my thesis. (i doubt this entry will make me sound like i am winnie-the-pooh!!!) for all those interested, here is a brief (though typically this is me typing here, so 'brief' may not be what you consider 'brief'...) rundown on what i will be concentrating on for the next 8 months or so. but firstly, just in case some of you have forgotten exactly what i am doing here in leuven, due to my entries not really containing much information about studying, and in case you haven't noticed the link on the right of the screen that sends you directly to my course... here's a rough idea.
i am studying my master of arts in eastern mediterranean archaeology. more specifically i am studying the hellenisitic and roman period of the near east. basically the deal is, everyone is living in their own little happy towns, ocassionally fighting with their neighbours but generally in their own world, with their own culture. then alexander the great comes along around 330 B.C. and suddenly the world, from spain to india, is adopted under one ruler. alexander dies and his successors fight ferociously for the land that's up for grabs. the roman empire gets stronger and stronger and then takes over everything. all this ultimately means big changes for the people, who become subjected to new cultures, new religions, new people, new ways of governing... and these changes can be seen, not only through ancient writers, but through architecture, through sculpture, through material remains that archaeologists, like myself, dig up.
okay so what am i doing? the greeks had numerous gods. one of these was the greek goddess artemis, known for her hunting abilities and shown depicted throughout greece with her bow and arrow at the ready. i will be looking at her representation and depiction in asia minor (modern day turkey) through both the hellenisitic and roman period. even though she was a greek goddess to begin with, when greece took over the ancient world, local villages who had their own deities, would adapt their gods to that of the greeks. their gods became greek gods, and greek gods became local gods. at the moment i plan on mapping cult centres geographically and sculptural changes of her image, along with her newfound identity, across space and time.
obviously this is only a vague beginning and as things progress my topic will narrow down a lot. but my supervisor is fantastic and is so inspiring and passionate in what he studies and has already shouted me a coffee and taken me on a whirlwind trip of important journals to read up on. am a bit concerned at the amount of both german and french articles i may, or may not, have to read at some point... but i'll deal with that at the time. so i'm happy, because i had been wanting to study both hellenisitic and roman sculpture, had wanted to somehow relate it to religion, and had hoped to be able to use my geography somewhere. okay, so i'm not studying anything coastal, but maybe as i move down the track, i'll be able to find some relevance to study beach sites... we'll see.
on other news... did i mention it snowed? ;-)
and maybe as a final aside... i'm going to rome! yes, that's right. suppose that really deserved its own entry, rather than be tacked on the end. oh well. i have booked my flights and am going from november 10 to 16 i think. and i can't wait. it's so cheap to travel over here. i'm flying there with ryan air, and it is costing me 1 cent, one way to rome. funny huh? i could have returned home for 1 cent also, but i didn't want to miss too many classes so had to opt for 25 euros home instead. still, not bad!! 5 days for me to explore rome and pompei and hopefully some exotic little beach. i'm going on my own, though one of the guys visiting the canadians, is going to be in the area around the same time so we'll probably meet up and spend a couple of days together, which will be nice.
Saturday, October 25, 2003
today it snowed!!!! i am v v v v v v excited about this. also i have a thesis topic. but the snow is obviously the most important thing. yes. snow. snow and me. little white fluffy bits of snow. i am happy that it snowed. HURRAH for snow. i have not seen it snow (i have seen snow, but not seen it SNOW) since i was 9, or maybe 10... anyway a long time ago. there are other things i could talk about. but snow is on my mind. yesterday when i walked home from the canadian's house it was -2 degrees. cold. cold enough to want earmuffs. i am in the process of looking for earmuffs. suppose it is summer where most of you are. i like the snow.
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
i just spent the most amazing weekend in the ardennes, belgium's natural park. after spending a month only seeing cities, it was time for me to escape, to see the stars, to see a river that hadn't been cut into a canal, with straight concrete edges. i was ready to walk on the grass instead of the cobbled streets. i miss the space that new zealand has to offer. i miss my beaches that i had taken for granted. and camping in the ardennes seemed like the perfect idea, and turned into the most perfect weekend. to be able to escape to the forests, to the rivers, to the open air, and to the caves...
i guess caves and i go back to when i was 14, when i had my first opportunity to walk into waitomo, equipped with my orange overalls and hard hat, with lightbulb attached. from then on, i think i have a very special connection to the underground world of caves. there is something so powerful and old, something in the serenity and the grandeur, that causes me to feel compelled to return again and again to that world below where i live. it was at this time that i commented (or as mum would say, 'made a sweeping statement') 'i could live in a cave'. yet it was how i felt. and how i still feel. i always leave a cave feeling refreshed and alive. and so it was high up on my list of things to do, to go and visit the famous caves at han-sur-lesse and once again delve into another world.
the town itself was a huge tourist trap, where you had to pay to use the bathroom, where small (though on reflection, actually quite big) signs with little cartoon characters pointed people in different directions. where safari jeeps carted people up the road to the safari park, and trams transported even more people up to the caves. yet, despite having my picture taken with a parrot on my shoulder, and despite having to wait in a queue that reminded me of waiting to get on a rollercoaster in a theme park, the 10 euros was well worth its weight in gold. we had the option of taking the french tour or the dutch tour. my option? forget trying to translate the history of the caves and fall behind the tour group...
the caverns themselves were huge. perhaps the biggest caverns i have ever been in. towering above my head with a sense of being in control instead of allowing people to take control. the stalactites hung down from the ceiling, precarious in places, yet having hung there for thousands of years, growing slowly yet steadily. the stalagmites crept up from the ground. seaweed-like rock formations folded down from above, and gave me a sense that i had entered a sacred theatre and the curtains were beginning to close on the final act. solitude was all i wanted and i was able to block out the french voice ahead and feel at such peace as i took in the underworld city that surrounded me like no other. at one point very tasteful (thankfully) music came one, reminding me of the mines of moiria, out of lord of the rings. it was all so surreal. giving me the feeling i always get when i return to the outdoors, that there is so much power within the earth.
our first night was spent high on top of a ridge, that involved general hiking and then some scrambling to reach it. there was no way we were going to stay in a campsite that had a wooden arch over the driveway, or where little swings were placed in the centre of a patch of well cut grass. and we were rewarded with the most beautiful sunset, of oranges and pinks and reds filling the sky with such richness and colour that it was impossible not to be overawed at creation and our creator. despite the stars not being nearly as plentiful as those in the southern hemisphere, they were gorgeous all the same, though it was slightly odd for me not to see the familiar southern cross up there. we had a bonfire and cooked beans and ate bread and wathed the crocodile shapes form in the embers.
the second night was spent after a day of walking through the forests, amidst brich trees, all full to the brim with yellow leaves, just waiting for the call of autumn to drop. a bubbling river, literally bubbling up from an underground spring, flowed alongside. finally a river without straight edges!! and a steep cliff face flanked the edge, tilting into the ground, another indicator of how powerful the earth on which we live, is. that night was cold and a heavy frost surrounded the tent the next morning, allowing for the leaves to fall, in waves, raining down upon us. i promise pictures will arrive very soon...
i dunked my head in the water, refreshing though freezing, and used my macgyver knowledge to make a fishing line to try and catch a fish. however he did not seem to interested in the cheese that i was offering. a pity, then again, he was only 15cm long.
overall i think we would have walked around 20-25km, from town to town, through forests and fields, alongside sealed roads and dirt roads, along old abandoned railway tracks, but most importantly, soaking up the natural environment that belgium has to offer.
i feel at a loss to describe more accurately the beauty of a place that deserves better adjectives than those i have to offer. some things cannot be described in words or even with pictures. to be truely understood, one must experience them first hand and discover life outside of what we have grown to accept.
i guess caves and i go back to when i was 14, when i had my first opportunity to walk into waitomo, equipped with my orange overalls and hard hat, with lightbulb attached. from then on, i think i have a very special connection to the underground world of caves. there is something so powerful and old, something in the serenity and the grandeur, that causes me to feel compelled to return again and again to that world below where i live. it was at this time that i commented (or as mum would say, 'made a sweeping statement') 'i could live in a cave'. yet it was how i felt. and how i still feel. i always leave a cave feeling refreshed and alive. and so it was high up on my list of things to do, to go and visit the famous caves at han-sur-lesse and once again delve into another world.
the town itself was a huge tourist trap, where you had to pay to use the bathroom, where small (though on reflection, actually quite big) signs with little cartoon characters pointed people in different directions. where safari jeeps carted people up the road to the safari park, and trams transported even more people up to the caves. yet, despite having my picture taken with a parrot on my shoulder, and despite having to wait in a queue that reminded me of waiting to get on a rollercoaster in a theme park, the 10 euros was well worth its weight in gold. we had the option of taking the french tour or the dutch tour. my option? forget trying to translate the history of the caves and fall behind the tour group...
the caverns themselves were huge. perhaps the biggest caverns i have ever been in. towering above my head with a sense of being in control instead of allowing people to take control. the stalactites hung down from the ceiling, precarious in places, yet having hung there for thousands of years, growing slowly yet steadily. the stalagmites crept up from the ground. seaweed-like rock formations folded down from above, and gave me a sense that i had entered a sacred theatre and the curtains were beginning to close on the final act. solitude was all i wanted and i was able to block out the french voice ahead and feel at such peace as i took in the underworld city that surrounded me like no other. at one point very tasteful (thankfully) music came one, reminding me of the mines of moiria, out of lord of the rings. it was all so surreal. giving me the feeling i always get when i return to the outdoors, that there is so much power within the earth.
our first night was spent high on top of a ridge, that involved general hiking and then some scrambling to reach it. there was no way we were going to stay in a campsite that had a wooden arch over the driveway, or where little swings were placed in the centre of a patch of well cut grass. and we were rewarded with the most beautiful sunset, of oranges and pinks and reds filling the sky with such richness and colour that it was impossible not to be overawed at creation and our creator. despite the stars not being nearly as plentiful as those in the southern hemisphere, they were gorgeous all the same, though it was slightly odd for me not to see the familiar southern cross up there. we had a bonfire and cooked beans and ate bread and wathed the crocodile shapes form in the embers.
the second night was spent after a day of walking through the forests, amidst brich trees, all full to the brim with yellow leaves, just waiting for the call of autumn to drop. a bubbling river, literally bubbling up from an underground spring, flowed alongside. finally a river without straight edges!! and a steep cliff face flanked the edge, tilting into the ground, another indicator of how powerful the earth on which we live, is. that night was cold and a heavy frost surrounded the tent the next morning, allowing for the leaves to fall, in waves, raining down upon us. i promise pictures will arrive very soon...
i dunked my head in the water, refreshing though freezing, and used my macgyver knowledge to make a fishing line to try and catch a fish. however he did not seem to interested in the cheese that i was offering. a pity, then again, he was only 15cm long.
overall i think we would have walked around 20-25km, from town to town, through forests and fields, alongside sealed roads and dirt roads, along old abandoned railway tracks, but most importantly, soaking up the natural environment that belgium has to offer.
i feel at a loss to describe more accurately the beauty of a place that deserves better adjectives than those i have to offer. some things cannot be described in words or even with pictures. to be truely understood, one must experience them first hand and discover life outside of what we have grown to accept.
Monday, October 13, 2003
last night was canadian thanksgiving. of course i have been fully accepted by the canadian embassy and partook in the celebrations. why doesn't new zealand have thanksgiving? i think new zealand should have thanksgiving. i really do. thanksgiving seems like such a nice idea. and the food is good too.
hmmm the food. chicken and mashed potatoes and lots of 'almost' roast vegetables (we had to improvise as none of us have an oven) and apple pie and so much food that our (16 of us in total) plates were overflowing. and there was even icecream... definitely the first time since i left new zealand that i have had a meal like that.
so we sat around and ate and conversed and reminded each other what we were thankful for. beautiful. reminded me a bit of christmas - which is usually when we have the big dinner back home. and then all these phone calls were had as the canadians got in touch with their families, all in their own respective cottages, overlooking lakes and snow-capped trees. an experience i will never forget, and one that i felt very much a part of.
jasper has been here for the last few days so i took him in to brussels and we explored the streets, the markets, the gardens and just the general atmosphere which was nice. it is always so crazy how everyone in leuven speaks flemish, but then you head to brussels and everyone speaks french. strange phenonomen.
in fact, speaking about this division; did i ever mention just how serious it is? leuven is a dutch speaking (okay so obviously there are some english speaking courses otherwise i would be in serious trouble as i can only say hello, please, thank you, ask for bread and give directions) university. louvain-la-nerve is a new french speaking university that is just up the road. when the two split, everything within the university was split. it is exactly like a divorce between two people. the books in the library, for example, were split according to their cataloge number. all odd books moved to louvain-la-nerve, and all even books stayed here. this can cause big problems for people like me, trying to write a thesis.
on other news - i had a wonderful birthday. about 20 of my friends were there, we had a lovely dinner and partyed the night away. a couple of my friends have digital cameras so i will get on to posting up some pictures of amsterdam, my birthday and other random nights when we have been together. yes, i really should do that soon i think!
hope all is well back home. am looking forward to watching the all blacks play canada in the world cup in a week or so...
hmmm the food. chicken and mashed potatoes and lots of 'almost' roast vegetables (we had to improvise as none of us have an oven) and apple pie and so much food that our (16 of us in total) plates were overflowing. and there was even icecream... definitely the first time since i left new zealand that i have had a meal like that.
so we sat around and ate and conversed and reminded each other what we were thankful for. beautiful. reminded me a bit of christmas - which is usually when we have the big dinner back home. and then all these phone calls were had as the canadians got in touch with their families, all in their own respective cottages, overlooking lakes and snow-capped trees. an experience i will never forget, and one that i felt very much a part of.
jasper has been here for the last few days so i took him in to brussels and we explored the streets, the markets, the gardens and just the general atmosphere which was nice. it is always so crazy how everyone in leuven speaks flemish, but then you head to brussels and everyone speaks french. strange phenonomen.
in fact, speaking about this division; did i ever mention just how serious it is? leuven is a dutch speaking (okay so obviously there are some english speaking courses otherwise i would be in serious trouble as i can only say hello, please, thank you, ask for bread and give directions) university. louvain-la-nerve is a new french speaking university that is just up the road. when the two split, everything within the university was split. it is exactly like a divorce between two people. the books in the library, for example, were split according to their cataloge number. all odd books moved to louvain-la-nerve, and all even books stayed here. this can cause big problems for people like me, trying to write a thesis.
on other news - i had a wonderful birthday. about 20 of my friends were there, we had a lovely dinner and partyed the night away. a couple of my friends have digital cameras so i will get on to posting up some pictures of amsterdam, my birthday and other random nights when we have been together. yes, i really should do that soon i think!
hope all is well back home. am looking forward to watching the all blacks play canada in the world cup in a week or so...
Thursday, October 09, 2003
today is my birthday. so i don't have time to sit on a computer all day and tell you stories about my life. but the day has started off nicely. got to talk to my family back home which was great. thanks for the messages and thoughts. will tell you all about my party after it has occured. love lots, rebekah.
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
the city of amsterdam. this was where i spent the weekend. and what a weekend it was. it was a very last minute decision, made at 10pm on thursday night, but i think that's the way to do things over here. as soon as my class finished at 11am on friday i met up with sandra (one of the canadians) and we jumped on a train and made for the border. and finally i hit another country outside of belgium which was very exciting... though no one asked for passports and so i have no record of being there. then again, my passport wasn't stamped coming into belgium either, so theoretically i have no proof that i arrived here either. but what is proof anyway huh?
and then the adventures began. we made it to amsterdam in record time (under three hours) as we somehow managed to get a connecting train that left 30 seconds after our train pulled in to the station. so i looked at sandra and said "i think it is time to run, like they do in the movies", and so we did. and we jumped on just as the man blew his whistle and the doors started to close.
first impressions, or maybe just overall impressions are absolute randomness... getting off the train station we wandered towards a hostel and in a matter of minutes were thrown into amsterdam "reality". someone had thrown up all over a footpath, some guy was in the foetal position being put into an ambulance... two guys were getting into a huge fight, and then, get this, the queen of the netherlands drove past amidst a convoy off police cars. everywhere i looked i was surprised... it was like a continuous journey of confusion and amazement. you would be walking down a narrow old street and then suddenly a big oriental temple would appear, out of nowhere, and then disappear just as fast.
sandra and i ended up staying on the outskirts of the red light district (yes, the red light district in amsterdam, which has perhaps the biggest red light district in the world). but no need to worry now, seeing as i'm back 'home' in leuven now. but it was interesting... there are actually red lights that flick on and off to show where the district starts and ends.
got to check out the anne frank house which was very haunting and inspiring and nearly brought me to tears at times. very very incredible to read about how she would look out the window and see jews be taken down the street - and then for me to be able to look out the very same window and reflect on how she had been in that tiny place for over 40 months. climbing the stiars and imagining how she had clibed those very stairs and that her family were dragged down them and taken to concentration camps. hard to picture and yet at the same time, very real.
also went to the van goph museum which was awesome and it was at this point that we bumped into the boys, eric, joe and alex, who also were in town, but due to us being out of the country, our cell phones weren't working and hadn't been able to get in contact. we all wandered around together and took in all the spectacles that amsterdam has to offer.
on sunday i checked out the botanical gardens which even had some new zealand natives. and a gorgeous butterfly house and as i was wearing bright orange (typically of course) and joe had a yellow hoody - all the butterflies landed all over us. nice, as long as you don't have a phobia against butterflies!!! but a beautiful garden...
the ride home was not quite so quick as our first train somehow broke down and we had no idea as they only said it in dutch... but when everyone suddenly jumped up and stampeded out the door to another train, it seemed necessary to follow. then we got off at the wrong stop, but managed to jump back on in time before the train left again. ended up in first class i think, but no one checked out tickets or asked us to move so we made it home sfae and sound!! just slightly later than expected.
all up, amsterdam is like nothing i could ever explain. every corner was different, every street had something unusual going on. but the best part? everything was in orange!!! everything - the trains, the seats, the walls. very cool for one who has some sort of obsession with the colour. i fitted right in!!
so the plans for this week? i am very excited because jasper is coming down to visit and will be here for my birthday on thursday which i'm looking forward to. i'm having people over for dinner on thursday - but i have a little kitchen and we're already up to over 15 people... and the kitchen table here only seats 6 maximum). apart from that, i have lectures (yes i do actually do a bit of work while i'm here, though so far? not much...).
thanks to those keeping in touch. caisey and lachie - you two would love it over here so much, i seriously think you should both consider coming here in your holidays. which i don't think are too far off. start saving now...
and then the adventures began. we made it to amsterdam in record time (under three hours) as we somehow managed to get a connecting train that left 30 seconds after our train pulled in to the station. so i looked at sandra and said "i think it is time to run, like they do in the movies", and so we did. and we jumped on just as the man blew his whistle and the doors started to close.
first impressions, or maybe just overall impressions are absolute randomness... getting off the train station we wandered towards a hostel and in a matter of minutes were thrown into amsterdam "reality". someone had thrown up all over a footpath, some guy was in the foetal position being put into an ambulance... two guys were getting into a huge fight, and then, get this, the queen of the netherlands drove past amidst a convoy off police cars. everywhere i looked i was surprised... it was like a continuous journey of confusion and amazement. you would be walking down a narrow old street and then suddenly a big oriental temple would appear, out of nowhere, and then disappear just as fast.
sandra and i ended up staying on the outskirts of the red light district (yes, the red light district in amsterdam, which has perhaps the biggest red light district in the world). but no need to worry now, seeing as i'm back 'home' in leuven now. but it was interesting... there are actually red lights that flick on and off to show where the district starts and ends.
got to check out the anne frank house which was very haunting and inspiring and nearly brought me to tears at times. very very incredible to read about how she would look out the window and see jews be taken down the street - and then for me to be able to look out the very same window and reflect on how she had been in that tiny place for over 40 months. climbing the stiars and imagining how she had clibed those very stairs and that her family were dragged down them and taken to concentration camps. hard to picture and yet at the same time, very real.
also went to the van goph museum which was awesome and it was at this point that we bumped into the boys, eric, joe and alex, who also were in town, but due to us being out of the country, our cell phones weren't working and hadn't been able to get in contact. we all wandered around together and took in all the spectacles that amsterdam has to offer.
on sunday i checked out the botanical gardens which even had some new zealand natives. and a gorgeous butterfly house and as i was wearing bright orange (typically of course) and joe had a yellow hoody - all the butterflies landed all over us. nice, as long as you don't have a phobia against butterflies!!! but a beautiful garden...
the ride home was not quite so quick as our first train somehow broke down and we had no idea as they only said it in dutch... but when everyone suddenly jumped up and stampeded out the door to another train, it seemed necessary to follow. then we got off at the wrong stop, but managed to jump back on in time before the train left again. ended up in first class i think, but no one checked out tickets or asked us to move so we made it home sfae and sound!! just slightly later than expected.
all up, amsterdam is like nothing i could ever explain. every corner was different, every street had something unusual going on. but the best part? everything was in orange!!! everything - the trains, the seats, the walls. very cool for one who has some sort of obsession with the colour. i fitted right in!!
so the plans for this week? i am very excited because jasper is coming down to visit and will be here for my birthday on thursday which i'm looking forward to. i'm having people over for dinner on thursday - but i have a little kitchen and we're already up to over 15 people... and the kitchen table here only seats 6 maximum). apart from that, i have lectures (yes i do actually do a bit of work while i'm here, though so far? not much...).
thanks to those keeping in touch. caisey and lachie - you two would love it over here so much, i seriously think you should both consider coming here in your holidays. which i don't think are too far off. start saving now...
Wednesday, October 01, 2003
right, feels like awhile since i was typing on here. i am in the computer lab where i will probably be spending a great deal of my time writing my thesis later in the year... not yet though right?!! still too much fun and adventures to be had i believe!
so finally i have had a class. environmental geomorphology which was good but very introductory-like and will be much better once we get into it properly. but it doesn't sound too complicated at the moment, though i seem to be very fortunate, having a geography major, as no one else in my course has studied this sort of thing and seemed to hold very blank faces when he was talking about plate tectonics and climatology and tsunamis. the lecturer seems nice enough and is fairly easy to understand. plus he has the brilliant habit of repeating what he says, so if his accent confuses me the first time, i pick it up the second time through. very thoughtful of him i must say!
the people in my course are great. there's 14 of us i think and everyone is very friendly and i think we will have a good year together. a combination of french speaking belgians, dutch speaking belgians, greeks, kiwis (okay there is just one of me) and norweigians. a nice combination with very different backgrounds.
so far i have tuesday and wednesdays off, though later in november another class will begin on tuesday. and then i have two classes on thursday and one i think on friday. it is all very relaxed. and seems very easy - but i think they will expect a lot of reading to be done and a lot of work to be done outside of the classroom. i presume anyway. plus i will have to start my thesis. i need a topic by the start of november so have to start thinking about that soon.
i am yet to leave belgium and explore other countries though there is a good possibility i will either be in munich for october fest or else might head to amsterdam this weekend. all depending on whether we get in contact with people from either city. it has been great meeting people here - there is a solid group of 10 of us that meet nearly every second night, and another 10 on top of that, that we would see over the weekends or on thursday nights. there seems to constantly be international parties and meetings here, even though orientation is over, but it is fantastic because everyone is willing to sit and chat with you and then because we all have cell phones; numbers are exchanged and we'll all meet up at the park to listen to a live band the next day. very lively and exceptionally friendly town.
today i bought a coat. not because it is cold or rainy just yet, but just because i found one that i love for 46 euros - kind of expensive but definitely a necessity that i will probably end up wearing every day over winter. it was from a second hand store and is actually very cheap compared to most of the clothes here in leuven.
speaking of which - you would think; or at least i would think, that a university town would be all about second hand stores - bookshops and clothes shops... you know, cheap things. but no. i think people in europe are quite content not to search for bargins, which is definitely a west auckland way of doing things. living over here is more expensive than i had imagined and while i have not run out of money, i think it will be very necessary for me to search for a partime job. which is a bit annoying because it might cut back on how much i will be able to travel around, but there will be no travelling around at the rate i am going. never mind, i am also aware that the first month in a new place away from home, is bound to be the most expensive - because you need to buy things like a lamp and sheets and a towel and olive oil and salt. hopefully all of these items have now been bought and i can actually keep to my budget in future months to come.
my birthday is fast approaching. my first birthday away from home. next thursday (9th) in fact. but the people here are incredible and some of the friends i have made have become like best friends that i feel like i have known for years. the three canadian girls - morna, desiree and sandra are the loveliest girls and have become awesome friends with me. just last night we sat at this little cafe/bar called amadee and drank tea as we played scrabble and boggle and listened to classical music. it is the cutest little place and the owner is very funny and laughs at us when we try and play english scrabble with spanish or dutch letters.
more than anything i want a white christmas this year and i am thinking about the idea of austria at the moment... or perhaps switzerland though morna knows people in austria, which could be helpful. i'll see, as long as it snows and i am with friends i will be content. as of course it would be highly impossible to return home for christmas - though numerous people have asked me this with no knowledge of just where in the world new zealand is situated!!
i have been inside this computer lab for far too long, but thanks to rachel for texting me which was extremely exciting to get at 11:30 at night when a group of us were walking along the street. for those that don't know, 11:30pm in leuven, is 9:30am in new zealand - until the whole daylight savings thing happens.
take care; love bex.
so finally i have had a class. environmental geomorphology which was good but very introductory-like and will be much better once we get into it properly. but it doesn't sound too complicated at the moment, though i seem to be very fortunate, having a geography major, as no one else in my course has studied this sort of thing and seemed to hold very blank faces when he was talking about plate tectonics and climatology and tsunamis. the lecturer seems nice enough and is fairly easy to understand. plus he has the brilliant habit of repeating what he says, so if his accent confuses me the first time, i pick it up the second time through. very thoughtful of him i must say!
the people in my course are great. there's 14 of us i think and everyone is very friendly and i think we will have a good year together. a combination of french speaking belgians, dutch speaking belgians, greeks, kiwis (okay there is just one of me) and norweigians. a nice combination with very different backgrounds.
so far i have tuesday and wednesdays off, though later in november another class will begin on tuesday. and then i have two classes on thursday and one i think on friday. it is all very relaxed. and seems very easy - but i think they will expect a lot of reading to be done and a lot of work to be done outside of the classroom. i presume anyway. plus i will have to start my thesis. i need a topic by the start of november so have to start thinking about that soon.
i am yet to leave belgium and explore other countries though there is a good possibility i will either be in munich for october fest or else might head to amsterdam this weekend. all depending on whether we get in contact with people from either city. it has been great meeting people here - there is a solid group of 10 of us that meet nearly every second night, and another 10 on top of that, that we would see over the weekends or on thursday nights. there seems to constantly be international parties and meetings here, even though orientation is over, but it is fantastic because everyone is willing to sit and chat with you and then because we all have cell phones; numbers are exchanged and we'll all meet up at the park to listen to a live band the next day. very lively and exceptionally friendly town.
today i bought a coat. not because it is cold or rainy just yet, but just because i found one that i love for 46 euros - kind of expensive but definitely a necessity that i will probably end up wearing every day over winter. it was from a second hand store and is actually very cheap compared to most of the clothes here in leuven.
speaking of which - you would think; or at least i would think, that a university town would be all about second hand stores - bookshops and clothes shops... you know, cheap things. but no. i think people in europe are quite content not to search for bargins, which is definitely a west auckland way of doing things. living over here is more expensive than i had imagined and while i have not run out of money, i think it will be very necessary for me to search for a partime job. which is a bit annoying because it might cut back on how much i will be able to travel around, but there will be no travelling around at the rate i am going. never mind, i am also aware that the first month in a new place away from home, is bound to be the most expensive - because you need to buy things like a lamp and sheets and a towel and olive oil and salt. hopefully all of these items have now been bought and i can actually keep to my budget in future months to come.
my birthday is fast approaching. my first birthday away from home. next thursday (9th) in fact. but the people here are incredible and some of the friends i have made have become like best friends that i feel like i have known for years. the three canadian girls - morna, desiree and sandra are the loveliest girls and have become awesome friends with me. just last night we sat at this little cafe/bar called amadee and drank tea as we played scrabble and boggle and listened to classical music. it is the cutest little place and the owner is very funny and laughs at us when we try and play english scrabble with spanish or dutch letters.
more than anything i want a white christmas this year and i am thinking about the idea of austria at the moment... or perhaps switzerland though morna knows people in austria, which could be helpful. i'll see, as long as it snows and i am with friends i will be content. as of course it would be highly impossible to return home for christmas - though numerous people have asked me this with no knowledge of just where in the world new zealand is situated!!
i have been inside this computer lab for far too long, but thanks to rachel for texting me which was extremely exciting to get at 11:30 at night when a group of us were walking along the street. for those that don't know, 11:30pm in leuven, is 9:30am in new zealand - until the whole daylight savings thing happens.
take care; love bex.
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