Hello Carnival Season

Hellooooo Dimanche-Gras, Lundi-Gras, and Mardi-Gras!! I've never experienced the carnival season like this before :) Only Europe would give everyone a week off school and work to enjoy the season with orange throwing, huge feather hats, and ridiculous floats.
I love Europe.

(warning - this is going to be a long entry!)

The Carnival Season goes way back in history.
Hundred and hundreds of years ago, the followers of the Catholic religion in Italy started the tradition of holding a wild costume festival right before the first day of Lent (fat tuesday or mardi-gras in French) . Because Catholics are not supposed to eat meat during Lent, they called their festival, carnevale - which means "to put away the meat". As time passed, carnivals in Italy became quite famous and the practice spread to France, Spain, and all the other Catholic countries in Europe (like Belgium). All the countries put their own little spin on the their tradition of celebrating carnival....
Many parts of Belgium celebrate Carnival, typically with costume parades, partying, fireworks, and beer drinking.
So, on Sunday (dimanche-gras) Margaret, my parents, and I went to a carnival in Malmedy - and hour south of Liege - to start the festivities. (Most of the carnivals start on Thursday and go until Tuesday at midnight.) It was not what I was expecting at all! There were so many people packed into this small little town with small streets and old buildings... it was crazy! We got their around noon and the parade was just about to start. It was beautiful with the sun shining and all the people so happy... a great "ambiance". When the parade started, Marge and I were literally in shock at all that was passing by. There were maybe 15 bands in this parade all decked out in intense costumes, 20 huge floats with themes for every one that passed by, and confetti everywhere! It was so pretty... all the colors :) It was a very interactive parade as well. In the states, you would never be touched at a parade - but in Europe it was almost mandatory for the people in masks to mess around with the crowd. It definitely made it so much more fun than just standing there and watching! Marge even got stole by one of the floats and came back with confetti all in her hair and black make-up on her cheeks! It was a Mary Poppins float and she "helped clean the chimney". I was worried at first when they took her away but then I couldn't stop laughing! I made a friend too who taught me the dance to his tropical themed float. There were these people dressed up as bakers (Boldji) in all white, a baker's hat, rosy cheeks, and with a wooden shovel called the "Panula". They would sometimes come around with their children dressed the same (so cute) and they would come up behind you and pat your butt with their paddles! It was hilarious and Isabelle (my host mom) was very popular with them! There were these other people (Lu Long-Bresse) who were dressed up as clowns but with extra long hands and when they were walking in the parade they would come up to the crowd and mess up your hair with their long hands! Sometimes they would steal the hat of a random person in the crowd and then give it to another random person. So funny. They loved Marge and I, by the end of the day our hair was so crazy by the Lu Long-Bresse messing with us all day. There were these other people called Lu Long-Ramon (long blade) that were dressed the same as the Long-Bresse but without the arm extensions. They carry a huge broom about 5 meters high decorated with the Malmedy colors (black, yellow, and green). The brush is mainly to just mess with people and it always kept surprising me when I didn't see it coming. It added to my hair looking great by the end of the day! Then there were these other people called Lu Long-Ne who would gather by 6 or 7 and in single file follow around a random person until the random person finally gives up and gives them a tour of the city. They wear a striped hat, a mask with a long nose, and a blue coat. They are totally unrecognizable with their clay pipe in their mouth. It was hilarious. At first, I just thought they were running through the town following their "leader" but not until the end of the day did I realize they were following a random man...! I always saw them running because the "victim" would want to wear them out so they would give up. Not only do they follow the random person around, but they also have to drink what the "victim" drinks! Of course! Then there were these other people who had a little, wooden things that would trap your leg. When they would catch you you would have to go down on one leg and promise the person that you have never drank and you never will. It happened to pretty much everyone and it is hilarious because everyone is drinking but you say you have never tasted beer just so they will let you go. There were these other people called "Lu Lu Savadje-Cayet" that were covered in black make-up (from head to toe) and are covered with colorful, wood chips that would rattle at the slightest movement. When they would come by in the parade they would have a club full of foam and rub you with it ... for some reason. It was an awesome day full of interactive traditions and I'm so glad I got to experience it :) Little cultural experience on a beautiful Sunday in Belgium.
After the festivities ended, we went home. I was supposed to go to a birthday party for Francois but I was so exhausted after the exciting day I decided to stay home. I took a "nap" that lasted 14 hours. I am sooo sick! I slept from 6 PM on Sunday to 8 AM on Monday. I was a mess. So on Monday (lundi-gras) I didn't do anything special. Except upload all my photos from Sunday on Facebook!
Tuesday, I took a 2 hour train with Mollie and Marge to the legendary city of Binche to celebrate Mardi-Gras. The Carnival of Binche has a history of dating back at least to the 16th century. Parades are held over three days before Lent. In 2003, the Carnival of Binche was recognized as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The most important participants are the "Gilles", who go out in traditional costume on Mardi-Gras and throw blood oranges into the crowd. In Binche, the "Gille" is only allowed to wear his Gille costume on Mardi Gras. Tradition also forbids "Gilles" to make performances outside Binche (carnival has its strict rules). The "Gille's" day starts with his dressing - l'habillage - with his family and is only attended by close relatives. Later the drum comes fetching the "Gille" at his home and his family and friends go from house to house collecting the other members of the town (called the "ramassage"). In the afternoon, during the parade, the "Gille" wears his impressive hat covered with ostrich feathers and offers the huge crowds hundreds of oranges! Marge and I went to Binche thinking that it would be a huge parade like in Malmedy but really all that Binche is known for on Mardi-Gras is orange throwing thrown by these huge, feather hat people. It was kind of funny to think that all these people came just to have oranges chucked at their heads (yes, one hit me in the head) but it is tradition! I'm so glad I was a part of it... it is so different than the Mardi-Gras I think of in New Orleans with beads and huge floats. I'm so glad I got to experience this with my friends :)
We took a train home at 7 and the girls came over to my house for the night. Then we woke up early to go meet Rotary at the train station to go to Bastogne. Bastogne (for those of you not really into history) was liberated by the Allies in late 1944 in World War II. Bastogne was attacked by German forces looking for control of the Ardennes. The goal of the German army was to advance toward Antwerp to cut off supplies and separate the British troops from the American troops. On December 16th, the legendary, war-changing Battle of the Bulge started. This was Hitler's last attempt to win the war in the west. On December 22nd, German emissaries asked for the Americans to surrender since it looked like neither side was going to give up any time soon. General McAuliffe answered the Germans with his famous quote of, "Nuts!" The next day, things started looking better for the Americans. On December 26th, troops under the command of General Patton broke the deadlock and won the battle and liberated the people of Belgium. Bastogne is covered with memorials dedicated to the American soldiers who liberated the town from the German control. I am not very patriotic, but there was something about looking at all the memorials and going through the museums of the town that made me proud of the troops who fought in the Battle of Bulge. This war was 70 years ago and yet, you still feel it when you walk the streets. In America, you just learn about this war in school through text books that don't really give you a real image of what life was like for these people that are now grand-parents. The war didn't just affect the soldiers but the towns people... that had to leave their houses they grew up, that had to watch their sons and fathers be taken, that had to watch their town burn to the ground. This war affected everyone it came in contact with and still affects people to this day... you feel this untimely appreciation for the American troops who left their own homes in America to come fight for another countries independence. So ya... I was proud to be from America yesterday as I looked at the Madassan Memorial - a huge star with the 50 United States erected to honor the memory of the American soldiers wounded or killed during the Battle of the Bulge. Along with looking at all the war memorials and museums we also went to a farm that where handicapped people work. We got to spend a few minutes with sheep and llama! It was so much fun! I have never seen a real llama so it was really fun! We were all scared they were going to spit on us...so that was exciting :) It was a fun day along with being a sad with the emotional museums about WWII.

I forgot to tell you about my past Friday! Last Friday, the break started and for some reason all the buses went on strike and weren't running. So annoying. Bus strikes are very common here... and really inconvenient. Everyone wanted to go into town after school since it was the start of break so instead of easily catching the bus into town we all walked... 2 hours into town! It was crazy... and so much fun! I was with 3 guy friends and 6 of my close girl friends making the most of the nice weather and walking into town. It was a day I will never forget with my Belgian friends :)

I have had quite a busy week with traveling and enjoying life! I thought I would have a very calm break and I'm happy to say that it has been the farthest from that. I'm so thankful I got to go enjoy the carnivals around Belgium and take a little day trip with Rotary to a historical town.
Life is good :)

Hope everyone is doing well and you all enjoyed the carnival season in some special way also!
Spring is coming soon!

All for now
Mallory

Wait... it's March?!

Woahhhh... everybody hold on... IT'S MARCH?!
This is what ran through my mind yesterday when I was writing the date at the top of my paper...I can't even believe it is March already!! That just sounds like Spring... and after Spring comes Summer ...and after Summer comes Fall ....and Fall brings me back to school...! The thought of being in actual, real life school makes my head spin! And that I will be in school in less than 6 months is absolutely crazy. Everything is just going way too fast. Can we just slow down the clock for like 2 minutes so I can actually have time to realize that time is moving really fast...?!

Today was really nice :) My body is doing this weird thing where it thinks it is REALLY nice out whenever the sun is out... like today. The sun was out but it was actually pretty cold... but my mind thinks it is gorgeous and I went on a run in a short sleeve shirt! I don't know anymore what it means to have normal weather! Oh Belgium, you are really making me appreciate the sun even when it is still cold out!! I just miss the sun so muchhhh!! Have I already mentioned I'm totally ready for Spring to come... like this week preferably?

Last time we talked was Wednesday... sooo on Thursday FRANCOIS TURNED 19! Yayyy! We are now both old! I had already given him a present (2 free movie passes) in early February but I felt bad for not having anything to give him on his actual birthday so before French class I went and bought some chocolates for him (and some candy for Benoit too since I know his favorite kind). Francois and I both have a sick obsession with Shrek, so I also got him a little Pez thing with Shrek as the head. He loved that the most. I'm such a great, OLDER sister. Thursday was also the day I finally got my birthday present from Blakelee (best friend in KC). Just when I was starting to give up hope that I was actually going to get a present from her... :) She was so cute and wrote the sweetest card and then sent a necklace with the word "Dream" on. It made me smile so much and miss my friends at home so much. Love her :) I can't wait to see her this July!
Friday all my classes ended at 1! Score. So after school, I came home to eat lunch then I went for a run. I caught up with some e-mails and facebook and then had dinner with the parents and Francois. Francois was going to a college party and I was going into town to meet up with friends to go to a party... so we hopped on the same bus into town after dinner. Francois was with one of his friends (Romain) and it was entertaining to hear them talk about this huge party they were going to with the other med students. College life is sooo different here but also the same too. By the way... I'm kind of super excited for next year at Arkansas. Marge and I decided not to room together next year... which was totally mutual and probably the best idea. So now I'm on a roommate search! Arkansas has this thing where you find your future roommate through this website they have by answering a few questions... like eHarmony! It is so cool! I already have 7 girls that are "interested in me". So popular! (haha... not.) It just gets me so exited to think about next year :) Before I came I did not want to go to Arkansas at all but after being here just a few months I realize I want that total "American College Experience". I love my life here and I can't wait for my new life waiting for me in Arkansas. One of the reasons I'm coming home so late is because I don't want to have time to get my life together... I just want to start the new chapter of my life right when I get home! I don't want to try to match up the person I was when I left with the person I am now... no thanks. So instead, I'm just going to hop into my next life. I'll let you know if this plan is a fail or not. I've just been really excited about the future this week... and at the same time enjoying the moments I'm in now. Life is good. Are you getting sick of me saying this in every blog entry?? Sorry... I got a little off track on how my Friday went! So, when I got into town I met up with my friends and hung out for a bit there then went to a party of a girl in a grade lower than me (with Benoit and our friends). The party was kind of lame... but I danced the whole night with a good friend so I had a good time :) Then we left around 2 and got home around 3. Long day.
Saturday was rough. I had to wake up at 7 in the morning to catch a bus to Luxembourg with Rotary. I have been looking forward to doing this little day trip for awhile! I have never been to Luxembourg before, so why not go? This is where it gets tricky... where we went was not the country of Luxembourg but the province of Luxembourg. It is in the southernmost province of Belgium and actually borders the real Luxembourg. So, we visited the city of Luxembourg in the Province of Luxembourg which borders Luxembourg the country. Confusing, I know. I might have been telling people all week at school I was going to the country of Luxembourg... oh well another lost in translation mallory moment for the books. But the Province of Luxembourg is the largest of Belgium but has the smallest population. Very interesting! It was fun to hang out with everyone I hadn't seen in a long time and it was one of the first trips with the newies... so that was fun. It was one of those typical Northern European days though... where it is rainy, cold, and cloudy... for the entire day. It really didn't help my lack of sleep mood but I hung out with my friends all day and that made it somewhat better. We went to one of the oldest Breweries in Luxembourg (and the most modern) and had a little beer tasting before a tour of the Brewery! It was so cool... to see where it was actually brewed and to learn all the terms in French. It was too bad though that the beer was absolutely awful... I had 2 sips and I couldn't drink anymore! It was so bitter! Oh well... it was a really cool experience :) For lunch we had the "typical" Luxembourg lunch - ham, beans, and potatoes -which was not the best lunch... and didn't sit very well with me, the almost vegetarian, because after lunch we went to a place where they package meat (a Buchery?). We did a tour... and nobody was really paying attention since nobody really knew why we were touring a meet packaging place in Luxembourg. Oh Rotary... sometimes you confuse me. It was fun though to chill with all my friends. After this we went into town to do some shopping... yet with the rain and everybody's mood after the meat department - nobody was really in the mood to go shopping in the cold rain so we just hung out in a coffee shop and drank tea and ate pastries :) It was the best decision of my life. Around 5, we got back on the bus and pulled into Liege around 7. Then Marge and Mollie came over to my house for the night and we made tacos (Marge had real tacos and taco seasoning sent to her)! The boys were both playing ping pong (until 2 in the morning... not normal) and my parents were at a movie so we had the house to ourselves. It was just fun to make our own meal and listen to music and just chat about life :) I brought some chocolate chips from the states in my suitcase so we made some chocolate chip cookies... but that turned into being a fail since we didn't have any baking soda or enough sugar. Surprisingly the cookies turned out well (and I brought the extras to school for my friends)! It was nice to spend the day and night with friends :)
Sunday we woke up pretty early to take Mollie to the bus stop in my neighborhood... but taking Mollie to the bus turned into running her to the bus stop since we were late. Marge and I had planned on going on a run after we dropped Mollie off at the bus stop so it was hilarious since Marge and I were in running gear and Mollie was in a dress and all her bags. Poor girl. But we made it to the bus in time and Marge and I had a successful run in my neighborhood... win win. After Marge left, I did some homework and caught up with e-mails and stuff. Pretty successful day!
Monday was lame. I was super exhausted from the long weekend with not a lot of sleep. I forced myself to go on a run after school... I guess that is something exciting.
Yesterday Jerry and I went to our Rotary Meeting. We finally got paid! That was exciting. Then we hung out in town before our French class since we were finished early. Jerry hasn't been to the past 2 weeks of our French class at the University and yesterday was the first day he went... so that was fun. The French class I think is the right level... so I feel like I'm learning more than last time! For dinner last night, the grandparents came over and we had lasagna :) I love lasagna and I love these grandparents so much... so it was a good night!
Today was nice and sunny. After school finished at one, I came home to eat and run :) A productive day I would say! Spring is coming very soon!! I just have this feeling!!

I keep sneezing and I have a bad cough... I hope I get better! This Friday we will be on vacation for a week because of the carnaval season! I'm hoping to maybe take a train somewhere with friends this weekend to see the legendary carnavals of northern europe! I'll keep you updated :) And Wednesday I'm going to Bastogne with Rotary!
Should be a relaxing break :)
I do have to start my research paper for my Science Sociales class... ughhhhh! I don't remember how to actually do work anymore. Help.

All for now!

Mallory

Seasons of Love

Hello Everyone :)

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets
In midnights, in cups of coffee,
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife
In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, a year in the life?
How about love?
Measure in love
Seasons of love

I was on iTunes the other day... and being the cheap person I am, I was looking at the songs for 39 cents. I found all these songs I used to love! That I used to listen to when I was a pre-teen that I would blast on my boom-box when my daddy would make me clean my room... it brought back so many memories! When I was in grade school, we would have little orientations once a month to make us more cultural, or artistic, or aware, or sporty, or intelligent, or religious, or who knows what. One time, we had a group of singers come to the school and sing us modern songs but sung in this old-fashion type of way... I still remember it. I was sitting in the back of the room on a sunny day next to my giggling friends and the next song they sung was called "Seasons of Love" from the new movie musical called Rent -it made me stop messing around and just listen. I had never seen the movie (still haven't) but when they started singing it I got goosebumps... legit goosebumps. The words just struck me and made me want to dance, sing, love, laugh, and live all at once. I just felt... so alive. I wanted to grab life and shake it and tell it never to go away and that I will embrace it until I can't any more. Little much for a 12 year-old? I was very mature for my age and have always had this sense of time and living in the moment. So, when I heard this song on the 39 cent list the other day it almost made me cry... because right now I am following my dreams and living in the moment - measuring My Year in love, through seasons of love. I am doing what that little 12 year-old sitting cross-legged in the back of the room could only dream of doing ... by measuring my life in love. By measuring my year abroad in love... the year that I have never loved so much. Myself. My friends (old and new). My family (on all levels). My life. My choices.

I could write my whole blog entry on this... but I won't. I just knew that my faithful followers have gone awhile without a paragraph where I analyze a new favorite song of mine... :) Bon appetit :)

I'm living my life by seasons... and I'm happy to say that I think Spring is coming very soon. I woke up today with a sunrise that made me go searching for my camera at 7 AM. It was beyond beautiful and made me smile... I'm glad I captured a little bit of the beauty. The sun is starting to rise a little earlier than normal... doesn't that mean something? I hope so! I want to feel the sun on my skin and not be covered up by multiple layers of sweaters anymore. Dear Belgium, stop teasing me with the sun coming out and then taking it away it makes me think Spring is coming tomorrow!! PS - I would be super happy if it did come tomorrow. Thanks.

so now my week.
Here are pictures from Friday - my friends put them up late so I couldn't put them on the last blog! But here are some of me with my class :)

Saturday was such a funny and failure of a night. I was not planning on doing anything all day since I was exhausted from my long day before. My parents were having family friends over and I had planned on eating with them (Racklettes!) so around 6 PM I took a nap. Half hour into the nap, Benoit and our friend (Constantin) come knocking on my door telling me to get ready because I was going out with them. I protested.. but they won. Benoit had to play ping-pong that night so after I got ready... Constantin and I went to watch him play. He is so serious... but so is everyone else playing. We had a good laugh when we were watching. He had 4 matches... and was supposed to be finished by 10. So around 8, Constantin and I walked back to my house to have a few racklettes with the fam and then went back over to watch the last 2 matches of ping-pong. Then when Ben was finished we went back to the house for him to shower and then went to Constantin's house so he could eat with his parents around 10:30! It was a lot of moving around... then we finally left Constantin's house to catch the bus to the party. But - of course - we missed the last bus so we enjoyed a good 40 minute walk to the party (which is a very long time in Belgium). It was so fun to just walk and talk with Ben and Constantin though... I was laughing the whole time. We had maybe another 20 minutes to go and then Constantin stuck out his thumb and a car stopped! We all got in and this nice woman drove us to the party! A complete stranger! If you did this in the states... you would be dead. I was in the back seat freaking out but after wards it was just funny. I can now say I hitched a ride :) I would never do it in the states though!! Not that stupid! Then after we walked half an hour and hitched a ride we finally made it to the party... andddddd had an amazing time? Nope. They weren't letting any more people in since it was too late!! After all we did that night! By this point... it was just hilarious and Benoit and I were picked up by Alain around midnight. Talk about a night to remember! Or a failure? Honestly, I had fun either way :)
Sunday - I got up and went for a run then did some homework. I'm slowly easing into the idea of doing homework on a regular basis. Then around 5, I caught a bus into town to go have dinner with Mollie, Margaret, and Margaret's mom! Her real mom! We enjoyed a nice chinese dinner and nice conversations in English. It was a really fun night and I'm glad I got to finally meet her mom :) It was nice to catch up with the girls since the last time I saw them was the weekend of my Birthday festivities. I caught the second to last bus home, and while I was waiting at the bus stop a boy asked me what time it was. I was listening to music and couldn't hear him so he asked maybe 5 times before I got it... and responded. He was like, "Um, where are you from?" Apparently, my accent is a dead giveaway. This boy was in no direction cute with his long hair and gothic apparel and I can say honestly that I don't think we would be friends if we went to the same school... but for some reason we kept talking (in French) for the entire bus ride - which was about 30 minutes long. About everything! It was great... to just have an amazing conversation with a random person you know you will never see again. We didn't exchange numbers... just first names. I just love life sometimes when you meet people you would never meet in 'real life'... and share a moment together that might not have happened if things went a little differently in the universe. To say the least, I was smiling the whole walk home after I got off the bus :)
Monday was lame. In gym, we were doing this stupid exercise and a girl ended up jumping (legit jumping) on my upper back. I cried... and it was just a mess.... now I think I have a collapsed lung. That is just a bit dramatic... but my back really does hurt!! Stupid gym.
Tuesday I had french class... that was good. We are in the same classroom of the French class I had when I first arrived. It is on the 5th floor overlooking the river and the city... and when I had just arrived in Belgium I remember looking out the window when things got boring in the French class and I would look out at the sun shining on the old buildings and dream about knowing the streets of Liege someday. Now, I'm in the same class ... looking out the same windows at the sun (sometimes) shining on the old buildings and I can now say I know Liege. I know where to buy the best apples, I know where to fix my stupid phone, I know where my favorite shops are, I know which streets to take to avoid the begging man who I always want to give my spare euros to, I know where to meet my friends at the fountain, I know the best bench to sit at in the square, I know where my bus stops are, I know how long it takes me to walk from each place I'm at, I know where you can use the bathroom for free, I know the streets now. It makes me happy to finally know my city that I have been dreaming of knowing even before I was in Europe :)

all for now :)
nice catching up!
Mallo

Hugs and Kisses

Happy Valentine's Day :) I hope everyone had a cute one :)

Soooo I hate this blog officially. It won't let me publish this post I wrote on Wednesday. Cool. I have rewritten it and still it won't let me. Just when I was starting to actually enjoy it ... !

So I have a nice little paragraph on Wednesday. It was so nice :) The sun was out and shining and it makde me even happy after a boring Wednesday. After school, I went for a run since the sun was haunting me. I think I am getting better at running now that the weather is nicer. I don't think it has helped in the losing weight department (10 pounds to go until pre-Belgium chocolate and fries) but it makes me less stressed and just happier in general. The other day I was sitting in German class like normal and the teacher turns to me - after the other students had started working on the exercises and I had started working on getting out of day-dreaming - and he says, "Do you ever get stressed here?" (said in English since he is also the English teacher) I was taken by surprise and said, "Well, in the beginning ... yes. But now? No, it really isn't my thing anymore." It made me smile. I doubt he was asking because it was a good thing... but it made me happy regardless because I'm getting one step closer everyday to one of my goals. :)
Last time we talked it was Thursday... so on Friday I went into town with friends and nothing really went down. It was nice to be with friends after a long week ... :)
On Saturday, I moved back in with the Brans since Isa and Alain came back from the Alps. It was a bit weird moving back in after being gone for such a short period... but I am happy to be back :) Delphine picked me up around 7 and we went to a party hosted by the school to raise money for our Rheto (senior) Trip. I'm going to be going to Greece the last week of April! I'm sooo excited. It is a bit expensive for just a week away so our school has been doing little parties through out the year to raise money. They had this idea to have a "Blind Test" - which is where you have to guess the artist and title of all these different songs in a certain amount of time. To say the least... I was a train wreck at this game! We were all on a team, and my friends were like, "You have to be on our team! You will know all the American songs!" I have never been more of a disappointment. The "American" songs were not songs that I listen to at all but are more popular in Europe than in America - so I was a failure. Then on the other hand, I would know the song and be able to sing it by heart - but not know the title or artist! The Belges were very disappointed in me. So not my game! Haha Then around 10:30, Francois picked me up after leaving his girlfriend's house. This was a big deal because he has only had his license for 3 months... which is funny considering that now I'm 19, I have had my license for 3 years!! Bizarre. Sunday I slept in while the family (except Benoit) went to tennis practice. Around 2, I went for a run and then did some homework. As in - I attempted to do a German essay but it turned into me asking my German friend from my French course at the University how to say all these things in German. To no surprise, my German teacher called me out in front of the whole class this Monday for not writing it myself... since it was a higher level than students he has been teaching for 6 years. I told him I had a nice bonding moment with a German friend and that I learned so much more vocabulary blah blah blah. Turns out he was not mad at all - just wanted me to learn something. I'm that girl that the teacher doesn't even care if she cheats ... just as long as she learned something and tried her best. Not being an exchange student next year is going to be a rude awakening.
Monday was Valentine's Day Valentine's Day... maybe too much? All day I went around telling people "Bon St. Valentin!" with the response of a laugh and a comment about how it is the worst holiday... So sad. Valentine's Day here is not even really considered anything more than stupid. I'm not really surprised that with my two favorite holidays (Halloween and V-day) nobody celebrates or likes them here. Such a let down. Ever since I was little, I loved this day. I love how close it is to my Birthday, how everything is pink and red everywhere you turn, all the flowers that pop up where you didn't even think they sold flowers, all the cute little cards with hearts and cupids (that my Mommy would put in my lunch box when I was little), how even if you aren't in a relationship you still get candy (and more if you are), how you got a free Burrito from Chipotle (shout out to my Rockhurst boys and Sion girls), how their is snow on the ground and the cold air makes your cheeks red, how it is the one day out of the year I actually want to go ice skating, how for that one day everybody is a little more lovey-dovey towards the people they care about... Maybe it is only me who appreciates it or maybe I have been brain washed early with the mass marketing in the states or maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic... either way, this year it was just depressing! I miss my commercialized holidays!! I guess I will just have to wait until next year to appreciate and respect my dear St. Valentine (that goes for Halloween as well). So sad... Tuesday was rainy and went perfectly with my mood after a depressing Valentine's Day. I made myself got for a run... in the rain. When I got home, I checked my e-mails and I officially have a day I will be back in the Midwest. July 25th! So weird! July 25th, I will be back in America and only a few weeks later I will be starting college... I can't even picture my life like that in about 6 months. I have just over 5 months left in this country I have come to love and call my own. It just too me by surprise that I actually will be leaving and that I am now officially halfway through. Is it just me... or is time just the most mysterious thing ever? Why does it move so fast and yet slow at the same time... and how can it make a million years feel like a moment and a moment feel like a million years? I think I will always be amazed by how time works... coming from the girl who just now figured out how to do military time... :)
We already spoke about Wednesday... so this past Thursday was nice and sunny. I enjoyed eating outside with my friends and actually for a half-second being worried if I was getting sun-burnt.... but no. I have started up my French course at the University again and somehow missed the notification that it started this week... so I missed the course on Tuesday, but went this Thursday. I did pretty well on the test but because I didn't do the online courses it lowered my grade a bit....I didn't think it was obligatory, but it was. Haha! Either way, I am now in a higher level class but I think it still may be too easy. I will give it another day before I ask to be moved up...
Then yesterday was a very long day. I woke up a half hour early in order to get to school to catch a bus with my class to Brussels. Since, it looks like Belgium won't be Belgium in the next few years (mainly because the Flemish people want more rights, representation, and are sick of paying the taxes for the weak south - which is the french part - and want to split to form their own country which leaves the french part of Belgium possibly joining France) the school decided to take a trip to the capital and visit the parliament building (consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives). I have already been with Rotary back in September - so it was a bit repetitive... but still interesting. There were a ton of student groups visiting ... mainly Flemish groups. It was interesting to me ... Brussels is a big deal right now because it is considered a French city but it is in the Flemish region... so if Belgium splits up then Brussels would not be in the same part as the rest of the French speaking people. It is just really complicated... and since Brussels is such an international city with the European Union and such, things are starting to get a bit messy. I has now been close to 300 days that Belgium has been without a national government. I think that is crazy, but at least things are attempting to be sorted out in a diplomatic way instead of how things are going in other parts of the world. I know I said I wouldn't talk about politics but this is a really important issue and I'm actually living in the middle of it. Why not talk about it a little? At the most, people at home can try to comprehend what is going on with my little country. (Somebody sent me this link - I think it is really interesting to understanding Belgium better) But back to my day, after parliament we ate then went to the Magritte Museum. Rene Magritte was a famous, surrealist painter (and poet) from the mid 19th century. He was Belge so he has a nice museum in the middle of Brussels. I learned a lot about him in my AP European History class, so I actually found it really interesting. We had a great guide as well so I think I got a lot out of it. I like how it made me look at things differently and think... I like when art does that. Then after the museum, we all went back by bus to the school and I went home to eat dinner with the family (minus Francois and plus Benoit's girlfriend). Around 8:30, I took a bus into town and met up with Delphine and then we went around 10 to a birthday party for our friend. It was pretty far away so not very many people went to the party... but I still managed to have fun. I met new people! Then around 2, Delphine's mom picked us up and dropped me off at my house. It was a very long day and I am exhausteddd!!

I'm sorry things with the blog have been weird... just for the record I had it written on Wednesday!! I'm so dedicated :)

I know, my faithful followers, that you have been missing my closing off quotes on life... so I have found a few that I really like...

For centuries, man believed that the sun revolves around the earth. Centuries later, he still thinks that time moves clockwise. - Robert Brault

Nothing endures but change. - Herclitus

All for now!! Talk to you soon!!
Mallo :)

blog wont work. and wont let me update. hold on my faithful followers

Oh hello...19?!

Happy Birthday to meeeee!!
I can't believe I'm 19! How weird is that??
Mallory Moment - already? yes - on my birthday I went around telling everyone next year I would be 2 centuries (thinking that a century was 10 years). The Belges were a bit freaked out and when someone finally corrected me I tried to blame it on my french... so embarrassing. But now back to how I am so happy I spent my 19th birthday in Belgium with my friends ... even though I missed my family and friends back home.... I was really happy this year :) I couldn't have asked for a better birthday... honestly!! I think Belgium even knew it was birthday because it was the first sunny day we have had in a long time. It was so nice and I didn't even need to wear a jacket during the day at school... actually it so nice I WANTED to go on a run, because I could without a parka and snow gear. Thank you Belgium for finally getting the weather right on the one day that it was important to me... you're the best :)

Now my week so we can get to the birthday festivities :)
On Wednesday, I went to the movies with my school to see "Desert Flower". It was in English - which I think I got a lot more out of... since it was one of those movies that is a little intense. It was about this woman who grew up in Somalia and escaped to London, where she became discovered and then became a top model... and she suffered from the cruel practice of Female Genital Mutilation. It was really eye-opening and intense for me... so I'm glad I got to watch it in English instead of reading the subtitles the whole time :) Then after this, I met up with Margaret and we wen to fix my phone. Such a Mallory Moment... for the past week nobody had been responding to my text messages and I thought that everyone was being really rude or just really busy. It didn't even click in my mind until a week later that none of my messages over the past week have been sent to anyone. Real cool. So, when I got it fixed everyone received all the messages I have been sending at once. Benoit got 15! Hilarious... and really awkward to explain to the dozen of people being like, "um, ya... why didn't you respond to this 5 days ago?". Then after this moment, we went to meet all the newies! Which I must say was a bit of a let down... maybe because they aren't like our oldies. I don't know ... It just made me miss the REAL Aussies even more. Sigh.
Thursday I had a horrible sinus infection and for the first time in Belgium ... I went home sick from school. Gasp!! I was literally dying and came home and slept from 11-5... I wish this was a joke.
Friday! My Birthday Party! My First Party I (semi) Hosted in Belgium! I miraculously finished school at 1 instead of 4:20 and went to the mall with my two good friends from school (Noemie and Delphine). We ate lunch and shopped and just hung out :) I love them. Then after this Noemie and I went into town and met up with some other people. It was so fun and everybody was in such a great mood. Around 8, we all went back to my house and had a good party! I felt so special to have such good friends :) Earlier in the week, the girls were asking me what I wanted for a present and honestly I didn't really want anything so I told them a picture of all of us? And they made the cutest little collage of us over the past few months!! It was the best pictures... from my first party with them to last weekend... it was perfect and so meaningful. It almost made me cry... I really do consider these girls my friends for life. My other good friend from school got me a wicked pair of socks... since I always wear really bright, colored socks (which apparently is not normal). Socks are now my trademark ... haha I'm that cool. It was a good party :)
The next day I woke up kind of early to clean up... and let's be honest, I pretty much did all the cleaning. Which is fine. It was technically my party, so I can't complain too much. My parents (Isa and Alain) left that morning - at 7, ouch - to go skiing in the Alps and around 2 I caught a train with Mollie to go to Margaret's house for the night. To again, celebrate me turning into a grandma. Marge has a new family so it was a bit different than the other times, but we still had a blast! We were actually supposed to go to a soiree (party) that night but when we went shopping with her host mom for dinner we found so many things (like, salsa?) we wanted to make and bake and eat that we decided to stay in instead. Can you say fat? I'm so glad we did though! I was exhausted from the night before and I wanted to just chill with my girls and catch up. Marge (I stirred and Mollie was in charge of the music) made me a special dinner of shrimp scampi and then we attempted to make ice cream - fail. We were so grown up eating pasta and drinking white wine... for like 2 minutes I actually felt like I was at my mom's book club... but let's be honest, we were giggling like 5 year olds the whole dinner. I love my friends :)
Sunday, I got back into town around 3 and got home in time to pack my suitcase to head back over to the Gaier's (my first family). I have to move for a week because my parents are out of town and they didn't want me to be left alone with the boys and blah blah blah. So, I am here for a week. Which has been fun to catch up and compare notes on how I have changed. They really know me well so it is fun :) Lisa is on a ski trip also this week - so things are not completely the same... but pretty close. I have missed my bed here! It is really big and I forgot about it somehow when I moved. Oh, the little pleasures of life here.
Monday!!! February 7th, 1992... the day that the European Union was formed AND the day that I was born :) Coincidence? I think not! I wore a pretty dress (not just because it was Monday) and when I walked into school all my friends sang me happy birthday... so cute. I kept getting messages from people all day saying sweet things and I couldn't stop smiling ;) Benoit was really cute and gave me my birthday present from him and Francois during school... it was 2 DVDs of Shrek! I have this sick obsession with Shrek - and so does Francois - so it was really made me smile :) Oh little brothers! (Oddly, I have really missed them this week and skyped them on my birthday after school.) When I went home, I had so many messages from people at home I thought had forgotten about me and from people here that I didn't even think knew me... It made me happy! Then to complete the happiness, I went on a run in the woods and in the lovely sun. I felt so good and happy after :) I even got up the courage to weigh myself and (drum roll please) I have lost 3 kilos! Yay me! (Only 98 to go!) Right as I realized this, it was time to go out to dinner for my birthday. For some reason, I thought we were going to eat Chinese and when we got to the restaurant and sat down I was like, "Wait, Is this Chineses?" Marta was like, "Does this look like a Chinese Restaurant?" And the answer was no - it was an Italian restaurant.... and just as good! I had an amazing appetizer with spaghetti scampi and then completed the meal with an amazing ice cream and chocolate sauce. The ice cream was to die for and I think I could have just eaten that all night... to say the least - I was stuffed like a pig and it took me forever to get to sleep that night! I have not eaten that much in a really long time... my poor body.
Tuesday was not so fun. I stayed up really late on Monday and was just beyond exhausted at school. The sun was out again though :) So, I took advantage and made myself go for a run again. I really can't help but like running when it is nice out... even when I am about to pass out from fatigue.
Then yesterday, I went to the University's library with my Science Sociales class. When you are a rheto (senior) you have these huge presentations you have to do in each class you are taking. Like in French class - everyone has to read a book and then in a group of 3 they have to present the book to the class and it is a huge part of their grade. Everyone has been freaking out about these "expos" ever since we have been back at school. Some of them are due in June - like the Science Sociales one. We have to write a 10 page research paper on a question under any subject we want related to the class. Of course being the lazy exchange student I am - I went to the teacher and asked if I had to do the paper too. She looked at me all weird and was like, "Well, yes? Why wouldn't you have to? Your french will be even better in June!" Super! So, then I had to figure out a question related to something we were studying and something I'm somewhat interested in. I decided to compare the Social Security System (mainly the Healhcare) of Belgium with the system of America... and then to add the thoughts of the Americans (democrat and republican) on the subject, why it is complicated to change our current system, and why it works in Europe. I was so excited with how intense my question was and how it is actually something that is an important issue right now. The next day after I picked it out, I told the teacher and she was so impressed also that now she wants me to give an oral presentation to the class since it "is such a big issue".... along with the 10 page paper... all in French. So, now... I'm kind of regretting my question since it is more than I think I can handle. Yesterday when we went to the library, we were all looking up our questions and most people have really weak questions... like one girl's is "why do people become vegetarians?" I'm too smart for my own good! This is what happens when I put in a little bit of effort! Lesson learned. Yet, the paper is still due. Cool. Oh, and oral presentation. Super.
After school, I was going to work on this blog since I was overdue! But then Marta and Larry came home and were like do you have plans tonight? I didn't have any plans and then the next thing you know we are mini golfing! And then had pizza after! It was a cute little bonding moment and a reminder that my golfing skills still suck on another continent. So, that is why I am updating everyone a bit late!!
Today was pretty lame... it rained. Only eventful thing was I went for another run... and completed this blog!! Score.

Pictures later!
All for now
Mal

Details in the Fabric and (New) Love for Techno

Hello Hello Hello Everyone

Today, I am literally shivering as I write this. For some reason, I just can't get warm. I think my body was used to the little bit of warmer weather we were experiencing and now that it is going back to being bold ... I'm now wishing for Spring to come faster! Which doesn't mean I don't love my snow... but my body can only take so much of this humid winter that Belgium seems to be very good at.

I'm currently listening to one of my favorite songs by Jason Mraz ("Details in the Fabric"). I used to listen to this song a lot during the first few months here. It is pretty much a song about just letting things go and that what you might be freaking out about is something that you don't need to worry about... like details in the fabric. Whenever I would be stressing out or worrying or crying over the things in my life that I shouldn't be wasting my time with ... I would listen to this song. I feel like I am not the same person I was when I listened to this song 4 months ago. I feel like now when I listen to it, I remember the hard times I had. This song helped me remember to just breathe... and calm down. Now, I feel like I'm telling this to a good friend... like it is my advice. One of the lines is,"Hold you own. Know your name. And go your own way. And everything will be fine." I feel like that is my own personal chant now... what saved me from myself and reminds me that I am strong on my own. I mean, just look how far I have come...
:)

On Friday, I went into town with my friends from Rotary and then later on met up with Belges. I changed my mind so many times this day... from not going into town at all, to only going until 8, and then to taking the last bus home. I like how spontaneous things can be sometimes :) I had an amazing pita also (drooling now). All the college kids were in town (including Francois) since they finished their finals this week so it was fun to see them so happy after watching my brother study so much for the past month!
Saturday was the day of the concert! During the day, I just got caught up with e-mails, facebook, and skype. Then around 5, I went over to my friend from school's house (Delphine) for dinner with Pamela (from Costa Rica) and Daniel (from Columbia) before the concert. It was fun to just chill before going out... and we made Mexican food in honor of Pame and Dani! It was cute :) We left her house around 9 and got to the concert around 9:30. Let me attempt to describe this concert... well there are 3 techno concerts in Belgium every year... and the TransArdentes is the one after I Love Techno (in October) and before the Ardentes (in July). If you love techno, electro, or dupstep then you have these dates down - but the concert in July is more commercial music. Each concert has so many artists, is just huge, and people come from all over Europe for just a few hours of this incredible "ambiance". This year, the TransArdentes had 12,000 people and I must say that it is the smallest of the three concerts. I knew it was going to be huge, but I had no idea how crazy and amazing it was going to be. They had 3 rooms (indoors) where all these different DJs would be playing from from 7 pm to 6am. So all night, we were changing rooms to where there was the best beat and just moving with the crowd of probably the trashiest European people you can imagine... but even with that said... I loved it. I loved how I was in this huge, legendary concert, with my friends, running into other friends in each room, just going with the crowd of people dancing like crazy, and in Belgium! I don't even really like techno but it was just like one huge party that you couldn't help but be a fan of your ears ringing the whole next day. It was amazinggg and Benoit and I left around 3:30... which means I, of course, slept until noon.
Sunday was pretty chill. I Skyped people and then around 5 went to see Harry Potter with my parents and Francois. - yes, in French. and yes, Harry Potter is still in theaters. I never read the books past the 3rd one and I don't think I have understood a single movie without a Hogwarts fan telling me the story plot before... so seeing it in French was just another added bonus to my confusion. I kept poking Francois and asking him to explain it to me... it was funny. It was such a good movie though and I really enjoyed it :) Then we came home and watched the finale of Desperate Housewives. My Sundays are going to be so different now without the Housewives to give my night a little drama...
Yesterday was freezing (today was worse) and I finally watched Slumdog Millionaire!! Oh My Goodness. This movie was so good... I don't even know why I hadn't watched it until now! I understood pretty much everything (since it was in French) and it really was so good. It was another bonding moment with the family... :)

All in all a good week!
I am writing this earlier than normal (like anybody notices) because tomorrow I am going to the movies with my school to see Desert Flower (yes, another movie. I think this whole blog has been about movies!). And then after, I will be going into town to meet the Newies... since I am now and Oldie!! This is kind of a big deal... and I will have new friends to teach the ropes in the streets of Liege :)

All is good here and I'm wishing the Midwest "Bonne Merde" (english translation - "good shit" but the belges say it as goodluck and it is badluck to say "merci" after somebody says it to you!) with the blizzard coming in! I hope it will be nothing like the amount of snow we had here around Christmas!
A tantot :)
Mallow