Tuesday, September 21, 2010

1 Month!

So, yesterday marked 1 month in Belgium for me!
It has certainly been hard at times, but I can say that I am having a great time! Liège is a beautiful city, and I believe (hope) my french has already improved! At least my confidence in speaking french.

Some things I have learned are:
  • You kiss everyone (as a greeting, of course)!
  • The chocolate is fantastic
  • Everyone is curious about America - and surprised when they learn that I don't watch tv or eat at McDonald's often.
  • Scouting here is not at all the same as in the US.
  • Almost everyone is very friendly
  • The littlest things can set off homesickness
  • How to use the buses
  • That gestures are completely different (tapping my head to say "I've got it, I understand" probably translates to "I'm crazy")
  • Ballet is the same in every language - contemporary dance is not.
  • And, even if I am completely bonkers to leave everything I know and love for a year - it is completely worth it!
School is certainly hard (even English). And the subjects I thought would be the same are not in fact the same at all. For example in math - here the imaginary number doesn't exist at all!
And it's hard (and a little strange) to try and make friends in another language - luckily for me everyone seems to be super nice.
I consider myself incredibly lucky in my placement in a host family - they're perfect! And especially lucky when compared to other exchange students who already have issues with their host family.
Everything is going well, and I love Belgium!