One of those days

Hello Everyone!

Today is just one of those days that I kind of love life, a whole lot. I had an amazing past week and now I think I am running out of words to describe happiness without it sounding like I'm bragging.
Today, the sun came out. Actually, let me describe the weather patterns of today - freezing this morning, slightly sunny at noon, hailing/rain/snow at 2, and then the sun came out at 3 just in time for me not to have an excuse for why I shouldn't go for a run today (and yes - I did go for a run). I am just in this constant state of happiness and smiley-ness... I wish I could explain why. The only explanation I have to describe what I'm feeling is called a 'kairos-high' (shout out to my Karios family and for those unaware of what "karios" is, I'm sorry.). I am just proud of myself, impressed by myself, surprised by myself, finding myself, and loving myself. I think I might be falling in love with myself... ?

Last time we talked it was Wednesday, so on Thursday I had a writing exam at the University for my french course. It was supposed to be a 2 hour test but I completed it in an hour and half. It had 2 listening exercises, 2 reading comprehension exercises, and then at the end you had to write a letter to somebody at home describing you life here and stuff like that (while using all the intense verbs and vocabulary you can). I wrote a letter to my Mommy. I think I did pretty well... we shall see! I'm really proud of my French and I'm happy it is finally starting to show that I understand things and can communicate. Even if my grade proves otherwise, I'm still proud of how far I have come! I plan on continuing the course... so I can improve even more... :)
My brother Francois (18) is at the University studying medicine to be a eye doctor. He has been studying for the past month everyday for like 8 hours and tomorrow he will be finished! Here, when you are in University you have your finals after Christmas and they last all the month of January then you have the month of February pretty much off. Which is nice for Francois since he will be celebrating his birthday (my birthday is 2 weeks before his) for the first time on a holiday! Speaking of birthdays, my birthday is coming up :) Can you believe I will be 19? That just sounds old... especially since I still feel like a 16 year old. I hope I don't feel like a 16 year old all my life! But ya, 19 is old. I think I'm going to have a party at my house... :) I'll keep you updated on that one!
Friday was epic. I had one of the best nights with friends :) So for those of you who do not know me, I am one of those people that is really bad at networking (as in calling/texting people to organize something or making plans in geneal). I just have this phobia of texting and inviting myself places because I start thinking that maybe they don't want me to come and blah blah blah. Which honestly - I have no idea why I think these things, but I do. Friday night the whole school was invited to this huge masquerade party for these 2 girls birthday. I was planning on going but didn't know how I was going to change after school and I didn't want to go alone. So on Thursday, I networked it up. In French! I organized a ride to my friends house to get ready with the rest of the girls and then to go to the party with them afterwards. I was so proud of myself! I really am changing :) I also networked it up with another group of friends to go after school to get a mask. I got a kitty mask! With whiskers - it was so cute. After the mask shopping, I went over to my friend's house to get ready with the rest of the girls. It was so chill and fun... we gossiped away, gave outfit advice, and put the finishing touches on our make-up. It was again like the times I did this with my friends at home before dances... I love that I have friends to do this with here. I just felt part of the group... more than "felt"... I was part of the group. After this bonding moment, we went into town and ate. Yes, I did where my kitty mask in public (just for laughs). After this we took the bus to the party...this bus was so packed they couldn't get the doors shut. There were maybe 100 teenagers on this bus going to my party and another one. There was this one little, old lady on the bus. She was so cute and I think actually enjoying the teenage, Belgian night life. We invited her to come to the party but she said she couldn't... So cute!
At the party, I had sooo much fun with my friends! Everyone was in mask and just having so much fun! I danced the night away with my girlfriends and it was literally like a movie scene :) I laughed, smiled, danced, and spoke so much french :)
On Saturday, I slept in :) Around 5, Margaret came over and then Mollie's dad picked us up around 6 and we went over to Mollie's house for the night. I was beyond exhausted from the night before, but I still enjoyed spending time with my friends. We hadn't hung out since Margaret's birthday party mid-December! A lot has happened since then, so we got all caught up while watching Friends episodes and reading american, gossip magazines. It was a good night.
Sunday, I got home around noon and around 2 I went with the family to Isabelle's brother's house for a big party for all the birthdays in January/February (apparently there were a lot). This family is the best... I really love them so much. They all told me my French has gotten a lot better just in the month I have been staying with the Brans (yes - it has been over a month). They are just so welcoming and make me feel like I'm part of the family. It was so cool because for the dinner we just had dessert - pies, cakes, ice cream, pastries :) Of course, I was in heaven! Francois didn't come because he was studying for a final the next day so Benoit and I got to bond. Isabelle's brother (Jean-Marc) is really into music and he has electric drums that are connected to the computer with some snazzy software. For my lack of technical/musical terms, it was pretty legit. I am not the musically talented girl, but I couldn't leave the room while he was playing or anybody else. It was so cool to me! He can make all his own songs by mixing sounds and then adding his own compositions... I think my mouth was open the whole time. Around 7, we had to leave so the boys could watch Desperate Housewives (not a typo on the 'boys'). It is funny, at home I never watched Desperate Housewives but here I watch it every week!

Then back to school this Monday... but it wasn't that bad. I got caught up on all the gossip of Friday night with the girls :) I got my class picture (the senior class is like 300 people but the kids I am with all day is what the picture is of - try to find me!) I think I am really starting to love school. Not so much the learning part, but just being with my friends all day :)
Then yesterday, it rained on my walk home. It was super. Jerry and I went to our first Rotary meeting without Matilda. It wasn't too weird... The Rotarians now are being really inclusive and talking to us more. Not that they didn't talk to us before - but I think now they are more interested since they finally realized we will be there until June! Oh Tuesdays with the Rotarians... :)
Today, I was finished at one and I went to the mall to get my hair cut. ALONE. I spoke french and successfully got my hair cut :) I only said once, "I don't speak French very well." Last time I got my hair cut, I went with my Belge friends and kind of had a hard time communicating what I would like to happen to my hair but today, I was on it! I was super proud of myself and then I came home and went for a run with the sun. I'd say it was a successful day!

I'm really excited for this weekend because there is a huge concert called the TransArdentes that is happening Saturday. Tickets are really expensive but Pamela and I got them for 15 euros less than they were selling for. Score! It is a concert of techno and dupstep stuff... not really what I listen to but it is a concert in Europe... and I am only here for one year and want to take any opportunity I can. Why not go? Exactly my thoughts :)

So yes, it is just one of those days were I want to put a nice little quote to sign off with...

It's a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself. Makes you wonder what else you can do that you've forgotten about. ~Alan Ball, American Beauty, 1999

All for now!
Mallory <3

Where is the good in goodbye?

We only part to meet again. At another time, maybe in another life or in another day.

This past week I had to say goodbye to all my friends who live in the Western Hemisphere (as in South Africa, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand). Why does it take a minute to say hello and forever to say goodbye? Life is like that, I guess.
My oldie (Matilda) and other good friend (Dominique) left on Thursday for Australia. On Wednesday, Jerry and I got a note to leave during our free period and we hopped on a bus to go say goodbye to our oldie one last time before she left. We went shopping earlier in the week and we got her a crown (since she is the queen) and a picture frame with the 3 of us at a Rotary meeting. She seemed to like it. I also threw in my chocolate stash that I decided I don't need any longer taunting me - keep your fat jokes to yourself. It was so weird though saying goodbye to her. We don't know when we will meet again... and it will never be under the same circumstances as now...it is just bizarre to me. What is more bizarre is that I can't text them randomly asking them a question or asking if they want to hang out in Liege next week. Their numbers are still in my phone... but they just won't be responding to my texts.
On Friday, Jerry and I (again) got a note of dismissal to go to Brussels to say goodbye to the rest of the exchange students leaving. There were about 15 kids all leaving on the same flight this past Friday and we went with a huge group of people to watch them cross through customs and wave one last time goodbye. I wasn't as close with anyone leaving on this flight... but it was still really emotional for me. I cried when I was watching everybody go through customs. I don't know why, but I think I was crying more for myself than for my rotary relatives leaving. Does that make me sound selfish? I saw how all their friends and families had come to see them off and how much they had impacted the people's life just through a few months. They were dragging their extra luggage that wouldn't fit in their bags, screaming English/Spanish/French across the airport as their last words of love, and crying to the point where their eyes were going to be bloodshot for the next few days but I thought it was beautiful (sorry, hippie I know). I was thinking about how I will be doing the same thing in 6 months and who will be crying at the airport over not knowing when they will see me next. It was just really powerful for me... I want somebody to have an impact on my life and I want to have an impact on somebody's life like that. Maybe I already have... maybe I will have more but just made me think about all the people I love and who love me. These next 6 months are going to go by really fast and now I really have to live them up... with no regrets and no looking back or forward. Just living and loving.

Now that I have written my paragraph of living in the now I must write about the weather. It has become a custom.
This weather has been very in tune with what is going on in my life. On Thursday after school, I walked home in the rain. Literally, I walked through the door dripping wet and it took me a good hour to have dry hair again. It really added to my mood of saying goodbye to my good friends. Not. It isn't snowing anymore here though. Instead it is hot and muggy and then maybe an hour later it is raining. So weird. This Sunday, it was really nice and sunny out and it felt like a spring day. Who has ever heard of it raining and being hot (hot as in I contemplate not wearing a jacket in the morning) in January?? Dear Belgium, you continue to surprise me. Especially with your odd weather patterns. I love you anyways but maybe let the sun out a little more.

This Saturday, I went for a run in my new neighborhood and caught up with e-mails and facebook. At night, I went to a going away party for my friend who is leaving... not because he has completed a year abroad but because Rotary is making him go home. Things are complicated but in the end of the story he is going back to Texas instead of staying with us in Belgium. He is actually one of the kids I met in Arkansas for the training on living abroad that was sponsored by Rotary. When I first met him I didnt think we would be hanging out here but now I really consider him a close friend. Belgium won't be the same without him.
Sunday I slept in :) Around one, friends of my family came over and we took a little drive to the Ardennes (forest in Belgium - famous for the many wars fought there) and went for a walk. A walk that took about 3 hours... and I loved every minute of it. It was a really nice day and for once the sun was out and shining. I was really happy and took lots of pictures. I wore my sparkly boots - which were a big hit. They were all making fun of them until they realized they weren't from America but 100 % Belge. It was fun to get some fresh air and it was a good bonding moment with my family :) The part of the Ardennes that we were at is close to Spa (yes, the famous Spa) and we stopped to drink some of the Spa water. The Real, Famous Spa Water! It was actually disgusting and tasted like a penny. I much prefer filtered water with the label of "Spa" on the front than the real water. I hadn't been to Spa since my very first day in Belgium so it was nice to go back conscience and awake. The friends stayed for dinner and we had the customary Belgian, large dinner meal of Racklettes (this is the meal where they have a mini grill on the table and we cook our own food and melt our own cheese). I love it. I don't know if it is really customary but every time a large group of people get together in this country it is most likely going to be a racklette meal. Maybe because it is easy to just cut up slices of cheese and put out lunch meat. Either way - I am a big fan. It is Swedish.

Monday was lame. But the sun was out so for lunch I ate outside with friends. That was nice. After school, I went for a run and I got up the courage to weigh myself and I lost 2 kilos (which is like 4 pounds). High Five!
Yesterday, I had an interview at the University for my french course I have been taking. I felt like I did really well and the teacher told me I spoke really well. Which made me feel better because I finally feel like I have turned the corner with my french and I'm glad other people are noticing too :) French is starting to become easier ... I just had to give it time and put in a little bit of effort. I'm proud of myself.
Today I started the day off with 2 hours of obligatory attendance to learn about safe driving in Belgium. It was just kind of weird since everybody in my class is 17 and only one person out of 30 have a driving license (you have to be 18 to have a license and it is really expensive here and you have to got to a certain amount of auto school to even apply andddd you have to get a 41/50 on the test.. which is really hard to do, I guess). I learned a lot about the system here ... and it made me remember how much time has gone by without me driving. It is weird to think that a normal day at home I would drive to and from school (25 min drive) and maybe more... and here I don't drive at all but enjoy public transportation to the fullest. I miss driving... a lot... but I appreciate public transportation here and enjoy the alone time I get with my music. Just another life here. Which I think that has been clarified many times already though. My bad. We had a half day today and then I just came home to do things... like write this blog. Love you my faithful followers and I hope you appreciate how much time I put into you!

Just one more quote on saying goodbye that I found and made me smile ... and it goes nicely with my artsy tree picture.

Goodbyes are not forever.
Goodbyes are not the end.
They simply mean I'll miss you
Until we meet again!


All for now. Hope everyone is doing well :)
Mallory

Hello 2011.

Hello Everyone! And Hello 2011!

I think this is the longest we have gone without talking! So sorry my faithful followers. I'm going to try to update everyone in the most functional way possible... I'm hoping the outline will help (this is not a joke - I do have an outline).

Finally all the snow has melted away .... which now Belgium is enjoying this weird, cold rain. It is super depressing and I am really starting to miss the snow. When we were driving to the Alps, the sun came out and I started spazzing out because I honestly don't remember the last time I have seen the sun. Maybe sometime early in November?
Okay. Enough complaining about the weather. I just had an epiphany that I'm halfway through my year. A lot of my friends also doing an exchange have had this mood of wanting to go home and since that the holidays are over June will come by so fast and they will happily be home. Which - the thought of going home in a few months actually nauseates me. Not that I don't want to go home! But just the fact that I literally only have a few months here. That is crazy. So now I really want to do all the things I told myself I would do. And I'm going to do it :) I feel like I have this new breath of happiness and strength and confidence... I just want to go flying all over Europe speaking french and smiling. Okay, I'll admit that was a bit hippie-ish but I literally have been so happy lately that I don't know what to do with myself. Sorry to brag :)

Now the spark notes of my past days in the Alps and Belgium :)
On the 30th, I went over to the Gaier's for a Christmas and New Year dinner. It was kind of weird to be back and being a guest. I don't know how to explain it. Not weird bad, but it was not the same feeling when I was living there. They were really nice and Larry made all the things I love to eat. It was an all out dinner - complete with lobster :) I was a happy little fatty. I left presents in my room for them when I moved so they gave me my presents for Christmas when I came over for dinner. I got 2 cooking books - one for quiche! Love quiche. And a nail filer -it was one of my goals to stop biting my nails - and money and movie tickets. It was really nice and made me smile since they just weren't some random gifts... they were specifically for me. I really appreciated it. I had a good time and then went back home to my new family with my bag of goodies :) It was a nice, little visit.

Then New Years!! It was so much fun :) I had my exchange student friend from school (Pamela) and Marge come over before the party and we all got ready together. It reminded me of getting ready for dances with all my friends at home. We would all crowd around the mirror telling each other how to do our hair and taking pictures and making predictions on what would happen that night. It was like that with us 3 girls and it made me miss my friends but happy that I have new ones to share the sport with. I wore my new dress from H&M and new, gold shoes from Maastrict - which is a sad story considering that they are now unwearable after just 6 hours of having the time of my life in them... poor shoes. I felt pretty and very in tune with the theme (Black and Gold). Pame, Marge, and I ate some appetizers with my family and then we took off for the party around 10. It was amazing. There were about 300 kids and I'm happy to say I knew over half of the people there. It was quite a way to start off the new year and I couldn't be happier I spent it in Belgium dancing the night away with my friends. We (as in us 3 and 12 other Belges) got home to my house at 4 in the morning ... and woke up at 9 in the morning for breakfast. That was an interesting breakfast! We all looked... super cute and well rested. NOT. We all were a hot mess and I was beyond exhausted. After everyone left I took a shower and a nice long siesta. Then around 4, in good Belgium tradition we wished the family a Happy New Year. On the 1st of January, it is custom to go visit your family and wish them good blessings for the new year. We went over to Alain's parent's house and enjoyed a waffle. So Belge. Then with our sleep deprivation, Benoit and I boarded a bus at midnight with 115 other students for a 13 hour ride to the French Alps. I hate buses... and I was a fussy mess from my lack of sleep the night before. So.. the bus ride was not as fun as it could have been but I sat by my friends and tried to enjoy it as much as I could. We had lots of gossip to chat about from the night before!
Around 10 in the morning, we were rolling around the wonderful French Alps. The sun was shining from behind the high peaks and onto the white snow. I was in awe... by the Alps in general and that the Sun was functioning just a few hours away from my lovely little country of Belgium. That day we didn't do any skiing - thank goodness.
The next day we all got our ski gear on and tried out our groups we had been signed up for after completing the easy question of, "How many weeks have you skied?" I thought this question meant ... "How many weeks have you skied in your entire life?" So I answered that as 2 weeks. Which is false... but I didn't remember this until I was falling down the first slope... the first green slope. I fell at every slope through out the week and I have bruises on my body that I don't think will ever go away. But I am proud to say that I never cried once from falling too hard ... and I always got up with a big smile. Because let's be honest - sliding on your butt all the way down a slope not on purpose is pretty funny.
I have so many Mallory Moments I could write a book on just these 5 days... and I know you are all dying to hear about them. So story time! Gather 'round children! So the first day, we had to walk up a hill to get to the beginning of the ski resort - now keep in mind my physical shape and not buying the guide on how to successfully walk in ski shoes- by the time we got there I was sweating and was just following a herd of kids I thought looked Belge. We all piled into this line and I figured I would just wait to see what happened at the front of the line and instead to focus my attention on my breathing pace. As I know now, I was actually in line for the "tirefesse" (which a direct translation of this word is "pull ass"). It is a poll that you put in between your legs and you sit on this little part and it pulls you up the slope. It is quite the invention! But somehow I missed learning about it in school and was completely unaware of how this poll worked. So ofcourse, when I got to the front of the line I held it with both my hands and was awkwardly pulled up half the slope and then with a nice bump my arms gave out and I went tumbling down. Yes, the tirefesse was stopped because of me. And a nice ski teacher greeted me not saying hello but asking where I was from. I'm sorry I embarrassed you America. I am happy to say I finally conquered the tirefesse after just stopping it one more time.
My skiing skills are a joke but I had so much fun. Every time I fell it was hilarious. I put on quite the show. My good friend was in my ski group so we had lots of laughs. It was fun to make new friends and become better friends with everyone. This week was so amazing and I'm so glad I went - I was a bit stressed out on how things would go when I first signed up. Although this was one of the best experiences, it was really hard for the girl who needs a good 8 hours of sleep each night. We would ski 5 hours everyday then stay up very late and then I was blessed with a girl in my room who coughed the whole night. Making me the most tired I have ever been in my life. And the french 24/7 was exhausting as well. I sadly never cried from falling on the slopes but instead I cried from exhaustion one morning at breakfast. But you know what? Who has time for sleep when you are having the time of your life? You can always sleep when you're dead.

I'm proud to say I spent the first week of 2011 skiing in the Alps with my Belgian friends, falling all over myself in an attempt to ski, and crying at the breakfast table. I really had so much fun on this trip and I would do it over in a heartbeat - even falling all over myself part I thought was skiing.
Oh! And Benoit and I had our first brother sister fight - over a wet towel. It was cute and ended in a hug. This shouldn't be a big deal but for the only child - it kind of is. I won't make this into a "appreciate you brother and sister whenever you fight" paragraph but ... I so easily could.

The sky trip came to a close and it was sad to leave the sunny Alps and come back to depressing rain and school. Blah. School.
Sunday I just caught up with e-mails and facebook and went for a little run in the neighborhood. It is really quiet here and nice to just go for a light jog. Plus since all the snow has melted now, I really have no excuse to not go for a quick run...
Monday I wore a dress to help me with my Monday issues. It worked :) It was fun to see all my friends that didn't go on the ski trip at school... and it was just as great to see all my friends I spent my time with on the ski trip. I really have made friends for a lifetime here. We had a soiree the last night and my good friend's little sister came up to her and asked her who I was. My friend responded by saying I was the American exchange student. The girl looked shocked because she thought I was a Belge but didn't think I went to our school and that was why she was askign. My friends were all like, "You're one of us now!" I couldn't be happier to be mistaken for a Belge.... I know how to pull off the skinny jean and side bang pretty well now :) I think my integration has been successful. Check!
Today was the last Rotary meeting for my good friend, Matilda. She goes back to Australia this Thursday (which I'm hoping I can go to the airport to see her off - since I have no idea when I will see her next). The last meeting wasn't sad... just kind of weird that the next meeting it will just be Jerry and I. That is just weird. She will be missed :(

Tomorrow all the exchange students are going into to town for maybe the last time we will all ever be together. Super depressing. I hope I don't cry...
I know that whatever happens in the years to come that I will always have my Rotary relatives ... I love you guys :)
Sorry - I'm quite emotional these days.

All for now. Hope that lived up to everyone's expectations !!
Happy New Year!
Mallo