La Première Semaine (The First Week)

I can't believe that it's only been one week since I arrived in Brussels. I have met a lot of new people and been on tours galore. I did not realize how much there was to do and see here until my three hour bus tour on Saturday. We passed by the Royal Palace, Atomium (built for the 1958 World's Fair), and numerous other marked attractions. It was very relaxing and a much needed day of rest after a long week. 


Let me backtrack a little....last Tuesday I settled into my new home and took off for my first day of the ISA orientation. The 14 students, who are on my program, all met at the ISA office, which is conveniently located right next to Vesalius College. There is a program director, Sabine, as well as her assistant, Christophe, who work to plan our various excursions and other activities. There are computers and a flat screen TV with couches and free tea/coffee. Sabine and Christophe are both Belgian, but their primary language is Dutch. (Note: Belgians who speak Dutch do NOT like it when people call them Dutch, which apparently happens quite often). We hung out in the office for about an hour, then walked over to the college to discuss what to expect while in Brussels, and concluded the morning with a delicious lunch at a local cafe called Time Square (it almost felt like I was back home in Manhattan!). I got "poulet curry" (curry chicken with crudité--lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.). It was delicious and came in a foot-long baguette. Next, we took the metro to see the Grand Place and had a short tour of the heart of Brussels. Around 5pm we sat down at a café/bar that seemed to be an exhibition of art as well and I had a fresh mint tea with real leaves just seeping in the boiling hot water. Finally, I traveled home with a few of the boys that live close by and had a homemade dinner of cannelloni. 


Wednesday was the first day of orientation for the college. We had a bunch of lectures from the dean and advisors who all spoke in English, which was a nice break since I only converse in French with my host family. I was put in a group with a "buddy" who is a student on the student government and is there to offer advice throughout my stay. She gave the group a little tour of campus. Vesalius College is associated and located right across from University of Brussels, which is a Ducth-speaking university. We are allowed to use all of the major university's facilities. At the end of the tour, we sat down for a (free) lunch at the cafeteria on campus where I had filet of sole with julienne vegetables and potatoes. That evening we had a meet and greet on the bar (which, yes, was on campus). I didn't make it home in time for dinner, so I went out with a few friends for an extremely late meal (of cheese fondue--which unexpectedly was more like fried cheese) at a local restaurant near my house. 


Thursday and Friday are beginning to blend together, but I had a French written and oral placement exam on Thursday morning. Apparently, I placed into the advanced course, which I hope to be able to handle. Then I met up with some friends downtown for lunch and again walked around. I tried a belgian waffle with fresh strawberries and chocolate! (Note: there's 2 types of waffles served in Belgium--one from Brussels and another from a different region. I tried the one from Brussels, which is square shaped). On Friday, I registered for classes and then took the metro to "de Bruckère" and had lunch at EXKi (a chain organic restaurant). I did some window shopping, since January is the month of sales (this only happens twice per year in January and July. After that, everything becomes really expensive). For dinner, my host mother made salmon tartare with potatoes. Everything's so fresh and delicious here! Around 9pm I headed out to a bar hop put on by the student government. Everyone met at the bar on campus and then travelled downtown together where we split up and went to a bunch of different bars. It was great to finally meet everyone from the different programs and I can already see that this is going to be a great semester. 


I have already gone on and on, so I think I'll stop here. But, today is my first day of classes. 
Oh, and I also booked a trip to Cologne, Germany for next weekend...so stay tuned for more!