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!

Report Quatre

This month has had several cultural experiences that will surely never be forgotten. But before we get to that I’ll just fill in where I left off.

My host mother returned from Egypt safe and sound, with stories to tell and a little gift for each of us. I received a red Egyptian soccer jersey. That weekend I got to play two soccer matches, one for the Junior team (age group up), and one with the “scolaires”. We lost with the Juniors, 4-2, but I scored my first Belgian goal! I then quite happily went on to win a game with my team the next day. A crushing match of 4-0 in an absolute mud pit of a field. I then of course went back to school. But only for two days, cause then I was off to Ypres to experience the Armistice they hold there.

It was just me and another Canadian the first day, then we were joined by some others the next. It’s hard to describe what I felt; certain amount of it was certainly a simple lack of capacity to take in all that I was seeing. To look at a well kept green space, looking at the simple beauty of the white stone, and know that over eleven-thousand dead men, some barely a year old than me, lay beneath my feet. We went to see the cemeteries by bike, the best way I think, though we ran out of time to go all the way out to Passchendaele. We came back just in time to grab a bite to eat, watch the parade, then stand with the countless others and listen to the ceremony beneath Menin Gate. That night we went back to another town to explore and stay at a youth hostel with three other Rotary students. The next morning we returned to Menin Gate to take part in the 82 year old daily tradition, of the playing of The Last Post. Once again the place was filled with people. Countless heads staring up at the countless names of lost soldiers engraved upon the walls of Menin Gate. After we stopped for a bite to eat then took the train back.

My next great experience was going to see the Opera of Liège. It was a Rotary event, and therefore jampacked! This was only made even more interesting by the fact it wasn’t actually held in the Opera house, but in an Opera tent. The actual Opera house of Liège is under construction at the moment. The show itself was La Bohème. I was very glad of this as it is one of the few that I actually roughly know the story of. It was extremely well done, with amazing costumes, great scenery and some great booming voices. But alas I was very, very disappointed at the end. For if you know La Bohème, you know, “MIMIIIIIIIII!!!”♪. It didn’t really happen. Not a good way to end a show. Nonetheless I had a great time with some great friends from all over the world.

Next great experience would have to be the Lutins hike. Scouts are a big thing here, and most do them or have done a form of them. Similar to the other one I did, it consisted of an evening, two nights, a day and a morning. All of these filled fun, smiles and laughter. Except for me. My Sunday morning consisted of much barfing and regretting every little snack I ate the night before, blaming each one for my sorry state. Putting aside the messy end, it was a great weekend that really helped with my acceptance among the little Lutins.

The next was St. Nicholas. Now this is celebrated in many different ways and places. It starts with little candies in your shoes every morning for a couple weeks at the end of November into December. This goes on until the day of St. Nicholas itself (December 4 this year) when St. Nicholas brings you presents and platefuls of candy. Seeing as I stayed at my third host family the night before then went back to my first the morning of I scored double on the candy front. The next celebration is at school. The Rhetos (grade twelve equivalents) all gate personalized shirts or lab coats depending on the school. They also prepare a big spectacular show with plenty of audience participation. But from the moment you get to school that day, they do something a little special. They chase everyone around the school trying to face paint/makeup on them. As I decided not to resist and rather embrace it, I got covered. The Rhetos then afterwards go for a party. It was one of the greatest school spirit events I’ve been to and only wish I could stay another year to be part of it.

The last big cultural experience was going Aachen to the Winter Market with Rotary. It was a beautiful day/evening, perfected by the snow and chilly weather. Oh, did I mention that, WE HAVE SNOW!!!!!!! TONS OF SNOW!!!!!!!!!! It’s irritating for the people here, BUT I LOVE IT!!!!!!!! But back to Aachen. It was great to finally leave the country, even though Aachen isn’t that far out. We saw many great artisan items, but unfortunately they were all too fragile, expensive, or non-European for me to justify buying anything.

Well that has been my most culture filled month so far I think, can’t wait to experience the next!

Hike... BLAAAAAGH!

Two weeks ago now, I went on a hike with Les Lutins. This is the scout group I am leader of. The name is rather unsuiting considering we did a total of zero kilometers of hiking. It wasn't even in the agenda. It was more like a fun two night sleepover. So the first night we didn't do a whole lot, just got everyone settled, explained a few things then said goodnight. The other leaders and I then went down to the kitchen to celebrate one of the other leader's birthday. Which was rather interesting as her birthday "pie" was in the car, and when Marie (chief leader) went to get it, Justine (b-day girl) ran after her because she didn't want hergoing out alone. So that meant I had to follow and try to distract Justine. Thankfully she dropped her cell and so I just leaned in and tried to seem really interested in the scratches while Marie sneaked the pie out of the car and intomy hands behind my back. We succeeded and it was a great surprise for Justine.

The next morning we started the main game. The theme for the weekend was superstars. So we created a sort of big version of Cluedo. They were told that Michael Jackson had died and that they had to find the killer, the weapon and the scene of the crime. They were all given lists of possibilities for each section. They then had to cycle through the leaders and complete a challenge at each one. If they succeeded (they all always did) they got the chance to suggest a scenario. Now the leaders had printed out little pictures, one for each possible option (except the correct options), that were then dispersed to the leaders. So when the kids suggested a scenario if they mentioned one of the pictures we had, we would show it to them, and they could mark it off as not the answer. This took up most the day and was very entertaining.

Later in the evening they all dressed in their superstar outfits for a name the song test and to show us their group dances and chants. Before that I had a rather interesting surprise. At suppertime we had mashed potatoes with sausage and applesauce. One of the other leaders took the big serving spoon and smeared mashed potatoes on my face. So I what I could, then wiped the rest off on her with a bisous.

The next day I was sick and therefore slept for the whole of the day. But a fun time nonetheless.