One Month in and it Still Feels Like Heaven

So after having been here for a month I would've thought that things would have calmed down some and I would have a little more free time, but these Belgians are all about staying busy! It's great though; I rather be busy than bored : )
I have joined the community band (there are no bands in school) which meets every Friday night from 8-11! I did not bring my French Horn so I'm borrowing one, and while it isn't as wonderful as my horn at home I am just happy to be playing music! Last Friday was really fun; there are people ages 12-85 and just like all the people in Belgium, they are so kind and welcoming! By the end of the night it was like I was part of the family already!
Saturday after swim team I... BABYSAT! Leave it to me to already have a babysitting job after being here just one month! I watched Sarah 10 and Elisa 7, who, because of their dad's job, go to an English speaking school so they are both fluent in French, English, and Nearlandaise as well! I was relieved knowing that they could translate for me if I needed it but we actually spoke French all night! It was fun, plus 35 euros is nice!
Sunday morning I went to Liege with a friend of the family, Manu, for La Forme du Coeur- a 7K race! It was a beautiful day and I guess a good day to run because there were 677 participants and I was first for 18 and under girls and the 5th woman overall! Not too shabby I thought! After that, I went straight home, changed, and my counselor, Jean Marie picked me up to go Golfing... Belgian golfing. You start by putting on a sweater and boots, then you put on a pair of boots, then you take your club- a big wooden stick with a wooden foot on the end- and ball- somewhat like a soccer ball, and you go out into a giant dairy farm and golf among the cows, poop, and barbed wire! It was SO fun! An indescribable experience really.
Tuesday Track team started and I am really glad to have some runner friends now so that I don't have to always run by myself! It is a co-ed team and while the workout was hard it was definitely fun!
Wednesday I decided to meet up with my friend Mollie who is from Kansas in Liege to go shopping! It was a beautiful day and we both bought winter coats in preparation for a Belgian winter! I felt very grown up because to get home from Liege I took the train and two buses all by myself and I made it just fine! How European : )
I have changed my schedule to allow for some fun classes- more gym and cooking classes and less science and religion! Cooking class is great! I am really learning the metric system and how to make a stellar quiche Lorraine- maybe I'll be a cooking teacher instead of a French teacher! Who knows : )
All I can say is that I have learned so much already after this first month! At night it's hard to quiet my mind because I am thinking so much, not just about language, but about life too. This experience is making me so much more aware of who I am and who I want to be. I feel blessed to be able to take a year to just soak in the wonderful life I have been given. I think finding peace and calm and time to just enjoy life can be really difficult, but here I have time to truly appreciate every minute.

The Name 'Margaret' is Spreading Like Wild Fire!

It has only been a few days since I last wrote, but some exciting things have been happening in the little town of Thimister!
I had mentioned that I was interviewed after the race last Friday... well there was an article printed ABOUT ME! Anytime you are in the newspaper it is thrilling, but to be in the newspaper in Belgium!!! The whole family was overjoyed! We've been passing it around to everyone; can you imagine, an article in French, with Margaret Gender as the title! The most entertaining part however is that the article note that I am from "Visconsin"... not only is that not where I am from, but it doesn't exist... we think that the interviewer must have just been a little confused, which between my panting after running and my accent, is highly understandable! Nevertheless- I was in the paper :)
Secondly, I have a very exciting announcement... The 14th of September, 2010 at 11:30 in the afternoon, a little girl was born. Weighing in at an estimated 35-40 kilos, black with just a few white spots, Margaret the cow has arrived!!! YAHOO! I have a cow named after me!!! And the great part is, baby girls get to stay on the farm, unlike little James who was sold off the the meat farm, so Margaret will stay here for years to come :) Unfortunately, I was at school so I missed the live birth, but I visit her everyday and we are great friends already.
My next goal is to get a city named after me... I'm thinking Brussels is so last year; Margaret, Belgium sound like a great capitol! :) Having a grand old time in this wonderful country!

Belgium: from Underground to High Above!

Well I have had an eventful week... School is getting better with time. I am making more friends and am becoming more than just the kid you go to when you have questions in English class, and more of a friend and a true classmate to all the 21 other people in my class!
Tuesday, I came in from a run and was stretching inside when all of the sudden Pauline comes rushing in screaming to come quick! So we run outside and there is a GIANT red hot air balloon soaring right over the farm- it was so close that I thought we could almost touch it! Apparently Benoit shares my love for hot air balloons and has gone in one before and would love to go again so we're going to try to go together!! How cool!!
Wednesday school ends at noon, and from 2-6 there was a Rotary activity. They try to have activities at least once a month on Wednesdays so we have something to do. We all met in Liege at the train station, I was supposed to take the train from where I live to Liege, but Benoit was running late so we missed the train! He felt horrible and drove another 25 minutes to get me to Liege! It was nice to see all the Rotary kids. We loaded onto a bus and went off to the Blegny Mine which I thought would be a lot less interesting than it was! It was actually really cool! First we got to wear hardhats and mining jackets (I love a new outfit:) and then we descended 60 meters into a coal mine; I took the tour guided in French, and the guide was very nice and very informative. Fact: They used to use horses to haul coal in the mine and they got the horse into the mine by putting them standing up in the elevator! The horses stayed in the mines until they died because they couldn't haul those things in and out every day! It was great- and afterwards we got waffles so that was amazing! That night I made dinner for the family and some visiting friends; spaghetti with an eggplant and zucchini tomato sauce... let's just say there wasn't a speck left! :)
Thursday at school my class went on an all-day field trip to a giant (6 story) library, Chiroux, in Liege. We are doing all year research projects on a topic of our choice and were getting lots of information. It was very cool. My topic is the evolution of language; how we learn it and they want me to talk about how the Rotary expands our language opportunities and connects us.
Friday was a big day! I went to school and then at 7pm I ran my first race in Belgium! It was called Le Jogging du Cidre, and was 8,4km all around my little village. The weather was great and a friend of the family rode his scooter through the course with a giant American flag cheering me on! There were 130 people in the race; I was 5/15 in my category. After the race I was interviewed for the newspaper!!! And then, there was a raffle and I won a 3 piece gourmet bowl set! I think it'll go well in the new kitchen:) I rushed home, showered, Nicole did my hair, and I met Pauline and friends at a dance party! I crashed at one in the morning, but it was a great day!
Saturday was SO sunny! We had swimming which was easier than the first day, I worked on the farm, and that night I was invited to go to a very fancy dinner with Nicole, Benoit, and their friends. They had a big gift card to this fancy restaurant, so we enjoyed a very long dinner together- we didn't get home until 12:30 but it was lovely!
There is so much to smile about here! The people are some of the nicest people I have ever met. Everyone is so genuine and just so happy with life- you just can't help but love life!

Experiencing the real "Full House"

We have had so much going on in this 338 year old house that I can hardly tell who is living here or who is just passing through anymore!
Wednesday night, Laura and Louise, sisters from Ireland, came and stayed with us.  They are part of EYBS (European Young Breeders School) and while they have a dairy farm of their own, they travel around Europe showing cows from all over. They stayed with us in Pauline's room from Wednesday- Saturday night; and thus, Pauline and I shared my bed which was slightly terrifying because it is a twin size bunk-bed, 5.5 feet off the ground, and slightly wobbly... But we managed!
Thursday school was a half day again, and just the level 6 (me) and the level 3 (the youngest at school) went. We are the oldest in the school and so we gave tours and words of advice to the little ones; I thought it was a little ironic that I was there to be giving advice! When I got home it was SUNNY, so I went on a long run and then afterwards I got to drive the tractor!!! Good thing I know how to drive a manual transmission or else that would've been embarrassing!
Friday was the first full day of school. I am in the normal level 6 French class which is really tough!! My brain was definitely exhausted after thinking so hard for the whole day! Since Wednesday we've been tearing out our old kitchen and building a modern one-- there have been so many electricians, plumbers, and carpenters... all related to Benoit (who we call le roi de Belgique or the king of Belgium) somehow!
Saturday was gorgeous again! It was the first day of swimming club! I wasn't in the same group as Pauline and thus I was with all boys, so I had to swim fast to keep up! It was tough but I liked it : ) Nicole cut my hair in the afternoon-- now I have bangs like all the other girls! That evening we went to where the state fair would be held and sampled food from all the countries that were involved in the cow show! It was delicious!
Sunday was the long anticipated State Fair! Louise and Laura both took first in their classes! There were tons of cows, horses, pigs, chickens-- so much to do, we were there from 11-7! Just like our state fairs-- minus SO much fried food : ) We are finally moved back into our new kitchen and it's just lovely!
Today, Monday, school started up again, and I am starting to get the hang of it. I feel like I am understanding the fast paced talking more and more. The sun shone all day which I loved! I just got back from a run and tonight we are going to a gym to lift weights with my friend from school, Celine! I hopefully will manage to get a little sleep as well! I am very happy and trying to live every moment to the fullest!

Thank Goodness for Umbrellas!

So sorry for the delay! I have been so busy during the day and trying to catch a little sleep at night! I left you last Friday night where I was going to a sports event; the event was actually a giant track meet with participants from all over the world! It was so much fun; however, it was long (as track meets tend to be) and Pauline and I were under dressed for the surprisingly cold "summer" weather! I did get to see an American set the World Record for the Shot Put (22.16m) which was very exciting!
This past weekend, I woke up early and drove down to a city called Huy where we had our 1630 Rotary District Conference all day Saturday and Sunday. The conference was actually held in a boarding school so we each were assigned a private room which was nice. Saturday we heard lots of presentations about the rules, conferences to come, trip opportunities, and traveling. It wasn't the most entertaining day, but we were able to trade lots of pins for our blazers so now my blazer is covered : ) That evening there was a DJ and free refreshments until midnight! I remember thinking while I was dancing how few people ever get the opportunity to dance alongside people from Australia, India, Asia, Finland, Canada, New Zealand, and South America! I think the Rotary is incredible for giving people opportunities just like those. Sunday we listened to more presentations and our host parents all came so we were able to meet our parents from all three families. I still love my first family the best, but of course I know every family will have something wonderful to offer.
Monday I finally got my Belgian credit card and chose my classes for school- I will be in Technique Sociale. Then I went shopping all day in Liege with Pauline and Nicole! I bought too much but this money feels like Monopoly money! I can't help to think it's not real!!! That night Nicole made an incredible zucchini quiche!
Tuesday morning we went into Verviers, a city near us, and waited in a very long line to get my bus pass! I no longer have to pay when we take the bus! Yay! That afternoon, Pauline, her friend Charlotte, me, and my friend Celine went to a city called Spa, and we went to a SPA! There were heated indoor and outdoor pools, dry and wet saunas, and comfy chairs with warming lights! It was the perfect thing to do to relax before school starts!
Today, Wednesday, was my first day of school! I was of course nervous, and even more so because I am getting sick, I have a sore throat and got a migraine last night : / We primped until the minute we had to rush off to the bus and I went to a little tour for all the new students. At 9h00 we all went to class, you stay with the same people all day, and I met my contact teacher and French and Science teacher. She was very nice and went over everything for the year. I am glad I sit next to Celine because it's a little difficult to keep up! School only goes until 12 Wednesdays so we came home for lunch and now are cleaning because two girls are coming in from Ireland tonight to stay with us until Sunday. They are showing cows at a big fair and Benoit said he'd host English speakers because I can translate. Hopefully I translate well! The only thing I am missing is the lack of sunshine! As I write this it is actually sunny; however, I have been getting great use out of my umbrella! Despite the rainy weather, I'm still having a blast!!!