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| <---- Me, my host parents and my host sister in Brussels, where they took me for a day trip - it is only a one and a half hour drive away Host Family: Simon, Marie, Adele and Louison My first host family, which I will sadly be leaving soon, have been very welcoming and kind to me, creating an amazing start to my exchange. They are always excited to show me Belgium and are willing to help me in any situation. They currently have their own son on exchange in Perth, as well as two daughters aged 13 and 11 - who always want to play games and have fun. [ED Note] - Sheck out the intricate architecture ! |
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The parade at Carnival in Waremme, near where I am living. It was very festive with lots of loud music and each float would throw off different gifts into the crowd such as lollies, apples and even tissues. | During the week I am, of course, going to school each day, although without needing to worry too much about tests and homework, I am able to use this time to make friends and practise French. Around 1 or 2 times a month we also have a Rotary organised trip to somewhere in Belgium or even Luxembourg. This usually happens on a Saturday but sometimes Wednesdays too. Every Thursday we have guests over at the house and have ‘Aperol’, which is an aperitif with chips, olives, cheese and meat to eat before dinner - this is very popular here. Each Friday my classes finish a little earlier than usual, and I take this time to explore Waremme, go out with my friends, or do some shopping. Each weekend, if I don’t already have other plans, my host family takes me to visit somewhere in Belgium - such as Brussels - as everything is rather close together. I also spend weekends with my friends or attend a Rotex organised activity with the other districts in Belgium. Soon I am beginning French lessons through my host club here in Belgium, and am looking to join a local sports club which will be added to my weekly routine. |
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School: College Saint-Louis Waremme
It is a very large school, with around 200 students in one year group and is located near the city centre of Waremme. School starts at 8:25am and finishes at 4:05pm, each class going for 2 hours.
It has compulsory subjects such as the sciences (chemistry, biology, etc) and maths, and I am in the “Art Expression” stream, meaning I also have classes such as music, art, history of art and theatre (which is fun, but I am not very good at it). School has no uniform, and every Wednesday finishes at 12pm, which I love!
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Me and some other exchange students at a Rotary organised trip to Verviers (a city in Belgium) |
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My Experience With Culture Shock:
For me the change in culture hit the hardest in school - where I knew absolutely no one, the students dress and act a lot differently and speak a whole new language I don’t understand.
Of course, the school system is also completely different from what I am used to in Australia. In Belgium, you have to repeat the year if you fail, meaning that there were people turning 19 in my year 11 class, classes are also much longer here and the schools in Belgium don’t use any devices (computer, Ipad, phone) - everything is one paper. To overcome this, I needed to remain open minded and remember that I am in a new country and environment, of course things will be different.
Creating a routine and making some friends in my classes also helped a lot in adapting and making the most of this experience. Most importantly, working towards understanding and speaking French plays a big role into finding a sense of belonging within the school and Belgium as a whole.
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The view of Porto, Portugal. My host family and I went during the school holidays, it had very nice weather and good food such as a ‘Pastel de nata’ - a portuguese custard tart. |
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