Attending the world premiere of the lastest Speilberg film

Until today this week has brought nothing noteworthy really, just been getting on with things now, which is nice in a way and some what boring in another.

Onto something interesting.  Today Jenny and I decided to go and see some of the celebrations for the Tintin world premiere.  First thing I noticed as the bus made its way into the centre were the police, I hardly ever see police here and normally they're just directing traffic but there were loads of them round here today.  First there was a display of cars all featured in Tintin through the city.  Afterwards we headed towards the cinema where the premiere was being held to see an acrobatics display, we didn't stay for the whole thing- we began to freeze, so went and got lunch.  Afterwards we found ourselves in what we thought was a great place to see what was going on, right opposite the end of the red carpet.  We stayed there for a while and thought something exciting was going to happen when a load of police on motorbikes appeared and a black car followed.  Out came the cameras and from the car appeared....some Belgian royalty.  This could've been vaguely interesting if I hadn't been expecting Steven Speilberg to emerge.  We heard a policeman tell someone that he was expected in an hour so quickly popped into a shop for some warmth and to kid ourselves that we will actually read these Belgian and Spanish/Italian newspapers we've bought.  When we were in there what did I hear but "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr Steven Speilberg!!"  I still don't quite get what happened, I don't think he arrived in a car where we were so maybe we still wouldn't have seen it, but still annoying huh?  Bit of a fail really, and I sort of wish we made it to see the celebs on the red carpet beforehand as Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) was there but we still got close to the red carpet, even if after the event:

So next weekend I'm heading off to Lancaster, I don't anticipate there being anything for me to need to share with you all before then.  I'm not sure when I'll be blogging next because after that my grandparents are visiting and once they've gone I'm off to Luxembourg for the weekend!  I hope I'll get back to you before then, I'm sure I will.

So far so good (Video)

I'd originally intended to video blogs but it's not really my thing so I'll probably make this a monthly thing, let me know what you think :)

It's all about trying something different.

One of the key things about going on a year abroad is doing something different.  Experiencing new things and doing things that you wouldn't normally try.  Or so Jenny and I kept telling each other when we decided to go to s "Speedy Friending" even that the ISTI Student Council (literally run by 3 student volunteers so I hesitate to call it a Student Union or anything similar...) were putting on.  We got there and went downstairs to find them still setting up and were eventually (when they noticed us there) asked to go back upstairs and join "the others", at which point we were a little confused as there weren't really any "others" there to wait with.  We did as asked though and waited upstairs.  When the time came for them to ask people down we were very hesitant to say the least and said on more than one occasion that we would quite happily leave .  One way or another we eventually decided to stay and give it a go.  I have to say I was expecting something structured where we all went round and introduced ourselves to different people but what actually happened was we all sat round tables and had to get up and tell everyone who we were, by about the 10th person that got up and said "Je suis anglais(e)" I wanted to be of any other nationality just because we totally outnumbered everyone else, with close competition from the Italians though!  After this we were just told to talk, well we'd all sat down with people we already knew and no-one moved to mingle at all and that was pretty much the end of it.  Afterwards there was a party, we didn't stay, but it reminded me of a school disco, just needed them to play a bit of Steps and for the boys and girls to split to other sides of the room!  The only plus side to the evening was that we got the chance to buy ISTI hoodies!

Today I have no classes but as I have loads of work to do this weekend I decided to avoid it at all costs and use today to do all the other bits and pieces and get cracking tomorrow.  First, and thus avoiding anything useful, I went with Jenny to the European Parliament as they've opened up a new visitor centre.  It was very good actually, and if I'd not been carrying my coat, and my impulse by new shoes I'd have stayed longer although we were there for a long time!  I can see why it has cost them so much though!  You all get an iPod-esque thing that you use to read and listen to the information as you go round by swiping it against a panel next to the thing you're looking at, very clever.  There are all sorts of interactive elements to it, well worth a trip-especially as it is free!  I did it in French this time, much to the confusion of the huy at the desk who kindly told me to bring it back if I didn't understand it...thanks I may be English but some of us to bother to learn other languages...  I might go again and do it in Spanish, it may take a 3rd and final English trip to get there though!

Got to get on top of all my work this weekend because I've got some busy weekends coming up and I won't get the chance to do it. In for a fun couple of days...wish me luck!

There is always something to look forward to.

I think I'm making this my Year Abroad motto for now, remembering that there is always something to look forward to.  Especially at the moment, with all my travelling plans I will be going somewhere or seeing someone every other weekend from the end of this month which both keeps me busy and makes time go faster knowing there is always something happening around the corner.  Plus I guess that when I go to Granada travelling won't be so easy or as cheap as it is when you're travelling from the European Capital as they call it so I need to make the most of it now!

Here is my lovely looking calendar:

Today started off as one of those days where I wished I just hadn't got out of bed. I got up early so that I'd have plenty of time and not have to rush, well, clearly I needed to go a little bit faster!  I didn't have enough time to finish my drink, despite trying to cool it down with a generous helping of milk.  I then, following the "Healthy Bex" plan walked down the stairs and set of to the tram, quite quickly may I add.  Half way to the tram I realised I didn't have my travel card because I'd swapped bags....so back I go!  I didn't consider this to be a good start to my day.  Once I was back on the main road I could see the tram coming and was convinced I wasn't going to get there in time but my luck evidentally changed and I got on just as the doors were shutting.

Wednesday is not my favourite day of the week, it starts with 2 language classes, including an oral class that is continually assessed... and ends in 2 hours of 20th century French literature.  Today it was made worse by the fact that I had planned to meet my Tandem (Language exchange) partner for the first time and I really wasn't sure what to expect of it.  It turns out I needn't have worried as she is very nice and I even managed a comprhensible conversation with her in French for about 45 minutes.

This week has gone very quickly actually, tomorrow is technically my last day of the week before the weekend begins and I'm going to a Welcome Party-Speedy Friending (Which I presume to be like speed dating but to make friends?) I'd say that 4 weeks into classes this may be a little late but who knows, I'm just wondering what sort of sad people that haven't made friends after 4 weeks turn up to this sort of thing.  Oh yeah, that's right, people like me...oh god.  I'll let you know how it goes, at least I have a little more confidence in my French after today.

Since when did I become so unfit?!

Sitting here with 3 apples and a bowl of grapes on my desk and a chocolate chip cookie in my mouth I'm trying to work out when it was I became so unfit!  Do I blame the YA? It would appear to be the easiest thing to do, and after all everything else gets blamed on the YA, but I don't think I can this time.  I am going to shift blame and say that it is down to University.  Don't get me wrong, the intention was there, I signed up for a membership, went swimming a few times and enjoyed it, but at some point it just went out the window, probably around the time that Glee, Swing Group, LUSU and work started taking more of my time!  I love to be busy, that's one of the things I miss most here.  I have a lot of time on my hands, I could be doing work of course.... That's how this whole thing started actually, I'd reached the point where I want to chuck this Faux Amis list out of the window and decided that a quick stint on the exercise bike would be a good idea.  Well, a quick stint is what I got!  I knew I was unfit, but I've never been this bad in my whole life!  From today I eat better (when this box of cookies is done that is), use the 4 flights of stairs (with the exception of with shopping) and work to lasting more than a couple of minutes on that flipping exercise bike!

So that was a little unrelated to the YA but hey!

Back to the YA stuff, so Jenny and I have booked our weekend in Luxembourg, I've not looked into it at all, I have no idea what we should do and see but we have a hotel booked for 2 nights so off we go! I'm trying to book up weekends to keep myself busy after realising this weekend that 3 days off is great in theory but you have to fill time, and even if you have plenty of work there is only so much time you can spend doing it.  I so far have a weekend back in Lancaster, some time here with my grandparents and the trip to Luxembourg.  I'm also hoping to pop over to Madrid to visit a friend (may as well as it is cheap!) and I might have a friend come and visit nearer Christmas.  Just going to see how much I can pack in!

I think we can call that Bex 1-0 Spanish

Today I have the two classes that are potentially the most beneficial to me but yet that I dread the most, the written and oral French classes.  Today we had to work in groups of mixed nationalities, so how I end up with myself and 3 Spanish people I have pretty much no idea.  I find the Spanish accent really hard to understand when people are talking in French and this became evident.  It basically went like this:

Spanish girl one: (Says something in French)
Me: Blank look-laughs
Spanish guy 1: (In Spanish) she doesn't understand
Spanish girl 2: (In spanish) She speaks spanish!
Me: (In spanish) yes, I speak spanish and I understand it better than French

Take that annoying Spanish guy that was trying to make fun of me!  More fool you, should've been listening earlier in the conversation when I told you I study Spanish too.  So after initally being embarassed that he was pointing out my lack of comprehension I feel I won that one, don't you?

In other news I've had an email from someone that is interesting in doing the Tandem programme with me which is where she practises her English and I practise French, worth a try I reckon.  Also, after sending quite a few emails yesterday, yet failing to attach my CV as I'd said I did... I've had replies from 2 schools already, one of which is a specialist languages college so good start I think.

Weather has finally turned bad, rainy and horrible today... never mind, it's Wednesday already, I have one more class today and 2 tomorrow and that is the end of the week- roll on the weekend, I've got plenty of work to do....

A normal start to a normal week.

Today (as well as marking the start of my 4th week living in Brussels) was the first day of the first what you might call normal week out here.  There are no random public holidays and no trips provided by ISTI.  It is a normal week.  And boy, does it feel normal... it feels now like I've got more of a routine and I know what to expect of things now, I'm doing work and things just like normal...  I'm hoping this normality won't last or it won't become too boring, week 4 is too early for this! I have a lot more time out here yet and I don't want it to drag!

The other thing that has made today distinctly ordinary has been having the chance to moan about my department at uni.  There is nothing like it.  If I closed my eyes I could be back in Lancaster waiting for the latest piece of work that they want us to do and nobody understands...

Granada...Girona...Granada...Girona...GRANADA

So the decision has finally been made, and Granada it is.  Quick run down of why:

• Spanish vs Catalan- in my mind Spanish was always going to win, 0.5 units of next year are Catalan, my degree however? 50% Spanish.
• Location- I chose Granada in the first place because of it's location and the fact that I know it is a lovely city.
• Convenience- This way I can leave here on the 22nd ish of Jan, go home for a week or 2 just about and head out to Granada.

This afternoon was intended to be for doing my reading for ISTI and take a look at DELC 310, this failed as instead I spent the entirety of it doing my application for Granada.  For a European University their organisation is really quite something else!  They have timetables and exam dates online and ask us to pick our courses now.  I have managed to put together a horrible timetable which starts at 8.30 every day (Must find somewhere close to live...) and on two days of the week ends at 9.30PM!  I do however get Friday off.  The reason this took me so long to do though was becuase seeing as I could access the exam dates I tried my best to finish as early as possible in the hope that I might make it back to Lancaster for Grad Ball and Extrav.  I finish on the 19th of June and my best guess tells me that Grad Ball will be somewhere around the 23rd/25th sort of time- bonus!  I've settled on Intro to Latin, History of Women, Cultural Anthropology, History of the modern world, and a course on Spanish dialects.  That might sound heavy but its actually fairly light subject matter compared with some of the other courses I could've done.  That's the important part of my day over with!

This morning I did a dictee (dictation, the Francophones love them...) with my flat mate for some work I need to do for ISTI and then we went out to lunch.  Was really nice to get to see a part of the city I've not been to, and as it is so close to me I'm not really sure how I've missed it!  I had a tartine which is apparently very Belgian and is essentially just an open sandwhich.  I also had a glass of Jus de pomplemousse just because I love saying the word!

That brings us to the end of week 3 folks, roll on week 4! This will actually be the first "normal" week I've had here with no random days off or trips to go on.  A bientot :)

Why did no one tell me I'd be in Brussels for the hottest October ever recorded?

Today has not been an exciting day so I'll save you the details and say that I went food shopping, did the washing and cleaning and then went and purchased a cheap suitcase for my little trip to Lancaster in 4 weeks time(!).

What I did want to talk about though is the heat!  I was under the impression that I've picked the Belgian equivilant of Lancaster and packed accordingly, jeans, hoodies, boots, warm clothes!  But we've currently got the same "Indian summer" as England is going through, meaning it is boiling!  Today was actually the hottest October day ever recorded out here reaching 27,9 degrees or something similar, lovely, if I wasn't wearing jeans...ah well, on the bright side (or actually rather more grey) it won't last and it's getting cooler next week.

Found myself a better radio station to listen to, (Bel RTL for anyone that is interested)

Tomorrow holds a dictee, some reading and I really better crack on with this work for Lancaster....

No news on the Spain situation yet, will let you know!