eat to live, live to eat

The only major cultural difference I have noticed: In America food is an unimportant part of the day- you eat when you need too, making time for it is silly. In Belgium, I live to eat. Many times I find myself wondering when or what I'm going to eat next, even if I just finished eating. It's ridiculous how my appetite has adjusted and the amount of servings I take in every day. But it's soo delicious. I used to go every morning with hardly or breakfast (or none at all), a little a lunch, and a thrown together dinner when I finally got home. Now I can't imagine going without eating something every 2 or 3 hours. My girth is not happy about it.

But fo realz. Chocolate, waffles, fries, beer. How can you say no?!

Anyway, shall I dish all my adventures thus far? Yeah, you probably are interested.

Starting with September, shall we? (I actually have to get out my planner to remember. This is so ridiculous!)
The earliest I have of things in September is:
Saturday the 25th of September. I went Kayaking down the Lesse River with exchange students in Belgium. IT WAS SO COLD. We started really early in the morning with the first part being 2.5 hours long, then a stop for food. Dominique was my kayak partner and I'm happy to say we didn't topple over. But really, it was so freaking cold. The water was freezing at first, but after a while it felt warm- because we were so wet and cold. Did I mention it rained, too? Poured actually. I felt cold for 2 days after that. Anyway, back to story time: after the break we went back into our kayaks and continued on down the river. Another 2.5ish hours in the freezing cold and rain. It was so beautiful and peaceful, though. I wish my camera was water proof. At one point we kayaked past a castle and I nearly cried for how beautiful it was: being in Belgium kayaking down a riving by a castle. It was magical. Not to mention, as we were further down the river we heard bag pipes. Ahh, died in the kayak.
The kayaking took sooo long, and it was fairly miserable. I kept having fits in the kayak where I would just whine about how cold I was and make awkward growling noises. It's fine, though. No biggie. We had to go down 2 mini waterfall things. The first one was fairly small, but we ended up accidentally hitting this Dutch guy in the ribs with our kayak. He was livid. I still feel bad about it. The second one we went down the tough way because these silly boys on the side pointed us to the right. Poop butts. We survived, though.
When we finally docked, my legs were frozen into the seated position and I actually had to crawl out. I couldn't walk for 2 minutes because I was cramped. So much fun. . . then we took a steaming shower and headed home.

Next up, Wednesday October 6th: Fort Eben-Emael
Fairly boring, but a nice excursion. If you want the deetz on the Fort, I will direct you to wikipedia via the hyperlink. (click the underlined Fort Eben-Emael)
All you really need to know from me is that I walked through a cold fort, took a picture on a tank, and became better friends with Margaret and Mallory. KMO girlz, fo'evz! :)

Friday October the 8th through Sunday October 10th: MERSEA ISLAND
My host Rotary Club was invited by their sister club in England for a weekend of Oyster eating and fun. It was great. My first time in England!!
Friday the 8th:
Abaki (from Minnesota) and I were driven by these 2 elderly couples to England and the entire time I was giggling by how cute they were. That is, when I wasn't sleeping in the car. They told me I was an expert sleeper. But I mean come on, I had to wake up at 5 am that morning ! Anywho, we parked our car on the ferry and ate lunch while we were driven across the English Channel. Then we made our way to Mersea Island (on the left side of the road). We stopped somewhere and had some tea and relaxed a bit. Our fellow Belgian travels said we could walk around for an hour before we had to leave again, so Abaki and I eagerly downed our drinks and waltzed out of the cafe. Our brains were freaking out, we kept expecting to hear French. But it was so much fun. We stumbled upon a castle and walked around the grounds. It was so much fun.
After our little excursion we met with some people from the Mersea Island Rotary Club, then headed to where we were going to stay for the weekend and got ready for a formal dinner. Dined until nearly eleven that night. Such a looong day.
Saturday the 9th:
Woke up and after a delicious english breakfast, walked to the beach with Abaki and Marine (a Belgian girl who was with us, daughter of a Rotarian). Picked up some shells and skipped around enjoying being in England.
Then we went to the docks to head to our special lunch out in the sea at the only oyster shack left in England. A group of men restored it some years ago after it had been abandoned because they didn't use it anymore (obviously). Tried my first oyster, but wasn't a huge fan. The whole slurping thing kind of freaked me out.
Later that night we had another little dinner at the residence we were staying at. Us three girls helped set up the tables and it looked pretty. We left early to go to bed az we waz tyured.
Sunday the 10th: Woke up and packed up to go home. We said goodbye to some of the Mersea Island Rotary Club members and made way for the 8ish hours traveling time home. The English people were so sweet, and the men's crude humor was so much fun. My cheeks were aching from laughing so much. It was a great weekend.


Saturday October 16th: Girl Scouts
I'm supposed to be a leader with some girls, but I haven't gone very often. Conflicting events mainly. But I went this Saturday and it was so much fun! There were about 20 girls in between the age of 10-12 and they were soo cute. We played this game in the woods and it was also freezing. But, it was fun. Later that night I went with my host sister Nora to her friend Sarah's house and we watched movies and hung out. fun fun fun

Friday October 22nd: Dinner Chez Laurent
My fam went to a dinner at their friend the Laurent's home, who are also my next host family. They were sweet and it was nice hanging out together. They have 3 daughters, so the five of us (including Nora and I) had a fun time- we ended up playing Mama Mia singstar and watching UP! Quality sib time. OOh, and the night before Nora and I made a delicious cake for desert, fondly referred to us by "gateau de merde" (poop cake), because of the resemblance of a large turd. You can thank me for the brilliant title. I'm always happy to share my love of poop jokes.

Wednesday October 27th: Foire in Liege
I didn't have to go to school that Wednesday because there was this timed race thing that I wasn't obligated to do, so I ended up meeting with some exchange friends in Liege for a day at the Foire. It was fairly fun. We ate crouistillons which is just balls of cooked dough (like dough nut holes) with powdered sugar, and laquements (I'm not sure how it's spelled), which is like a pancakey syrup specialty. You can only get them during the fair so it's all the craze for the 2 months the fair is in town.

Saturday October 30th: Halloween weekend!
Margaret and Dominique came over and it was great. We made chili, cornbread, and apple pie. I don't know how we managed to pull it off, but it was delicious! The ingredients weren't exactly the same: for instance, we didn't have the same sugar- we ended up putting powdered sugar in the chili. It looked so wrong, but it tasted fine. Go us!
Then we watched Disturbia and I pooped my pants.
Sunday the 31st we carved pumpkins then that night we went tock-tocking with Nora's friends. It was a group of about 10 of us, all in between 16-19 years old. We were rather smart, the bag we showed them didn't have candy in it as we transfered after a successful house all the candy we got to another hidden bag- so they ended up pitying us and dumping everything they had. So clever.
Also, I was going for a witch with my costume but ended up looking like a drag queen. . . LAWLZ. (equivalent of LOL or gigglez, for translation)
Mmm, candy corn. My fav.

On to November. . .
Tuesday the 2nd I went with Nora to a friends party. It was really fun. We hung out and ended up watching Paranormal Activity. Luckily we were watching it in French, so if I started to get really freaked out I would just shut it out and wouldn't know what was going on. Freaking scary shiz, man. I HATE scary movies.

Then, my favorite weekend in the world:
Thursday November 4th through Sunday November 7: LONDON, ENGLAND!!
Ah, it was so wonderful.
Thursday we met up in different locations to hop on our bus that also took the ferry across the English Channel. Then we stopped in Canterberry, went to the Canterbery Cathedral, went to London and walked around, then went to the hotel and night night.
Friday we woke up and did some sight seeing, it's all kind of a blur so I don't really remember what all we did exactly each day. Friday I think is the day we went to Madame Tussauds (the wax museum) in the morning. I was actually getting a celebrity high because they looked so real. It was great.

Then we had a rushed dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, then we went to "Blood Brothers" at the Phoenix Theatre. It was so sad but a very enjoyable performance.
When we got back to the hotel it was late, but we had some quality roomie bonding time with the KMO girls. Margaret and Mallory are from Missouri, and since I'm from Kansas we find it funny how similar and how well we get along since we live so close. Love them so much. We became friends so quickly.

Saturday the 6th:
We went on a 4 hour trek through London to see all the touristy places possible. It was really fun. Big Ben, Hyde Park, Tate Museum, Buckingham Palace, just to name a few. It was beautiful outside. So many fall colors, I was dying of happiness. I really was so thankful to be here with all my new friends. I'm fairly sure every hour I said, "I can't believe I'm in London. LONDON."
Which reminds me, one of these days we went to Windsor Castle and I bought a London Olympics tshirt. 2 years in advance, baby!! So happy about it.

Sunday the 7th: we headed home, nothing too exciting.

Wednesday the 10th of November: "La Melodie du Bonheur"
After a little shopping in Liege after school I went to Margaret's house to attend The Sound of Music at her local theater, I think. It was an enjoyable performance- if only because it was in French and fun to giggle at. I had a nice time, though. Took the train home in the morning and chatted to this elderly lady siting near me. It was fun to have a conversation in French with a stranger. :)

Thursday the 11th of November: Din Din
We had a little family get together for dinner and I made apple pie again. It was nice to see everyone again and I see how I've improved with my French since the last time I saw them. Did I mention I made the apple pie purely from scratch by myself? There's a first for everything, and I beasted. Not to brag or anything :)

Saturday the 13th of November: Liege with a Kansan
It was POURING this weekend. My goodness. However, Robert Thompson (a Kansan Rotarian) was passing through Liege and I met up with him with a few ex-exchange students to show him around and taste the delicacies of Liege. Chocolate, waffles, beer, peket. It was a fun little excursion, even if a bit soaking wet.

Sunday the 14th of November: St. Nicholas Feast
Large family gathering to eat and be merry for St. Nicholas at my "grand parents" house. It was delicious and I was able to meet my "cousins". We're all in the same age group so it was a good time. My grand parents were so sweet and gave us all little gifts- I now have a new leather purse and and a bag of chocolate goodies as well as a monetary gift. It was beyond kind of them.
This was also my 3rd official month in Belgium! hurrah hurrah!
It has gone so quickly

Tuesday November 16th: VAMPIRE WEEKEND
Matilda, Dominique (both Australians) and I went to Brussels for the Vampire Weekend concert. It was sooo much fun. We danced and sang and had a great time. Got home at 1 am but it was so worth it.

Wednesday November 17th: HARRY POTTER and the Opera
I didn't get to go to the premiere of Harry Potter as I had school, but it is worth noting that it came out 2 days earlier in Belgium. :)
That night I went to the Opera, though and it was a nice time. We saw "La Boheme". The subtitles were in French, Flemish, and German, so I often ended up watching the orchestra and pining for my clarinet. I miss playing music! But it was a nice time and fun to get dress up. Although, I'm slightly unhappy how hard it was to get into my dress. Hello ghetto booty, nice of you to stop by. (mad about it.)

PHEW. you are officially caught up.
and so I don't have to do this again for a while, tomorrow I am seeing Harry Potter, going to Margaret's house for the evening and joining her at her band practice (hopefully I'll get to play the clarinet with them!) and then returning home in the morning to have a weekend with Mallory and Margaret at my house. We're going to make tacos Saturday. YUM.

This seriously took 2 hours. I better have comments or I'll be mad.

Love you, Kansas. Some days I wish I was home, but I know that in a years' time I'll be trudging through your snow on the way to school wishing I was still an exchange student and having new adventures nearly every week. These first few months have been full of hardships, but I'm learning so much about myself and my perseverance, what is worth caring about and the things to let slide. We're all people, sometimes we get along and sometimes we clash- but I'm making the best of it and keeping my head up.

I have realized how valuable my friendships are and how wonderful the people I call my friends are. I really am blessed.

Love you. Miss you. Hope I'm making you proud.
Timegobed.

-Mollz


ps. I tried to add pictures to break up all the text, but I think I need to update my java because it won't load the photo uploader. Sorry, peeps. I have my photos on facebook in 3 different albums if you can see them there. Links here: first, second, third
I'll try and update this with photos as soon as I can. :)

trois mois en Belgique.

I told my self that I would update this on 3rd month anniversary of living in Belgium, but I really don't have the energy to recap all my events these past two months. . . I know, it's awful! You should see my journal- my blog is more up to date than the silly book.

I'm alive and living the life. Eating great food, meeting wonderful people, expanding my french, and having a great time.

Can't believe I'm here and that November is halfway through! Time has flown.

I was going to post a funny photo to make your visit less wasted, but I stumbled upon something better: (I will really updated soon.)

Dalai Lama’s 18 rules for living

At the start of the new millennium the Dalai Lama apparently issued eighteen rules for living.

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three Rs:
1. Respect for self
2. Respect for others
3. Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.