Falling Asleep...

I know I haven't been the best about blogging and I've been doing quite a few short posts like this lately but the fact is that I'm just EXHAUSTED. I was falling asleep watching the news with my host mom tonight. So I'm going to bed. I WILL post tomorrow. With picture updates. As we all know, I'm good at keeping these promises! Bonne nuit !

The Detailed Post That I Promised

See? I'm good at keeping promises. So here we go. Two days ago, Thursday, I woke up (around 1pm) knowing that it would be my last day in my normal host house. I had already done the majority of my packing and it didn't seem like there was much left to take care of.

Boy was I wrong. There was much more than I thought. And that is because things were hiding out in places that I forgotten about. Like my stack of envelopes, or my two teddy bears, or my food, or my clock. All these were things that I had to take with me, but didn't take into account when I started my packing. So, at the end of it all, I ended up with three big suitcases, another big carry-on type bag that I bought here (with a really cute vintage floral print, I might add), three shoeboxes, an H&M bag, my computer bag, and my purse. I'm definitely going to have to do some trimming down at the end of the year... Or my parents are just going to have to bring me empty suitcases :) Nah I think I'll donate some of the clothes and such and everything will be fine. After I finished packing, I spent some time on my computer since I literally had nothing else to do. Around 7 30pm, my second host parents came over for dinner. The original plan was for me to go back home with them afterwards.

They came, and we began things the way Belgians do with the "imperatif" (sp?), which is like the little chips or munchies before the meal. We sat down in the living room with those and a small glass of a sort of wine that was fruitier than the others that I have tried and I actually found that I kinda sorta liked it. Then we went to the table for the soup, which was made from peppers and had cheese in it. I really do love homemade soups. How will I ever go to back to Campbell's condensed soups?? Actually I don't think I'll have a problem, but anyways... That was followed by a salmon and vegetable quiche, which was also quite delicious. Salmon is so wonderfully flavorful. The main course came next, and it was the curry chicken over rice with cooked mangos on the side. The curry chicken has definitely become one of my favorite dishes here, though I'm not sure that everyone in Belgium makes it. But at the Crismer house, it's delicious. I need to get the recipe for that... Throughout dinner we talked and my host dad made annoying jokes about me and my faults and Ryan and all that. But you know, I find it humorous and I laugh and to be honest, that joking around is what made the first four and a half months of my exchange what it was. And I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Since it was the epiphany, we did the normal European tradition of the King's cake. What it is, is there is a round cake that is made from fragipane and filo dough. Somewhere inside the cake is a little tiny figurine. Whoever gets the piece with the figurine in it is King or Queen for the day and wears a crown. Well, our little figurine seemed to be everywhere. After the ten minutes it took to cut the cake, nobody had the little figurine. So we didn't have royalty. By my host mom did pull the guy out of another slice. It was in the form of a baker.

Turns out that I didn't get to go with them that night, because the next day (yesterday), they would be out of the house all day and I would have been left alone. So they took my suitcases, and I stayed at the Crismer's for one last night. The next day, I woke up and made sure I had EVERYTHING. I ate breakfast and lunch with my host mom and my host brother, but it turns out that Philippe had come down with the flu, so I didn't see him again before I left. Around 3pm, I we packed up the car with the remainder of my boxes and bags and I went to the gym to workout for two hours. The gym was very calm yesterday. I don't like the being the only one in there, but for a while, I was. I was also pretty tired, and today my back really hurts. But the good thing is that I can tell that I'm gaining muscle, especially in my arms. However, I'm in pain. But it's not too bad and I'll make it!

After the gym, Karine picked me up and we went to my second host family's house. We brought in all my stuff, I said my thank yous and goodbyes to Karine, and my hellos to the new fam. I took all of my things upstairs, and on the way, my host dad and brother showed me everything. I have pretty much my own floor! The whole third floor is mine. There's my room, a toilet room, a bathroom, and a sitting area. And outside the sitting area is a little balcony! Then there's also another couple bedrooms, but they are empty. And my bed is a double! I have never had anything bigger than a twin bed, so this is a nice treat! I then began unpacking my stuff, until I realized how unfunctional the armoire is. It's like one of the do-it-yourself deals from the Home Depot where you pick out your different elements and it's all made from particle board. Then you put it all together yourself? You know? Well it's like that. Except it doesn't make any sense! The little spot for hanging clothing is not long enough for even a short dress, so all my dresses are bunched up underneath themselves. Even my Rotary blazer was too long. And then underneath that there is no shelving, so there's a good three feet of open space. Talk about wasted space. Then the center section is a bunch of really shallow shelves, but they're glass and it's all open so that's more for displaying things. But then then the last section has the same shallow shelving! Maybe six inches deep. And even that's stretching it. So after a long time of trying to figure out how to make use of all this empty space (which is really the voice of my father, plus the influence of wayyyy too much HGTV), I finally got creative and rigged up some stuff with all my cardboard boxes and created a sort of shelving system. I also made use of one of my suitcases. I stood it up in that big empty section and left it open. I put my boots inside, a couple of pairs of shoes on top, and shoved my flats in the mess inside pocket, like shoe storage. Then I found there was no place for my bras, underwear, or socks, so I put all of that in two more cardboard boxes and make sort of drawers in the little cabinet underneath that television that is in my room. I doubt I will ever use that television. The walls are completely bare, and everything is either white, or a weird rustic theme (the whole house is kind of like that... Think Grandma's basement in the 60s), so I decorated with my scarves and ribbons, even my robe, and eventually I will find a way to make use of my colorful jewelry. But I have this really cool shade over my window which blocks out ALL light. Nothing gets through that thing. The ceiling of the room is kinda slanted too, like the roof, cause it's the top floor. So even though no light can get through, the rain is loud on the window.

A little while later, I went down and got acquainted with the whole family before dinner. My new host dad's name is Jacques, host mom's in Colette, and then there are 4 children: Benjamin, Amandine, Olivier, and Marie. However, they told me that Marie is hardly ever around. They are all older. The youngest is Benjamin, and he is 23. Olivier is married to another woman named Marie, and they have a little 18 month old son named Léo. I met them all yesterday, except for the sister Marie. Amandine also has a boyfriend, but his name is something I've never heard of before and I can't pronounce it, let alone spell it. So we will refer to him as AB - Amandine's boyfriend. The verdict: I LOVE THEM! My host parents are so nice and sweet and welcoming. Olivier and Marie are so wonderful and their child is beautiful and adorable and the family cannot get enough of him. Marie is really cool and a little wild and she does theater. Amandine and her boyfriend are also very very nice and Amandine actually works with Madame Gallo for her shows. Benjamin is sweet and he did an exchange a couple of years ago in Chile. So we were able to talk about our different experiences. The best part? The conversation was all real. The questions they asked, they asked because they were truly interested. I was able to talk and have a conversation because it wasn't forced. At one point, they asked me if I knew how to make pancakes. I said yes, and immediately they all yelled and told me I HAD to make them. It made me jump and I was a little scared but then I realized that it was happy yelling and I laughed with them.

For dinner, we had raquelettes, which I believe I talked about once before, because I ate that once at the de Wulf house... Before that, though we had foie gras with different jellies and some yummy spiced bread. Foie gras is starting to grow on me. But then we had the raquelettes. What it is, is there is a grill type device on the table. There is a space between the top platform, and the bottom, and in between there are these little square pans. Each person gets one or two square pans, and in that you put your cheese. We had three different kinds. One of them had herbs and spices. On the top platform, you put your meats. We had a couple different kinds. One which resembled ham, bacon and a smoked meat. I really don't like fatty meats like that, but I ate them anyways, and they weren't too bad when smothered in hot gooey cheese. We also had pickles and little pearl onions to eat with it all. When it was all said and done, we had eaten so much cheese, you could smell it all through the house. It was glorious.

And then we had dessert. We also did a King's cake, and Olivier got the little figurine. This one was an angel. I thought the cake was better than the first one. So Olivier wore the crown for the rest of the night as we talked and such. My host mom even pulled out a magazine and read horoscopes for the new year, just for kicks and giggles. We then drank some coffee and talked until about 11 30pm. Then Olivier and Marie got Léo and went back to their house, which is only a couple of houses down, and I stayed up a bit longer and talked with my host parents. Eventually, I went up to my room and continued to try to unpack and get things organized. I took a shower in my bathroom with the nozzle that doesn't make much sense, and then watched a couple episodes of Frasier before falling asleep.

This morning, I woke up around ten thirty and was eating my Frosted Flakes around 11am. I then went back upstairs, tried to finish unpacking and organizing, but came to a point where I just don't know where to put some things, like my jewelry. In my other house, I hung my necklaces off the knob on my window. But there is no knob like that in this room. Or anything for that matter to hang them off of, so I'll have to get creative again and think of something. Then I worked on a project I have to do for my English class, and then I went down for dinner. I ate with just my host parents. We talked and had some really delicious cheese to start off with, and I had a glass of red wine. Which wasn't bad, although it's still a little strong for me. Which is weird... Anyway, we had a white fish, stuffed baked potato, chicon, and a salad for dinner. It was delicious! I don't know what spices she put on that fish but it was really good. The chicon is growing on me, though I still find it bitter. For dessert, I had a sort of vanilla pudding and a little piece of chocolate. After dinner, I watched the news with my host parents for about a half hour. There is a lot of flooding here... Since all the snow melted and with all the rain, the river in Namur is getting higher and people have feet of water in their houses. It's so sad... The streets are completely under water. I can't imagine... Luckily, that never really happens where I'm living...

Now I'm up in my room, doing this blog and getting ready to go to sleep. I reactivated my Facebook today too, and I'm worried that I will become readdicted. So I must keep an eye on myself. I'll try my best! Tomorrow, I will try to post some pictures. Goodnight world! Bonne nuit tout le monde !

Quick Note

I switched host families today. I would love to give everyone the run-down of last night and today, but it's almost 2am, I had a long day, and I'm exhausted. Therefore, this is my form of a legal document, solemnly promising that I will hereby post a detailed and emotional (in a good way) response to the last couple of days.

***Spoiler alert***: I love my new family :)

Bonne nuit !!

Liège And Bruges

First of all, turns out I've been spelling "Bruges" the Flemish way all this time (Brugge). "Bruges" is the French way, so I should switch over to that, though I will continue to tag it as "Brugge".

Yesterday, I started my day by going to the TEC office, which is the bus company. My host mom went with me to get my first bus pass for this month since I'll need the bus more often in my next host family. That went pretty easily and I walked out of there with it in my hand. I then went, as usual, to the gym. There are some very interesting people there. Like the guy who comes in and works out in his jeans. Or the woman who wears her scarf and nice shoes. Of course, you have your typical beef monster who's ALWAYS there and looks like he could crush your head like a walnut if you told him something he didn't want to hear. Regardless, Talia hasn't been going with my lately because her family was here, so I've been hanging out and doing my stuff by myself for the past few times. It's weirdly relaxing... Shouldn't it be the opposite?

Then, I decided last minute to meet up with Hadley and Oakley in Liège and stay over at Hadley's house last night. We did some shopping in the Médiacité, but I didn't buy anything except a scoop of lemon sorbet from the Haagen Daas. Yum. Then we walked back to the station and caught a train to Welkenraedt and a bus to Hadley's house where I was able to use my brand new shiny bus pass! We went to her house and helped her host family make dinner. I made the fries! I learned all about how to use a deep fryer and make real Belgian frites. Did you know they fry them twice? That's apparently what makes them Belgian... We had those with these really delicious meatballs and a sauce. And salad. It was a really good dinner. Then we went up to Hadley's room and just talked and such, ate way too much chocolate and homemade biscotti. I was sleeping by midnight, but apparently Hadley and Oakley stayed up a while longer. But I was glad I went to sleep because we had to get up bright and early at 6am the following day to catch a 6:40 bus to catch a 7:20 train to Guillemans because there was a Rotary trip to Bruges today.

We didn't have to meet at the station until 8:45am. We got there at 7:55am. So we took that time to get some real breakfast. I had a latte and a croissant. Slowly, the exchange students trickled into the station and we eventually took over, like we always do and it was the invasion of the exchange students. We caught a 9am train to Bruges. It took two hours to get there. So we just spent it talking and exchanging stories. We met up with Brittany and Alexanne also. Once we got there, we lost Rotary because we had decided to follow other exchange students, expecting they knew where they were going. Well, they didn't. So we went back into the station, but couldn't find anyone, so we ended up just going into Bruges just us five. I was the only one in the group who had been there before, and thankfully I kind of knew my around, ish. We got Chinese food, did some touristy things, some shopping, got a waffle, and eventually met back up with everyone at the station around 5:30pm after an unfortunate encounter with a crabby waiter.

We road the two hour train back to Liège, talking, taking pictures,and me falling asleep because I was dead tired. I also wasn't feeling so hot, though I'm ok now, and I'm still dealing with quite a bit of stress and homesickness. I still am. I caught another train to Waremme and talked with Gaby on the way. I'm tired now, I haven't eaten much, and I'm waiting to Skype with my family. Tomorrow, I switch families. Woot! Goodnight all.

Hello Homesickness

Today was the roughest day I've had in a long time. I really am not entirely sure why, but the interesting part is that my mother was feeling pretty blue today as well. We seem to be connected over time and space in a weird way... Not to mention I really miss my (not) boyfriend. I woke up this morning with a rumbling stomach, but couldn't eat because I just did not feel good and my body didn't want food. It took quite a bit of effort to make myself eat at lunchtime. I've just been really distracted the last couple days. And I've been a day off. It really feels like Tuesday and it's felt like the day after for a good week now. I can't understand why. Probably because there is no school and no dance to keep my internal calendar up to date...

This morning I went to the gym for two hours, but before that, my host mom dropped me off at the post office to send off my Christmas packages. By the way, the United States gets one point for the USPS. I officially love the United States Postal Service, and will forever be gracious towards everyone who does/ever has worked there. Belgium, you're awesome, but your postal system sucks. I'll get back to that in a minute. I also have a bone to pick with Rotary. I depend on my monthly stipend to go into the bank of the 1st of every month, because that was what they told me was going to happen back in November. But of course, it wasn't there today and the post office doesn't take Visa, so I had to leave my ID card at the post office and run, literally, to the town square because the ATM by the post office was out of order (OF COURSE), and in Belgium, you're lucky if there's more than one ATM in every city. So I ran there and ran back, paid to send the packages, and then went to work out for two hours. But I hadn't eaten yet and I was exhausted and distracted and just not at the top of my game. The stair climber kicked my butt.

Around 1pm, Karine came to get me and we went to another post office to pick up a package that my parents had sent from the States, because you know, the mail man can't drop it off at the house. Again, USPS guys, you rock. What happens here is when you get a package, sometimes they leave you a slip in the mailbox that says it's here and you have to come pick it up from whichever post office. I got the slip last week. But because it's Belgium, the post office is always closed. Finally, we got to go today. Oh and I had to pay the taxes. Because it's Belgium. But of course, the post office was CLOSED. It wouldn't open for another fifteen or twenty minutes, so we went home and ate lunch, which was a pasta thing that my host dad had made. Then me and my host mom went to go get my package, which was surprisingly small and I don't understand why they couldn't drop it off at the house. OH and another about the Belgian post, if the weather isn't good, they just don't bring the mail. Once again, USPS, rain or shine, blazing hot or freezing cold, tornado or tsunami, they bring you your mail. Plus one, United States.

Obviously I'm a little down on Belgium today. I didn't do much with the rest of my day. I edited some more pictures, listened to music, talked to my mother, watched some Frasier. Then I went out to that Chinese restaurant with my host parents and Benoit. It was pretty delicious. I really like their wonton soup. And I didn't have a cup with an obscene picture in the bottom this time. The dinner conversation got me a little worked up too.

Here's something the Belgians can't get through their heads: The United States is BIG. Yes, there are problems, and yes there are corrupt people. But HELLO!! That happens everywhere! But there are a gagillion people in the States, so obviously the numbers are going to be higher and the problems magnified. And things are done differently in different regions. For example, all the Rotary clubs in Belgium are run pretty much the same way. But you can fit three Belgiums inside one Ohio. So obviously, my Rotary club is going to be different from Talia's, and both of ours are going to be different from Mikayla's too, because it's too big to keep everything consistent when different ways each work fine. That's just an example. But anyway, I wish the Belgians could understand that. But of course, I still don't know enough words in French to accurately convey that, though I tried. And I did not lose my temper, though I was so exhausted that I thought my head would explode.

Then I got home, edited pictures, and now I'm contemplating sleep. I switch families in three days. It's pretty nuts. Tomorrow, I don't have any plans, but I''m sure I'll go work out and maybe get my bus pass... Finally. Anyways, goodnight world.

Red pants today.

How I Decided I Want To Be 18th Century Royalty

Today, I'm going to be doing a quick post because I've been up on Photoshop and I have to get up decently early in the morning because I need to go work out...

Today, after a lunch of duck, two different vegetable mixtures, a tater-tot-type potato thing, and little mirabelle halves (YUM), my host parents took me to see a big "château" with beautiful gardens and a huge palace type building. We went through a nice tour and they made us put these weird things on our shoes so that we didn't hurt the floors walking on it. Some people opted to just take their shoes off... It was bizarre seeing people walking through a sort of museum in stocking feet... I went pretty nuts with the camera too and got some beautiful shots. I think I may actually do a post on photo blog, which I haven't done since August... Check it out!!

After we finished the tour, my host mom and I went upstairs where they were doing a special exhibit of the dresses of an eighteenth century Austrian queen. They were amazing, gorgeous dresses and that is when I decided I need to be eighteenth century royalty. But then I just took pictures of all of them and will use them for inspiration next time I need a gown for a black tie event :)

Europeans really do museum exhibitions much better than Americans. At least Clevelanders. I'm sure we all agree that museum exhibits can be a bore and it's hard to drag your kids to the museum to see the latest. But the ones I've been to here have been ridiculously well done and interesting. I actually ENJOY going to exhibitions here. I look forward to it! It helps that I can take pictures... But even in each room of the palace, they had perfumed so the kitchen smelled like cinnamon and the salon smelled like lavender. It was really very well done. Not to mention breathtakingly gorgeous. They're just so creative. In one room, there was a film, but it wasn't just projected on a screen. There was a huge table that spanned the length of the room, very low to the ground, and there were countless candelabras and candlesticks scattered along the edges, and then the video was projected into the center so the candles made a sort of frame. But then it wasn't just that. There was a mirror hanging from the ceiling at an angle and you watched the video on that. So cool.

After we saw the exhibits, we went up to the tea room (oh la la!) and had our afternoon tea. Literally. I had an Earl Grey, and we ordered a little plate of cakes and chocolates. Which were, of course, delicious. The waitress was in an eighteenth century dress and the tables were all old fashioned and decorated. It was so cute. I love tea time!

Afterwards, we went out onto the grounds, and although we didn't go through them all, what we saw was still grand. The sky was gray and the snow was half melted, so it wasn't particularly gorgeous, but it was still worth seeing and I walked through, imagining myself in one of those glorious gowns and was struck with inspiration for an eighteenth century photo shoot when I get home. Chelsea and I are going to do it.

Then I went home, we had cheese and breads and salad for dinner with a layered chocolate mousse cake for dessert, I took a shower, and now it's midnight and I need to get to sleep! Bonne nuit !

Happy New Year!

It is New Year's Day. Actually, in about 18 minutes, it will no longer be New Year's Day here in Belgium, but that is besides the point.

Yesterday, I slept in for a while, then went downstairs to make cookies for the party I was going to. After I made my famous chocolate chip cookies, I ate lunch with my host family, which was bread and cheese with a carrot and red pepper salad. I'm not gonna lie, I think that is one of my favorite meals that we eat here. The cheese is just so good...

I then went up to my room and watched the old classic "Sabrina" with Audrey Hepburn, but fell asleep during it and took a nice little nap until about 4pm. I then woke up and got ready for the party. I actually wore my contacts too and I was ok! I have found that I can wear them every so often for one night and usually get away with it. I then went over to Manon's house around 5pm. When I got there, Géraldine and Talia were already there along with some other people that I knew. We spent the next few hours getting ready and waiting for everyone else to show up. By 8pm, everyone was there and Manon and Géraldine were serving appetizers and we were drinking champagne. We all sat around and talked until it was time to eat dinner. We went into the dining room, where a table was set, and they brought out the first "course", which was a plate with a little round of bread with another little round of goat cheese on top of it with some sort of ground meat on top of that with a sauce and some lettuce underneath. It was surprisingly delicious. That was followed by the main course, which was a cheese fondu. We had bowls of pieces of bread and we all had our skewers and we just dipped the bread in the cheese until we couldn't eat anymore! And they have a rule: If you let your bread fall into the cheese, you have to do a dare. However, nobody let their bread fall into the cheese, so there were no crazy dares done last night. We then went back into the other room, put on the music, and some people did some dancing before dessert. It was a buffet of different things, like my cookies, which were a big hit as usual, a sugar tart, some chocolate marshmallow thing, some little mini muffins, and something else that I can't remember... But the dessert was good.

Then it was dancing time. And I finally learned the rock! Aymeric taught me, and I caught on pretty quickly. It's just a really cool swing dance, and as long as the girl follows the guy, it's not too difficult. I had a lot of fun doing it! But then the Belgians decided it was time to smoke, so the majority of them went outside. The rest of night was pretty much me hanging out with these two Spanish girls that had come with Aymeric, dancing and talking and having a good time while everyone else was off doing who knows what. We rang in the New Year with bisous, and I was up until about 6 30am. A few people got sick, and things got a little nutty towards the end of the night, and I only got about three and a half hours of sleep.

I woke up at about 10am and Karine came to get me and Talia at 11 30am. We took Talia home, we went home and I took a shower, and then I ate lunch with my host parents. We started off with these little plates that had two scallops, a little piece of salmon and a little piece of a white fish in a creamy cheese sauce. That was just the "first course". Afterwards, we had little tiny stuffed quails with a cranberry sauce, baked apples, and these little potato thingies... For dessert, we finished off a half of a cake that was two layers of pastry with a cream in the middle. That was delicious. But I was so exhausted that right afterwards I went up to my room for a nap. I slept for about four hours. When I got up, I went back downstairs to eat dinner. We had bread and cheese and salad. Yum! Then I packed. All my clothes, except for five outfits for the next five days, are in my suitcase, along with the majority of my other junk. I move to my next family on Thursday. It's nuts to think about. But I'm proud for getting a head start on the packing. Although I didn't have the will power to take down my pictures yet. And now it's late and I should be getting to sleep. I'm going to sleep in nice and late tomorrow I think. Goodnight!