Bonne fete de paques! Et joyeuse nouvelle famille!!
Mood:  caffeinated
Topic: Vacance de Paques
Happy belated easter sunday a tout le monde!! I hope the easter bunny didn't miss anyone! He even came and visited me here in Belgium. I got a "baguette"(or wand thingy) filled with easter eggs made of Galler Chocolate "Belgium's favorite chocolate", as did all of the 'enfants' =children. lol (which consisted of me, my host sister who is in her 30ies, and her husband who is around the same age) it was too cute :)

The story of Paques (easter) is this: An angel found Christ after the whole world thought he was dead. To tell everyone that he was still alive, he flew over the whole world ringing a big bell so everyone could hear. Is this the same story in America? Funny I never asked when I was back home. So where does the easter bunny come in?! I dont get it :p

So when I got my present of chocolate I didn't thank the Easter bunny, I had to thank the "grande cloche" =the big bell.

My new host family has all the bells and whistles to deck the house out for easter. The egg candles, the wooden rabbits and ducks tucked in the plant pots and napkin holders, the basket of chocolate eggs. Life is so festive and spring time is on the rise!!

Saturday, the day before easter, was the day that I changed host families. Everyone cried and it was saaaad. :( I miss my long talks with my host mom; if it wasn't for her, my french wouldn't be as good as it is now. That family was sooooo great and I'm glad I got to stay with them for 3 months. The time passed so quickly, it sure didn't feel like 3 months. Now the family I am with now, I will only stay with for 2 weeks during easter vacation, then I will go into my 3rd host family. The reason I didn't change directly from the PIETTE family into the BEX family is because the BEX family is on holiday.

So my 2 1/2 family is the soon to be 'president of Rotary' but he isn't ultra ultra strict like I thought he would be. He is really nice, actually. He and his wife, Michelle, only have one child who isn't a child any more. Now she lives with her husband nearbye, so it is just me bee bopping around most of the time unless I invite someone over. I don't have a problem with this, it is nice and tranquille here. There are 3 dogs, Lallie, Zara, and Cleo, and two cats but I dont know the names of the cats. They live in a big house made of stone with a pool in the back yard and a rock fountain that runs into a little pool of water where they have a large family of goldfish. And here is the kicker.Besides the huge house, they also have a double car garage that is two stories tall. On the second level it is all finished space. It is only attached to the house by a hallway inbetween the garage and the main house, so in essence, it is like having my own apartement. So sweet. I have my own "room". I call it "chez moi" = my home; I have my own bedroom, my own bathroom (with a shower and heated towel rack), my own living room, with a table, chairs, two couches, tv, radio. I've hooked up my dvd player to the tv so now I can watch my dvds. ?sigh? life is so peaches and cream right now.

Each morning around 10 or 11 I go for a walk with my host dad and the dogs around the country side. Complete with rolled up old blue jeans and mudder boots. (because we live more or less in the country; In the summer time the fields are filled with cows but they haven't been let out yet) Its great to get some exercise...I was beginning to worry I was getting fat... nah!!

Finn came over Monday night. I was worried that my host family wouldn't like him or would be turse with him but they 'accepted' him and after dinner when he spent two hours talking to my host dad about european history, they thought he was GREAT! lol

Adriana stayed over Tuesday and Wednesday night. She, like me, was impressed with the spacious living quarters... and now plans on (plus ou moins) living with me for the remainder of the vacation :p lol naaaaaht a problem. We stayed up laaate last night watching her host brothers collection of Sex in the City DVDs and scrapbooking but I wasn't feeling good so we called it a night around 2 or so.

"Sex is power. Money is power. Paying for sex is meerly (sp?) just an exchange of power" - Samantha (Sex in the City)

*smirk* this made me giggle :)

Then today a rotary member picked Adriana and me up and took us to Maastrict (a cute little town in Holland (you know... the country?),not far from Liege.)With him and his wife. Before we went to Maastrict we stopped at the 'Tour d'Eben Ezer' which is a castle that was made by an insane man. He spent his whole life working on it... just him. He mined the rocks, carried them to the house, put them in place and made four gigantic statues that he put at the corners of the house. He lived there for ten years after it was complete before he died. Its hard to explain... I've pretty much given up on trying to put pictures in my blog so just go to the website. When I get the photos developed that Adriana and I took today I will post them in my album but for now... just go to the website. It is in french but theres a picture... that is what is important.

http://www.gargouilles.be/eben/a.htm

Incredible, huh? It is in the middle of nowheres. Just driving along a dirt road through a forest then you come to an open spot where there is a cow pasture on one side and the first thing you see are the huge statues... it was foggy today too so... wow. Impressionale, non?!

Well its almost midnight and I wanted to catch a shower before this cuz my towel warmer shuts off at 12:30 so I'll sign off for the night.

Ciao!

Vivre les vacances!!
Mood:  incredulous
Topic: Vacance de Paques
Today is the offical beginning of Paques. (Easter Vacation= 2 week break.) Is tomorrow easter?! oh NOOOOO its on sunday... Why was i thinking that today is Saturday... I know I was in school today. o:)

oooooo I'm frick!n exausted! I am so glad a vacation has just landed in my lap, cuz I could use it! When I get home from school I'm always so happy and bouncy and my host mom asks me, "so you had a good day at school today?"
me- no, not necessarily... im indifferent to school... no, I'm just happy to be 'home' and talking with my host mom!! o:) (!!!) It isn't at school where I learn most of my french, it is here with my family.

Last wednesday I was at the Carre (the square of bars in the center of liege) and I left with Jorja, 'fugly slut' (don't ask :D (!!)), zimmie, and two other girls and when we were walking through one of the safer parts of Liege we met up with this group of guys that started harassing us and following us... I'm not one to be intimidated by that; ive never been attacked or anything before, like what are they going to do, stab me in broad daylight in a mall? no I don't see that happening... so when we went into the Galleries Opera (mini mall) and they tried to follow us, I 'closed'(not very gently either) the big heavy glass door on one of them and, well, they wern't much nicer after that. They started to spit at us and one even burned my backpack with his cigarette!! C'mone! sh!t that is an expensive backpack buddy! pffff we finally lost them and made our way back to the less secure part of Liege (I was just hoping they would follow us into the carre cuz i know guys there and if they were still harassing us, they would get hit... that is fur sure.)

Yesterday I had to say goodbye to Jana, my German friend. Adri and I didn't even have time to go into Liege and get a little photo with her before she left!! And I realized that, wow that is going to be me in 3 months, saying my goodbyes and it is going to be soo hard. I wish I had done more with Jana while she was here, she became such a good friend to me and she was there when I didn't have anyone else and now she's gone!! Who is going to go with me on Wednesdays to the Carre with me!? =O I mean, I don't wanna overdramatize it or anything, she only lives two hours from me, and I'm so going to visit her in the second week of vacation at her house in Germany where we are going to have crazy wild parties (and I am going to have to learn German or speak in French) lol it is funny with us, an american girl and a german girl, together speaking French because I don't speak German and she doesn't speak English! :D

Tomorrow I change families. My new host family is the president of Rotary =O I hope he's not too strict on me, all I ask is the freedom to be able to go out and do things. I'm ruuuuuly sad about leaving this family I have right now... they are genuine... I love them sooo much. My french has gotten 10 times better since I've been with them. So tonight is my last night. I still ahve to pack my valises (not that I have that much to pack) but its just that... once my bags are packed, its more real. It says: "NOW I am ready to go." But I'm not ready to go. :( And my location is prime. I live about a hop skip and a jump from Jorja which could have been great if we had more time to get to know eachother.

My host family has become like my real family. I can communicate with them... express my feelings, and that changes a lot. That is the difference between this family and my first one. I wasn't a real 'person' to them... I didn't have the ability to express myself and therefore a lot of things went unsaid. With this family, I had great long discussions with my host mom and we learned a lot about eachother and our different cultures. Its great to be understood.

tonight when I was arranging the table I went to put my little clothe napkin back in the basket with the other ones, then I realized that I didn't need to because I wouldn't be eating dinner with them tomorrow night... Its just the little things like that that really get to me.

No plans thus far for vacation. Well yes and no. Wednesday I'm going into town with Jorja to do... "stuff" as long as my visa is working then.. who knows what I'll come home with. 'shopping' if you will. ;) Thursday I am going to Mastricht (holland) with a rotary member and then to see where his daugher works (because she is an architect and I want to be an architect... so that should be interesting) :) Next week some time I'm going to Jana's in Germany and... yup thats it. No big trips or anything planned. noppeee. I was trying to get Finn and some other peeps to go with me to Amsterdam but I don't think it will work because I will be with my new family and I can't see them just setting me free in Amsterdam... :(

10:30 tomorrow morning I change families so my next post will be all about my 3rd (temp. family cuz they are just for the vacation.)And now I will bring to a close my last post at 'chez PIETTE' and finally get started on packing my suitcases... it just can not be put off anylonger.

gros gros bisous a tout le monde!
-ciao

"Mass Confusion of the Little Mind"
Mood:  not sure
This weekend was a full one, with activities planned for each day... I like the weekends that way. Friday night was the birthday party for Eline (a girl in my class) and Adriana and I stayed there at the sall with a couple other people that night.

We had to be up early the next morning to do a "pie run" --> go to the boulangerie and get pastries to bring to adriana's first host families house. We ate breakfast with the Fayersons and then set out for Brussels with Adriana's first host mom to see the Exposition d'art at the art university where Marie works. I am one to make cute things... but when I go there and see beautiful, wonderful, amazing things, it really inspires me. ****poof**** look out: tracy is in artistic mode. eeeee. :p I have such an appreciation for art. I Love it. I want to run out and make things. No... not in Belgium... it is toooo expensive. :'( meeeeeeeehhhhh! I want to create things about frogs, sheep, and feet. lool! ;)

When I first got here, I was installed in an art class, but I didn't speak french very well and when they boosted me into the 11th grade, I had to drop it. I made one accomplishment while I was in there: a sketch of cliff from a photo I had. Adriana is keeping the sketch I drew of Cliff, when I first got here. It was a really great sketch ... but you know, sh!t happens. And she is giving me her big photo of her ex boyfriend also.. we are trading ex boyfriends, you see, because they both are just too beautiful (the photos) to throw away, but it hurts too much to appreciate them so we trade and now I can appreciate her beautiful ex boyfriend and she can enjoy mine! lol (dont ask :D)

And it just so happened that on Saturday (the day of the art expo.) it was also a huge manifestation in Brussels (The capital of Belgium, but also, more importantly, the capital of Europe (!!)) because they were protesting something. Me, being from the 'willy works of the world' had never ever seen anything like it in all of my upbringing... Adriana, though, was less than impressed. (Let me remind you, she is a Brazilian who is used to passing her time in Rio de Janeiro... can you say 'carnival' (!!!)) but for those less fortunate, like myself, it was a real sight to see; all the main roads were blocked off, police cars, vans, bikes, and such in hords at every corner, all the people marching down the streets with big flags and blaring loud music, chanting their protests. They just kept coming and kept coming... I didn't think it would ever end and I kept thinking that they were just going around the block and coming back around because I couldn't fathome the thought of a steady flow of so many people... (like in science class when they tell you space is infinite... no I will not believe it. Quantium physics style "light is lumpy"... c'mon I'm sure we can all relate) just honestly... Ive never seen anythingn like it. pfff lol et moi sans m' apperail de photo ou camera! merde alors!!!

Sunday I went to the most beautiful little village aupres de Namur... wow it was just incredible. There was a rotary meeting in Mozet (the pretty little villa) in a mini castle... there is a name for a mini castle: 'manoir' and I guess it was a bit of a retreit where certain students are asked to stay the whole weekend and talk with outbounds (students origionally from Belgium who are going to be exchange students) I was not one of the invited, therefore I only went on Sunday with my host family because Justine (my host sister) is going to be an outbound. (in Austrailia) AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE (((oi oi oi))) lol;)

But you know the sad thing is that I didn't even get any photos! I'm so torn about this. I must, absolutely must, go back. Get a video... something.

Yeah...I know, I know... * I experienced it and that is all that counts.* buuuut its good to put memories into pictures... share them in a way you can't share mental photos. You know, I saw the Buckingham Palace and didn't even take a photo!? Yeah so I saw it, but memories don't last forever. So now, I'm hoping mom is going to buy me a digital camera and send it back with the Fauquenoits. That would be ARCHIE COOL!!! ;) lol
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

strong

I change host families next saturday.

And I'm home today.

St. Patties Day
Mood:  lucky
HAPPY SAINT PATRICKS DAY EVERYONE!!!! No one wore green today and no one pinched anyone for not wearing green either... not very amusing...

thats all
-gros bisous

Spring time is finally here
Mood:  smelly
Spring time has finally arrived! (I say "finally" as if its June or something!) When in truth, it is super warm for a day in March. (when you read 'super'you have to think it like the french say it: 'souuuuupehhh' with the emphasis on the 'oup') Everyone came out of hiding and life way gay! :D!! Girls sporting t-shirts, tank tops, and skirts (actually the girls here wear skirts year round, mindless of the weather... I find myself saying "I wonder if she knows its cold out?" a lot) and guys without winter jackets; everyone eating icecream! Oh so great! It is funny because we had still some lingering snow on the ground, not more than 4 days ago. Then, as if someone threw a blanket over Belgium (check out Belgium on a map some time... my theory is that it is completly possible to blanket this country); it was spring time. The world just woke up one morning and flipped a switch; it was that dramatic.

And because today is Wednesday, school gets over at noon time and I got to go into town with Jana (pronounced Yana because it's German) to enjoy the beautiful weather. This is, sadly, her last week here in Belgium because she is only staying here for 3 months... and now her 3 months are drawing to an end... :( But I have to admit, that in the short time she has been here, her French has improved imensily. It has gotten 10 times better than when she first arrived. And that is, in essence, what she came here to learn. So bravo, Mission Accomplished!!

We made a tour around Liege, bought 2 waffles (with chocolate... oooOOOooo trop bon!!! ;D)I talked Jana into getting a piercing at StevePiercing (I am such a bad influence, I know; I'm not denying it... I'll be the first to admit it, actually!) She got that nub pierced that attaches your eat and the side of your face. then went for icecream! While we were eating our icecream a super hot guy came up to us and asked us where we bought it but of coarse as soon as a hot guy starts to talk to me, I forget all of my french. I mean... I could have said that it was too hard for me to explain but that we would show him because he's hott and we are exceptionally nice to hot guys... but alas, I didn't have the capacity... my vocabulary is shot when a cute guy enters the vacinity. pfff. lol :p c'est pas grave.

As we were finishing up with the icecream, Adriana comes out of no wheres, saying she was looking for Gustavo, but couldn't find him. So we compromised and went to EXPO to find a super
cute card for her brother back in Brazil who is turning... 16? maybe? While we were looking around there, we spotted Lewis, an exchange student from Venezuela and then Finn called. I went to the Corr to search for him and then brought him back to the center of Liege where Jana, Adriana, and Lewis were. We bee bopped around there for a bit, soaking up the sunshine (such a rare sight in Belgium... I have to stress this) Jana left around 4 and when we walked her to her bus stop we met up with two other girls from rotary. (one brazilian and one from... I forget where, but she speaks Spanish) so Adriana stepped aside and talked with the girl from Brazil in portuguese, Lewis was on my other side, talking to the other girl in Spanish, and Finn and I are in the middle, comparing lip gloss in English. Yes, we were a sight to see!! ;)

I had to leave at 5, but before I caught my bus home, our mini hord stopped in at FNAC (like a European version of Borders) so Adriana could see the price of the book, "Da Vinchi Code" a super good book that I am thinking about buying in French too. From there, we were not far from Delhaze (a supermarket) so Adriana, Finn, and I all went to Delhaze where Adriana picked up chocolate to send to her aunt in Portugal and then we made little sticker photos in the machine outside of the store!! Too cute! Check it out in my "And Ends" album. Its the one in black and white of Adriana, Finn and me! :D

Ok thats it... then I took the bus home!

And if you are curious about my last post on the 13th... no my host mom did not let me stay home on Monday! :( lol I will survive...

Tuesday night we ate couscous!! I was so excited to start eating, that I didn't wait for it to cool enough and burnt the tip of my tongue... then couldn't taste any thing for the rest of the meal!! yes... bravo... :p i know it!

Ok I'm pretty sure that is all the super cool things that I've done since the last time I wrote.

-ciao!