Day 5, Saturday May 14, 2016
Julia Johnson

Overview

• Laundry Trip
• Group Thatching and Culture Discussion
• Tour of Gent and Free Time

Today has been the quietest day so far, but valuable nonetheless!

Some of us were able to sleep in and catch up on some much needed sleep, but a few brave souls ventured off at 6:30 in the morning to get some laundry done.  It was quite expensive at 4.50 euros per wash, and another 0.50 euros for 8 minutes of dryer time! They didn't really know how to use the machines since the instructions were in Dutch.  Luckily, a nice man who only spoke Dutch was able to explain how to use them with gestures.  While the experience was stressful, a couple of us in the group got some cute pictures out of it so the stress was worth it!

The group gathered for a meeting after they got back to have our first group discussion on thatching.  To get a little more information on what thatching is, here is a good source to go to! http://www.thatching.com/thatching.html

As an assignment for our trip, our group is divided into smaller sections and each section covers a different portion of the thatching process.  Along with discussing each section, we came up with further questions that were related to thatching.  One thing that was heavily discussed was WHY things in the thatching industry are the way they are.  Is it because it is the most efficient way? Or is it because it is how it has always been done?  We also discussed trade legislation, the global economic impact, and the environmental impact of the industry.  The only conclusion we came to is that there is more than one answer to complex questions, such as the ones we discussed.

After our discussion, we took public transportation into the center of Gent.  The city was absolutely beautiful!  Hans discussed some of the different types of architecture in the area, such as gothic and renaissance.  We also got the opportunity to see many large churches again, such as St. Nicholas' Church, and many of the old locations of different food markets.  Hans told us that the city grew mainly because of the agriculture and food industry in the area.  Afterwards, we were explore the city, do some shopping, and even try some official Belgium waffles and chocolate!  Tomorrow, we are looking forward to going to Bruge and other coastal cities!  Be sure to check in soon!

Key Takeaways

• There is always more than one answer to the complex questions, and it is important to see how our choices impact every level of the system.
• Agriculture played a pivotal role in the development of Gent and many other cities across the globe.
• Belgium waffles are amazing