Saturday, July 14, 2012

Returning Home


7/13

I woke up this morning and made sure that I had all of my things packed before eating breakfast. I spent about an hour with Paige, Rasma and Marcus watching tv and playing with Petey the gerbil. I know I’m going to miss everything about staying there and it was nice to have a little bit of time in the morning to enjoy it before leaving for the train station. I had a great time being in Brussels and my favorite part was my homestay family. I feel like I got the best homestay family and I will miss everything about staying there. I thought about all of the fun things that I did in Brussels while I was traveling to the airport. I got a lot of great experiences and some amazing friends that made everything worth it. I am ready to go home and see my family but I already missed Brussels while I was on the plane. We flew from Brussels to Amsterdam, from Amsterdam to Detroit, and from Detroit to Nashville. The flights weren’t too bad, I tried to stay awake for most of the time because I got back late at night. It was good to see my parents again and as soon as we got home I was able to show them all of the souvenirs that I had gotten and tell them stories about my trip. My shift from Belgium to America was very easy and I didn’t feel too tired. I’m happy to be back home and to sleep in my bed at my parent’s house now.

Last Day in Brussels


7/12

Today is my last full day in Brussels; it was raining a lot outside almost the entire day so Paige and I stayed in most of the day. We had a good time watching movies and eating all of the remaining food that we had gotten from the grocery store over the past few weeks. In the afternoon we took a break to run to the grocery store and get some chocolate. It was nice to have one last day to relax at the house and just enjoy being there. Later on, we ate dinner together for the last time and we had chili with tortilla chips again which was very good. For dessert, we had some homemade ice cream with raspberries in it and we also set up a chocolate fountain with strawberries and bananas. It was a great last meal to have at Rasma’s house. Then Paige and I went out to meet with a few friends for a couple of hours. We had a good time talking at a café for a while and it was nice to be able to see some of my friends before leaving. We didn’t stay out really late and when we got back I went to bed.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

The Botanical Garden and Spiderman


7/11

Today I got up, ate breakfast and then left with Rasma, Paige and Marcus to go to the Botanical Garden. Rasma rented a car for us to take so we wouldn’t have to take public transportation the whole way there. It was about a 30 minute drive; we got to walk around and see many different plants and trees both outside and inside. There was a huge green house that we went in to that had plants from a lot of different countries. We spent more than 3 hours walking around looking at everything. I enjoyed walking around especially in the green houses. Afterwards, we drove back home and then I went to the grocery store with Rasma. I was able to get a few things to take back with me and then we went back home to start cooking dinner. We made some chicken that was rolled up with sun-dried tomatoes inside and some roasted potatoes. As soon as we were done with dinner, Paige and I took Marcus to the movie theater to see the new Spiderman movie. We had a really fun time and the movie was very good. By the time the movie was done it was pretty late so we got back home as soon as possible so that Marcus could go to bed. I stayed up a little while longer watching tv with Tyler and then I went to bed.


Me in front of a pond filled with giant lily pads




Inside the largest greenhouse at the botanical garden


Our sun-dried tomato chicken

Souvenir Shopping Day


7/10

Today was my big shopping day to get all of the souvenirs that I wanted. First, I went to the college to turn in my final exam for class and the report that I wrote for my internship. Afterwards I took a bus into the city center and I spent about 5 hours going to all of the tourist shops that I could find. There was one shop that I went to where the owner talked to me and he wouldn’t believe that I couldn’t speak Mandarin. But other than that I was able to get everything else done without a problem. I used all of my energy walking around the city though and my backpack got very heavy. By the time I got back home it was time for dinner. I unpacked all of the things from my backpack afterwards and I started my process of packing so that I could see how much would fit in the bag that I’m going to check at the airport. It didn’t take me long to put the majority of the things in my bag. I’m sad having to leave but I am also happy to be going back home. I worked on my computer and watched tv with Paige and Rasma the rest of the night before going to bed.

Going to the Asian Pavilions and Mini Europe


07/09
Today was a free day for Paige and I we started by taking Rasma out to lunch as a thank you gift for housing us for more than a month. We found a nice restaurant near the house and it was very good food. The restaurant was a fancy place that served a 3-course meal. I ate some dim sum which was filled with shrimp, curry chicken and crème brûlée for dessert. After our lunch, Paige and I decided to go and see some of the sites in Brussels that we hadn’t seen already. We started with the Chinese and Japanese Pavilion; it turned out that it was closed on Mondays but we were still able to walk around and take photos of the outside of the buildings. We walked through some of the streets and we found the Royal Palace and a Monument to Leopold I. Then we went to see Mini Europe which is a place that has replicas of the most prominent sites around Europe from every country. I was a little disappointed that there was only one site that was focused on in Hungary and Greece. The only thing from Hungary that there was a model of was the Széchenyi bath house and it Greece they only showed the Acropolis. I felt like there were so many other things in both countries that could have been shown. We spent about an hour walking around to all of the different sites and I really enjoyed it because the models were very realistic. Then we went back home to eat dinner together. I had a really fun day and I walked around a lot so it was nice to relax at home during the evening. Paige and I worked on the giant puzzle and we finally finished it. Then I stayed up watching tv with Tyler for a while and then I went to bed.

Dim sum at the restaurant


Chicken curry


One of the towers at the Chinese and Japanese Pavilion



Palais Royal (the Royal Palace)


The monument to Leopold I



The replica of Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium



The model of the Széchenyi bath house


The model of the Acropolis

The giant puzzle that Paige and I have been working on




Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Another Day in the Center of Brussels


7/08
I got to sleep in late today after such a tiring weekend. In some ways it’s nice to be at the end of this trip because I have more free time but I’m not looking forward to leaving Europe. This was a free day for me and Paige so we did a little bit of souvenir shopping and walking around in the city. I plan to do the majority of my shopping very soon so I can pack my luggage. We spent a few hours in the city; I saw the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral and a fun statue of a cat riding a bicycle. We came back home soon after that; I didn’t want to do too much walking because my legs were sore from going everywhere in Budapest. When we got back home we cooked some pasta for lunch and watch Despicable Me. That’s pretty much how the rest of the day went for me. I spent time relaxing and enjoying myself at home, ate dinner and then relaxed more before going to bed.

The St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral


Monday, July 9, 2012

Leaving Budapest


7/07

This morning we woke up pretty early again so that we could go into town before our flight. Our plan was to go to the House of Terror which had exhibits about Communist Regimes but it was more expensive than we thought so we decided to walk around in the area nearby. We walked around and looked at a few markets that were near there and then we found a place to eat lunch. None of us had tried traditional Hungarian Goulash so we found a restaurant that served it for a reasonable price. Afterwards, we tried some Lango which is a type of Hungarian fried bread and it was very good. I was really happy to be able to try Goulash and Lango while I was in Budapest. Once we were finished eating we went to the airport to check in to our flight. We had some waiting time after going through security but it wasn’t too long. We boarded our plane back to Brussels and I stayed awake the whole time. Then when we were back in Brussels we took a few buses and a tram to get back home. By that time I was very tired; I relaxed for a little while and ate some dinner with Paige before going to bed.

Hungarian Lango


The clay oven that the Lango was cooked in.


A guy chopping wood to keep the clay oven hot.

One Full Day in Budapest


7/06

This morning we woke up fairly early because we only had one full day in Budapest so we wanted to get everything done. We took the metro into the city center and ate breakfast there. We found a small shop that sold sandwiches and drinks for very cheap. Things in Hungary are pretty cheap compared to the western side of Europe. I was able to get a drink and some snacks for a couple of Euros. Then we went to a site called the Lion Fountain; we were waiting there because there was a free walking tour of the city that we wanted to take. The best thing about the Lion Fountain and all of the other fountains in the city was that all of the water was drinkable and free so we refilled our water bottles as often as we could. The walking tour took about 2 hours and we got to see many different sites such as St. Stephen's Basilica, the Széchenyi Lánchíd (Széchenyi Chain Bridge), the Matthias Church and the Fisherman's Bastion. It was very hot and humid outside the entire time so the free water that was available was very helpful. I would pour water on myself to cool myself off while we walked. The tour was very good and we all had a very good time walking around and seeing the city. After we were done with the tour we found a small grocery store to get some lunch. Then we all went to the Labyrinth that was near where the tour ended. It was very interesting to see the different tunnels and passages that were underground and it was also very cold. We spent about an hour going through the Labyrinth and then went to find a bath house to go to. We went to the Széchenyi bath house which was very nice; it had more than 20 baths that were filled with different chemicals and a few outdoor pools as well. It was a very good experience and we stayed there for more than 2 hours. After walking around and getting sweaty all day it was nice to cool off in the pool. Once we were done at the bath house we went back into the center of the city to find a place to eat for dinner. It didn’t take us long to find a nice place to eat for dinner; I really enjoyed how cheap everything was especially the food. I ate some pasta with chicken and we all had a good time sitting and relaxing after walking around so much during the day. By the time we were done it was beginning to get dark so we wanted to see the lights in the city at night. We were able to stand on one side of the Danube River and look at the buildings and bridges lit up. We stayed out for a little while longer enjoying the night time in the city and then we decided to travel back to our hotel. It started to rain when we were walking back but it wasn’t too bad. We had had a great day in the city and we were able to see so many things. By the time we got back, it was around midnight and we all fell asleep very quickly.

The Royal Palace




The Lion Fountain in the middle of the tourist part of the city.

The water is drinkable and we refilled our water bottles many times


The Széchenyi Lánchíd (Széchenyi Chain Bridge)


A good view of the city at one of the highest points in the city



The underground Labyrinth



The Széchenyi Bath House


The Royal Palace at night



Traditional Goulash

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Going to Budapest


7/05

This morning I woke up and I finished the rest of my essays for my exam. It was nice to be able to work at my own pace and I got finished with it almost a week early. In the afternoon, Paige and I left to go to the Charleroi airport; we met up with our friends Jamie and Lisette to take a bus there. We had a couple hours of waiting time after we went through security. It took a while for us to board the plane and once we finally sat down I went to sleep. The flight to Budapest was only about 2 hours long. By the time we got there, it was night time and we took a cab to get us to our hotel. The hotel we stayed at was very cheap but it was still manageable. We needed to eat dinner and the only place near us that was open was a Burger King. It was the first time on this trip that I ate American-style food. After dinner, we went to a store called Tesco that was near our hotel which was like a 24-hour Walmart. That was the first store that I’ve seen so far that’s open 24 hours a day. I got a few groceries while I was there and then I went back to the hotel and went to bed.
Our Airplane to Budapest

My small meal at Burger King

4th of July Celebration in Brussels


7/04

Today was my last day of class; I’m very happy to be done with both my class and internship. As soon as class was over, Paige and I walked to a different part of town to go to a 4th of July celebration that was being put on by Boston University’s Brussels campus. There was a lot of typical 4th of July food like hamburgers, hot dogs and watermelon and some other kinds of food that I didn’t really expect like sausages, pasta and wine. I was able to meet some other students who were studying abroad in Brussels too. Some of them had internships like I did and some were taking classes through a different Belgian university. There were only about 10 American students at the party and about 30 or 40 other people who were associated with the university. It seemed somewhat “American” and it was a good experience to see what kind of things they associated with a July 4th celebration. Paige and I stayed for a couple of hours at the party, we had some great food and then we went back home. I spent the rest of the night working on my exam and then I went to bed afterwards.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Almost Done With Class


7/03

Today I got up and went to class, I’m sad that this type of routine will be over very soon and that I’ll be leaving. We’re finally coming to an end to some of the discussions in class and we were going over what will be on the final exam. Our exams are take home tests that we have to write essays for which makes it easier to travel on the weekends instead of having to study all the time. Once I got home after class I began doing some research for my exam and wrote an outline for myself. I took a break to eat dinner; we ate oven-baked cod and had some roasted potatoes to go with it. I felt that I had a good start on my exam so I helped Paige and Marcus with the puzzle that we’ve all been working on. Once they went to bed I stayed up for a little while watching tv with Tyler and then I went to bed. Some of my days can be pretty boring when I have school work to do but I try to make it more exciting by putting all of the work into a few days and then taking trips to other places when my work is finished.

Last Day at My Internship


7/02

Today was my last day of work and I was very happy to be finished. Of course I had a lot of work that needed to be done before I left; I spent a few hours making more phone calls and spent the rest of my time proof-reading some documents that were in English. After work I went back home to drop of some of my things and then I went to the grocery store with Tyler to get a few things. Once I was done I began working on my internship report that I have to write for the college I’m going to. I was able to finish a good portion of the report and also had some time to spend with everyone at home. I’m trying to get all of my work done on my internship report and my final exam because I will be leaving for Budapest, Hungary later this week. That will be the last major trip that I take while I’m here but I am really looking forward to it.

Returning From Luxembourg


7/01

I got to sleep in a little bit this morning; we really didn’t know what else to do in the city because we had walked around the majority of the streets the night before. We had a relaxing morning because we didn’t have to get to any particular place. I went to the grocery store to get some breakfast and then we got on to a train that would take us back to Brussels. I had a fun time in Luxembourg but I found out that the majority of things to see like castles and historical buildings were actually in other cities. I slept on the 3 hour train ride again. Once we got back to Brussels, Tyler went back to the house to work on homework and I went into the city to walk around for a little while. I was able to find a few souvenirs while I was there and then I went back to the house. I spent a little bit of time working on my computer and watching tv before having dinner with Rasma and Tyler. I didn’t feel like I was procrastinating at all because I didn’t have anything to work on which has been the first time during this trip. I had a nice evening just sitting around in the living room with everyone and we also started helping Rasma’s son Marcus with a huge puzzle that he wanted to start. I didn’t stay up too late, I have my last day at my internship tomorrow.

Tyler and I found this on our way to the train station.

We weren't really sure what it was.


Monday, July 2, 2012

Going to Luxembourg for the Weekend

6/30

I woke up a little early this morning so that I could get to the train station with Tyler. We’re going to Luxembourg City for the weekend. I don’t know what is going to be there but I’m interested in seeing a new country. The train ride was about 3 hours long and we both slept most of the way there. Once we got to Luxembourg we went to the bed and breakfast that we were staying at. Luckily there was a bus that took us straight there. We checked in and then left right away to explore the city. While we were walking around we saw the Adolphe Bridge, Place de Metz and many other interesting places. We also had the chance to take a bus tour throughout the city that showed us some of the most popular areas. On the tour they mentioned that there used to be many more historical buildings but they aren’t around anymore and the areas have been turn into business districts which disappointed me. I had thought that the city would have old buildings but a lot of it is just concentrated in one area. Tyler and I spent the entire afternoon and part of the evening walking around and seeing everything. I think that going to Luxembourg City could have been a day trip but it was still nice to have a place to sleep and not have to take a 3 hour train ride at night. Once we got back to the place that we were staying we just watched tv for a while; the majority of it was in French other than the BBC Network. I went to bed soon after that.

The bed and breakfast room that I stayed in


The Grand Duke William II's statue in Place Guillaume II

(the town square of the city)


The Adolphe Bridge


Place de Metz. This building has been used for various purposes by

the European Commission and is currently a bank


An overlook into the lower levels of the city that shows the Adolphe

Bridge and Place de Metz


The Gëlle Fra (Golden Lady), a monument for those who volunteered

during World War I

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Just a Regular Day in Brussels


6/29

This is my second-to-last day of work; I spent my time making more gift packages for future clients and also making phone calls. After work I went back home and relaxed for a little while before dinner. I feel kind of lazy when I don’t have anything to work on for class; my time here has finally calmed down and I’m able to enjoy everything like eating dinner and looking up information for traveling. I’ll be leaving for the weekend to go to Luxembourg tomorrow with Tyler. I’m not sure what’s there but it’s a new place that I haven’t been before and I’m looking forward to it. I stayed up watching tv with Tyler until midnight and then I went to bed.

Work Day and a Clothes Exchange at Night


6/28

Today was a regular day at work; I only have a few days left at my internship. I spent the majority of my time making phone calls and working on the database some more. I’ve enjoyed my time working for the Gresham Belson Hotel but I’m also ready to have a little bit more free time before I leave. After work I came home and I cooked some pasta for me and Paige. While we were home our friend Jamie came over to help us book some tickets to Budapest, Hungary next week; I’m very excited for that trip. We were also getting ready for a clothes exchange which was going to be at the house tonight. A clothes exchange is when a group of people get together and bring their unwanted clothes and accessories to give away to each other. We all had a very good time with Rasma’s friends tonight and Jamie stayed there too. Each person got at least one new thing for themselves and it was also fun getting to meet many different people who live in this area. The clothes exchange lasted until about 11pm and that’s when I decided to go upstairs and get ready for bed. I thought the concept of a clothes exchange was very interesting and I wanted to know if it was something that would work in America too.

Celebrating My Research Paper Being Done


6/27

Today was a normal day of class. Everyone had to turn in their research papers and about half of the class made a presentation about what their research was about. I will present my paper next week. Afterwards, Paige and I walked home so that we could eat dinner. The majority of people from my class go out to eat for dinner but we both enjoy eating at home with Rasma and Tyler. We had a good dinner and then we went out with a group of people from our class to celebrate finishing our research papers. I don’t always go out to celebrate with everyone but this was one of the only times so far where I didn’t have something else that I needed to do for class. Our group stayed in the area near where Rasma’s house was so it was easy to get back home at night. I went to a few different cafes with my friends; there was a soccer games going on so the area was packed with people. I stayed out until about midnight and then Paige and I walked back home; before we went to bed, Rasma offered us some Finnish alcohol we had never tried before. It tasted liked pure black licorice, it wasn’t my favorite but it was fun to try new things. Then I went to bed soon after.