One Year

How does one sum up a year studying abroad in just a few short sentences? Impossible. The only thing that even comes close to an experience like mine would be the word unforgettable. In the sense that it will be impossible to forget the friends I have made here. Impossible to forget the families I lived with and now consider part of my own family. Impossible to forget the memories that have transformed me throughout this year. I arrived in Belgium not knowing a single word of French and I am leaving Belgium not only being able to speak a new beautiful language, but with so much more than I would have ever imagined. Experiencing new cultures, going to the biggest music festival in Europe, eating so many different kinds of food I did not know existed, and learning that love, friendship, and patience are universal and are vital regardless of language.

My host brother recently returned from the United States from his year abroad with the Rotary and we agreed on more than one thing about exchange years: its easily the greatest year of your life, living with people is not always the easiest transition to make, public transportation is so convenient, and learning a new language is both the most frustrating and most rewarding experience one can have. Leaving my life here is not something I am looking forward to, but life continues and making each moment in life is what makes every year unforgettable.

Life as I know it

My amazing host family

Somewhere cool in France that I forgot the name of

Gent, Belgium

My new house

Best Friends

So I know I am now officially a terrible blogger considering its been over a month since I updated this thing. But here is the deal- I just live. Now that I am so used to my life here, I feel like nothing is really new or exciting, except EVERYTHING! I know that doesn't make any sense, but to me it does and lets be honest, this is my blog so I can write whatever I want. I went on a little vacation with my host family for the weekend. We visited Gent, one of the prettiest cities in all of Belgium. We saw amazing cathedrals, a HUGE clock tower, a castle, and an art museum with just furniture. Its a lot cooler than in sounds. Then we visited France. I forgot what city, but it was super cool. There are cliffs everywhere and you can literally see the holes that were made from the bombings during WWII. The Germans occupied that area of France at the time of the war and the English bombed that region of France in order to defeat the Germans. One of the coolest parts about this historical site is that you can see England from across the sea. Its incredible. Afterward we all took naps underneath the sun in a field. Then as we went for a walk we just happened to run into some friends of the family who were also in France! The crazy part about these friends? They just happen to be Belgians who grew up in New Jersey. Yeah.....The big NJ. It was pretty cool talking to them. The following day we were back in Belgium and went to this really neat famous restaurant. It has tons of huge playgrounds for the kids to play on and great food for the parents. Well I just happen to be sitting next to the Prince of Belgium. As he gets up to leave, I politely ask him in French if I can take a photo with him because I am a huge fan and plus I am American. And guess what the all-mighty Prince Philippe tells me? "Sorry. Too late. I don't have any time." He is the prince of Belgium! What does he have to do? There isn't even a government in Belgium for the moment. To say the least I was not very pleased. Although I didn't get a picture, I still got a funny story out of it I guess.

What else have I been doing? Hmmmmm....I went to a really fun 18th birthday party for my friend Carmelo. He is a Belgian-Italian and his parents sure do know how to throw a good party. They even has an ice cream truck come! It was a blast. My little host sister had her first communion and my host family threw a GIGANTIC party at our house. Caterers, tent, the whole nine yards. It was pretty cool to see all that for an eleven year old. My friends Erin and Jonathan left Belgium, too. They were great and I am really going to miss them a lot.

In other fun facts about my life: I have a pool. I am now slightly tan. Its only 60 degrees here for the moment. School ends in three weeks. Gina is coming in two weeks! I am going to my schools prom. And I am going to see Snoop Dog with my favorite person in all of Belgium <3 . All within the next very short month. Cannot WAIT!!!!

Turkey.Football. Host Families. Taize.

So its been weeks since I've updated my blog thanks to having absolutely no time at all for the computer. I spent ten days on vacation with my school in Turkey. Then I switched host families. Then I went to my first Standard de Liege football match. Then I spent the week in France on a spiritual retreat with some kids from school.

Turkey- Ten days. Two continents. Forty kids. Six hundred photos. Lots of sun. And so much fun. I got the chance to go on the senior trip with a little over half the kids from my grade. We got to spend two days in Istanbul touring all the big mosques, the spice bazaar, and a boat tour of the outskirts of the city. Then we took a bus down to Kusadasi where we got in trouble with the hotel for swimming in the pool too late. oops! We visited the most beautiful historic sites and i got to see one of the worlds most famous natural landmarks, Euphese. (i think that is how its spelled). It was amazing. Hot water constantly flows down into a valley over beautifully white stones. Unfortunately at the end, I pulled a typical Jamie move and slipped and fell in front of at least fifty people. Then I got to enjoy a three hour bus ride back to the hotel soaking wet and bleeding. I will go back to Turkey at some point in my life because honestly its one of the most relaxing and culturally rich countries. The two best qualities a country can have in my opinion.

I also went to my first Standard de Liege football match (soccer). It was so fun. I went with a few Belgian friends and really had a great time. True fans of the sport...even when they lose. I could connect on a deep level with them because I am used to supporting a loosing team too. Thanks Royals and Chiefs.

I also switched host families this past month. My new host family is great. I have three younger sisters and for the first time in my life I am the oldest. It is strange but I like it too. My sisters are 16, 14, and 11 years old, so EXACTLY like my family. I honestly think I am reliving my childhood but with mature eyes now. I can see myself in my littlest sister so clearly. I think everyone should get a chance to experience that. My new house is beautiful. I have a pool and a huge backyard. And for the first time this year I have a dog! I love it!

I also got the chance to return to Taize, France for a week on a school retreat. I had been there once before in November and loved it so much that when I got the opportunity to return I practically jumped on the bus. I hung out with an amazing group of people from my school and also met unforgettable people from around the world. There was a big group of people from France that were there for the week and one girl gave me a great compliment. She said, "Jamie- its strange. You speak french with an American accent, but also a Belgian accent. So cool!" Some french speaking people try to tell me I am fluent in french. I just laugh and say, "I don't think so!" I will never be truly satisfied with my french speaking abilities. I don't think so at all.

I have less than three months left in Belgium and I cannot imagine myself leaving for one second. I close my eyes and literally see myself saying goodbye at the airport, but instead of a joyful, tearful goodbye.....the security is dragging me onto the plane because I refuse to leave. I love the people here. I love the city. I just love my life. I know we should always live in the present and not dwell on the past or focus on the future, but right now I am so happy I can't possibly end this incredible journey.

Wayyy too long

Ok so I realize I am a terrible blogger because I haven't updated this is forever. So here goes a quick run-down of my last couple of weeks:

Every year when there is 100 days left of school all the high school seniors get to dress up. We call this day "100 Jours". A little obvious, but clever nonetheless. So at my school, St. Jacques we all dressed up however we wanted. I decided to show my true American colors and go as a distressed prom queen. Tiara and all. Some other friends dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood, an elf, cheer leaders, The Mask, and even Lady GaGa. One school across the street dressed all the same way and came into town dressed as chickens. Another group of kids came as Smurfs (a Belgian comic by the way). To say the least, the night was interesting. Most of the people who were not dressed up just looked at all of us like we were crazy; but, I know we had a lot more fun dressed up like we were.

The next weekend I was lucky enough to attend my very first Belgian dance. Its called "Le Bal de Rheto" and its essentially a prom. The only difference is that this is the only dance all year and so its a bit different than the typical American dance. Guys wore suits and all the girls had on cute little dresses. The strange thing was that kids were the DJs (and yes, they were good, too), it was only about $7 to get in, and teachers were serving beer. I had never thought of a high school dance where beer could be served, but because its legal here at age 16, it was actually very casual. Its a bit odd considering the only reason teachers go to dances in America is to keep out alcohol, and here the only reason they go is to serve it.

This past Monday and Tuesday I didn't have school for some strange reason (I never get why I don't have school sometimes.....but I never complain). So Sunday night I went over to a friends house to spend the night and got to jump on her trampoline which was so much more fun than it should have been for a nineteen year old. Then Tuesday she invited me to go to the sea with her and some friends. Her aunt has an apartment five minutes away from the seaside. We hopped on the train Monday night and just had a blast. Six girls,one very cold sea, and a night I don't think I will ever forget. We went shopping and ate Pizza Hut which was quite a bit of a nostalgic lunch for me. All in all, it was really a lot of fun.

This past Wednesday I had a huge realization= I only have four months left to stay in Belgium. I actually cried in front of my host sister and host mom. That was a bit terrible. I am never sad here and it was strange to be so upset. Then I realized I was upset because I am so happy. Oh the irony. Dealing with college stuff while on a different continent is no fun and thinking about next year kind of scares me. I am so used to living in the present that thinking about the future just makes me tense up. I guess my ten day vacation to Turkey will help me ease some stress. I leave in three days and will be visiting all over the country with my senior class. I finally get to take the senior trip I never got to go on. But this time I will be with my new Belgian friends.

Friends From Far Away

Today I had visitors from LEE'S SUMMIT! Sara and Jim Witteman came to visit Belgium for the week and they came to Liege to visit me. I tried my very best to be a good tour guide but my city isn't really the most tourist friendly place. Its an amazing place to live, but not exactly the top of anyone's top ten places to visit before you die lists. So I showed them around, we ate waffles, went into a cathedral that I had never been in before but walked by every single day, hung out with my friends and did a little shopping. Then I decided that since they were only going to be in Belgium a few days and we were already so close we needed to visit Maastrich for the rest of the day. Maastrich is in the Netherlands (Holland). So we hopped on the train, only thirty minutes away and spent the rest of the day there. We did some more shopping, took some great pictures, and ate really yummy Dutch food (pretty much the same as Belgian food). I really loved every single minute I got to spend with them. Its always nice to see a familiar face and to be able to show off my home. They might be my only visitors the entire time I am in Belgium. I hope not though.....

This past weekend was crazy busy for me. Friday night I had a Rotary activity with my host club. I served wine and beer at a theater show that was put on to raise money for several non=profit organizations that my Rotary club helps. I had a fun time being able to work with my youth exchange officer because he always gives me a hard time and I was finally able to show him that I can be a fast worker. After I helped serve people we ate a delicious cheese buffet with at least fifty different types of cheeses. I also got to meet one of my best friend's parents who were here to visit her. They were really nice. Audrey's sister came, too......and I got to see her Saturday too!

Saturday I went to Luxembourg the whole day with Rotary (nice transition into the next topic I know). We went to a ham house, yes, a ham house. They butcher and smoke ham. Then we ate it. So much for me being a vegetarian. Even though I was a little grossed out by the whole process, I always appreciate a new experience. After that we went to a tour of the city......which is essentially the entire country. It took about an hour. It was pretty cool. Then Saturday night I went to my friend Nicola's music concert....it was fun. I went with Belgian friends so I really had a fun time. After that I went to St. Jacques, my school to hang out with some friends. I had a lot of fun because I got to hang out with friends outside of the classroom. Belgian students study quite a bit, so when I get to see them outside their normal place, its very enjoyable. This weekend was so much fun......I can't wait for next weekend.

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.

Nothing New

Friends from all over the world- Columbia, Belgium, Brazil, and of course good old KC, MO

So this week has been extremely normal for me. Which is kind of strange because I always seem to be getting into something else adventurous and exciting. I realized today that I only have about five months left to stay in Belgium, and I actually got really sad. I cannot imagine my life NOT being here and I know that I am going to have an amazing time whenever I go to college; but, I honestly can't imagine that right now. I wonder if my whole life will be set in these strange moments where I can only see myself living that life forever. I have met some incredible people here and I do not plan on ending those relationships when I leave. I am scared I will forget all the French I have been learning, so thanks to Skype, I guess I can attempt to live in Belgium my whole life.

I was joking around with my friend Niko the other day about coming to the United States and I told him he would just have to marry me in order to get a U.S. citizenship. He thought it was a great idea. Maybe I will do that here. JUST KIDDING! But so many people I meet want to come to the United States to learn English and live the American dream, but the more time I spend here with Belgians, Mexicans, Canadians, Columbians, Australians, and every other country imaginable, I realize that every place on earth has something special. A country isn't great because of its weather, its political power, or its language....its great because of its people. I plan on discovering a lot more countries very soon. Instead of dreaming about my life I happen to be living my dream.

Too Long.....

Ok, so it has been WAYYYY too long since I have updates my blog. sorry about that. also i apologize in advance for any spelling errors or lack of proper grammar, i am just going to keep typing until i write everything down.

I got to go to Brussels with the Rotary on a friday afternoon. We were able to tour the European Parliament and I got the opportunity to meet the US ambassador who represents the US in Brussels. We got to sit behind the desks of the men and women who make all the international laws concerning the EU. Plus I got to meet up with all the exchange students and that is always an adventure in itself.

This past weekend I traveled to London with my first host family. They took me as a very late birthday present. We took the train VERY early in the morning and traveled underneath the sea to get to the fun little island of England. Once we got there, we did all the fun touristy type things like walk across the London Bridge, eat fish and chips, take a ride in the HUGE ferris wheel (The London Eye), walk though Westminster Abby, take pictures by Big Ben, see all the street performers, and just take in the city. I can't imagine having a better time than I did. I love traveling with my host parents because my fist host dad Philippe always gets out his map and somehow, unknown to me, finds his way around the subway system and we always arrive perfectly to where we need to be. I took hundreds and hundreds of pictures and I love them all.

This week in Europe is Carnival. Its like Mardi Gras but a whole week long. I was sick this past week, but now I am looking forward to going out with my Belgian friends and experiencing the parades, costumes, and the Belgian way of celebrating this fun holiday. Updates will be quicker this time i promise.

Bientot

I am going to update this with A LOT really soon. I promise. Just too busy living my life!

Change

This is a picture of me with my first and second host dads wearing KC Chiefs jerseys that I gave them.

As an exchange student with one of the greatest organizations in the world, Rotary, students get the chance to live with different families while on their exchange. I recently changed families and the experience is something that I will never forget. When I first arrived in Liege,Belgium I was just a wide eyed American girl looking for an adventure. I didn't speak a word of french, and I really had no idea what my year living abroad had in store for me. I moved in with a family who embraced my ignorance in the language and they treated me as a member of their family. My first four and a half months were filled with lots of learning and growing. I immediately new that my first host family was loving, fun, and sometimes a little crazy; but, it made me love them even more. I switched into my second family just after New Years. I never imagined it would be so emotional. I admit that when I moved to my new family I was a little apprehensive because I had such an incredible first family; however, I never thought I would have a second family who was just as great. My new host family has three kids, and for the first time in my life I have both a little sister and a brother. Growing up as the youngest of three girls, I am slowly learning what its like to have different kinds of siblings.

I was driving with my second host dad past my old house and I made the comment, in french of course, "Oh look, there is my old house!" Laughing he told me if I loved it there so much he could drop me off. I smiled and said that now I just have a few different houses to call home now. Throughout my first five months here I have learned that most families are pretty similar. Parents fight with their kids, kids complain about doing the dishes, and family love is never-ending. Language barriers may prevent me from understanding everything that goes on in my new house; but, compassion is universal. I know that I am one of the luckiest people in the world. I have changed quite a bit in my first five months here: changed families, changed my hair color, and changed my outlook on the world. I have seen how important it is to learn a new language and have seen how empathetic people can be. Change is a good thing and my exCHANGE year has thus far been the greatest experience of my life.

On a sad note, all the Australians and New Zealanders left this past week. I am going to miss them so much, but I know that the new exchangers who are coming will be great, too.

New Years on the NEWS!

Seems like Belgium got a taste of how I celebrate New Years.

I was on the news! Click on the link below. It will be set to audio, click
video on the top as the choice. Select the first option, JT. Scroll dow
to "JT de 19h30 du vendredi 1 janvier" and select it. Then click the
option "la soirée de nouvel an à Bruxelles" and watch. I'm in the
beginning, screaming.



http://mediaserver.rtbf.be/sites/rtbf-media/themes/rtbfmedia/iPlayer/MediaPlayer2.php?skinURL=http://mediaserver.rtbf.be/sites/rtbf-media/themes/rtbfmedia/iPlayer/skins/white_retro/white_retro.swf&runtimeCSS=http://mediaserver.rtbf.be/sites/rtbf-media/themes/rtbfmedia/iPlayer/skins/white_retro/runtimeCSS.swf

Bonne année! (Happy New Year!)

New Years 2010 in Brussels will be a day that I will never forget.

Here is just a brief overview of my night:

1. Got ready at my house with some other exchangers
2. Ate a delicious pita
3. Got on the train
4. Had to get off the train because it was broken
5. Met some crazy Belgians. One of them was dating a guy in prison.
6. Met up with friends in the train station in Brussels
7. Had a beer. (the only drink I bought all night)
8. Attempted to get everyone to go to the Grand Place
9. Realized fireworks were in fact somewhere else
10. Met a Belgian guy who spent a year in Fresno, CA
11. Ran into a Brazilian guy I met last Wednesday
12. Counted down to midnight...
13. Met a guy from Virginia
14. Met two girls from Virginia (they did not know each other before that night)
15. Danced in a club for about 10 minutes
16. Found other exchange students by singing the "exchange student song"
17. Lost my cell phone
18. Went to a classy hotel and drank 8 glasses of water
19. Returned to the original bar and helped my friend not get attacked by scary men
20. Had a french guy think I was Belgian (after we spoke for a few minutes in french)
21. Spoke with a guy in french, only to find out that he was from England
22. Watched a girl fall down an entire flight of stairs (she's fine, just embarrassed)
23. Slept
24. Took the train home
25. Walked home in the snow because my bus was going to be another half hour

Turns out a lot more exciting things also happened. My host sister got a call from my cell phone at four in the morning from a guy. Turns out someone found my cell phone and is now making prank calls. If you know who he is, let me know. Also, two of my friends wound up in the hospital because they got roofied. Luckily they are ok, just had all of their stuff stolen. All in all, I had a great night and can't wait for New Years in New Orleans next year.

Joyeux Noël!

So for the third year in a row I spent Christmas in a different country. 2007- China, 2008- USA, 2009- Belgium. And oh what fun it was! Experiencing the different Christmas's around the world is truly an amazing gift that no store could ever provide. Belgian's celebrate Christmas on the night of the 24th. My host family and I ate dinner at my host aunt's house with the whole family. I got to enjoy Christmas dinner with my grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousins, sister, and parents. Although they aren't my "blood relatives" I can honestly say that to me, they are my family. I am so blessed to not only have a wonderful family waiting for me back home, but now I have an entirely new family in Belgium. I know that this will not be my last Christmas spent here. We ended up staying up, eating and drinking until four in the morning and even my 80 year old grandparents were as lively as the rest of us! Then for Christmas day, we ate Racklette (a melted cheese dish) and played Trivial Pursuit.

My family was too generous and Santa brought me a Swiss Watch (something I have wanted for forever). My real grandparents were too nice and instead of a traditional Christmas gift, they donated money in my name to a young girl living in Kenya in order for her to graduate nursing school. With my real sister Kayla living in Kenya, she too gave gifts of never-ending-love to her new friends in Kenya. Please, if you love Christmas spirit as much as me, go visit her blog, www.kaylainkenya.blogspot.com

There is a time for traveling.....and it is now

Too much to say......I'll try to sum it up.

School:
Finished school last week. I took a few exams and actually passed three of my classes. I passed gym, english, and french. For my french final I was assigned a book to read (in french!). Its called "Novecento: Pianist" and it is about an Italian man who lived on a boat his entire life and played amazing music. I was surprised that I actually understood the book and although I had to look up soooo many of the words, I really learned a lot. Then I had an oral exam with my french teacher and I passed! After the exams all of the kids from school go out and celebrate. It was really fun to be able to hang out with my friends from school outside of class. Most Belgians are very focused on passing class, and it was great to see them all loosen up and relax once finals were over.

Brugge:
Last week my host parents took me and my friend Audrey (Canadian) to Brugge for the day. The two hour car ride to the coast was nice and smooth because the Flemish region of Belgium is completely flat. This is very different from my city which has mountains throughout the city. We visited the beach and I got to walk on sand that literally was so soft, it felt like snow. After the becah we went to Brugge and got to take a fun and exciting boat ride through the canals of the city. The entire city of Brugge is built ontop of rivers that wind their way through houses, cafes, and shops. We also got to look at a bar that has over 6000 different varieties of beer available. Now that is a lot of beer! In Brugge they speak Dutch (or Nederlandes) and it was interesting to hear a language that I really did not understand. We ate delicious food and drank some good beer. My host parents really are the best.

Birthdays:
My friend Ana Cristina turned 18 this week and threw a birthday party at her house. Ana is from Mexico and she lives really close to my host house. We ate typical Liege food and sang karaoke. It is really fun to hang out with other exchange students and also a great way to practice our french. Most of the exchange students speak english as their second language; however, a few of them don't speak english at all. So now that we all speak at least a little french, we can speak together in french. It is also just fun to speak in french with other exchange students because we all have patience with each other and can often times help one another learn and improve.

Paris:
This weekend I was given the opportunity to go to Paris with my french school, Jon Fosse. About 50 of us took a bus and made the four hour trip to one of the greatest cities on earth. I went with one of my best friends, Pichii (Mexican) because we are both in the french class. He and I did not know what to expect because we did not know any one else on the trip; but, it turns out that making new friends from all over the world is something that us exchange students do quite well. We hung out with Indians, Turks, Bulgarians, and Belgians, too. We spoke french the entire weekend with our new friends. Although it was -7 degrees Celcius (about 20 degrees F), I loved every minute of the cold. With the snow falling, everything in the city was even more magical. Standing under the Eiffel Tower with the snow falling on my face is something that very few people get to experience. While in Paris we visited Montmarte (one of the best panoramic views of the city), the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, and we even stood outside the Moulin Rouge. I cannot even begin to describe how unforgettable the trip was. I got to see the Mona Lisa. I walked through Paris's outdoor Christmas festival. I stood under the Eiffel Tower while it was being lit up by a twenty minute light show. People always say that Paris is the most Romantic cities in the world, and I know that I fell in love- with Paris.

St. Nicolas

This weekend was by far one of the best weekends I have spent in my lovely new home, Liege. If you are reading this right now, I must warn you I plan on going into specific details just so I will be able to remember all of this when I read it later.

Friday-
One of the biggest advantages of being an exchange student is that I do not have to take all of my end of the year exams. So luckily for me I did not have to go to school Thursday, Friday, Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday. I'm only taking three exams (English, French, and Social Sciences). So Friday night I go out with some friends to the square. It is one of the best places in all of Europe to hang out with friends and have a good time. It was surprisingly empty for it being a Friday night and I was originally a little bummed out because it was not crowded like usual. Come to find out, people were just waiting until Sunday to head down town. All in all, Friday was a normal night on the town for me; but, I did get to talk to some new people and hang out with my host brother, Ben.

Saturday-
We celebrated my host mom's birthday Saturday by going to an awesome restaurant called LA CHARBONNADE. The way it works is that you order a protein and they serve it to you raw on a plate. Then they bring out hot coals and you grill your meat right at your own table. So not only was it delicious but it was also a little "hole in the wall" kind of secret place only Belgians know about. I gave Christine a cute little black hat for her birthday and I think she really liked it.

Sunday-
By far the best day of my weekend and maybe my whole month. The feast of St. Nicolas is celebrated in Liege as not only a day for giving friends and family lots of yummy chocolate, its also an excuse for university students to harass local citizens. Every year students wear and decorate white lab coats and wear them throughout the week. These white coats may seem silly. but are very useful for an outer layer of clothing protection against unwanted materials. The tradition of St. Nicolas is that every year students wearing these coats are able to ask people throughout the city to give them a little money, only a euro or less for the most part. If the students ask and do not get any money from the selfish citizen, they are not only allowed but also encouraged to throw flour on said person. This results in both the student either earning money or feeling extremely justified. The money that the students earn is used to buy beer for that night. Since I am technically still in high school in Belgium, I was not really supposed to be at the St. Nicolas celebrations; however, exchange students can get away with things that Belgians can't. So my awesome host sister Virginie gave me the needed white lab coat, I decorated it and had my friends write fun messages on it, and off I went to have one of the best nights ever. I did not feel right asking people for money since technically I shouldn't have been there in the first place, so I just went to have fun. I ended up meeting some of my Belgian friends and I also got the chance to make some new friends too. There were so many people in the square that at one point I did not have my feet on the ground, but was still standing. A few of the highlights of the night included: meeting a random Belgian girl in the bathroom, dancing on a table with my friend Ana, meeting some really cool Belgian guys who were easily the tallest people I have ever been around, chilling with Canadians who were backpacking through Europe, being told I was a good dancer by a Latina in a Cuban bar, not being robbed, thrown up on, or peed on, and only spending five euros all night. To say the least, St. Nicolas will be forever in my memory.

Sorry if you read that whole thing. It was very detailed and I only wish I could more adequately describe how truly awesome it was. Pictures to follow soon.

Germany and Ely

So sorry it has taken me this long to update my blog. A lot has happened in the past few weeks and I have just been too busy to write it all down. So here goes.....

I went to Germany for the first time this past Wednesday. It was a Rotary activity and we took the train and a bus, but it was close and easy. We got to go shopping at the Marche de Noel, which is an outdoor Christmas festival. We drank hot, spiced wine and enjoyed the fun atmosphere of Christmas in Germany. I went to the city of Aachen. All the kids that went with us wore these goofy santa hats, but luckily it was easy to find each other in the huge crowds of people.

Thursday my friend Ely left for Mexico. She has wanted to leave for awhile, so she was happy. I got to spend a lot of time with her at French school and I know that class will not be as much fun without her. I have really started to hang out with mostly Latinos and Belgians. Its strange, but I just seem to fit in with them....so they are the people I hang out with the most. Ely lives in Mexico City and I know I will visit her at some point in my life. She really is an amazing person and I am sad she is gone.

This past week my host mom, Christine, turned 50 years old. As a surprise for her birthday, my host dad, Philippe, took her to Venice, Italy for two days. Talk about a great birthday present! Tonight we are going out to one of the best restaurants in Liege. It is a little place were you BBQ your food at your own table. I expect it will be good.

This week end is the festival of St. Nicolas. It is a two day feast that takes place on the 6th and 7th of December. St. Nicolas brings children presents and candy. Luckily for me, as a student I get to participate in the more fun activities. Basically students get to hang out in the square all night and into the morning, and the next day throw flour at younger students. I beleive this will be one holiday that I will bring back to the states.

Beer and Thanksgivng (Belgian Style)

Me at the Hogaarden Brewery with friends and at Thanksgiving with my families.

Thanks to my amazing first three months as an exchange student in Liege, Belgium I have done so many amazing things. I have been to Paris, Disneyland, Athens, and Luxembourg. I have toured a castle, hiked a mountain, gone kayaking, visited the Parthenon, prayed at a monastery, been inside a mine, and navigated through an army fort. I have eaten quail, boar, sheep, snails, squid, and some other things I am not quite sure of. I have also eaten lots of delicious chocolate and been able to taste some of Belgian's finest beers.

My Rotary district recently took all of the exchange students on a tour of one of the most famous brewery's in Belgium, Hoegaarden. This company is most well known for its white beers. They are often flavored with fruits such as raspberry or lemon. At the brewery we got to explore a museum which described in detail exactly how the beer is made. At the end of the tour, we were able to sample some of the world famous beer. Living in Belgium has been a great way for me to try all the different beers; but, if I planned of trying them all I would have to stay here forever. Belgium brews over 8,000 different types in 125 brewries throughout the country. Belgium might be well-known for its beer, chocolate, and waffles, but for good reason.

Thanksgiving tends to be an American tradition involving family, close friends, and great food. Well this year, for one American girl living in a faraway country, things were a bit different. Being an exchange student in Belgium not only means I am learning to speak French and live the European lifestyle, it also means representing America. As an ambassador to the United States, I wanted to show my new Belgian family what Thanksgiving was truly about. I have enjoyed cooking for years and this was my chance to represent myself and one of my favorite American holidays.

As I planned the meal, I quickly realized that I needed to make a few adjustments to my menu. It is impossible to purchase a turkey before Christmas, so my host father prepared pheasant instead. It was surprisingly delightful and paired nicely with the traditional American meal. Along with a few other mishaps, I somehow adjusted the dishes using the available resources and created an edible meal, I hope. I got to spend my Thanksgiving with my current host family, and both my second and third host parents as well. With a total of nine people to please, I was quite nervous; however, I believe the night was a success. It was not your average American holiday, thanks to the normal one course American meal I converted into five courses; but, all in all I think everyone enjoyed themselves. My favorite Thanksgiving recipe is a classic from my mom, and although it needed a few adjustments in Belgium, its pretty tough to mess up. Bon appétit!

Carrot Casserole:

2 lbs carrots
2-3 T sugar
2 T onion, minced
1 cup Old English cheese (2 jars)*
1 cup 1/2 and 1/2 milk (or heavy cream)
2 pkgs. Ritz crackers, crushed
1.5 sticks butter, melted

Cook carrots in sugar water until fork tender. Drain and chop carrots.
Add: onion, cheese, milk or cream, and 1 pkg. Ritz crackers

Put all in greased casserole dish. Mix 2nd pkg. of Ritz crackers and melted butter in separate dish. Use as a topping for casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

*Substitute grated cheese if in Europe and cannot find Old English cheese.

Friends

This past Friday I had such a fun Belgian experience. After school I went with some of my friends from school into town and we just hung out in the square. It was really fun hanging out with Belgian friends and seeing how they act in town. Since normally I just hang out with other exchange students, I welcomed the chance to enjoy an afternoon with them. Later that night we went to a concert that my school was holding. At the concert there were about thirty or so acts all involving people from St. Jacques. Students and teachers participated by singing, playing the piano, and performing covers of famous songs. My best friend at school, Nicola, was joking around earlier that day and told me he was going to dedicate a song to me. I did not believe him. As it turns out, he was telling the truth. He got up on state, and grabbed the microphone from the singer and shouted, "Jamie, this song is for you!" I was so excited and screamed quite loudly. If people at my school didn't know I was American before, they know now. He then played the song, American Idiot, by Green Day. I had so much fun and know that I will always remember that most honorable dedication.

Saturday I went grocery shopping with my whole family. We went shopping for the upcoming week and also for some of the things needed to cook Thanksgiving dinner. We ended up getting so much stuff that our cart was overflowing and our bill for the super market was over 300 euros. My host sister, Virginie, was so embarrassed. Later that day, my host mom, Christine was helping me with my french lessons as usual and Virginie wrote down a sentence for me to ask in french. I then asked our mom if she would give us money to go out later that night. Turns out having a host sister is good for everyone involved because Christine gave us some money later that day. Virginie and some of her girl friends took me out to a fun tropical bar called Tam Tam where we just relaxed and had a girls night.

Sunday I accidentally slept until two in the afternoon. I didn't even know that was possible. But I guess I have to make up for the lack of sleep I get during the week at some point. I made chocolate chip cookies with walnuts for my family and my friend Federica's birthday on Monday. I also watched Jurassic Park and Man vs Wild in french. Actually just as cool in french as it is in English. All in all, this weekend was calm and relaxing, yet really fun. Also, my family celebrated my three month arrival with champagne. Three months! Can you believe it?

Monday I celebrated a birthday with my friend Federica. She is the only other exchange student at my school and i love her. We ate traditional Mexican food and it was DELICIOUS! i love that girl. She really makes my time at school much more fun.