Long way from Belgium

Exchange student adds life experience in Le Center

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a three-part series on Foreign Exchange students living in Le Center. Next week you’ll meet Noemie Wunsch.

Charlotte D’Haese is an 18-year-old from Aalst, Belgium, which is 19 miles northwest of Brussels.
Aalst is located in the Flemish province of East Flanders. Charlotte’s mother is Ilse, an RN and stay-at-home mom. Her dad is Hans, a financial analysts working in Brussels. She also has a 16-year-old sister, Louise.
Her native language is Dutch; however, a part of Belgium speaks French and a small portion speaks German. That is why kids in Belgium are required to learn all three languages.
Children in Belgium can begin preschool as early as 2 1/2 years old.
“A child goes to pre-school until they are five or six,” explained Charlotte. “It all depends on how good the student is in school and how mature the student is. We don’t distinguish our classes like you do here. We have grades 1-6 which is equal to your elementary grades and then we have another level of 1-6 which is equal to your high school. We study about 12 different classes a week with different subjects meeting on different days. There are also different secondary schools to go to. I attended a school where I can study economics and modern languages. We also have technical schools where a skill is learned, art schools and vocational schools. Each week, I have for example six hours of economics and 3 hours of math. How many hours you have the class a week depends on what you study and it changes every year. Even though we can choose our course of study, we have some required classes like French, German, Dutch, two hours of gym a week and more. I have completed my education and when I return I will sign-up to attend to a University or College in Ghent. I don’t know yet what I want to study, but probably something in Accounting or Teaching.”
Similar to George, the Brazilian student featured last week, Charlotte’s school doesn’t offer sports or music. If a student wants to participate in these types of activities they have to join a private club.
Charlotte became a gymnast when she was 8 years old and was on the national team until a back injury forced her quit. While a gymnast she would train 24 hours a week before and after school. She became a three-times National Champion of Belgium. Because she couldn’t practice gymnastics herself anymore, she now teaches younger gymnasts about 12 hours a week getting them ready for competition.
“Once I couldn’t participate in gymnastic’s any longer I started teaching gymnastics and took up horseback riding. I train once or twice a week in Dressage and jumps,” said Charlotte. “There isn’t much space in the city for horses, it is very expensive so I rent a horse to ride and train with.
Back home Charlotte lives in a city with about 80,000 inhabitants.
“My front door opens to the street and our houses are side-by-side with common side walls and a very small back-yard,” explained Charlotte. “Most houses in Belgium are three story’s high. Being here in the country with Chuck and Lisa I feel so free compared to being at home. I really love it”
The holidays in Belgium are similar to the holidays in the United States. They don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. It was Charlotte’s very first Thanksgiving, she enjoyed participating in this and experiencing some new family traditions.
“We celebrate Christmas about the same way but we don’t have as many lights or decorate our homes like is done here,” said Charlotte.
Charlotte arrived August 3rd so she had plenty of time to enjoy some summer vacation. While in Le Center Charlotte was able to attend the Le Sueur County Fair where she loved watching the ranch rodeo and looking at the horses. Homecoming and all the activities involved in that celebration were new to Charlotte. She is looking forward to prom and graduation.
“Watching the football games, building the floats, the parade, just the school spirit all around is fun to experience” said Charlotte. “We don’t have sports in our school, not even school colors or a mascott so this type of activity is just fun, that’s why I decided to be a cheerleader for boys basketball. I love all the schoolspirit everybody has here!”
Chuck and Lisa’s experience as first time host parents has been fun.
“We learned early on, Charlotte likes to have company” said Chuck with a smile. “I’m not used to having women in the house after raising three boys.”
“We couldn’t have asked for a better match” added Lisa. “Charlotte fit right into our home. She has made some good friends and enjoys riding horses with Brianna Berninghaus, Katie Peterson and our neighbor Darcy David.”
‘’I really like my host family” says Charlotte. “I don’t think I could have asked for a better family. They take care of me very well and from the very first day I felt like we had know each other forever. I’m really a part of the family now”
According to Charlotte its the small things that make a difference, like the smaller community, the clothes, and the food.
“Back home my mom is a healthy eater so we eat a lot of vegetarian foods,” said Charlotte. “She makes veggie burgers, cooks a lot of fish like salmon and we never deep fry anything. There are a lot more fast food restaurants here in America too.”
Charlotte is participating in the EF Foundation Foreign Study program. The Holicky’s found out about this program through a co-worker of Chucks’ who had two girls out to their place last winter to snowmobile. Charlotte will head back to Belgium around mid June.