thanksgiving and snow

Gobble Gobble Gobble!!

My first, big, American holiday that I missed - not so much missed but more as just experienced it a different way :)

Thanksgiving started a bit slow. I went to school and was telling everyone "Happy Thanksgiving" with the daily bisous... and of course got the weird looks. Everyone was a bit confused what it was. The first thing everyone said was, "Oh! Right! The American Christmas, right?" and I would have to correct them and say, "Nooo we celebrate Christmas also". Then after this was cleared up I was asked if we got presents as a celebration.... and again I had to say "Noooo" Thanksgiving is just about saying thank you and being thankful like the pilgrims were. I think by the end of they day everyone had gotten down that Thanksgiving is just a big, family meal with a football game and parade (to spice things up) and by the end of the day I had also gotten down the word for pilgrim! Score! After school I had my French course and I spent the time in between school and the class talking to my friends from home on the phone for my Thanksgiving "present". Which was nice :) I got home around 8:30 and I went into the dining room and realized that my family had made me a special, Thanksgiving dinner. I was sooo happy! Right when I was realizing this out it started snowing! The first snow of the season!! It was such perfect timing - just like the movies! (I love love love snow!) It was a good dinner complete with all the American traditions and I was very thankful that my family thought about me and went out of their way to do something special. After dinner, I skyped my grandparents who were staying at my house in KC. It was cute to skype them and say a little hello. They didn't quite understand that they could talk to me for more than 2 minutes, but it was still good! I'm glad I got to "see" them and my parents on Thanksgiving.

Friday I was still really happy and was so smiley from the night before. It snowed that morning, so I was even more happy! Everyone at school was like, "Do you not have snow in Missouri or something?". It was funny because everyone kinda hates the cold weather here so nobody really gets why I like it... but that doesn't stop me:) After school, I hung out with some friends in town and then came home for dinner with my family. When dinner was finished, I went to this party that 'Scouts' was having for Christmas in my neighborhood. Scouts - pronounced Scoots - here are kind of a big deal and cool if you are involved in it while you are in high school and is pretty much like Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts but combined. A lot of my friends from school do Scouts so it was fun to hang out with them and try my first hot wine! I didn't really like it but I HAD to taste it ;)
Saturday was sooooo much fun. I met Mollie (from Kansas) at the trainstation around 2:30 and my parents drove us out to Margaret's farm. Yes, FARM. WITH 60 COWS. Not only was I beyond happy to be spending time with my new besties but I also got to be on a farm. Sadly, I must report that I didn't meet a single cow or see one. We didn't have any time! We didn't have any time because Margaret's family was throwing a huge, Thanksgiving dinner party for 25 people. And we (as in Margaret, Jordan, and Mollie) were in charge of making pretty much everything for the dinner. Quick pause to explain who Jordan is - Jordan is a friend of Marge's from St. Louis who is doing a Rotary Exchange in Germany and wanted to spend a few days in Belgium. I don't think I spent more than 10 minutes with this girl before all 4 of us were like best friends. I think this is an exchange student thing - we all have each others backs and even though we hardly know each other we already have so many things in common with one another for even doing an exchange for a year - so we all just clicked. It is an unspeakable bond that you just have with another exchange student and you just get each other. I like that. But so back to the dinner party! "We" made a huge dinner and only had one turkey for everyone - but it turned out to be just the right amount. Everyone was so nice to us and I was so happy to be around my good friends and such a loving Belgian family. Before dinner, everybody gathered in the kitchen and listened to Marge (in perfect french - jealouss) explain Thanksgiving and we all went around and said what we were thankful for - in whatever language worked best. It was like the scene from one of my favorite book's Eat, Pray, Love. I think I may have teared up a bit... ok...I did. It is the things like this why I love Belgium so much. The dinner was amazing and everybody loved it - especially the gravy (totally stirred this and added the flour!). After dinner, we all played Pictionary and it was soooo funny! There were also 2 Rotary Exchange students from Taiwon at the party and so with every drawing that was revealed we would translate the word from French into English, German, and Chinese. Such a cultural bonding experience :) I drew a cow (une vache, eine Kuh, 一牛) . Surprised? Pictionary finished around 1 AM and then all four of us slept in Marge's room and just talked... it was nice to just talk and find out more little things about each other.
Sunday was just as good! We got up around 9:30 to drive to Vise for a Rotary Event called "Exotic Dinner". This is where you get in a group with other exchange students from your country and make a traditional dish (conveniently this event is during the week of Thanksgiving so the Americans don't have to think too hard) and then everybody brings it to this huge gym area. Our parents came and we got to enjoy every country's special food! It was really easy for Mollie, Marge, and I because we just brought leftovers from our dinner the night before (cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes). I have to admit that I was a bit embarrassed to be from USA with the disgusting amount of peanut-butter sandwiches that too many people made. Most of the Belgians hate peanut butter, so that was just too many sandwiches gone to waste. It was fun to taste all the different cultures and I also got to see people I hadn't seen since the last big Rotary event. I was all smiles once again. My second host family (the Brans Family) came along with my current host family and I was so surprised to see them! I thought maybe Marta had told me they were coming but I forgot but no! it was supposed to be a surprise - and I was happy to spend time with them :) I hadn't seen them since we went to FantasiaLand in the beginning of September! We finally have figured out a moving time for me... and it looks like I will be spending Christmas with the Bran's family and then actually moving moving after Christmas but before the New Years. I am excited ... not to be leaving my family I am with now but because it will be another new experience. It will be weird living with two teenage boys but I think it will be really fun at the same time. Every day at school, Benoit asks me when I will be coming to stay with him and today we actually both knew the answer!

The first week of January, I'm going on a school trip to the French Alps and skiing with all my new friends - I'm really really excitedddd! And the New Year should be a blast also! I have so many things I'm looking forward to now :) but I'm still enjoying now too! Promise :)

Today was alright - typical Monday. Wore a dress, but it didn't really help today. It is hard getting up and getting in a good mood when it is dark outside and pretty much dark when you come home from school at 4. So... ya. But today it snowed and I think it started just about when I got off the bus and embarked on my 15 minute walk home from school- in a dress. Even though I think I was numb all over ... it was so pretty! Snow Snow Snow :) Everyone else can hate it while I love it. Fine with me.
Wednesday I'm going to Aachen (which I just found out is Aix-la-Chapelle in French, not a different town) with Rotary to enjoy the Marche de Noel - the Christmas Market. Liege has a Christmas market too... I think every major city in Europe has one. They just have little shops with Christmasy things, hot wine, and possibly a skating rink or something like that. I'm excited to go to Germany! The last time I was in Germany it was warm and I was riding roller coasters with The Bran's Family... that seems like yesterday.

Oh! And Margaret's family let me take some fresh, cow milk home with me (mind you in an empty plastic coke bottle - classy) and I have been enjoying that! Even though I think it creeps out my family a bit. I love milk :) Andddd Sion (my high school in KC) sent me a little goody box in the mail for my exams - which this year will be an epic fail - and an invitation to a reunion at the school in January - that was nice but none of the things really applied to me in the box beside the food they sent. Story of my life. It was still a nice thought and I actually impressed Sion sent me something! I appreciated it and kind of made me wish I could go to the reunion for just a few hours and then come back to my life here. But nope. Won't be home until mid July and I could not be happier :)

I had a great weekend and hope this week I can keep the good vibes going :)

All for now!

Listen to the Music

Hello Everyone :)

I am currently listening to "Listen to the Music" by the Doobie Brothers. I was going to copy the lyrics on hear and psycho analyze the verses for everyone but then I realized that my posts are way too long as is and that everyone would much rather read a hippy paragraph on my obsession with music these days...

Oh, oh, listen to the music. This is my life now. All I do is listen to the music and let it flow... wherever I am. It is not always on my iPod but sometimes to the music of Liege, or the music of speaking and listening to French, or the music of the busy rush in the morning halls at my school, or the music of my family here, or the music of laughter, or the music of the crowded bus, or the music of finally having a moment alone, or the music of the sun finally shining here. It is everything in my life that is flowing and I finally feel like I'm flowing with it. That might be a bit too deep for my faithful followers... but these are my thoughts. I have been here for over 3 months now and I finally feel like I am going with the flow of things - more than anytime in my life. Stress and my brain have always gotten the best of me - and they still do from time to time - but I am not letting them stop me from listening to the music...

Like a lazy flowing river

Surrounding castles in the sky

And the crowd is growing bigger

List'nin for the happy sounds

And I got to let them fly

That was a bit deep but take it as you may.

Now about my week :) I had a pretty good week!!
Mondays are always dreaded by me - so I had to wear a pretty dress to make me happier this Monday. It worked and it was actually a good day and not as bad as normal Mondays are :) I also went for a nice run after school and felt really good about myself. My rapid weight gain has become the Debbie Downer of this dream I'm living so I am finally doing something about it. Especially now that I have energy to go on runs!!

Tuesday was good! I had a lot of free hours during school so I just chilled with friends and got caught up with all that went down this past weekend (I feel like the school I'm at here has more drama than my all-girls school in KC - which is an epic statement). I ended early and went home for a quick run then shower and went back into the city at 6 for my French class at the University - and yes, this class is still very easy but it is too late now for me to swtich and it is over in December sooooo ya.

Wednesday was a short day and after school I hung out with some Rotary friends. It was just a few of us and only for awhile because we all had to go home and get ready for the Opera that night. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Mallory goes to Operas in Belgium. Doesn't that sound so classy? I guess I'm turning into quite the little, cultured American over here. Despite the slight disappointment in not being able to wear my dress I planned on wearing (must we get into the details of why?) it was a fun night and quite an experience!! I read the plot details of the play (La Boheme) before I saw it - thanks to Marta - so I kinda had an idea of what was going on. I was so impressed that these people could sing so well and loud for so long! It was much shorter than I thought it was going to be - atleast it felt like it. Which is a good thing that it went faster than one might think an Opera would be. But I got to see everyone from Rotary I haven't seen in awhile so that was good to catch up in our fancy outfits. It was quite an experience but I think I prefer musicals to operas still...

Thursday was another good day. When I first arrived in Belgium one of my English teachers wanted me to help him in the Language Center like once a week and ofcourse I agreed to it half out of confusion. This Thursday was finally the day that it actually happened! We had a meeting place and the kids from the English classes could come and just eat lunch with me and speak in English (without a teacher correcting them). I thought nobody would come - I mean I wouldn't back in the states. But like 20 kids came and we just sat in a circle eating our lunches while they asked me questions. It was so much fun - but I think I was talking too fast sometimes. It was cute because most of the kids who don't participate in class were talking to me and were so proud when they formed the right words together for a question. It made me smile and happy to be listened to. It was nice to switch roles with my classmates and have them understand how hard it is to have a conversation in the real world. One girl came up to me and was like, "That was exhausting to be in your world for an hour!" I was like, "Yes, yes it is very exhaustinggg!"

Friday was pretty chill. After school, I just came straight home because I wanted to chill with my family since I would be gone all Saturday and Saturday night. I skyped my friends back home and just hung out with the family :) It was a nice relaxing night after a good week.

Saturday I got up nice and early (for a Saturday morning) and went to the trainstation in Liege to meet my besties Margaret and Mollie. We have been planning this little get together since our days in London - so it was kinda a big deal. Mollie's dad picked us up and we went shopping for dinner - our taco dinner we wanted to make for the family (big success - who doesn't like tacos?). Then after the shopping trip, we just went back to Mollie's house and hung out for a bit then went for a run through her neighborhood. It was such a pretty day and the sun was out, so the run was not bad at all... we saw this cute, fluffy dog with a bagette in it's mouth. So French. After the run, we just hung out on facebook stalking people and just catching up. Then the bonding moment with cooking dinner started soon after- which I must say I really just obeyed stirring and adding directions from Margaret. I really am so worthless in the kitchen - it is a serious defect of mine. We (as in Margaret and Mollie) also made chocolate cake! Then we watched "The Chorist" - in french - which really was so good. Then after dinner we played SingStar (not PingStar) which was absolutely hilarioussss and then again just hung out and talked. I think I could talk to these girls for days... it is the weirdest thing - but I love it. We all get along so well. Marta asked me today if we fought since 3 girls around each other too much is sometimes a bad thing and I was like no? We all three are so compatible, different, and yet the same.

I hope I get to see my K-MO girls next weekend!!

Today, I was back at Liege around 10 and went home to eat breakfast with the fam. Sunday breakfasts at my house are kind of a big deal. Lisa and I love them. Larry ges pastries from the local patisserie - sooo good. Then I always enjoy putting jam on my crispy croissant and drinking my coffee. After this I went for a run - the sun has been out quite a lot this weekend! Have to take advantage of it! Then I came back and just worked on this blog post (you guys don't even know how long it takes me to compose one post). Then we took a little Sunday trip to Verviers (about 20 minutes from Liege) to see this small, chocolate festival! I have never been to a chocolate festival so ofcourse my mouth was open the entire time we were there. They had these crazy sculptures of chocolate and all these weird things. It was sooo crowded also. People get pushy around chocolate!! We didn't even leave with any chocolate - just candy sorts of things. Which is fine with me :) Dessert tonight is going to be good!!

All for now :)

Mallory

Cambridge

These past few days were so nice - despite it being very cold in England!! I'm so happy I got to spend time with my real family and I'm also happy to get back to my routine here in Belgium...

Let me just take a moment to brag about myself and my success with country hopping alone - pause for recognition....Okay - it is really not a big deal but I'm just very happy with myself that I managed to do it rather stress free and without getting on the wrong train. High Five! I took the bus (with two rather large shoulder bags) during morning rush-hour to the train station in Liege and then I took the train to Brussels then hopped on the Eurostar. In an hour and 55 minutes I was in London (much better than the 9 hour bus ride with Rotary) and found Myme... I mean my Great Aunt ;)... pretty easily! We decided to just go to the house instead of heading into London since I might have overpacked a bit and for some reason thought that there would be a car... but it worked out fine and we just chilled at the house until the boys got home. It was cool to meet Zachary and Noah again since the last time I saw them they were so young! They are the sweetest little boys and I think I could listen to their litte, British accents all day! Little Noah is the cutest thing and the whole time I was there he would want me to read him a story at night and would come up and hug me during the day. We are besties :) Zachary and I got along well also!
That night I enjoyed Fish & Chips and a nice, huge glass of milk... :) I think I drank 2 gallons in 4 days. My stomach was really confused after not having milk (like this) in 3 months... confused but happy! My stomach was so happy when it was re-introduced to Myme's sour cream and onion dip. No words can express how much I love this dip... OH and homemade turtles!! I have yet to share them with anyone in Belgium ... SHH! Let's just say that it was a good 4 days of eating for me. I also got to enjoy playing a wonderful, family custom of ours - DOMINOS (mexican style). I lovee this game and it made me so happy to play - even if it wasn't for a dollar ... or should I say a 'pound'.

On Wednesday, it was Zachary's 11th birthday so I got up early to watch him open his birthday presents. He got this intense, lego thing that you can build robots and control them via the internet and all these crazy things - it was beyond my intelligence level. He loved it though!! Then that day, we (Louise, Myme and I) went on a double-decker bus tour of Cambridge. It reminded me so much of my friend's (Hayden's) double-decker that I pretty much grew up on and always enjoyed on St. Patrick's Day... good memories. We sat on the top and got a crazy, good view of the town. I learned so much about the city and how it really is not considered a city because it doesn't have a Cathedrale. I had no idea that so many intelligent people went to Cambridge... around 60 Noble Peace Prize winners graduated from one of Cambridge's colleges. That is crazy!! I was impressed - for a lack of an intelligent word. I also learned what "punting" is... which Cambridge is apparently known for but I have never heard of it in my life. It is like those boats in Venice that the guys stand on and push it with a stick - but Chris told me it is not like this at all. It is not a competition but just for fun. Then that night we had enchiladas for Zachary's birthday :)
Thursday was really fun also. Louise, Myme, and I went to Ely Cathedrale - about 20 minutes away from Cambridge. It was such a cool church and had so many chapels!! I enjoyed walking around and reading all the little plaques about whose tomb was whose... which there were also a lot of. I bought little christmas cards and a christmasy candle holder for Marta (she loved it) at the gift shop there - all of us ended up buying something from Ely Cathedrale ... it was funny. When we got home we had clotted cream (not curdled!!) , jam (not jelly!!), and scones. This was a religious experience for me but came to a sweet halt when I realized how many calories per teaspoon there was in curdled cream!! I feel that with my constant talking of food in this blog it is redundant for me to update everyone on my progressive weight gain... which is almost amazing. I will stop eating tomorrow... that is what I said after my first kilo!! Anyways ... that night I went to the local pub with Chris. It was fun to just chill and enjoy a cold beer or two... :)
Friday was a good day too! We went to this new sushi bar in Cambridge that had the plates on a belt thing (don't remember the word) and they went past all the tables in the restaurant. You just grab the thing you want and they charge you at the end based on the color of your plate. I was soo happy to finally eat sushi and it was such a cool restaurant. Myme and I stole the menu and I am going to pin it on my blazer - it was that epic. Then pretty much all day we went shopping. I bought way too many things and Myme bought me a new pair of boots :) I love them!! It was a fun day.
Saturday was one of the longest days of my life. I woke up at 7 in the morning and I went with Louise and Chris to London. We went to Harrod's. Which is amazing. I don' t know what I was expecting but it was nothing what I thought it was going to be! It was crazy big and crazy ritzy and crazy amazing!! I think my mouth was open the entire time we were walking through... especially when we got to the food courts. Chris bought me a cute, little cupcake. It was lemon and was beyond amazing when we ate them in the busy train station. It made me happy :) Funny story and your Mallory Moment - I wante to take a picture with the Harrod's door holder. Which I think I asked him in the most awkward way and didn't know how close to get to him and if we should make small chat. All in all it was beyond awkward and when the picture was taken I pretty much bolted with Louise. Halfway down the block, I realize that the picture didn't save so I had to go back and get another awkward picture with him. I couldn't stop laughing and I'm sure the doorman thought I had a problem or was just another stupid American. Classic.

I got on the Eurostar at 1 and was back in Liege at 6. Just in time to go straight to Larry's dad's birthday party... which lasted until 2 am. (Welcome to Belgium.) It was a nice re-introduction to french though!! It was a huge meal - complete with 3 appetizers and a 4 course meal and 3 different types of wine. It was really sweet of them because they had turkey as the main dish - so it was like my thanksgiving here :) I was happy that they thought about me. I was sooo tired though when we got home at 3 am...

got up today at noon and helped out with the raking. It was sad to rake up all the leaves that I loved so much... :/ but a new season is on the way! Hello Winter!
All for now

Cheers

Fell in love

LONDON LONDON LONDON

:)

I can't even describe how much fun I had... :) It was seriously some of the best 3 days of my life. I will never forget these memories

Now... to share with you a bit. Which I feel will be nothing compared to living it and being there but I will try my best.

So my Thursday started off with me getting up at 5 AM to go catch a train to Namur where everyone from Rotary was catching the bus (yes - a bus. I detest buses). We drove From Namur to Calais, France - where we caught a ferry to Dover, Enlgand. There were about 60 Rotary Students from all over Belgium and the whole trip was organized by Rotexs (which are "kids" who have already done a year abroad and live in Belgium and are normally 20ish) The ferry was really fun. It turned out to be a sunny day so we all just hung out on the deck and it was so windy - it was somewhat ridiculous. After about an hour of getting our hair tossed by the English Channel, everyone went inside and pretty much just sat there out of exhaustion. It was so nice to get off the boat!! Then when we were in Dover we drove about an hour or two to Canterbury. The famous Canterbury Church was epic - we had these hearing tour guides that I actually enjoyed. Which I guess nobody is surprised about that - I have read (and sung - shout out to my AP English class junior year) so many things on Canterbury it was nice to actually be there. It was impressive. Then we had free time to just wander the city - it was so tiny but cute! The typical English town :) Around mid-afternoon we hopped back on the nasty bus and were in London in time for dinner. With the weird time change here, it gets dark around 4 so it was already dark in London around then and everything was all lit up and pretty! It was a nice introduction to the city when you saw Big Ben all lit up and reflecting off the Thames River. We were starving so a group of 7 of us headed into the city with our 10 pounds and found a cute, little restaurant off the main road. It served English Breakfast all day so we went in and enjoyed ordering in English (felt weird - I must admit that I continued to accidently say "merci") and eating beans, sunny-side up eggs, toast, sausage, bacon, french fries, and milk for dinner!! Then we drove to our hotel - which was 30 mins from the city - and everyone pretty much crashed. I had the best roommates :) I think we may have all three been separated at birth. We are all from the same area in the States - Mollie from Manhattan, KS, Me from Kansas City, MO, and Margaret from St. Louis, MO. I love how close we were in the States and only in a different life do we get the opportunity to be friends and such. It is weird but I consider these girls some of my best friends and I have only known them for a month or so - my mind has no concept of time anymore. Just a tid bit on that - we were inseparatable all trip :)

Then we got up around 7 on Friday and went to Windsor Castle!! My first Enlgish Castle :) It was gorgeous and huge - and even better on the inside. I saw a mini changing of the gaurds - which so did not live up to my expectations. I also never saw any of the gaurds in the red uniforms with the weird tall, black hats - my only let down of the trip. After Windsor Castle we had lunch at this cute little café in town and enjoyed just talking in Enlish and not getting stared at oddly. After this we headed into London to go see Madame Tussand's wax museum - which was another epic visit!! I was soooo impressed with all the wax people!! They had everything from Will Smith to Barack Obama to The Queen of England to Hitler! I kept taking pictures and the pictures and the wax people looked so real that I almost got giddy like I ACTUALLY DID meet Marilyn Monroe and Brad Pitt - it was crazy. After this we went to an early dinner at the Hard Rock Café - finally enjoyed a cheeseburger. It was cool to all eat together - since normally we have free time during the meals to do what we want to do. Then after we went to a musical called "Blood Brothers" - which I must say I was not to keen on going to on a Friday night in London but it turned out to be one of the best musicals I have ever seen (third after Mama Mia and Wicked ofcourse). I'm not going to explain it because I will just look like a babbling idiot so let's just say that I laughed, cried, and felt stupid for not wanting to go. That night was fun with the other Rotary students :)

Then Saturday we got up nice and early again and I walked all over London for a legit 5 hours (from 7 AM breakfast until lunch at 2). It was cool to just be walking around London stopping at all the well known places and enjoying the unknown places as well - but my feet and back were hating me by the end of the day. From 3 until 10:30 we had an Oyster Pass (where you can go anywhere in London on the Underground all day) and do whatever we wanted - it was beyondddd amazing. I went with my new besties and friend from Canada (Christian) to the art museum, shopping which includes making a stop in Burberry and sadly forgetting to go to Harrod's, fish and chips for dinner, pub stops (including being carded and happily showing my Belgian ID and later being asked if English was my 5th Language because I apparantly speak awful English), tea stops, grocery shopping for snacks on the bus, etc. It was one of the best nights of my life to just go around London on a Saturday night via the Underground (thanks to Margaret) and just living it up completely enjoying every minute.

It came to a halt at 10:30, when we left London and got on the bus ... then the ferry (which we missed the first one and had to take another around 2 in the morning). Everyone was so exhausted and I'm pretty sure on the ferry I slept in two chairs like a bathtub - great sleep ... not. It was sadly better than the bus - which smelled like feet and sweaty bodies. Ugh. It was gross then we got to Namur around 8 in the morning... and Liege around 9. I looked like a hot mess I'm sure when Larry picked me up and I'm sure my French was an epic fail. When I got home I went straight to the shower then slept from 10 until 4 - ridiculous. I had school today - which was actually not bad since everyone had something to talk about. It also helped that today was my only school day of the week (I'm missing Tuesday and Wednesday and then Thursday and Friday are holidays - again). I'm so excited I get to go back to England tomorrow!! For those of you not up to speed - I had planned to just go early or stay after the Rotary trip in England to visit my family in Cambridge and my great aunt visiting but Rotary denied this. So I had to come home and travel alone if I really wanted to go - so thus I am here for 2 nights and I am back to England again :) Everyone was very confused at school when I kept saying "See you Monday" (in french) and the would all respond by saying "Mallory, today is Monday tomorrow is Tuesday." It was kind of funny because it really is ridiculous that I am going back after 2 days. Love it.

Well I'm off! Kind of nervous to be traveling alone - but just another experience and challenge :)
Talk to you soon!!
Mallo

Take It Easy

Salut!

I'm currently listening to Take It Easy by the Eagles. I love this song - and for some reason I can't stop listening to it here. It reminds me of driving to St. Louis with my Dad when I was little and listening to KUDL... and it reminds me of driving to school and listening to oldies with my good friend.... and it reminds me of the times when I had to listen to it to calm down while studying for a big test... and now it reminds me to just live in the moment here. Songs are some kind of magic - don't quote me on this. I love taking the bus alone here just so I can listen to music. I get a nice seat by the window and listen to all my random songs while the rest of the world keeps living and moving on. I love it. Sometimes I take the bus even when I don't have to just to enjoy this little time alone... alone with the music... just taking it easy.

Sorry! That was a bit hippie... I'm changinggggggg

French is coming along. Like every week. I tried very hard all this week to speak French at home and out with friedns ... and I think I did well. My head hasn't been hurting as much! I think I have found the trick to not having headaches - become fluent as soon as possible? It is now November and I am not fluent but can carry on a pretty decent conversation - that is pretty legit. Considering I'm the girl that meowed - yes, not a typo - in the back of her French class for 4 years. French will come when it comes, as for now I'm trying my best - every exchange student's motto :)

Oh! And I started a new journal this week! It is purple and pretty and I can't believe I already wrote through a whole one in a little over 2 months. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing... I'm not much of a journal person but I really enjoy spending spare time (like when I mess up times and show up places 2 hours early) writing my thoughts and such. Kind of like this little blog but less puplic - I hope!

Friday was really really fun. I hung out with Francois and his friends on Friday... I haven't hung out with those friends for awhile so it was nice to reconnect. It was funny because the decorations were very "halloweeny" but nobody dressed up! I still had fun though :)

Saturday we went to the "oldest town in Belgium". It was so cute! It was near Hasselt - the town in Flanders we visited last week. It still had a Roman wall surrounding the city - it was legit. It amazes me that a wall like that has lasted so long!! It was rainy and cold but it was still nice to walk around the modern/old town. We had a "snack" (the farthest thing from a snack I have ever had - I was stuffed afterwards) at this cute, little Brasserie. It was in an old Brassserie but the inside was so modern and new - very European. After this, the sun decided to come out and it was so nice! We then went to a Japanese garden. The city is "sister" cities with a city in Japan - so to represent this freindship they made one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen. Like- honestly. All the leaves had changed colors and were seriously gorgeous.... yellow, orange, blood, red, pink, sunset, crimson, rose, so many colors!! And there was a little pond through out the whole garden (complete with a waterfall) that reflected the colors even more. The pond was full of these huge carps - I have never seen such fat fish in my life. Ah... words can't describe it... I could have just sat there for the rest of the day... I took too many pictures!

Sunday was Halloweennnnn! I'm sad to report that the extent of my dressing up was orange socks... depressing I know. But I had a pretty fun day!! I slept in and then met with my Belgian friends at the Foire - which was different than the last time because I was with Belgians and rode on the rides. Yes! It was seriously so much fun. I went on this swing ride ... you are in a swing and the ride goes really high in the air and spins faster and faster. It was petrified... but it was awesome. I was laughing the whole time with Louisa and got a great view of Liege with how high up we were!! Then after I went on this crazy spinny ride on the ground with a friend... it was so fast and after I got off my hair was such a mess. I think I drooled a bit because the ride was so fast and I couldn't stop laughing with my friend. Good times. We then enjoyed some nice fried food and cotton candy. After the Foire we went to a bar to watch the local football game... it was a tie but still fun to chill and just watch. Then I went home to have dinner with the fam. It was really nice dinner and they got me a present for Halloween :) I ate it all by the next day. I sometimes wonder how I've gained so much weight - pause - not! It was not my normal Halloween but I really had a good time :) I think I can live one year without dressing up... makes me appreciate it more! That's the attitude Mallory!

Monday was a national holiday - along with Halloween/Sunday. In Europe, it actually is the day of the dead. Either on the 31st or on the 1st you go to the cemetary to remember those who have passed away. All the flower shops are open and everyone from the city comes to buy a ton of flowers to go plant at the gravesites. When I walked into the cemetary, I was shocked. I have never seen so many people or so many flowers in a cemetary in my whole life. It was breathtaking... I kept sneaking pictures when nobody was looking... so not the place to be taking pictures like the American tourist I am. You had all different types of gravestones - some from 2010 and then some from the 1700's. It was crazy with all the variety and they were all so close to each other... so you noticed the differences even more. The flowers looked so happy next to the grew tombstones - it made the somberness more of a celebration of life. They had tombstones that were for whole families - something I didn't even know existed. It was just really interesting and something I have never experienced before... I'm glad I went. We don't have anything like this in the States...

Then today I slept in until 10 and went for a run and ran some errands in the city. I love Liege - I know where pretty much everything is and I always run into someone I know on the streets. Today I ran into some exchange students I haven't seen in like forever - it was nice to catch up. I like knowing where I'm going and communicating with people. Like today I had to recharge my phone and I was able to communicate with the person at the cell phone place that my texts aren't free and that I need to pay 15 euros (all in French). I was proud of myself. I also knew the shops to go to get my family in Cambridge some little goodies... I felt very Belge! Then after I met up with some Belgian friends at this cute little bar and enjoyed a smoothie :)

Another good day.

I'm getting so excited to go to Londonnnnn! I leave Thursdayyyyy :)

All for now :)

Mallo