Second Week, WOW!!!

Well, at the close of another very exciting week in the life of a Belgian I have learned a lot. Mostly I have learned that the people here are very friendly, not because they have to be but because they are genuinely intrested in what you have to say. Secondly, although there are no uniforms here there are still dress codes, for example, boys cant wear shorts unless it is above 27*c and girls cant wear singlets or short skirts. Also, it is strictly foridden to have your mobile phone or ipod out while you are in the school grounds, this includes lunchtimes! My friends nearly had heart failure when they learned that at lunchtime at school in Aus it is quite normal to listen to an ipod or phone a friend! So, at the second day of my schooling life here the principal called me to his office, apparently the class I was put in wasn't able to keep me because the teachers had been complaining about the disruption I caused, so I was put in another class. At the time I was quite upset about it but now I am very glad! By wednesday I had a lovely group of friends both boys and girls and had been invited to attend the school "soiree" saturday night. So after another week in classes were I understand nothing of what the teachers say to me, finally, the weekend! and with it came a very interesting experience!

So, in Belgium, the legal drinking age is technicaly 18 as in Australia, but you can purchase alcohol (sold in supermarkets) at the age of 16. So Saturday night I met at Orlane's house (one of my new friends) where I would spend the night after the party at school. First we went to pick up Agathe (another friend) and then we headed off to meet the rest of the group at the bar down the street from the school. I nearly fell off my chair when Antoine (another friend) who is 16, walked upto the bar and ordered 3 vodka red bull and 2 beers and was given them, no questions asked!!! Well as if that wasnt enough to give me heart failure, a few of the group (also 16) lit a cigarette in the bar! no-one came to throw them out and everyoe else just kept talking, I later found out that the only place here that it is illegal to smoke is in top end restaurants! So after an hour or so, we all headed towards the school for the party. When we arrived our tickets were torn and we were given a wristband for entry. After this we joined a long que that I assumed was where we put our bags for the night (apparently not) when we got to the front of the que I saw that in fact people were purchasing little orange an purple tickets so I asked Orlane what they were for and she said "for beer of course." Well as f that thought didn't scare me enough (beer, at a school party) I was even more shocked when she took me to the "bar area" and it was teachers behind the bar serving the students beer!!!! I was so freaked out! but they just smiled, took the ticket and handed us the beer! All in all, after the shock subsided, it was a great night with my new friends!! In the photo is only some of my many new friends but they are really the best (though nothing compares to my Aussie friends of course but they come pretty close) Well I think I should probably get going on the masses of homework that I don't understand! Until next week, C YA!!