Brussels

[hXc]

Photos will be in the next couple of days!
I'm at a cafe down the road from me and they have a free wireless hotspot...ka-ching!

At the moment I'm downloading necessary programs and image things (Mihov - can already use it easily) to make it all go. And then the next time I come down I'll bring my camera with photos etc to upload so you people can see what Im doing...finally.

[GurlRacer]

It's just funny to think that you can make best friends in a matter of days, and thanks to AFS, it's possible with some of the coolest people I know. And even funnier...all my real good friends here seem to be from way the fuck up north - Iceland, Finland, Norway...I see a pattern?

It's meee I tell you!! haha!
You caught the "Everything Scandinavian" bug off me before you left! But daymn, those Scandinavians (guys and gals) are damn good looking... I spent a year there... woah!

[captain_andrey]

I just have to plug in my Brussels photos now...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7139632...608374/detail/

Really wish I had a tripod.

[Mom]

And even funnier...all my real good friends here seem to be from way the fuck up north - Iceland, Finland, Norway...I see a pattern?

Hope the same could be said for us back here too

[Usarka]

I though brussells was the most boringest place i'd been, but one thing i learnt in travelling is that different people get different experiences from different places, often depending on mood, circumstance etc.

Get your arse up to Bruge (beautiful) and do a tour of flanders fields and check out the WW1 cemeteries, thousands of NZ white crosses with "Unknown Soldier" inscribed on them.

Then see the movie Bruges which should be out soon (or now) fuckin brilliant.

Good work regardless

[hXc]

I'm at my sister's in Vilvoorde now! About 14mins by train north into the Dutch speaking part.

Firstly, dad. You probably won't like that Chimay stuff. It's quite strong and not sweet at all.

Well, I've started school (on Wednesday) and it's pretty different from NZ. We stay in the same classroom, and the teacher comes to the class to teach the subject, and goes out of the class at the end of the course. I'm taking English (It's being changed though), and the whole lesson is taken in English unless somebody seriously does not understand. I'm taking Dutch (being changed too) and the whole lesson is taken in Dutch, unless someone seriously doesn't understand (me). The English teacher is the Dutch teacher too!

I'm changing from English because of the obvious - it's far too basic and I won't learn anything. And I'm changing from Dutch because it's not beginners Dutch and if it's not in Dutch, it's in French...so I still don't really understand. But it's ok, I just have to fill in 8hrs of class with something else.

I'm downloading Mihov now, and will resize all my pics then upload a few to here, and all of them will go on bebo and facebook, for those who are interested.

[hXc]

Pics! I hope...

[hXc]

The first 2 pics are the same guy...I took a picture of the statue, then looked closer and had to take another!

[hXc]

The 1st pic is a Peugeot scooter!
2nd two are my room (tiny!).
And the last one is a school. Not my school, but the school where we had our arrival camp for the first few days.

[Bikernereid]

What no pic of the Manneken Pis?

Hope you enjoying Brussels it is a really great city. If you can learn Dutch is the best language ever. You should pick it up quite easily if you are in Vilvorde and watch the Flemish and Dutch tv. Most of it is in English with Dutch subtitles. The people in the Flemish cities are far more friendly and helpful than those in the French speaking ones. Even if you only say hello in Dutch the shop assistants etc will bend over backwards to help you.

[hXc]

I've had endless amounts of people bagging the French-Belgians, and in my time here so far (albeit quite short), I've had nothing but good help from them. I don't know what people are on about. If I don't know how to ask what I need to, I ask if they speak English first, and if they do then I proceed. I think they're very friendly to be honest, but whatever floats your boat I guess.

[Maha]

The 1st pic is a Peugeot scooter!
2nd two are my room (tiny!).
And the last one is a school. Not my school, but the school where we had our arrival camp for the first few days.

Is that 'A Peugeot Scooter'' or 'My Peugeot Scooter''??...

[Bikernereid]

I've had endless amounts of people bagging the French-Belgians, and in my time here so far (albeit quite short), I've had nothing but good help from them. I don't know what people are on about. If I don't know how to ask what I need to, I ask if they speak English first, and if they do then I proceed. I think they're very friendly to be honest, but whatever floats your boat I guess.

I lived in Brussels for 4.5 years and although I had both french, dutch and german speaking belgian fiends just I just prefered the Flemish. I think that I prefered them because they make the effort to speak both official languages and english ,whereas trying to find someone in brussels to speak dutch is neigh on impossible. And I think the Flemish have more in common with the Brits humour wise etc.

But as you say each to thier own.

[hXc]

Is that 'A Peugeot Scooter'' or 'My Peugeot Scooter''??...

A Peugoet scooter. Cheeky shit.

I lived in Brussels for 4.5 years and although I had both french, dutch and german speaking belgian fiends just I just prefered the Flemish. I think that I prefered them because they make the effort to speak both official languages and english ,whereas trying to find someone in brussels to speak dutch is neigh on impossible. And I think the Flemish have more in common with the Brits humour wise etc.

But as you say each to thier own.

I don't speak Dutch, so there's probably the difference. Lol.