Thursday: full day of class, EU Seminar 1, European Security with Jamie, and EU Seminar 2
Friday: Went to Hillary's homestay to plan Fall Break- we're going to Italy! Flying into Rome and out of Venice. Should be a lot of fun.
Saturday: Went to the Military Museum with Sara then the Welcome Fair, sort of a Brussels/Belgium information fair thing. Saw Jerry there...we were joking when we first gave a woman directions to the building that it'd be something he'd likely be at...and he was. Kind of funny. And there was a random gospel group...made me think if the Blues Brothers.
Sunday: Liege with Sara and Krishna. It was...nice. They had this huge Sunday market going on but we didn't get to wander very much. We tried to find the Glass Museum and failed but we did go to the Museum of Religious Art. But our tour guide didn't or wouldn't speak English so she and Sara had a lovely conversation while Krishna and I looked at stuff. It was shiny...and pretty but it was an odd way to see it, with the lady hovering kind of. We then walked up a very steep hill (and I'm not a hiker type of person) to the Citadel which is really an old brick wall, an obelisk monument, and a hospital. All in all though, we went on a train and it was nice to get out of the city and see more of Beligum.
25 September 2006
21 September 2006
My first couple days of the internship
So, I'm interning at a place called C.S.W., aka Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Sorta like Amnesty International but focusing on religious freedoms with the same country watches and public information campaigns.
Tuesday: Didn't do a whole lot, read different briefings basically learning how not nice it can be in other countries, mostly in the third world. Burma, not so fun. Sudan too. Did research on the Council of Europe.
Wednesday: Didn't have to go in until 10:30! Called a bunch of MEP (Member of European Parliament) offices to see if they got an invitation to a reception being held next week in Strasbourg on religious intolerance. Want to call them? O2 284 + extension, starting with the 7, because you call assistants, not the MEP. Then I did some research on Indonesia's Aceh province and their thing with shari'a law. Also organized photos.
I think it'll be a good time, on the whole. Next week I have off as everyone's traveling and the week after I get to go to committee meetings, which should be a lot of fun. Or just interesting...at least I'm determined that they will be.
On another note, I've made albums on Facebook of all my pictures (well, sorta) so far. But as I've taken over 500...I was selective. Check it out here: http://american.facebook.com/photos.php?id=7402928 If it doesn't work, please let me know and I'll work on getting everyone access.
Tuesday: Didn't do a whole lot, read different briefings basically learning how not nice it can be in other countries, mostly in the third world. Burma, not so fun. Sudan too. Did research on the Council of Europe.
Wednesday: Didn't have to go in until 10:30! Called a bunch of MEP (Member of European Parliament) offices to see if they got an invitation to a reception being held next week in Strasbourg on religious intolerance. Want to call them? O2 284 + extension, starting with the 7, because you call assistants, not the MEP. Then I did some research on Indonesia's Aceh province and their thing with shari'a law. Also organized photos.
I think it'll be a good time, on the whole. Next week I have off as everyone's traveling and the week after I get to go to committee meetings, which should be a lot of fun. Or just interesting...at least I'm determined that they will be.
On another note, I've made albums on Facebook of all my pictures (well, sorta) so far. But as I've taken over 500...I was selective. Check it out here: http://american.facebook.com/photos.php?id=7402928 If it doesn't work, please let me know and I'll work on getting everyone access.
18 September 2006
My weekend in Paris
Thursday: Bus was supposed to leave at 7, really left around 7:25 ish. Then we hit traffic so we got in late, around midnight at least. So, we're at the end of 3 and had to get to the end of the 12. We change tracks at Saint-Lazare, figuring a short walk or just stairs but no, it's a very long walk and the last train is at 12:45 and it's about 12:35 right now. So other people start to run, so we do too. It's a long rain with all our junk and several sets of stairs. We made it to a train on the 12 in the right direction and got everyone on thanks to Mamie wedging the door open for Tamara. We get to the right stop, tired and thirsty and then proceed to trek the five or so blocks to the hostel. But we get there and get some sleep.
Friday: Long day, but very productive and successful. Eiffel Tower in the morning, Musee de Orsay, Notre Dame, Arc d'Triumphe by taking a picture in the middle of the Champs de Elysees, the Louvre. We had limited visibility from the tower due to the cloud cover and light rain. From there we took a boat down to the Orsay (and continued to use it to get to the next few stops). The Orsay was cool (didn't have much time at any of these places but we hit the highlights) we saw the impressionists, Monet and the like. Back on the boat to Notre Dame, went around the church and visited a small wine festival. Back on the boat to the Champs de Elysees stop to walk up to take a picture of the Arc and did so by standing in the middle of traffic. Red and green man became our constant companions (red man-don't walk-was very stern most of the time). Then we walked down to the Louvre (a long walk) but got in for free due to it being after 6 and the fact that we were students. Again, saw the highlights, Mona, Venus, Winged Victory, Coronation of Napoleon, the big stuff.
Saturday: Woke early to get to Versailles to avoid a lot of the crowds (sorta succeeded). It was very pretty, we just did the Grand Apartments tour. So, the big stuff again. It was nice, ornate, over the top but we got an audio guide with the ticket, so it had plenty of good information. Then on to Montmartre. I took a tram up to the Sacre Coeur because I know my own limits. It was worth the metro ticket. It was a very nice church and I wandered a bit before leaving and managing to meet up with Sean, Sarah, and Mamie to wander around the art shops. Then we decided to kill time before meeting up with everyone else by sitting on the steps of the church. Happened to sit near a guitar player, and we happened to stick around and he happened to be joined by about 6 other guitar guys. It turned into a big jam session and we stuck around for about three hours or so. It was a ton of fun and we got to see the sunset, which was really pretty over the city. We got a late dinner (three courses, fixed menu at 10 euro) then split up, some to go listen to the guys again who were now near Notre Dame and three of us (me included) to get some sleep.
Sunday: Allie came with me to church at Notre Dame, we decided on the Gregorian Mass at 10 so we got to hear then chant style and Latin, so I really didn't understand anything but whatever. It was gorgeous and I went to Mass at Notre Dame, so there. We then got brunch and went to a Starbucks for Allie then went to get our stuff from the hostel and off to the bus station. Bus ride was long than it was supposed to be again because another bus in the same company broke down and a 20 minute stop turned into about an hour with more people getting on and shrinking our space so none of us really got any sleep.
All in all:
The Metro's stupid, but well lit and nice trains. Small tickets that you have to get and buying more than one doesn't mean one ticket works more than once, no you end up with several small tickets equal to how many you bought. And transferring between lines means walking through an underground maze to the other line, not going up or down or something that we're used to.
Paris: very pretty, good architecture and landmarks. A bit pricy though and too many smokers-bad for the allergies.
So...a good time was had by all and I had a lot of fun!
Friday: Long day, but very productive and successful. Eiffel Tower in the morning, Musee de Orsay, Notre Dame, Arc d'Triumphe by taking a picture in the middle of the Champs de Elysees, the Louvre. We had limited visibility from the tower due to the cloud cover and light rain. From there we took a boat down to the Orsay (and continued to use it to get to the next few stops). The Orsay was cool (didn't have much time at any of these places but we hit the highlights) we saw the impressionists, Monet and the like. Back on the boat to Notre Dame, went around the church and visited a small wine festival. Back on the boat to the Champs de Elysees stop to walk up to take a picture of the Arc and did so by standing in the middle of traffic. Red and green man became our constant companions (red man-don't walk-was very stern most of the time). Then we walked down to the Louvre (a long walk) but got in for free due to it being after 6 and the fact that we were students. Again, saw the highlights, Mona, Venus, Winged Victory, Coronation of Napoleon, the big stuff.
Saturday: Woke early to get to Versailles to avoid a lot of the crowds (sorta succeeded). It was very pretty, we just did the Grand Apartments tour. So, the big stuff again. It was nice, ornate, over the top but we got an audio guide with the ticket, so it had plenty of good information. Then on to Montmartre. I took a tram up to the Sacre Coeur because I know my own limits. It was worth the metro ticket. It was a very nice church and I wandered a bit before leaving and managing to meet up with Sean, Sarah, and Mamie to wander around the art shops. Then we decided to kill time before meeting up with everyone else by sitting on the steps of the church. Happened to sit near a guitar player, and we happened to stick around and he happened to be joined by about 6 other guitar guys. It turned into a big jam session and we stuck around for about three hours or so. It was a ton of fun and we got to see the sunset, which was really pretty over the city. We got a late dinner (three courses, fixed menu at 10 euro) then split up, some to go listen to the guys again who were now near Notre Dame and three of us (me included) to get some sleep.
Sunday: Allie came with me to church at Notre Dame, we decided on the Gregorian Mass at 10 so we got to hear then chant style and Latin, so I really didn't understand anything but whatever. It was gorgeous and I went to Mass at Notre Dame, so there. We then got brunch and went to a Starbucks for Allie then went to get our stuff from the hostel and off to the bus station. Bus ride was long than it was supposed to be again because another bus in the same company broke down and a 20 minute stop turned into about an hour with more people getting on and shrinking our space so none of us really got any sleep.
All in all:
The Metro's stupid, but well lit and nice trains. Small tickets that you have to get and buying more than one doesn't mean one ticket works more than once, no you end up with several small tickets equal to how many you bought. And transferring between lines means walking through an underground maze to the other line, not going up or down or something that we're used to.
Paris: very pretty, good architecture and landmarks. A bit pricy though and too many smokers-bad for the allergies.
So...a good time was had by all and I had a lot of fun!
14 September 2006
Photos
I've uploaded some photos to Flickr, so see the link in the sidebar. I'm going to figure out either a better way of doing it or just putting them on Facebook and posting the link.
13 September 2006
Brussels Post the Third
Busy past few days on my end, but the weather's been nice and sunny on the whole.
Saturday: Did some reading then went down to the Grand Place to meet up with Hillary. We visited the Coudenberg, a museum of excavated ruins of old buildings on the spot where the Royal Palace now stands, basically a chapel and a palace built for previous rulers of the city before a fire and the buildings were leveled. That was Saturday's highlight.
Sunday: Bruges!!! Jerry gave us a tour then let us loose, so I went with Hillary to the Hospital Museum where they have this box by Memling about St. Ursula. Kinda cool. We went in the Cathedral to see a Pieta by Michelangelo, "a" not "the" because there are several and this one is less...graphic. It's just Mary and a three year old Jesus. Also in the church were statues of the apostles with how they died. Peter with an upside down cross, etc. He's the only one I could pick out. Perhaps Mum would like to help with the rest?
Monday: Two interviews, European Link and C.S.W. (Christian Solidarity Worldwide), my two most promising and interesting interviews. Then the first class with Dr. Jamie Shea, of NATO. He was the spokesman during the thing in 1999, dunno which thing, he told us but I seem to have forgotten. Anyway, he's British and funny and invited us all to lunch with him at NATO! Very cool. Then we had a class on the European Commission followed by my first Living in French class. I miss German and American language education. The former because I find myself remembering more the more I hear French and the latter because the teacher started in French and only spoke a few sentences total in 90 minutes in English. It's how they learn languages, the new language right from the beginning, but I hate feeling stupid at the beginning of a class. So, I can now sorta say my name is Jennifer, I am a student, I am single and have no children (Sara says I can now go on a date and get the important things out of the way first), and that I live in America.
Tuesday: Next two interviews with Bertelsmann Foundation (owners of the a media company with the same name, they own Random House and BMG, I believe) and Costmasters/Mediprotect. The former was great, the secretary was speaking German on the phone, which was great, but the second was disappointing. I was there before the guy was and the work he wanted done would likely take a full time person a year, or at least six months. I'll be interning for about 20 days, I don't have the time to study and understand EU regulation and then apply it to the medical devices industry. The regulation would be interesting, the rest of it, not so much. In the states, you're supposed to start out working to write regulation in the executive agencies then later in your career help companies get around it or understand it. I don't think it would be good for my career to work around things before I help create them. Besides, it's way too hard to get to.
Wednesday: Lotsa free time before my last interview, OCO Consulting. So, I went to hand the letters to the police so they can come make sure we live where we say we do. Only thing is that the address given was way out at the other side of the commune and was the wrong one. They were very helpful and spoke English and told me where to go. But when I got to the correct police station, the person trying to help me didn't speak English. So he found a guy who did and we eventually got it straightened out. But yet another adventure happened in the interim. But I did go into a small Apple store-so now I feel all warm and fuzzy. :) Yes, I am such a nerd about some things.
My next post shall contain everything I did this coming weekend while in Paris! I'm going on a bus with about eight other people and we're all staying in a hostel together. Should be fun if it doesn't rain as I've heard it might. Either way, expect a blow by blow account and pictures!
Saturday: Did some reading then went down to the Grand Place to meet up with Hillary. We visited the Coudenberg, a museum of excavated ruins of old buildings on the spot where the Royal Palace now stands, basically a chapel and a palace built for previous rulers of the city before a fire and the buildings were leveled. That was Saturday's highlight.
Sunday: Bruges!!! Jerry gave us a tour then let us loose, so I went with Hillary to the Hospital Museum where they have this box by Memling about St. Ursula. Kinda cool. We went in the Cathedral to see a Pieta by Michelangelo, "a" not "the" because there are several and this one is less...graphic. It's just Mary and a three year old Jesus. Also in the church were statues of the apostles with how they died. Peter with an upside down cross, etc. He's the only one I could pick out. Perhaps Mum would like to help with the rest?
Monday: Two interviews, European Link and C.S.W. (Christian Solidarity Worldwide), my two most promising and interesting interviews. Then the first class with Dr. Jamie Shea, of NATO. He was the spokesman during the thing in 1999, dunno which thing, he told us but I seem to have forgotten. Anyway, he's British and funny and invited us all to lunch with him at NATO! Very cool. Then we had a class on the European Commission followed by my first Living in French class. I miss German and American language education. The former because I find myself remembering more the more I hear French and the latter because the teacher started in French and only spoke a few sentences total in 90 minutes in English. It's how they learn languages, the new language right from the beginning, but I hate feeling stupid at the beginning of a class. So, I can now sorta say my name is Jennifer, I am a student, I am single and have no children (Sara says I can now go on a date and get the important things out of the way first), and that I live in America.
Tuesday: Next two interviews with Bertelsmann Foundation (owners of the a media company with the same name, they own Random House and BMG, I believe) and Costmasters/Mediprotect. The former was great, the secretary was speaking German on the phone, which was great, but the second was disappointing. I was there before the guy was and the work he wanted done would likely take a full time person a year, or at least six months. I'll be interning for about 20 days, I don't have the time to study and understand EU regulation and then apply it to the medical devices industry. The regulation would be interesting, the rest of it, not so much. In the states, you're supposed to start out working to write regulation in the executive agencies then later in your career help companies get around it or understand it. I don't think it would be good for my career to work around things before I help create them. Besides, it's way too hard to get to.
Wednesday: Lotsa free time before my last interview, OCO Consulting. So, I went to hand the letters to the police so they can come make sure we live where we say we do. Only thing is that the address given was way out at the other side of the commune and was the wrong one. They were very helpful and spoke English and told me where to go. But when I got to the correct police station, the person trying to help me didn't speak English. So he found a guy who did and we eventually got it straightened out. But yet another adventure happened in the interim. But I did go into a small Apple store-so now I feel all warm and fuzzy. :) Yes, I am such a nerd about some things.
My next post shall contain everything I did this coming weekend while in Paris! I'm going on a bus with about eight other people and we're all staying in a hostel together. Should be fun if it doesn't rain as I've heard it might. Either way, expect a blow by blow account and pictures!
08 September 2006
Belgium vs. the US
Differences encountered so far:
*Plugs have two round prongs instead of our two flat rectangle things
*Belgium has two languages, the speakers of each not really like the speakers of the other
*Belgium has a king and a parliament, we have a president and Congress
*Europe has internet cafes, we have Borders and other WIFI places
*Belgium has small grocery stores, we have huge ones
*Stores close at 6ish but US stores stay open until 11 or so
*Belgium has communes, DC just has areas called different things
*You can't really get skim milk in Belgium, a fact greatly lamented
*Water fountains don't seem to exist really in Belgium, another fact greatly lamented
*An abonnement in Brussels allows you a month of public transportation for a flat rate, DC Metro charges you every trip
*French fries are called frites because Belgians know they were invented in Belgium not in France
*Things normally carried in a CVS are split between a pharmacy (Apotheek or Pharmacie), a grocery store, and Di which sells shampoo and makeup and stuff like that
*Well, Belgium speaks French and Flemish, we speak English
Others will come to me throughout my stay so be aware that these comparisons will continue. For now, au revoir...I think that's how it's spelled...
*Plugs have two round prongs instead of our two flat rectangle things
*Belgium has two languages, the speakers of each not really like the speakers of the other
*Belgium has a king and a parliament, we have a president and Congress
*Europe has internet cafes, we have Borders and other WIFI places
*Belgium has small grocery stores, we have huge ones
*Stores close at 6ish but US stores stay open until 11 or so
*Belgium has communes, DC just has areas called different things
*You can't really get skim milk in Belgium, a fact greatly lamented
*Water fountains don't seem to exist really in Belgium, another fact greatly lamented
*An abonnement in Brussels allows you a month of public transportation for a flat rate, DC Metro charges you every trip
*French fries are called frites because Belgians know they were invented in Belgium not in France
*Things normally carried in a CVS are split between a pharmacy (Apotheek or Pharmacie), a grocery store, and Di which sells shampoo and makeup and stuff like that
*Well, Belgium speaks French and Flemish, we speak English
Others will come to me throughout my stay so be aware that these comparisons will continue. For now, au revoir...I think that's how it's spelled...
End of the First Full Week
Tuesday: Free day, wandered around the Grand Place; toured the Royal Palace (only open until the 10th), saw a ceiling that at first looked like green velvet but was really 1.4 million jewel beetles...a lot of dead bugs but very pretty. Had a scoop of mango ice cream, probably was gelato, but it was amazing. :) And started the chocolate collection for the semester. :D
Wednesday: Bus tour of Brussels and the Royal Museum of Central Africa. The tour was great, actually saw trees and grass which I don't usually with living in the city. The museum was...interesting. All the animals were taxidermied so they were...dead. I'm used to models or was blissfully unaware of the state of the animals I was looking at. At any rate, I saw more dead butterflies and animals than I was prepared for. And turtles in jars...poor Great A'Tuin relatives.
Thursday: First day of classes! Safety talk by a police officer first thing, basically a lecture on how to avoid pickpockets. Like any of us would really walk down the street with their wallet hanging out of their pocket or purse...whatever. Then a class on the structure of Belgium's government and a guest speaker explaining the history of Belgium to 1555. My French test was awesome, she asked for those with no experience with French to raise their hands, there were 7 or so of us, and we put our names on a paper and then were done.
Friday: Went to register in the town hall of the commune (Brussels is split into 19 communes, or small communities) mine being downtown as I'm in the commune of Bruxelles, or the heart of Brussels. They seemed to be confused so I'm glad that my host father was there because he could explain things. Sara and I now have to go to the police so they can confirm I live where I say I live. Just finished a class on the origins of the EU and we finish up Belgian history this afternoon.
Everyone is planning or beginning to plan weekend trips. My problem is that I don't care about drinking, nor do I want to find ways to do such things. I'm a history person, I want to go to the tourist spots, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and museums, like the Louve. And I don't want to go to the British Isles because I'm saving those for the spring. And I've done Venice, though I suppose going back would be okay because it was pretty cool. Rome would be cool too. I've a feeling I may be traveling on my own a bit, which is okay with me because, if I do say so myself, I am excellent company. :) But don't worry Mum, I'll find people to go with so I'm in a group and thus safer. We shall see.
Wednesday: Bus tour of Brussels and the Royal Museum of Central Africa. The tour was great, actually saw trees and grass which I don't usually with living in the city. The museum was...interesting. All the animals were taxidermied so they were...dead. I'm used to models or was blissfully unaware of the state of the animals I was looking at. At any rate, I saw more dead butterflies and animals than I was prepared for. And turtles in jars...poor Great A'Tuin relatives.
Thursday: First day of classes! Safety talk by a police officer first thing, basically a lecture on how to avoid pickpockets. Like any of us would really walk down the street with their wallet hanging out of their pocket or purse...whatever. Then a class on the structure of Belgium's government and a guest speaker explaining the history of Belgium to 1555. My French test was awesome, she asked for those with no experience with French to raise their hands, there were 7 or so of us, and we put our names on a paper and then were done.
Friday: Went to register in the town hall of the commune (Brussels is split into 19 communes, or small communities) mine being downtown as I'm in the commune of Bruxelles, or the heart of Brussels. They seemed to be confused so I'm glad that my host father was there because he could explain things. Sara and I now have to go to the police so they can confirm I live where I say I live. Just finished a class on the origins of the EU and we finish up Belgian history this afternoon.
Everyone is planning or beginning to plan weekend trips. My problem is that I don't care about drinking, nor do I want to find ways to do such things. I'm a history person, I want to go to the tourist spots, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and museums, like the Louve. And I don't want to go to the British Isles because I'm saving those for the spring. And I've done Venice, though I suppose going back would be okay because it was pretty cool. Rome would be cool too. I've a feeling I may be traveling on my own a bit, which is okay with me because, if I do say so myself, I am excellent company. :) But don't worry Mum, I'll find people to go with so I'm in a group and thus safer. We shall see.
04 September 2006
My first few days...
I'm in Brussels! Yay! So to recap my time so far:
Thursday:
Travel day. Small-world theory event: Danielle Stuart (who I went to middle school and high school with for 7 years) was not only on my first two flights but sat across the aisle from me on the first flight. She's studying at Oxford (oooo). So that was awesome. But my flight from Miami to London was a little cramped. I got very little sleep due to the woman in front of me leaning all the way back and me in the middle seat with a guy on either side, the one to the left with a loud iPod and the one to the right moving all the time. And the plane was too warm. The flight from London to Brussels was pretty short but not bad due to me knowing/meeting the other two AU students on the flight.
Friday (Traveling took all night so the last flight was on Friday but is up there ^):
After the flights I basically crashed at the hotel, taking a nap before our orientation at 5. We all had dinner at Le Grand Cafe downtown and then we all went out exploring. My group wandered around looking for chocolate and found it by the famous statue. After that we wandered more and then went back to the hotel to sleep.
Saturday:
More general orientation with a tour of the Grand Place by Jerry (our professor). Very entertaining and informing, actually. One of the best guided tours I've had in a while. Then we met our families. I and Sara Scott, another AU student, are staying with the Layson family composed of Pablo, originally from the Philippines, Sara, originally from Italy, and their youngest, Sophie who's a senior in college. They are all very nice and helpful. And Sara's apparently a wonderful cook and so far, I certainly agree. I'm living on the Rue de la Révolution (such a cool name for a street) which is in Upper Town of the commune of Bruxelles, which is the heart of Brussels). I'm a five minute walk (or so) from the cathedral and only about ten or so more minutes from the Grand Place and the very center of the city. It's a nice area with easy walking distance to the park near the American Embassy, should I feel homesick I can go and look at the flag waving and the 24 hour guard and I'm sure the feeling will cease immediately.
Sunday:
Mass at the Cathedral in French. Didn't understand a word but it seemed shorter than at home. No kneeling either. And the hosts were thicker. Beautiful church though, Gothic with high ceilings and arches and a gorgeous organ. Very nice. I won't mind going every week. Maybe go once or twice to the other church nearby with an English mass. Spent the rest of the day organizing my room which is a little bigger than Sara's but we're going to switch in October. My room has the shower room up a short set of stairs which is unusual but kind of cool.
Monday (today):
Woke up, tried to get an abonnement (which will get me a month of unlimited metro travel which is necessary for getting to school) but failed as it isn't open until 10, got to the AU Brussels Center at Alma just fine, had more orientation and a campus tour, and am now waiting on my internship appointment with Catherine the internship coordinator. All in all, a good time so far.
~ Jennifer
Thursday:
Travel day. Small-world theory event: Danielle Stuart (who I went to middle school and high school with for 7 years) was not only on my first two flights but sat across the aisle from me on the first flight. She's studying at Oxford (oooo). So that was awesome. But my flight from Miami to London was a little cramped. I got very little sleep due to the woman in front of me leaning all the way back and me in the middle seat with a guy on either side, the one to the left with a loud iPod and the one to the right moving all the time. And the plane was too warm. The flight from London to Brussels was pretty short but not bad due to me knowing/meeting the other two AU students on the flight.
Friday (Traveling took all night so the last flight was on Friday but is up there ^):
After the flights I basically crashed at the hotel, taking a nap before our orientation at 5. We all had dinner at Le Grand Cafe downtown and then we all went out exploring. My group wandered around looking for chocolate and found it by the famous statue. After that we wandered more and then went back to the hotel to sleep.
Saturday:
More general orientation with a tour of the Grand Place by Jerry (our professor). Very entertaining and informing, actually. One of the best guided tours I've had in a while. Then we met our families. I and Sara Scott, another AU student, are staying with the Layson family composed of Pablo, originally from the Philippines, Sara, originally from Italy, and their youngest, Sophie who's a senior in college. They are all very nice and helpful. And Sara's apparently a wonderful cook and so far, I certainly agree. I'm living on the Rue de la Révolution (such a cool name for a street) which is in Upper Town of the commune of Bruxelles, which is the heart of Brussels). I'm a five minute walk (or so) from the cathedral and only about ten or so more minutes from the Grand Place and the very center of the city. It's a nice area with easy walking distance to the park near the American Embassy, should I feel homesick I can go and look at the flag waving and the 24 hour guard and I'm sure the feeling will cease immediately.
Sunday:
Mass at the Cathedral in French. Didn't understand a word but it seemed shorter than at home. No kneeling either. And the hosts were thicker. Beautiful church though, Gothic with high ceilings and arches and a gorgeous organ. Very nice. I won't mind going every week. Maybe go once or twice to the other church nearby with an English mass. Spent the rest of the day organizing my room which is a little bigger than Sara's but we're going to switch in October. My room has the shower room up a short set of stairs which is unusual but kind of cool.
Monday (today):
Woke up, tried to get an abonnement (which will get me a month of unlimited metro travel which is necessary for getting to school) but failed as it isn't open until 10, got to the AU Brussels Center at Alma just fine, had more orientation and a campus tour, and am now waiting on my internship appointment with Catherine the internship coordinator. All in all, a good time so far.
~ Jennifer
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