BORING!!!

[Anna_Wilson]

I just have to say how disappointing it is that no-one seems to be willing to chat to anyone or help anyone out at this message board. When you read boards from other countries there is always an interesting conversation to be had. I lived in Belgium for 12 months, and I always thought belgians were very friendly people. Please don't prove me wrong. This message forum desperately needs some fun injected into it!
SO...ANYONE LIKE TO CHAT?


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Anna

[Laurie_Hunt]

Hi Anna - saw that you lived in Belgium, where did you live? I'm Laurie Hunt and I posted a message as well. Have yet to hear back. You think 1994 is a long time, well I guess 20 some years is ancient history! You didn't happen to go to I.S.B did you? Where do you live now? I live on the central coast in Calif. Living overseas was a total blast and I won't forget it as long as I live! It is hard to relate to anyone who graduated from a high school in the states, living overseas is appreciated only by those who have. If you have some time, hope to hear a response, thanks! =)

[Anna_Wilson]

Laurie, Hi, thanks for your message!
I lived in Charleroi. I was at a local high school there for a year on a Rotary Exchange scholarship. I gather from your note you were at ISB for a time. What did you study?
Now I live in Australia, on the south coast near Melbourne. I manage a livestock agency office. The weather where you are must be nice at the moment. We just had snow near here for the first time in over 70 years, so it's pretty miserable right now, certainly not the stereotypical Aussie weather!
So anyway, thanks for your reply, it fair brightened my day...
Bye,


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Anna

[Laurie_Hunt]

Hi Anna! Lucky you - snow or not, what a fabulous place to live. The sister of one of my best friends lives in Sydney and she loves it. I'm trying to remember if I went to Charleroi when I lived in Belgium, I must have, the country isn't that big! Did you live with a host family when you were there? I was with Mom, Dad a sister and 2 brothers. I.S.B has an elementary school, middle and high school. I was there in the 8th grade thru 12th. I am ecstatic to tell you I received in the mail yesterday an alumni update brochure, and am getting in contact with the alumni committee. They are having the 50th anniversary of the school next June, and I'm working on being there. As far as the weather here, I am an hour north of Santa Barbara and the weather has a tendancy to be windy and cooler, but as of late we have had warmer weather. Be glad you are there, putting up with a little snow should make up for being in a beautiful country! Thanks for your response, sorry I am a little long winded - hope someone else out there drops you a line. It's a fun way to communicate - take care!!

[Anna_Wilson]

Hi again Laurie
Good to hear from you. Sounds like your time in Belgium must have been a real adventure. It's a fantastic age to experience life in another country and culture, really. As we get older we tend to close ourselves off to new things a little, don't you think?
I lived with three families while I was there, four months each. That was good to see how different families operate in another culture, bad if you really loved the family you were with and then had to leave. But in all I have to say that I'm thankful every day for the opportunity I had. I certainly wouldn't be the same person I am today if it wasn't for that year away. I found it very difficult to re-adjust after my return. I get the feeling that our cultures have the propensity to be quite jealous at times, can resent you a little for something different you may have done. But I would like to think that I'm re-assimilated now!
Funny to hear your opinions of where I live, because we always envisage California as being just about the nicest place on earth to be! (A legacy of all those TV soaps, I suppose!)
So what occupies your time now? Do you have a family? I'm getting married next year, so I guess that's the next big event in my life...
It has been nice chatting to you, you're right, this is a fun way of communicating.
Take care,



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Anna

[Laurie_Hunt]

Hi to you! You are right about it changing your life, it does make you a better person being able to experience a culture different than the one you are used to living. Do you still keep in contact with any of those four families? I lived with a French family my last year in Europe. After my graduation at I.S.B I went to the American College in Paris, that capped off my years overseas and needless to say, I LOVED PARIS TOO!!! I am typing this from my office at work. I married in June 1981, had my first daughter Lindsay in Oct. 1982, and had my second daughter Lesley in May 1985. Happy with my husband Larry, Yes, all "L's", my girl's are terrific, my job is ok and life is good in general. I'll be 43 this June, and can't believe how fast time goes. So, you are getting married soon? HOW WONDERFUL! When? Are you a native Australian? Is your fiance? If you decide to take a honeymoon California is a nice place to visit - soap operas, t.v. and movies tend to over dramatize life in the U.S.......when we moved to Belgium from Chicago, all I heard was "gangsters", "shootem up" etc. Not exactly what Chicago is all about. It was kind of funny. Anyway, I had a point about turning 43, no, you really don't close yourself off as you get older, I still think like a 20 year old, sometimes act like a 2 year old, and look forward to new experiences, new places and new people to meet. Well I guess I better start looking like I'm doing my job, fun "talking" to you. Enjoy your day, or sleeping, or whatever you are doing at 8:45 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.
Talk later! =)

[Anna_Wilson]

Hi again Laurie!
In answer to some of your questions...
Yes, I do keep in contact with some of my host families. One of the families was very difficult to live with, we just couldn't see eye to eye on anything, so I don't have much to do with them now. I also kept in contact with a friend I made over there, who is coming to visit me in 2 weeks time for 10 days. Should be an interesting test for my francais! Pity the weather isn't better for his visit, but oh well.
Yes I am an Aussie born & bred. My fiance, Aaron, is a New Zealander. He has been living in Australia for 4 years now. I'm 23, and he is 29. He is in Ohio at the moment on a scholarship on a big Angus beef farm over there. I haven't seen him since January 5th. But only 8 weeks to go now 'til I see him again, so...
What I meant about us closing ourselves to things....If I didn't live in Belgium when I did, didn't travel and see things at a young age, I would probably be less inclined to pack my bags and do it all when I'm 50. I think people like you and I will never close ourselves to things because we were bitten by that 'travel bug' young. Seeing other parts of the world is almost second nature, you know? It's not really an option, it is just something that has to be done every now and then!
Anyway, I too have to go and work.
Keep smiling & take care,


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Anna

[JKLDdancer]

Hi Anna! Thank you for writing me (Dancer) My real name is Julia. Your advice was very kind, thank you! What you said is what I want to do and I would drop everything and go to Belgium right now but I need to save money first, I plan to move and live there soon, hopefully next June. I'm leaving for France in about 13 days and I'm going to be really bussy but I would really like to go see him, I miss him sooooo much it hurts!!! What part of Belgium do you live in? Maybe you live close to him, he lives near Waver. Anyway thanks for writing and if you want you can e-mail me at JKLDdancer@aol.com. Thank you again and I hope to hear from you soon!
Always Julia

[Anna_Wilson]

WHA HAY!!!
It's the weekend!!!!
I get to talk to my sweety tomorrow....
Have a good one, talk to everyone on Monday



--P.S Julia, I'm in Australia, not Belgium (sorry) I lived in Charleroi (Bel) in 1994. ----------------
Anna

[This message has been edited by Anna Wilson (edited 02 June 2000).]

[Laurie_Hunt]

Hi Anna - it is Tuesday and I'm back at work after 4 days vacation on the Colorado river where friends of ours were on a houseboat. Too much fun! So, you and Aaron will share the same initials, my husband and I are LCH, so of course the girls have the same, when you have kids are you going to do the same? Makes for easy monograming!! haha
Congratulations again to the both of you, you will have a great life! And you are right, travelling young gives you the bug! I am looking forward to going to Brussels next June, I just got an email back from a former teacher, what a rush! Anyway, good to hear from ya - later. =)

[Anna_Wilson]

Hi Laurie...
Something is wrong with this board, I think. I can only read my new messages in the topic review section. Makes it quite frustrating!
I'm glad you had a nice time on your houseboat holiday. I have my annual holidays soon, 3 weeks in August. It has been a long, busy year, I'm looking forward to those. I have co-incided my holidays this year with Aaron's return from the US. So it will be nice to just spend some quality time with him, after all this time apart.
I hadn't really thought about the same initial thing. We have different middle initials, though, his is H and mine is L, so I guess that mucks things up a bit! So we'll be AHS & ALS, sounds quite strange...Weird to think that next December I'll have a new name! Doesn't your entire household having the same initials get confusing sometimes?
Anyway, thanks for writing me back,
I'll chat again soon.
Take care, keep smiling,


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Anna

[Laurie_Hunt]

Hi Anna! I was gone all last week for training related to my job. The houseboat was a blast, so much fun we are going to go again this Sept. or Oct. Are you going to take 3 weeks all together, or break it up? Does Aaron get the same vacation time? My husband has something like 40 + days left this year, lucky me has 2 left, I only get 10 days a year, plus the national holidays. Anyway, as far as a new name, if you are like most of us females, you have practiced writing your "new name" a few thousand times, so when you really have it, it won't be so strange. As far as confusing, I'm not confused, but my goofy husband starts out "Linz, us Les, I mean Laurie......he confused his two sisters names all the time, Lynn and Cheryl, not even the same initials, so much so he just started calling them both "Shlyn"!! haha
Good to hear from you, again I'll be gone Thurs. and Friday of this week, more training in the LA area, so have a good week and weekend, and I'll look for your reply next week..take care!!!!

[Anna_Wilson]

Hi Laurie, thanks for your reply. Sounds as if you did have a blast on the houseboat, going back again so soon!
I'll be taking my 3 weeks in a block, Aaron doesn't have to start work until September, so I can't wait to be able to spend so much time together! We don't have too much planned...going up to the mountains to a cozy little cottage for a few days, should be lovely! (you know what they say about absence...!) ;-)
We're going to New Zealand to Aaron's parents for a week at christmas, which is why I'm only taking 3 weeks.
Do you work full-time? 10 days a year doesn't seem fair if you do!
Funny, my Mum does the same thing as your husband with my and my sisters' names, and we are A, A & K! She usually throws in Dad's name for good measure, too!
In the L.A area for your training? What field are you in? I have an internet friend named Timothy who lives just near Disneyland...if you bump into him, say hi for me!
Alright, yes, I confess...I have been practising signing my married name. (guilty!)
But it must sound a little strange the first time you hear it?
Anyway, got to get back to work...
Keep smiling!

[Laurie_Hunt]

Yes it was too much fun, and yes, 10 days total time stinks!! I am so envious of you -a cottage in Australia and then on to New Zealand. You don't have to go far to be in an exciting vacation spot!! You and Aaron will have a terrific time to be sure. As far as my field, I work for a company called World Minerals, we have a diatomaceous earth processing plant in Lompoc. Not to bore you, but briefly its a silicate material left when the ocean receded leaving the spot where it occupied with a fine dirt, which is a filtering aid used to filter wine, beer, also used in toothpaste, DE pool filters, in paint for consistency ETCETERA......I process the hourly plant employees payroll. I don't know how I find myself in jobs using numbers math and whatever, because that was never my favorite thing to do! Anyway, its a living. Keep practicing writing your new name, and have fun figuring out what your kids names will be, you will enjoy married life - I do. Now to saying Hi to Timothy, I will probably have more of a chance getting hit by lightning, winning the lottery, or getting hit by a bus, HA-HA than running into him in the LA area, but IF I COULD, I WOULD!! You have a great week, since I won't be around after tomorrow, I'll drop a note next week - take care =)

[Anna_Wilson]

Hi again Laurie....

Hope your training went well. Sounds like an interesting company you work for. I had no idea we brush our teeth with dirt!
I think you should complain about your ten days a year...here it is compulsory for full time workers to be given 4 weeks a year. (thank goodness!)
I understand re. timothy, I was only kidding around! I hope you do win the lottery, but try to avoid those other things, okay?!
Have a good week,


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Anna