Checking In (1st Week In Belgium)
Because I am placed in the small village of Tarcienne, there are many boulangeries within a short distance of the house. My first breakfast since arriving at the Brussels airport was a pain au chocolate and a coffee. I have been making coffee every morning since I have been here because I am still adjusting to the time and translating French in my head daily!
Shortly after arriving in Belgium, the first Rotary district meeting was held. This took place in Mozet, a beautiful village, and we got to stay in the chateau pictured above. The first day consisted of talking about rules and expectations for exchange and finished with a campfire where we all made s’mores with biscoff cookies, Belgian chocolate, and marshmallows. The second day was filled primarily with games to learn the French language, learn the history of Belgium, and meet one another! This short weekend also allowed me to form a close-knit group of friends.
A few days later, a rotary meeting for my club was hosted at one of the member’s houses. Within the club, there is Cleo from New Zealand, Sofie from Canada, Emanuelle from Brazil, Mana from Japan, and Ana from Mexico. We had lots of fun talking to the other club members, being served delicious appetizers (pictured above), main courses, and desserts, swimming in the pool, and drying off in the sauna. The house owner is also a collector of cars and owns over 35 luxury and collector cars. He even said that some of his cars are one of only three ever made!
Every day, I take the bus to and from school. I really enjoy this because the buses here are clean and up kept, allowing me to relax and listen to music before starting the school day. I arrive early to school and sit on a bench in the central part of the city. Very few people are out at this time, so I enjoy the quiet and admire the buildings and cobblestone streets. This is a photo of a street I walk down on my way to school in the morning.
The weekend after my first week of school, I visited Rive Gauche, a shopping center in Charleroi, with some friends. We bought clothes and enjoyed Belgian waffles and ice cream. Afterward, we headed to a bookstore across the street, which was very different from the usual bookstores in America. There were many hidden rooms filled with books from the floor to the ceiling; books were placed in the middle of the room and the small hallways.
A couple of days ago, I went out with my host dad, Olivier, to a very old building built in the 1100s that was being renovated. A ground floor room was filled with people where I met some of his friends and we had drinks. Then we toured the whole building with Olivier’s friends and eventually left to see an old abbey. I ordered a croque monsieur from the restaurant, and we ate outside in the gardens. Then, Olivier bought us a tour guide, so we went with a small group of others around the church (photo above) and to the yards to learn more about it. I learned that the abbey had a church and a school that used to be just for boys but is now for both boys and girls. The library in the abbey is also the largest private library in the world, with over 500,000 books! They also have a fromagerie where they make cheese. I can’t wait to see more of Belgium!
