I'm in French Class Again!

I kicked off my next level of French classes in style today. I am so proud to be doing the level 5 course in French this time.

It is a little bit of effort for me to get to the French school now since I work a little far away. I am on a assignment in a neighboring town about an hour from Brussels Central.

By the time I got to the French school today, I was nearly exhausted. I hopped trains and buses to reach just in the nick of time.

I was considering dropping the course due to the travel. Then I figured I would continue since I adore the language. I believe that nothing is a pain if you have the will to follow through.

I have about 8 students in class this time. The prof is a plump and expressive lady. Since this level is more advanced than what I took last time, I sometimes miss what she teaches. I just about managed to do all the exercises and respond in class.

I was really tired in class today. In contrast, my prof was on a high dose of caffeine. She was using a lot of actions to support her constant chatter. She wandered from one topic to another effortlessly. She then gave us a considerable amount of homework to do in preparation for the next class.

It took me an hour more to come back home. I didn't feel so lonely since the bus was packed.

It was the end of a long but productive day. I just hope that I will be able to follow through with this routine in the coming months.

Valentine's Day in Brussels!

It is fun to have a day dedicated to love. I don't know what love really means. I just know that it cannot be described but only felt.

Valentine's day was the most awaited day when I was in hostel during undergrad days. Most girls waited for their Valentine to come with red roses for them in the morning.

Our batch of girls always dressed in pink on that day just to mark the occasion. Ofcourse, some of us got red flowers (meaning love) and the others got yellow flowers (friendship). Everybody got some flower and that was the important part.

I was in the yellow flower category for most of the years I spent there. I watched all the commotion from the sidelines.

In my final year (when I finally lightened up a bit), I got a red rose from a very special friend of mine. He was a sweet, carefree chap whom I liked but not loved in the real sense of the word.

The best Valentine's day surprise came a long time after that first red rose. I got twelve red roses delivered to my office from my husband who lived in a different continent at that time. He also sent me a cuddly, soft teddy bear which was to be my constant companion for a while.

As I walked back to my desk from the lobby with the perfect dark red roses, my colleagues looked on with excitement.

The next year, my husband forgot that it was Valentine's day until the end of the day. He scrambled to some shop and managed to bring me white lilies.

This time around, it was me who forgot about Valentine's day. I was so caught up during the day that I didn't realize that february 14th was around the corner.

I came home after a long day and found a heart-shaped chocolate box and a box of Burberry perfume. I normally don't like formal gifts but I welcome anything from my husband on Valentine's day.

I don't know what more surprises will come in the coming years...but I sure think it is worth celebrating love even if only for a day.