Well, I have spent a week in Brussels and I have to say it is fantastic. The weather leaves a little to be desired, but it is significantly warmer than the weather at home so I guess I don't have a lot of room to complain. Most of the first week has been a crash course in Brussels and I have learned so much I don't think I can remember all of it. That being the case, I will give you a little taste of what I have been up to since I left.
- Getting Here: I was the last person from the program to arrive in Brussels on Friday afternoon, however I did make it on time. As I said in my last post, I was quite relieved to make it with all of my luggage. That was because I had a very tight turn around in London, made even tighter by the fact that my plane from Dublin left 30 minutes late. Anyway, after arriving in London I had to collect my luggage (thankfully only 1 bag), make my way from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5 via the train, recheck my luggage onto British Airways, clear security and board the plane. To give you some idea of how close I was cutting this, my flight from Dublin didn't land until 10:40 and I had exactly 1 hour to check my bag or it wouldn't make the flight to Brussels. Miracle of miracles, I accomplished all of this and made it to the gate in London with 15 minutes to spare.
- Touring Brussels: On Friday night we had a welcome dinner with Dr. Sheridan, the program director, which was very nice even if the food was questionable. Afterwards some of us headed out for some Belgian beer, which hit the spot after a long day traveling. Saturday morning, we woke up and began a full day of acquainting ourselves to the program and Brussels. We learned all about living with Belgian families and what to expect from the program. Then, we walked around Brussels for several hours with Dr. Sheridan acting as our tour guide. We visited the Grand Place, the Manneken Pis and several other touristy areas in old-town. The tour was interesting, but I was glad to get back to the hotel and get out of the cold.
- Living with Belgians: Our host families met us at the hotel to take us home on Saturday night. I live with another student, Hilary, with a very nice family. Marc-Henri and Anne are the parents, and they have two daughters around our age who are away at school. We live at Montgomery Square, in an adorable house (pictures soon) that is halfway between downtown and the campus. We eat dinner with the family 3 times per week and have breakfast at home every morning. Belgian food is very good, if a little heavy, and Anne is a very good cook. Hilary and I live in the basement of the house, which is basically one long apartment separated by curtains. We have our own kitchen and bathroom, as well as a private entrance. Down the street from our apartment is a shopping district where we go to buy food. There is a grocery store, but I love going to all the specialty stores. There is a bread store, a fruit/veg store, a cheese store, a wine store. The list goes on, but needless to say, it is all fantastic.
- Class? Yes, I am actually taking classes in Belgium. As much I wish I could just travel and eat and go to museums, I have to actually learn while I am here. The main focus of this program is the European Union, which means I'm a very happy camper. Dr. Sheridan is amazing! He knows so much about Belgium and the EU that I don't think we'll ever be bored. We also get to take a class on European Defense, which I great for me since I've been thinking about getting into that field. All in all this semester is a great opportunity to explore, expand my knowledge and enjoy Europe. There is also an internship that goes with the program, but I don't know where I'll be working yet. I have 4 interviews this week, so keep your fingers crossed that I land something good.
- Obama-mania!! Just in case anyone missed the memo, there was a little presidential inauguration last week. While most of my friends froze to death on the National Mall to be there in person, here in Brussels we watched from an American bar on Place Luxembourg next to the European Parliament. I have to say it was much warmer there that DC! I thought President Obama gave a great speech, and I'm quite excited to see what he does in the months to come. I'm also excited because there is a rumor going around that the new President will make his way to Brussels sometime this spring. Maybe the AU Brussels program will be invited for a little meet and greet? Well, it doesn't hurt to hope!
1 comment:
Yeah, you might have been warm, but you couldn't say you were there, now can you?? :P
P.S. Still jealous that you are in Europe and I am stuck here in New York!
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