Sunday, January 20, 2013

Roomie Blog: Jolien!

So, I wanted a fun way to document all of my roomie experiences on Up With People, so I figured I'd do Roomie posts every time I change roommates. That's another wonderful thing about homestays in Up With People. We not only meet new families around the world, but we get to room with different members in our cast with every new city. It's a great way to spend more quality time with cast mates and learn more about them and from them!

My VERY FIRST roommate of UWP is Jolien (Betty Daisy) Roelandt from Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium (but she just says Brussels to make things easier). How great is it that her other two names are Betty and Daisy? haha. My host mom and I LOVED that when we learned that about her. Jolien is working for UWP as a PR (Promotions Representative) and is leaving Lakeland sooner than I am so she can go to future cities on our tour and set them up for the cast's arrival! Unlike most of the staff, Jolien is new to UWP and never traveled as a student herself. UWP likes to call these staff members "Rookies," but only two weeks into her new job, she's already a pro.
So, fun facts about Jolien:

Age: 22

Favorite color: Red

Favorite activity we did as roomies: In Jolien's words: "Do you even have to ask? Dis-nehhhhhhhhh" ... That's Disneyworld for those of you who can't sound that one out.

Other fun memories:
- Jolien is fluent in French, Dutch, Portuguese and English, and speaks some German. What a pro.
- Our host family always had fun giggling at Jolien's "Jolien-isms." She is known for always saying, "It's guuuuuuuud" (It's good) about food or plans for the day. Pretty much anything, Jolien answers with her traditional (hilarious) response.
- Come the end of the day, Jolien's brain is usually tired from having to constantly think and speak in English, so she'd say some pretty hilarious things like, "Oh great...now I'm gonna be the 5th wheel on the wagon?!" And we also loved learning from Jolien little differences between our cultures. Instead of packing her suitcase, Jolien "makes" her suitcase. Love it!

Have fun in Ft. Myers, Jolien! See you soon! =)



 
 This was Jolien's first time making home-made pizzas!



1 comment:

Unknown said...

Love the ice cream face!!! We will definitely miss her bunches. We are working on getting you another roomie as soon as possible.