Students

Just a few little stories about the students we had on the trip. One of our favorite stories is about the student who spent all night in a bar in Leuven. He fell asleep in the bar around 5 am and when he woke up at 7 am he said the place was still hopping! He came back to the hotel for breakfast and somehow stayed awake through morning classes. This same student is making an attempt to speak French to people and last night sat (in a bar) with a group of French watching the Euro Cup match between France and the Netherlands. When a Dutch guy started hurling coasters at the French group trying to knock their beers out of their hands and making various obnoxious gestures, this student in his atrocious French made some equally obnoxious remarks back which made him a favorite to the French at least (consolation for losing the soccer game?).

In Luxembourg we generally saw the students not further from the hotel than the bar across the street. But the first night we were told they did go across the river to the first bar they found! There are a few students who have been more adventurous fortunately. The only potential problem we had with a student was one who woke up after an afternoon nap with large welts all over her. She was convinced it was bedbugs and got a new mattress from some other room. I doubt that was it but a dose of Benadryl took care of whatever the problem was. There were mosquitos in Leuven and no window screens. Why is it that only in the US can you find window screens?!

For some students the principal inquiry in a new place was, “is there a gym?” For all it was whether there was internet access. I think they are all devoted Facebook users.
One especially creative student came up with alternative lyrics to the pop song, “Love in the Club”. The alternative title was “Love in this Union” and featured lyrics like:

“You say you’re searching for someone who will trade your goods and do you right; Well come here Europe and tell me what your Internal Market feels like; All you gotta do is tell me what you’re voting on; And I’ll give you multiple majorities all night long.”