still haven't found zara...

Today was another late rising... ayayay. But had a really nice "half-day". I made myself a instant cappuccino, thanks to maemi and then went on a long run (ok, walk-run). Leave it to me to waste the first few days when running at this altitude would have been really easy in bed covered with tears. I went on my run nude, it is a flemish tradition. See picture number 1. The other pictures are of my kitchen, me in a red scarf (just showing you that my joie de vivre is slowly returning), a few of the town and the famous chinese mooncake! Then I took a shower and went on a walk. I promptly got really lost but after an hour (an hour!) found my way back home. On the way I saw a pigeon who was swimming down the canal, wings flapping. It had no doubt injured itself and would eventually drown as the canal does not have banks, just walls surrounding it. The pigeon was batting its wings really quickly but took advantage of its situation by eating quickly any insects stuck to the algae on the walls. I feel like this must for sure be a metaphor of some state or other of mind, but cant really come up with it right now. I felt really bad for the bird, but happy that it was enjoying some small pleasures along the way.
As you can see I have almost completely metamorphised into a dark and contemplative northern european-sort.
What else? I just had dinner with Esther who gave me MORE mooncake. I think she thinks I must really like it since my face also looks like mooncake. Just what I need, another person really preocupied with me over-eating daily. What I was compelled to do, as to not seem rude, is drink STEAMING hot water. Aha, mom, you would be so proud. Apparently this is what she drinks as to not upset her stomach. She also said that perhaps tomorrow we could go shopping (Zara??), I dont know for what. She told me that she thinks that the classes will be really easy for me and that, in fact, I will only have to study one hour a day. I was like " yeaaa" and then she said that clearly I was a really good student back home to have been selected for Erasmus and I was like "ooooooooh". So we will see which it is. But I feel bad because I think she is not very well off and did not go see her parents this month because she had the opportunity to teach Chinese part time... She teaches 2 hours way by train! And used to go all the way to Holland to teach! Poor thing... I let her think that my parents were supporting me as to not tell her that this is free for me.
I think that is about all. Tomorrow I will (cross-my-fingers) go see my faculty to get my bank account etc in order. Kisses!