School

Well, since my last Blog a lot has happened! School has started, and listing to French all day is completely exhausting! After school I am typically found taking a nap, and I am in bed before 10 almost every night!

For school we wake up at about 7, get ready and eat breakfast. We typically leave the house at 7:50. At school there are 3 main buildings that classes are in, A, B, and C. Before school we all gather in the middle of these three buildings. When the bell rings we all have to line up in front of the building our class is in. Every 2 classes there is a 10 minute break. I have learned that this break is very important! During classes the bathrooms are locked! So, If you plan on going to the bathroom you have to do it during the break! But, you have to be careful, towards the end of the break they lock the doors, and you don’t want to get locked in! Unlike the bathrooms at Wylie East, here there are mirrors in the bathrooms, but the toilets don’t have seats…. As odd as it sounds I miss Wylie Easts bathrooms! Haha

After our breaks we walk to class with our class and you stand until the teacher says to sit. Then class begins! If you are late you, the teacher will ask to see your agenda book, and they will sign it saying you were late. Each week your parents have to sign your agenda book as well.

Everyday I go to different classes. I am in the “6^th” group or a Senior as we would call it, and my class is E so im in 6E. 6E basically goes to all our core classes together like Science, History, French and then we split and all have different “electives” but here electives are which 3 languages you chose to study. Each day you go to different classes and finish at different times. If a teacher is not there then you simply don’t have class. If the class is at the end of the day you can leave and if it is before Lunch then you can also leave and go get lunch.

Here it is common for students to leave and go get lunch. There are several cafes all around the school. It is also common to go get a beer and fries for lunch and then come back to school. (Don’t worry I haven’t done that) For lunch IT is not like at home. People eat what we would call a loaf of bread, with meat and cheese inside. The first day I packed my lunch and kind of watched and did exactly what my host sister did, she made 3 sandwiches and packed that with a snack and a bottle of water…. That morning I was talking with the other exchange students and we were all in a bit of shock that everyone packed 3 sandwiches! But the bread here is so good; I don’t blame people for doing it!

After school I sometimes do homework, if I think I have any. Then we eat always together as a family, then we make our lunch for the next day, then it is off to bed!

On Wednesdays we get out of school at 1:45, But after school I have French lessons. Those aren’t always fun. Every few weeks the Rotary district will organize an event. Our first one was a trip to an old mine. That was really neat! On the way back however, the bus we were in had some issues. The A/C stopped working and all the A/C fluid that was stored in the overhead thing came gushing down the windows! Thankfully it stopped right before my seat! But we got to evacuate the bus on the side of the road and then squeeze into a bus half the size of the 1^st one to return home in!

 

On the weekends we get up about 9 and eat then do some house hold chores. Then usually run a few errands. Then play a game or something then before you know it its dinner time then bed time! Some nights we watch a movie before going to bed. The past few Sundays I have gone to the local market in Liege. It is really neat! They sell everything from super cheap clothes to make up to food to even live animals!

My French is improving and with that come several little miss understandings! One night my host mom was talking about my host sister finishing something. Well in French the verb to finish sounds like terminates. I had a bit of a heart attack thinking my host sister was terminated!! I have been asked my name and said “oui” not knowing what I was being asked figuring “oui” was a safe answer! I have told people my religion, instead of the region I am from. And several little things like that!

I don’t understand a lot at school, but there are a few classes I understand. All the kids I have meet at school have been super nice!! Most importantly, they are very patient when it comes to trying to understand my broken French.  I get really board in the classes at school, but enjoy getting to talk to everyone in the breaks and what not. I love it here in Belgium! The only thing I would change, if I could, is I would make it a little bit warmer.