Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Question about Belgium..........?

Question about Belgium..........?
Does it snow in Belgium??? We got this new foreign exchange student and he is soooooo hot. its snowing here and he says he likes how the snow is white and fluffy looking, so i thought maybe it was the first time he saw snow.
Belgium - 5 Answers
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1 :
It does snow in Belgium. But if he lives near the coast not often and it hardly stays long. On the eastern end of Belgium snow is much more regular and deeper, and skiing is happening every few years. At this time the question made me smile, as all of western Europe has snow, even the coast of Belgium.
2 :
Yes, it can snow in Belgium. Not so often but in some regions every winter it snows. In the Ardennes they have some ski resorts (not so much, but they exist). It's rare that the snowfall is higher than a few cm. When your exchange student says he never has seen snow, it must be a full time nerd, always staying behind his computer... (lol) or he is not a belgian.
3 :
Yes, it snows in Belgium. It's been snowing for a month now. I live in the north-east of Belgium.
4 :
I was just there for 2 years and it does snow every once in awhile but it is usually wet snow and not very much at all. And rarely last for longer than a day.
5 :
It does. It has now for the last couple of weeks actually. But, in your exchange student's defence, he might be too young to remember the last time it snowed remarkably. I was about 6 years old when I last saw snow around Christmas and I'm now 25. So roughly 19 years the winters have been mild to relatively warm here. In those 19 years, the only snow we ever saw was few, and disappeared after touching the ground. So it's to no surprise that poor young man got excited by seeing blankets of snow.

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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Working in France/Belgium as an Australian/British?


Working in France/Belgium as an Australian/British?
How hard is it to get work (legally) in France/Belgium as an Australian citizen or a British citizen. I ask this because I'm thinking of going there but I'm not sure if I'll go over with a student visa or just the working one (I'm crossing my fingers that I get accepted for a B in Languages - French)
Immigration - 2 Answers
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1 :
Hi, If you are from UK, you can get a job without specific visa. France and UK are member of the European Union and the workers can cross the border. If you are Australian, you have to apply for a Visa to work. If you are Australian and student, you can get a part-time job.
2 :
As an Ozzie, it is quite a complicated process you would need to go through. A UK passport (NOT British expat passwort!) will open you all of the 'old' European Union member states including France and Belgium. In France, the job office ( www.anpe.fr ) must treat you as if you were a French citizen and may not discriminate you. They will give you all relevant information, especially where to go to obtain the 'permis de séjour' which you need to apply for as a strict formality. They cannot deny you this. Even in the large cities, it is unlikely that you will easily get along in a job if you do not speak and write French well. If not working for a very international company, meetings will be held in French only. As to Belgium, the registration process for the 'permis de séjour' in fairly much the same. However the national job office is completely different than in France and will only help you with unemployment benefits. For finding a (new) job, you have to check with the regional offices. 1 - Brussels capitale: ORBEM/BGDA (Office Régional Bruxellois de l'Emploi / Brusselse Gewestelijke Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling) 2 - région Wallonie: FOREM (Formation - Emploi) The flemish speaking part of the country has a separate office. Hope this was helpful for you.

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Tuesday, August 7, 2012

High school student spending year abroad in Europe.?

High school student spending year abroad in Europe.?
And I want to learn a new language as well as experience the culture. Only problem is a lot of European countries speak awesome english, or want to practice it. What european countries(preferably West) speak not so much English? I want to be forced to speak a lot of the languge of the country, I want to isolate myself from English speakers. I am thinking along the lines of Belgium,Austria,Switzerland,Germany,France,etc. I don't really liek Spanish btw, and please dont recommend something like spanish or eastern european liek polish.
Studying Abroad - 2 Answers
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1 :
I had a wonderful time in the Czech Republic last summer and would recommend going to Praha. However... whereever you choose to go, simply make it known by attempting to speak in the local language that you wish to practice. Don't give up! Be persistent in using as little English as possible and choosing to speak in the local language. People will appreciate your effort and reward you with assistance.
2 :
well programs like YFU and AYUSA as well as some other ones say that its recommended, not REQUIRED to know the language of a certain country. As for the other programs, some aren't really specific so i would suggest what they suggest also: just contact them and they should be able to answer any of the questions you have. I did.

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Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Foreign Exchange Student Questions please help!?


Foreign Exchange Student Questions please help!?
One of my best friends lives overseas in Belgium. They are thinking about coming to America for a school year as an exchange student. Is there anyway they could pick a specific city, school and host family? If so, what organization would you recommend going through? I have heard Rotary is good, but I don't know if they would let you pick the city, school and only have one host. Thanks so much! :)
Studying Abroad - 1 Answers
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1 :
How cool that you have a friend there! Are you thinking of hosting him/her? If your friend wants a specific host family (which would also cover the city and school), what (s)he needs to ask for is a "Direct Placement" (DP). To the best of my knowledge (and forgive me, I don't know that much about Rotary - your local Club should be able to answer your questions) most (if not all) reputable organizations will do a DP *IF* the host family meets the organization's requirements to be a host AND *IF* the school accepts the student. Think about it this way -- it saves the organization the stress involved with finding a host family. If I may, I would like to recommend Youth For Understanding for your friend to use. YFU, AFS, and Rotary are frequently called "the big 3" when it comes to exchanges - long histories and good reputations, although a few others are making their way up that list. Please forgive my bias towards YFU - it's the one that I have direct experience with (I am a 5-time host mom and volunteer). I am gaining indirect experience by corresponding with former students. When I have asked exchange students why they chose YFU, I get the following answers: (1) YFU gave them more bang for their buck and/or (2) someone they knew and trusted recommended YFU. 95% of the fees collected by YFU go for direct program costs (airline tickets, support in hosting country, etc.). YFU has been around for almost 60 years and has learned how to make exchanges successful. If your friend chooses another organization, (s)he should make sure that it is listed with the Council for Standards on International Educational Travel (csiet.org). They routinely audit programs for quality. While it is possible that a good organization is not listed with them, it is less likely and I would advise doing more research on anyone that is not listed with them. I know that YFU does exchanges with Belgium as there are still some Belgian students who need homes for this year. Good luck to your friend!

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