Yes, I am in Belgium!

☆ Hello! My name is Evie and I'm an 16 year old Australian girl living as an exchange student in Brussels, Belgium. ☆

[belgiumblog]

If you're still reading;

Since I've gotten back from Belgium, nothing much has changed. Things stayed the way they always were while I was away, and it's just like slipping back into the continuum of time. I've got really good teachers this year and I've not really had any trouble slipping back in to school life. I've also been busy with my exams, having already done English, Modern, Ancient and Religion exams when I feel like I only just started Year 11 a moment ago. Ancient and Modern history are definitely my favourite subjects. I've been to the beach with my family, hung out with friends, started growing tomatoes and spent plenty of the time in the sun. A part from that, I live out the comfortable daily grind of school. So, this post is pretty much an update for the future. In July this year, all going well, my family will be hosting another exchange student from France for 3 months. I'm very excited for this and I can't wait to rip through all the application forms to decide who will be living with me. I've also applied to go on an immersion trip with my school to India at the end of the year. I think it'd really be such a fantastic experience, and I'm hoping that I will be accepted. A part from that, nothing really exciting has been happening. Australia is it's same-old hot self and the days are going incredibly fast, with every minute already becoming a memory. I'll update this blog again; -Evie

[belgiumblog]

Last day of school

As an 'exchange student' the school life takes up a massive part of your time on exchange - not the studying, the people! Naturally after 5 months I was very upset to say goodbye to all my new-found friends. But, I tried to stay positive throughout the day to make the most of our last times together!

Alicia and Tiffanie !

Chiara!

Chiara and Jasmine <3

4TTA my class <3

Chiara!

Alexandre! "Quelle est ta matière préférée?" hahaha ;)

Nawal

Anne-Laure!

Selin

Alicia

Imane

Celine

Manon

My art class! More photos to come!

[belgiumblog]

Last lunchtime

As I was about to leave school at lunchtime to eat with my friends, Chloé said that she needed to get something from her sister's locker. I agreed to go and get it with her. Then, we walked into a classroom (which probably should have been a warning sign) and everybody jumped out! All my friends were there and in my initial reaction I cried a bit, but it was because I was so happy that they'd been thoughtful enough to do this for me!

After that the day passed in a blur and before I knew it I was outside of the school and everybody was signing the teeshirt that Eloïse got me. 

May or may not have been crying a bit! Eloïse's sister started crying and it was the cutest thing ever! It felt incredibly weird to be walking away from them, and that place, knowing I'd probably never see them all again. I broke down into a crying fit! They were all super nice to me throughout my exchange and I'm so grateful of everything they'd done for me. On my way home, Eloïse telephoned me to tell me about the first time we met. She said "we were in the hallway, and you bumped into me, and then you ask me my name!" which is really sweet and made me cry just a little bit harder.

My host mum bought me a new suitcase AND backpack because I had so much stuff :/ After that in what now seems like a crazy blur I drove to the airport with my host family. Saying goodbye was the most difficult thing ever and the worst I've ever felt was when I'd passed through those gates. I was crying, hyperventilating, red, stuttering, and I just felt terrible. When I was about to go through the gates Aude ran up to me and hugged me and said some really nice things and then that was it. I walked through the gate and I was completely alone. The whole world that I had come to know in the last 5 months was gone. Nobody knew about it but me. All the memories, thoughts, feelings, experiences. I'm glad I kept this blog, it helps me remember what I did. Now that I'm home. everything about my exchange already feels like a dream.

Left Brussels...

And then followed the curve of the earth to Abu Dhabi....

And finally, the blue seas, vast green, the land that I call home. Australia at last. I don't care what anyone says: the flight is simply horrendous. And then quickly through immigration and bam. My family is there. After 5 months of wishing I could hug them and crying after seeing a pixel version of them on Skype, they were right there in the flesh. I was so happy. From the first second, it was like I have never left and things were back to the way they were. I still argue with my family, my sister's still annoying.  More things coming later xx - Evie

[belgiumblog]

More activites

For my last Wednesday, I caught the metro! I changed lines and pretty much went across the entire city of Brussels to meet Aude after school. We went shopping which was really fun! I didn't buy that much though because I knew my suitcase was nearly full and wasn't about to buy any warm clothes in preparation for the Australian summer. After that we ran for the metro and just missed it, so we waited and caught the next one. We ate on the metro and Aude couldn't stop laughing!

That night, I went to my last dance class. When it was over, they told me they were all going to try on costumes so we all went into a dark room. Then someone turned on the lights and said "surprise!" They all signed a bag for me. After that we sat around and ate some chips together. It was super kind of them all!

That was a really hectic day but when I went to bed, I couldn't sleep because I was overthinking so much. I remember being incredibly happy to leave to nearly crying at the thought of leaving Belgium!   Stay tuned!

[belgiumblog]

Last Week of Activites

The last week was very, very hectic and I was busy all the time. That's probably why I couldn't update very much! I had something planned every day, and because of this, my last week went by very fast. So, I think it was the Tuesday I went into town with my friends Eloïse, Chloé and Emmanuel. 

We walked through the streets of Brussels from Rue Neuve to the Grand Place and back. Although I often frequented these areas, there were still some things I'd never seen before! The architecture above was an artwork, and when you walked under each column there was a wave sound! It was pretty funny because some of the sounds were really weird and we were trying to figure out how a whale could have made them.

Then we when to this biscuit shop and I bought a really, really, really nice chocolate lollypop. All the biscuits looked so good, I was so overwhelmed!

And of course, the Grande-Place. Can't go there without taking at least one photo!

This is a cat statue I'd NEVER seen before, even though it's right near the part of Brussels I usually hung around :)

I saw these adds everywhere! It's nearly "Evie" ;) All in all, it was a really great evening together. At the end we ate some frites, comme d'habitude ! I was so happy when I got home that night. More to come!

[belgiumblog]

What organization did you do your exchange with?

WEP Australia ;)

[belgiumblog]

Me vs My sister after coming home from a 5 month exchange in Belgium

[belgiumblog]

So, I've just decided to add some final updates to my blog, just for future reference so I don't forget exactly what I did. I'm going to start again where I left off, which was around mid-january. Surprising, it never really got very cold while I was in Belgium. Normally it's supposed to be a lot colder! So, on my second last dance class I decided to take a photo with everyone because apparently some of them were going to be away the last week I would go.

Fabulous

Then, that weekend, I wandered around Brussels. It seemed strange that after 5 months, there were still so many areas that I never knew existed!

Around this time too, I started packing. My host family took me out to dinner one night which was really nice as well!

Katherine and I

The next day I think it was my last Saturday, so we all had a special breakfast together.

It was very delicious! For the last weekend, we all went for a walk with the various farm animals.

I remember it being a really nice walk. The flat, wet countryside with stinging needles isn't really something I miss, but it's very Belgian. Stay tuned for more updates about things I did!

[belgiumblog]

In transit.

I've safely arrived at Abu Dhabi. The goodbye was really, really, really tough. I'm still feeling incredibly down, like all the homesickness I ever had for Australia combined in one hit. I have a really bad feeling in my stomach. (and it's not just due to the curry I chose.) It still hasn't hit me yet that tomorrow I won't wake up in Belgium with my host family and I won't speak French and I won't go to school with my friends. I don't know. I'll probably write a lot more soon, the time in transit is giving me some time to reflect.

[belgiumblog]

Leaving Belgium tomorrow but this blog isn't finished.

Many updates about the last few days will come soon. At the moment I'm not feeling too great. I want to stay in Belgium. It's like a whole in my heart and my stomach and.... I'll be okay. Tomorrow is going to be extremely difficult - last day of school, saying goodbye to host family, leaving Belgium.... but I'll be okay. I guess for my next update I'll be on the "other side." See you soon.

[insightsabroad]

Studying abroad kills you in a thousand ways, but it makes you smile in a million. So do it. Take a thousand pictures, make a thousand memories, meet a thousand new people… and leave with a thousand ideas and plans for the future.

Katie, on remembering study abroad and looking to the future

Read the full post here

(via studentsgoneglobal)

[belgiumblog]

Life Happenings

I'm sorry for all the empty promises I've made, saying that I'll update this blog more often. It's the kind of this I keep putting off, when minutes turn into hours into days into weeks I find myself not having the time to update.  Let's get into the action. Last Thursday, I went to Villers-la-Ville with my class (4A) and two other classes (4E and 4F). I was especially happy to find out 4E was coming with us because I feel like I've made quite a few friends in that class too! Anyway, it was a school trips so we did a tour of the Abbey. The entire thing was in French and I understood everything, I was so surprised, except like the technical words for parts of the abbey. I think my french has improved a lot! (at least my listening, anyway) I've gone from not understanding anything in class, to understanding, learning and answering questions on the topic.  

After that, on Saturday we went and picked up Katherine who is from Melbourne and will spend 5 months with my host family after I leave. I went into town with her for "les soldes" (sales). I also bumped into Indigo.

  Since then, it's just been school as normal. All this was one week ago, and I only have one week left. I leave on the 24th of January, at 9:40 Belgian time and I don't get home until 9am on the 26th. It's going to be so weird to leave. When I first got here, I was counting down the days until I left with excitement but now it's with dread. I'll be so happy to see my family and certain friends, and to see Missy. I miss the sunlight and the ocean and no worries and the Australian accent, but all these things I've learned to live without. I've gotten really comfortable here, especially in the last 2 months. It seems kind of cruel that I have to leave this life - where I have so many friends , feel so comfortable and can speak french all the time and learn every day. I'm apprehensive about year 11, about how I've changed, about losing contact with the people who I hold so close to me right now. I don't want to leave my friends and family. The final goodbyes have started, and every time it doesn't get easier. I'm going to be a total mess when I leave the airport in Belgium and also when I arrive in Australia. I'm going to be so happy to be home, but so sad to leave. I don't know. For someone who over thinks a lot, I haven't been thinking about leaving. It hasn't hit me yet, and I don't want it to. I want my last week in Belgium to be as happy and fulfilling as possible, so I'll probably write a really long reflection about my whole exchange when I get back.  I feel like my heart is being cut up into little pieces and given to people from all over the world, just like a little part of me will stay with them always. There are so many people and things here that I will never, never, ever, EVER, forget. Stay tuned; - Evie 

[belgiumblog]

do you recommend going for a year or a semester?

I think there are positives and negatives of both. With a year, you learn the language so well, make many deep and meaningful friendships, have the time to explore and can really get a good knowledge of the culture. But then again, you could be prone to homesickness and it could affect your school in your home country. A semester gives you just enough time to experience it all and then you are forced to think about leaving. It doesn't give you much time to think about it and I'd recommend a semester for younger exchange students (like 16 or under) or people that think they'd be prone to homesickness. If you're debating how much you want to go, a semester is a good idea.Although I feel like my time in Belgium is too short, I'm still glad I chose a semester. I feel like it was the right decision for me at this point in my life. But, it really depends on the person. At the end of the day, it's up to you to make your own decisions and stick to them. ;)

[pug-rug]

Exchange shows you not only who your true friends are, but who genuinely cares about you.

[belgiumblog]

Hi! I just wanted to say I hope your exchange is going really really well and that when you get home your French stays really strong! I'm on an exchange in France at the moment and when I feel sad I feel really comforted by reading blogs like yours :) xxx

Thank you so much for this lovely message ! If you have a blog too, I'd love to read it. Good luck on your exchange ;) xx

[belgiumblog]

Do you speak French or Dutch in the region of Belgium you are in? If you speak Dutch, did you have to learn it before you went?

No, I'm in a French-speaking family although Brussels is officially bi-lingual! I haven't learnt any dutch, only the real basics like "i don't speak dutch" "yes" "orange juice" "entry" etc. just the things i see everyday.But as for french, I studied for 2-3 hours a week for 2 1/2 years, just got a really good all-round basic french and I was never really afraid to speak it because of that I guess... if you're considering going to Belgium for Dutch, do it! Most of my favourite cities are in the northern part of Belgium ;)xx

[belgiumblog]

Updates, get your updates, hot off the press

My blog updates have been getting rather sporadic lately so I'd like to apologise for that. It's just that I've been extremely busy, with the holidays recently ending and school starting again. I'm not going to do a long, in-depth recount like usual for the weekend but it's because I've got a lot of things to talk about and the series of events is fairly obvious in the photos. 

On Saturday, I went to Lille in FRANCE with Charline and her parents. We ate speculoos flavoured waffles at an authentic French patisserie, did a small tour of Lille, went on a giant Ferris wheel, and went for a tour in the park at night! Overall it was a fantastic and tiring day. I find that the french are very fashionable and speak a little bit faster with a nasal accent. I also encounter the typical rude French stereotype, but apart from that it was really great. That night, we drove to Courtrai in Belgium to stay the night. The next day, we did a tour of the town before leaving to the beach. We went from one beach town to the other, travelling up the coast just until the boarder with the Netherlands. The beach in Australia and the beach in Belgium are two completely different things! Australian beach in winter: (taken by me)

Belgian beach in winter:

I wouldn't say one is better than the other, (but all the same, I think I know which one I prefer) but they are different kinds of beauty, just like the Australian and Belgian ways of life are different ways of living. It was very cold and quiet windy, but I can proudly say that I put my finger in the North Sea. And after that, school went back on Monday. Today, I went to Villers-La-Ville which I'll be putting up photos of and recounting soon, maybe even tomorrow.  I only have 15 days left in Belgium. I've been trying not to think about leaving too much. The major downside of a 5 month exchange is that you just get comfortable, make friends, get over homesickness, start to understand the culture and feel at home and then you have to leave, say goodbye to all your friends and new family for who knows how long. I'll be really sad when I leave, and I feel so weird that there are people who have just arrived in Belgium who will probably have similar experiences to me while I'm not here. All in all, right now I feel..... strange and torn. I won't be happy to leave, but I'll be happy to be home. It's a very difficult feeling to explain to someone who's never really felt the same way before. I feel like I did before I even left Australia. I'm kind of apprehensive for school, too. My french is slowly getting there, but after 5 months I'm still nowhere near fluent. I did an A2 language test the other day and it was easy, but I still haven't tried B1 or B2 which could present more of a challenge. I think my speaking is good, my listening is great, my reading has improved heaps but writing (or should I say grammar?) still poses a challenge.  The only way now I will improve my listening is by learning more words, I guess. (sounds obvious but I don't know how to explain.) But after all, I have my entire life to learn French so I'm not really too stressed out. (like usual)

 So what are my plans? This Saturday I'm going to pick up Katherine who is another Australian who will stay with my host family after I leave. This Sunday I'll spend with her. Wednesday afternoon I'm going to a restaurant with my English teacher and then the weekend after is my last weekend in Belgium, so I'll be obviously spending time with my host family. (seems so scary to think that next weekend is my last, oh my gosh!) Then I'll have to somehow fit all the "crap" I've bought into one smallish looking suitcase that must weight under 30kg. (I already have 7kg of books, lord help me.) So yeah! I'm going well. A little sunlight deficient and very pale, but still smiling ;) - Evie