Midterm trip - day two and three

So last Tuesday I was still in Belgium. I woke up at a semi decent hour to load my backpack onto the bus so I wouldnt have to carry it around with me and then head upstairs for a free breakfast. I breakfasted with Heather, had a chocolate coisant and some fruit. Next the two of us decided to take a hike around Brussels while everyone else was at their Political Science feild study. We took pretty much the exact same route that I had taken the night before, quite different though during the day time. We stopped so Heather could buy some chocolate and then continued to the main square. We then made out way to the Cathedral and this time took a look inside. It was very beautiful, a lot like Notre Dame. We then proceeded to go back to the hotel again the same way as the night before. We stopped for waffles but this time I got one with carmel syrup. It was really good, but not as much flavour as I would have liked, it made me miss maple syrup. Oooo and I forgot to mention I think that the waffle shop we stopped at both days was next to the little peeing boy. I dont know if you have heard of it but it is a fountain that is a boy peeing. It is apparently a well known symbol of Brussels or something.

Anywho we then got on the coaches (most of the history students - lets just say it was a really confusing schedule and I was on a coach to my next feild study). So the next feild study was just outside of Brussels and is the African Culture Museum. We were told to listen really carefully to the tour guides that were to take us through the museum and compare it also to what we learned in class. You see Belgium has a troubled history with colonisation in the Congo and they are starting to admit to their faults in the situation but still have a bit of an attitude towards it. Luckily my group got the young cute guy leading us. He said one thing that troubled us at first but I think it was a translation issue. I think he meant to say something else. I think he was trying to say that Africa has diverse cultures and is very different all over but said that "in Africa it is all the same" which got baffled and embarrassed looks all around (he was talking to history students), but we realised a few minutes later thats not what he meant to say. We were pleasantly surprised when he admitted that certain statues in the foyer were unrealistic of African culture and that they were adding on to the Museum and this would be changed with time. He also actually showed us the part of the museum that showed how the colonialisation went wrong and though he did downplay Belgiums role a little he still admitted to some of the horrors that occured. Technically it was all the Leopolds and Belgium in particular, but it is still a bit of an embarassment. Interesting history to look up if anyone is intersted.

The museum was interesting, lots of exhibits and displays and interesting information about Africa. Outside there were gardens and giant wooden elephant statues. I regret now that I didnt look further into the gardens, but I went with a bunch of people to lunch and we had some intersting converstation. We were the first ones on the coaches and had a good fifteen minutes to wait for people, though honestly nothing really itnersting happend. Katie and the rest of the history group eventually showed up and the coach began its leg to Paris. It wasnt a really interesing ride until we actually got into Paris. I think we slept most of the way. But once we got near the hostel (which was a good 30 minute tube ride from the centre of Paris) we found it quite difficult to get to the actual hostel. All the coaches seperated and had their own adventures. I must say ours was intersting. At one point we realised the street we were trying to go down was too small for us to fit so the diver had to back up and turn around - in an intersection. We bascially blocked an entire intersection for a good 5 minutes. At another point we drove down a one way street - the wrong way. We had multiple Frenchies come out to tell us we wer egoing the wrong way. After having a good many people already tell us this as we were heading toward the end a lady in a car stopped her car so she could come out wag her finger at us and tell hte driver he was going the wrong way. Jeez people can be asswipes, I mean seriously? Did she not think that we already couldnt tell and were already having issues getting out without her stopping us and wasting our time? It was fun though I must admit - being lost. We eventually got to the hostel and got to hear other peoples adventures with their busses.

Our hostel was really nice Our room was on the third floor, it was Katie, Kari, Amanda, Amy, me, Emilia and two other girls I dont know very well. I gots a bottom bunk and found to my delight that each bunk had its own reading light and a curtain to pull accross when you want to sleep but others dont. I also got a nice pull out bin thing underneath. It was a nice hostel. I got a pretty good nights sleep I would say, the beds were really comfy. So the next morning we all woke up in time to go down for a free breakfast of cut up bagettes. They were really good and warm and fresh. Next, all the Art History students got on a coach to be taken to the Musee D'Orsay. Kari and I got in with the first group and were toured around by our art history prof who is hilarious and just a doll. She was so excited by the little devices we were given to be able to hear she so she wouldnt have to shout. Bascially she had a microphone and we had little ear devices to hear her from. We got to see a bunch of impressionist paintings and such. I got to see my Renoirs which excited me greatly. After a short while Kari, Heather and I made our way to the Louvre where we were to meet Katie. On our way Kari had an epic fall right infront of the Louvre, a fall only a dancer can accomplish - hands out and slowmo all the way to the ground. IT was beautiful. We also met Cameron in front of the Louvre and the six of us all decided to make our way to the Pere-Lachaise Cemetary - you know where all those famous people are burried.

On our way we stopped on a very American in Paris looking spot so Kari could have her dancing picture. Her theme song is Tiny dancer by Elton John so she put on her point shoes and Katie and I went at it taking photos of her dancing in the Saine. After an interesting debacle with the metro we made it to the cemetary. Mmmm, I must go down to lunch so I guess I will have to continue the story later. Until then Au revoir!