November 4, 2006

So this week was an awesome week. To start where I left off on my last letter….

On Wednesday I finished school at noon then around five o'clock. I walked to my counselor’s house - got there around seven-ish. I was only going to walk to the bus stop and go to town but changed my mind. So we had roast beef soup and mashed potatoes. It was good even with vegetables, lol.

Thursday I did the usually classes and Theorry picked us up today from the center. He’s not our counselor. When we got to the Rotary meeting there were cars parked every which way. It took us, like, half an hour to give the bisous to everyone, lol, because they had four presidents and the governor. Then they did the presentation of flags, I didn’t understand it. Then we returned back to school an hour and a half early. Then after school Gen already cut her hair. She was supposed to wait for me but hey. So I cut mine and then a few of us went and had a drink at St.Georges. Then when I went home, supper was ready. I don’t know what it was, but it was good. Then I started to pack a few things and Chantal let me borrow her blue shirt in case we went to party or something.

Friday after school I met Claudia in town and had a kriek and then returned with Jean-Pierre to pick up Laura from horse back riding. Then we took Laura trick or treating. It was so very different from back home. For starters she was the oldest person there and she’s only eleven, lol. Then when we returned home, Chantal had supper made -- some green stuff. It was good but I haven’t got a clue as to what it was, lol.

Saturday, I woke up super late. Jean-Pierre knocked on my door and said it was six o'clock. So I got dressed really fast and we left to pick up Isa and Samira from the train station. From there we went to Liege and met all the Liege partiers there, lol. So we sat on the bus for a really long time and then took the ferry from France. It was, like, two hours to England and we kept forgetting we could speak English, lol. Three people forgot their passports but they still let them through immigration. They just gave them a slip so they could get back into France. So on the ferry we all did the exchange student thing with millions of photos. Rotex gave us sandwiches for lunch so we didn’t have to buy them and when we docked we drove to Canterbury and walked around. We found a Starbucks so we stayed their for a while and went shopping. When we returned, we hung around the bus area for a while waiting for everyone. Then we went to the hotel and we had a movie party in my room, lol. It was fun and no one seemed to care.

Sunday we had to be at breakfast by six thirty. After that the first stop was a wax museum where Danny, Bryan and I took crazy, bizarre pictures of pop stars and just had a good old time. Then Danny and I found this really cheap restaurant and got monster burgers for three pounds. We were excited. Then we went shopping and the next stop was Windsor Castle where I was with multiple different groups. We just kept changing, lol. In certain places we were not allowed to take photos, but it was so pretty. We found a French place afterwards that we all crashed at and had hot chocolate. That evening, we had a bus tour and we got to see Big Ben and the Canadian embassy and a few other things like the Big Eye etc. Then we all were so tired just went back to the hotel and no parties -- we just crashed.

Monday, the first stop was the Tower of London where we walked through dungeons and got to see the different weapons and the tower of jewels. It was oh so pretty. Then the group that I was with thought we had found a short cut and here it just went in a circle. So we had to run to find the right way back to the bus. Then we got to Waterloo and the first thing my group did was hit the Hard Rock Cafe which was all decorated for Halloween -- pretty cool. We all ordered different things, so we shared our food. I’m glad we’re all content with each other. Then, after the Hard Rock Café, we all went shopping and hit the biggest toy store in the world. That was pretty cool. Then we split up and the three that I left with called our parents from London. Then we found a dessert place and had cake. Finally went for the bus, where we had to wait for a bit. Then we were headed to the ferry. At the ferry, I and another exchange student stayed up on the top and just let the wind hit us and we talked and just had a good time. Then when we went back to the bus when the ferry docked. No one slept. When we arrived at the train station, I had to run to catch my train to Verviers and in Verviers, Jordon’s host mother took us all home. I got home around eight-ish and then I slept till seven-ish when I packed to go to Gen’s house because her father said he would take us to the train station. So at Gen’s house, we had dinner and went straight to bed. We were just so tired.

Tuesday, Gen’s host mother took us to the train station where we met Claudia and Samira and walked to Bernard’s car. Bernard was the driver for us, and he was invited to the sea with us, too. I was the only one that stayed awake. Bernard and I listened to music and laughed occasionally at the GPS. When we arrived at the North Sea, of course it was raining and windy. We went to the apartment where Philipe and Myriam were. Quinton (I think that’s how you spell it, lol. I had a problem pronouncing it so doubt it’s spelled right) went on a walk and I put my feet in the North Sea. It was so nice. Then we went on our walk and took photos and then when we went back to the apartment. We had homemade hot chocolate and crab and shrimp. I never had it before but I wasn’t the only one, and it was good. Then, while waiting for Fernard, we saw a complete rainbow. It was so pretty. Then when Fernard finally found the apartment, we did those car things. It was pretty cool and funny and hard sometimes. After dinner, we had cream brule – I never had it or ever saw it be made before but it was good. That evening we played card b.s. and some flash game. Then Samira, Gen, Quinton and I all went on a little walk and when we came back we watched the Lord of the Rings in French. Then I crashed out on the couch because I was the last student to go to sleep and I didn’t want to wake them up. So Quinton brought me a pillow and Philippe brought me another blanket and it was comfortable.

Wednesday, I woke to the sea in my view. It was so pretty. Then we had bread and jam for breakfast and we went to see a submarine. It was raining of course. We went to Holland -- like ten minutes away -- and there we took so many photos and shopped!! But didn’t buy anything. Just looked. Then Philippe and Myriam bought us these caramel stick things. They were so good and we did photos in front of a windmill. We then ran to get to the car because Philippe told us Myriam was there but Samira and I made a pit stop and we went into a church for a few minutes. We went and stopped at this cheese place and took pictures next to a cow, lol. Then we went back and had hot chocolate and lunch. We headed home afterwards and listened to music the whole way home. Jean-Pierre came and got me and Gen from the train station and took Gen home. When we got home Chantal had made him and me this Chinese thing. The noodle one was good but the other I didn’t like very much. I then went straight to bed, after I put my photos on my laptop.

Thursday, I woke up but didn’t do anything at all. I called my sister at school to tell her happy birthday but that was it. I would go from the computer to the TV because it was raining and plus I was just in that mood. Oh, I did add my patches and pins and stuff to my blazer. Then I went to sleep after dinner because no one was home really. Pierre returned from Madrid, so he slept and Jean-Pierre and Chantal went to dinner with friends and Laura had scouts.

Today I have no plans either, lol. I have to go back to school on Monday so I should get into the mood to do something but I just can’t seem to get into it. So well I'm ok and loving it. Check out the Ringo pics.

always

tracey