An Awesome First Week

Hello everyone!

The first week in Belgium has gone by quite fast – perhaps it’s because every day has been jam packed with fun cultural activities. Last night, we all attended a play entitled “Afropean,” which discussed some of the issues surrounding race and identity not only in Europe, but also in à brider context. The play aligned perfectly with the Africa Museum visit earlier in the day - Belgium has a complex history when it comes to race, and this summer’s CIEE students are eager to learn more about Belgian history and how Belgian have (or have not) reconciled with their dark history as colonizers.

This weekend was filled with adventure. We went kayaking and had a Belgian BBQ before heading off to the Caves of Han — it is a tradition to set off a cannon before leaving the caves, so I guess you could say we went out with a "boom." Today we visited Bastogne and discussed some World War II history, which culminated in a visit to the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial. The students were wonderful and the bus ride was smooth. We are looking forward to beginning the second week of this adventure and will keep you all posted with details about fun events to come!