Finally Meeting the Other Luxembourg Fulbrighters!

I woke up very excited today because I knew I would finally get to meet the three other American Fulbrighters! I originally was a bit off-put because I had sent a message in our informal WhatsApp group chat--as soon as our program coordinator, Jace, emailed us to join--and had no reply for about two weeks. This group chat was combined with the Belgium grantees as well, so I also reached out to each Luxembourg grantee individually. I got responses then, which made me feel more at ease.

Today, all of that wariness went away. I was the first person at the coffee shop we were told to meet at, so I got a bit of one-on-one time with our program coordinator. I think people were perhaps wanting some more independence since we have all been abroad before. I feel like I'm on the other end of the spectrum where I've traveled alone so many times that I feel like it would be a much more positive experience if I kept in touch with the other people in this experience.

We discovered that we all had lived in similar locations in the U.S., being the Midwest and Philadelphia/D.C. I was very interested to hear about the other ETA's institutions as well. Of course, they are much closer to their dorms than mine is, but that was only one difference. I'm very glad to hear how different all of our programs are because it really does feel like we are all still unique from one another. One ETA is helping with an American Narratives course at the University of Luxembourg as well as a high school in Luxembourg City. The other ETA is teaching at a hospitality school, which, I am truthfully quite jealous of, as well as a school that hasn't actually gotten back to her yet.

After about an hour of mingling amongst each other, we headed to the U.S. Embassy, where four other people on a prestigious program were meeting us there. They are all American "stagères" at the Court of Justice for three months. I was worried because one of the U.S. Embassy staff members sent an email about not bringing any digital devices larger than a phone after I had already arrived at the Gare Centrale to meet up with the Luxembourg Fulbrighters. Jace was kind enough to offer taking it back to their hotel if it wasn't allowed inside, but I suppose there was really no other option. Thankfully, the security desk was able to keep it with them, despite the email saying that they wouldn't. I was so grateful that Jace didn't have to run back and forth from their hotel room as well. Unfortunately, the security desk also kept everyone's phones, so I couldn't take any pictures of the Embassy's interior. It was truly stunning and felt very similar to the White House. The room we all were first seated in was an extension that was almost like a greenhouse. Its entrance was a glass door, which was very fitting.

Once we sat down, we first had a short review of the emergency services provided in Luxembourg and then a safety talk by someone who had also just arrived a month ago. He pretty much told us to be street-smart and that the train station was the most dangerous place in any city. After this, we had a quick break to grab refreshments. I had forgotten my water bottle, so I couldn't wait to have a drink.

Following the short break, we gathered in a seating area with luxurious chairs and couches with the U.S. Ambassador. He is a very kind gentleman who was actually the mayor of Milwaukee for a long time. The reason that he was assigned to Luxembourg was because he mentioned that his two children had attended a German immersion school back in Wisconsin, but he doesn't speak German that well himself! He spoke to us about how he came to obtain the position and then asked each of us what we were most looking forward to getting from our experience. Once we all spoke, our meeting ended and we got up to take a picture together by the entrance. You could tell we were short on time because one of the staff members seemed anxious for the ambassador to finish talking to us. As we exited and shook the ambassador's hand, we also received a blue tote bag that has "United States Embassy Luxembourg" printed on it with a nice leather memo pad inside.

Since we all had our phones back, the two groups got pictures together outside of the Embassy and then headed to our walking tour in the Place d'Armes. I had just been here with Felix and his friends, so I felt very familiar with the area at this point. Our tour guide had impeccable English, but the tour was a bit too long for my attention span. I'm glad that one of the Dean Acheson stageres, Xander, started talking to me. He seemed quite interested in my photography and we bonded over traveling in Europe during our undergraduate degrees. I took tons of great pictures and I am really excited for you to check them out! We saw some things that I had already seen on Sunday with Felix, but we took some really gorgeous paths and saw the Notre Dame Cathedral.

One of my favourite parts that I had already been planning was that we went up the glass elevator! Fun fact: Luxembourg City is very high up, but it also has a gorgeous valley inside. Since it's such a significant difference, there are two (FREE!!!) elevators for anyone to take as they please. Most of the others were quite frightened, but I absolutely loved it. There's also a glass lookout at the top of the elevator. Xander said it's like the Chicago viewpoint, and I totally agree. The only difference is that the bottom glass is frosted; Our tour guide referred to it as "milky," which I quite liked.

After the tour, I was famished and couldn't wait to eat. I wanted to get to know the stagères as well, so I offered to get their numbers and make a group chat with the eight of us to stay in touch. I really hope I end up seeing them again, especially since their time here is much shorter than ours. Everyone ended up parting ways and headed home, but I desperately needed something to eat. I settled on Mcdonald's, which was wayyyy more expensive than I could have ever imagined McDonald's could be. I got a 9-piece nugget meal, which totaled to around 12 euros. The cashier also seemed frustrated with me because I had to ask them to repeat themselves more than once. In my defense though, they spoke quite quickly and it wasn't the quietest setting.

The meal really hit the spot, plus I really needed to use the bathroom. I didn't finish my fries, so I decided I could take them with me and give them to a homeless person. I figured if I didn't see one, I could just keep it in the fridge. I haven't seen very many homeless people throughout my time so far, so I was surprised to see one immediately outside of McDonald's. This person already had 2 parfaits and looked busy fixing something, so I hesitated to give my fries to them. It wasn't long until I found another homeless person in a praying position with a cup in their hands. I was scared of interrupting their prayer, so I said "Excusez-moi monsieur," and then he looked up. I then continued to ask in French if he wanted something to eat and extended my food. After he took it, I continued walking towards the bus station. I couldn't resist looking back and was filled with almost secondhand relief to see him eating the fries. It's such a different experience in the U.S. because it doesn't feel like you are helping that much when it's one out of hundreds. Of course, you expect to see more homeless people in the city, but Luxembourg truly has a tiny fraction of homeless people compared to Philadelphia or Chicago. It really feels like you are making a difference.

My bus ride home was quite long, and I really had to use the bathroom after my large Sprite. I thought portions were infamously smaller in Europe, but I have found that to be completely false in Luxembourg. I don't think I've finished a single meal when I've eaten out, but hey, at least I get a second meal out of it later! I knew I had to pack for the mixed Fulbright Orientation in Brussels for the next couple of days, so I got started on that; uploaded the pictures from my camera; uploaded the blog posts I was too lazy to finish in previous days (you won't be able to tell that though, since I can change the publication date hehe); showered; got mostly ready for bed; and now I'm here. Well, I guess not anymore after I publish this post. Until tomorrow!