is making it out to be, I will have an epic post up on Saturday or Sunday, so check back for sure!

And now this post is getting long and I still have to add pictures... Blogger won't let me right now... Although perhaps by now, you have already seen the pictures that are not yet added... But that is irrelevant. Until this weekend!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

School, Friends, and Boobs

Today was a pretty average day at school. But you know, it's the little things that make every day extra special. Today was great because I understood just about everything that was going on! I made plans for the weekend, had a good workout in gym, ate lunch with my friends, took notes in class, sent a package home, ate some traditional Belgian food and had a fantastic dance class. All very seemingly mundane, every-day activities. But just everything made today pretty great.

I had two hours of gym class today. You know, in the States, gym was right up there with math for classes that I detest. Actually, it was higher than math. It was ultimately the worst class in the world for me. I always hated gym because I was just bad at everything. Basketball, baseball, running, volleyball especially. Which is why, my senior year, I avoided the required class at school by taking Pilates and Water Aerobics at the local college instead :P But here, I really enjoy gym class. Because it's not a bs class where your success relies fully on your ability to smack a ball over a net. Here, physical education really is just that. The focus lies on the concept of being healthy and in good shape. They are not afraid, here, to tell us that we cannot sit on our bums all day. That it is necessary to exercise and be fit. They are not afraid to tell us that it is unhealthy to be fat.

Isn't that ironic? In the States, we put the most stress on having "the perfect shape" and "the perfect body", but yet we have the highest obesity rate in the world, and on top of that, nobody is allowed to tell students that for fear of being sued out of their minds. And then here, in Belgium, people care about health and the majority of people are in shape. What a concept!

So anyways, I haven't worked out in about a week and a half because of the rain. There has been quite a bit of it lately and every time I want to go out and run, it's raining. So it's been a while. And for those two hours of gym, we were running and doing some abdominal work and such, and I hate to admit it, but I was feeling pretty weak. But I just kept remembering something that one of my best friends told me: You have to work past your mental boundaries, and once you break that boundary, you'll be amazed at what you can do. I have been keeping that quote tucked away in the back of my mind every since I heard it, and it's wonderful. It kept me going all through the class, and at the end, I felt great because I knew that I had worked hard and gotten some good work in. And not even for the physical hardships. But for the mental too. It's a great thing to think about when I feel overwhelmed and upset. Because sometimes when I take a step back and look at what I'm doing, I am amazed. But we won't get into that right now!

Another little thing that made today great: My good friend, Mathieu, was talking to Talia and I today at break. And we were talking about stores in Hannut, and the lack of them. And he was saying how his aunt owns a store there and it's one of the only good ones and we should go check it out. And he likes to speak in English to us, so a lot of times when he doesn't know the words, he describes things in roundabout ways for us to understand. And he couldn't figure out how to tell us what kind of store it is, so he says, "With those things that you put your boobs in!" Meaning bras. It was the most hysterical thing that I have heard a Belgian person say yet. Talia and I laughed our butts off as soon as those words spilled out of his mouth. See, it's the little things that make me happy :)

Food for today: It's been a while since I have described my meals in depth... But I guess that is because I haven't eaten anything extremely interesting lately and there has been no theme, such as zucchini to laugh about. But today, I had a traditional Belgian dish that apparently comes from Liège. I'm not sure if it has a name but here's what it is: Green beans with potatoes and a sort of bacon, topped with a creamy sauce. Now that may not seem like anything out of the ordinary, but the sauce has a very distinct flavor... It is more like a gravy, made from the leftovers after the bacon-type meat is cooked. It's very good, but I did not care for the bacon. There was just so much fat on it and I despise chewing on fatty meat. But I sucked it up and ate it, and tried to get past the texture and enjoy the flavors because it was actually very tasty. But when my host family asked if I liked it, I did tell them that I didn't like the meat very much. They were not at all offended, yay! :)

Other little things that made me happy: Sending a package home with all different things for my family. Buying new face wash and body wash and mascara. (I swear, shopping for nice things to pamper myself with has become one of my new favorite past times) Going to my dance class. Talking with my friends. Eating lunch with the Belgians. Making plans for the weekend. Just having fun!

However, right now, I'm feeling a bit sick in the tummy region, but I think it is because I am dehydrated. So I am going to go seek out some water and hit the sack! Bonne nuit!

Monday, September 13, 2010

Just To Clear The Air...

I just want everyone out there to know that I am happy here. I do love what I'm doing and think it's a great experience. I realize that I have had a few posts lately that uncharacteristically thoughtful and may have come across as depressive. Which I don't understand, because I did not write them with that intent. In fact, I thought that they were more revelations of how I made the right decision and how lucky I am to be doing this... But apparently I sound very upset in my blog and people are worried about me and think I'm unhappy. That is not the case at all. Of course, I have down days, but duh! I mean I'm thousands of miles away from home! Of course I'll be sad sometimes! But for the majority of the time I'm smiling and laughing and happy! I guess I should go back to writing about food...

Regardless, I am fine. I am better than fine. I'm having a great time. I'm learning the language, meeting people, making friends, becoming comfortable in my house. I'm going to school, dancing, socializing, etc. And truly, things get better every day. And if I do write a sad post, nobody has any need to get anxious for me. This blog is therapeutic for me. So yes, there will be a sad post every now and then. But like I said, I am, for the most part, happy. No worries until I'm hospitalized ;)

But I don't plan on that happening any time soon.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

A Day of Celebration



Today is a special day on the blog of The Belgium Blogger. Friday was my parents' 22nd wedding anniversary, and today is my aunt and uncle's first wedding anniversary. As you all can probably tell, I have been very contemplative lately. And having these two anniversaries these last couple days, I've been thinking about love and marriage and beginnings.

My parents have always told stories about the journey that their love took when they were young and dating, and how it has only grown over the years. Of course, I wish the same for myself in the future. My parents are so in love, it's wonderful to see every day. I am so grateful that I got to have that kind of loving influence throughout my entire life. I've often said that I'm spoiled, because I saw that kind of relationship and now I will never settle for anything less in my own life. Since when is being spoiled a good thing? I guess in this case, though, it definitely is!

It was one year ago today that my uncle married his long-time "other half". And I can't believe that it has been a year already... Again, it is so wonderful to see the happiness between them. I am so blessed to have so much positive love in my family. My aunt is now pregnant, about to have her baby any day! A little boy, named Charlie. We are all eagerly anticipating his arrival! And the best part is that this is only the beginning for them. One year is nothing in the grand scheme of things. And I know that they will have many happy years together :)

So today is a day of happiness. It started off extremely rough for me, but knowing that my life is filled with love has gotten me through :) And I love them too.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Beastin' Up The Blog

This the third post I have for the day... And it's the last, I promise. This is my average, this-is-what-I-did-today post.

Last night, I spent the night at Talia's. This seems to be becoming a regular occurrence. One that I thoroughly enjoy! We watched "Julie & Julia". Which means that I have now seen that movie three times since I've gotten here. And I don't mind one bit. I love that movie! But of course, what is a sleepover without girl talk? We paused the movie multiple times to talk about the States and what we miss about home. Not even so much homesickness conversation, just the little things that we miss. This is what we came up with:

-Mac and Cheese
-Peanut Butter
-Driving (this is a big one)
-College-ruled paper
-Black pens
-Texting
-Cake
-Breakfast with eggs and pancakes
-Artificial, fattening food (ironic, huh?)
-French toast (you'd think they'd have it here, right?)
-Warmth or cold... Not in between
-Being barefoot
-Spending every spare moment with people

There were more, but this is what I remember right now.

Anyways, I left Talia's around 11 for dance. And I have to say, I am beyond grateful that I get to dance here. It is one of the most stress-relieving, freeing things I do. Not even that, but it's so different here for me... The dancing is not different, it's basically the same thing. But the fact that I have no idea what anyone's saying (other than the steps, cause they were in French in the States too) and I don't know what people think about my dancing makes me dance that much better. I'm not worrying about impressing anyone or out dancing anyone or standing out or anything like that. I'm just worrying about doing something that I love. And when that's what is on my mind, I do so much better. If I do say so myself, I danced beautifully today. I felt like I was floating, all through class. One thing I did understand today, was after our leaps, the teacher said that mine were beautiful. She said that I flew through the air. And that just made me feel so good inside. After so much soul-searching this week, that compliment was the perfect little me-boost :)

After class, I went home and ate lunch with the family. Because it was Saturday, it was a big, nice lunch. And I tried a couple different kinds of cheeses... One that actually had ashes in it. I'm not entirely sure why, I couldn't understand everything my host dad was telling me... But regardless it was tasty. Of course that could be because I just really like cheese...

After lunch, I went with my host parents and Damien to a little castle. Just because we could. It was beautiful. They were doing all kinds of restoration on it and every room was gorgeous. My favorite part, though, was the toilet. Because it looked like a throne. Literally! It was upholstered and everything. Very regal, with a nice pile of toilet paper rolls next to it. The grounds were gorgeous too. And they had a machine that cut the lawn by itself! It was like a Roomba for the grass! I thought it was pretty cool. There was also a private church on the grounds and we went to see that too. It was little, but it was breathtaking. I make it a habit not to take pictures in churches, but with this one I just could not resist. So beautiful.




We then went back home and I went for my bike ride, which is all written about in the previous post. Then I came home, ate dinner (pasta with chicken and zucchini, salad with some sort of flower petals in it, bread and cheese... yummm) and that was the end of my night. I went up to my room and continued to write three blog posts :)

Church in the morning. I will understand none of it. Goodnight!

My Bike Ride Through Belgium

Today, since I was feeling a little nostalgic about home, I decided that it would be a good idea to just get away from everyone for a while. So I took the opportunity to bike the 14 kilometers Hannut, and take pictures along the way for all of you out there to enjoy.
I see this shack all the time because it is at the end of my run. I think it is interesting because I have no idea who it belongs to. It is not in a yard. It is just in the middle of the grass, with broken windows and no door.
I don't really know what it is about it... I liked this view.
Is this creepy? I don't really care. I think it's really sweet that everyone hangs their clothes out to dry :)
Cows. Everywhere. That's not an exaggeration.
This was the first thing that I came across that I thought was really picturesque. And there are nice bridges like this all over. And I had only been riding for about 10 minutes! There is a path that extends all over the place, sort of like the Metroparks Parkway at home.
Belgian graffiti. I just thought it was interesting.
My bike. Obviously. That little rack on the back is probably one of the most convenient things ever.
The interesting thing about Belgium: I'll be riding through forest that is so thick you cannot see past the first layer of foliage, and then out of nowhere comes a wide open field like this one. They are pretty in an organic, country-side sort of way.
The other interesting thing... One side can be like that, but then other can be the greenest grass you have ever seen... With the occasional animal taking an evening snack.
The sunset was gorgeous tonight. The sky was blue and the sun was shining so brightly, filling the air with warm light. But the few clouds that powdered the sky just made it perfect.
I don't know why, but it's just so calming. Granted, living in a little tiny town is difficult, and I prefer the big city, but riding through this today was exactly what I needed.
After a few more kilometers of trees and pretty green, there was more field. But this one was even more open, and something about those colors was just incredible... Almost surreal. It was like being in one of those movies where crop circles happen and aliens invade the small, unsuspecting town... For some reason that image intrigued me.
The colors... Oh my gosh incredible.
That sky with the dark clouds and the yellow field... It was the weirdest, coolest color combination...
That's me.
The sun continues to set...
Another cool thing: yes there is field and grass, but if you look just beyond what your eyes can easily see, you notice something else. More of a sign of life... A village. With a church and houses and buildings. And you know that there are people there and you are not alone in the big, vacant, open fields.
Hannut. I made it. 14 kilometers! Which is really nothing... In the States, I went 25 or 30 miles with my buddies. Again, just look at those colors...
I love how people just randomly have horses and cows and other animals in their yards...
The path extends forever. But this is where I stopped to turn around, deciding that it was time to head home, as it was about to become nightfall.
After looking at the quaint houses, I decided that it was time to go back. Next time, I will venture further into the city. The ride back was nice because it just got a little bit darker every couple minutes and I just enjoyed the wind in my face and the beautiful weather. It was warm, but not too hot and the sun was keeping everything just right.

What really made the ride special, though, was my music. I had my iPod going and you know how people always say that life would better with a soundtrack? It's so true. I decided to listen to all of the new music that I have added since I have gotten here. Which wasn't much and the majority of it is in English. But the mix was great because some songs were nice and slow and contemplative, letting me really soak in what was around me, while others were upbeat and gave me a burst of freedom and energy. Here is my playlist:

1. We No Speak Americano - Yolanda Be Cool
2. Here It Goes Again - Ok Go
3. Stop For A Minute - Keane
4. Mad World - Gary Jules
5. Alors On Danse - Stromae
6. The Day I Died - Just Jack
7. Me & My Guitar - Tom Dice
8. Allez! Ola! Olé! - Jesse Matador
9. Sky And Sand - Paul Kalkbrenner
10. Human - The Killers
11. Waka Waka - Shakira

I have to say, this ride was so freeing. To be able to just go and go and not worry about anything... Just the path ahead. I felt so alive today. That may sound corny, and weird. I mean, it's just a bike ride, right? But it was exactly what I needed. I let go of all inhibitions. At one point (and this is kind of embarrassing now that I think about it...) "Waka Waka" came on, and I don't know what it was... Maybe the combination of the sun and the empty field around me and those colors all just flooding my brain... But when that song came on, I listened to the lyrics and I was just so empowered by it for some reason, I just let loose. I pedaled as fast as I could and threw my head back, singing and dancing on my bicycle as I sped through the deserted landscape. I felt, like I said, so free.

How lame does that sound? But it was great. Today seems to be all about freedom...

(P.S. That feeling kind of died when I wiped out about 30 seconds from my house... I skinned up my knee pretty bad. Whoops!)