Guac

So this evening I made, for the first time, food for my belgian family! Cheese quesadillas, salsa, and guacamole. Not american, but made my the loving hands of an american, so it counts. Not to mention, I have eaten more mexican food in my life than hamburgers. And it is Southern Californian. It counts! They really liked it though (surprisingly) in peticular the guacamole. Man, I am so confused. I literally just winged it. Like, made it up as I went. And I know its extremely simple food to make, but man, I can't make food! I burn food! Sometimes I make food explode! This is a monumental day.

Also, other cool stuff. I am really digging my school! I am going to hardcore miss my friends when I leave. I feel like such a part of the class finally. We are doing a pirate show, and I got assigned the role of the sole asian pirate. I don't know what it is with these francophones, but they keep thinking I am asian or half asian........man, I so don't see it. I will just forever be racially/ethnically confused. Anyway, I am the most celebrated asian pirate, and have decied that it because I am also half ninja. So I have big plans to have a matchete as a part of my costume.

Also, for the pirate show, me and my friend made a super crazy awesome cracan (kracan? krakan?). Fake blood and all. Potentially the greatest thing I've done all year. Although, a few weeks ago I did make a tree...


This weekend my older (19) sister invited me to go on a scouts weekend with her, which was nice. So I am leaving saturday morning to go into scouts land. I am happy though, like yaay they like me! I don't know why, but they like me!

Les Voyages

SO yesterday afternoon I returned from my voyage du rétho to vienna for a few hours and buda[est for 3 days.
It was all around good good fun. And a little warm in Budapest! Yay! I really really enjoyed the achitecture in Budapest too. Man it was like nothing I had ever seen before, all the colors were soo pretty. I took loads of pictures that are on facebook right now. It was just really a fun fun time. And I feel so much closer with all of my classmates now. Man, when I leave I am really going to miss them.
It was also a good exercise for me, to be switching between speaking english and speaking french really qucikly. I did a little translating for people too. It was a little confusing for my little brain though. Like i would speak english then french then english then french and sometimes forgot what language i was speaking in, and who I was speaking too. I am easily confused
but also, I mean really, it was so so cool.
I feel like I am really immersed in the culture here. Like belgian. And I think it will be a lot harder to become reimmersed in american culture. wahhhhhhhhhhhh
Last night I watched a movie with my host mom, and understood everything! Man my french is actually PROGRESSING! like YES! like, i got all that happened in every scene. there are still words and phrases and expressions I don't know, but I could undertsnad every interaction in the film. Such a good feeling. Then I had a dream in french. I have them about everyother night now. Its too cool man, I have a second language! Finally!
I am most definetly going to learn spanish also. And then a different language after that. But my goal before 20 is to be fluent in 3 languages. But i really want to just learn as many languages as I can, because I feel it is soo important to be able to communicate with people. And I have been thinking about my future lately, and things that I want to do with myself. I really want to be involved in some kind of world peace organization. And study something related to that in school. I am getting excited though for life after high school...
but still not so thrilled about returning to high school for an entire year...

I aint dead

So stuff has been happening, but I have been to lazy to write about it.

Last week was the vacation for carnival. My host parents were in Switzerland chillin in the snow in the mountains, and my host siblings were doing a scouts thing, so I went into the north of Belgium to do a stage.
Beforeeeee that though I went to see Leuvan with AFS, a university town in Flandre. It was super super pretty! Then I went to the Stella Artois brewery for a tour, which was a tad boring. But whatever, beer is an important part of the Belgium culture, so it was interesting in that regard.

Then Sunday night I went to my stage. It is basically like a camp thing with the gyms in Belgium. So i spent a few hours a day in dance class. But, like, it wasnt really dancey, because most people had never danced before. So it was totally not technique based or anything. So it was a little boring for me, just because I have spent years doing this kind of thing and the other kids hadn't. The teacher was super nice though.

I stayed in this concrete room with 2 other girls. And first when I arrived I thought it was going to be horrible, I was the oldest there, my roomates were listenning to rihanna, etc. But it turned out quite nice actually. I made some pretty good friends, who I will definetly be seeing again before I leave! Also, I spoke a lot of french, its really really cool because french is becoming so much easier, and more natural. Like I feel I can actually express my personality when I am speaking now. I still have awful grammar, but whatever. Its getting there.

Then tonight me and some other friends (belgian) are going to a friends house in Brussels to celebrate the last night of vacation before school starts again. Which should be fun. AND THEN next sunday I am leaving on my voyage du rhéto!!! (class trip) to Vienna and Budapest! I am soooo excited, I finally bought a camera and everything. Man, I really like my class here. And just everything really. AND TEHNNN in April I am going to Africa!!!!!!!!!!! I am sooo happy man! Sunshine! Tan! AFRICA!

EURO PARASITES STRIKE AGAIN

I have been sick, like a really weird sick.
Like no fever or vomiting or anything, just massive head ache and exhaustion and nausea. For like 3 days now (IE it's not a just hangover people but a legit illness). Its horrible I stayed home from school monday and tuesday.
But I have come to the conclusion, that since this is the weirdest illness, that it's not an illness at all but a weird belgian parasite and now I am going to die.
Sometimes people tell me I watch too much TV...

Brings me to my next point, in my weakened state I have been able to do little more than lay in front of the TV, so I figured I might as well enjoy my lovely lovely host family movie collection. Therefore, I finally watched Titanic. And I would just like to say, there is a REASON I limit myself to zombie movies! I cannot handle romance!! I cried for an hour and a half, straight. And not sweet one tear rolling down the face crying, hysterical lonely teenage girl crying. Not pretty man. Luckily I was alone in the house or my family might have called the psych ward.
Seriously, I am sticking to Evil Dead 2

Even funner, today I had dance. But my cool poor-person friendly free belgian Wednesday class thats held in an empty school. Did I mention its free? And I take it with some friends from school, which is always cool, because I get to pretend to speak french yay. And the teacher is so sweet. But the class is a little easy for me, which is a shame you know? So I started taking it on pointe shoes as opposed to the little slippers the rest of the students use, to liven things up. And, as I am sure anyone who has ever met me has noticed, I am a sad lazy person. Soooo when I sewed the ribbons to my point shoes I may or may not have done it very very badly.
ANYWAY I was dancing in like the front and center of the room, to demonstrate something, and what happens? The ribbon snaps and I fall on my face
Literally can't enter a social situation and not embarrass myself.
I've said this before, and I'll say it again,
Its not easy being Sid
But someones got to do it

The 4 Month

So, I have been in Belgium now for 4 months. Everyone told me this is the point when french should start getting easier, but it isn't. And I am really really scared that it won't. I know if I can't finish this year fluent, then it will be ok, no matter what it is already better than when I arrived. But still, it stresses and FREAKS me out. Like man, I would be such a loser if I was the one that finished the year here and still couldn't speak french.

More
It is really, really hard being an exchange student. Every single day I think, why am I doing this to myself? I miss everyone sooo much, it hurts. and it would just be so easy to go home. Every single day gets harder and harder, and there are amazing beautiful moments, but they don't always make it easier.
I comfort myself with the knowledge that its the important things we do in life that are the hardest. The things that end up really mattering.
So even though every day is hard this is really something I have to see through.
What on earth do I do after this?
What can I do?
What can I do?
What can I do?
What can I do?

Eat the tourists

So, I spent a lovely 4 days in Berlin, Germany. Picked up some handy german (nien nien spangleferkle nien)

It was really rad though, I went with my host dad, mom, 16 year old sister, and her friend. It was sooo fun! We stayed in my host dads friends apartment, since they were in switzerland. And man was it a swanky place. It was in a really cool like alternative section of the city, with all these cool little artsy shops. Like the silverlake of berlin. Real happenin. Also they had the most awesome collection of records....

But yeah, the city was sooo cool, I would really love to go back for a more substantial amount of time.

The first night there I went to see the Jewish museum, which had such cool architecture. And a lot of interesting information. I learned how to write my name in Hebrew.

Then I ate me some currywurst, which is like THE dish of the german people. It is basically a sausage with curry stuff on it that you eat standing around on a sidewalk with a mini plastic fork. My family was not into it, but it was strangely delicious for me. And I am not a sausage curry type of person....

Next we walked more, and saw pretty stuff. And I learned all about the Berlin Wall from a cool museum.

Ok, CRAZY sidenote: TRAVEL AGENTS EXIST IN GERMANY STILL. Seriously, I saw so many travel agents offices!!!! Like dont these poeople know the internet made their jobs obsolete? 

Anywase, there was also soooooooooooooooOOOOOO much really really cool graffitit. I have never seen a more graffitied city. It was beautiful man! Someone wrote "Eat the tourists " on the floor of a bridge, and I thought it was awesome and worthy of being a blog title. 

Also, I went to possible one of my favorite comtemporary art museums I have ever gone too. It was sooo well done, with all the various late 19th century and 20th century movements being in sparate rooms, but in an order that flowed. And they had discriptions in every room of what the movement was and the key figures. They also included what historical events were happening in that time, like wars, inventions, discoveries, etc. It was really really fantastic. I could have spent forever in that place!

Then my last day there we went to go see this BEAUTIFUL chateaux from er some king with loads of money. LOADS I have never seen a more opulent layout. Literally, there was like golden grapevines painted all over the walls and windows and paintings and lavish furniture and man, it was too much for me. The last room, a guest room, man it made me laugh...it was bright yellow with a tropical theme. So all lavishly painted all over the room were like parots and pineapples. And a chandelier made of chrystal flowers, whihc was actually pretty. But entirely too much. But this room, literally, was the tiki room. Like from disneyland. Just a tad more european and royal.

le fin du monde

Man, I had like life relazations today.

Being here, and being with all the people I am with, belgians/exchange students/host family is like...unreal.

I am not really sure what I am trying to say, but just that I never want to see this year end

yet, I want it to be over now.

And being an exchange student is such an emotionally conflicted and confusing expirience.

I am trying to really savor every moment I have here, even when the moments are hard and I am sad. But that also won't make them pass by any faster or any slower. And in 6 months I am going to be exactly were I started from, but I've already traded in for new eyes, and it might seem completely different.

Again, I'm trying my best here to convey how I am feeling, but its tough.

Maybe just because my english vocabulary is falling apart?

But it is like a reverie, but not alone, with a lot of other people, with a timer always ticking in the backround.

And when I imagine my exchange year I always think of being inside a snow globe (....not just cause it snows here so much)

Really rambling, but it is thoughtful rambling. What on earth am I going to be able to do with myself next year man? What even COMES next?

Cocaine

Learning a new language is just full of new opportunities to embarrass yourself.....

So, yesterday was the last day of the exams, so afterwards I went out with my classmates for celebrating and joy.  They are all soooo nice and like fun, I really like my friends here. Like I am going to miss them loads when I go back to the states. Although I am still surprised I manage to make them with the state my french is in.
Anyway, we were casually conversing when somehow the subject of soda comes up, specifically coca-cola.
And, basically, as I am sure you all know, in America we call coca-cola coke, just too keep things simple.
But, see, in this chocolate filled land coke exclusively means cocaine. Information I just got yesterday. Did I mention I have been here for three months? And in the time have tried to get coke (soda) from various restaurants, just to be looked at like a crazy person by the waiter? And now I know why. Good work me.
This post mainly serves as a warning people

honeymoon phase

Its been awhile....
this is going to be a long one....
So, the exchange student new country new culture honeymoon phase has completely ended for me. Completely. In a very complete sense.
And its too bad actually, because I am getting all bored and restless again, like I was before I cam here. I wanna go do something interesting again.
But I am also starting to really miss home, and the small things. Like fighting with my sisters and driving to school  and waiting for the bus downtown and going to the Americana and just hanging out with my friends. And sunshine. I really miss sunshine.
And its bad, because my homesickness is like manifesting itself. Like, I am getting really sick of hearing and speaking french. I just want to speak english.
But it isn't all bad here! This week were the exams (les examens) here in most of the belgian schools. They are basically like finals, except much more important. And harder. I am taking all the exams except for the languages (english, french, and dutch). They are hard, but not because I don't understand the questions, because I haven't understood the class for the past 3 months. So they are like impossible for me to do. I am still trying, but whatever.
The good part is though that I have only had to spend like 4 hours at school all week trying to take these tests, so I've had loads on free time! I've been using it to practice guitar a lot
Which brings me to the next thing!
Roughly a week and a half ago was Saint Nicolas! It is a day were SN comes and leaves presents in the shoes of the children. Hint: most the presents are chocolate related.
Which, by the way, I am soooo sick of chocolate. Please never make me look at it again. Or any sugar for that matter. I just want green salad (not a popular thing here...)
But yeah, that was cool. I got an itunes gift card from the host grandparents and a book of music from my host parents. It was very very nice. Belgian people are awfully nice.
I really really wish I could see someone (like anyone) from my old life though for christmas...
It just makes me so sad sometimes. Espechally when I spend time with my whole host family (cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.) because it just makes me really really miss my family. Its weird, I've missed out plently of family gathering what with my parents being divorced and living in LA and everything, but I've never really missed people before.
OH AND EXCITING NEWS
A Claires just opened up in the mall here in Louvain-La-Neuve! I went there with my belgian friend yesterday, and everyone is liek so excited. It was actually pretty funny for me because Claires is like a store more for little kids and its pretty cheap and stuff in the states, but people thinks its really cool here and like all the kids dig it. It was nice though having a  little piece of home actually. I dont htink they do free ear piercing at EuroClaires though....which is actually kind of a shame, my ears want more wholes in them.
Alright, 2395789241 words later, and I think thats it. Sorry this was so long and (probably) rambley. I haven't been to english class in 7 months..........
XOXO KNEE

Dream City

Lots of Things Happen!

First, I had my birthday. I am now 17! It was weird, turning 17 in a country without all my old friends and family, but loads of fun too. So now I am old. But I celebrated with friends and had lots of fun.

Then thanksgiving came and went, and it was strange, because there is completely no celebration here. I would have tried to do a little dinner, but my whole family is always busy thursday nights, so it just passed by like any other day....

Then it was the weekend, which was bittersweet. One of my pretty good friends is only in Belgium for 3 months, so she had her goodbye party friday night. It was fun, but sad at the same time. Sometimes it seems like life is just endless saying goodbyes.

Then Saturday I slept until literally 12:30, it was fantastic, potentially the most fun I've had since getting here....

Thennnnnn Saturday night I went to a little party with my host siblings and alllllll of their cousins (there is a lot) and it was very very fun, my entire ENTIRE host family is just so cool and like very nice.

THEN I went to PARIS
my host family took me for my birthday, and it is dream city man. It was sooo beautiful, I literally cried on the top of the eiffel tower I was just so happy and the world was just so beautiful. I am having such a good time here....I never want to leave!

MISSING: Normal Person Problems!

Its been a while, oh blog of mine.
Basically, real life has officially begun, when someone stole my cell phone. and my REALLY COOL leopard print coat. Damn thieves, and their taking of stuff.
But last weekend I went with my host sisters on a scout weekend. Its like girl scouts except its doesn't suck and theres no cookies. Also, the counselours are kids, like 18 19, and theres no other adulty type person. IE its pretty fun
Then I had school this week, which is school. Nuff said.
There was some silly stupid drama yesterday/all weekish with some girl, and last night at the hieght of it all I was all emotional, even though I knew I shouldn't be, and in a fit of emotion accidentally ran into my bedroom door. True story. My head bled. It now hurts to blink.....why can't I have normal person problems?

Candy Candy!

So, this week, there is no school!
I mean halloween week, YES! I'm not really sure why, I don't think anyone really is, but I'm not complaining...
Last week was sooooo fun, but completely exhausting. There is this huge party in the town I live in called 24 Vélo every year, and I went to it last wednesday. Literally everyone everyone goes, and it takes up the ENTIRE town. Its pretty crazy, but fun fun fun. Vélo means bike, and there is a track around the whole town where people in completely insane bikes ride for 24 hours (or until these insane bikes fall apart). Then inside the middle of the town there is lots of music and dancing and all around insanity. (My vocabulary is really falling apart...sorry for using the same words over and over again....)I spent 95% of the evening with belgian friends speaking french and understanding french, it was a really goood day linguistic wise.
Then Thursday I went to see a play with my classmates, about a forest. I understood a few of the jokes, but did not really get the story. But at least the seats were soft and comfortable, so it was a nice nap-taking opportunity.
Then yesterday I slept for 12 hours. It was probably the most fun I've had since getting to Belgium.
I've got to go now, I'm catching a train for Namur!
Bye!

Why Howdy!

So, last friday I had my first belgian ballet class. It was pretty fun, and cool, because ballet words are all in french in America and in belgium (duh) so I UNDERSTOOD. It was wild. So wild.
But like here, 3rd position exists, and I was really confused for the entire first part of the class because I just thought that everyone was doing 5th really badly....but...no...
THEN OTHER THINGS HAPPENED
I went to a party, that was america themed. Haha, a little weird, but fun fun fun.
Then today at the crack of 11:30 AM I went to Namur. Its real pretty there man! They have some lovely parks and buildings. And I had some australian ice cream (I don't get why the australia part is significant...)and it was yum yum yum yum yum yum yum
And that is all.

Hi Mom,

SO I am 99% sure that only one person is reading this, and that that one person is my mom.
Hi mom.

So, basically, I have school every day and stuff. Its not awesome, its not horrible. People here are all sooo nice to me though, I could definitly get used to this.....
Last weekend I went to Liege and saw  LOT of other AFS kids, it was pretty fun. Except when it started raining, because I basically drowned while standing on the sidewalk. Belgium weather...its not awesome......
Thats all I can think of
I promise I'll write more when I can think of more...
BYE MOM LOVE YOU

Not Much

Not a lot is going on, just getting into the routine of normal person daily life.
Its actually a little disappointing, last summer I was all over the place (literally, figuratively,) and living fast and now I'm slowing down.  But man, I don't wanna slow down! I just want to run all over europe and all of the world with my hands over my head screaming because there's no one stopping me man.
At least the waffles are good.
Except that I have decided to stop eating sugar, because today I was just not feeling good, and I am 98% sure it is because I have been eating the normal belgian diet of literally some form of chocolate every day. Yuck man. Gimme some avocados and I'll be fine.

Tomorrow I am going to brussels with some friends, that should be cool.

I miss taco trucks.

Lost Bread

So yesterday was a day full of new wild and crazy revelations. I was searching for a snack with some belgian friends when all of the sudden they start saying "pain perdu" over and over again. Which means lost bread. Being the kind, loving and helpful person that I am, I began looking for this lost bread. Well, apparently, pain perdu is not a loaf of bread that has been misplaced, but in fact french toast.
It is something thats like not so classy here, and mostly just a way to eat stale bread. Its yummy though. That may be in part to the fact that here it is eaten with not maple syrup, but honey and sugar. Yumyum.
Also, I saw some wild and crazy goats wandering free in the park yesterday. My friends say this is not normal here, but I am skeptical....
Today though, I am eurosick. Which is just like normal sick, but in Europe. Not fun AT ALL.
Blehh

CHAT OE

So, last weekend I went to a Chateaux in the northern (Dutch-speaking) bit of belgium. Everything was mad purdy, except of course, the language. I don't mean to offend, but how did belgium get stuck with one of the most beautiful languages ever (french) and one of the ugliest (dutch)??????
The chateaux was huge man with like 15 bedrooms and chadeliers and the most beautiful piano I have ever seen ever. It needed to be tuned, badly, but was sooo pretty! There was like 30 family members there, and they all spoke french, so I felt a little lost. But they were all so nice that it wasn't so bad.
But I talked not nearly enough by my (high) standards.
OH MAN AND YESTERDAY
so cool dude
I watched a really good movie, in Danish, with french subtitles AND KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING. Like completely. I mean I didn't get every single word, but I knew exactly what was going on. My belgian friend I saw it with and I were both very happily surprised. Maybe I am learning?!?!?!?!?! Well, one things for sure, and that is that I am forgetting English. Senior year back in America will be so much fun (not).
Here in Belgium, they use these crazy things called trains, for transportation throughout the country. And a few times a year the train worker people decide they need to protest, so they do, and all the trains stop. So, then, poor little school children like myself have no way to get to school (school-buses are not a thing) so we are forced to sleep all day and stay in our pajamas.
hahah THANK YOU BELGIUM

Europe rocks man

TOOTH BRUSHING MANIAC

ATTENTION TOOTH BRUSHING MANIAC ON THE LOOSE
jk its just me
but I am a maniac.
Basically, here in Belgium, there is plentiful chocolate (think whole aisle) and other sugary delicious treats. And compared to most people I know in belgium I barely eat sweets (hah!) but compared to ME I have been eating mad amounts of sugar. So much, that I feel like I need to brush my teeth 5 times a day, which OH YEAH I've started doing. But even with all the sweets people in Belgium look wayyyy healthier than people, in general, did in the US. And the literal only reason I can think of is that here the food isn't full of chemicals and perservatives. Surprisingly, I also haven't gained any weight since I got here, rather I've LOST weight, and I think it must be because of the same reason. Cuz its not like I've started exercising or anything crazy like that.
Also, my french is getting a lot better. It still sucks but today I hung out with my belgian friend for a few hours and spoke soooo much french (by my standards). Its so awesome how everyone here is so eager to help me out also! My vocabulary has grown a lot in the past few days! Also, this pretty song by Carla Bruni (the french singer) that is really pretty pretty pretty and FAST aslo my friends are teaching me in french. Yayaya! And slowly, slowly, I am learning it, and I understand the words!
THANKS BELGIANS!
Also, I bought a coat today in the mall that in 3 minutes away from my house via a beautiful tree lined car-free path. So maybe I won't die of hypothermia now, who knows? It was hard to find one though that wasn't over 100 Euros. Man this place mad pricey.

Soul Snacks

This post doesn't really have anything to do with the title, I just like the sound of "soul snacks"
haha, so basically last weekend I saw another exchange student, a girl from Austria, and it was really nice. We had some delicious waffles, and made tentative plans to go zip ling with her host brother in the future. Yayay funfun.
Then I saw this play sunday in like a circus tent with circusy things and circusy people and a saxophone. Good fun, all in all.
School today. Man, speaking french is NOT EASY. Like, before coming here I thought that learning french wouldn't be hard, cuz I mean I picked up English so easily, but that is NOT true. Most of my communicating is just a stream of vaguely connected words in no real grammatical order. It really is quite pathetic.
Also, I dont understand school or where I am going ever or when classes start or anything. I just fallow my class around cluelessly. And there isn't really a pattern to where we go or how long classes are or anything. I don't get it.
And, I really REALLY miss my locker. I never carried anything around ever at LACHSA, just put in all in my locker. That is not the case here. No lockers. NONE. So annoying. That mixed with the fact that I never know what classes I have which days so I have to lug everything for every class to school every day makes for an unhappy me.
Also, I miss talking. I really, really like talking. Constantly. It is my favorite pastime, life's PASSION. Basically, I was born to talk. And I cant really do that here, cause of the language barrier situation. I smile and nod so much I get dizzy, but I barely even talk. My vocal chords are probably shriveling up and dying as I type from disuse.
I am going to go and talk to myself for a few hours now.

LYFE ROX

Dude I actually love my life. Haha, like Belgium is pretty awesome countrywise and like fun is around every corner. I'm enjoying myself soooo much, I am sooooo happy to be here!! YAYA. Also, daily, my french is improving a lil bit. LIL LIL bit. But I mean in a month I'll probably be able to stumble my way through simple conversations. Which is AWESOME.
Today  I was on the train (which was mad delayed and took FOREVER) and I ran into some friends from AFS and we hung out today/night here in Louvain-La-Neuve. Small world/country (literally...)It was pretty nice getting to see them, I had funnnn
Also, its FRIDAY which is just always awesome. Toomarow, I SLEEP. Forever. And, I still really don't understand what my teachers say to me ever about anything so no homework for me. Life couldn't really get better?
ALSOO I had my little audition for school, it was okay, not the best, but I am sure that it was fine. Haha I literally made up the dance ON THE SPOT but the people were, surprisingly, impressed. Who woulda thought. (not me. lots of swaying was involed)
Times are good life is good blah blah blah goodnight