HANS & JEANNIE DEWAELE

Hans & Jeannie Dewaele

"L A W R E N C E"

Here's my story ...

I was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia , like my sister Louise. I am no longer the youngest one since the birth of my brother Lucas. I left Jeddah for Bucharest, Romania, with my parents hardly 6 weeks after I was born. And, yes, my name comes from "Lawrence of Arabia". It's kind of obvious. And, have you noticed, my sisters, my brother and I all have first names starting with an L ...

When we moved to Romania I was to young to go to nursery. But I had a nanny look after me, Lilly, and I still miss her sometimes. But when I was bigger I also did go to the nursery on the compound where we were living. I also remember our driver, Ionut, because he would play with me sometimes.

In Geneva I went to school every day by bus with my sisters Leanne and Louise. I stayed through 1^st Grade in the English section of the school. I also learned French because I spent a year in Kindergarten in the French section of the CDL - Collège de Léman.

Because my mum and dad had to move to Algeria before and there was no International School there I started attending boarding school in the UK. Now that they have moved from Algiers to Karachi, Pakistan, I will continue to attend the Sherborne Preparatory School in the small town of Sherborne in Dorset. My teachers are all very nice to me. I am now in my sixth year at school and have gotten used to it. I enjoy in particular the sports: rugby and football as I get to play on the school team. But I do miss home. Most of all I am happy when we can go home for mid-term break or holidays. My sister Louise is no longer staying in the same school so I do not get to see her every day anymore. Louise joined Leanne in another school, St Antony's Leweston, just outside Sherborne. I only see them during exeat weekends or when we can go shopping in town over the weekend.

Early in 2003 the Earl and Countess of Wessex (better know as Prince Andrew and his wife) visited Sherborne Preparatory School to open the newly built "Wessex wing" of class rooms. My class was in this wing. While touring the classes, the Countess of Wessex stopped at my desk to talk to me about my background and to ask me what kind of work I had been doing. I read her a story I had invented and written down in a little book ...

Near to where we live in Almaty is the newest and biggest mall of Kazakhstan, Mega, with a lot of boutiques, supermarkets as well as an ice skating ring, a game center for kids, movie theaters (all in Russian though), bowling alley and a climbing wall. So I was ready to give it a try. The first time it turned out much harder than I initially thought, but as I got the hang of it with each try I reached higher. Now it's my favorite hang-out.

I love to play video games be it on PSP, Gameboy Advance or the internet.

I also love my whole family very much. But my favorite are my mom and my brother Lucas.