First Day at European Voice!

I just got home from my first day of my internship!  It was really great!  The hours will take a little getting used to, but I can tell that I am going to have a great experience with the company.

The office is located on the 6th floor of the Residential Palace, which also happens to be where one of my classes is located, so it was easy to find.  I arrived at 9:15 and met Christina, who I will be sharing an office with.  She has a strong German accent and somehow talks faster than I do.  It took some getting used to, but she was friendly, helpful, and incredibly welcoming.  She showed me to my desk that was equipped with every office supply I could ever need.  I have my own computer, and a great view of European Union buildings. She showed me where the expresso machine was :)  and then introduced me to the rest of the staff.  Everyone was great, and asked me about Mizzou, Chicago, and how I feel about the weather in Brussels.

I found out that I will be working specifically on promotional events that European Voice sponsors.  These events include debates, panel speakers, and networking lunches based around EU issues.  The biggest event I will be working on is the EVAwards.  This Gala gives recognition to key characters in the EU and the world.  The categories include National Politician of the Year, EU Official of the Year, and Inspiration of the Year.  In 2001, George Bush won Non-EU Citizen of the Year, and Arnold Schwarzenegger won in 2007 for Campaigner of the Year. The biggest award is European of the Year, which has gone to various Prime Ministers, Commissioners, and in 2001 to U2's lead singer, Bono.  It is a black-tie event, and will be an absolute blast to attend, especially knowing that I had a hand in organizing it.
Here is a link to the website:
http://www.europeanvoice.com/page/the-evawards-europeans-of-the-year/2752.aspx?LG=1

There is another event called the EU Studies Fair, which takes place in February.  Universities from around the world come to meet students who are nearing graduation from undergraduate studies.  It is a way for students to learn about graduate programs that universities offer that would prepare them for jobs in the EU.  (International Relations, Business, Law, etc)  Although the event doesn't take place until February, it will be my job this semester to promote the event to students, through media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter.  I am excited to have the chance to market to my own age demographic, and hopefully get to network with employers. :)

I will intern at European Voice Mon-Thurs, 9:30-6:00 for the next 18 weeks.  There will be about 7 major events during that time, concluding with the EV awards on November 1st.  I can see that I have quite a bit of work ahead of me, but I am thrilled to have this opportunity!  I didn't want to look weird by trying to take pictures of everything on my first day, but I will try and sneak some this week to post here!

One Week Down

What a week it has been! I am getting to know the city better and better every day. It helps that I have been running outside a lot, so I get to know the main streets in the neighborhood. While I was running this morning, I ran into Kevin, who was also on a run. Seeing a familiar face was comforting. While we ran we joked that our group is "taking over" the city.

The Mizzou group certainly stand out sometimes as the "Loud Americans". Last night, we all went to have a drink, and Matt told us a very animated story about how he had bought a pair of dress shoes from Banana Republic, and when he tried them on in Brussels, he discovered that he had been given a right shoe size 10.5 and and left size 8. We were all laughing as Kevin told us he was going to write a complaint on behalf of Matt to each department of Banana Republic and Barack Obama. When we settled down and looked around, we became aware of everyone staring at us.

It has become a hobby among the girls to try and find cheap and unique places to eat in the city. Just the other night we stumbled upon a Istanbul pizza place. An entire pizza was only 6 euros, and it was delicious! Anne had a pizza that had a fried egg in the center, and Emily has one topped with corned beef hash. We got them to-go, and sat in the nearby Place Flagey and people-watched.

We haven't be able to watch any American television here, and we cannot access MTV.com or Hulu. We were forced to watch a TiVoed version of the Jersey Shore over Skype on the computer.

Today, Gareth took us on a surprise tour of a chocolate factory called Zaabar. It was incredible. We got to sample chocolates from all around the world and then make our own truffles. It was fun to try unique flavors such as lavender, chili, and my surprise favorite, salt. The truffles were a blast to make, but it was hard to not eat the chocolate until the end! It was certainly my favorite part of the trip so far.

All of us with Gareth suited up and ready to make some truffles!
Charlie Drake wanted me to take picture of the architecture inside this hotel. I walked all the way there, but it was for private residents only and I couldn't find a way to sneak in. Sorry Charlie, I tried!
Teaching us how to make truffles. We dip them in nuts, crunchy pieces, or meringue. Then we got to take them home with us!
Anne, Emily and I making truffles!
Look at all of the different flavors! Each has a tin of samples next to it :)

Little girl rollerblading in Plaza Flagey.
Le Grand Place. More beautiful than I could have ever imagined.
"Caressing" this figure will supposedly bring you good luck. Madame Martine told us all about it during our 3-hour walking tour of the city.

The Mannequin Pis all dressed up! A beer company sponsored the event and were giving out free samples. Brought quite a crowd!

It is only day 5 and I already ate at McDonalds. Different menu, and incredibly expensive, but soooo worth it.
The Atomium

I found Indian Food in Brussels! Delicious!
In the middle of a beechwood forest. I love seeing all of the main tourist attractions of Brussels, but discovering gems like this is so exhilarating.

Steven posing as the mannequin pis.

Anne and Emily enjoying a Belgian Beer
We met in Brussels, Belgium...But grew up 20 minutes away from each other. This is my new friend who is from Barrington, IL!
Belgian Frites! Served in a cone and doused in a variety of sauces. Anne likes to try a new sauce each time, I prefer to stick with ketchup.

First Day at Vesalius

Today we went to the orientation for the college where we will be taking an architecture course. Vesalius is an English-speaking international college with a student body around 300. Many are study abroad students, but many students attend full time. We met other American students from colleges all over the US, as well as students from Norway, Switzerland, and Morocco. The Vesalius campus itself is a little run-down, but we had a great time meeting all of the students. There are a couple meet-and-greet sessions scheduled this week, and I can not wait to meet more students!

We met our teacher, Madame Martine, and she is wonderful. She is probably 65 years old but has the energy of a 6-year-old. She told us with great excitement about the excursions we will take for the class: a four day trip to Paris, a weekend in Amsterdam, a day trip in Antwerp...I can't wait!

First Brussels Pictures!

The outside of the apartment. 24 Rue Souveraine.
The bathroom. The toilet is in another small room.
My bedroom
The kitchen
The living room
Little balcony
The view
The waffle stand
Our first dinner together
Me, Steven, Kevin, and Matt at a bar on the Grand Place
Walking towards the Grand Place

Hello Friends!

I have just arrived in the Amsterdam airport. I have a 3-hour layover before a 50-minute flight to Brussels. I can’t believe I am finally here! Everything feels so different. Before we left the states, Anne, a fellow Mizzou student, told me to expect different smells when we arrive in Europe. This is very true-Everything, down to the scent of the new surroundings, confirm that I have entered a whole new world. I am sure I will face a few surprises while I am here, so I have decided to record my expectations for the semester:

I believe my top 5 favorite cities will be:

Paris

London

Rome

Amsterdam

And of course Brussels!

On a scale of 1-10, I rate my French speaking skills at about a 2. I can understand basic conversational phrases, but that’s about it. I hope by the time I leave Brussels that I can rate my skills at a 3 or 4.

My favorite foods will be the notorious Belgian staples: Waffles, Chocolate, and Frites.

I will stay under budget and not buy any unnecessary items ;)

I hope my internship will leave me confident that I have chosen the right career path.

I will lose at least 3 pairs of sunglasses.

I can’t wait to see how this semester will fulfill or redefine these expectations. I have already had encounters just in the airport that have surprised me, so I’m sure I’m in for quite the semester!

Now off to Belgium! This week we will be touring the city and Vesalius College. My internship at European Voice starts Aug 30! Can’t wait!