Brussels the second time around

I arrived on one of those in-between-season-days, dayswhich we don't really have in tropical Philippines.The air was crisp and cool, not a hint of the colderseason yet, but the leaves were starting to fallalready. It is quite beautiful, seeing the seasonschange. I think it gives one some thought on how lifedoes move on and move fast. It may be mundane to thoseliving here, but it's something new to me!

I sat on the steps of the convent waiting for the sisters tocome home (I was locked out for an hour), drinking thescene up again. Funny how time has flown again...Brussels was exactly how I left it in June; perhaps that is why I didn't have that much of a hard time adjusting again to the routine. Even jet lag did not bug me much; I was up and running the day after I arrived. I was even excited to go to the grocery tohave my much missed fromage fraise! Though I am stillguilty of homesick days; I can never do without those!Friends like you are hard to find...

Classes have begun and that too does not seem tough.We January students are down to around 10, while wewelcomed some 40 new students, mostly from the US andCanada. There is another Fil-Am gal in the program, aswell as a half-Pinoy guy, who's dad hails fromVigan... Been having surprising other Filipino connections: my dorm mate's uncle married a Filipinaand a Canadian classmate based in Singapore onceordered through myayala. We might rule the world afterall.Though most of the studentry has come from NorthAmerica, there are also uncanny mixes, such as theJapanese girl who does not speak Japanese but haslived all her life in Brazil. Much like my South Korean classmate who claims he's German, since it isthe only country he knows... Makes you think of natureand nurture, doesn't it?

Nothing much to report this month, as it is back-to-school month. But there are some new things: I am now relegated to the nun's floor. I am now closer to the office where I do computer work; and maybecloser to God? :) My room is much bigger now and has anicer view of the street.

No pictures this month, but a website: http:\\www.asiaeuropeproject.org. This is where I am interning for yet an undeterminedamount of time... Yes, I got an internship! It is quite exciting and new for me, and quite on track withwhat I really want to do... It is a start-up NGO andthe Asia-EU partnership is quite a dream come true! I am working with 4 other students and our director is a journalist by profession. I don't have hours as yet, just meetings and work-on-your-own time. I will beassigned to conferences and events.

That's all for now, dear friends and family. Justwanted to let you guys know how I am on the other side of the world... This month's memoir is quite dry, asmuch as my throat, as I am home today down with cough and a slight fever...

Always thinking of home,
Alexie