Monday, March 8, 2010

The Bigger Picture






Last week I went to on my first school field trip. We visited a Belgian concentration camp used during WWII. It was a humbling experience and the weather set the tone for an enlightening view. I always had imagined camps during the war as being desolate places, but had never really grasped what it meant to actually live in one. Seeing the beds, toilets, and isolation of the people made me appreciate the sacrifice people had to bear. After we went to the camp, we also went to an art exposition in Brussels of the famous Belgian artist, Magritte. He is famous for his self portraits with the bowler hat. People also know his popular apple paintings and his clever phrases that go with his paintings, "This is not a pipe" underneath a picture of an ordinary pipe. Clever guy. Great exposition.

This past week we also got to visit the local government here in Liege. It was a really cool building, slightly boring presentation. I did get to have a few chats with the head of Rotary however, so that was fun I guess. Other than visiting and learning all about the local ins-and-outs, my week was pretty normal.

Last Friday I was with some friends from school and of course as we are speaking in french, I tune into the conversation happening in the next table over. I realize I can easily understand ever single thing being said and then happen to notice that is was because they were speaking in English. Not only English, but American English. So i walk over to their table and say, "sorry I don't want to be rude or anything, but WHERE ARE YOU GUYS FROM?!?!" They seemed happy enough to have a fellow American in their midst and we chatted for awhile. They were in Liege the past week doing a theater production with their university. Its so strange the connections you can make while all over the world. What is the chance that I would just happen to be sitting right next to a table of people from Virginia? I felt really cool being able to give them directions, advice for fun places to go, and where to find the best chocolate. I will probably never see any of them again, but it was still a fun experience, and as all exchange students know, its always nice to see a fellow patriot.

4 comments:

  1. JAMIE JAMIE JAMIE.

    This is Nelda Nichole Kerr.
    AKA the third coolest blogging world traveler (right after the Bronder girls)

    HEY GURRRRRRRRRL!!!!
    Do you happen to know what school they were from?
    Not that I have theatre friends in Virginia that happen to be travelling Europe right now...

    ...but I really do.
    Was it... Mary Baldwin?
    Was it... Shakespeare?

    Either way, I'm loving your reads!
    And you!
    Nelda

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  2. Hey Nelda....it was a group called CORE Theatre Ensemble. I can't remember any of their names right now. sorry! But they were super nice and just happen to be in Belgium for the week. What a weird coincidence if they were your friends.....oh what a small world we live in

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  3. hey! Two of my favorite people together one on blog! Turns out Nelda beats both of us Jamie. Sorry. Her poetry rocks my world. I can't wait for it to get published so i can brag that I know the famous Nelda Nichole Kerr!! Love you both!

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  4. HI. Just got caught up on your week. Everyone should visit a concentration camp to try & begin to understand what the Jewish people amongst others went through. It was real eh?
    Keep up eavesdropping...you never know who you might meet. Love YOU and miss you TERRIBLY. Mom (PS where is Nelda's blog?)

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