two weeks- thoughts

Almost two weeks now! The first schoolweek is almost over and the summercamp-feeling slowly fades out. Sometimes,  I suddenly realize that I'm in India, I'm in Mahindra College, that this is really 'it'. These moments make me realize how lucky I am and make me appreciate MUWCI, even with its advantages and disadvantages. Indeed, there are disadvantages and people here intend to deny that. I think we shouldn't make this experience look like it's always easy and fun and all perfect. I also think that the difficult parts make this all so interesting, and better in a way, because perfect would be boring right?

Back in Belgium, at my other home, school is starting again very soon and everything and everyone will go back to their old habits and play the role they have to play. My friends at school will be complaining and the teachers will say how hard this year will be, like they said all the other years, and my brother will go back to boarding school and my other brother will go back to acting-like-he-studies and I will be here. And that's kind of sad, because I'm scared that I won't fit in when I come back and that I will be left out; forgotten. I know that that is a selfish thought, because I was the one who decided to go away and, don't get me wrong, I still think that it's the right decision and I would do the exact same thing if I could start over again.
It's very nice to have the people you like so close to you and people here actually say hi when you pass by. It's a huge difference, comparing to Belgium where people just pass by, looking at the ground and acting like they don't see each other. We can choose our subjects and I find classes very interesting because of that. I've chosen for English literature and language, Global Politics and Philosophy in HL (higher level), Environmental science, Maths and Spanish/French in SL (standard level). As students, we can actually laugh with the teachers and talk to them, visit them in their houses or eat with them in the cafetaria. We learn to think and reflect here, while in Belgium, we just had to learn what the teachers and books said and then we had good grades. We have a lot of homework, but most of the subjects interest me so it's not like Belgian homework :).

I love the MUWCI-people. The teachers, the staff, the students. Though it's not perfect at all, people appreciate you because of who you are as a person, not because of your popularity or looks or whatsoever. It's refreshing!

PS: I'll tell what happened in the last week in the next post, this is just about how I feel now.

Namaste!

Sorry, probably most cliché title ever, but whatever :)
It's sunday now, half past three and I thought it's about time to write my first blog post, here in India.
Where to start... I guess just in the beginning?

There were five muwci students on my plane: two portugese, two dutchies and myself. We landed in Mumbai at 9.30 pm. Coming out of the airport, some of our secondyears were waiting for us and they started screaming 'WELCOME TO MUWCI'. They put a smile on my face that has been there for almost a week now. We got 'chai', a kind of tea with a lot of sugar, people here drink it all the time, it's really good! The five of us and then some people from Japan, Costa Rica, Mexico,... shared a mini-van. The secondyears told us how beautiful the road was, but it was so dark we couldn't see anything. We stopped somewhere halfway to eat and drink something (guess what: chai!). We finally arrived on campus at 4 am and the secondyears brought me to wada 3, house 7, my new home! There are 5 "wada's" on campus: groups of houses built around a common room. There are two rooms in every house and about eleven houses per wada. Every house has two showers and two toilets, and also a courtyard, the perfect place to socialize. Wada 5 is different, there are two big houses with luxury rooms, bathrooms and beds. They don't have a common room or courtyard, but that's getting built now. Wada 2, 4 and 5 are close to the "AQ" (Academic Quarter) where all the classrooms are. My wada has a treehouse with an amazing view, but the rooms in wada 5 have the best view. I'm happy with this wada because of all the nice people and it's cosy!

So when I arrived, my roommates were all sleeping. Waking up the next morning was so weird. It takes a second before realizing you're actually in the place where you have wanted to be for so long. My secondyears roommates were in class, but my coyear, Indi from the UK, was there. She's such a nice girl and I'm really happy to have her as my roommate! There was nothing planned on that first day because the students were still arriving. I did some administrative stuff and got to know the people with who I had talked on facebook! It was nice to recognize some people!
The next day, Wednesday, was busy! There were lots of meetings with staff, faculty and the other students, a maths and english test and in the evening there was the secondyear show. All the secondyears performed, it was really amazing. I also met my other roommates, So Hee from Korea and Gauri from India. They're really friendly and nice!
There were more meetings, campus tours, games, info sessions etc. planned in the last few days, and yesterday I had my 'homestay'.  We had to walk down the hill, to the villages and stay there for the night. There were two people staying in each house, mostly one secondyear and one firstyear but I was with another firstyear. The families don't understand English, but they try to give you a very nice stay. I ate delicious food and my family was very interested in Belgium. Luckily, my homestay-buddy knew Hindi, so we could communicate :)
Tonight, there's firstyears show and tomorrow our trial period starts. We can try out all the subjects and in the end of the week, we have to decide which ones we're going to pick. We can pick 6 subjects in total.

I'm so happy to be here and I'm not homesick yet. The people are all so friendly and it's an incredibily beautiful place! During homestay yesterday, I missed 'home', Mahindra college. I love to be here, on a beautiful campus with beautiful people. The last week was like a summer camp, so I sometimes find myself thinking that I'm going back to Belgium in a few days. But it's not like that, and that doesn't make me sad. I think I made the right decision!
 

two weeks to go - thoughts

August second
Back in Belgium since yesterday. Today is going to be the warmest day ever in our history! The fields and the little paths in the forest become so much more beautiful with a blue sky and the sun. Since everyone is somewhere else in the world, Tervuren and surroundings are an oasis of rest and peace.

Belgium at its best, the way I like it the most. In seventeen days, I'll have to say goodbye. Sadness, happiness and fear alternate.
I'm sad to leave my friends, my home, my family. Imagine you got a fruit cake for your birthday, with all the fruit you like on it, but also one kind of fruit you don't like. That doesn't mean you're not happy with the cake, it doesn't mean you're not going to eat the cake and if you eat the fruit now, it will be easier to eat it the next time too. In the end, there are much more advantages than disadvantages :)

August fourth
I'm happy that I got this opportunity. It's been three months that I know I'm leaving now, but I still find myself jumping up and down for joy, and I still can't believe I am actually going. I remember lying in my bed, desperately hoping that the selection committee would let me pass, reading blogs at midnight and almost crying because I really thought I wouldn't get in. I've never wanted something so badly, and I got it. So yes, I AM the luckiest girl! :)

I'm fearful for what's going to come. First of all, I'm scared  that I'm too dumb, too normal and too young. Being 15 years old, I'm one of the youngest MUWCI-students. Most of the others got one or two years extra school, extra knowledge, extra experience.
Talking to all these people, I feel like I'm so normal, so boring. Everyone writes poems, has a band, does volunteering,... and then there's just me. Everyone has an opinion about some subjects and I probably don't even know anything about the subject. Luckily, my secondyear told me that we all go through that phase and that I shouldn't be worrying. I'm glad we have our secondyears to talk to!



Talking to all my future co-years makes me so happy, so excited! They are all wonderful and interesting people and it feels like I know some of them for years yet.

I can't wait to go to MUWCI. Without realising, I've been waiting for this my whole life yet. I'm happy, I'm lucky, I'm excited. I love life!