Report Onze

Well here it is my last Rotary report. The next time you here from me about this wonderful experience I’ve had will be in person. This report may seem brief and perhaps even a little less well phrased as the others, but for reasons that if are not obvious now should become apparent by the end of your reading of this have restrained my ability to pour my full attention into this.

This past month and a half has once again been another great experience.

At school I did my three exams, passed geography and social sciences, but failed French by two points. Though overall through the year I passed in French. I made my goodbyes to the school and its staff and a few of the other students as well.

With Rotary I had my final meeting and therefore presentation. It went very well, and I was congratulated on my French improvement and my performance with my theatre academy. One of the Rotarians has a daughter who was at the same Academy.

While on the subject of theatre the performance went very well, only very minor bumps along the way, and I received an Excellent as a grade for the entire year as well as some very good critique and advice from the professional actors who judged us.

I had a very special moment on the Belgian’s Father’s day (it’s a week before the Canadian one). I went to Comines to see my Great-great-grandfather’s grave. He was killed in the war, and I couldn’t think of a more appropriate day to go see him then Father’s day. It was a moving moment to walk over the graves of all of those potential fathers’s and then once I crossed them all come upon the father who died for many, but more importantly, lived for me.

I had several goodbyes with Rotary friends, once in Eupen where I saw a Leiderhosen wearing saxophone playing Austrian band. Second in Mouscron where I camped in the back yard. Why? Cause I happened to have a tent with me! Third in Sart, where I rocked out to some classic rock with a Rush crazed Australian. And lastly in Waremme where I got to see what can go wrong with flights.

Everything was going fairly smoothly goodbye-wise, no tears yet, until two nights ago when I had my goodbye party. I held it in a field beside some cows under a tunnel tent. And as I said goodbye to my Belgian friends I always took a little moment to realise, this could be the last time I see them. And therefore proceeded to unashamedly cry. Once you get started it’s hard to stop, so people who had not been expecting tears from me got them. It was a very hard moment and really made me realise just how much they mean to me, and thus in turn how much this year has meant to me. I have been changed from this amazing year abroad, except now it is no longer abroad for me, it’s just another place I like to call home.

But now it’s time to go back to my first home, and see the people I’ve been dying to see for the last eleven months.

Walking among fathers

It is father's day in Belgium. Making it very suiting that this day we decided to finally go see the burying place of my great great grandfather who died in the first world war. I know I never knew him, and only know him because of him being killed in the war. But when I looked upon the text written at the base of his gravestone, I felt a connection, for those simple words moved me immensely. Something so simple, and yet just as unachievable as perfection.

It also got me thinking of all the bodies surrounding me. How I was surrounded by potential fathers, who all gave their children the ultimate gift at the ultimate cost. Making this cemetery much more meaningful to me than any of the big shocking ones, because it finally gave me a definite result of these men defending their countries with their lives. That result being found right beneath the eyes searching for it. Me, us. Because my great great grandfather defended his country with so many others, I am now alive to remember him. The greatest post mortem gift I know. Simply to be remembered.

Report Dix

Even though I realize that I still have more than a month left, the goodbyes have officially started as of this lovely month of May. So you’ll be hearing a lot of “the last time I did that *sniffle sniffle*”. But of course it means things are slowing down a bit, as all my friends prepare for exams I’ve had to look to my exchange friends for company, which at first is not obvious as it is rather rare that I see other exchange students, but now I am very glad for it as I have met some wonderful people. People I would’ve loved to have met at the beginning of this year as they are that interesting.

So with school it’s been a lot of finishing up and preparation for the upcoming exams, which means not a whole lot for me to do or worry about as I am only required to do three and they count for nothing but experience. Unfortunately in gym we’ve been doing track and field. I say unfortunately because I love track and field, and due to my knee I cannot participate. Which means I get to watch while all my classmates groan, moan and complain while doing things I adore. While on the topic of my knee, the physiotherapist is on vacation, though it is getting progressively better by itself. The weather has been simply splendid, not at all facilitating being stuck in school, so I took every chance I could get to get outside and soak in the sun. My farmer’s tan is already nicely developed.

On the soccer level, I made my goodbyes to my team, and wished that I could’ve played until the end. Quite nicely I left on a high note as they had just won and tied a match in a tourney.

I also made my unofficial goodbye to “les Lutins”, my girl scouts. The unofficial referring to uncertainty as to whether or not I will go to the camp they attend from the first of July to the tenth of July. So they all quite nicely signed my “Lutins” t-shirt, then crushed me in a group hug, as well as naming me staff member of the day!

For Rotary I had my second last meeting with my club, which I felt more at ease then I ever felt with them, and was even invited over to one of their houses for some eggs afterwards. I went to Walibi with Rotex and numerous other exchange students. Walibi is Belgium’s little theme park, and Rotex an organization of “veteran” Rotary exchange students. I had a great time with friends. I also went to Liège to hang and say goodbye to some exchange student friends at the park. It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for adieus and human pyramids.

I then finished the month with a trip with my host family and their mother’s colleagues to France, to Provins and Fontaine-Bleau. Two beautiful places full of life, history and a really cheesy medieval show.

All this adds to another wonderful month to add to my wonderful Belgian repertoire.

Greece pics!

Laetare pics!

Report Neuf

This report marks the passing of one of the best months of my life, but also the beginning of the two possibly hardest months. Because as tough and detached as I sometimes may like to think of myself, usually I only say goodbye, this time there’s a lot more chance for it to be adieu.

This past month three big things have happened and I will focus on them, as they are already each one big enough for a report of their very own. First of there was Laetare of Stavelot. Very similar in concept to Carnaval, in the sense that it changes with every town. I was lucky enough to be in the Laetare capitol of the world (or at least that’s what the people from that town call it). It starts of with an evening parade and festivities. So once again everyone was dressed up and ready for fun. I personally dressed as the Belgian equivalent of a girl scout, complete with wig and leggings. So though the distance the parade traversed was shorter than Carnaval in Malmedy, the floats were much more elaborate. After the parades people broke of to get food from the stalls set up and listen to music in the cafes or big tent set up. The next day was the official day, with the full official parade. I have never seen such a parade in all my life. The amount of effort and detail that went in these floats and costumes was simply astounding. Every group had at least one big float with several little ones, some had multiple big ones. The biggest group consisted of over two hundred people, all dressed in the same costumes doing the same choreography. This group happened to have a float with an elaborate fountain system built into it. Needless to say they won the contest for best ensemble. After all the amazing groups went by, next came the ever famous Blanc-moussis. An enormous group of men and boys all dressed in white hooded capes with white clothing and masks with exaggerated noses. The marched through proudly with pig bladders and old fish on strings and/or on sticks that they waved in your faces or hit you with. The reek was nauseating. Some also walked along long poles that they used to jam windows of upper floors in houses open, preparing for the next step. Now it must be said before I move onto the next step that throughout this entire time people are flinging confetti everywhere. That does not however prepare you for the grand finale. This is when two floats come by, each wielding two confetti canons so big and powerful they take two people to manipulate them. This is why the windows were jammed open, so that when these canons come by, they stop in front of the windows and just blast straight into the houses for a good five minutes before moving on. I had the pleasure of knowing someone controlling one of the canons, so I received quite a face full. The day then continued was again into general celebration for the rest of day and night. Some people even stop the day after, so that when we arrived at school, they were there waiting for us, still partying and flinging confetti everywhere.

A few weeks later the Easter holidays began, and I left on one of the most memorable journeys of my life, to the land of olives, marble and broken plates. I went with Rotary to Greece and was therefore with people from all over the world, only increasing the wonder of that trip. We took a bus down to Italy, and then crossed over to Greece by boat. A long voyage, but when you’re with the right people, anything can be fun. We went to visit the Meteors, Delphos, Athens, the Parthenon, Hydra, Olympia and some other little places. For me this was a dream come true, because as a child I loved Greek mythology, and therefore had always imagined going there. Well I did, and it did not disappoint. I was in Greece six days (ten days but four spent arriving and leaving), and in those six days the amount of people I met who had been to Canada or had some family in Canada was utterly gobsmacking. Every time I talked to a Greek, the moment I’d say I’m from Canada, a twinkle would appear in their eye and they would explain their link with it. There was also quite a bit of musical talent, so I got to practise my singing a bit as well while I was there. The things I did in Greece I will remember forever, and all the people who I met along the way as well.

The third big thing I did, a perfect way to end such a splendid month, was the outbound weekend. I was invited to present my country to and meet, all the out bounds leaving my district here in Belgium. A fairly big deal when you consider there were at least fifty of them if not several more. I even got to meet the girl coming to 7070 this year! Not to mention a girl heading up to Barrie where I have family! So I have decided that instead of completely leaving Belgium, I’m going to take some of it with me. Come back with real waffle recipes, a huge jar of andalousse, a deep fryer to make “real” fries and a bunch of Belgian friends in the surrounding area to share it with.

Report Huit

know I say this every month, but this month was absolutely full non-stop! If this month had only contained Carnaval it would already have been one of the best months yet, considering it just started with it.

So, Carnaval, where to start. This is a five day celebration, celebrating the start of the 40 days of fasting before Easter. It changes not only by region but by town, each town that participates having its own special versions and costumes. As I was Malmedy I got to witness the Haguettes and the Ardennaises, something you will see in no other Carnaval in the world. The Haguettes are dressed entirely in silk with old fashioned admiral’s hats with enormous multicoloured plumes sprouting out the top. They carry long wooden pincer thingamadoodles that they use to make sounds grab people’s ankles. If they happen to snag your ankle you have to go down on one knee and ask forgiveness. The Ardennaises is anyone who dresses up as an Ardennais can participate. The Ardennais costume being that of white pants, a blue tunic (with embroidery if traditional as mine was), a bandana around the neck held in place by a box of matches. I participated in this particular one, and it was fantastic. The enormous procession of Ardennaises is lead by the town marching band, and as they go around the town the Ardennaises cannot simply walk. They have to link arms, forming lines, and run/skip side to side throughout the entire procession. You also have to try and get as close as possible to the band, so there is a lot of cutting in front of other lines, and a lot of stepping on feet. This is then repeated later in the evening with the burning of the Haguette. A monstrous fire is set alight, as high as the surround buildings, so hot that ten metres away you feel its heat. When the fire has started to calm down the Ardennais are set loose to run around it in their linked arm lines. So Carnaval starts on the Saturday, though there is a midnight opening celebration the Friday night, the Saturday is when the may gives the opening speech, in Walloon, the regional traditional dialect. There is then a little parade, with tons of confetti and plenty of audience participation. The Sunday is the full parade with the huge floats and dance groups, also the masses dressed in traditional gear. As there are several different I will describe two. One is the long noses. They essentially have an Ardennais costume, but with a mask with a Pinocchioesque nose and a little pipe, also a little white red striped tuque. They walk around in groups of six to a dozen. They walk in lines with their hands behind their backs. They then choose someone to follow. If they follow you it becomes a sort of follow the leader, they have to do everything you do exactly how you do it. If they succeed in imitating you, you then must pay the entire group a round of beer. Thus why you have to be at least eighteen to participate in these groups. Another costume is the pig bakers. Costume consists of traditional baker garb with fake pig nose and cheeks, as well a long oven paddle. This paddle is used to smack inattentive bottoms. As you can tell you need a very good sense of humour, and a very full wallet to truly enjoy this wonderful celebration. Monday is the scenes, so all the big mistakes and humorous blunders made by known people in the town are re-enacted in Walloon. The Tuesday is the Ardennais and the burning of the Haguette, with symbolizes the end of winter.

The week after this amazing experience I had a rather unfortunate one. Ten minutes into a soccer game I went to a bad tackle and had my knee almost dislocated, at least that’s what it felt and seemed like, as I felt it move out and back in. So I went to the hospital and nothing was broken or torn, just a bad hit. At the time no biggie, the day after when I could barely walk and it had swollen so much you could see it through my jeans I started to worry a little, as I knew the next day I was supposed to be leaving to Berlin with my school. So I stayed home and rested it as much as I could before going off to Berlin. Berlin is a beautiful city, where you can see almost anything and everything architecturally speaking, though this does mean a lot of it was under construction. We then went to a concentration camp, an interesting and humbling experience.

I then got ready for the next big thing, my last family. This family I have known the whole year, and have stayed several nights throughout the year with them, so as a transition it was quite different. Only sad because it made me realize how it’s almost all over, and how little I want to leave.

Well enough ruminating the inevitable, because today I leave for a week in Greece!

Report Sept

Another month has whipped by. Actually a month and a half, but things are going by so fast it feels like a month. The unavoidable countdown is now looming around every corner. I know that I still have four months, but at the pace they’ve been passing it seems more like four weeks. Needless to say I am not looking forward to leaving this beautiful country. Despite the constant rain and lack of government, it has a feeling in it that I don’t want to lose hold of. Not to say that I am not looking forward to returning, the thought of seeing my family and friends again still makes my heart lighten.

Now enough of this sappiness, cause I’m having too much of a good time to linger on such inevitabilities. So this month has very much been the month of preparation, preparing for school projects and test, preparing for voyages, and most importantly CARNAVAL! Now even though carnaval has already passed, it was in March so I’ll save it for the next report, mainly because it’ll take an entire report just to explain all its intricacies. But there was some preparatory celebration. The four jeudi gras leading up to carnaval are all celebrated (jeudi gras meaning fat Thursday). I only participated in one of them, the third one. It is the one more popularly celebrated. Essentially the whole town dresses up and comes out to have some fun. Most people dress up in groups, but I did not know this until it was too late and therefore had to go solo. I went with two of my friends, Rwendy and Denise. They dressed up as smurfs. I dressed up as a woad Scotsman. So we had an African smurf, a Tex-Mex smurfette, and a crazy Scotsman. Quite a crazy blue combination. I had a great time and saw some great costumes. My personal favourites being the Barbies in boxes. Though of course school the next day was interesting. Everyone showed, but not in the greatest of form.

School has been going well. The poetry in French class has been really interesting and great to do. Math is making a lot more sense now, and even the sciences are starting to improve. I got 100% on my last Chemistry lab! English however is just getting irritating, which has nothing to do with the teacher as she is great fun, just for obvious reasons it doesn’t keep me very interested. Though reading the Orient Express by Agathie Christie was nice and suiting. In religion we’ve started group projects, mine being on the Holocaust. So that should be very interesting, to see their point of view on something that was so much closer to them (geographically). We’ve started gymnastics in physical education, which is proving to be a difficult and interesting challenge for me.

Soccer has been going fairly well, though the attendance of my team or lack there of, is really starting to get on my nerves. At practices it means we can’t do things full out and therefore I get less of a workout, thus why next week I’ll be going to see if I can start track and field, cause if not these fries, waffles and chocolates will start building up some nice comfy curves on my body.

I’ve had three Rotary events this past month. One just a normal meeting, the next I helped work the bar at a big car rally. And the latest being a trip to Luxembourg with all the other students. We visited a beer brewery, Bofferding, and a ham leg (the likes you see in cartoons) factory. We then went for a nice visit of the town itself and got drenched, which later resulted in me getting a little cold.

As for Valentine’s day, all plans fell through and I spent it alone. It meant I got to have a nice birthday skype my little cousin Aidhana though. That’s been this month, expect a lengthy report in half a months time.

Thinking of Misaki and Peter, hoping they’re both safe and healthy.

Silly little poem

Normally I wouldn't put such frivolous little poem into public view, but in a very simplified way, it does express some of my feelings about friendship. Something that has become an enormous factor on this trip. And not just on the Belgian front, but the Canadian front too. Which I guess in one way makes it very suitable to have written such a simple and frivolous poem, because I have come to realize, just how simple and frivolous some of my friendships are.

Do not let yourself linger, sigh, gripe or fret,
Though reminisce you may as you'll see me yet!
In just one-thirty-eight days I shall return,

Finally bring an end to this longing, yearn.
To see the little people's I left behind,
Though they still continue to stay on my mind.

If you ask me why I made this foolish rhyme,
There are no greater reasons, other than such,
That friendship is worth so very, very much,
That it deserves a poem from time to time.

What can I say?
Apparently you inspired me today :)

Originally written for Ashley Nevin... one of my less frivolous friendships.

Report Six

This last month has a whirlwind of nonstop moving around. I get baffled and tired just thinking about it. I am in my second family who live in a chalet out in the “boons”. Now of course this is what Belgians consider “boons” to be. Though admittedly it is just a small collection of houses, no real communal structures, it is only three kilometres north of Malmedy, a fairly good sized town where most my friends live. So of course when I quite nonchalantly said “well I can just walk into town”, they all gave me this look saying, calm down there mister “I’m a super Canadian”. The concept of walking three kilometres, which honestly is not that much, was just not getting grasped. All being said though, I haven’t actually done that walk yet. The reason that I have once again landed a phenomenal family! It is a single mother of two (one in university the other in Idaho) with her boyfriend. Both are huge believers in making the most of life, and therefore are willing to drive me just about anywhere. Unfortunately that means they are very often busy, especially because the mother is a nurse and therefore has some sporadic hours. Thus why I’m so thankful for my third host family, who let’s me come whenever I want. In fact I’m with my third host family so often it’s almost half and half now. So I am quickly becoming a champion of quick and small one night packing.

Now onto the actual doings of this month. First and foremost, MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am now seventeen! It’s still weird to read that sentence. Now seeing as my birthday was on a Sunday, and Sundays are not exactly the quintessential celebration days (especially as it was the last day of Christmas break) we celebrated the “Reveillons” of my birthday. Kind of like a New Year’s of my life. So I went into town with some friends, and we fooled around until midnight when officially celebrated the day of my birth. It was great fun. One of friends even brought a little cupcake with a candle on it for me to blow out, seventeen times, they relit it sixteen times. It was economical! I then spent the actual day at home resting up for school the next day. My host mother baked me delicious apple pie in celebration.

School is pretty much the same. They all think I’m crazy for wearing shorts and tee-shirts to school in winter, and don’t understand how I seem to know more people in the school then they do. I’ll be going to Berlin with my grade in March! To which the only downside is we have to sell economic light bulbs to raise money. So if anyone reading this wants some economic light bulbs let me know, you’ll have to pay for shipping and I cannot guarantee their arrival, but hey, if you get them they’re more then just economic light bulbs, because they come with a story. As far as subjects go I think I have finally gotten a grasp on the math that we are doing! I’m still passing French and will be entering a contest about deep marine life in abysses with my Biology class.

Rotary has been pretty quiet with me, but considering the amount of people that might be being sent home that’s probably a good thing. On a brighter note I have a newie! So, in case I haven’t explained this already or you’ve simply forgotten, in the Belgian Rotary exchange system there are two streams of students. The August-July students, and the February-January students. So they took this system and used it to their advantage by creating the newie, oldie system. So when I arrived there was already a large group of students that had been here since February. One of these students, (a certain FANTASTIC Diana Nixon) was my oldie. So she was part of my club, and was responsible for helping me get settled and make friends. She did an amazing job of it too! So now that she has gone and a new batch of students have come in, I am now an oldie, to a Maddy Lovelle. Though I doubt I will be able to reach the standard that Diana achieved, I will do my best to help her.

Sports have just been getting better and better. My soccer is starting to win. And by a lot! I myself have put in three goals! (and one beautiful cross in assist) We actually won a game 9-1 the other day! Granted the other team only had nine players, but nonetheless! It was great. I have also started to run with my host father. This region is perfect for it too. The rolling Ardennes, make a beautiful surrounding for a long distance run. I’m also going to be looking into starting some Track and Field.

LOST! In "F!!!!ing Bruges!"

I apparently am really holding strong to the theory that sightseeing is best done when lost, cause I did it again, though at least it was in a different town this time!

Bruges, the beautiful, and some might even say best, medieval town of Belgium. I went there to meet up with my cousin Stephanie who was there with some university friends on a euro tour. So I arrived at the Station with only one slight complication, which was quickly resolved by the train company. So I get there and try to call my cousin. My cellphone wouldn't let me. So I decided to wait and see if she would call me. 45 minutes later I decided to take matters into my own hands. I went to a pay phone and tried to figure it out. The number didn't work. So I went to the ticket booth and asked for the area code. Tried to call again, but in vain. I then asked the ticket booth if they knew where my youth hostel was. They said yes and told me to take the 6o16 bus for it. Now I heard 6 o 16, so I thought he meant 6016, though later I realized he meant 6 OR 16. Nonetheless I went out looking for the 6016. As it doesn't exist, I didn't find it. So I went back in and asked for a map and how long it would take to get there. He said around 30 min. So I started out. Turns out streets are not very well marked near the train station, and I was quickly quite lost in a park. Thank the medieval creators of Bruges and their love for making towers, for without them I would never have gotten back on track. But I did and I finally arrived on the street of my hostel. What I didn't realize was that the name of the street "Laangestraat" means long street. It's the longest street in all of Bruges. So after stopping in three different stores asking where the hostel was, and receiving from all the same general answer "just a few minutes more" I finally found it. And my cousin within.

The most interesting thing about this story of stress and sore feet, is that while walking through Bruges, though I was on the verge of snapping I couldn't help but smile, it being fully decked out in Christmas decorations, it really was quite magical.

Report Cinq

The month of December was an interesting one. It started fairly slow with exams and all, and then bam started to race off with the start of the holidays.

So first I will explain exams here. So the students here mostly had around 7or 8 exams, but some had more, and some (like myself) had less. Each exam can take from 2-4hours. The 4 hour ones are separated in two with a break in between. As this year doesn’t count for us the Belgian rotary asks us to do at least 2 or 3 exams. As I am at a school well known for it’s discipline and difficulty level, I had to take three. I took social sciences, French and math. Social sciences went very well, I think, but unfortunately that teacher does not give me points, so I don’t know how I did. French, I PASSED! By only a few points, but that’s still better some of my classmates did, so I figure if I do better than some francophone’s in a French exam I can be proud. Now math gave me some real troubles, something rather frustrating for me as it was my best subject back in Canada, but that was part of the problem. The math here is a bit more advanced, so it was like I’d missed a month or 2, so the first couple months I was quite lost. Now I should’ve been able to catch back up, but seeing as I have no study habits in math seeing as I never studied for it back in Canada, it didn’t go as well as I’d hoped. Though I definitely improved, I definitely failed. I once again can not be sure as that teacher didn’t give me marks either. So essentially, I passed French, all my courses that don’t have an exam (religion, phys. Ed., Hist. of art) and besides that I don’t know.

The holidays started and so did a compilation of little fun get-togethers. First off, I had Christmas Eve with the mother’s side of the family (the big side). It was interesting as that is the same day the “big” side of my family gets together. So I skyped my family when everyone was there and the sides met. It was a very nice and for many an emotional evening. It was then that the feeling of alienation started for me. It lessened a bit for when we met up with the father’s side of the family, as there are less of them and I know them better, another lovely evening. This feeling peeked for when we met up a few days later for the big celebration of the grandparents’ 50^th wedding anniversary. Once again another wonderful evening full of laughs and smiles, except this time it was my turn to be emotional. Just looking around seeing the beautiful, sublime, happiness this family felt when all together, I found it very touching, but once again felt a slight alienation imposed by myself and by the fact that I could look around the room and say that for the most of them, this is the last time I would see them. Those feelings were quite nicely distracted by all the cars stuck in the snow that we had to push out. In one day I pushed more cars in Belgium, than in my whole life in Canada.

Christmas day itself was very interesting. I started the day off by making some banacks, bacon and eggs for a Mireault/Howells style family breakfast. I also presented the kids with the mini sticks I’d be hiding in my room this whole time. The breakfast and the sticks were a success. I then left for Bruges to spend the night and see Christmas in that beautiful town with my cousin, who happened to be doing a euro tour with her friends.

But soon all the Christmas feel was gone, and the ominous day of my changing families arrived. It arrived solemnly, but without tears. Which was a good thing for the moment I arrived at my new family’s house, I had to get ready to leave for the New Year’s party which they were the organizers of. As I decided to help them as much as I could with set and clean up, I arrived at 6:00 in the evening, and then left at 6:00 in the morning. A great New Year’s was had by all I think.

Then the 5^th of January I returned to Bruges this time with Rotary. We did a little tour, and had the traditional tart/cake. The special thing about this cake is that in each one there is a little figurine. If your slice contains this figurine then you’re the king or queen of the little celebration. I then met up with some friends I had made in Bruges the last time I was there.

As for sports, there haven’t been a lot as it has been off season for a while. However I did get to see an indoor soccer tournament, practice in snow up to my knees, and try out for a possible new team.

I hope everyone back in Canada had a fantastic Christmas and New Year’s!