August 29th, 2015

Today, the ISA program took an excursion to the city of Ghent. The ISA program was given a tour about the city life, culture and history. We got to see a castle that was in the city and saw the local graffiti. Some people may believe that graffiti is just a criminal act, but if they where to visit Europe, their perspective may change on the topic. It may change from seeing a crime against society into seeing a piece of local art.  Later, the ISA group went to a festival within the city, where there was parkour events, sand soccer, and live music and food.

local sweets

local graffiti

Gravensteen Castle

local graffiti

local food

August 24th - 28th, 2015

This week was a normal first week of school. It is a ordinary and typical first week where the instructors give the students syllabi and tell them, what they expect from them when taking their course. Just like most semesters, Depending on the courses that students had. They were either given homework right away or were able to get away until next week. For myself, I would define receiving the the latter effect for the courses that I got. Some of my courses, the instructors gave the students homework and schedules, telling us to prepare for quizzes and tests within the next couple of weeks. While other instructors didn't give us anything until the next week.

August 17th - 21st, 2015

This week is like the normal first week before school starts.

Monday - August 17th, 2015
On Monday, Austin and I went to the ISA office in Brussels to meet the rest of the students that are in the program and to meet our ISA program advisers, Ines and Matilda. Our advisers then gave our ISA program group,  a tour of where our school will be, the city of Brussels, and good places to go for the weekends.

Tuesday - August 18th, 2015
On Tuesday, I went to Vesalius College for my school orientation day. All the study abroad programs that are going to the school gathered to get a speech from the Dean of the school and to receive a tour of the school campus.

Wednesday - August 19th, 2015
On Wednesday not much really happened during the morning, but in the afternoon, there was a Dean's reception where the students in the study abroad programs, some of the instructors, and the Dean meet at a nice little pub, and we all talked and had a couple of drinks.

Thursday - August 20th, 2015
Thursday was basically a free day for me since it was mostly for students who needed to get into higher level language courses.

Friday - August 21st, 2015
On Friday, all the study abroad students had to register for the courses that they wished to have while attending Vesalius College. Later that day, the Vesalius Student Government (VSG) took the study abroad students around to see the Brussels night life.

Brussels Night Life

August 16, 2015

Today, I finally arrive at my home-stay that I will be living at for the next few months. I meet my home-stay family at around 12:30 in the afternoon. Their names are Ines and Alain and they have three dogs and two cats.

Right away, Alain showed me to my room, so that I could get myself situated. My room is mostly a simple room that has an open door window.

My room

view of the neighborhood from my room

As I was getting myself organized in my room, I was able to meet my housemate, Austin. He is another student that is studying abroad through the ISA program. Later today, Ines and Alain then took us around the neighborhood to show us the local areas that we can get stuff from. At around dinner time Ines' daughter and boyfriend came to visit. After I then decided to go to my room and prepare for the next day.

August 15th, 2015

Today, I meet another American, named Derek, at the hostile that I am staying at. We both decide to go throughout the city of Brussels and discover some of the city. While looking around we were able to find some amazing waffle and chocolate shops. We were also able to discover some interesting statues and architecture.

waffle

Smurf statue

Chocolate peeing boys

August 14th, 2015

Today, I stayed in most of the day because I wanted to rest and get over the jet lag from the day before. Later this evening, I did go out though and found a nice little Thai restaurant and tried having Thai food for the first time. I am happy to say that I am glad that I had made that choice.

August 13th, 2015

              I arrived in Brussels at around 8 o'clock in the morning and was picked up by my cousin, Nicolas. He helped me get to the hostile that I was staying at, called the Meininger hotel. When we arrived, the hotel staff refused to let me check into my room until 3 o'clock in the afternoon. So for the time being, I left my luggage in one of the hotels' luggage rooms and my cousin and I went on an adventure within the city of Brussels. While we were wondering the streets my cousin helped me check off seeing most of the city's main attractions. I saw Brussels' famous peeing boy statue, the Grand Place, and the Royal Palace and Garden. My cousin wanted to me to see them quickly, so that I could enjoy Brussels without thinking of big landmarks.

Royal Palace

Peeing Boy

Grand Place

                At around noon, my cousin needed to head back home to the city of Bruges, so he helped me get back to the hotel. I then stay the remainder of that day, at the hotel.