Le Changement

So the second week of January the girlies of Herve changed host families. For me it was certainly hard to say goodbye to the Liegeois. I am so happy with them, and I feel even now as a real part of their family. The friday before we changed we all ate at La Table du Léa which is a restaurant in Chaineux. It was a good meal, and I gave a little speech and enjoyed my last few moments as part of their family.

Saturday afternoon I was chez Corman in Grand-Rechain. My new room is great, and despite a teary goodbye I had a good welcoming. We ate at a super fancy restaurant in Verviers and I don't think I have tasted many things in my life as good as that meal. The house is very nice, and my new family are also very very nice. My host dad, who is also my counsellor here so I knew him well enough, is named Philippe and owns a house constructing company. He made his house by himself with his workers, and didn't waste time in showing me the pictures of the house being built. It is very impressive. My host mom's name is Gene and owns a restaurant in Chaineux. In the mornings I go with her to the restaurant to take the bus. She is a very kind woman, and makes me laugh a lot. The both of them are very tactile, and love giving hugs and kisses. I like that, I feel like a part of the family already. I have two host sisters, Anne-Claire and Majorie. Anne-claire is 100% crazy, and I love that about her. She went on exchange to Halifax three years ago so it's kind of cool that she knows certain things about atlantic Canada. My first two weeks here I went to many parties with her and got to meet a lot of people in the village. Majorie is a bit older, and did an exchange 6 (?) years ago to New Zealand. She lives in Verviers with her boyfriend Thomas, who is very nice. Then we have Mami, who is the sweetest woman I have ever met. She is Gene's mother and is here every weekend. She will be my mami in my next house as well because my third host father is Gene's brother. I really love her, she is so cute and so sweet! I am very sad to leave chez Liegeois, but it's part of the exchange and I am feeling at home already chez Corman.

I really should try and update more, because there are so many things I have been doing. From meeting my newie and showing her around, Carnaval, parties, newie conference, hikes in the snow, family events, hanging out with friends, exploring Belgium etc... there are so many things to say. Too many things! I start to forget about all the stuff I have done. I keep track of everything in my Journal de Classe but there are just far too many things to mention here, words cannot explain! I can say Belgium will certainly change me. When I come home I am under the impression that staying home when you can go exploring will no longer be an option. I hope that when I get home I will take the fact that here I try to make everyday into something special, back to Newfoundland. I could write for hours about all the things I have done in the past three months but these are memories I will cherish even if I can't find the words to talk about all of them here! I have enough of blogging today, tomorrow I will make an update about my trip to amsterdam. I apologize for the lack of updates recently!!! Bisous!!

Noël et Nouvel Ans

I apologize for my incredible lack of updates. I will try my best to take this sunday and update my blog with all of the great thingsI have been doing with my exchange!

Christmas this year was certainly different than the traditional Christmas in Newfoundland. I had the pleasure to spend it with my first host family, chez Liegeois. Christmas eve we ate chez Bonne Maman and Eric. It was great food, fun and family. Florence's brother, wife and children were there and it gave the house a warm feeling. We ate homemade foie gras and oysters. It was an excellent, excellent meal. Then we shared our secret santa's. I had florence, and gave her tights with a matching scarf. She gave Quentin tennis balls with little sayings on it, he gave Delphine an alarm clock, she gave Marie a bracelet, she gave Michel socks and Michel gave me a manga. Florence also made me a homemade scarf and they gave me a watch. Their kindness remains overwhelming, but I am incredible thankful for it. In the morning the festivities were held at our house. Michel's family came to the house and we had a crowd! Gifts and laughs were shared, and even Charline joined us on skype. We all went to the table to eat a seafood entrée, deer jam and scallop potatoes and for dessert some delicious cakes from Jean-Pierre in Battice. I felt very very homesick during christmas, but luckily had the chance to call my family back home to wish them a Merry Christmas. Overall I had a great Holiday, and my only real complaint was the lack of snow! It was 10oC on Christmas, I couldn't believe it!

I also spent new year's with my host family. We went to France in Val Thorens to spend a week of vacation time together. It was a great visit! We stayed in Eric's appartment and it was very comfortable. With my back problem I couldn't go skiing, but I had a great time snow shoeing with my host mom in the alps. Everyday we took a different route and each time we found something beautiful and truly moving. After this week together I felt even closer to my host family. Michel, Delphine and her two friends (Sacha and Marie) skiied while we snow shoed. New year's we went to the center of the station and there was a giant soirée with loads of people dancing, an awesome dj with a cool snow sculpture and fireworks. It was a lot of fun, even with the super drunk people flashing the crowds. The next day Florence and I had a guided walk into the mountains. It was very beautiful, and the people were very nice. We saw mountain animals, the beautiful forests and we had an amazing tradition meal in a little chalet in the middle of the forest. It was very very very fun. I was sad to leave because I had such a great time.

Upon returning home from New year's I had a pretty hard week. My three oldies went home to Australia, which was a lot harder than I anticipated, and the anniversary of the death of my mother was on the tenth. I was a bit overwhelmed, but I just mention to this to help illustrate how nice my host family is. I was having a hard time this day and I called to go home upon feeling under the weather. My host mom had kept herself avalible for that day with the knowledge that I may have had a hard time. We then went to a spa in Spa (it's the name of the city) to relax together. It was a great day despite the sadness I felt inside. Words cannot explain how I am thankful for everything the Liegeois have done for me, and it was very hard to think about changing families for the longest time. Now I am in my new host family and I will make a new entry to talk about the changing of families.

RIP the most beautiful woman I have ever met, my mother.

St. Nicolas

This month has been totally crazy. To start off, on November 28th my school had our St. Nicolas. This is where the Rhétos (seniors) celebrate, and is a big event for the school. Everyone decorates a labcoat and wears it the whole day, making lots of noise with trumpets and whistle as well as writing over people's faces with lipstick. I had a lot of fun with all my friends in school.

 

On the 30th I went skating for Nicola's birthday party in Verviers. I fell down sooo many times! It was very fun though, to go with everyone. I am not better at skating though, I can say that. Sadly Nicola is leaving soon... Lydia and Jess as well. It makes me really sad to think about it, and they will be missed. We are planning a surprise dinner thing for them, I hope they will like it! Also, about the skating, I really love the photos so I just have to add a few!!

Then... there was snow! All of Belgium stopped for a day. There was 5cm of snow! It was very very funny for me. There was almost none at all! The radio was annoucing accidents every 15 minutes. It was crazy! It was a beautiful day! I came here with the impression Beligum was used to snow, but I was highly mistaken. Luckily where I live we get more snow because we are at a high altitude. The snow is so beautiful! There is already almost none left. My goodness! Then a few days later there was an activity with Rotary. We all went to Aix-La-Chapelle to go to the marché de noël in Germany. It was so beautiful. Also, last sunday I went to another Marché de Noel in Germany, but in a small little village with my host family. I have already been to quite a few. The one in Brussels, Liege, Monshau, Aix-la-chapelle, and Masstrict! They are great, but my favorite was certainly in Monshau.

This past week has been exam week. With our Rotary we only have to take 4 exams, so I have had a lot of free time. All of the exchange students in the area have been spending a lot of time together. We had a day of playing in the snow, Saturday I went to Bruxelles with Dylan and Diego (we met up with others), sunday I went to the market, Monday we went to Liege, Tuesday I had Dylan, Nelson and Jess over to what a french movie, yesterday we (Dylan, Diego, Katrina, Ambar, Mariana, Andrea, Nelson, Gabby and I) went to Liege to go shopping in Mediacité and today I went to Masstrict with Florence, Delphine and Katrina to do some shopping. This has been such a busy week, but I've had a lot of fun. I will probably stay home and study this weekend like a good girl. Who knows though, next week could be even more exciting!!

Looking forward to spending Christmas with my family here. We are also going to France for the New Year. There are always things to look forward to my life here. I love every moment more and more...

Anniversaire

I have to start out by saying that this has been the best birthday of my life. I am 18 and absolutely loving every moment here in Belgium. It was certainly an adventure! To start off my host mother and father allowed me to have a party at my house. It was a sucess in my opinion! I had almost all my friends from school come and loads of exchange students come as well. I am pretty sure almost everyone had a good time. I know for sure I did! I am not exactly sure how many came over, but a lot did! It was great. Attached are some photos. I am so lucky to have been given the occasion to have everyone come together.... I love my friends and my family here.

Afterwards we had a celebration in Liege with all the exchange students on the 21st after school. It was also Jessica's birthday. It was a party as well. I had a lot of fun. My actual birthday was amazing. Quentin's girlfriend came over and brought games and stuff. We all played together, except Michel because he doesn't like that too much. It was good fun, and afterwards a surprise was waiting for me! She (AnnCharlotte) has made me a cake with a canadian maple leaf and macaroons with the colours of a belgian flag. It was super nice of her. I am so thankful for all that I have here.....

This friday, the day after my birthday, was La Soirée Rhètos. In order to raise money for the seniors in our school there is a giant soirée for everyone. It was so much fun, and it was great being with everyone. I saw many people that I knew from school but also from other places as well. Le monde est petit ! I really had the best birthday of my life.

This past sunday was an exotic dinner for Rotary. Basically the students from each country had to make a national plate and serve it to the other exchange students and their host families. It was a pretty good sucess! One team, aka Owen, made poutine, another a bread bowl and we made a first nation's meal... haha. It was kind of improvised. Anyways I had a great time with all the exchange students and the Rotex. I am always happy here in belgium... which is great. Thank you god for all you have blessed me with!

Mes Aventures

These past couple of weeks have been absolutely amazing!! First off I went to Paris with Rotary. It was a fantastic trip and the group was awesome. I shared a room with Jess not to mention Katrina and Gabby were just next door. I met so many new people too! Exchange students really are the most fun. I love my Belgians too though! xoxox During the trip we saw many beautiful art museums like la mussée d'orsay and le louvre as well as typic Parisien sites like the Eifel Tower and Montmartre. The first night we also went on a boat tour and saw Paris by night. It was just simply fantastic. From laughs to smiles and smiles to laughs I had a great time. Paris is just as good the second time around.

London was a couple days afterwards, and was equally good. It was kind of interesting seeing how similar things there are to Newfoundland. I ate at a very nice Irish pub and it reminded me so much of Downtown. I also ate their famous fish and chips, but I can say they are better in good old Newfoundland! This was a trip also organized by Rotary, but old exchange students who are from Belgium. This was great because the volunteers were all relatively young and we got to chat and get to know them. I shared a room with 3 noisy girls, but I love them all! Nicola, Katrina, Emma and I had a great time in out little room. We watched American Pie for the hearing impaired, some strange movie about korean fish monsters and each enjoyed the bath there. The second day we went to the Musem with the clay people (forget what it's called), ate at Hard Rock where a man made fun of my accent and finally arrived to see our long awaited musical. By some freak chance it turned out to be a Michael Jackson tribute!!!! It was soooooo good!!!!!!! I was grooving like crazy. London was a lot of fun, and I will be returning there in April with my class. Right before Spain!!! This is just... the best year of my life!

This month is a month of birthdays. Next week the are Diego and Mariana's birthdays and then the week after there are Jess, Nicola and my birthdays. It's crazy!! I have Diego's birthday this Sunday, Mariana's next friday, mine is next Saturday and we are going out with Nicola on the 29th. There is also la Soirée Rhétos for my school the 23rd and St. Nicolas the 28th. I am soooo busy! But I am having so much fun everyday, and I am meeting new friends everyday as well. I am looking forward to all the is to come, but at the same time I am feeling sad seeing how fast these two months have flown by.

Octobre

I have done so much this month, looking back it blows my mind! Last friday was La Fête de l'École and I had a great time. I did "Blind Test" with the friends in my school and it was really fun. This is when you listen to music and simply write down the names and artists of the songs and the group with the most correct answers wins! Obviously I was a bit useless for the Belgian and French music, but we won regardless! Afterwards there were different activities to watch and after 5 o'clock different bands started playing. The weirdest thing ever happened though... they sold beer at school! It really blows my mind sometimes, how the school is strict but somethings are so much mess strict than back home. There was a man from my Rotary club there because his wife is a teacher at school, and he was incredibly amused at the reactions of the exchange students by the fact that they were selling beer. It was so strange! Not to mention some of the teachers had a little bit too much to drink.. aha! The last band was really good as well, and Justine and I will go see them again this friday after school. I am very much looking forward to it!

Last weekend was a dream come true! I spent the weekend in Paris with my host family, and it could not have been better! The hotel was right in the center of Paris, and I just loved sharing a room with my host sister. I had a parisien bath... it was so nice! Michel, my host father, had to work during the day so it was Delphine Florence and I adventuring though Paris during the day. Everyday we walked so much, and it is impossible to describe all the places we went to. It was such a nice time, and I really got to see Paris up close and personal with host mom as my tour guide. The buildings are increible and even with all the "Barakis" and sketchy people I really just love the atmosphere of Paris. We also ate at really nice restaurants and  it was soooo good!!!! I am so thankful that they brought me along: It was an amazing trip.

Next week are the holidays and I will be going to Paris again, and London with Rotary. I am very much looking forward to it... I am having such a great time here in Belgium and I could never ask for a better two months that I have had so far!!!