Zaterdag, 31 Maart 2012
My parents are here!
Woke up, ate, put on a dress (and I did my nails yesterday), and then Frederik and I went to Brussels. Had to wait for a long time (their flight left the US like 40 minutes late, but we didn't know that before we went to pick them up). It was nice :) Had to have a coffee before leaving the airport (and then dad had to smoke too - both things were required for him to travel anymore :P), and then went back to Meerle.
Put the baggage away, ate, talked with Frederik and Denise (and Marcela once she woke up). I took my parents for a little walk to talk a bit, and then back to the house for lunch. After that, we (sans Frederik) got in the car and drove around. We went to an area where you keep going from Belgium to Holland in the same street. We stopped at a flour mill (windmill!), and the two guys working there starting talking to us, in English. It was really fun - they showed us EVERYTHING, they even stopped the windmill to show the blades better and explain more. Great guys. Turns out the older one was an English teacher, so he liked the chance to talk with some native speakers.
After that, went around Breda in car a bit, and back home. Talked a bit, but then Frederik and Denise had to go to something, so the four of us were alone. Marcela had to get ready for Italy tomorrow, and my mom took a nap, so my dad and I went to a pub and just caught up. Back home, had dinner (stoofvlees and fries) with mom and Marcela. Then, put the music my brother Kyle sent me on my computer while talking with my parents. They went to bed early since they were obviously exhausted. I just got checked up some things about our trip, talked a bit, and now I think I'm going to bed early as well. It's going to be a long two weeks! Slaapwel!
Also, I need to say a big THANK YOU to my sweetheart Beedums back in the US. She sent me a Latin crossword book (d'aww) and an awesome necklace/earrings set for my birthday - and they're blue! I've been talking about buying some blue jewelry with Marcela forever because I didn't own any blue, and I own a LOT of blue clothes. So, thank you so much honey!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Day 236
Vrijdag, 30 Maart 2012
Got up, said goodbye to the other girls, and went to Dutch class. Got back our exams from yesterday (I did well - all thanks to Mr. Smiley), learned a chapter, and did a practice exam. After that, went home, ate, got ready for my parents coming. Worked on my rotary presentation, ate again, worked more, learned some west-vlaams (my friend from drumline is going to teach me!), and now it's time for bed.
I get to see my parents tomorrow! I'm so excited! After 236 days, we'll meet again irl! Slaapwel!
Got up, said goodbye to the other girls, and went to Dutch class. Got back our exams from yesterday (I did well - all thanks to Mr. Smiley), learned a chapter, and did a practice exam. After that, went home, ate, got ready for my parents coming. Worked on my rotary presentation, ate again, worked more, learned some west-vlaams (my friend from drumline is going to teach me!), and now it's time for bed.
I get to see my parents tomorrow! I'm so excited! After 236 days, we'll meet again irl! Slaapwel!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Day 235
Donderdag, 29 Maart 2012
Woke up, ate, met everyone that spent the night (Marcela, three of her Brazilian friends, a girl from Colombia and a girl from Mexico - the last two are doing a study abroad in Germany). Went to Dutch school after dropping the Brazilians off at the train station, did a test there, and then worked on a new chapter in the book. After that, came home, slept, woke up, read, and then had dinner with Marcela and the two other girls (Denise and Frederik had meetings). Julie, the daughter of the family I'm in now, stayed with Daniela's family in Colombia for the first half of her exchange. Daniela and the other girl are both doing their year in Germany, but came through here while visiting some friends.
We all just chatted, hung out - usual stuff. Did that for a few hours, got ready for bed. Now it's time to sleep - slaapwel!
Woke up, ate, met everyone that spent the night (Marcela, three of her Brazilian friends, a girl from Colombia and a girl from Mexico - the last two are doing a study abroad in Germany). Went to Dutch school after dropping the Brazilians off at the train station, did a test there, and then worked on a new chapter in the book. After that, came home, slept, woke up, read, and then had dinner with Marcela and the two other girls (Denise and Frederik had meetings). Julie, the daughter of the family I'm in now, stayed with Daniela's family in Colombia for the first half of her exchange. Daniela and the other girl are both doing their year in Germany, but came through here while visiting some friends.
We all just chatted, hung out - usual stuff. Did that for a few hours, got ready for bed. Now it's time to sleep - slaapwel!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Day 234
Woensdag, 28 Maart 2012
Got up, got the bus to Turnhout, and just kinda wandered for a bit. No school, so there really wasn't much to do. Ate at HEMA, went online at school for a bit, and then got the bus to Mol. Walked around there with Jenna for a while, ate, and then met up with Allen and Ben (his host brother - and Ben's sister is in MN right now!). We went to go do laser tag, which was our plan for the day, but the place was closed until 4. So, we went, had icecream, hung out - just had a good time in general.
Then, went back, and boom - laser tag was reserved until 8. Did go karts instead. And wow, I MISS DRIVING. Granted, it wasn't like usual driving - there was quite a bit more drifting and tight corners (and Jenna and Ben both getting stuck after hitting a wall :P), but the feeling was great. It was like a mix of driving and riding a new horse. No one really understood me on that, but whatever.
Afterwards, we all went out for a drink to wait for Ben and Allen's train. We found Budweiser on the menu for the first time, so of course Jenna and I had to try it. Ben hated the taste. :P Got the bus to Turnout, and then Hoogstraten. Home, ate, and studied for my Dutch test. And now, time to catch up on some sleep (I forgot to turn my alarm off this morning >: ) Slaapwel!
Got up, got the bus to Turnhout, and just kinda wandered for a bit. No school, so there really wasn't much to do. Ate at HEMA, went online at school for a bit, and then got the bus to Mol. Walked around there with Jenna for a while, ate, and then met up with Allen and Ben (his host brother - and Ben's sister is in MN right now!). We went to go do laser tag, which was our plan for the day, but the place was closed until 4. So, we went, had icecream, hung out - just had a good time in general.
Then, went back, and boom - laser tag was reserved until 8. Did go karts instead. And wow, I MISS DRIVING. Granted, it wasn't like usual driving - there was quite a bit more drifting and tight corners (and Jenna and Ben both getting stuck after hitting a wall :P), but the feeling was great. It was like a mix of driving and riding a new horse. No one really understood me on that, but whatever.
Afterwards, we all went out for a drink to wait for Ben and Allen's train. We found Budweiser on the menu for the first time, so of course Jenna and I had to try it. Ben hated the taste. :P Got the bus to Turnout, and then Hoogstraten. Home, ate, and studied for my Dutch test. And now, time to catch up on some sleep (I forgot to turn my alarm off this morning >: ) Slaapwel!
Day 233
Dinsdag, 27 Maart 2012
Dutch school, and then 4 periods of the acting class. I have one line in that class. I WAS SO BORED. Distracted myself by trying to not fall asleep. Afterwards, went to Lille. Truut just got back from visting Robyne in Peru, so we talked about that. Then, fanfare rehearsal. Ended up talking about my visa situation again afterwards, and now I may or may not be thinking of flying back to the US on the 2nd of August (my usual plan) and then coming back to Belgium on the 11th or so for Austria. >.>
Anyways, after that, just went to Truut's house and slept.
Dutch school, and then 4 periods of the acting class. I have one line in that class. I WAS SO BORED. Distracted myself by trying to not fall asleep. Afterwards, went to Lille. Truut just got back from visting Robyne in Peru, so we talked about that. Then, fanfare rehearsal. Ended up talking about my visa situation again afterwards, and now I may or may not be thinking of flying back to the US on the 2nd of August (my usual plan) and then coming back to Belgium on the 11th or so for Austria. >.>
Anyways, after that, just went to Truut's house and slept.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Day 232
Maandag, 26 Maart 2012
Woke up and it wasn't sunny yet, laaaame. Waited for Santi outside of his house, which was a lot of fun. Got to class, learned what we missed last Thursday, studied for the test. Robyn, one of the ladies in our group, left for home (South Africa) today. She was an au pair and was having some trouble with things here, so she decided it would be best to leave. Her flight was supposed to be on Thursday, but she called me on Saturday and said it was changed. :( We all said goodbye, got a class picture, and then she left. Pretty sad, because I'll probably never see her irl again.
After Dutch class, got the bus to Hoogstraten and then Frederik picked me up to go home. My class had a field trip today I couldn't go on, so no class! Worked on my rotary presentation, and when the video I made stopped working I just said screw it and took a nap. Woke up, thought it was Tuesday, and started panicking. Realized it was only dinner time, settled down. Had pizza with Frederik and Marcela (Denise had a meeting), and then Frederik left for a meeting. Skyped with my family, got basically everything ready for our trip. So excited!
After that, got ready for bed, talked with people, and now it's time to actually get to sleep. Slaapwel!
Woke up and it wasn't sunny yet, laaaame. Waited for Santi outside of his house, which was a lot of fun. Got to class, learned what we missed last Thursday, studied for the test. Robyn, one of the ladies in our group, left for home (South Africa) today. She was an au pair and was having some trouble with things here, so she decided it would be best to leave. Her flight was supposed to be on Thursday, but she called me on Saturday and said it was changed. :( We all said goodbye, got a class picture, and then she left. Pretty sad, because I'll probably never see her irl again.
After Dutch class, got the bus to Hoogstraten and then Frederik picked me up to go home. My class had a field trip today I couldn't go on, so no class! Worked on my rotary presentation, and when the video I made stopped working I just said screw it and took a nap. Woke up, thought it was Tuesday, and started panicking. Realized it was only dinner time, settled down. Had pizza with Frederik and Marcela (Denise had a meeting), and then Frederik left for a meeting. Skyped with my family, got basically everything ready for our trip. So excited!
After that, got ready for bed, talked with people, and now it's time to actually get to sleep. Slaapwel!
Day 231
Zondag, 25 Maart 2012
Woke up, decided I wanted to go to the concert my friend was playing in (well, it was a rock rally and a group he was in made it to the finals, so I thought it'd be fun), so went about getting ready for that. I didn't know that Frederik and Denise hadn't changed the clocks downstairs yet for daylight savings, so I ended up having to rush quite a bit at the end.
Took the train to Brussels where the concert was, and luckily I ran into the rest of my class since I had no idea how to get to the concert hall. We went there, talked a bit, and watched some groups. I watched my friend's group and a few more before I started to get a little bored. I'm not really into music with a lot of electronic sounds, so I wasn't terribly engaged for most of the groups. Decided to leave a bit earlier so I could still get a bus home (otherwise Frederik would have had to pick me up in Antwerp). Got to Antwerp, had some time till the last train, so just walked around a bit. T'was fun.
Home, talked with Marcela a bit, and went to bed.
Woke up, decided I wanted to go to the concert my friend was playing in (well, it was a rock rally and a group he was in made it to the finals, so I thought it'd be fun), so went about getting ready for that. I didn't know that Frederik and Denise hadn't changed the clocks downstairs yet for daylight savings, so I ended up having to rush quite a bit at the end.
Took the train to Brussels where the concert was, and luckily I ran into the rest of my class since I had no idea how to get to the concert hall. We went there, talked a bit, and watched some groups. I watched my friend's group and a few more before I started to get a little bored. I'm not really into music with a lot of electronic sounds, so I wasn't terribly engaged for most of the groups. Decided to leave a bit earlier so I could still get a bus home (otherwise Frederik would have had to pick me up in Antwerp). Got to Antwerp, had some time till the last train, so just walked around a bit. T'was fun.
Home, talked with Marcela a bit, and went to bed.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Day 230
Zaterdag, 24 Maart 2012
Got up, worked on my presentation (I want to finish before my parents come), and then around 1030 Frederik drove all three of us to the train station. Actually made it to drumline this time! Rehearsed outside for a few hours - it was nice, totally reminded me of the weeks before WGI at home when the snow is melted enough to make a fake floor in the parking lot (and now that I think of it, it is really close to WGI time). Practiced a bit inside as a full ensemble, did announcement, and then went home.
Nothing of note really happened, got home around 10, and then had to go to the neighbors (Marcela's third family) for a drink and some food. As soon as I could I got out, went home and slept. :P
Got up, worked on my presentation (I want to finish before my parents come), and then around 1030 Frederik drove all three of us to the train station. Actually made it to drumline this time! Rehearsed outside for a few hours - it was nice, totally reminded me of the weeks before WGI at home when the snow is melted enough to make a fake floor in the parking lot (and now that I think of it, it is really close to WGI time). Practiced a bit inside as a full ensemble, did announcement, and then went home.
Nothing of note really happened, got home around 10, and then had to go to the neighbors (Marcela's third family) for a drink and some food. As soon as I could I got out, went home and slept. :P
Day 229
Vrijdag, 23 Maart 2012
Slept in since there was no Dutch class in the morning. NICE! Ate a bit, and then Frederik drove Marcela and I to Hoogstraten to get a bus. Went to school, talked with Bella in the library for a period, watched a movie in class, and then I read outside by the castle until my bus came. The weather is great lately, so it was nice to go out and get some sun.
Home, worked on my rotary presentation (getting soooo close to finishing) and watched a movie with Frederik and Denise while waiting for Marcela to get home (we were waiting for her and Bella before we ate dinner). They kept asking to get picked up later and later, so we finally just ate around 9 or so. Was about to go to bed when they got home, talked a bit, and then went to sleep.
Slept in since there was no Dutch class in the morning. NICE! Ate a bit, and then Frederik drove Marcela and I to Hoogstraten to get a bus. Went to school, talked with Bella in the library for a period, watched a movie in class, and then I read outside by the castle until my bus came. The weather is great lately, so it was nice to go out and get some sun.
Home, worked on my rotary presentation (getting soooo close to finishing) and watched a movie with Frederik and Denise while waiting for Marcela to get home (we were waiting for her and Bella before we ate dinner). They kept asking to get picked up later and later, so we finally just ate around 9 or so. Was about to go to bed when they got home, talked a bit, and then went to sleep.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Day 228
Donderdag, 22 Maart 2012
Woke up, got all gussied up for the day, and Flavia's host dad drove us to the station. Met up with Allen, Sofia, Sofi, and Bernardo. Chatted on the train, and met up with most of the other exchange students in Liege. Got to Verviers, talked a bit, and then we had to practice for the "ceremony". Basically, they took forever to get all of us (over 200 exchange students) into two lines, gave us umbrellas, and told us to stand still. That's really about it.
Had some time after to talk, met up with some old friends, and then back in the line. Apparently it's really uncommon for the Rotary International President to come, so they kept stressing on us that it was a big deal and to be on our best behavior. Of course, the entire day was conducted in French (they had someone try to speak Dutch once, but she really didn't know it that well so it really didn't help at all). And we got little hand clappers to use when he walked by.
Then we had to wait outside the room (it was in a movie theater, odd) until we were needed to go inside. There were like two people in line for an actual movie then, so they just looked really confused. We had to line up behind our country flag, which of course meant a lot of people talking to old friends, and then yelling into a mic telling us we were too loud (which seemed counterproductive to me). Finally we all had to go inside, stand in front, and listen to some talking. Since he's from India, Sravya had to sing a traditional Indian song, and three Rotex members who went to India had a bit to say as well. Then they did some awards, talked about how Belgium has the most exchange students per district, the president talked, and then all of us tried to sing "Imagine" by John Lennon, which went considerably better than when we practiced it earlier. :P
After that, we got to leave the room, eat some food (free!), and chat. Then, we all got to watch "The Hunger Games", and it was in English (usually in the French part they dub over movies), and it was free! Decent film, not much else to say. Started off for home then. Got the train at 530. Got home at 1030. In between was a lot of talking and messing around on the trains. Got home, went straight to sleep.
And now, pics from the day! (and haha, no pics of me a in dress :P)
Woke up, got all gussied up for the day, and Flavia's host dad drove us to the station. Met up with Allen, Sofia, Sofi, and Bernardo. Chatted on the train, and met up with most of the other exchange students in Liege. Got to Verviers, talked a bit, and then we had to practice for the "ceremony". Basically, they took forever to get all of us (over 200 exchange students) into two lines, gave us umbrellas, and told us to stand still. That's really about it.
Had some time after to talk, met up with some old friends, and then back in the line. Apparently it's really uncommon for the Rotary International President to come, so they kept stressing on us that it was a big deal and to be on our best behavior. Of course, the entire day was conducted in French (they had someone try to speak Dutch once, but she really didn't know it that well so it really didn't help at all). And we got little hand clappers to use when he walked by.
Then we had to wait outside the room (it was in a movie theater, odd) until we were needed to go inside. There were like two people in line for an actual movie then, so they just looked really confused. We had to line up behind our country flag, which of course meant a lot of people talking to old friends, and then yelling into a mic telling us we were too loud (which seemed counterproductive to me). Finally we all had to go inside, stand in front, and listen to some talking. Since he's from India, Sravya had to sing a traditional Indian song, and three Rotex members who went to India had a bit to say as well. Then they did some awards, talked about how Belgium has the most exchange students per district, the president talked, and then all of us tried to sing "Imagine" by John Lennon, which went considerably better than when we practiced it earlier. :P
After that, we got to leave the room, eat some food (free!), and chat. Then, we all got to watch "The Hunger Games", and it was in English (usually in the French part they dub over movies), and it was free! Decent film, not much else to say. Started off for home then. Got the train at 530. Got home at 1030. In between was a lot of talking and messing around on the trains. Got home, went straight to sleep.
And now, pics from the day! (and haha, no pics of me a in dress :P)
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| Jenna and Hendryk - check out the blazers |
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| Mr. Toyota (Allen) and Sravya, in her traditional clothes |
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| What happens on the train |
Day 227
Woensdag, 21 Maart 2012
Had Dutch class today (schedule switch this week), and then I went straight to Hasselt since there was no way to get home first to drop off my stuff. Got there, and it turned out Flavia couldn't get me at the station for another two hours. So, I called up Sravya, and went to her house to hang out for a bit. It was fun, just talked and shared music.
Back to the station, met up with Flavia, and went to her house (I was spending the night since I had to borrow her dress for Thursday). It was fun - she speaks French with her family and is from Peru, so her English isn't the greatest, but we managed to communicate in a mix of English, Dutch and Spanish (and a lot of hang signals). Watched a movie, had dinner, got ready for Thursday, and went to sleep fairly early.
Had Dutch class today (schedule switch this week), and then I went straight to Hasselt since there was no way to get home first to drop off my stuff. Got there, and it turned out Flavia couldn't get me at the station for another two hours. So, I called up Sravya, and went to her house to hang out for a bit. It was fun, just talked and shared music.
Back to the station, met up with Flavia, and went to her house (I was spending the night since I had to borrow her dress for Thursday). It was fun - she speaks French with her family and is from Peru, so her English isn't the greatest, but we managed to communicate in a mix of English, Dutch and Spanish (and a lot of hang signals). Watched a movie, had dinner, got ready for Thursday, and went to sleep fairly early.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Day 226
Dinsdag, 20 Maart 2012
For some reason waking up was super difficult, which was odd considering I actually got a lot of sleep. Finished my book on the way to school, and started on the third of the series (it's the John Carter of Mars series, in case anyone cares). Did the Dutch class stuff, same as usual. Marcela wanted to shop, so I went by myself during lunch to the castle to just sit down outside and read. Great weather~
Back at school, had three periods of the acting class, with a period in the library in between. Kinda sucked, since my voice was starting to give out and I actually had to do some talking. Didn't go to Lille today - decided to skip (*gasp*) fanfare rehearsal because I wasn't feeling the greatest and it wouldn't do me any good to get sicker now (sleepover tomorrow, rotary Thursday, drumline Saturday, and possibly something Sunday).
At home, napped until dinner, ate (it was tortilla night - I think I beat Marcela in being Mexican, though she says she won), talked a bit, and then got ready for Thursday. Did some reading, tried to figure out what book to buy now - I'm only allowing myself to spend up to $10, because I paid for a $5 voucher which gives me $10 amazon credit.
Anyway, I just asked on facebook, so I'm just going to go to bed and see what people tell me to get when I wake up tomorrow (this is too big of a decision for me to make myself :P). Slaapwel!
Oh, and I won't be posting again until Thursday at least - I know I'm usually a day late just because I'm getting lazy, but I have a legit excuse this time. :P
For some reason waking up was super difficult, which was odd considering I actually got a lot of sleep. Finished my book on the way to school, and started on the third of the series (it's the John Carter of Mars series, in case anyone cares). Did the Dutch class stuff, same as usual. Marcela wanted to shop, so I went by myself during lunch to the castle to just sit down outside and read. Great weather~
Back at school, had three periods of the acting class, with a period in the library in between. Kinda sucked, since my voice was starting to give out and I actually had to do some talking. Didn't go to Lille today - decided to skip (*gasp*) fanfare rehearsal because I wasn't feeling the greatest and it wouldn't do me any good to get sicker now (sleepover tomorrow, rotary Thursday, drumline Saturday, and possibly something Sunday).
At home, napped until dinner, ate (it was tortilla night - I think I beat Marcela in being Mexican, though she says she won), talked a bit, and then got ready for Thursday. Did some reading, tried to figure out what book to buy now - I'm only allowing myself to spend up to $10, because I paid for a $5 voucher which gives me $10 amazon credit.
Anyway, I just asked on facebook, so I'm just going to go to bed and see what people tell me to get when I wake up tomorrow (this is too big of a decision for me to make myself :P). Slaapwel!
Oh, and I won't be posting again until Thursday at least - I know I'm usually a day late just because I'm getting lazy, but I have a legit excuse this time. :P
Day 225
Maandag, 19 Maart 2012
Dutch school, basically the same as usual. Mari (one of the ladies we hang out with) was back after more than a week's absence, so we had to help her figure out what was going on. Ate outside again with Marcela and Bella, and then studied math in the library until 4 when I could get a bus home. Marcela also didn't have classes today (her class was gone as opposed to my just not having class).
Home, read a bit more of my book - it's the second in a series, a sci-fi fantasty sort thing. I like it a lot, but Marcela thinks it sounds terrible. :P After dinner, Denise had a meeting and Frederik had to work, so Marcela and I watched the first Lord of the Rings, extended edition of course. We finished the first disc (of the first movie), but by then it was almost 10, so we decided to go to bed since I was still sick and Marcela was tired. Really makes me shake my head when I remember watching all three extended editions one night - all I can say is thank goodness there was a little snowstorm that night because we needed to whitewash to stay awake. :P
Dutch school, basically the same as usual. Mari (one of the ladies we hang out with) was back after more than a week's absence, so we had to help her figure out what was going on. Ate outside again with Marcela and Bella, and then studied math in the library until 4 when I could get a bus home. Marcela also didn't have classes today (her class was gone as opposed to my just not having class).
Home, read a bit more of my book - it's the second in a series, a sci-fi fantasty sort thing. I like it a lot, but Marcela thinks it sounds terrible. :P After dinner, Denise had a meeting and Frederik had to work, so Marcela and I watched the first Lord of the Rings, extended edition of course. We finished the first disc (of the first movie), but by then it was almost 10, so we decided to go to bed since I was still sick and Marcela was tired. Really makes me shake my head when I remember watching all three extended editions one night - all I can say is thank goodness there was a little snowstorm that night because we needed to whitewash to stay awake. :P
Monday, March 19, 2012
Day 224
Zondag, 18 Maart 2012
Slept in until noon, when I woke up to some trucks/parade floats blasting club music and driving in front of the house. Seriously, things were shaking on my nighstand (and my window was open :/). So obviously wasn't in the best mood in the morning. Spent some time getting ready (still felt sick), and then had lunch with Denise, Frederik, Raf and Valerie (and Marcela once she got home). After, we all watched "Three Wishes" (silly movie), and went for a little walk.
Napped a bit, and then had dinner with the neighbors (aka, Marcela's third family!). Super fun; they're a really nice family. Didn't get home until around 1030 or so, so I just went straight to bed.
Slept in until noon, when I woke up to some trucks/parade floats blasting club music and driving in front of the house. Seriously, things were shaking on my nighstand (and my window was open :/). So obviously wasn't in the best mood in the morning. Spent some time getting ready (still felt sick), and then had lunch with Denise, Frederik, Raf and Valerie (and Marcela once she got home). After, we all watched "Three Wishes" (silly movie), and went for a little walk.
Napped a bit, and then had dinner with the neighbors (aka, Marcela's third family!). Super fun; they're a really nice family. Didn't get home until around 1030 or so, so I just went straight to bed.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Day 223
Zaterdag, 17 Maart 2012
So I think everything hates me right now.
Woke up feeling terrible after a not so pleasant night of sleep. Got ready for drumline (took me forever, but I was finally able to find a ride to rehearsal last night), because honestly, sometimes it helps your throat to do some exercise like drumline. Denise dropped me off at the train station, and everything was looking good.
Then it kinda turned into a "Days of our Lives" kind of day. The train broke down partway to Antwerp, as per usual for me and Marcela. Made it to Antwerp just in time to run and see my train to Kortrijk leaving. So, stuck for an hour in Antwerp. Then my body decided it would be funny to make me nauseous and - long story short - I needed to replace my breakfast and I wasn't as nauseous anymore. :P
Luckily, I remembered some of the Rotary kids were going to meet up in Antwerp today, so I texted them. Jenna, Allen, and Sravya were there, so they came to my aid. Basically hung around with me until I felt a bit better, and then brought me on a walk to get some food and fresh air. After I felt sufficiently better, they set me on a bus on the way to Turnhout. Denise and Frederik picked me up there, went home, slept until dinner. Ate, watched some TV, and now it's time to sleep again. Yayyy being sick. Slaapwel!
So I think everything hates me right now.
Woke up feeling terrible after a not so pleasant night of sleep. Got ready for drumline (took me forever, but I was finally able to find a ride to rehearsal last night), because honestly, sometimes it helps your throat to do some exercise like drumline. Denise dropped me off at the train station, and everything was looking good.
Then it kinda turned into a "Days of our Lives" kind of day. The train broke down partway to Antwerp, as per usual for me and Marcela. Made it to Antwerp just in time to run and see my train to Kortrijk leaving. So, stuck for an hour in Antwerp. Then my body decided it would be funny to make me nauseous and - long story short - I needed to replace my breakfast and I wasn't as nauseous anymore. :P
Luckily, I remembered some of the Rotary kids were going to meet up in Antwerp today, so I texted them. Jenna, Allen, and Sravya were there, so they came to my aid. Basically hung around with me until I felt a bit better, and then brought me on a walk to get some food and fresh air. After I felt sufficiently better, they set me on a bus on the way to Turnhout. Denise and Frederik picked me up there, went home, slept until dinner. Ate, watched some TV, and now it's time to sleep again. Yayyy being sick. Slaapwel!
Day 222
Vrijdag, 16 Maart 2012
Dutch class, then had lunch with Marcela and Santi at the little snackbar/frituur by the school. Went to school, studied math in the library a bit (the power went out, so it was a good thing I copied the questions onto notebook paper :P), and then watched more of a movie in the art appreciation class or whatever it is. Still had over an hour until the bus so Marcela, Bella and I went to a cafe for a drink and some chatting (Bella is here with AFS, also from Brasil). I learned quite a bit about Brasil during the conversation, it was pretty fun. :)
Home, read a bit, and then we (Frederik, Denise and I) went and picked up Marcela in Hoogstraten (she stayed to hang out with her classmates a bit), got some food quick, and then went to a movie. Marcela and I saw "Project X" - basically like "The Hangover" without a plot and geared towards high school students. Decent, but not worth seeing again. But it was nice to hear people saying "legit" and "bro" again, I do have to say. :P
Went home basically right after, and then straight to sleep as I wasn't feeling good. Yayyy getting sick again :/
Dutch class, then had lunch with Marcela and Santi at the little snackbar/frituur by the school. Went to school, studied math in the library a bit (the power went out, so it was a good thing I copied the questions onto notebook paper :P), and then watched more of a movie in the art appreciation class or whatever it is. Still had over an hour until the bus so Marcela, Bella and I went to a cafe for a drink and some chatting (Bella is here with AFS, also from Brasil). I learned quite a bit about Brasil during the conversation, it was pretty fun. :)
Home, read a bit, and then we (Frederik, Denise and I) went and picked up Marcela in Hoogstraten (she stayed to hang out with her classmates a bit), got some food quick, and then went to a movie. Marcela and I saw "Project X" - basically like "The Hangover" without a plot and geared towards high school students. Decent, but not worth seeing again. But it was nice to hear people saying "legit" and "bro" again, I do have to say. :P
Went home basically right after, and then straight to sleep as I wasn't feeling good. Yayyy getting sick again :/
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Day 221
Donderdag, 15 Maart 2012
Woke up a little tired, as I had an impromptu conversation that went a bit late last night. Normal day at Dutch school, ate lunch outside because it was AMAZING out. Three music classes. In one (the one where we actually play), little kids came in to watch and listen and ask questions. It reminded me a lot of the elementary school tour I did with my jazz band the last two years, just on a smaller scale. Good times.
Home, chilled out and read, had dinner. Denise and Frederik had a Rotary meeting, so it was just Marcela and I for dinner. Read some more, messed around online, and now I think it's time for bed. Slaapwel!
Woke up a little tired, as I had an impromptu conversation that went a bit late last night. Normal day at Dutch school, ate lunch outside because it was AMAZING out. Three music classes. In one (the one where we actually play), little kids came in to watch and listen and ask questions. It reminded me a lot of the elementary school tour I did with my jazz band the last two years, just on a smaller scale. Good times.
Home, chilled out and read, had dinner. Denise and Frederik had a Rotary meeting, so it was just Marcela and I for dinner. Read some more, messed around online, and now I think it's time for bed. Slaapwel!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Day 220
Woensdag, 14 Maart 2012
Happy Pi Day!
Got to school, had three of the four periods today. Didn't do much of note in any of them, besides a debate in English. I had to argue with someone about teaching evolution in schools, while two others had to argue about teaching creationism. It was basically the same as arguing in the states, which means it was not enjoyable at all. Got home, showered, and then napped until dinner. Been feeling pretty under the weather the past few days, and my knee has started hurting again (Denise says it's because of the seasons changing - I really hope so). Watched some Discovery Channel with Frederik and Denise, talked with Marcela and her friend a bit when they got home (he had to spend the night), and now it's time for bed. Slaapwel!
Oh, and cute picture for the day - my oldest brother's puppy. I guess he's not really a puppy anymore, but I still think he's pretty adorable.
Happy Pi Day!
Got to school, had three of the four periods today. Didn't do much of note in any of them, besides a debate in English. I had to argue with someone about teaching evolution in schools, while two others had to argue about teaching creationism. It was basically the same as arguing in the states, which means it was not enjoyable at all. Got home, showered, and then napped until dinner. Been feeling pretty under the weather the past few days, and my knee has started hurting again (Denise says it's because of the seasons changing - I really hope so). Watched some Discovery Channel with Frederik and Denise, talked with Marcela and her friend a bit when they got home (he had to spend the night), and now it's time for bed. Slaapwel!
Oh, and cute picture for the day - my oldest brother's puppy. I guess he's not really a puppy anymore, but I still think he's pretty adorable.
Day 219
Dinsdag, 13 Maart 2012
A month until Taco Bell! :)
Anyway, when I was online this morning before school (my usual wake up routine - otherwise I'd never have the motivation to open my eyes), my friend Keith helped me fix my kindle. It's now working properly; so relieved. Like I've said, I'm doing a reading challenge this year, so I need to be able to read all the time. I'm still like 10 books behind (oops), but I'm hopefully going to catch up soon. I doubt anyone cares, but here's the link to see what I've read so far. If you have any suggestions, totally just say. I love hearing of new books to read.
Anyway, Dutch class, had the test. It was fairly easy, which means I was probably doing something wrong. Didn't do too much else in the class, though time was moving sooo slowly. Went to real school, and waited outside the classroom doors. And wouldn't you know it, my class wasn't there. Like, after 10 minutes they still weren't there. And I faintly remember seeing in one of my classmate's planners that they had a field trip sometime this week (or maybe next week), I just assumed it was today and went to study in the library.
Then, I realized I had forgotten my trumpet at Dutch school. Oops. Went back there, found it, back to the school, studied until the first bus. Ate with Patrick and Siemen, read, went to rehearsal, talked after, and back home.
A month until Taco Bell! :)
Anyway, when I was online this morning before school (my usual wake up routine - otherwise I'd never have the motivation to open my eyes), my friend Keith helped me fix my kindle. It's now working properly; so relieved. Like I've said, I'm doing a reading challenge this year, so I need to be able to read all the time. I'm still like 10 books behind (oops), but I'm hopefully going to catch up soon. I doubt anyone cares, but here's the link to see what I've read so far. If you have any suggestions, totally just say. I love hearing of new books to read.
Anyway, Dutch class, had the test. It was fairly easy, which means I was probably doing something wrong. Didn't do too much else in the class, though time was moving sooo slowly. Went to real school, and waited outside the classroom doors. And wouldn't you know it, my class wasn't there. Like, after 10 minutes they still weren't there. And I faintly remember seeing in one of my classmate's planners that they had a field trip sometime this week (or maybe next week), I just assumed it was today and went to study in the library.
Then, I realized I had forgotten my trumpet at Dutch school. Oops. Went back there, found it, back to the school, studied until the first bus. Ate with Patrick and Siemen, read, went to rehearsal, talked after, and back home.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Day 218
Maandag, 12 Maart 2012
Dutch school was a bit odd today. Santi was singing for some reason, some of the usuals didn't show up, it was basically an unstructured lesson, and my orange decided to explode everywhere when I peeled it. Afterwards, went shopping a bit with Robyne, got some colored pens and mechanical pencils (whooooo). Went to school, looked up cheap ways to get from Belgium to London (train didn't work out for my family's visit :P), and studied some math and econ, seeing as how I had 3 free periods.
Home, napped a bit, ate, and then spent quite a long time skyping with both my parents and Collin about the trip. We basically got everything finalized, all the hotels booked, and started nailing everything down. Then, studied some for my Dutch test tomorrow while talking with people from here. I was going to read on my kindle when worst thing ever happened - my kindle wouldn't turn on. It's just not working. Charging it doesn't work - even when it's connected to the computer it doesn't turn on. SO UPSET.
Anyway, decided I was too upset to study after that (as you can see, I'm not a great student), so I just read some things online. And now, time for bed. Slaapwel!
Dutch school was a bit odd today. Santi was singing for some reason, some of the usuals didn't show up, it was basically an unstructured lesson, and my orange decided to explode everywhere when I peeled it. Afterwards, went shopping a bit with Robyne, got some colored pens and mechanical pencils (whooooo). Went to school, looked up cheap ways to get from Belgium to London (train didn't work out for my family's visit :P), and studied some math and econ, seeing as how I had 3 free periods.
Home, napped a bit, ate, and then spent quite a long time skyping with both my parents and Collin about the trip. We basically got everything finalized, all the hotels booked, and started nailing everything down. Then, studied some for my Dutch test tomorrow while talking with people from here. I was going to read on my kindle when worst thing ever happened - my kindle wouldn't turn on. It's just not working. Charging it doesn't work - even when it's connected to the computer it doesn't turn on. SO UPSET.
Anyway, decided I was too upset to study after that (as you can see, I'm not a great student), so I just read some things online. And now, time for bed. Slaapwel!
Day 218
Zondag, 11 Maart 2012
Got up, Denise drove me to the train station around 9, and I got to Namur around 12. Met up with some other exchange students there (most notably my lovely Greta who invited me). We walked around a bit, got some food, and walked up to a castle. Then, the majority of the students wanted to stay and hang out at the castle all day, but as I had never been to Namur before, I decided to tour the city with Tucker, one of my friends who is from California and knows French. It was super fun - we saw some churches, had a drink, tried to get Chinese food, had icecream, and finally met up with everyone at the castle again.
Turns out they were just chilling still, and since Tucker had never been to Antwerp we left everyone again to go there - I felt bad because Greta invited me and I like didn't hang out with her, but I guess that means we just need to hang out again :). Anyway, Tucker and I made it to the train station and literally missed the train to Brussels by like 5 seconds. Like, as we were running down the stairs it started pulling away. So we had to wait half an hour, got the train, and then halfway through we were stopped for like half an hour - apparently the police were on or something, we didn't really know.
By the time we got to Brussels, it was too late for Tucker to come to Antwerp (he lives like on the complete opposite side of the country), so he went home from there, and I went back to Antwerp. Waited there for Marcela (she was out all weekend too), got the train home, and then Denise picked us up at the station. Home, ate, read a bit, and then bed. Pretty standard.
Got up, Denise drove me to the train station around 9, and I got to Namur around 12. Met up with some other exchange students there (most notably my lovely Greta who invited me). We walked around a bit, got some food, and walked up to a castle. Then, the majority of the students wanted to stay and hang out at the castle all day, but as I had never been to Namur before, I decided to tour the city with Tucker, one of my friends who is from California and knows French. It was super fun - we saw some churches, had a drink, tried to get Chinese food, had icecream, and finally met up with everyone at the castle again.
Turns out they were just chilling still, and since Tucker had never been to Antwerp we left everyone again to go there - I felt bad because Greta invited me and I like didn't hang out with her, but I guess that means we just need to hang out again :). Anyway, Tucker and I made it to the train station and literally missed the train to Brussels by like 5 seconds. Like, as we were running down the stairs it started pulling away. So we had to wait half an hour, got the train, and then halfway through we were stopped for like half an hour - apparently the police were on or something, we didn't really know.
By the time we got to Brussels, it was too late for Tucker to come to Antwerp (he lives like on the complete opposite side of the country), so he went home from there, and I went back to Antwerp. Waited there for Marcela (she was out all weekend too), got the train home, and then Denise picked us up at the station. Home, ate, read a bit, and then bed. Pretty standard.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Day 217
Zaterdag, 10 Maart 2012
Woke up, felt terrible. Decided that it wouldn't be good to go to drumline when I was feeling like that, especially since the theatershow is over so it's not super important to go. Ended up studying some math and economics on Khan Academy, which is good. Also got all of the music on my computer sorted and cleaned up everything on my iPod, which I'be been trying to do for a long time. Also downloaded the new album from Nick Camillo - seriously check him out, he's a great up and coming folk/instrumental musician.
Had dinner with Frederik and Denise when they came home (they were gone all day), then upstairs to get ready for Sunday (going out, if I feel better). Ended up talking to a bunch of people, including like 3 friends I hadn't talked to in ages. Busy night of talking to people here and back home, which also got a little confusing because I'd end up using some Dutch to people from home, and using a lot of slang and shorthand to people here (ie: I feel ya brosk - it's not really standard english).
Anyway, I need to get some sleep - I was invited out tomorrow, so I need to make sure I'm feeling better. Slaapwel!
Woke up, felt terrible. Decided that it wouldn't be good to go to drumline when I was feeling like that, especially since the theatershow is over so it's not super important to go. Ended up studying some math and economics on Khan Academy, which is good. Also got all of the music on my computer sorted and cleaned up everything on my iPod, which I'be been trying to do for a long time. Also downloaded the new album from Nick Camillo - seriously check him out, he's a great up and coming folk/instrumental musician.
Had dinner with Frederik and Denise when they came home (they were gone all day), then upstairs to get ready for Sunday (going out, if I feel better). Ended up talking to a bunch of people, including like 3 friends I hadn't talked to in ages. Busy night of talking to people here and back home, which also got a little confusing because I'd end up using some Dutch to people from home, and using a lot of slang and shorthand to people here (ie: I feel ya brosk - it's not really standard english).
Anyway, I need to get some sleep - I was invited out tomorrow, so I need to make sure I'm feeling better. Slaapwel!
Day 216
Vrijdag, 9 Maart 2012
Dutch class, period in the library (studied math), art history (watched a movie), and then a period in the library again while waiting for the bus (studied math again). Home, read a bit, dinner, talked a bit. Napped a bit, and then woke up around midnight to skype with my parents. Talked about my college plans, got things kinda figured out. Then, back to sleep.
Dutch class, period in the library (studied math), art history (watched a movie), and then a period in the library again while waiting for the bus (studied math again). Home, read a bit, dinner, talked a bit. Napped a bit, and then woke up around midnight to skype with my parents. Talked about my college plans, got things kinda figured out. Then, back to sleep.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Day 215
Donderdag, 8 Maart 2012
Pretty normal day. Read on the bus, Dutch class, three music classes, and then home. At home, took a few hours to figure out college stuff. I think I know what I'm going to do, so I had to figure out what classes I've taken already will transfer, and what to take next year to make the most out of the year. Looks like I'll be taking French. :P
Ate, did some more college stuff, talked with some people, had a snack with Marcela (what we call a Belgian Hotdog - peanut butter and nutella on bread with a banana), did some studying for my Dutch test tomorrow. Now, time for bed seeing as how it suddenly jumped two hours from the last time I saw the time. Slaapwel!
Pretty normal day. Read on the bus, Dutch class, three music classes, and then home. At home, took a few hours to figure out college stuff. I think I know what I'm going to do, so I had to figure out what classes I've taken already will transfer, and what to take next year to make the most out of the year. Looks like I'll be taking French. :P
Ate, did some more college stuff, talked with some people, had a snack with Marcela (what we call a Belgian Hotdog - peanut butter and nutella on bread with a banana), did some studying for my Dutch test tomorrow. Now, time for bed seeing as how it suddenly jumped two hours from the last time I saw the time. Slaapwel!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Day 214
Woensdag, 7 Maart 2012
7 months today!
Woke up pretty tired (I really need to be more responsible about getting home...), packed some food and took my time getting ready, then went to school. Finished Invisible Man on the bus - I don't know if I've mentioned it, but my goal this year is to read 100 books over the course of the year. Of course, I've been slacking/reading longer books, so I only have 8 read so far (which is 10 books behind schedule). So much to do!
Listening class, library, English (I got called on in class and I was wrong. Silly British English :P), science, and then school was over. Marcela was a bit cold so we did the lazy thing and took a bus from the market to the train station (a very short walk). Waited a bit, and then Emi and Santi picked us up. We went to Sravya's host parent's work, which is a fruit factory. We got to view the inside, see how it works, pretend we were buying at an auction, and then we got free apples, pears, chocolate and juice. Great day. :)
We (Emi, Santi, Marcela, Jenna and I) then drove back to Turnhout. To annoy Santi (and because we were bored since it was a long drive) we read children's stories I have on my Kindle out loud. I was the only one doing voices, so I had to read the most :P Then we read a scene from Romeo and Juliet out loud, attempted to read a Dutch book out loud (everyone else gave up), sang annoying songs (99 bottles of beer on the wall, I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, etc), until we finally were in Turnhout. Got the bus to Hoogstraten and Frederik picked us up there. Ate, got ready for sleep, caught up on some things, and now it's time for bed (super tired!). Slaapwel!
7 months today!
Woke up pretty tired (I really need to be more responsible about getting home...), packed some food and took my time getting ready, then went to school. Finished Invisible Man on the bus - I don't know if I've mentioned it, but my goal this year is to read 100 books over the course of the year. Of course, I've been slacking/reading longer books, so I only have 8 read so far (which is 10 books behind schedule). So much to do!
Listening class, library, English (I got called on in class and I was wrong. Silly British English :P), science, and then school was over. Marcela was a bit cold so we did the lazy thing and took a bus from the market to the train station (a very short walk). Waited a bit, and then Emi and Santi picked us up. We went to Sravya's host parent's work, which is a fruit factory. We got to view the inside, see how it works, pretend we were buying at an auction, and then we got free apples, pears, chocolate and juice. Great day. :)
We (Emi, Santi, Marcela, Jenna and I) then drove back to Turnhout. To annoy Santi (and because we were bored since it was a long drive) we read children's stories I have on my Kindle out loud. I was the only one doing voices, so I had to read the most :P Then we read a scene from Romeo and Juliet out loud, attempted to read a Dutch book out loud (everyone else gave up), sang annoying songs (99 bottles of beer on the wall, I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, etc), until we finally were in Turnhout. Got the bus to Hoogstraten and Frederik picked us up there. Ate, got ready for sleep, caught up on some things, and now it's time for bed (super tired!). Slaapwel!
Day 213
Dinsdag, 6 Maart 2012
Normal day. Dutch class, ate, two periods of the acting class, a period in the library, and then I went to Lille. Ate, watched some Lord of the Rings with Siemen, and went to fanfare rehearsal. Did that whole thing, stayed pretty late - oh well, it was fun, as always. :) Went to Truut's house and just fell asleep.
Normal day. Dutch class, ate, two periods of the acting class, a period in the library, and then I went to Lille. Ate, watched some Lord of the Rings with Siemen, and went to fanfare rehearsal. Did that whole thing, stayed pretty late - oh well, it was fun, as always. :) Went to Truut's house and just fell asleep.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Day 212
Maandag, 5 Maart 2012
School again. :( Managed to wake up on time, though we almost missed the bus as we kinda forgot how early it came. Normal day at Dutch school - we missed some stuff, but it wasn't terrible. Then, stuck at school all day without any classes, so that was kinda nice. Managed to get some stuff figured out (hopefully) for my college plans.
Home, chilled out a bit, and then just ate dinner with Marcela (Frederik and Denise had a meeting to go to). We were going to watch a movie but we ended up just doing our own thing. I studied a bit and then just went to bed early as I didn't manage to get much sleep Sunday night. That's really about it.
School again. :( Managed to wake up on time, though we almost missed the bus as we kinda forgot how early it came. Normal day at Dutch school - we missed some stuff, but it wasn't terrible. Then, stuck at school all day without any classes, so that was kinda nice. Managed to get some stuff figured out (hopefully) for my college plans.
Home, chilled out a bit, and then just ate dinner with Marcela (Frederik and Denise had a meeting to go to). We were going to watch a movie but we ended up just doing our own thing. I studied a bit and then just went to bed early as I didn't manage to get much sleep Sunday night. That's really about it.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Day 211
Zondag, 4 Maart 2012
Not much to say. Got up early, then drove home from like 7.30am till like 9.30 at night, with some stops for gas and food. Basically just read or did the whole "think about things and completely zone out" thing that I've mastered for long car trips. Got home, ate (frog legs, they said it tasted like chicken but I have to disagree, seeing as how it's NOT CHICKEN), then went straight to bed.
Not much to say. Got up early, then drove home from like 7.30am till like 9.30 at night, with some stops for gas and food. Basically just read or did the whole "think about things and completely zone out" thing that I've mastered for long car trips. Got home, ate (frog legs, they said it tasted like chicken but I have to disagree, seeing as how it's NOT CHICKEN), then went straight to bed.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Day 210
Zaterdag, 3 Maart 2012
Another lazy day. Got up, cleaned up the house a bit, and then read outside for a while. Ate lunch outside, and read more until the sun started to go down a bit. Came inside for a little nap, had a drink with the neighbors (really interesting folks), then went out for dinner. It was a fancy-ish restaurant, and what music did they have? American Country. Made my night. Went to bed right away after, and then woke up at like 2am (technically the 4th, but whatever :P). I kinda danced along to it in my seat and the server noticed, so he made eye contact, smiled, and then turned up the music. :) I've been planning this little prank on my friend in my old drumline - another friend who isn't marching this year went to the show, told me a bit about it, and then texted me when awards were over. I then called my other friend (the one that's marching still) to freak him out a bit and congratulate him (RCR is still undefeated in MN in their class - third year running!).
Had to call around 330am because the elevator broke at the show (typical for South Saint Paul :P), and it did surprise him a bit. He couldn't figure out who I was right away, so I just acted so upset and so dramatic that he realized it was me. :) Tons of fun. Talked with him and another girl from the cymbal section I marched with last year, and another kid from pit. But anyway, now it's almost like 4am and we leave for Belgium again at 7, so slaapwel!
Another lazy day. Got up, cleaned up the house a bit, and then read outside for a while. Ate lunch outside, and read more until the sun started to go down a bit. Came inside for a little nap, had a drink with the neighbors (really interesting folks), then went out for dinner. It was a fancy-ish restaurant, and what music did they have? American Country. Made my night. Went to bed right away after, and then woke up at like 2am (technically the 4th, but whatever :P). I kinda danced along to it in my seat and the server noticed, so he made eye contact, smiled, and then turned up the music. :) I've been planning this little prank on my friend in my old drumline - another friend who isn't marching this year went to the show, told me a bit about it, and then texted me when awards were over. I then called my other friend (the one that's marching still) to freak him out a bit and congratulate him (RCR is still undefeated in MN in their class - third year running!).
Had to call around 330am because the elevator broke at the show (typical for South Saint Paul :P), and it did surprise him a bit. He couldn't figure out who I was right away, so I just acted so upset and so dramatic that he realized it was me. :) Tons of fun. Talked with him and another girl from the cymbal section I marched with last year, and another kid from pit. But anyway, now it's almost like 4am and we leave for Belgium again at 7, so slaapwel!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Day 209
Vrijdag, 2 Maart 2012
Woke up early, ate, and then all four of us were on the road to Grasse, which is the world capital of perfume. Got a little sick on the way there (meaning that by the time we got there I had to replace my breakfast), so that was a bit of a bummer. Shopped a bit, and then we went to this great museum about the role of perfume in history and how it came to be used today. It had a bunch of bottles from ancient times all the way up to present, and was really cool. Also had a bunch of places where you could smell the extract of different flowers and other things, which was fun.
After that, we ate, and then set off for Nice. The weather wasn't that great when we got there, so we just walked around the city, looked in some stores, hung out in a mall, and then drove back home. Rested a bit, and then we went to TourTour to eat at the Moroccan restaurant we went to last time. Pretty good stuff. After that, just home and slept.
Woke up early, ate, and then all four of us were on the road to Grasse, which is the world capital of perfume. Got a little sick on the way there (meaning that by the time we got there I had to replace my breakfast), so that was a bit of a bummer. Shopped a bit, and then we went to this great museum about the role of perfume in history and how it came to be used today. It had a bunch of bottles from ancient times all the way up to present, and was really cool. Also had a bunch of places where you could smell the extract of different flowers and other things, which was fun.
After that, we ate, and then set off for Nice. The weather wasn't that great when we got there, so we just walked around the city, looked in some stores, hung out in a mall, and then drove back home. Rested a bit, and then we went to TourTour to eat at the Moroccan restaurant we went to last time. Pretty good stuff. After that, just home and slept.
Day 208
Donderdag, 1 Maart 2012
Really not that exciting of a day. Got up, ate, realized the water was out, so went outside with Marcela to tan. Bought a book for my kindle (only $2!!), read it a lot. Napped a bit inside, read more, had dinner, talked with the family and then back to bed. Whoo vacation days!
Really not that exciting of a day. Got up, ate, realized the water was out, so went outside with Marcela to tan. Bought a book for my kindle (only $2!!), read it a lot. Napped a bit inside, read more, had dinner, talked with the family and then back to bed. Whoo vacation days!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Day 207
Woensdag, 29 Februari 2012
Leap year day!
Woke up early (well, early for me on vacations), aka around 8 or so. Got ready, and then at 9 Marcela, Denise and I left for Saint-Tropez. I went there last time I was here, but it was Marcela's first time. :) We walked around a bit, admired the view, didn't really shop much since nothing was open. We then left for "Le Thoronet Abbey", which is one of the best preserved Cistercian abbeys. It's also in the top ten for best acoustics in the world, and it was really something - no matter where you were in the room, the acoustics were the same. A tour guide showed this by singing and walking around the room - the sound stayed completely the same. It was really something.
Oh, and before the abbey we stopped at this old castle. SO COOL. I love castles - we actually weren't going to stop but Denise noticed that I was just staring at it so she decided to pull over so I could have a look. :) And for about half the drive, we had the sunroof down on the car, so that was pretty awesome.
Back at home, I just laid down for a bit, worked on my Rotary presentation I have to give in April, we had pizza, talked a bit, and then went to bed. Pretty successful day. And here's a picture dump, because trips always mean I take a bunch of pictures >.>
Leap year day!
Woke up early (well, early for me on vacations), aka around 8 or so. Got ready, and then at 9 Marcela, Denise and I left for Saint-Tropez. I went there last time I was here, but it was Marcela's first time. :) We walked around a bit, admired the view, didn't really shop much since nothing was open. We then left for "Le Thoronet Abbey", which is one of the best preserved Cistercian abbeys. It's also in the top ten for best acoustics in the world, and it was really something - no matter where you were in the room, the acoustics were the same. A tour guide showed this by singing and walking around the room - the sound stayed completely the same. It was really something.
Oh, and before the abbey we stopped at this old castle. SO COOL. I love castles - we actually weren't going to stop but Denise noticed that I was just staring at it so she decided to pull over so I could have a look. :) And for about half the drive, we had the sunroof down on the car, so that was pretty awesome.
Back at home, I just laid down for a bit, worked on my Rotary presentation I have to give in April, we had pizza, talked a bit, and then went to bed. Pretty successful day. And here's a picture dump, because trips always mean I take a bunch of pictures >.>
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| Marcela and I out on the rocks in Saint-Tropez |
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| In Saint-Tropez - just thought this looked cool |
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| View from the castle! |
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| The castle itself |
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| Marcela in the convertible! |
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| The abbey |
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