Disneyland

So for my 19th birthday my host sister treated me to a day in Paris at Disneyland. Her boyfriend Laurent drove me, Virginie, and their friends Justine and Kevin to Paris. The four hour drive was a little annoying, but now I have appreciation for Kayla, who had to be in the car for ten hours on our way home from South Carolina. When we got to Disneyland it was like I wasn't 19, but more like 11. Riding rides, taking pictures, waiting in line for hours, and attempting to learn a bit of french made me feel like a kid again. Plus we ate at McDonald's.....so that really made me feel American for the day. Disneyland in Paris is bilingual, with rides, instructions, and even coreographed dancing in both French and English. We went to a Lilo and Stitch interactive film and Laurent was targeted. The instructor asked him his name and where he was from. He said, "I'm Laurent, and I am from Belgium." Then the cartoon Stitch said, "Belgium, never heard of it!" it was so funny, and made the entire trip memorable.

I had to go to school yesterday and today. Turns out I really did not enjoy it at all. The secretary is so unorganized and yesterday just threw me with a girl who i just followed around. I currently do not have a set schedule and do not understand a word that is being said to me. People are being nice about it though, even though I feel like a complete idiot when someone asks, "whats your name?" and i just stare at them blankly. I really should have practiced a LOT more before coming here. Every wednesday however we get out at noon, so that is really nice. Hopefully within the next few weeks I will start to enjoy school. I start French classes at a special school next week, so I hope to see a lot of improvement

ps- here is my third article to the LS Tribune

Life in Belgium: An Insight to Life as an Exchange Student
Jamie Bronder
Article III

One of the greatest advantages to being a foreign exchange student in Belgium, is my ability to travel. The first week I arrived my host parents, Philippe and Christine, took me on a day tour of Paris, France. The city is obviously known around the world for its famous tower, the Louvre Museum, Napoleon's Tomb, Notre Dame Cathedral, and its classical romance; however, it is so much more than those things. Traveling with native speakers gave me the advantage to see a different side of Paris. We used the city's metro system and ate and some delicious cafes. One of the most memorable and probably overlooked aspects of the city was La Grande Arche. It is an office building meant to be in the shape of a window. A small plague described the building as,"Idea, an open cube, a window to the world, a symbol of hope for the future,that all men can meet freely." I thought this was beautifully poetic and inspiring. I was also able to go on another weekend to Disneyland Paris. It is very similar to both the U.S. amusement parks; but, everything is spoken in both French and English. As a nineteenth birthday present my host sister, Virginie took me to the magical world of Disney. It was an adventure and a birthday I will never forget.