Hello! I have been very busy here in Belgium and having a great time doing everything. I'm learning so much and I am so glad that I decided to be an exchange student here and for all rotary has done to help me!
I
am very lucky to have the host family that I do; they are extremely
generous and also very active- we are always doing something exciting.
They have taken me to parades, pro soccer games, lots of different
villages, and even the south of france for a weekend!! In two weeks
during Toussaint holidays we are going to Croatia for a week. I have 7
host siblings as both of my host parents were previously married. One of
them, Guillaume, who is the same age as me, is in Miami as an exchange
student. The rest, except for my little 9 year old sister, are all older
than me. This is also nice because they are very friendly and remind me
of my own siblings back home, and also because they invite me along to
do things sometimes. Having a little sister is also great because she
has taught me a lot of french and never judges when I mess up!
School
here is much different than what I am used to, much more so than what I
expected. Everyday my host dad, who works in Charleroi, the city where I
go to school, drives me to school and buys me a hot chocolate and a
croissant (he has an orange juice) at the same cafe. I love this part of
the day because now I know all the cafe regulars (one man has a
collection of 2,000 antique watches!). After school I catch the bus
home- figuring out public transportation here was intimidating at first,
but now I love it! Belgium has a train or a bus to anywhere you could
want to go, it is really quite miraculous after coming from a place with
very little public transportation. There are much fewer resources, the
teachers are quite strict and everyone must wear a uniform as it is a
Catholic school: as long as you are wearing blue marine or white with no
pattern, you can wear whatever you want, but they are very strict about
it and I have gotten scolded several times for deviating slightly
without realizing! After talking to the director of the school I have
switched out of math classes and am now taking more french classes with
younger grades (13 and 14 year olds mostly). This is quite helpful and
also pretty fun as we are reading police mysteries! The other students
at school are all very interested in me and very friendly. I have made
several good friends and I am so thankful for them because I know that
many other exchange students here are finding that difficult. I actually
think that being one of the few people without other exchange students
in my school is a blessing because it has forced me to really pursue
relationships and not be hesitant to speak french.
My
french is coming along really nicely. I am very thankful for the four
years I had previous to coming here. I can understand mostly everything
that is said to me. Forming my own phrases is still difficult but I'm
finding it easier and easier all the time and can now somewhat
confidently carry on a conversation and participate.
Monday and Wednesday
evenings I usually play soccer- my host family found a local girls team
for me to play on which also has three other exchange students on it.
The weekends are always different- usually I am doing things with my
host family or my Belgian friends, or an event with rotary. There are
many here- I have already visited the Belgian parliament in Brussels and
also the Wallonie parliament in Namur through rotary trips. Since
Belgium is so tiny and there are over two hundred exchange students here
it is fairly easy to get us all together.
Now
that I have good school friends and can understand and speak more,
things are becoming easier and easier every day- I am really settling in
and figuring everything out and it feels great!
Thanks so
much again for everything. I also have a blog where I have been posting
things, if anyone is interested in checking it out it is http://theoutdorables.
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