IHECS Integration Week ended with a tour of the Belgium Parliament and a surprise visit to a bar (and getting 2,20 euros off beer).Honestly the tour of the Parliament was pretty boring. I'm pretty sure the guy had never given a tour before; he would take us to a section and immediately ask if we had any questions, but it's hard to have any questions if you don't know anything about it. Regardless, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity so it was pretty neat. Below are some group pictures (we had to leave our phones at the entrance...the horror !!!) of us - on the same steps where group pictures are taken of the government, in the Senate, and in the House of Representatives.
Afterwards, we had lunch at the school and met some other exchange students who have been here since the first semester. Lunch was super good!! Then we had to wait for a surprise - they were taking us a bar! At 3:15pm! We ended up being there for a while, just drinking and talking and meeting some new people. Later that night, a group of us met up at Le Taviern - a popular bar in Ixelles that was recommended to us. From there, we bar hopped to another bar closer to the city center.
On Saturday, I met up with my Dad! He's here in Belgium on a business trip (he actually left the same day I did, but we were on different flights), and was kind enough to bring another suitcase for me. So I got my suitcase, and we grabbed some coffee and then lunch together. We also wandered around Ixelles some while it was snowing/raining out. After showing him my school and wandering around the city center for a little bit, he left. The next time I'll see him is probably inApril, when the whole family is coming over during spring break.
After saying goodbye, I met up with some friends at a waffle shop - Marion, Theresa, Amalie, Thomas, Hannes, Maud, and Jade. We got the "tourist waffles" with all the toppings on them. I figured we had just moved there, so it was okay to still act like a tourist haha. Still really good!!
Then we split up. A small group of us went to The Little Delirium for some drinks and to hangout. The Delirium is super neat to check out. They have over 3000 beers, so "don't tell me you're not a beer drinker!", as our tour guide from Monday said. A while later, we went to Hanne's house to make dinner - spaghetti with tomato sauce and zucchini and feta cheese mixed in. It was so nice having a home cooked meal!! Then we went back to The Little Delirium to meet up with some of the other exchange students.
On Sunday, Mackenzie and I met up with Marion, Amalie, Irina, and Alexandra at a vintage market. These markets are apparently open every first Sunday of the month, so I'm excited to check it out every month!! It felt like I had walked back into the '80 and '90s with all the style of clothes/bags/pants there. After the market, we went out to lunch at The Avocado Show. Seriously...this place is one of my all-time favorite restaurants. It's SO good. Later that night, all of us met up for a Harry Potter trivia night at Marion's apartment. She brought a chocolate frog as a prize for the grand winner, and some butter beer. We laughed, learned other translations of the novel, and realized how many details we've forgotten about (oops haha). It was a really fun night!!!
Some other quick updates:
-I've been adjusting to using public transportation. I'm still getting use to allowing myself enough time to get wherever. And making sure I'm going in the right direction. And going from tram to bus to tram. I'm getting there though!
-I have 3 other roommates - one who also goes to High Point/IHECS and two from Spain and who work full-time. It hasn't been a big adjustment having roommates again, but it's also been a little bit of an adjustment. It's mostly getting use to the fact that I can't always immediately shower whenever I want if someone else is using it though....so it's really not a big deal.
-I went grocery shopping for the first time today! Not the first time ever (duh), but first time shopping just for myself. A bit overwhelming at first, but kinda...fun? It'll be interesting having to cook for myself at least a few times a week. But I'm also planning on making lunch most day for school.
-Classes start tomorrow!! Yes, believe it or not, I am here for classes too. I'm taking 2 communication classes, a photography class, and possibly a French beginner class. I'm excited and nervous all at once right now.
-I got a new number, so if you get a weird +32 number...there's a good chance it's me. May or may not have learned that today. Otherwise, feel free to reach me through facebook messenger, what's app, email, etc.
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