A while ago -oh dear I’m even putting off writing- I went to Cologne (or ‘Keulen’ as we call it in Dutch) with my Japanese roommate Kaho. Yes, Kaho! It had been since August I had met her and I couldn’t believe that I was going to see her. She was travelling around Germany for a month with school and there was no way that we were not meeting up.
Also, just.. imagine. I thought the next time we would meet would be in Japan or in Belgium, but no. I went for Germany for the first time and she knew more about our neighboring country than I did. Bad European citizen!
I was able to go there quite cheap with Blablacar and as soon as we met at the station we started talking and we didn’t stop until we would say goodbye a few days later.It just felt so.. natural! More than once we caught ourselves wondering, amused: what language would other people think we were speaking? Oh the freedom to gossip about others knowing they don’t know you’re not talking about them (one day I probably will get busted though).
Basically we walked around the city – a lot- went to the dom, saw street artists, learned a lot about chocolate at the chocolate museum, talked talked talked and enjoyed lots of food together. It was real fun to look at Asians and guess where they were from. Also, there was a point we were kind of surrounded by Chinese ladies and Kaho said she finally felt more at ease, around people her height. 😀
It was also awesome to see Europe through Japanese eyes. Kaho told me she finally understood what I had wanted to say with “Japanese bread is no bread!” and why the taste of Belgian (erhmn, European? Belgian/German?) sweets is so different and the Japanese version of cake didn’t satisfy me. Oh it was really really really nice.
In September she is coming to Belgium to study here and I CANNOT WAIT until she’s here and I can show her around and introduce her to stuff and get all excited and… Argh! 😀 How awesome is this?!!!!
Also, another Japanese friend, Shoutarou, just let me know he booked a ticket for August and will visit Belgium. OMG! 😀 わくわくしている！！！！(yes I’m overly excited)
How are you feeling about international friends? And would you come on an exchange to Belgium? 😉 (Please do 😀 )
just found this video of the Faculty of Economics & Business about Leuven!
yes I’m mixing up everything nowww
Sheena s scribbles 