Why this is the best that could have happend to me

Hello everyone,

WOW - if I'd say "its been a while" I think it would be an understatement.
Because its really been a while :-)
Well, because I recognized that I am not very good at keeping my blog updated, so I will just do short updates and quotes on this blog.

Why I love it being here:

I just got to know so many people - and I am sure some of them are wise. I will just put on some quotes here I want to share so that you got a glimpse of what I am experiencing each day.

"I simply teach my kids to APPREACIATE people. Just for being humans." - Martin, artist

"I come from everywhere I lived at." - Karel, photographer

"I think... my childhood was in the forty's!" - Karel, Photographer

"Take it easy... and if its easy, take it home." - Dorien, one of my best friends


Why I like it here so much...

...because of the people in the bus which are heading to the same destination than me: the language school. To shy to speak nederlands, they greet with a smile.

...because of the nice and belgian humor. Direct & a little bit "sauerländisch" :-)

...because of the multiculturality. Just sat together with someone from Turkey, Nigeria and Belgium on one table.

Groetjes, mensen!

liebe grüsse an fons, marie-rose, arko, mama, papa, miri & tim. und natuerlich saskia! küsschen an dich.

i feel good :-)

yes, ladies and gentleman, i do feel good. Just by accident ;-)

okay, seriously: ( i just recognize that i am AGAIN two weeks not up-to-date)

Last weekend:

- Just exhausting, started on thursday, got to know very interesting people... on saturday Amanda and me in the Versuz in Hasselt. (big discotheek but not as cool as i expected it to be, but we had korting-tickets, so... why not :-D) AMANDA thought that the first bus was at 6 - but no... we waited together with about 30 other youth til our bus came. at 8. So, i was awfully tired :-D

This week:

- I follow a computerlesson now, which drives me crazy because I am pretty bad at it.
- I am ready with school!!!! Best thing ever :-) Now i can finally go to a higher class. But i have to admit, i was a little but sad when we all left. It was also alittle "home", even though it was tiring, boring, unbelievably different people with different backgrounds. But i learned something.

Halima wants to become a nurse but she cant because of her headscarf. She is nineteen and since two years married, she was the most eager person in class.

Fatima admitted that she had a crappy last year and that she laughing to cover it.

Guillano wants to study something with computer and security and studied arts in his country. Hes making his drivers license.

Since Sheyma is married and pregnant she didnt come to school anymore.

Olga is unhappy because she liked her life in White Russia better but her husband is belgian.

Kaori wants to follow almost every class in "volwassenenonderwijs" when she can speak nederlands.

I think these people belong to the most bravest ones I have ever known. They left EVERYTHING behind, stepped in an unsecure future, for better opportunities for her kids, themselves.
How can we dare not to appreciate this power behind those people?
Why dont we accept them, if they are so brave, so powerful in their ambitions?
What chances do we miss if we bring them down?
Which chance do they offer for our socierty?

- This weekend:

Friday: I saw the atomium! I made a postcard picture and enjoyed good music and rain in brussels...

Saturday: Jump in beach party!! Very nice "fuif" (youthparty from far too young til 25) which offered me a useful impression of the belgian youth (besides having a lot of fun of course!!)

- belgians can drink. i was impressed.
- the youth smokes EVERYWHERE weed and i guess everybody knows.
- driving drunk doesnt seem to be an obstacule for going home.

So, all in all, the fuif was great fun and i am so happy that i met finally the people from JH Jovita which are not stubborn Chiros or Scouts (not that i dont like them but in general they are not very open-minded to not-chiros :-))). JH JOVITA is really the most social youthhouse :-D

Sunday:

- meeting with youth council. Horrible headache and very complicated people around. But interesting though.

THIS THIS week:

I feel good. Settled down I guess. I mean, really. Language is better and better ( i have finally the feeling that people understand me when i talk to them).

Oh yes, Belgium, i like you!!!!

On friday my parents will come. and my :bro: and my zus. YEAH!

Groetjes to my lovely family, who is bringing dark bread over here, to the people from JH Jovita which are just so nice, to bram for good music and to octavio and my former class. And to Belgium. :-DD

Worry-last-minute

Hello everyone...

So sorry that I didnt manage to keep this blog update. But thats a good thing I think because it means that I dont suffer boredom here :-) No, seriously... So glad that I have most of the time much work. Full agenda is what I like most :-)

I think I start with last thursday which spent in Brussels.

There was a Colloquium about Fairtrade, so exactly my main task at work.
When I stepped out of the station in Brussel-Noord I was in the dodgiest and dirtiest part of Brussels I think.
Waaw I was scared to get shot cause of my white jacket :-D No, seriously, I was glad as I found the way out. (it is not that i haven't had a plan from google maps... It's just - I cannot read them properly I guess). I went in the totally wrong direction but I finally managed it to got the HUUUUGE (and I mean HUGE) building in which the colloquium set place in. I imagine Hilton Hotel like that.
But it just fit to the people who where there: business, buisness, buisness. Like London. I felt so important :-D
The colloquium was very interesting, inspirating. I learned that Fairtrade has actually - as every other thing on this world - a high current market value. A future-thing which is just coming up and the smartest firms and companies are buying/selling fairtrade. (I would like to make an exception on "smart" for starbucks: they are in my opinion just profiteurs. But well, its a good thing in this case.)
By the way, the key-speaker (professor in globalisation, sustainabilty and financies, graduated on cambridge) was one of the 35 biggest buissness women in the world. and she was soo VOGUE. Amazing.

Belgium is so small, it makes me feel secure:

I met some people on the colloquium with which I went in a bar with afterwards. I called also another EVSer, Petar, and he brought another girl. Oh, it was a nice evening... Just a little bit too long. Okay, lets say it honestly: It was nice and I took the latest train back home, together with Kristof, and I was stuck in Hasselt. (Thank you again, Marie-Rose tha you came to pick me up!!!! That was soooo nice. Yes, Fons, and the next time I will walk :-D)

(Even though I had to call Fons haha) But at no time I was scared, probably because Belgium is so small and just in CASE you got lost or anything: ring someone whos living near that place. Amazing.
I never felt so secure as in this country and I do understand (as a GERMAN) now worry-less Dorien (best friend from Australia) when he says: Dont worry until its the time for it.
Worry-last-minute; so-to-say.
And it works, because it doesnt vanish your problems but instead you have more time to enjoy life without them. (Its probably every australians attitude because they also feel so secure in europe, britains backyard, because there is everytime a plane you can take... Haha The size of OZ and EU is almost same, ay??)

By the way, my best friend saskia is now in Australia. I am jealous :-D But I am still saving my money for May 2010. (By the way, what are you saying, if its 2010: Oh-10? 10?)

Oh yes, I havent really talked about the weekend yet... It was nice; even though its the reason why I feel a little sick now. But well, probably worth it. No, Fons, it was 5 's morgens, not 6 :-D
No, really, nice friday. Amanda and me can proudly proclaim that we were in a poker club (and it was soo boring :-D) but we met this amazing girl from chicago. "Reeeeeally, beliiiiieve me, between 19 and 25 is the beeeest time of your life and you need to enjoooooy every second of it!!!" She said she was tired but I swear she was on drugs. :-D

Saturday I spend with chasing cars, german music and a little bit of rain....

The week:

Strange. Felt homesick for the first time, out of balance, everytime close the tears. ME?!
I dont understand either. Mh. Its probably because its really hard to make belgian friends here, because I am neither in school nor in university - where the most people in my age are.
But well, this is kind of the excercise I was searching for, the EVS competition and desease in the same time. Its getting normal staying here and you are loosing home kind of. Its always a good and a bad feeling, i think. But I will probably manage it, I got to know soo many people, well; just mates, but still. they can become best mates, maybe.
(By the way, I noticed that our relationsships are through facebook even more superficial. You add someone and you are friends with. And then you forget about. But you are friends! Isnt it strange?)

Wednesday:

That was yesterday and since then I am feeling so much better. Maybe because of the huuuge rain over here. So nice. Could have watched it the whole night long :-D

Okay I think thats toooo much now, so I am just saying Salut! Tot Straks!



Groetjes aan Amanda (zij verjaart vandaag!!! sweet 19) and Bram and Fons and Marie-Rose and Arko and my nice big italian family. See u soon.
And Jana, i miss you and training!!!! I am thinking about going home for our show :-D

Mayonnaise and bath robes

Hello everyone ...!

I know, i havent updated my blog for ages, but it was just because nothing really happened last week. But the weekend was great fun, so I finally have something to write about.

friday:
- took me about an hour in Hasselt to find my bank (but at least my "savings" are just used in ethical and ecological good projects, so I dont mind walking around for an hour haha - well, but now I know where it is)
- then I went to Herentals, a small town not far from mine. It was soo cool, visiting some friends, learned some words in turkish (Bir, iki, oeç or something :-D, it means one, two, three, and "Evet" (yes) and "hayir" (no)). It was really a nice time, I hate the best pasta and salad in "mediterranean style". Ah, yes, and I watched the movie "requiem for a dream". Mh. Kinda... different. If u know what I mean.

Saturday:
- Partytime in Heusden-Zolder. No, really. Even though i was a little worried at first because until 11 nobody showed up. nobody-nobody. Not even the nerds.
Okay, so the party was heaps fun, got to know many people and finally DANCED.
- I had a real culture shock, when some people, no, like the mayority (even the girls) where dressed like hell: bathrobes, beards, fake glasses, fake hair... horrible. They were from a youthmovement, which means there are in a group which has obviously such a great identification that they go like this on a party. Amazing.
- Funniest joke I heard: Ben aka the funniest and best person I have ever met haha: "Ay, are u german?" - Me: Yes..? "Didnt you loose something?" - Me: Aehhm... No. "The war?? "
Ahh I love it if people are not so stiff about the german history.
- Party ended at 4.00 and afterwards we went to a neighbour of mine (so random!) to talk, listen to some music, ... yeah, it was fun. Thanks Amanda to come with!!!

Quotation of Fons:"didnt I hear something at 6?"

Sunday:
- Arko and me watched Dirty Dancing for the third time and ate pasta. Yummie, perfect.

Today I will go to the art academie and on thurday I will go to Brussels to a colloquium. So, yes, my work is also fine. Except my language course. But well. Mum: "You cannot have everything." yes, true. But believe me, without skipping I would go crazy :-)

So... nice groetjes from Belgi˨(sorry I ca&nnot handle these dots over the e)

Okay, in the end some things I like or dislike about belgium:

a big credit for:
+ go pass!!! you can ride 10 times through allover vlaanderen for 50 euro!! Yeah!
+ everyone is so kind and helpful and almost everyone can speak english
+ if it is forbidden to smoke on a party, nobody cares. :-D

a minus for:
- rondpunte!! i hate roundabouts, in the bus its very uncomfortable and on the fiets just damn scary :-D believe me, they have ridicously many of them :-D
- bathrobes on a party even though it was pretty funny. Sorry guys, but you gave me a culture shock :-D
- everytime the belgian say: its just about 200 metres, it takes me a loong time to get there.. Personally, I dont think its me... :-D
- the belgian eat everything with mayonnaise!!! I saw a women in a cafe dipping her cheese in mayonnaise and it is also common to put mayonnaise on the salad as a dressing. It might taste good, but I am getting fat!! :-D

okay meine lieben mensen...
Salut!

And xoxo to Amanda, Pixie, Hasan, Bram, BEN!!!!!!, Yosan, Fons, Arko and Marie-Rose. And of course, my :bro:

philosophy at the bus station

Hello everyone, or Merhaba, since I decided to learn turkish next year :-)

I went to language class today, I found everything very well, I wasn't lost today! Yeah... :-)
I suppose, that is because I was in such a good mood: I met Amanda yesterday evening. It was fun and it's a nice brerakthrough the daily stuff.

- I am saying "daily" DAILY, wow. I am here for almoszt two weeks now. Unbelievable :-) Reflects that I like it here I guess.

Oke, but back to topic now: I found out more about my classmates - Halima, nineteen, one of the best in class, said that she is married. I almost fell off my chair. First you think: What the hell is going on? And then: Marriage is almost the only and easiest way to immigrate.

With these kind of thoughts I went to the station. I had a question refering to the schedule and so I ask one guy from Ghana.
It was easy to come from "how long do you live here?" to "like 50% of my class is married and at the same time in my age" to "how do you have a successful and fulfilling relationship". Philosophy at the bus station. We talked about the immigrants, about racism,
(I recognize just in this moment that this is very difficult to write about my thoughts and considerations about this. But why? "Fragile" topic. For me, because I am german? For me, because I am a foreigner here as well and don't feel right about judging the people's behaviour without any background?...)
yeah, you see, the conversatie (i know that I need these points over the e!) was pretty deep actually. He was very sure about what the "rule of love" is: patience, understanding and trust. He also got the offer to marry his girlfriend, but he negated, even though "there was something wrong with his documents".
Did I mention that he is 19?

That is really another reality, and I get a glimpse now of what it is like to immigrate, settle down, be not really part of the society by being in this class and talking to people. I was never aware of these things behind the headscarfs, the earrings, the rastas...

Fatime said, that in Germany it is kind of an unwritten law to look your vis-à-vis in the eyes while talking. She said, the germans are trying to read if you are one of the good ones, someone to trust. That's true, ay? I was never really aware of that "law". But of course, I am always trying to catch the other one's gaze.
- Amazing what you learn about your country through the view of someone else.

Ahhh so many serious thoughts! What did I do today after school? I went with one politician, who kind of "brought" the EVS to Heusden-Zolder, through the mining history of the town, which is the reason for the high number of migrants here... It was so interesting! The head of the mines were from the wallonie - so if you belonged to the higher class, french was the language to speak. The really huge houses, the cinema, the social club, the football stadium was supposed to be for the "lucky few". The houses in the cité are for those, who just need some space to live in. Ghettos, so-to-say. In former times, down in the coalmines, everyone was black: Igor, Mohammet, Rustu and Giovanni. But now, since the mines are closed (about 15 - 20 years ago!!!!) there is no more binding element anymore. And thats is the problem.

You can imagine the hierarchy of the employers and the workers like the white and the latinos in Cuba, Mexico, America... I was shocked how far it went. And that it was in the 1960s and 70s, so our times. -.-

So, this was Heusden-Zolder, philosophy, marriage and immigration. And now I can't wait to have Dinner. The days are so long in België (yeah I found the dots!) ooovvv, in the radio is for like the sixth time the song from MIKA "we are golden". België, you are not really up-to-date.
:-D By the way, what is the song about? I cannot figure it out. But I have to admit its kind of catchy. :-D

Salut, ...

xx to Islem (or something) for the cool talk. Thanks to Marc, it was so cool!

And groetjes to Fons, haha, I know you are reading this! :-D

driving by bus can be surprisingly scary :-D

Hello everyone,

I have to say: I am not really good at driving by bus. Or at least, I am not lucky about it. My line is always the one who is late or crowded or somethingsomethingsomething. So I was so proud today of taking the right line, which just takes 30 minutes from school to where I work and carries me to the gemeentehuis right in time.
Well; at least I thought it would.
Until some kids (YES, KIDS. Which means, well, I would say from 13 to 16) were too noisy and were playing with the "stop"-button. That scared the bull-like bus driver that much, that he didn't drop us (noone.) off. No way. We stayed in the bus, waiting for the controlleur, and the driver drove about ten times the same little circle through Zolder. Around the Gemeentehuis, where I had to be. Actually.
Dammit.
First I thought, there would be something wrong with the brakes. But no, the bus driver was scared. And probably wanted to show who the "mighty boss" is. I interprete this as a kind of discrimination and unadequate punishment. The scary kids were turkish. I stand right next to them, to me, they didn't do anything. Well, maybe they played with the "stop"-button. But the bus driver played with much more.
________________

The cool thing today was, I tried to speak dutch to people. And they understood me! That was so cool :-)
Tonight I am going to Hasselt to visit Amanda and at the same time break through her boredom after work. Wow, I am so glad that I am not that alone. Sooo... I am waiting what the day brings. Hopefully Pasta or Fritjes. And a good talk with my latvian heart.

Salut! Tot morgen!

xoxo to Mama en Papa. Tim, Herzlichen Glueckwunsch zum Fuehrerschein. Ich wusste immer, wer von uns beiden der bessere Autofahrer wird haha :-) ... Amanda, see u. :-)

strange

Hello everyone...



yesterday I had my first day in language school. I was of course a little nervous, I guess my very bad sense of direction might be the reason for of it :-) No, seriously, there must be something wrong with me.



So I sat in the bus and the closer we came to the "PCVO moderne tale"- centre, the more people with grey bags with these words printed on it were there. At the station were I need to get out, there were just the "anderstaligen" (Anderssprechende), as it says on my book, in the bus. The "anderstaligen" with headscarf or dark teint. I felt helpless but at least I was not the only one who can't even ask the bus driver in dutch where to get out. Because I speak english fluently, I have never really realized how much a proper comunication has to do with feeling home. I mean, these little daily conversations at the bus stop, in the bank, with the neighbour which name you always forget.

As I finally found my class and a seat in the very crowded room (kinda odysee til I arrived there) we learned these little basic sentences like "Whats your name?" (Hoe heet jij?) and stuff like that. Thanks to my hostdad and privat teacher Fons it was very easy to follow and I had time to think about the people partcipating in this course.
One girl, Fatima, came from Marroko. She is not much older than me and lived already in Spain and Germany. Now she tries here to settle down for the third time.
Koshima, my neighbour, is from Japan. She is already married. Maybe fifty percent of the girls in class are already married.
Fatima said, the people are cold here and not really open. I havent experienced that way, to me everyone here is very friendly. Probably because of my english, that sounds so western. -
Fatima, everytime she comes in class, says good morning, is laughing, makes the atmosphere friendlier, not so "strange". When the day is cloudy and grey she says: Oh, we are lucky, it is still not that cold.
I admire the people in my class. They are leaving home, trying to settle down. Of course, some really integrate, some not. The whole immigration debate. But now I see another point in this whole immigration topic, since I am a stranger myself: It is brave leaving home. It is difficult. Fatima is still optimistic, every morning.

Yesterday I felt like a stranger here, "lost" kind of. Everytime I say a word others know, she is not from here. It is a strange sensation not to be part of something, whatever it might be.

I took the wrong bus then. Again I was lost. Across from me sat a handicapped (?) man. He was mute (stumm). And then he started to talk to me by gesticulation with his hands. He recommended the market in Hasselt, the jeans are pretty cheap but good, told me when the fair starts, because we saw the roller coasters. He also made fun of these arrogant BMW-drivers and we spoke about food. Without words. No dutch, no german, no english, no arabic, nothing. I didn't feel strange anymore.
I took the right bus, I think.

Today I was very positive finding my way. I am not lost anymore. I just take the wrong bus, walk the wrong way. I think being lost has nothing to do with the sense of direction. It is an attitude.

Thanks to Fatima and the man in the bus.

sleepy weekend

G'Day everyone...

tomorrow my language course will begin: yeah! But the most important words I've already learned: push/pull if u are going through a door. Then you avoid the curious gazes that immediately appear if you can't open a door properly. So: trekken and druwen might be useful :-)

all in all the weekend was sleepy, me and arko watched a few movies and did just nothing but being lazy. heel goed.

groetjes, sara

xoxo to Maike. I am so glad :-)

candy

Hey everyone, or better: cheers!
First night out, trying to socialize :-) So, Amanda and me went to Genk to taste the belgian beer. And, voila, we found a nice irish pub [After a weird meeting with a flemish ATM/ cash machine]. Cocktails just 3€, good music, a lot to talk. And we learned again something: the belgian beer may be served on 0.25l bottles, but the shots are totally full-grown. Which means: 5 cl of Jäger. Wow, respect!

Because our aim - socializing and talking to some belgians - was about to fail, we decided to go to the "Belgiek". Damn crowded, music way to loud and so exactly our taste of a good friday-out-pub. We went in, and, voila: it is pretty easy to get to know people. And the drinks for free :-P Since the last person in the pub knew we where foreigners and therefore interesting, the evening was pretty fun. Koen poured me a "Duvel", which means "Devil", a pretty strong beer which tastes damn good. BUT: It is pretty annoýing if about everybody in this bar is worried about your health: "Hey, German, you know this is pretty strong beer?" - Yes, I know, thanks a lot. After half a glass I gave up and decided to drink coke :-)

So, all in all, the Belgiek was fun and, on top of that, some nice persons carried us home. Thanks, guys! I am sure, Amanda wouldn`t have found the way home :-) ha, kidding.

We arrived in the hotel, sooo tired... but Amanda turned a movie on, just to fall asleep. But the movie was so impressive, so moving, I really needed to watch it til the end. In my sleepingbag on the floor. Hey, it wasn`t uncomfortable. I was surprised, but my back is still the same as it was before.

So, the film: watch out, everyone, this movie is an obligation: "Candy" with Heath Leadger [mhh :-( ] about the strong love and shit life of two junkies. At the end I was wondering: If you let your true love go, isn`t this the best proof for the strength of it?
I think so. I swear, this movie sweeped me off my feet.

Unfortenately, the alarm was too early. I went to the bus station [attention now!] at 12.30h to take the bus to Genk Station. I ended up in Heusden-Zolder at 15.00h. The time this 15 km (!!!) trip took me made me missing my car. Three hours! Thats almost Barcelona.
But the good thing was - because I thought I was on the wrong bus I got out too early [totally me, i know.] - I found a very nice shop here in Heusden which sells everything you don`t really need. So I bought a white umbrella with roses. Mph. That prepared me for the half-hour-walk home. So, Heusden-Zolder is very big actually.

Home again, I called my little sis: Happy Birthday, babe! and, yes, I have to admit, I was a little homesick. Yes Yes Yes I know I coulnd`t believe it also.

And now I am waiting for the next things to happen. [After an exellent dinner I have to say.] Mhhh please couldn`t a car fall from heaven so I could go and DO something? :-D Or a train which carries me to Brussels, where like everyone ELSE is. Well, next weekend.

...

xoxo to Saskia. Don´t desperate. Everything is ending up good. Miriam and all my wonderful, big italian family :-) xxx to Dorien. I miss you, but you know, ay?

Salut...

het weekend begint op vrijdag!

hello everyone,

i am back for good now :-) no kidding, it was a really nice day today.
Yesterday was the first day of work in the gemeentehuis, which I basically spend on facebook :-) no, serious now: it was a good day, got to know everyone and did some things that had to be done. As I said: no internet on the on-arrival training [which is actually positive I guess].

Today I had a life like "een prinsess": I saw "Heusden-Zolder in one day", which means a very good trip through H-Z, the centers for elderly and youngsters, for pupils... furthermore I´ve seen the old mining buildings [which document the old mining history and are basically the reason why this community is very multicultural, or better to say: there are many inhabitans from turkish, italian, polish... origin. You can ride with your bike [ohh bike riding: one second!] to "little turkey". This expression is not supposed to be insulting.]

So, I got to work with my bike. After I got lost yesterday [I´ve seen a lot of Heusden-Zolder at least] I was more careful this time. But the belgian seems to love roundabouts [Kreisverkehr]. Have you ever used a roundabout with a bike? Hell, I swear, that scared me to death!
I am sure everyone recognizes me as a foreigner just as he watched me rijden met mijn fiets. :-D

Also today I noticed that the belgian seems to like english gardens. Its nice to watch these eagerly planned gardens. Like in the Auenland. [Marco that was for you!xx]

Later this day we will eat some typical french fries, which are actually frenchd fries, which means that they are cut in a specific way [and, this is to the belgian proud: they were invented in Belgium, not at the frenchies. Haha.]. Mhhh I love them. But these dinner-lunch thing is the reason why I am always hungry over here. Dammit :-) [Mommy, miss you ;-)]

But today I`ve eaten like the best salad ever. And the first time since I´ve been to OZ, I´ve eaten these dragon fruits - yeah! There are so smakelijk. Haha yes guys, I am learning.

I really feel like going out tonight, see my latvian heart, taste some jupiler or, better, Palm. [Almost Veltins, meine lieben Sauerländer...] By the way, since we´re talking about drinks: everyone tries the drink-yoghurt with framboos [ähhm himbeere, ähm...raspberry]! Its great.

Okay everyone, I can smell dinner [mhh]...

Greetings to Dresi, Marco, Hannah und Saskia. I miss time out, lads :-)
Thanks again for the guiding through H-Z. I really enjoyed the day!

xoxo to Amanda, Pixie, Arko, Mommy, Papa, Mirimaus - hey morgen ist Geburtstag! und Tim.

introduccion

Hello everyone... first I think I have to introduce myself: I am sara from Germany; or better Duitsland and I am doing my EVS in Belgium in Heusden-Zolder. Means, I will spend hyalf a year here in vlaanderen to work here, learn flemish and get to know the belgian culture and, on top of that, kinda "live" or better experience the idea of europe.

So, basically, that is me and why I an here. I arrived on vrijdag, 4th of september in Heusden-Zolder [sounds like Choesden-Zolderrr ;-)]. I got to know my lovely hostfamily and my mentor Veronique. First impression: Belgium is the place to be!

Then I got on the train straight to the coast, where my on-arrival-training took place. I got to know amanda, "my latvian heart", on the train. the ride was okay, lot of talk. Then the messy part of our journey began: where is the accomodation?? basically not at the point which is shown on the map. :-D After about half an hour we finally found "Isara", an old and cosy and home-of-spiders house.

The cool thing: People from all over the world. Nice teamers. The bad thing: strange food combinations and five bathrooms for 35 people. But well, adventure training is never too bad.

All in all the on-arrival-training was GREAT, big letters needed. Made a lot of friends, felt the "international spirit". Thanks guys, was a cool weekend. Things I've learned: Don't give a latvian girl 7 cups of coffee, the belgians are not used to lock doors, the food combinations are still strange (meatballs with hot cherries) and Belgium is still the place to be :-D

...I will continue this blog later, but here a little flemish lession:

ik ben sara - bet u can guess what i means haha
cadeux - present, gift
bloem - flower
konfituur - jam
alstublieft - please
dank u - thank you

... Salut everyone, tot ziens!

xoxo to Amanda "my latvian heart", Pixie "hey beautiful", Hasan xo, Onur, kisses: Mommy, Papa, Miri (nie pleuje!), my :bro:, marie-rose, fons - my privat teacher, and of course arko, het goede jonge :-D