Tuesday April 21st 2016
I must have brought the sun of Sevilla home with me, because as I stepped off the train in Leuven (this now being the middle of the morning and I pretty much only slept on the short plane ride) the sun was shining and everything was gorgeous. I walk back to my kot to start the recovery process from a long three weeks of traveling. Fortunately, class was cancelled, so I was able to rest, do work and catch up on everything here. I went out to Frisbee practice and was shocked, it was light out for the entire practice! This was the first time that happened and it was quite surprising. Spring is on its way! After Frisbee, I went directly to bed.
Wednesday April 22nd 2016
The recovery continued. I went to class in the morning, had a robotics meeting, ran some errands and that was my day.
Thursday April 23rd 2016
This morning I continued recouping. In the afternoon, I enjoyed a wonderful sunny rest in Pangaea doing work and meeting Jeroen for computer vision (which is going to be a common activity in the next few weeks as there is a lot of work to be done for the final). Afterwards, I ran into Karina there and she invited me to join her for Zumba! Zumba was incredibly fun. It felt like a great workout and I always love a bit of dancing. Doing the activities that you are so familiar with in the states, in a foreign country and in a new language is always interesting and enjoyable for me.
Friday April 24th 2016
Today, I was recovered and ready for exploration. I went on an organized trip through Pangaea to the German speaking part of Belgium (yes, which exists!) It is a very small part in the east part of the country. We first went to the parliament of the German speaking community. The Belgian government is incredibly intricate. They have a federal government, three regions and three communities. So that means, wherever you are in Belgium, you have the federal government, a region and a community. It’s so redundant that when Belgium’s federal government shut down for a year and a half the country continued without a problem. I was really intrigued by the set up, especially since it has changed a few times and will probably change at some point again. I also asked a lot of questions about how Belgium became a country and have heard a lot of very interesting stories through that. We got to sit in the room which they meet in, which was quite nice.Today, I was recovered and ready for exploration. I went on an organized trip through Pangaea to the German speaking part of Belgium (yes, which exists!) It is a very small part in the east part of the country. We first went to the parliament of the German speaking community. The Belgian government is incredibly intricate. They have a federal government, three regions and three communities. So that means, wherever you are in Belgium, you have the federal government, a region and a community. It’s so redundant that when Belgium’s federal government shut down for a year and a half the country continued without a problem. I was really intrigued by the set up, especially since it has changed a few times and will probably change at some point again. I also asked a lot of questions about how Belgium became a country and have heard a lot of very interesting stories through that. We got to sit in the room which they meet in, which was quite nice.
The next stop was to Jaques chocolate factory! Yum! We of course got a taste test before starting the tour. We had a guided tour through the museum, and even though I’ve learned about chocolate so many times now, with the guide it made a big difference. I think he was pretty high up in the factory as well. He told great stories and made a very enjoyable guide. One of our ‘tastings’ was walking into the factory and taking seven deep breaths, because the smell of the chocolate was so strong and delicious. |
From there, we went to the nearby reservoir for lunch with a view. It was quite beautiful place to look out. The next stop on our tour was to the town of Eupen. We had a nice walking tour of the town where we got to learn all about the history of the city. One of the most interesting things is we were shown a man wearing two different military uniforms. Because the country that owned the area went back and forth, he fought at different times in the Belgian and the German army. I spent a lot of time talking to the leader of the trip, who works for Pangaea. I was very curious about Belgian patriotism and pride. I have found that there is not a lot of identification with the state. Almost every Belgian I meet asks me why I choose to come to Belgium. In fact, I learned that most Belgians don’t even know their national anthem. Coming from a country where patriotism is incredibly high and essential to our ideals, it was quite the surprise for me to be in a place so very different. What she taught me is that they like being Belgian, but aren’t passionate or show it. This is all because the country’s borders have changed so many times and it is made of multiple groups of people |
We finished the day in Monshau. It is a beautiful city tucked into the mountains right over the border of Germany. I loved walking around the winding streets and seeing the beautiful bridges and canals. I had a lovely dinner with some girls that I met at lunch, all who spoke German, but were speaking English for me! It was a wonderful evening and a great day. I was exhausted by the time I made it back to my place. |
Saturday, April 25th 2015
Today Gwendolyn and I went on a trip to the coast. I kept hearing about the Belgian coast, so I wanted to make sure I visited before time ran out. We got on the train first thing in the morning and took a nice rest. It was a long ride across the country to Oostende. (well, long meaning a couple of hours, which is nothing compared to crossing the US). When we arrived, we wandered towards the water and ended up in the middle of a great open air market. On the grote market they had a lots of vendors selling fruits, vegetables, dried fruits, clothing and everything in between. We loved just wandering through and seeing what everyone was selling. The Mediterranean stand with dried fruits, spreads and dips had tons of taste tests. I think we tried every type of dried fruit, spread and snack. It was all delicious and truly quite fun. We took our time, chatted, and discussed of course the things we were trying. I ended up loving the dates, so I bought some of those and some flour coated figs to bring home with me. We then got on the tram to go to the Atlantic Wall museum. In this outdoor museum, we got to walk through trenches and bunkers used by the Germany army in the World Wars to hold the allies from arriving on the coast. It was a very cool experience, and I very much like this historical period. I was thrilled when I walked into a room and saw an Enigma machine! I had just done a project on it before I left Olin, so it has a lot of meaning for me. I really enjoyed the exhibit and the ominous clouds made the perfect environment. We walked through lots of trenches, some long winding corridors and I really could feel the atmosphere that it might have been down there. |
We came back to town and went to explore the beach. They had a boardwalk with lots of shops that remind me of OCNJ. I had a very confused feeling, because many aspects made me think that I was ‘down the shore’ but I was really on the complete other side of the same ocean! I also had to keep reminding myself that I was still in Belgium, because it was so drastically different than the other cities in Belgium I have visited (at least from the perspective on the Boardwalk). We then took a water taxi across the harbor to see the other side. There wasn’t exactly a lot there. We met a group of guys who were scouting on the way over. They were fun to meet and talk to but the fact that they use an extra curricular activity as an excuse to drink beer in the afternoon is still pretty surprising.
We enjoyed a very good dinner at a restaurant back in town. We shared fantastic shrimp croquettes, a delicious fish soup, and a piece of fish for dinner. It was all very good and filled with great company. We took a walk as the sun was setting. They had some very unique artwork by the beach and some great water fountains. We of course went back to being kids and played in them. By the time we got on the train, it was almost 10pm. It was another great but exhausting day!
Sunday April 26th 2015
The highlight of today was going to the Zythos beer festival. I took the bus to a conference hall near Leuven and was shown into a room. There were many breweries, large and small, that had brought their beer. For each token, you could get 10cl of any of the beer they brought to the festival. I met up with a bunch of friends, and their friends, there and we had a great time trying lots of different Belgian beers. I enjoyed the arrangement of different fruit flavors that Delirium had, including banana and mango.
Monday April 27th 2015
I had an amazing start to my day. Koen (my Robotics partner) and I met with our professor to discuss the journal article that we had read and prepared. We, per usual, had a very interesting and thought provoking discussion. At the end, the professor said that had completed the course and that our grade would be either a 17 or 18. In Belgium, grades are done our of 20 and a 17 or 18 is considered a very high grade and quite difficult to achieve. So we were quite proud.
Today starts also the craziness of Kiesweeks. It took me almost two weeks to completely understand this concept, but Kiesweek is the week before elections for the student governments for each of the colleges. They do this because although the elections are essentially predetermined, they still need a majority of people to vote in order to have the student government. Without the student government, there would be a lot of issues and student life (academic and social) would deteriorate. During the group’s kiesweek, they have free or cheap food and beer (it’s Belgium!), some sort of entertainment and activities. Today, I went to the Kiesweek Ekonomia, which throws the biggest and most extravagant one. I wandered around for a bit, enjoyed some free ice cream and drinks and observed the craziness of the event. I was quite surprised by how much there was. I ran into Koen there, and we spent time drinking beer and chatting at Kiesweek, and of course, celebrating our successful project.
Tuesday April 28th 2015
Today was like any other Tuesday (which is still one of my favorite days!) I went into my placement, then went to computer vision, then had dinner with Rik before heading to Frisbee! After showering, I convinced Marvin, one of my friends from the kot to get a beer with me in the Oude Markt. We sat outside and relaxed with our beers and enjoyed the Oude Markt atmosphere. I still love sitting outside and the culture around it. I visited Jens at his bar and he gave me beer glasses to bring home! I was so excited. We got some fries and continued to try the large arrangement of sauce options available. |
Wednesday April 29th 2015
This morning started like any normal Wednesday, I went to lecture, ran some errands and picked up a few groceries. But, when the afternoon hit, I made my way back to Ladeuzeplein (the area in front of the Library where this Kiesweek was happening) to attend the Lipton Big Splash. This was all still a part of Ekonomica's kiesweek, which is a crazy but amazing Belgian tradition. When I arrive, I was immediately made happy by Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. We also got fries and something that is essentially meat and onion in spicy sauce breaded and fried, all for free. I then registered for The ESN (exchange student network) team to experience what might one of the most insane things of my life. What was described to me as a water balloon fight was very much an understatement. I wasn’t in the first battle, but it started before I even understood the rules (of course, because they were said in Flemish) but I just saw a sea of yellow water balloons filling the sky and exploding all over the hordes of people in yellow shirts within the arena. |
Let me describe a bit better. There were sixteen teams set up in a bracket with four rounds. Each team was a student organization or group, mostly from Leuven, but some were from other towns in Belgium. Teams had 200 members and each was given a yellow t-shirt with their team name on the back, a yellow poncho and yellow sunglasses. When your team was up, everyone went into a fenced in area, which was facing an identical area which was filled by the opposing team. There was one team captain who stood on a pedestal, fortunately wore a helmet and is heavily guarded with some crucial teammates holding kickboards. When the time started, everyone from both sides starts throwing water balloons at the other team. The objective was to hit the captain more than your captain got hit. Judges counted each time the captain was hit.
The experience was insane. You are throwing water balloons as fast as possible while being rained on by the incoming water balloons. Sometimes the balloon you were about to throw was torn out of your hand by another one coming at you. I was on the ESN (Erasmus [Exchange] Student Network) team. The first round I did pretty well, but the second round I was much closer to the front and my poncho started to rip, so by the time that was finished I was completely soaked. But, I had a huge smile on my face, so nothing mattered. If you couldn’t tell we won our first two rounds. We then went into the third round. I was very proud of myself, my first throw of the round hit their captain directly in the helmet! Point! It must have been a big help because we won that round as well! After every time that we won we all shouted and cheered and were very excited. Then at this point, we were in the finals against Ekonomica, the hosts of the entire event! By some magic and our incredible captain, we end up beating them! We all shouted E-S-N, E-S-N! The exchange students beat the hosts! How crazy! We spent a good while afterwards being congratulated by the MC and shouting and screaming. He even started talking in English because we were the winners and couldn’t understand the Flemmish.
At this point, I was exhausted and soaking wet. I went back to my kot to rest, but I didn’t have much time, because that night Gwendolyn and I went to an international cantus (a cantus for international students). I didn’t need my actual codex because they gave us paper versions. I made friends with the people sitting nearby as we started with Io Vivat! The signing of course isn’t as good because everyone was an international student, but there was lots of dancing and songs to get up. And the event itself was incredibly fun. The leaders did a great job keeping it moving and interesting. By the time the last songs were happening, my book and the table had beer everywhere, my pages were all over the place and I was carelessly throwing them to find the right song. I found it hilarious.
After the cantus, instead of doing the ‘normal international student’ thing and hang out with all of the other exchange students who attended the cantus, I end up talking to two of the Belgian students who were running the event. I feel like that is the definition of my semester, talking and spending time with Belgians and not exchange students, but it’s a really great thing. They were fun to talk to and get to know. One of them even biked me home to make sure I got there safely! It was so sweet!
Thursday, April 30th 2015
Today was back to recovery, work and computer vision. I went to Zumba, which was great!
Friday, May 1st 2015
I finally made it to Antwerp! I arrived in the Antwerp station and it was beautiful! The station was incredibly large, the building was fantastic and it had wonderful decorations. It was a gorgeous old building that trains came into at every level! It was very cool. I met up with Tessa, a Belgian friend of mine who I met at orientation, and started our day. We walked down the main street to get to the Grote Markt and was overwhelmed by the rally/protest/parade that was happening. They had a huge event and a stage and it was quite impressive. We sat down for lunch and there were people on stage playing music. At times it was great, while other times the music was awful! I got the very traditional Belgian asparagus with egg and butter. It was actually really good, even though I expected not to like it too much. I of course had it with the Antwerp Beer, which was tasty. We then walked through a shopping street and I found some great soft colorful pants!
Remember back to the open mic night in Pavlov? Well, we went to visit Tessa’s friend who had performed there and is a street performer in Antwerp. He had broken one of his guitar strings, so you could see the frustration on his face, but he also was a fantastic singer and guitar player. We sat and listened as we watched kids come by. Some were very shy while others were incredibly excited. It was always so cute as they put money into his hat and Timo said Dank u well. It was quite adorable.
Afterwards we met up with another one of Tessa’s friends to explore more of Antwerp. We wandered into back neighborhoods and by the river to see the harbor and castle. There was some amazing graffiti/murals on the walls of the buildings. It really reminded me of Philadelphia and added a lot to each part of the city, although you had to be paying attention to notice some, while others were very prominent.
We ended the day by walking through the Hassidic neighborhood . Did you know there were 20,000 Jews in Antwerp! The most out of all of Europe?! How crazy. So Tessa didn’t know that I was Jewish, so I took the opportunity to get to know her perspective. Since Belgium has this very tight-knit Hassidic community, but barely a single other Jew, they perceive all Jews to be and look like the religious Jews and are pretty confused by them (since of course they do weird things to abide to the laws while also continuing their day). They also own lots of diamond store , which keeps the stereotype pretty well. I actually had a conversation with Marvin about it when we went out earlier in the week. I had told him that I was Jewish, and he said: ‘I always wanted to meet someone Jewish’. So the whole topic has been quite interesting. Anyways, we walked around the neighborhood. It was Friday evening, so not many people were around, but I saw a few Hasidic Jews on bikes. Everyone rides bikes here! It was a nice experience. It was interesting however how different Jews were from Tessa’s perspective. She saw them as a totally foreign people, who dressed and acted completely differently. It was very surprising for her to meet me, someone who is Jewish but she would’ve never known
I then went back with Tessa and her friend to Tessa’s home. Her mom had made us a traditional dinner of stoofless and potatoes with salad from her grandfather’s garden. The house was gorgeous and they had a lovely sunroom. The back garden was also so nice! It seems they try to grow all of their own things, and you can really taste the difference. I tried the Kastell brown beer, which is what was used in the stew, and you really could taste the flavor in the stew. It was all perfectly delicious.
I also really enjoyed talking with her mom and sister. It was funny to get their perspective on American things. We talked a bit about pop culture, and often people ask me things about pop culture, like actors or musicians or names of movies and expect I know… but I have no idea! Her mom also does a lot of pottery, so hearing that I did it last year she showed me her collection. They were quite impressive and I really liked her work! I wish I had more time and we could chat more about the pottery. I took the last bus home to Leuven.
Saturday, May 2nd 2015
Today we entered a fairytale land, called the Hallerbos forest. It was quite a long trek on public transportation but Dom, Duncan, Gwendolyn and I finally made it. We were coming to see the blue bells, which is a flower that grows naturally in this particular forest. We found some nice patches of them and took some beautiful photographs. The flowers covered the ground and made the entire ground glow blue. It was just beautiful. We found a log to sit and have lunch on as we dangled our feet and enjoyed the little thrown together picnic.
We then crossed the road to the larger forest and were in shock. The flowers were everywhere. In every direction you looked in there seemed to be never ending flowers. It was impossible to catch the magic on my camera. We walked down the paths of the forest and the flowers just kept going. I was amazed. It was a beautiful afternoon with lovely company and I felt like I had transported to another world.
Sunday, May 3rd 2015
I was so excited to find out that the bakery right next to my kot finally opened! Maybe that was a blessing in disguise that it had been closed all of this time. Anyway, I got a delicious pastry for brunch and headed to the train station.
Way back in the beginning of the semester, Pieter promised me that he would show me his hometown and the beautiful flowers that bloom in all of the fields. Of course we got a bit of a rainy day, it’s Belgium. His friend and he picked me up at the train station. We first went to see a church, which was closed, so the natural Belgian response is to get a beer. After our beer we spent the day visiting many different towns in Haspengrow. We saw a display on the army. We got to see a different nice church as well as an estate. But, the best part of the day was seeing the blossoms. The area is known for its cherries, apples and pears. At the time, the apple blossoms were in full bloom, so just driving through the fields was magnificent. We also walked through a muddy path, because it had been raining, up into the fields. We went to another town for their art path. They had a piece of art that functioned as a bridge. You could walk onto it and then around behind the library, which revealed an amazing view of the valley. Belgium doesn’t have much elevation change (particularly in the Flemish region) so this view over Belgium was incredible and unlike anything I’d seen. Pieter commented that it may be one of the best views of Belgium that he has ever seen (because even though these towns were so close to his, he hadn’t ever been there. The highlight of the day was the search for the see through church. We parked our car and started walking into the fields. We walked past rows of the beautifully blossoming trees and the farm before reaching the church. It was made of blocks and metal sheets, which made the church actually see through. But, the incredible part was again the view. The fields were a beautiful sight to see and the clouds looked incredible.
I also had a big revelation of the day. I live one street away from Tiensestraat. The name of the street just means Tienen street. But, what I now realized is that means street to Tienen. And the street that I live on, if you kept following it, would bring you to Tienen. But, before you get there, right on the edge of Leuven, where Tiensestraat meets the ring, is called Tienseport. Port means gate. Leuven used to be a walled city with gates, so certain streets, like Teinsestraat, would lead to gates, like Tienseport, that would lead to the neighboring city. Namensestraat is also an example of this.I was quite surprised but thought it was brilliant!
We went to a restaurant for dinner. I love the insides of all of these places. They look so homey, warm and comfortable. It is a very traditional look. I had stoovles again, but it was a bit different. Still quite delicious.
When I made it back to Leuven, I got showered and was blogging in bed, when Gwendolyn and I decided YOLO, let’s go out. We went to Maximo’s to dance and enjoy the cheap Jenevar shots (Belgium’s Liquor, which is really good!). After we were bored of that, we went to Oude Markt to get a beer, chat, hang out and relax before heading home to get some sleep.
When I made it back to Leuven, I got showered and was blogging in bed, when Gwendolyn and I decided YOLO, let’s go out. We went to Maximo’s to dance and enjoy the cheap Jenevar shots (Belgium’s Liquor, which is really good!). After we were bored of that, we went to Oude Markt to get a beer, chat, hang out and relax before heading home to get some sleep.
Monday May 4th 2015
Today was an early start to Computer Vision meeting. But, the great thing, was after our meeting was next to the VTK Kiesweek. VTK is the student group for the engineering department that I am in! The Kiesweek madness continued! We enjoyed some very cheap fruitur food as well as some extras. Jeroen (my CV partner) introduced me to a bunch of his friends, who were all super nice and fun to talk to. We then took on the inflatables. I made a fool of myself attempting to beat Jeroen in the obstacle course. I was outright murdered. We then tried the spinning pole. Basically, you stood on an inflated platform and had to jump over a rod as it spun around to you. It was entertaining and fun. My favorite, was futball in these huge inflated balls. But, instead of playing futball, it was more like bumper cars, except with huge inflated balls. Every time someone knocked into me, I went flying backwards and rolling over. It was hilarious.
After all of the fun, I headed back to Leuven for my Organizational Decision Making and Change final presentation. It went alright. I think I did a good job presenting my materials. But what matters is it is done!
I then hopped on the train to visit Inge! She was throwing an early Jamie farewell party and had invited Juliana, David and Jan. Everything was very nice. We started outside in the garden and enjoyed hodourves and soup. She had a beautiful garden. Her kids were coming in an out as they enjoyed their neighborhood funfare. It was also great to see Juliana and David. I’m going to miss them a lot when I leave to go to the states. We then went inside to enjoy dinner and dessert. It was all amazing food, so incredibly delicious. We ended the night with the best beer in the world, West vleteren (or what was voted the best beer in the world). It is incredibly difficult to get, you have to go to the factory itself and they will only sell you 24! It really was delicious beer. The bottles don’t even come with labels on it. It has been a joy working with and getting to know Inge, her entire family and Jan. I have felt so welcomed into their lives and their home. I was truly thankful and felt blessed to have such an amazing opportunity and connection.
I stayed the night at Inge’s to prepare for the workshop in the morning.
I stayed the night at Inge’s to prepare for the workshop in the morning.
Tuesday, May 5th 2015
This morning I ran the second UCD workshop with Inge and Jan. This can be read about in the education blog! Afterwards, I took the train back to Leuven and raced to my CV class. Afterwards, instead of doing work, I headed back to Kiesweek. I spent time with Eline, a girl that I had met through CV who was running for Vice President of VTK. Jeroen, Rike Eline and I hung out for awhile, before we had to go to Frisbee practice.
Frisbee was of course good. But the best part was afterwards, a bunch of people went to Kiesweek to get a beer and hang out. It was so nice to chat and talk to everyone in a social setting instead of on the playing field.
After a quick shower I headed to Rik’s house to go out for the night. It was crazy fun. There were lots of nice people to talk to there. Everyone was dancing and having a blast. I love the girls that he is friends with. They are so welcoming and fun! We then went out to the Oude Markt. The night was so much fun. It was filled with dancing and bar hopping. It was certainly one of my favorite nights. Unfortunately, it was too much fun, because the door to my kot was broken, so in order to get in, someone had to let me in from the inside. But, by the time we were ready to go home, I was not ok with waking anyone up. So, I decided to sleep a few hours on Rik’s bean bag before having to get up and drag myself to class.
After a quick shower I headed to Rik’s house to go out for the night. It was crazy fun. There were lots of nice people to talk to there. Everyone was dancing and having a blast. I love the girls that he is friends with. They are so welcoming and fun! We then went out to the Oude Markt. The night was so much fun. It was filled with dancing and bar hopping. It was certainly one of my favorite nights. Unfortunately, it was too much fun, because the door to my kot was broken, so in order to get in, someone had to let me in from the inside. But, by the time we were ready to go home, I was not ok with waking anyone up. So, I decided to sleep a few hours on Rik’s bean bag before having to get up and drag myself to class.
Wednesday, May 6th 2015
Yes, I made it to class alright, just didn’t exactly have time to go to my kot beforehand. After class, and heading back to my kot for a bit, I met Jereon to work on CV. We purposefully met right next to where the fake Kiesweek was happening. So here is where it gets even more complicated. Today, the people who were also ‘running’ for elections but knew they wouldn’t get elected throw their own events. They do it because they are also trying to attract attention to the elections to get the students to vote, but don’t actually want to be in the government. I got to make my own sushi there! We hung out there for a bit before Jeroen had to leave. I decided to spend my day there, so I did a bunch of work, hung out and relaxed in the tent. I went to Zumba afterwards. Then, I went home to relax and get ready for my weekend trip to Paris!