Whata weekend!

My life has started to become routine; same thing err'day.

only the coolest sticker ever!

so we didn't quiet find the museum, but we did find some other cool things:The Polish Embassy,

poptarts! and an international store :)

and the European commission !

One of my classes at school, is called History of Art, and it is possibly the coolest class I have ever taken! We get to look at art all class, go on field trips and the teacher is a total hippy :) Last weekend in Brussels, not only did they shut down the streets to cars, but they also opened up all the museums to the public for free. So as an assignment for the class we were supposed to go with a couple other students and go check out a museum.
On Saturday afternoon me and Tasha ( another Rotary exchange student from the states, who goes to my school, and is in my history of art class!) got on the train in La Hulpe and started heading to The Royal Army Museum of Belgium. My host parents had  printed me off a map, and attempted to explain how to get from the train station to the museum, but thinking we were smart enough, and knew our way around Brussels after only being there a couple of times, we decided to not get off our at stop, but first continue on to the Grand Place and explore there for a bit before going to the Army museum...
 Well lets just say that we barely made it out of the train station at Brussels center before realizing we had no idea where we were going, and got back on the train to go to the stop that we were supposed to get off to go to the Army museum. But we did get to see a cool band of Ballerina's playing in the train station! :) After getting off the train at the correct stop, we pulled out our handy dandy map, and started walking, but you see the problem with having a map is that you have to know how to read it... which I don't know!  Maybe I should have stayed at horse camp, or listened to man tracker?, because then maybe we wouldn't have gotten lost. Kay well really we didn't get lost because we knew where we were, we just didn't know where the museum was... But we did find a international store that sold cake mix, and pop tarts! (two rarities here in Belgium!)

And then on Sunday they shut down the city of Brussels, Genval and La Hulpe to cars, so a group of 10 exchange students, and our hosties (host parents) got on our bikes and biked about 15km through the city, and went to the Grand Place, Manneken Pis; which I have to say was kind of a disappointment. Like I knew it was small, but holy cow I almost had to put on my glasses to be able to see it!!!

Manneken Pis

checking out one of many sight scenes from the day

Brussels! <3


btw; only 36 days until Paris! :)

Question Time!

Sorry for not writing in awhile, but I've been so busy, that I just haven't had time... But I promise I'll start to find time to write! and lucky for you I have another blog to be posted asap


So what have I been up to since I last posted?
Well, let's see, I have been going to school, getting into a routine, going to zumba, hanging out with friends, exploring my town and just living life.
 Tomorrow I have my first scouts activity of the year, and on Sunday there is a festival in La Hulpe; which is practically where I live, that me and my hosties are going to check out. 
Today I had french lesson's with my Nun, and they are going pretty well. I have them next week too, the only problem is that she gives me homework :(, and then I had gym class, and then I had all afternoon free because my English teacher wasn't able to come to school today and my school doesn't have substitute teachers, so when your teacher isn't there, then you just don't have class! :)


When you read my blog, do you ever have questions for me? Ever wonder about my life here, how I get to school, what has been the biggest change, or whatever you think of when you read this?
Well I was talking to my momma the other day, she had the best idea for a blog! Who ever reads this, or is my Facebook friend can send me a question, and then once I get enough questions I'll write a blog to answer the questions. Sounds good?

here's a link to my facebook so that you can message me a question :) https://www.facebook.com/jbradbury14?sk=info

It's story time! 

Everyone that knows me back home, knows that I am a bit of a germ freak, and boy oh boy is Europe getting to me.
                               First of all, no where I have been yet have I seen hand sanitizer. Back home you find it everywhere, at school, in the change room, at the grocery store, the movie theater, and heck I've even found it at rest stops on the highway, but I've been in Belgium for almost 3 weeks(wow times sure goes by fast!) and I haven't found it anywhere expect for in my purse.
Second; so I don't know if it's just because my school is old and small or if that's how all bathrooms at schools in Belgium are but... The bathroom is multi-gender, nothing like fixing your hair in the mirror, with a group of guys waiting to go to the bathroom standing behind you watching or, walking to an empty stall and seeing a guy standing with their back towards you peeing, because they didn't close the door when they went into the stall. And before you go into a stall you have to remember to bring in toilet paper from a huge roll on the wall by the sink, because there is not toilet paper rolls in the stalls. My question for this is "what happens if you forget to bring it with you?, then what do you do?" Also the bathroom NEVER has soap in the dispenser, or paper towel in the holder so no one even attempts to wash there hands...GROSS;thank goodness I brought hand sanitizer with me :) Another things is that the bathroom door is always left open, so as soon as you come out of the stall people in the hallway can see you.
Note to self- always make sure your fly is done up, and you don't have anything stuck to your shoe before you leave the stall.

Now after sitting in class all morning, tiring myself from translating, and not understanding any of what is going on, I was really looking forward to having double blocks of gym class this afternoon. While looks like my slights were set a tad bit to high... You see my school doesn't have a gym, so I didn't quite no where I was going to be having my gym class at, so when the bell went for gym class to start, I followed another girl who is in my class and she started walking towards the gate, leaving the school grounds, and onto a public bus...
Turns out that you have to get on the bus, that the school hires, and drive for about 8 minutes to a HUGE sport complex, and that is where gym class is held. The complex has an outdoor soccer field, an outdoor running track, a high jump and long jump set up, at least 2 squash courts, a gymnastics area, 3 fields that you could play indoor soccer, floor hockey, or basketball on, a restaurant, a climbing wall, 4 or 5 rooms for yoga or zumba and about 10 change rooms! The only things it's missing is a hockey rink :(  
While after following a group of girls around looking for our change room, and almost getting lost in the maze of the place, going up 2 sets of stairs, across a covered walkway which is overhead a road, and then down 3 sets of stairs, we finally found our change room. For gym class we have to wear these 'lovely' mandatory school designed baseball shirts, running shoes and some form of bottoms; either shorts, leggings or pants.
I'm hoping that as time goes on gym class will become more competitive,and energetic. Today we spent more time getting changed,and waiting for the teacher to start the class, then actually doing anything gym class related, finally we stretched for a good 5 minutes, and that was gym class for the day. Then we went and got changed again, and got back on the bus to go back to school. 

Tomorrow I have Inbound Orientation for my district, so I'll be writing all about that shortly after, and there will be new pictures on facebook too! On Sunday morning my host family has asked me to make them a 'Canadian Breakfast', don't know what that will entail yet, but I'm hopeful it will be successful!

A day in the life of...ME! :)

             Before I left for my exchange I knew that things like what I would eat for breakfast, and how I would get to school would change once I got here, but I never realized how many things would actually change, and how big of an impact these changes would make on my everyday life. 

'ring, ring, ring' It's only 6:40am, and way to early to be hearing that awful sound, but nothing I can do about, time for me to get up, and have a shower. Then I get dressed, do my make up, and go down stairs for breakfast;which always consist of a nutella sandwich and a glass of milk :) then my neighbor comes to our house, and picks up me and my host sister and drives us to school, on his way of dropping his kids off at school, and then continuing on to work. 

School starts at 8:20am, so once I get dropped off I go inside, and sit with Tasha(another Rotary exchange student from the States) until the bell goes, then I go to class, and sit for what feels like forever, and finally it's recess time! For recess I have a peach, and this chocolate cookie thing that looks like a wagon wheel (which BTW I haven't found here:( ) on the outside but actually isn't, and all the students have to go outside, which is really cold! I think it's time to buy a winter coat!, and you know it must be cold, when a Canadian is complaining about how cold it is :D Then I go back to class, and sit through another 2 hours before  is lunch time.During lunch break I meet up with Tasha, and today I met another exchange student in my class, from Columbia, so she came with us today, and we go down the street to a sandwich deli, where Tasha gets a sandwich. My lunch usually consist of a Peanut Butter and Jam sandwich; but I don't know what I am going to have while I wait for my momma to send me more peanut butter?, carrot sticks, a granola bar, and a juice. Then we stop at the knock off 7-11 store and get a snack, before having lunch in the park.

Then we go back to school, and usually after lunch I have English class! Which is the best class, because I don't have to translate :) After school me and my host sister walk about 10 minutes up a really long hill! to the train station, get on the train and ride it for about 25 minutes and then walk 15 minutes home. Once we get home I usually have snack (tea and cookies) and then go on the computer, or attempt to do homework, until dinner. 
Dinner here usually is a meat that I am not used to eating in Canada, rice or pasta and a salad. I've been in Belgium for more then 2 weeks and I've only had chicken 3 times:'(, it's not very popular here, at the grocery store it gets pushed all the way to the far end, and I never see people with it in their carts. After dinner I make my lunch for the next day, and then go to bed and read.
Boring and lame day;I know, but being at school all day is tiring, and it is usually to late after school or dinner to do anything.

L' Ecole

Today was my first day of school in Belgium, and I realized that I hate being the new kid!
When we got to the school my host mom, and my host sister showed me around, introduced me to the Director(Principal I think?) and the guidance counselor. From the outside the buildings look more like a  prison then a school.
My host mom left us and we went into the multipurpose room, as I walked into the room EVERYONE was starring at me! Now I've been the new kid before, but it was in elemtary school, and I already had friends when I started but here it was so weird, and the worst part was I had no idea if any of them were talking about me, because I couldn't understand them :(. Then the Director spoke., and then they called out kids names and you would leave the room with your teacher.  Luckily for me, my host sister is in the same class as me, and sits right beside me, so she can translate for me! :) We are in Year 5 class C; which I think is just like Grade 10, and C is our room number... I think
When we got to class, the teacher started talking, but I have no idea what he was saying, because school is all in french and he talks way to fast for me to even attempt to understand him. Other than Louise, I don't know anyone in my class.
After about 45 minutes in class, the bell rang and we had lunch break. We get 50 minutes for lunch. So me and Louise started walking out of the school to go get something to eat, when a girl stopped me and asked me what we were supposed to do. Turns out she is new too! and she speaks english, so me her and Louise went to the grocery store and bought lunch. After lunch break, we went back to class and the teacher handed out a bunch of papers that we have to take home, and get signed by our parents and then bring back  to class on for Monday morning.  Then he handed out a sheet of questions we were supposed to answer about ourself. So I started filling out the parts I knew, and then Louise explained the next parts. Some of the questions thou... "If you were an island what island would you be?", or "If you were a animal what animal would you be?" (Greenland, and a horse). I have realized that I am not going to survive school without my french-english dictionary, and it's probably going to be falling apart my Christmas. (Hey Momma, stocking stuff idea!)
Then the bell went again, and we were finished school for the day! We had to race out of the school though because we had to rush to get to the train go to back home. We were walking out of the train station in La Hulpe (the station I stop at) I heard someone call my name. Turns out Tasha, a girl from the USA, who I met last week at french camp goes to the same school as me, and we are in the same grade, and we take the same train to and from school! :)

So I survived my first day of Belgian high school, and although it was so much different then highschool in Canada, I'll make it work! Tomorrow I have to do it all over again, but luckily for me  I have short classes tomorrow so it wont feel like forever!

To add to the confusing enough part of being in a class all day where I don't speak the language or understand most of it, my schudula looks crazy!

Monday-8:20am-2:30pm
Tuesday- 8:20am-2:30pm
Wednesday-8:20am-12:50pm
Thursday-8:20am-4:10pm
Friday-8:20am-2:30pm