Je suis arrivee!

Hey! I made it to Belgium alive and well. I met my first host family, my second host mom and sister, and my third host dad at the airport. They had a sign with my name on it, welcoming me to Belgium, which was so great! After we left the airport, we went to the train station so that my host sister, Alix, could get her train ticket to Paris, which is where she flew from the US. It was kinda sad to say goodbye, because she was my translator for those three hours. She's just so nice and I'm glad I got to meet her. I hope she has a great time in the US!

After we dropped off Alix, we came to my host family's house, and it is SO beautiful. It belonged to my host dad's grandmother. Everything is wood: the floors, the doors, most of the furniture, and I LOVE it! My host mom, Anne-Michele, and Alix decorated my room, and it's so me it's CRAZY. My bed is HUGE (I think it's two twins pushed together) and REALLY comfortable. My bed frame is gorgeous dark wood that matches my armoire (there isn't a closet) and desk. My sheets and blankets are red, with another yellow blanket on top. The curtains are red and orange, and the towels are red and gray. The walls are pale yellow and white stripes. Anne-Michele put up lots of pictures with huge amounts of color. The pictures are of African scenes, and so pretty! They also gave me a HUGE, HUGE poster of Harry Potter. HUGE. It's amazing. Full color, and probably at least 7 feet tall by 4 feet wide. It's BEAUTIFUL. Oh, and I also met my third host brother, Arnaud.

After we came home yesterday, I called my mom to let her know I made it safely, then we had lunch. My host family eats lunch every day at noon. Sundays, they go to Etienne's (my host dad) mother's house for lunch with the ENTIRE family. It's HUGE. Anne-Michele was explaining the family to me yesterday, and it seems that everyone has four kids. I can't keep their names straight at all. I'm sure I'll learn with time though.

Anyway, before lunch, Anne-Michele told me that Amaury wanted to show me the gardens. He took me outside and we walked through the gardens, and he showed me the chickens and the pool as well. We walked up the driveway and across the street to his cousin's house, where I met three cute little ponies and his cousin (Marie?) before heading back to the house for lunch.

After lunch, I napped for about four hours. I was completely wiped out from the plane ride. After I got up, I talked to my host mom a little, and she invited me to meet some of the family. We rode around in the Belgian version of an old VW bug. A Citroen. Il est si mignon! Anne-Michele, Amaury, and I went to Etienne's mom's house and to Etienne's sister's (I think) where we got to meet a cute new puppy.

After we came home, Anne-Michele, Amaury, and I went to the living room, and I went through the first night questionnaire. She laughed when I asked if I was supposed to call her Mme Cartuyvels. She said "Oh no no no. Anne-Michele, Miche-miche, mais pas Mme Cartuyvels." I asked what I should call M Cartuyvels, and she said Etienne. So there we go. :) Anne-Michele showed me how to work their washer and dryer and said that school starts at 8:10 in the morning. Ahhh, relaxation time!

After the questionnaire, Anne-Michele told me I could go to a 50th birthday party for one of her friends. Amaury asked if I would like to take a shower before, which I thought was so sweet. Or maybe I just really smelled like airplane. I attempted to take a shower, and just about froze to death in the process. In this shower, there hot water knob is on the right with the cold water on the left. I tried to turn the hot water knob, but nothing came out of the shower. So I figured that the cold had to be turned on for the hot to work. Pas vrai. I turned the hot water knob every way I could imagine, and still, I got nothing but cold water. So, I took a cold shower. I don't mean lukewarm, I mean cold. I'm going to try again today, and if I still get nothing but cold water, I'll ask Anne-Michele for help. Honestly, I think the house is out to get me, because when I used the sink in my room to brush my teeth later, hot water came out of the cold tap. Craziness, no?

The party was pretty fabulous. Another different thing about Belgium -- the party was in a barn. Not an old, refurbished barn, but in a fully functioning barn. There was a pen full of calves right next to the tables where people were talking and sharing beer. It was a little weird, but still enjoyable. I followed Anne-Michele for a while and was introduced to a bunch of people, but I struggle to recall their names. I ended up hanging out with one of my host sibling's cousins (I know he told me his name...) for quite a while. He asked me if I wanted a beer, and when I said no, thanks, I think I pretty much rocked his world. He's pretty nice, and fluent in English, so we got along swimmingly. :) We talked about drinking ages, and he had me try his beer. I can't say I fell in love with it, but it wasn't horrible (sorry, Mom). Adrien (one of my older host brothers) came over and chatted with us for a while too, and he had me try his beer as well. I liked it more than the other, and the cousin told me that most people didn't like it as their first. Well, what can I say, I'm a crazy American. :) After the beer tasting, they told me that there are over one THOUSAND types of Belgian beer. One THOUSAND. We walked around for a while, and I petted the cows. The cousin thought I was crazy because I said that I love cows, they're so cute. The cow I was petting started to lick me, and I couldn't help but laugh. The cousin yelped and backed up a number of steps when the cow went for him. I think it's funny that everyone who knows English also knows English swear words. But anyway, we continued chatting for a while, then I was taken over by two men who spoke English. One of them wanted to practice, because he's going to Iowa on Wednesday to judge a cow show. Yep. I was a little surprised too, but hey, it's pretty cool. That man also has seven horses. If I'm not very much mistaken, he has a young horse that's fairly jumpy that he wants me to train two or three times a week. I'll have to look into that a little more. I wish I'd brought my boots. :(

Anyway, Anne-Michele, Amaury, and I (we're like the Three Musketeers, I guess) came home at about 10:30. Anne-Michele kept saying how early it was, but she was tired and so was I. I went to bed around 11:20 last night, and slept until 8 am this morning, so I feel pretty refreshed. I might attempt another shower later.

As for the language, I'm really surprised by how much I understand. If I don't know a word, I ask the person to repeat it, and they usually do, as well as explain it in French, which is helpful. I'm not yet at the point where I respond well, for the most part I say "oui," "tres bien," "ca va," "okay," or "Je comprends." I also forgot my dictionary at home, which SUCKS since I can't look up things I want to say, like "I can't figure out your shower," or "Sorry I have so much stuff, my mom made me bring an extra suitcase." But it will all come with time, right? :) The easiest person for me to understand is Anne-Michele, because she speaks slower for me and usually asks me "Tu as compris?" (You understand?) after about two sentences. I'm getting better at picking up what Etienne is saying as well, and Amaury is a perfect gentleman, speaking in mostly small words and talking at a snail's pace. The person I'm really struggling to understand is Adrien. I don't think it's his fault at all, but every time he speaks I get lost after the first two or three words. I think it's because he speaks so fast. I now understand why so many people get confused when other people speak French; it honestly does sound like bubbles if you don't know what's going on. But it's really such a beautiful language. I'm glad I have the chance to learn it.

Some interesting stuff about Belgium:

• There was litter EVERYWHERE in Bruxelles.
• If you don't drink beer, something is medically wrong with you.
• Most, if not every single one of the houses I've seen are made of stone.
• There are flies. EVERYWHERE.
• It seems that families (or maybe just les Cartuyvels) live SUPER close together. Right down the street from my house is Etienne's mom, sister, another sister, I think, and probably two or three dozen other relatives.
• People weren't lying when they said that the weather is really cloudy. I woke up this morning, and the sky was a lovely shade of gray. It could have been 4 am or 3 pm, I had no idea till I turned on my computer.
• Clocks. I don't have a clock in my room, and I have yet to see one around the house (I haven't really looked though). I need to get one before school starts though, or at least a watch, because not knowing the time is making me batty. I now understand why the guy in IQ (Walter Matthau plays Enstein) is running around his cell like crazy because he doesn't know the time. It's really quite frustrating.
• Again, the shower. That thing is really getting to me.
• Lights. There are no lights past the third set of stairs on the way to my room. I walk the last 10 or 20 steps to my room in complete darkness. It's not horrible, but just a little odd. I'll have to start leaving a small lamp on in my room.
• They really do eat fruit for desert. Yesterday, I was offered a nectarine or a peach. I think I made an idiot out of myself because I just bit into it. It was delicious, yes, but everyone else who had one used a knife to cut it up. I'll have to try that next time I'm offered. I know it's the American in me coming out, but it just seems so time-consuming to sit there and cut the fruit up before eating it. Oh well, this isn't about being American, it's about being part of the family.
• I realized that I didn't bring enough warm clothes. I have five pairs of pants, but mostly tank tops and t-shirts for tops. I'll have to get my mom to send a sweatshirt/jacket along with my dictionary.
• It's kinda weird being up so high in the house. The view is PHENOMENAL, but I can't really hear what's going on downstairs. Just something to get used to.
• There's a formal living room and a kid living room.

Well, I'm fairly hungry, so I'm going to get dressed and go get some breakfast.

A bientot,

Mikayla