Basket-ball Belge

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011

~Started this one forever ago, but then never felt like updating it... worst blog keeper ever. Sorry guys!

Well, at least I am not a month behind anymore... And at least lately I have been keeping a journal, so I can remember what happened on each day. Which is also the reason this post has been so delayed, because I accidentally left my journal at my French classes and my friend picked it up for me, but then because of the lovely strikes and it being Christmas break, I was just able to get it back. So at least I have a bit of an excuse for the reason this post is so delayed... I simply couldn't remember the order in which things happened.

It seems like the only days that I write about are weekends. Well, that's because school is just plain boring! Even though I still have yet to completely memorize my crazy schedule, I have kind of just fallen into the routine of the way things are here. School every day, French classes on Mondays and Thursdays, Skyping with my parents on most Sundays, trying to plan as much travelling around and visiting of new and exciting places as possible, all while still trying to be with my host family on the weekends (it's the only time I get to see my host dad...). Oh, and let's not forget constantly finding myself exhausted right up until the point where I go to bed. With constantly trying to communicate in a different language, exhaustion is normal, but when I finally go to bed, it's like the one time my brain has to think in all English and it just won't stop! It's a crazy life, one that I could have never imagined myself living a year ago while going through this whole application and selection process. Even though it was something I desperately wanted to do, I didn't ever really seem to give it thought, never wondered how life would actually be. Maybe I was more like my mum in that sense, just going through the motions but thinking that in the end, it wouldn't actually be me, getting onto a plane to go to a foreign country with no one by my side for an entire year, that in the end I would not go. But in the end, I did. And I am so glad that it happened.

Life in Belgium is like the craziest rollercoaster you could imagine, times like 100. I love it, I hate it, and then once again I can't get enough of it. I am used to it, and yet everything still seems new. Honestly, I think every single exchange student out there could officially be diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. You hear everyone tell you before you leave that your exchange year will be the hardest, craziest, and yet one of the best decisions in your entire life. And after almost 5 months here, I am just now starting to understand them.

Okay, just found myself COMPLETELY sidetracked from the basketball game. A couple weeks before, Pascale had told me not to make any plans for the 3rd because she had tickets to go and see a basketball game, and we could go, of course only if I wanted to. And, well, being the sports jock that I am, of course I wanted to go!

We got there a bit ealry because Pascale said that they were tickets she got through her work, and that there was a little reception beforehand with sandwiches and such. In my mind, I was thinking that we were going to be going to her work or something like that and then all going ot the game togehter. But it turns out that the reeption was in this little side gym, the lower of the two VIP sections. And there was no oen there from Pascalle's work, so we kind of awkwardly stood around a table with one other couple with the most adorable little boys. We literally sat there in silence for like 20 minutes... Then they started talking, and I found myself the center of converstation. And for whatever reason, I just couldn't easily understand the lady and she kept talking ot me and I kept feeling stupid because I couldn't really understand.... Needless to say, I was very happy when the game actually started. We hadf seats at the top of the court... They weren't bad. I am not sure how high up these teams actually are (we were watching a Verviers vs. some other team game...), I think like the step before the bigtime. But anyhow, the arena was TINY compared to the U.S. And I swear that the amount of people actually watching the game was equivalent to that of a high school Varsity basketball game (if the students are in anyway spirited and support their teams...). The game was a fun one ot watch, and Verviers was winning by a minimum of 10 points for the majority of the game, but hten at the very end the other team came back to win, by 2 points. It was quite crushing for the home team I believe.

Just like back home, not ot be racist or anything, the starting line of both teams was all black. But for the most part the rest of the team was of different ethnicities, so a bit different than at home. And just like normal, the starting 5 played for the majority of the game. The Verviers team was pretty good at changing out there people for basketball, but I swear the other team only had 6 of the 15 guys on the bench play the entire game. I felt bad for them. Also at the game they had "pom pom girls"... If you can even call them real cheerleaders. Sure, they had pompoms, but they were really just more like slightly-innapproriate dancers that were wearing barely any clothes and had bascially no talent. Kinda feel like Belgians have a warped view of them, because sure you do get those kinds of cheerleaders, but then you get the ones that are like true athletes that do all of the tricks and stunts and at least have shirts that cover their bellies.

It was a nice experience to have, and I am missing sports so much that even basketball, which has never been my favorite sport, was amazing to be able ot watch. I think I am also going to try and catch a soccer game or two before I leave, because soccer really is the main sport in Europe.