Last Day in Brussels =[

Wow. I can't believe it. Four months. Sixteen weeks. Over. And with it? One of the most incredible experiences I think I've ever had.  Tomorrow will be my deep reflection on the relationships and experiences I've had, since I'm leaving at 7 tomorrow morning and it's already late.  For now, just what I did today.

I woke up earlyish and cleaned most of the apartment. Frederique was supposed to come at 10:30, but came at 11:30 to check everything and make sure it was good for us to move out.  We cleaned and mopped and rearranged and now everything is ready for us to leave. 

I skipped the first half of finance class since we were cleaning, but then I went and got my test and final grade - a B! Several people failed, and more than a couple 4.0 GPA's were ruined.  I was happy.  Then we learned about personal finance and managing portfolios and how we should decide to invest.  It was the most useful, applicable thing I think I've learned all semester...

After class, I went back to Grand Place one last time for a few last minute gifts with Jackie before taking my very last metro ride back to the apartment.  Oh, and I also got my last waffle. It was sad. =[

Then I did random things until we had our CUBC dinner.  It was really, really good. Possibly my best meal in Belgium... at least non-kebapy meal.  We had delicious appetizers - rolls and white asparagus and prosciutto-wrapped melon that was incredible.  Then we had chicken and this weird lasagna thing along with potatoes and zucchini.  For dessert, there were a multitude of pies and cakes, along with luscious fresh strawberries.  I had banana cream and it was so good.

During dinner, we all talked and I ended up next to Prof Mowry and Eric (our finance teacher) and Christian, who runs the CUBC.  We talked a lot and it was really interesting. 

After dinner, we took a lot of photos and then a bunch of people came over to the apartment.  We played beer pong with water (everyone already had brought their own) and read Cosmo (there was one guy we were interrogating) and listened/danced to music.  It was a lot of fun.  After a while, everyone went out to celebrate the last night.  I stayed in for my early flight, so I've said goodbye to everyone and will see them at Clemson. 

So now I should probably go to bed. Early flight and I'll be home in less than 24 hours. 

Goodnight, world.

Second to last =[

Well. Today was fun. =]

It started off with House, followed by studying for and taking a law test.  It wasn't bad and everyone was just excited for the year to be over.  I also packed and managed to get my three suitcases all perfectly 23 kilos (50 pounds).  Whatever's not in them is either being worn or going in my carry-on.

Then I went to Grand Place with Elena, Erin and Brinley and got some cool gifts and delicious ice cream.  Brinley and I really talked for a long time before heading back to our apartment for a bit. 

I met up with Erin and Elena for kebaps (the last in Brussels) before meeting up with a whole bunch of people at Delirium.  We had a drink (mine was speculoos - yuck) with our law professor before going over to Booze and Blues.  Whoever came up with that name was very funny.  It's nearly impossible to say if you're not sober, but it does make for a lot of comical mispronunciations.  Anyways, we hung out there for a while and then headed back to Delirium since a couple of us wanted to do DAS BOOT!

Jackie, Michele, Katie, Kyle and I ended up doing the boot; mine was apple beer.  I thought it was appropriate as the first beer I had was also my last.  DAS BOOT! is the Delirium special - 1.5 liters in a real glass boot.  It wasn't bad, and by the time we'd finished, everyone else had shown up.  There were a bunch of people and we had a lot of fun.

Kristen and I came home early and now it's time for bed.  I can't believe tomorrow is my last night; that tomorrow is my last day. It's astounding. I'm excited to go home, but sad to leave Europe (not Brussels, Europe) and all the traveling and new things that I see every day and every weekend.  It will be weird to be home, but I know I will enjoy it.


Goodnight, world.

Tuesday, Tuesday (da da, da da da, da da)

I always said Tuesdays were the worst day of the week.  Except for this one.

This morning I went over to Jackie's and talked for a long time under the cover of weighing my suitcase.  I'm now checking three bags.  THREE. Plus two carry-ons. Five bags total. Wow. 

Anyways, after talking, I studied finance before taking the finance final.  Apparently I didn't fail it, but I won't know how I did til Thursday. 

After the test, I got a waffle and headed over to the Musical Instrument Museum, which was really interesting.  You got a pair of headphones and walked around looked at a whole bunch of really old instruments while you listened to the music they make.  I really enjoyed it.  The harpsichords and violins and fifes and drums and brass and wind instruments were all incredible.  So old and so detailed.  It was a lot of fun.

Then I went to Grand Place and got some gifts before getting frites with curry ketchup (yum, yum).  I came back to the apartment, attempted to watch House, read Cosmo and "studied"/had fun with Kristen, Sam and Jackie, all of whom I will miss dearly when I leave Brussels.  That is, along with Kristin and Elena and Brinley and Kyle and Josh and everyone else.  Our studying was mostly laughter, but we did get through a fair amount.  Law test tomorrow and then I'm done. Wow.

Goodnight, world.

Productive Monday

Well. Today I got up and took a finance test first thing.  I didn't do too badly on it.  Then I went to law class, where we finished our last day of learning, before going over to Eric's office to pick up our finance tests.

Oh, I also went to the post office, talked to my parents, had some ramen, packed four times and took a pointless management test.  I had some weird chicken nuggets for dinner.  I have so much food, it's ridiculous. There's no way I can finish it in the next 83 hours...

Anyways, I promise I will do a grocery store post before I leave, but not tonight.  It's time for a shower and bed.

Goodnight, world.

Sleepy Sunday

Well, I did absolutely nothing today, and I don't feel well, so the grocery store post will (continue to) have to wait.

I woke up around 9, had breakfast, read some law, was asleep by 10 or 10:30, slept til 2:30 or 3, had delicious lunch of cucumber and tuna salad (a new creation I've had for the past couple of weeks) with leftover mac and cheese and then sat down on the couch, drifting in and out of sleep and feeling really strange.  I don't know what's wrong, but I just feel restless but also carefree. Also slightly sick. 

Anyways, Sam's friend Jenna is here for the week, three girls left, and two leave tomorrow.  Apparently there was some sort of to-do this morning when the three girls got back at 3AM because one of them had been roofied and was passed out.  She missed her flight, but took the next one out.  They flew Ryan Air from Italy, so it wasn't a very big deal. 

Tonight will be an early night since I don't feel well.  Tomorrow I have a finance test and law class.  Last minute errands and some shopping, too.  Then my management final.  Tuesday I want to go to the music museum before my finance final, then Wednesday is my law test.  Thursday is my last day, with a big dinner at CUBC and then everyone's coming here to party all night.  Then my flight out on Friday morning and I'll be home in 120 hours from right now. Wow.

Goodnight, world.

Saturday in the Park

Well. Today was fun.

I woke up, took a shower and then went to the "park" which is Montgomery circle and read my law book and made flower chains.  Then I came back and promptly fell asleep upon continuing to read my law book.

Sam woke me up about 2 to go to the rugby match, which was AWESOME.  We met Jackie, Erin, Elena, and Sarah in the metro and then met James, Brittany, Grace, Kirby, Joel, Brendan and Brinley at the game. 

It was really interesting, but don't ask me how you play.  It was confusing and we decided it was the most masculine sport ever.  There were some really cool things, like lifting people up, but then there was a 15 minute fight that wasn't stopped while the game continued.  We had all chosen guys to be "ours" during the game, and my guy's eye pretty much was swollen shut by the end of the game from how bad his black eye was.

At the end of the game, all the players were by our end of the field and the Belgian fans were mocking the Polish (who had lost terribly) and so one of the Polish players came up to the fence and some guy headbutted him.  We were all in shock.  The Polish player's forehead was dripping blood, and the guy was basically thrown out of the stadium.

After all this, everyone went out onto the field to get autographs and take pictures and talk with the players.  It was pretty cool.  Then we all headed home.  I watched RENT and did a little homework, talked to some friends for a long time, and now it's time for bed.

Goodnight, world.

Final Friday

Wow. Last Friday in Brussels. I should have done more with it.

I woke up, went running, bought two boxes to ship home (once filled, of course), went to the grocery store and then came home.  Kristen and her friends were up so we talked for a while before I showered. 

Then I packed.  I fit everything into two extra-large boxes to ship, my big suitcase, my big backpack, my carry-on and my giant purse.  Wow.  I don't know how I did it and I really hope I can re-do it next week when I'm actually leaving. 

Then I went to the grocery store with one of Kristen's friends, who was going to make dinner for us all, killed some time and ended up going out to dinner at the local ChiChi's (called the "Tex-Mex Restaurant") where I had a wonderful quesadilla, a really bad pina colada (gave away) and an ok strawberry-banana margarita.  It was a lot of fun.  Twelve people or so were there, and we all had a good time.

We sat outside because, now that we're leaving, it's finally pretty in Brussels. These two little boys kept coming over and screaming and being crazy and it was funny for the first ten minutes or so.  They were imitating animals and riding their bikes into walls and generally being silly.

After dinner, Sam and I came back to the apartment while everyone else went out.  We're both tired and have things to do, so we didn't feel like going out.  We talked for a long time and now she's taking a shower.  It's hard to get a hot one with eight people staying here.  Ally comes tomorrow for a night, Jenna comes Sunday (both friends of Sam) and all of Kristen's friends leave Monday.  It'll be a busy weekend.

Tomorrow is the long-awaited grocery store post. I'm not sure if I can really give it justice after having gotten so used to it, but I'll try my best.  Otherwise, I'm studying and exploring.  Probably studying in the park, and when I get bored, I'll walk around.  Oh, and a rugby game at 4.  Should be fun, and interesting.

Goodnight, world.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-

-eekend. Finally.

Finance test returned and reviewed, management test done, grocery and book store visited, packing started. Now just four more tests to study for - finance retest and my management final Monday, finance final Tuesday and law final Wednesday.  Thursday is to pack and relax and I'm home on Friday.  Whew.

Wait. What?

What just happened to the past four months of my life? Seriously? Are they over? They can't be. Wow. What a year.

In the past twelve months, I have: taken seven AP exams, gotten into and gone to college, worked two jobs, taught an autistic child how to swim, graduated, moved out of my home, reinvolved myself with Marion and Inge, driven back and forth to Clemson, gone to three surprise parties, completed two semesters of college, lived in Europe, traveled to twenty-four cities (at least), been to New York City for the first time, learned German, gone sailing, gotten drunk, raced on the college level, taken a train, seen a whole lot, kissed, loved, missed, taken an online class, watched Lord of the Rings, read a whole bunch of books, tasted a space cake, eaten Chinese, made dinner for friends, lived with roommates and been on my own.  And a million other things.  Sheesh.

I'll be nineteen in just about a month.  I'll be a junior in college with only two years left in a week.  It's scary yet amazing how much life changes in a year - just think what it will be like in a year from now.  I'll be twenty.  No. I don't want to think about that. 

I was talking to a friend today and I said that I regretted some of the things I've done in the past semester.  He made me correct myself.  I don't regret things, I've learned what not to do in the most meaningful way possible.  By wasting time on them.  This year has been intense.  Not only getting to know Marion and Inge, but getting to know myself, test my own limits, see who my real friends are and who's only there from convenience.

Living in a foreign country has been eye-opening, for sure.  The escalators that only work from pressure pads and motion detection.  The roundabouts.  The SNOW.  The food, the smells (oh, gosh the smells), the cobblestone streets.  The metro (oh, how I'll miss public transportation).  The tourists now that it's warm(ish).  The way Belgians can be jerks.  The cars.  The heaters (or lack thereof). Everything is different. 

And yet it's so similar. 

There are friendly people.  There are foods you recognize (like fruit - I have my Florida grapefruit every morning).  There is sunshine and the same people you see jogging every day.  There's clouds, most of the time, but there's thunderstorms.  No humidity, but rain.  Dandelions and the same pretty weeds. 

The songs on my ipod are the same, but the route I run has hills.  The food I cook is the same, but the kitchen and recipes are in metric and Celsius.  Once upon a time, I thought of Europe as this far-away play land, where people were old fashioned and so different.  The buildings might be old, but the population is young.  Technology is everywhere.  You have fast-food places run out of old stone buildings, pubs and modern restaurants in buildings hundreds of years old.  It's so cool.

Being in Europe has been a ton of fun, and I'm sure that my posts in the next week will be redundant, but I want to write down every detail so I don't forget when I go home.  I'm glad I got to be a student in Brussels, with the opportunity to travel every weekend and see all that I've seen.  To have studied here has really made me realize how limited we are when it comes to culture in the States.  Yes, it's a "melting pot" but here you're really immersed in it.  Spain, Ireland, England, Germany, France, Israel, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, and of course Belgium have all been interesting and different.  I enjoyed traveling and learning and I can't wait to explore other parts of the world, as well as one day come back. 

Goodnight, world.

A Wednesday...

Without Wednesday Night Dinner?!? How is that possible?

Well, today I didn't get up and go running like I said I would because it was much too cold.  So I studied instead, went to law class, gave my speech and tried to take my management test.

Law was interesting, as usual.  Did well on my test.  Speech was awful and I don't know why.  Didn't practice or have the enthusiasm I normally do.  Management was confusing because it wasn't posted until two hours late because of some virus.  Didn't do it yet, but have time to study again.

Then I came back and watched half of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the original, good one) and talked to friends.

Now it's time for bed.

Goodnight, world.

Reflections

Wow. It's nearly down to a week. I have one test left for each of my classes. 

It's been really great to be here in Europe and I know there will be so many things that I miss.  Taking public transport, being able to walk, the grocery stores being small and eco-friendly, the food, speculoos, the chocolate, the waffles, the certain people I see all the time, the awesome apartment, my roommates, having roommates, being completely independent and free, being able to travel every weekend and at the drop of a hat, and making my own schedule will all be things I miss. 

It's weird, because I know I missed things (and I still miss things) from home, but most of those "things" are people.  Not all of course, since I miss my car and my cats and sailing and people on the street speaking English and measuring things in English measurements (though that might be just because I'm used to them), but I also miss all my friends and family and everyone back home. 

I guess it's not that weird when you think about it, because I have lived here for four months and I've really gotten used to it.  I enjoy it.  Brussels still isn't my favorite place on the list, but by no means was it horrendous.  It's a really great city for students (i.e. you don't ever do anything in the actual city) because it's small and easy to navigate.  In all actuality, I haven't explored Brussels as much as other cities, so that's my goal for this weekend. To go get lost, take my metro pass and my camera with me and really see Brussels. 

Anyways, today I went on a run to clear my head before class, where we reviewed and took a test.  Hopefully I won't have to take the retest, but we'll see in less than 48 hours.  Tomorrow I have law class, my last speech and a management test.  And then a whole bunch of people are going out.  I don't know if I'll go with them - it depends on where they go. 

After class I talked to people and watched a couple movies and studied a tiny bit. Oh, and rewrote my speech five times. But now I think it's right.

I'm going to finish Phantom and then go to bed early.

Goodnight, world.

Quick Post

Because nothing eventful happened today in Brussels. Surprise.

I did get to talk to my awesome parents, who made Life Masters with points in duplicate bridge last week during their stay in Gatlinberg.  That's something like 500 points, and you get fractions of a point for a day of bridge.

Anyways, I studied and took a law test and watched Pirate Radio, which was very good.  Lots of good music.  I also studied a bit for finance and helped Elena with some problems.

Now it's time for bed.

Goodnight, world.

Work, Work, Work

First off, ONE HUNDRED POSTS!?!?! Sheesh.  Makes me realize how long I've been here - and how little time I have left (hopefully).

Today I went on a long run, found some closer grocery stores, got some weird looks for running, and did lots and lots of homework for my three tests, project and speech due this week.

In between all this fun, I was checking email and news and blogs and whatnot and I seemed to run across the volcano issue a lot.  Anyways.  This volcano Eyjafjallajökull-Fimmvörduháls (yes, it does look like someone threw up on a keyboard, and no, I can't say it) in Iceland started erupting a couple of months ago, but a great big ash cloud exploded on Thursday, canceling all flights in all the different countries.  You know all this.  But the thing is, IT'S STILL ERUPTING. 

They say that it may keep erupting for up to TWO YEARS.  Of course, they've cleared some flights, but most international flights out of Brussels (to the US) are canceled (though the ones coming here are fine...) and London has been and will be closed for a WEEK.  London.  The big international airports. The little ones. All of them.  The airlines are losing over $200 million A DAY.  Some airports have reopened, but not very many, and not very many for long-distance flights.  I don't know how they're going to get everyone home and I hope they have my flight and don't bump me for someone who was supposed to be back in the States yesterday.

The biggest problem is that they don't know when it'll be over. The glacier causes more ash than normal volcanoes produce, and it's a different, more dangerous type of ash.

But we made plans if we can't fly home.  Some have friends and relatives in London/Germany/Spain/Italy and will kick it with them until the skies are clear enough.  Some decided Africa seems like a cool place and will go to Egypt.  I personally wouldn't mind heading over to Israel on a Mediterranean Cruise.  Or maybe do the Greek Islands.  But the best thing, I think (though all these are pretty cool) would be to take the train to London to take the trans-Atlantic cruise that leaves May 15.. It's six days and we'd be able to actually do something with our summers. 

Which leads me to another potential problem this stupid volcano could cause: A lot of people have interviews and internships and jobs and things that start the week we get back.  One friend (who was majorly screwed because he couldn't go to Edinburgh) would be even more upset because his internship starts May 10th and he can't graduate without it.  So many people wouldn't have jobs this summer and so many more would miss other opportunities. 

Basically this volcano sucks.  Especially if it erupts any more.  A lot of people have had "allergies" due to the ash, which we can't really see and don't notice because the past week has been the first week of sun all semester.  Oh, and today was the first day it was actually warm (as in you don't need a jacket).

So. Volcano, please stop.  It's finally sunny in Brussels.  I'm only here for two more weeks. This week has too many tests. And now it's time for bed. Or at least a movie to fall asleep to.

Goodnight, world.

Friday Fun and Saturday Work

So this is being posted late because yesterday was lots of fun. 

I woke up sortof early and went on a nice run.  It was my usual route, but on the way back I decided to go exploring.  So I wandered around for about an hour, finding the really good grocery store and this awesome building that was actually a college.  It was really cool.

Then I got back and had lunch and did homework the rest of the day.  And then Elena and Jackie came over at about 10 because Sam and Kristen had said they would go out with them.  Both were already in bed, so I went.  It was a lot of fun.  We went to Celtica, which had awesome music.  We danced and sang and generally had a good time. 

Some of the guys from our program were there, unintentionally.  We said hello, but really didn't talk or hang out.  They left before us for Delirium.  Jackie and I really wanted to be home on the metro, which closes at 12:30, so we left Celtica at 12ish to take Elena over, as well as these British guys we met.  We couldn't find the guys to leave Elena with, so we tried to take her to the metro with us, but she refused.  She did end up meeting up with them.  Jackie and I made the metro and got home about 1.  I fell immediately to sleep.

Then today I woke up at 12:20 or so and had a nice breakfast before sitting down to homework.  I took a nice shower and homework is nearly done.  Now for dinner and more homework.  I'm watching Fiddler on the Roof for a break and then finishing all of my projects.

Toodle-oo.

Being Sick...

Is not very much fun. So early to bed tonite.

I got up in time to take a shower and eat before class, went to class, where we finished our "learning" for finance (haha, my book arrived today) and everyone found out that because of the volcano erupting under the glacier Eyjafjallajokull, all flights were canceled. Kristin and Sarah are already in Stockholm, and they don't know if they'll be able to get back on Monday, but all flights in the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland. Funny thing is, Iceland hasn't closed ANY airports...

These cancellations mean that pretty much everyone who was traveling isn't anymore.  Including Sam, who was going to Scotland with Josh and Kyle.  They had booked golf reservations for $200 a piece, nonrefundable, and can't go.  Needless to say, there are a lot of unhappy people.  

After class, I went to the grocery store with Sam and then did some homework, started my projects, and caught up on the tv I've missed (namely In Plain Sight and Criminal Minds).  Oh, and I did a workout dance thing because I was going to go running but my knees hurt too badly to even hardly walk. 


I'm super tired and really not feeling well, so I'm going to put in Fiddler on the Roof and fall asleep.


Goodnight, world.

Wednesday Night Fun

Wheeeeeeeeee. I'm hyper.

Marion is gone, I made Asian chicken pot pie for four, law was kindof interesting and we shared a bottle of bubbly with baked nutella after dinner.

But let me actually tell you the story.

This morning I woke up way late and had breakfast with Nigel and Marion.  I had oatmeal with raisins and a banana with tea.  Then we talked for a bit before they left for a museum and I went to class.  Marion wanted to see some artist, but they had closed the museum or something, but I'm not really sure what happened.

Anyways, class was super short and we finished the material for our next class, so I came home and had a BLT with cheese for lunch, along with an orange and yogurt.  It was very good.  Then Marion and Nigel got back to pick up their things - they're driving back to Zurich tomorrow after spending the night in Luxembourg.  They enjoyed their stay, or at least said they did.  Marion was her normal self and Nigel was just as humorous as ever.  It was fun.

Then I went to the grocery store - two actually - to get things for dinner.  I made Asian chicken pot pie, and when I got back, Jackie was here, but no one else was.  Turned out they had all bailed.  But everyone liked dinner and I made baked nutella with the leftover pie crust (it was actually more like filo dough) and that was very tasty.  Nigel had brought a bottle of bubbly, so we shared that with dinner and dessert and we all had a good time.  We talked for a while and now Jackie and Kristen are watching The Office.  Sam is getting ready for this weekend (Scotland) and I don't yet know what I'm doing.  Probably finally read this last chapter for law and then watching a movie since I have all weekend.  Nothing really interesting.

So on that note,

Goodnight, world.

What a day...

Well, this morning I woke up lateish to a breakfast prepared by Marion and Nigel.  I soon left for a NATO-Parliamentary Assembly thing for law, which was actually pretty interesting.

NATO is obviously the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, but the NATO-PA is what we visited today.  While they work with NATO, it is actually something separate, with basically a collection of congressmen and parliamentary figures who get together to actually solve the world's problems.  Though the guys who talked today both claimed they were liberal, there was general consensus among the Republicans who attended that he should run for president.  Overall, the lecture was really interesting, and I'm glad I went, even if I was a little late.

Then I went over to CUBC for finance class, which was just delightful.  Eric really is a wonderful person, but he can't teach.  We whipped through slides, missed so much, everyone was confused, and all he said was, "This is so easy." I was literally laughed at when I asked him to go through an example. I wasn't the only one who got that response, either.  He finds it amusing that we don't understand and, instead of helping, tells us to read the book or ask someone else.  We did a problem which was "super easy" but he couldn't even give us the right formulas or figure out the answer.

Then I came back to the apartment and took a shower before Marion and Nigel got back from MiniEurope, where Sam had suggested they go.  They did greatly enjoy it.  We had tea and brownies before they left to wander some more and I did "homework"...

We met at 8 for dinner, and tonite we had Chinese.  I had wonton soup and sweet and sour pork, which wasn't bad.  Dinner lasted a long time and we got back about 11.

When we got back, I asked if anything exciting happened - well, the answer was yes.  And we had missed it by about 15 minutes.  Kristen had gone out to dinner with a whole bunch of people for someone's 20th birthday and came back early since they were all going out to drink and she doesn't.  So it was pretty early and we've gotten back much later.  But two guys mugged her outside our apartment! Literally on our doorstep. She screamed and Sam heard her from the 3rd floor (4th if you count the American way).  A car pulled up and honked and shined their lights at the guys, but Kristen didn't get a good look.  She was shaking too much to even get the key in the door even though she was standing right there and had it out.  She did get in,  and she was fine and nothing was taken, but she's shaken up a bit.  I think we all are.  Sam and I have been pretty confident about going out and stuff, and we're in a really good part of town, so it's surprising and worrying.  We'll just be extra careful from now on.

After that, there isn't much else to say.  Just homework and bed.

Goodnight, world.

Quick Note

Gabe's post on the Red Light District is up.  Posted on the "right" day under the title "I AMsterdam".

Enjoy =]

Back to Real Life

Wah. I want it to be last week again... Minus a few select people.

Anyways, I woke up this morning, had some breakfast, read some of my text book, cleaned and made a delicious cheesy BLT and went to law.  I cleaned up everything to make room for Marion and Nigel, who got here about 4.

Law was ok, pretty much the usual, and then I stayed a bit to go over my test and study and stuff. Then I came back and did some more work until Nigel and Marion got here.  They stayed for a bit before going out - I have a lot of work to do, so I stayed behind and did some work before meeting them for dinner at 8. 

We went to a little restaurant off the galerie, where I had some delicious mussels and tomato soup (separate, of course).  Afterwards, we got ice cream (mmmm citron) and headed back.  It's late and I have a lot to do tomorrow, so time for bed.  I'm sleeping on the couch.

Goodnight, world.

All Caught Up

Wow. It's been an incredible ten days.  I'm sad that they're over.  Having Gabe here and traveling with him was a blast and I'm sorry that he had to leave this morning.

We got up early and had breakfast before catching a taxi to the airport.  It turned out that we got there pretty early and there wasn't a line, so we sat in the cafe for a bit before he had to go through security.  I miss him already, but I'll be home in three weeks.

Three weeks.

This program was sixteen weeks. There are three left.  What happened? How? I can't believe how fast it's passed.  It simultaneously feels like I've been here forever but also like I was at Magnet yesterday.  I graduated nearly a year ago.  And this summer will be here in three weeks, and then two years left of college and I'm just going to stop because I don't want to think about it.  I think I finally understand the phrase, "Carpe diem."

So let's review, now that I'm staying in Brussels for the rest of my study abroad:

Brussels, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Zurich, Venice, Lido, Madrid, Toledo, Barcelona, Bruges, Dublin, Howthe, Birmingham, London, Paris, Charleston, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Nahariyya, Ginosar, Abu Gosh, Tiberius, and Amsterdam.

Twenty-four in thirteen weeks. Wow.  Five weekends out of fifteen spent in Brussels... That seems like a lot, but only because they were so spaced out.  Now, to rank them:

Tel Aviv, Ginosar, Jerusalem, Nahariyya, Tiberius, Howthe, Haifa, Dublin, Charleston, Abu Gosh, Venice, Barcelona, Zurich, Madrid, Birmingham, Amsterdam, Lido, Dusseldorf, London, Paris, Toledo, Bruges, Cologne, Brussels

(This is how it was last time I ranked them: Howth > Dublin > Venice > Charleston > Barcelona > London > Madrid > Zurich > Rockland > New York City > New Orleans/Baton Rouge > Cologne > Bruge > Toledo >Dusseldorf > Brussels)

Anyways.  After the airport, I came back to the apartment and did homework, took a shower, did some laundry, had a BLT for lunch and procrastinated.  Also, all pictures are up and tagged and commented and everything and (if you couldn't already tell) I updated my blog to include everything and catch up.  This week and next should be busy with lots of homework and tests.  Marion and Nigel come tomorrow afternoon, too.

But now it's time to actually do work.  Homework and reading. Tests next week. 

Goodnight, world.

Relaxing Saturday

Well, this morning we slept in before eating a yummy breakfast of eggs, toast and bacon (thanks, Dad =] it is really good).  Then we headed to the grocery store. 

We went to the Colruyt to see what they had and if there was anything interesting that Gabe wanted to take home.  We had gone to the GB, so we knew of some things he wanted, but we found some others.  Not everything we wanted was there, so we did end up going back to the GB, and I hope that he and everyone he shares with enjoys it.

We packed when we got back, and both suitcases came out perfectly.  I owe a huge thank you to Gabe for taking so much stuff back with him.  I honestly don't know how I would have gotten everything back without him.  I don't even know how I'm going to get it all home now... I have to go to the post office soon, though, but we'll see how much I have to ship.

Then we went down to Grand Place, where we got frites with curry ketchup, which was very tasty.  We enjoyed walking around and watching the people.  Gabe remarked that the biggest difference between Brussels and Charleston is that none of the tourists here smile.  I'd never noticed, but I guess it contributes a lot to the overall feel of Belgium.  There were also a ton of tourists.

We had dinner at the same restaurant the program ate at the first night, and we both had delicious vol-au-vent.  Gabe enjoyed a Tongerlo beer and I had a Mystic Cranberry Raspberry.  Afterwards, we each got waffles (white chocolate/dolce de leche for him and chocolate and strawberries for me) and returned to the apartment.

We're going to watch a movie, but most likely we'll fall asleep.  Ten days flew by and I can't believe Gabe is leaving tomorrow morning. =[ It's been a ton of fun.  I asked him today what was most interesting about the trip, and he said that it was Israel being as modern and cosmopolitan as it was.  I guess I'd have to agree, but I don't feel I was as surprised.  We'd both recommend visiting Israel to anyone and everyone.

Goodnight, world.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam was awesome. We didn't do very much, but it was a very nice day.

First we slept in a bit and got up at 10 to have breakfast on the boat and packed and everything.  Then we headed over to the Anne Frank house.  We were running a bit behind, and had meant to meet Sam and Kristin, but got there as they got out.  The line was long, but definitely worth it.  It was a lot bigger than we both thought, but it was interesting to see everything.  They left everything just as it had been, and I really enjoyed reading all about it. 

Then we headed up the canal towards the flower market. After walking through it, we went to the Heineken Brewery.  The flower market was incredible and the flowers were so pretty.  Tulips, calla lilies, orchids, every flower imaginable.  The canals were nice, and Amsterdam reminded me of Venice, except with less clothes, more drugs, cars and millions of bicycles. 

At the Heineken, we saw a lot of awesome things.  It was much more interactive than the Guinness, with rides and commercials and milling and tasting and everything.  Very fun.  They had a lot of interesting exhibits, I guess you would call them.

Afterwards, we walked over to the zoo.  It was getting kindof late, so we only had an hour or so, but we thought it would be fun.  And then we found out it was nearly 20 euro to get in, so we sat on the bench outside for a while and just talked and relaxed for a bit. We called Sam and they were in the Red Light District and were headed for the train soon.  So we walked through the main market and saw some interesting things.  Gabe nearly got his trench coat, but they didn't have the right size.  The tee shirts were interesting, and mostly crude, but they had some other cute things.

We had planned to take the 8:54 train, because that was the last one, but they go every hour from Amsterdam to Brussels, so we weren't worried when we didn't really feel we had anything left to do at 6 or so.  After going back to the hostel to get our bag, we met Sam, Kristin and Grace for dinner across the street from the train station, near the Red Light District.  Gabe had soup and a burrito while I had salad and fish and chips.  It was very good.  We shared a coffee and ice cream before grabbing the 7:54 train with everyone.  They hadn't eaten, but grabbed Burger King before getting on the train.  I fell asleep and now we're home, going to just relax for the night. 

Goodnight, world.

I AMsterdam: A Guest Post

Wow. First of all, an apology to everyone who reads - we've been a little busy between traveling and sight seeing.

So here's the story on this post: Gabe wrote a fantastic account of what we did after class and Thursday night.  I wrote up to the train, and he wrote all about the Red Light District and dinner and our hostel and everything.  And I wrote Friday.  But my computer is dumb and killed the whole post, so he's re-writing it when he gets home (which is in a few hours) and then I'll repost it.  Sorry.  In the meantime, you can see what else we did.

UPDATE: Here it is:

So, the train was delayed. Basically that means we had to get out of the train at the airport and take another one to the Central station. Together with a 16-or-so-year-old French girl, we got out and waited at the designated platform for our train. However, due to some error, the train was 5 minutes late, and due to arrive on another platform. With an ever quick French eye and lack of faith in foreigners who dont speak her language, the French girl declared that we should move stations to the one where our train happened to arrive.

Making the connection and finally arriving to our station of destination, we walked outside and were amazed. Partially we were amazed due to the amazing architecture of the actual station, it was basically a palace surrounded by canals. Most of our amazement, however, was derived from the thousands upon thousands of bicycles.

They were everywhere; attached to all the railings, parked in stacks and piles on a parking deck, and being driven by hundreds of people. The roads were fertile with bike tracks. Even when there was no road or sidewalk there was always a bike trail.

After some confusion, we made our way towards the docks and our hostel - yes, that's right; our hostel was a boat on a dock. It was pretty nice.

To get to it we walked on the edge of the red light district and past a cartoony-old ship that turned out to be the Maritime Museum. The lady in charge was really nice and helpful, and also really obviously high. The room had two bunks and a sink and the toilets and showers were in the hall. It wasn't a huge boat, but it had 14 or so rooms. We dropped off our stuff and decided to go explore and get dinner.

Between the two of us, we were really indecisive about what to do for dinner. So we checked prices and decided the resturaunts on the edge of the Red Light District were kind pricy so we decided to dive right in. It was a bit early so all we saw was some pot being smoked and two cops on horses who looked really happy - the cops not the horses.

After a walk around the block (literal) we decided on Chinese and walked in and sat down. We split a pot (literal) of tea because it was cheaper than a glass of water. For food Michelle ordered the wonton soup, which was good, and this other thing which was meat on a stick covered in a thick peanut sauce (sate), which was pretty good. I had what was basically fried chicken smothered in lemon flavoured sweet and sour sauce, which was good.

After dinner it was just dark enough that the Red Light District started to get interesting. We wandered for a bit and didn't take too long to find the two largest streets in the district, both with a large canal running through the middle. On the buildings side were hundreds and hundreds of windows containing prostitutes upon prostitutes. They weren't even really attractive either, maybe 1 in 10 was decent, but more than half were over weight and/or old.

Next to the prostitutes were sex shops which dotted the avenues periodically. Bars were also pretty common, but not as much as "coffe shops" which seemed to be everywhere.

There were also hundreds of beautiful, white, innocent, swans in the cannals in the Red Light District.

An hour or so passed and we decided to go in search of Space Shakes, which we found out (after asking rougly 12 coffee shop and bar owners) are illegal. You can only sell pot in its smokable and space-cakey form.

So we go to the nicest coffe shop we could find and bought us some space cakes, chocolate and vanilla flavored. We sat by the cannals outside a bar and ordered some drinks to enjoy with our cakes. Michelle ordered an apple juice which came in an awesome bottle. I ordered a coffee which was rich and dark and delicious and came with the nicest cream I have ever had - it was basically unsweetened concentrated ice cream. We split the chocolate one first, it wasn't too bad but not exactly the best brownie we ever had. The vanilla one we saved to see what exactly the brownie would do to us, and in the mean time we walked around.

About 30 minutes later it was late and we were tired and not feeling anything so we opened up the vanilla and ate that. Michelle found it quite bad, though i didn't mind it. We also saw the I AMsterdam sign and managed to snap a picture with no one on it after waiting a good 15 minutes for people to leave.

The walk back to the hostel was a short one, about 10 minutes, and we immediately brushed our respective teeth and laid down in bed. We talked for a while just to see if we would start to feel something. Michelle didn't really get buzzed at all, while I apparently was much more mellow. Overall it was pretty unexciting but we are still glad we did it.

Goodnight; WORLD!

Last Day in Paradise

Well, we're back in Brussels now, but we both miss Israel.  Wednesday morning we got up and packed to leave before going to breakfast at 8.  It was in the hotel cafeteria, where we had eaten dinner.  They had some interesting things, most of which were good.

Then Gabe and I walked around for an hour or so before we headed up the road to Capernaum and Tabgha and the Church of St. Peter.  There were a lot of people, but it was a pretty church. 

Then we went back past Ginosar to Tiberius.  It's also a cute town with lots of personality.  There were shops and things like in the Old City, but also new stores.  Inge always shops at a store called Crazy Line, so we went there first while Gilbert went and had a coffee.  I got a couple pairs of dress pants, a skirt and two cute tops that I could wear for business.  It was a nice store.  Then we walked down the market street to the beach.  Inge and Gilbert sat at the restaurant where we were eating lunch while Gabe and I wandered around.  It wasn't anything super special, but they had interesting things. 

What's surprising to me is how similar things are.  Like gelato... I haven't been to a city yet that hasn't had it.  And it's always the same flavors.  What was weird in Tiberius was that there were slushies.  Like Icees, but flavors like coffee and avocado.  We didn't get a chance to taste them, but will when we go back.

We then went to the restaurant to have lnch.  Gabe and I each got schnitzel and shared with Inge.  It was very good.  I'm not sure if I've ever had schnitzel before, but it tasted relatively familiar and was very good. 

We sat by the water for a long time while we ate.  It's obvious that the lake is down the 15 feet, but that's the only reason why there is a beach - otherwise the water would have been up the wall.  But everyone on the beach was enjoying themselves... There were several groups of people smoking from hookahs and the smell of cannabis was in the air. 

I did find it interesting that there were so many hookahs.  In the markets they were smoking incense, on the beach was cannabis, and other places it was just tobacco.  You don't see them in the States very often, so it was just different to see them everywhere.  People walk down the streets with them.  Of course, the Red Light District in Amsterdam is probably going to be just as astounding, but I'll find that out tonight.

After lunch, we headed back to Tel Aviv after getting ice cream.  Strawberry sorbet and cappuccino, which was very good.  Both Gabe and I fell asleep, but it was the same highway that we had been on to go north, so we didn't miss anything, or at least we don't think we did.  Once we got back to Tel Aviv, we packed and Inge packed two suitcases for Marion to come get from me.  So Marion is coming to Brussels next Monday or Tuesday for two nights to pick up all of Inge's things.

After packing, we had a light dinner and Inge's friend Hilda came over.  She brought me an awesome hat and a very nice scarf.  We had tea and ice cream and cake. When she left, Inge took us out to see the opera building, which was very nice.  It also had a movie theater and a couple of coffee shops.  Gabe and I danced to the trumpet player on the plaza that connects all the arts buildings. 

We headed back to the apartment and relaxed for a bit.  Inge got out her accordion and I tried to play and Gabe actually did play.  Mostly Do Re Mi, but still, it was fun. 

Then we headed to the airport at 10:30.  We got there about 10:45 to check in.  We said goodbye and headed in.  Our flight was at 1:10.  We got a little confused trying to check in, because we didn't know where to go, but we figured it out.  You had to line up and be interrogated for security in the main lobby.  Passports checked and questions asked, like, how long were you here and where were you staying, but also how often we see each other and how long we've been dating.  Then they put your bags through an x-ray machine after putting a whole bunch of stickers on them.  They raised their eyes at the fact that we had a knife in our bag, but it was okay when we said we had put it there.  They only checked our big bags there, not our carry-ons. 

The x-ray machine was fun.  It slowly pulled the bags up the ramp, sat inside for a bit, and then was shot out the other side with quite a bit of force.  It was kindof funny to watch.

Then we got to the check-in counter and checked our bags, no problem.  We got our tickets only through double checking passports, and then headed for security, where they checked our passports again.  We had no problems through security, and then had to show boarding passes and passports again at border control.  The airport really was nice, and there was a giant fountain in the middle that dropped rings of water from the 20-foot ceiling.  We roamed around the duty-free shop for a while and then showed our passports to get to the gate.  I got a grapefruit juice and had a granola bar before we boarded, showing our passports a final time. 

The flight wasn't bad.  Somehow, we ended up with first class seats, and I fell asleep quickly. Gabe slept a little bit, but I couldn't tell you what happened on the flight.  Apparently there were quite a few crying babies. 

We landed on time (5AM) in Brussels, to an empty airport.  We retrieved Inge's two bags and got a taxi back to the apartment.  It was a 35 Euro charge for a 10 minute ride.  But we got back, took all the stuff up, and went to bed for a few hours.  I got up at 9 or so to do homework and check email and everything.  Gabe got up around 10:30 and we ate together.  Sam came and ate with us, too. 

I studied a bit, then took a shower and went to class.  We packed a bit, too.  Class was average.  I took (and most likely failed) a quiz, but we're allowed to retake it.  Gabe went wandering.  I walked him to the end of the street and showed him what I thought might be interesting, and then left him to explore.  He found a grocery store and the car museum and got lunch (beer and a sandwich) and mostly just walked around. 

After class, we finished packing, had a snack and came down to the train station.  Which is where we are now.  On the train to Amsterdam.

Tonite we're going to Red Light District after dinner somewhere and then we're staying on a boat that's a hostel.  Tomorrow we're seeing the Anne Frank house and maybe going to the Heinekin Brewery, and of course walking around and seeing what we can see.  Then we'll be home tomorrow night. 

For now, we're going to enjoy the train ride.

Toodle-oo.

Traveling Tuesday

We traveled a lot today.  We got up at 8 and got ready to go.  We had a simple breakfast before Gilbert got there at 10 or so to take us to Ginosar... Which is where we are now, but only after a lot of stops. 

We left Tel Aviv and headed north, passing a lot of little towns.  The most important and obvious would be Haifa.  We drove through on the way to Nahariyya.  (I found the name for this from our pictures - Gabe's comment: "Some people say 'Why?' Some people say 'Why not?' In Nahariyya, we say y-y.")

We met cousin Gidi and walked on the beach. For lunch we had delicious pasta - I had cheese ravioli in alfredo sauce and Gabe had gnocci with sweet potato sauce.  Also in Nahariyya, we saw the apartment that Inge rents out.  It was very nice. 

Then we hopped back in the car and drove over to this place by the Golan where Gabe and I rode horses while Inge and Gilbert had tea.  It was nice, but we didn't get to spend very much time there.  Oh, and on the back side, on the other side from the stables, they had little cabins because it was a hotel, kindof.  But you could see the lake in the back and it was very cool.  They also had gorgeous roses and it was called something like Roses and Horses, I think.

Then we drove the rest of the way to Ginosar, where we have two very nice rooms/flats.  We passed many little towns on the way. It is so pretty and so nice to drive through.  At the hotel, there's a bedroom, bathroom, and large living area with kitchenette in every "room".  Inge and Gilbert have one room and we have the one next door. 

Before it got dark, Gabe and I walked down to the dock because we're on the Sea of Galilee.  We saw some sculptures and shook the old metal docks.  You could see Tiberius from where we were.  Then we headed back up to the hotel for dinner with Astrid and her husband and her two kids, Nora and Ana.  She's an English teacher and a pastor who converted.  We had good conversations and it was good fun.

Then Inge and Gilbert went to bed and Gabe and I went out and looked at the stars.  We looked around the lake and realized that there were many, many more cities than we thought when we had looked around earlier. 

Then we went through our photos and now we're going to go lay in the hammock before going to bed.  Tomorrow we're going to Tiberius and one of the churches nearby where Jesus was a rabbi and doing other things.  I'm not really sure.

But now it's time to turn off my computer.

Goodnight, world.

Jerusalem!

Another incredible day... Today we went to Jerusalem, which was amazing.

We woke up around 9 and had breakfast at the apartment.  Just bread and fruit and coffee.  Then Gilbert, one of Inge's boyfriends, took us to Jerusalem.  He lives close to the Old City, so we went to his apartment to park and then walked the rest of the way.

The Old City was incredible.  The whole city is astounding.  The stone buildings are gorgeous, and the drive from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was so pretty.  It was so green and the mountains took your breath away.  The architecture here is so diverse and some leave you wondering how on earth they don't slide into the valleys. 

We wandered around the Old City for a while, got some gifts and tee shirts and some interesting bread.  The shops were interesting and had so many different things, and yet they repeated themselves.  There were spice merchants with all the different herbs and spices and incense and stuff, but also many tee shirt shops (I got my Coca-Cola shirt!) and pottery and jewelry and stuff.  Basically your touristy stuff, but still a nice market. 

Nearby was the church where Jesus is buried, so we stopped by there.  It was creepy (in my opinion) because it was dark and twisted passageways connecting hoards of people and then these empty halls leading to crypts and stuff.  It was interesting. 

Then we went to the Western Wall, which was so amazing I can't even describe it.  It was exactly what you see in pictures, right down to the plants growing out of the wall and all of the papers jammed in the cracks, but it was still breathtaking. 

After the wall, we separated from Inge and Gilbert and went back into the market place and wandered a bit.  We got a very tasty date bread thing for lunch while we sat in the shade.

To me, it's astounding how much of a difference standing in the sun versus standing in the shade makes.  It's at least a fifteen degree difference - in the sun I'm sweltering and in the shade I need a jacket.  The dryness is also strange to me.  Weird, but good.  I really like it here.  Gabe agrees and we both know we want to come back. 

We went back to meet Inge and Gilbert at the YMCA, where they were eating lunch, which was a nice 30 minute uphill walk from the Old City, but was right next to his apartment.  On the way we grabbed a pomegranite, which was very yummy. 

We got back to the apartment and got back in the car to drive home.  We drove through Abu Gosh and I really can't tell you anything about the drive home since I fell asleep.  We all took naps when we got back, and then went out for dinner about 8.

We went to a restaurant down by the old harbor and it was very tasty.  Dinner started off with at least fifteen different "salads" and then we had very tasty entrees - I got "kebabs" which were basically hamburger patties or grilled meatballs with potatoes and Gabe got his "dream meal" - fried calamari, shrimp and mussels drowned in creamy butter.  It was so good.

Then we walked around the port for a little bit - they have stores and shops down there - before coming back to the apartment.  I packed and then we had coke floats for dessert and now Gabe's in the shower.

Tomorrow we are going north to see a whole bunch of things and then spending the night at some kibbutz resort.  And then Wednesday we're going even farther north before coming back for a flight at midnight.

It's going to be a busy two days.  Israel is incredible.  So pretty. So nice. So comfortable. 

But now it's time for bed.

Goodnight, world.

Super Weekend

Wow.  Today's been busy.  We did so much.  But first let me catch you up on Saturday...

We slept in because we were both still tired, and then I made a nice big breakfast of muffins, fruit and tea.  Very tasty, if I do say so myself. =]

Then we took the metro to the tram to the Atomium.  It was a nice, long ride, but we enjoyed seeing Brussels.  I learned there's a river!  Anyways, we got to the Atomium and looked at the lines and decided there was no way we would have time to see everything.  So we took a different tram back to our station.  It was really cool to see everything from the tram, plus it was nice and warm.

Then we headed back to the apartment and packed before making a quick trip to the grocery store and the nearby mall.  We got some interesting and tasty chocoltes and headed to the airport after going back to get our things. 

We got through security no problem and sat at the gate a while.  We dined on nutella and peanut butter or speculoos sandwiches, fresh fruit and delicious homemade granola bars.  When we boarded, there was nothing really special, but they came through with drinks and then quite possibly the most disgusting meal I have ever had.  It was beef in a weird sauce that we couldn't identify, sweet potatoes that were oddly cooked, pasta in a sour salad, and bread, which wasn't too bad.  We also had smelly cheese and pre-packaged waffles.  The waffles were saved for another time. 

The flight was four hours and not unpleasant.  Customs was a breeze and we got our luggage quickly (they made us check it).  The airport was incredible - one of, if not the, nicest airports I have ever been in, and it seems I've been in a lot of airports recently.  It was all circular and clean and just gorgeous.  Kindof put's the opening line of Douglas Adams's "Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul" to the test...

Anyways, we made it to the apartment quickly and went to bed after a bit to eat.

This morning we got up and both took showers before going out to breakfast with Inge.  It was delicious.  Three types of bread with at least six types of toppings - apricot jam, apple cinnamon, butter, tuna salad, red pepper something or other and some green chili or something, plus two eggs sunny side up to split, some weird cheeeses and a cup of coffee and tea.  It was very good.  Then we walked around a little bit, got a loaf of bread, saw the main plaza and walked through the mall. 

What was interesting was that, before you could enter the mall, there was a cop standing there checking purses and bags.  It was obviously a security measure, but it was unexpected for me.  There weren't any problems, and we went through to see all the shops. 

We headed back to the apartment to change before going down to the beach.  The boardwalk was nice, and we sat and had hummus and shared a lemon-mint smoothie.  Both were very tasty - better than any I've had before, except for a couple of homemade versions.  We were going to go in the water, but it was decently cold so we didn't.

Inge left to go take her siesta about 2, and we stayed on the beach a while before wandering around the streets of Tel Aviv.  We had basic directions and the address, so we started out following them but followed the crowds, ending up on a big street with lots of shops and interesting things.  When we hit a cross-road we recognized from taking the taxi to the beach, we turned and headed up, back towards the apartment.  We ended up back at the main plaza and walked around trying to find a place to get lunch.

After walking a ridiculous distance, we finally found a little place.  It was delicious.  I've never actually liked falafel, which we were determined to get, but it was really good.  We shared a plate with a big salad, falafel and hummus, and a lemonade.  It's so cool how many names and things are the same, just phonetically spelled in Hebrew.  There were things like "Doritos" and "Sprite" and of course "Coca-Cola", but also things like lemonade and burger. 

Anyways, we had lunch about 4 and then walked back to the apartment, getting back around 4:30.  It was a lot of walking. 

Inge then went through her clothes and I had to try a whole bunch on to see what I could wear and what I wanted.  We got halfway through and then we had to leave to meet up with some friends of Inge's, who took us to Jaffa, which was the old town.  The buildings were really pretty and we watched the sunset over the ocean.  It was very cool.  Then we wandered around a bit, took some cool pictures and looked at jewelry before we were wisked away for a big dinner at Rachel's house- another friend of Inge's.

Wow.  so. Much. Food. We started off with a whole bunch of salad things, and then there was fish (and gefilte fish, eww...), which I understood to be dinner... And then there was the meat course with meatballs in peas, roast beef, schnitzel and chicken.  Then there was the soup. Then there was the fruit (amazing - grapefruits with juice mixed with grated apples). Then there was the fresh fruit. Then there was the tea and nuts.  It was all so delicious. 

Don't ask me who was who or who belonged with whom, but there were a lot of people.  Rachel, her daughter, two grandkids with their hubbies and kids... You know what? It was just twelve people or so. Very interesting.

Then we got a ride home with one family and are now going to bed.

Goodnight, world.

Fantastic Friday

Wow.  Today was awesome.

I got up, said goodbye to Sam and her fam and went down to the airport to pick up Gabe.  He got in on time and, though tired, was finally here. 

We came back to the apartment to put stuff away and clean up, stopping to get waffles from the lady in the metro station.  After relaxing for a bit, we went out for kebaps, went for a walk to the top of the parking garage with 360 degree view, and then headed over to Grand Place and saw Mannekin Pis.  We wandered around a bit, seeing the Galerie Royal and getting some chocolate.  Then we came back and watched Ocean's Eleven.  We were both tired and Gabe slept a bit.  Half-way through, we got hungry, so I made dinner.

It was an interesting dinner...  Ranch potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes and what was supposed to be hamburger patties.  I went to the Colruyt this past week and got meat - I asked for meat to make hamburgers.  What I got came in patties, but I figured it was just those pre-made hamburger things.   Well, I opened it up, and it was bright orange.  I figured I'd cook it - it was just seasoning... But it turned into a crunchy shell sort of thing.  It wasn't the right color for beef, either, when you cut it open.  Anyways, I cooked it through and we cut it open.  Gabe decided it was ham, and I would have to agree.  I couldn't eat mine, and had leftover lemon chicken instead, but he put cheese on his and said it wasn't bad. 

Then we finished the movie and went out to Delirium.  I was so proud of myself for being able to find it - I'd only ever followed people to get there.  I had a Kasteel Rouge in an awesome glass and got a Chimay for Gabe.  We both enjoyed it.  We came back after one drink and are going to bed.  We're tired.

Goodnight, world.

Thursday Happenings

Well, today was fun, I guess.

I got up sortof early and went down to Waterstone's with Sam's mom.  I got five books, three by Margaret Atwood - The Edible Woman, Lady Oracle and The Blind Assassin.  I also got The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb (who I've never heard of) and my most exciting find was And Another Thing, which was written by Eoin Colfer as part six of the Hitchhiker's Trilogy.  We shall see how it turns out.

Then we stopped by the grocery store and got fresh berries before getting waffles in the metro station.  Sam's mom made delightful looking waffles piled high with chocolate and fruit.  They said they were very good.

Then it was off to class.  We reviewed and learned about our teacher's grandparents, who were in Brussels during the second World  War.  We looked at some old bonds and stocks, and that's about it.

The rest of the day wasn't particularly interesting.  I read a tiny fraction of our finance book (as we have a quiz on Thursday) and did some other review.  I did get to watch the new episode of In Plain Sight and talked with some people.  Gabe left at 7:30 my time, and he should be here tomorrow morning.  I can't wait.

I got an email about 9 with the link to our speeches.  Mine was about Douglas Adams, and starts at 1:15:38 if you would like to watch it.  We have a reflection paper and our next speech proposals due Tuesday, so I did them tonight, as it would be difficult to do them while in Israel or when Gabe is here. My proposals are... interesting, as they are persuasive subjects.  I tried not to be cliche, but I don't think I succeeded.  I'll let you know what I choose and what the runner ups were in a week or so when I actually start writing and researching my speech.

For now, it's bedtime.  I'm excited for tomorrow.

Goodnight, world.

Wow, Busy Day

So today I woke up, finished my outline for speech, took a shower and went to Planete Chocolat. 

It was really cool and we had lots of fun.  We got chocolate for answering questions like what's in chocolate and who brought it back to Europe, which I knew from previous chocolate museum and factory tours.  They gave us specialty chocolates and their special hot chocolate.  Then we got to play with and make our own chocolate.  We worked it on the granite counters, as well as made our own pralines - dark chocolate with hazelnut filling.  It was delicious.  Oh, and we made some of the chocolate dipped orange things.  All very yummy.

Then we all rushed back to CUBC for our law test, which was hopefully better than the last, but I couldn't tell with that one and really couldn't with this one.  We then did a chapter before getting dismissed for Easter, and the comm class stuck around for our speeches.

They were informative speeches, supposed to be about six minutes.  I think that there shouldn't be a maximum time limit.  Some speeches were actually really interesting - I never thought the history of golf would be so intriguing - and some fell a little flat.  We all had the options of getting feedback on our outlines, and our teacher suggested that I make it less listy - my speech was about Douglas Adams, and I had written all of the titles down with publication dates. 

So I tried to summarize. 

For those of you who have read Adams' work, you realize how difficult this is... I ended up at thirteen minutes, but got a "good delivery" and "you held my attention the whole time" which is more than can be said for some of the others. I felt stupid.  Really stupid.  But my justification is that I tried to make it less listy - there was no way to summarize his books in less than a paragraph each.  There are too many plot lines, or there is total lack of a plot line, so it just didn't work.  We'll see what he says, and I have a reflection paper to write on it.

After speech, we all came back to the apartment and chilled for a while before I made dinner.  Beef stroganoff, out of a box, with green beans and very delicious.  It was a small group and one of the cheapest meals so far - food here is so expensive.  Then we all relaxed, and some watched Entourage.  I had coffee ice cream with nerds (so good!) and then promptly fell asleep on the couch.  I woke to screaming over the show, and hung my laundry up to dry.

Tomorrow I'm going to the bookstore with Sam's mom, then going to finance.  She leaves Friday morning, and Gabe comes soon after.  I'm so excited for the next week and a half. =] Israel Saturday night through Thursday morning, and then Amsterdam Friday.  It will be so much fun.

Time for bed, now.

Goodnight, world.

Want... Sleep,,,

Well, tomorrow I have a chocolate tour, a law test and a speech about Douglas Adams. So I'm up studying and preparing because I slept til noon today.  Wasn't my smartest move, but I forgot to set my alarm. 

I had delicious muffins for breakfast before going to class, suffered through finance, went to the grocery store, and then studied a bit.  Sam, Hudson (her cousin), Sam's mom, Kristin and I went out for kabaps, and when we got back, I went back to work. 

It hasn't been a particularly productive day, but tomorrow will be busy.

Goodnight, world.

Back to Brussels

Well, I got back this morning at 8, unpacked and relaxed a bit. 

Everyone loved the food I brought back and it was cool to see Sam's mom and cousin.  Then was law class, which I had a really hard time focusing in.  Then I had ramen for lunch when we got back before going to bed and taking a much needed five-hour nap. 

When I got up, Kristen had left for Italy - I won't see her until next Thursday - and Sam and her fam was gone.  I made some matzah ball soup and then we all talked for a bit.  Now it's time for bed.

Tomorrow is homework and finance class.

Goodnight, world.

Wonderful Weekend

Well, I guess I should explain my absence....

Friday morning I got up early and went to the airport and caught a plane back to Charleston.  Of course, it wasn't really that easy, as they had canceled all flights from Newark to Charleston, so I got rerouted through Charlotte and ended up arriving nearly four hours later than planned.  But still, I got home, took a shower and went to prom.  It was a blast and I had so much fun seeing all my friends.  Afterwards, we went camping out in McClellanville, where we had a bonfire and lots of fun.

Saturday I got up, went home and went grocery shopping with Dad.  I ended up with 50 pounds of food.  Not all for myself, of course, as everyone asked for things to be brought back, mostly mac and cheese.  Then we had delicious BLTs for lunch and I unpacked before going downtown.  I spent some time chatting, and then Gabe and I walked around.  I had forgotten how enjoyable walking around downtown was.  We went back to my house and Dad made us dinner, which was very tasty and then we relaxed for a while.

Sunday flew by, as we got up, had breakfast, and then I went to the airport.  No troubles checking in and then I had a four hour layover in Newark.  The plane left a little early, which was nice, and the flight wasn't so bad.  I slept a bit on both and feel reasonably rested, but it will be time for a nap soon. I got back and immediately checked my email and facebook, as I had gone for several days without, and then typed this up.  I have class this afternoon, and Kristen is leaving for Italy, so it will be Sam and me until Thursday when she leaves, and then Gabe comes on Friday.  =]

I'm so happy I had the opportunity to go home, and I really enjoyed seeing everyone.  Thank you so much for everything.  I love and miss yall already, but I'll be home in a month.  (I can't believe it's only four weeks away!) 

And now it's naptime.

Long Day

Well, today I got up at 6ish because I didn't sleep at all.  I did a whole bunch of things, nothing I can really think of, but the sunrise was pretty. 

I watched The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and wrote an outline for my speech on Douglas Adams and then watched the first part of Sweeny Todd.  Then I had finance class.  They kept us late, but we did eventually get our tests back - I barely made an A, but that was a whole lot better than a lot of people.

Then I finished Sweeny Todd and talked with Sam and relaxed a bit. Her mom and cousin are coming tomorrow and staying for nearly two weeks.  She's excited, as am I.  Everyone's ready for a mom.

I'm excited about this weekend, and I have to leave the apartment at 6, so I'm going to bed.

Goodnight, world.

Productive?

I would say so.  I heavy-duty cleaned, repacked several times, and had law class.

Kristin brought over her scale for me to weigh my bag - I was 9 kilos over - which is about 20 lbs.  So I repacked and hopefully it'll work now.  My carry-on is another 12 kilos (in addition to the 23 of my suitcase) and then my purse is the only thing that has anything that won't be staying at home, and that hasn't been packed yet.  I'm excited for the weekend.

After class, I went to a new GB grocery store - one with an American section.  They had peanut butter (Peter Pan, 3.58 Euro for one of the LITTLE jars - they didn't have the big ones) and the epitome of America - Marshmallow Fluff.  Not to mention popcorn and hot chocolate and stuff.  I was excited to see it, just to know it was there if I needed it.  I got food for dinner, which was very tasty tacos.  It was just a few of us, but we had fun. 

I can't believe we only have a month left - it's been a whirlwind three months so far.  Gabe gets here in just over a week and we're going to Israel and Amsterdam, and then I won't be traveling anymore until I'm coming home.  It's astounding.  I've already been to Cologne, Dusseldorf, Zurich, Venice, Madrid, Toledo, Barcelona, Bruge, Dublin, Howthe, Birmingham, London, and Paris.  That's THIRTEEN cities.  And we have Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, the Dead Sea, Eilat and the Golan, not to mention Amsterdam.  I'm not really sure where all we're going to end up going when we're in Israel, but I'm sure it will be amazing.

And now it is time for bed.

Goodnight, world.

Terrible Tuesday

Wow.  Sucky day.

Well, I studied hard and I may not have bombed my finance test.  I went to one of our professor's offices this morning, and we worked through one of the review problems.  One of our teachers is really nice and helpful, and the other hates us.  We asked both for practice problems so we didn't wait until test day to see what we were doing, and one said of course and the other said absolutely not, that's why we have a book.  She wouldn't even narrow down the book problems, though.  We did find out that the average grade in Europe is a 55, so getting a 50 is a C, but we all freaked out because that's (obviously) failing in the States.  Then she told us that an A starts at 80 and the Belgian grading scale will translate to Clemson, so all I have to do is get an 80 in the class.  Which is very helpful, but they should have told us that sooner, because then we wouldn't have been so stressed.

Then I came back and studied for management.  I reviewed some stuff and watched videos, and then Sam and I went to the grocery store.  I decided I'm going to make tacos for Wednesday Night dinner, and so far there have been a lot of positives... I just hope I can find what I need.

I took the management test, did really well on it, and then finished watching season four of NCIS.  Now I just want to watch season five. 

Tomorrow I clean and pack, and have law class.  And of course dinner.

Goodnight, world.

Exhausted

By tests and studying. 

Today I woke up, read management, studied law, took a law test, learned about law for an hour or two, studied finance, read finance, sent some emails, reviewed management, talked to my lovely parents and am now going to bed.  Also thrown in there were two bowls of cereal, popcorn, a banana, two slices of cheese, a clementine, a tomato, rotten meat, mac and cheese, a salad with raspberries and a piece of chocolate.

Tomorrow I have a finance test followed up by a management test. And then I'm done.  Well, at least for the week.

Goodnight, world.

Back to Brussels

Well. Today was... long.

I woke up about 8:30 and laid in bed talking to Marion for at least and hour and a half.  Then it took her another half hour to pack.  We were supposed to go on a walking tour at 11, but we never made it.  Instead we went to the market outside our hotel down to the Bastille.  They had some nice stuff.  I had beignets (mini with table sugar) and a chocolate filled eclair for breakfast from one of the stands.

Then we took the subway over to Petite Palais, where we went to the Yves Saint Laurent showcase honoring his work.  It was actually really cool and I really enjoyed it.  I found that I really like the time period of 1965-1971 and 1988-1991 and the 2001/2002 collections.  I'm not sure what that means, but I thought it was cool.  He had some very... interesting pieces. 

Then we went over to St. Michel because we had tried to get there every day.  We ate at a little cafe, where I had a delicious sausage, egg and cheese crepe.  Of course, it was like the last time I got "sausage" - not the American version, but something that closely resembles bologna.  Then I treated her to Haagen Dazs before going back to the hotel.

I got my stuff and headed to the train station.  Barely caught the train, but did make it on time.  Headed home, read a chapter of my management book and listened to music.  I've been listening to my Jewish music selection a lot.  I miss going to services and youth group and my temple family.

I got home, unpacked, had a sandwich and did some online work for my test.  Two more chapters of management and a couple of law, and I haven't even thought about finance yet...

Goodnight, world.

Paris, Day 2

Wow. So, we got up just before nine and went down to Gare du Nord for breakfast.  I wanted a crepe but we couldn't find any, so I had the traditional toasted bread and butter, which was basically a baguette. 

Then we went up to Sacre Coeur, which had awesome views.  We got some roasted chestnuts on the way down before we headed to the Louvre, where we met Eric and Renee and their son Christian and his two kids, Juliette and Hugo.  The kids didn't know English, so I didn't get to talk to them, but it was all good fun.  We ate in the food court and I had some tasty chicken teriyaki and an interesting fruit salad.  Then Marion, Eric and I went to see the Mona Lisa before going into the Egypt section.  By no means did we even look at everything in the rooms we saw, and the rooms we walked through maybe were a tenth or a twentieth of all the rooms.  But we didn't have much time. 

Eric then took us across the street behind the Supreme Court building to show us some art and this awesome park.  Then Marion and I took the metro to the Arc du Triomphe and then walked from there down the Avenue du Champes-Elysees, the "most expensive street in the world" or something.  It was interesting, but not entertaining. 

We came back to Bastille stop, where I got another turkey and cheese crepe and we sat in a Japanese restaurant where Marion got miso soup and sushi.  Then we got nutella crepes and came back to the hotel. It started raining pretty hard while we were eating, but we were close to the hotel, so it wasn't bad. 

Now it's time for homework.  Pictures are uploading to facebook. 

Goodnight, world.

Paris...

with Marion. Shoot me now.

I guess I should start at the beginning.  This morning was bright and early - I got up at 7, took a shower, ate, and was out the door by 7:30.  I got to the train station on time, waited a bit and hopped the 8:30 train to Paris.  The ride was nice and I enjoyed my music while reading management.  I'm hoping I can get the next four chapters read in the next two days...

So I arrived fifteen minutes late, but that just meant 10:15.  Marion brought me pain chocolat, which was very good, and we headed to the hotel for me to drop off my things.  It's a nice hotel, super close to the Bastille.  We then hopped the bus to the Eiffel Tower.  We went up to the second floor (about halfway) and I got a lot of cool pictures.  You could see everything, and I even saw the original Lady Liberty.

Then we met Rogier and Annie for coffee and chocolate at a little cafe nearby and we talked for a while.  Rogier is some cousin twice removed or something.  His cousin is Eric, but they were brought up together and I'll talk more about Eric later. 

We tried to go to the Invalides Church, which is where Napoleon is buried, but it closed as we walked up the steps.  The building was cool though.  Nearby was a shopping district, St. Germain, and we wandered around for a bit.  There were some interesting things.

We crossed over the bridge and then went to Notre Dame, which was really cool. I don't remember why it's so famous, but it is, and now I've seen it. We happened to be there during one of their services, and the choir was incredible.

We then walked back to the hotel, where Eric and his wife Renee met us to take us for dinner.  It was a "true French" restaurant, and was very good, named Bofinger Brasserie.  I had the most amazing meal ever.  Roasted duck with gravy and new potatoes, followed up by creme brulee.  I don't remember ever having duck, but it was perfect - light, tender, and delicious.  Of course I had to get creme brulee for dessert, and before I ate, I dedicated it to Mom.  I'm not sure if the sweetness got to you from 4226 miles away, but it was also scrumptious.

Dinner lasted for nearly three hours - we had a good time talking - and then we came back to the hotel.  Now it's time for homework. Tomorrow we are going to Arc du Triomphe, then Avenue de Champs-Elysees before meeting Eric and Renee and some more family at the Louvre.  It's weird.  Here they pronounce the "re" at the end... Maybe then Montmartre, which we'll do Sunday if we don't get to it tomorrow.

Anyways. Should be interesting, if not fun. Hopefully both. 

Goodnight, world.

When Everything Happens,

It happens at once.

I have a lot going on, a lot of stress from a lot of different things, and I really want to not have to deal with being abroad because that would solve at least three-fourths of my problems... I think.

Anyways, it was hot by Belgian standards today - a whopping 60 degrees.  It felt amazing.  But I hurt my ankle last week or so and my knee's been in a brace for the past couple of days, so I didn't get to go running.  Instead, I did some homework and went to finance. 

Tip for anyone and everyone who's planning on the business program next year: TAKE FINANCE AT CLEMSON.  You do not want to deal with whatever shenanigans they call teaching here.  I'm sure this won't be my last rant and I won't rant here, but I do want to say there were four people that I know of that were crying after class.  Their expectations are a little ridiculous, especially since we don't know what they are.

Anyways, we got back from class and I soothed my stress with chocolate since running wasn't an option. I don't think I've ever been more annoyed I couldn't run.  I packed for Paris and did more homework.  You can also check the Bruge/Brussels albums for a few new pics. I can't say that I'm excited for the weekend, but it will be cool. Off to the Louve, Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. I don't know what else we're doing...

Goodnight, world.

Busy, Busy

Wow I did a lot today.

It started off with a nice run.  It was warm today, a whopping 54 degrees.  The run was good but my ankle really hurts and I don't know what I did.  It squeaks.  Or would if it wasn't composed of muscle and skin tissue.

Anyways, then Sam and I went down to the commune and got the paperwork needed so we can get back into the country once our visas expire (because they expire the first of April or thereabouts).  That was a fun walk.  Both times we've been amazed because it's the longest distance we've ever walked in a straight line to actually get anywhere useful. 

Then we stopped by the grocery store before heading back to the apartment.  I made popcorn for lunch and then we left for the European Union.  We listened to a powerpoint presentation for over an hour and then saw the room for the European Parliament.  It kindof looked like the UN conference room or whatever it's called, but it was cool nonetheless. 

Feeling spirited, Sam and I walked back from the EU with a few others, passing under the Arch du Triomphe, which is where I run.  It was the first time she had been up close and personal, and found it pretty cool.  All in all, it was a very active day. 

I grabbed the metro when we got back and headed over to the other grocery store.  I made tuna flower for dinner tonight, and it went over really well.  There are seconds for the first time ever, perhaps because I kvetched a little.  But then I made brigadeiru and it's already gone.  Between seven girls, it evaporated.  The sprinkles here are strange and not crunchy like I expected, but still very tasty. 

Then I logged on and did some management and now it's time for bed.  It's been a busy day. 

Goodnight, world.

Dreadfully Dreary Day

Today could not be described as one of the most fun days here. 

I woke up early and grabbed the tram to the brewery, where we had a tour.  It took an hour for the lady to talk to us and tell us about the machinery - that wasn't in use.  It smelled bad and had no heat.  Then we tasted two beers from the brewery, a lambic and a grueze, which were both disgusting. 

We headed back to CUBC for class next.  Sam, Elena and I got sandwiches from the metro before going to class.  We took our quiz, which was awful.  He said fifteen minutes for twenty-one questions, ended up giving us orty-five or so, and everyone said they felt they bombed it.  After the test, he asked us who thought it was difficult.  Every hand went up, and he said the next test would be harder.  This elicited several questions and many complaints.  Our teacher then went on to teach two chapters and ran over class time.

Not much happened for the rest of the day.  I did some reading and watched some NCIS - I'm almost done with season four, which Sam has on DVD.  Kristen, Anna Lauren and Laura are back, and it's weird to have a lot of people back in the apartment.

Tomorrow is filled with plans, some exploring, and more homework.

Goodnight, world.

I'm Getting Really Bad

At remembering to post every night. I guess it's become that living here is so routine that nothing seemingly interesting happens anymore.

Well, today I'm going to a brewery tour before my finance test, and I've already showered and done my homework due later today.  I have a lot more work this half of the semester, but I also have fewer trips, if only in duration. 

Yesterday was uneventful.  I finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and enjoyed it, though I did cry when Dobby died... again.  It's a sad book but it's such a good read.  Anyways, I gave it to Sam and I think she started it last night. 

Other than that, I had law class and that's about it.  It's been quiet since Kristen's not here. 

Time for a brewery tour at 10 in the morning... and then a finance class with test and then I'll be back.

Chao.

Sunday

Well, today was uneventful. 

Kristen, Anna Lauren and Laura left for Paris, Sam and I went out to lunch at the Food Maker (very yummy) with Chris and Scott before they left, and then we read finance out loud for four hours so we could get through it. And that's pretty much it.

It's weird for it to be just Sam and me, but also kindof cool.  It's relaxing not to have so many people here.  Full week ahead: law class, brewery tour, finance test, EU tour, finance class. And somewhere in there going to register and going to the mall.  I'm going to Paris this weekend with Marion, which should be interesting.

Goodnight, world.

Fun Days and Freezing Cold

So I've done a lot since my last post.

I ate lunch and went out with Sam, Kristen, Kristin, Anna Lauren, Laura, Scott and Chris.  We stopped at a kebap shop for everyone else to eat and then made our way to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.  Anna Lauren's a pro photographer, so we took a lot of pictures and had fun along the way.  We finally made it there two minutes before it closed.  We went inside for a very tiny bit and then hopped back on the metro.

Our next stop was De Brockere, which is where the awesome parking garage is.  You get an awesome 360 view for free.  It was so cold, though.

We next headed to Grand Place to meet Ali and Caroline, where we took more pictures and Scott was addressed by a costumed woman and her bachlorette party members.  He got cookies in return for helping her suit up a banana, and many pictures were taken.

We walked over to St. Michiel church and couldn't get inside, so we went back for dinner at the place where we ate the very first night.  I had delicious broccoli soup and then we all went to Hagen-Daaz for ice cream.  I got a yummy lemon sorbet.

Next was coming back to the apartment, where the plan was to pre-game.  Instead, we all kindof relaxed and then, about 11, everyone except for Sam, Kristen and I went out.  We did homework for a bit and then devolved into googling ourselves.  It's been an interesting two hours...

Anyways, tomorrow I'm going to focus and finish homework, maybe getting a bit ahead.

Goodnight, world.

It's incredible

How fast time flies.  I only have a month and a half left before I come home for the summer, and I need to figure out what I'm doing this summer.  I've applied to research laboratories, but I'm also looking at internships with several police departments.  Hopefully something will come through.

Sorry for not updating last night - I kindof fell asleep watching NCIS rather early. 

Yesterday was fun.  I went running - it's finally sort-of warm and I really need to lose weight - and went on an adventure.  My plans were to go to the bookstore that I just found out about (all English) and then go to the Colruyt (where we normally shop because it's the cheapest).  I did find the bookshop, where they all spoke English and had English foods like Marmite and Cadbury eggs.  I got a copy of Alias Grace, which is by Margaret Atwood and what I started reading when we were in Spain.  Also, I picked up a copy of Deathly Hallows because I've wanted to read it for the past two months. 

I then went back to the tram stop, which was actually the bottom floor of a four story mall, and wandered around a bit.  I ended up going to the GB grocery store there, where I found some cool filled chocolates (like those I found in Chile) that were banana, cranberry/grapefruit/orange, blueberry and rum raisin. They should be interesting, whenever I open them.  I also got some normal food and stuff and then took the tram back. 

The tram ride there and back was cool because it was mostly above ground and I got to see things I didn't know existed. 

The other thing that started yesterday was our apartment being filled with visitors.  Sam and Kristen each have two visitors this weekend since it's spring break at Clemson.  Two of them are guys studying in Alicante, who Sam saw when we went to Spain.  The two girls happen to be in Sam's sorority, but are here to see Kristen.  It's a full house. 

Today I'm reading textbooks and doing homework.  Should be tons of fun.  It's gray and rainy outside, so I don't know if I'm going to go out.

Will update later. Chao for now.

Catching Up

Yesterday I did a lot, as I mentioned in last night's post.

It started off with a 9 o'clock communications class.  We heard the first group presentation and did impromptu speeches.  Given five minutes, we had to outline and prepare a two minute speech.  They were not bad.  As in surprisingly good.  I enjoyed mine.  It was about my favorite place in Belgium.  I said my apartment because of my awesome roomies, the comfort and familiarity and because everyone always hangs out here.  Which leads to what I did after law class.

Sam and I went to the grocery store and got a whole bunch of food (personally 65 euros worth) and I made breakfast for dinner for everyone.  French toast, pancakes, scrambled eggs and "bacon."  Bacon's in quotes because I said, "Bacon," the guy said, "Breakfast?" and I said, "Yes," and he gave me something surprisingly similar to prosciutto.  Not actually knowing what it was, I fried it up and it was still very good.  We had something like twenty people come over and it was all good fun.  I also made a giant fruit salad and peeled my first pineapple, which was interesting.  We had nutella and whipped cream and weird, disgusting sirop (syrup that was more like jelly and tasted like weird molasses), along with some other toppings.  I think everyone had fun.  I burned three fingers and caught a pan on fire but also had fun and really got a pattern going by the end of the night. 

I skipped over law, but it was normal.  Mowry is pretty cool and I think I'm going to enjoy class, which is more than I can say about my finance class, the second of which I had today.  We got a homework assignment at 10:30 due for class at 12:15, but seeing as I was in communications, that didn't happen. 

Instead, I paid attention in communications class, gave our group project and did an impromptu speech on which Europeans were my favorite (Irish because of friendliness, accent, helpfulness, and drinks) and learned some interesting things about my classmates.

Then finance, which is going to be awful.  There's the aforementioned homework (first all semester!) and we have a test (after two classes) and there are two teachers - one of which who has the most difficult accent to understand and the other who detests America (judging by several different comments).  Multiple times we had to ask more than five times for him to repeat something because we couldn't understand him, and many times he ended up writing words on the board.  It was bad. But we'll all suffer together and get through it.

Then we came back, watched some NCIS, the fantastically insane new White Collar episode and I looked for some flights to Israel and wrote some emails and did some research.  I'm glad it's the weekend.  It's weird because this is the first time all semester I've thought, "Yay! It's finally the weekend!" 

I'm going to go make dinner and probably read some law or finance or something.

Goodnight, world.