After 7 months in Belgium, you are becoming American
Mood:  a-ok
As requested in Adriana's reply to my last entry, I have to tell the story about the crazy gym teacher. She took us running all over Jupille, through the woods and such, and running and just not ever stopping. Adriana was dead tired and so Julie (a belge) and i stopped and walked with her. The prof. just took off with the rest of the class and when the 3of us came to a crossroads we just chose the closest to us, hoping it would be the right one. (Thanks to Julie, because if it were me, and my truely wonderful instincts, I would have taken a different route, and Adriana... even another.) And come to find out, skipping class wasn't so bad (mechante) because Adriana tells me that the teachers don't even look for me to see if im in class any more. It is april, and my year here finishes in a month or so, so it doesn't make much sense for them to try and hold onto me any more.

Ok now for what I have been up to the rest of this week. Last time I wrote was... Tuesday. I was a good girl and stayed in school the whole half day on wednesday then went into town to meet Vanessa Dannemark. She is a girl who studies in Verviers and in her English class, the teacher assigned them an email address of a person whose native language is English and they have to meet this person at least once and write a report about it. That was fun fun fun! We talked for a couple of hours over waffles. Her english is really good but because their teacher I guess is a quack, it has really turned her off to learning english. dommage. After my rendez-vous with Vanessa I headed to the carre but short story there, no hot guys (Or i should say no hot straight guys, so i headed out) leaving my long gray fuzzy scarf behind. That was terrible. I had to call I don't even know how many people before finding someone to retrieve it for me (merci beaucoup, Finnagin!) :)

Thursday I skipped the whole part of school after lunch because I have 3 hours of study hall and then English. Adriana and I walked to my house where we downloaded my photos and chilled. she had to go back home around 16h30 so her family would think she was in school (shh) lol. Thursday was a good day. The weather was nice. I think I got a lot accomplished. My host grandmother came from Tuesday evening until Friday night because my host dad left for DC and because my host mom works, someone needed to be there for when the children got home and such. So thursday afternoon she was there and she met Adriana.

In the mornings my host parents take all the kids to school. Usually it is my host dad but because he was in DC, my host mom took us. She doesn't work on Friday so we didn't have to leave a half hour early, as we do when Bernard takes us. So 5 minutes before school was about to begin we were all in the car on the way to school and my host mom randomly asks if we want to see the bunnies before school?

yeah!

My little host sister said "yeah, after school, right?"
host mom- oh! school is about to begin! ohwell thats not important.

So we take a side road that gets really bad in places, and is all muddy (things beginning to look like maine scenery) and driving really slowly we passed by all these wild rabbits that were in the fields and on the side of the road!! it was toooo cute!


Normally I would have gone to the American party in Charleroi that was on Friday night but it wasn't very well planned out on my part and friday afternoon I ditched the idea and went to Serena's house afterschool. (a belge) (MY ANGEL!! ;) ) My host dad got home from DC on Friday night and brought everyone presents. I got a cup that says "somone who loves me went to Washington DC and bought me this cup" awwwwww my host family loves me!!!! :D

Speaking of Washington DC. Tomorrow morning my mom (the one in maine) and Laurie fauquenoit are going to Washington DC to see my uncles who live in an appartement overlooking the whitehouse. sweeeet. I've never even been to DC!! Ths is really the best time to go also because the cherry blossoms are out. soo prtty (ive been told.)

Adriana came over Friday night and we worked on scrapbooking some photos. Mad fun, I know. Doesn't really compare to American party in Charleroi but ho well, that would have stressed my new host family and I don't want problems after only being here one week.

Its almost 11 and I'm not planning on skipping school tomorrow, so I better hit the sacks.
-ciao

Yesterday I was becoming a mother... today I'm becoming a father!
Mood:  surprised
Tuesdays are more or less not soo difficult. (directly after lunch I have 2 hours of Gym, then an English class) Since I just changed families I didn't have time to unpack my gym clothes so I just figured I'd sit out this day. The teacher said, "well we're just running today, can't you do that in jeans?" ... uh... sure. Usually the gym class is ultra easy, hardly anyone does anything and it is nothing compared to the competative level back in America. So when she says "running" she means jogging slowly around the block, non?

...non.

I thought I was going to die... not to mention I was all sweaty in good school clothes! errr. There were two other girls who didn't have their things with them but guess what, they got to stay behind and do nothing. Not in my case (Adriana's either)... we are exchange students, le prof, elle a envie de nous tue!! pffff.

Before I continue, I have to explain my school. It has one part that is really ancient brick and then attached to it a really modern looking building made of all glass and concrete... beautiful, I know... Surrounding it is a 12 foot brick wall and at the entrence is a metal gate that opens electronically by the people inside. Therefore making it almost impossible to excape. (climbing over the gate isn't a wise decision because there are metal spikes at the top to keep the students from excaping.) And having a student on the loose in Jupille is just terrible... I wonder what they would do... there is nothing to do. Jupille is just a suburb of Liege, but not iiiinnn Liege.

I realllly wanted to excape and not have to go to English class and science because... well... eww. I was all sweaty! There is an entrance to the school by the back that leads into the gymnasium but usually it has an alarm set. When our class returned from running all over the d@maned country side, the teacher opened the back door and set off the alarm.

(I'm American so when I hear something like that, I think that one of two things is about to happen to me. I'm about to get bombed or the police are going to come and shoot me.)

Once that was deactivated, I had my chance at freedom. I grabbed my bag and made an almost clean get away. It would have been perfect, but as I was walking home I ran into Olga, the Russian girl who is in my Science class. She asked a whole bunch of questions about why I was skipping Science but I don't think she mentioned it to the teacher afterwards.

I got home before anyone else (both my host parents were still working and my host siblings were in school) My house has two different codes that you need to use to get safely into the house. The first is the Gate code and the second is the house alarm. When my family explained it all to me I thought the house alarm was only set on the main entrance door so I entered by a side door, thinking I could side step that minor hassle. 5 minutes into my relaxation time an ultra loud siren started going off. So for the second time that day I was on the verge of running for cover. It took me another 5 minutes to find my paper with the code to disarm the thing. The rest of the day I was worried that the police would show up and arrest me. Thankfully it only sent a message to my host dads cell phone and not to the police. *phew*

When my host family got home, I spent the rest of the afternoon playing house with my little host sister. I was the father, she was the mother, and we had 3 kids (all of which, I decided, could speak in English.) So yesterday I thought I was becoming a mother and today I am becoming a father! pff. lol!

I must be becoming a mother
Mood:  surprised
oooOOOOoooo my. Where do I begin. I havn't updated in so long. Everything is forever changing changing changing. I am now with my 3rd and final *phew* host family.

This was the origional plan:
1st host family: DOR
2nd host family: DUCHESNE
3rd host family: BEX

Then because I had a minor tiff with the Dor family they changed my second family from Duchesne to Piette because the Duchesne family is good friends with the Dors.

So then it went:
1st host family: DOR
2nd host family: PIETTE
3rd host familiy: BEX

But for vacation the Piette family, Dor family, and Bex family were all going on vacations so I had to find a filler family just for the vacation. During vacation there was a death in the BEX family and they decided the couldn't host me.

Now it is officially:
1st host family: DOR
2nd host family: PIETTE
2 1/2 host family: Chez Guilleume et Michelle (I forget his last name)
3rd host family: DUCHESNE

Sunday was my last day with my 2 and a half host family. 2nd and 1/2 because I was only with them for the vacation (which is 2 weeks short) so they wern't really a host family, but they were a great host family... all at the same time; I think that deserves atleast a half a host family title.) That night my 2 1/2 host dad took me to my 3rd host family. I had all day to pack but somehow I just didn't seem to finish it so there is still stuff at his house... like my dvd player. lol.

I arrived here around 9 on Sunday night and my host brothers and sister were sleeping already. I had a cup of coffee with my new family and my 2 1/2 host dad before he left. In my new family I have 3 host brothers and one host sister. The oldest, Francois, is 10 (almost 11); Guilleume is 8, Charles is... 6 or 7, and Laura is 3 (and a half). Francois and Laura both have red hair so I could actually pass them off as being my real brother and sister. Charles has blonde hair and Guilleume has brown hair.

The house is huge! I'm almost tempted to ask for a map so I don't get lost! When I was staying with my 2 1/2 host family we would go driving a lot and whenever i saw a castle I would say "Chateau, Chateau!!" (Castle in French) because we don't have anything like that in Maine... or anywheres in USA. We are just too young. So it always surprised me when we would pass a big castle while driving aimlessly along the countryside. When my host dad took me to my 3rd host families house, I yelled "Chateau, Chateau!! oh no wait, that is just my new house." :p It was built ... a long time ago and it used to be a home for young girls who were orphaned during the second world war. Not a very happy story... I know. But anywyas that explains why the house is soooo big. Not big in the same sense as my last house where I got my own apartement, but in the sense that there are tons and tons of itsy bitsy rooms. I'll try to draw a map, scan it, and put it on my webpage. it is not even believable. My host parents are both doctors, I think. I know my host dad, Bernard, is an eye doctor, but I'm not sure what my host mom does. They are both really nice.

So today is my first full day here with the DUCHESNE family. This morning I woke up around 7 and my host dad took all 5 of us to school at 7:55. My house isn't very far from school and I can walk there (if I am motivated enough to do so... which today I wasnt because it was too cold) The school I go to (the Secondaire= highschool+ grades 7 and 8) is right across the road from the Premiere= elementary. All my host siblings go to the premiere but my host dad just drops us off in the parking lot and we disperse into our own respectful corners of the world. In the afternoon it was still too cold to walk home so I caught a ride with my new host dad when he was picking the 'petites' up at school.

And there in the living room (one of the 4) was the biggest damned bumble bee I've ever seen. "Charlies, Guilleume, viens!! vite!!"- come quick! The boys came running with fly swatters and I stood at a safe distance behind a door. But of coarse I videotaped it... I mean it was the first big thing I've done with my host siblings since I've been here! You can't just let something like that slip past you! The rest of the afternoon I spent outside with the brothers and sister. Being with them reminds me of being with Sisi, Collin, and Darrell. They are all just so cute!! Laura is especially similar to Sisi! Awww I miss my little neighbors.(I hope you guys aren't too old to play when I get back!!)

When Francois got home from school, he had a friend with him; Corentin. Yup, my first host brother from the Dor family. He was surprisingly plesant. Maybe not being in the same family any more has changed his mind about me... I'm not so bad. :) As soon as Francois walked through the door, he demanded (in a kind way) if I was happy to be staying here with them.

... of coarse. :)

When my host mom got home, we walked to the grocery store, which is right down the hill, not a 2 minute walk, with Charles and Laura. On the way Charles picked a dandilion and a purple flower and then gave the dandilion to me. I held on to that dandilion all through the store, mindlessly twirling it around in my hands and then as I was passing someone in one of the isles it occured to me... I must be becoming a mother or something! I was doing mom-like things. You know when you are young and you pick a handful of dandilions or whatever other weeds you can find, and present them to you mom and no matter how rediculous she looks, she will keep them right with her or put them in a vase for everyone to see. It doesn't matter to her if she looks foolish or not... Yah, that was me.

but you know it feels good to be accepted.

I have little brothers and a little sister now!! Hey hey they like me!! :D

Well that tis all for now. I'm gonna go try and scheme a cup of coffee off my host parents and maybe get the scanner up and running. I just got 2 films developed so I have plenty of photos, I just need to put them on the computer. Keep your eyes peeled for those.

-ciao

"Poisson d'Avril"
Mood:  surprised
Topic: Vacance de Paques
APRIL FOOLS DAY!!! Here it is called 'le poisson d'Avril' -the April fish because when someone plays a joke on you and you fall for it (when you are young) they put a paper fish on your back and you are the fish of April (or the fool of april, which is what it signifies)

Horray for summer in April!! It was 18?c today! I don't know what that is in Farhenheite but I know its warm and it was sunny and such a beautiful day! Really more like summer time than spring time.

Today was my day of recouperation (not that I've done thaaaat much, but sometimes its good to just chill.) I woke up around 10 and after breakfast I took the dogs for a walk with my host dad like usual. I took my video camera for I don't know what reason because im living in the country and it isnt like Ive never lived in the country before, lol this is more like home sweet home to me, but anyways...

Around noon I went into town to do the grocery shopping with my host mom and it was still sunny and nice when we got back so we ate lunch outside in the fresh air. While I was in town I picked up a magazine (in french of coarse) and after lunch I sat out in a lawn chair reading. Around 4:30-quarter to 5 my host dad had to go into town again to pick up Michelle from a doctors apointment and asked if I wanted to go. Why not? On the way home they surprised me with a visit to a castle!!! (because they know how crazy I am about the castles here.) I didn't have my camera with me because I didn't know that we were going sight seeing but they promised that we could come back. It was pretty big, with a mote around it and a big garden in front and to the side of it. We wern't allowed to walk around inside the castle because it was used primarily for gatherings like with schools or churches or such so we made a tour around the gardens outside. It was still sunny and warm and I can't wait to go back, maybe with Adriana.

There is a playground too, for the little kids and there was a big slide set up that was reeeeeaaaaalllllllly long and steep... it looked just like the one at the brooks park back in maine, only longer (with the sand pit at the bottom and everything so that your kids dont get hurt when they get launched off at the end) lol! ?sigh? boy don't I miss red neck parks like brooks (not even joking) :)

Then we made another stop before returning home at another castle, but it was privately owned so we couldn't go in. Imaging privately owning a castle...?sigh? "yeah just adding to my collection, another castle in Belgium." And who cleans their house for them?! lol this gives a whole new meaning to "Yuppie Sight Seeing"; Camden will never seem the same again :p

for dinner we had couscous!!! And to everyones surprise, I burnt my tongue... again!!! This is becoming a ritual or something, pfff. I love couscous sooo much but then I can never taste anything after that for atleast 2 weeks. lol

humm I guess that is all the adventure that has happened to me in the last 24 hours... and on my 'day off' none the less.

Oh wait, I broke my pen today. Yup, this is dramatic. I just... I can not believe it. My good 15 euro fountain pen. I've had that pen since the week I got here... it was a warrior, like me. We've been through everything together, me and that pen. So tomorrow I'm going into town to buy a new one... well I can't stay in mourning forever. I needed a reason to buy some anyways because we don't have pens like this in America.

ok yup that is all.

-ciao

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!