We circled Brussels for the better part of an hour before we finally landed. Then, we rushed to the train station to wait another hour for our train; we arrived in Verviers at about two in the afternoon. Verviers was absolutely beautiful even in a misty rain. We got a lot of strange looks as twenty-nine people drug their suitcases through streets, busy with people shopping.
Last night I went with Leah and Katy to L'Europe, a great little coffee shop/restaurant just down the street. They got a type of milk coffee (I can say it, but I don't remember how to spell it); I tried a sip of Katy's but in only conformed that I am not a coffee person. It looks good, and I wish I could drink it, but it's just too bitter to me. Leah suggested we make it a weekly thing--that every Tuesday that we're in Verviers we will go down to the coffee shop for drinks and talk. And the last time we go, we'll dress up in whatever new clothes we've bought while we're here.
I got a little time this afternoon to explore by myself while; I went and got an ice cream after I accidentally went the wrong direction. It was wonderful, and it was fun because I was able to order in French, and never spoke any English. I read the sign and figured out what must mean one scoop. My pronunciation was probably bad, but he understood me. I'll definitely be going back--the ice cream was unbelievably good. It was softer, creamier, and richer than what I'm used to in the States. Then I made my way around the long way to the GB Super and the post office; in the grocery store, I was humming along with the music playing over the loudspeakers for a few seconds before it occurred to me that it was a bit strange that they were playing Marks Wills "Don't Laugh at Me." American country music, in a little grocery store all the way across Belgium--it seems like in the U.S. we have every kind of entertainment industry, and we get almost nothing from non-English speaking places. Well, shirts with French words or jewelry with Chinese symbols are popular, but nothing that really means anything.
I bought some ketchup (they have Heinz here), some more notebooks, a birthday card for Kathleen, and a card that it a birthday card but has a little dog like Jack on it that I'll send to Papa and Nanny anyways.
We all went to a park with a huge white gazebo for a devo tonight. It was nice to sing again--it's been a long time, as there wasn't much this summer.
Today I read Moliere's Tartuffe for the modern literature class. It was funny, and not that long. It was maybe forty pages, but easy to read, so I don't know why everyone's complaining so much. I love the book we have for the class; there are so many great things in it. It's a Norton Anthology's Words Lit Volume II; I wish I had more time to read it all. I really think that I will buy every anthology I can before I graduate college.
I want to find a copy of Pride and Prejudice in French, and maybe one of Charlotte Bronte's books, probably The Professor, since it's set in Belgium. Tomorrow maybe I'll poke around in some of the bookstores in town, and Mandy wants to try the ice cream and I said I'd go with her.
Well, I guess I will try to get some sleep. My pillow is very hard and flat, but got one of the extra blankets to prop it up. WE have class at 8:30 tomorrow morning, so I guess I'll head to the room.
Last night I went with Leah and Katy to L'Europe, a great little coffee shop/restaurant just down the street. They got a type of milk coffee (I can say it, but I don't remember how to spell it); I tried a sip of Katy's but in only conformed that I am not a coffee person. It looks good, and I wish I could drink it, but it's just too bitter to me. Leah suggested we make it a weekly thing--that every Tuesday that we're in Verviers we will go down to the coffee shop for drinks and talk. And the last time we go, we'll dress up in whatever new clothes we've bought while we're here. I got a little time this afternoon to explore by myself while; I went and got an ice cream after I accidentally went the wrong direction. It was wonderful, and it was fun because I was able to order in French, and never spoke any English. I read the sign and figured out what must mean one scoop. My pronunciation was probably bad, but he understood me. I'll definitely be going back--the ice cream was unbelievably good. It was softer, creamier, and richer than what I'm used to in the States. Then I made my way around the long way to the GB Super and the post office; in the grocery store, I was humming along with the music playing over the loudspeakers for a few seconds before it occurred to me that it was a bit strange that they were playing Marks Wills "Don't Laugh at Me." American country music, in a little grocery store all the way across Belgium--it seems like in the U.S. we have every kind of entertainment industry, and we get almost nothing from non-English speaking places. Well, shirts with French words or jewelry with Chinese symbols are popular, but nothing that really means anything.
I bought some ketchup (they have Heinz here), some more notebooks, a birthday card for Kathleen, and a card that it a birthday card but has a little dog like Jack on it that I'll send to Papa and Nanny anyways. We all went to a park with a huge white gazebo for a devo tonight. It was nice to sing again--it's been a long time, as there wasn't much this summer.
Today I read Moliere's Tartuffe for the modern literature class. It was funny, and not that long. It was maybe forty pages, but easy to read, so I don't know why everyone's complaining so much. I love the book we have for the class; there are so many great things in it. It's a Norton Anthology's Words Lit Volume II; I wish I had more time to read it all. I really think that I will buy every anthology I can before I graduate college.
I want to find a copy of Pride and Prejudice in French, and maybe one of Charlotte Bronte's books, probably The Professor, since it's set in Belgium. Tomorrow maybe I'll poke around in some of the bookstores in town, and Mandy wants to try the ice cream and I said I'd go with her.
Well, I guess I will try to get some sleep. My pillow is very hard and flat, but got one of the extra blankets to prop it up. WE have class at 8:30 tomorrow morning, so I guess I'll head to the room.
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