hmm...where to begin...
The Trip to Bruge:
On Saturday morning, our art class took a trip to Bruge. The train was PACKED so we had no choice but to stand in the aisles for the 45 minute trip. The lurching of the train was a frustrating start to the day, but we were blessed with sunny weather that made up for it. We got off of the train and walked into the most picturesque town I have ever seen. Canals lined with potted flowers and adorable houses are the main mode of transportation. We started the day with a tour on a small motorized boat that zoomed around on the canals. Although we could not understand a word that the tour guide was saying, it was still so much fun to ride in the boat and see the hundreds of swans floating on the water.
We then began a 7 hour “power tour” of every museum in the city. It was EXHAUSTING! We saw churches, bridges, arches…and our teacher mumbled relentlessly in front of EVERY painting in EVERY museum. We stopped in front of a medieval hospital called St. John’s where I gave my 15 minute presentation on the Plague of 1350. While I was talking, I looked around and saw most students were just as worn out as I was.
We ended the trip with a trip to the Minnewater, or the "lake of love". There is quite a romantic story behind the title, similar to Romeo and Juliet. It is a beautiful lake and apparently is the site for numerous wedding proposals. We took the 6:30 train home and luckily were able to find seats.
Anne's Birthday
Tuesday was Anne's 21st birthday. This is an pivotal birthday for an American college student, but in Brussels, where the drinking age is about 18 months, it is just another birthday. I was determined to make sure that she had a memorable time. I was really excited to go to a pastry shop after work to get her one of their gorgeous cakes that they sell. I got off work at 6:30 and all of those stores were closed! I was devastated and proceeded to do laps around the city trying to find one that was open. No luck. When Anne walked in the door a few minutes later, she find a bottle of champagne with a single candle duct-taped to the top. Hey, it was her 21st, right?
Anne and I had seen the restaurant called Kakob that serves Ethiopian food. I looked at the website and was quite impressed by the unique menu and atmosphere and decided that it would be a fun place to go for her birthday dinner. The six of us Mizzou students all headed to the restaurant not knowing what to expect. We were given a free cocktail and a menu of different meats in a variety of sauces. We all ordered one, expecting it to be served on plates with knives and forks... instead the waitress came out with two platters that were lined with a spongy flatbread. She then proceeded to spoon each of our separate orders on top of the bread. She then demonstrated how to eat it. Basically, you used torn pieces of flatbread to pick up the various meats, sauces, vegetables and cheeses off the platter. No forks, no knives, no separate plates. It was a BLAST. We laughed at the sanitary concerns of sampling our own and each other's food from one plate. It was a great night together.
Meeting With Gareth
Gareth, the Belgian student coordinator, invited us to have a drink one night to catch up and discuss our internships. He brought along a friend of his, a fellow journalist who has worked on basically every continent and has the most incredible stories. Coolest part about him? He is a New Trier Graduate! Grew up in Wilmette!
Making phone calls at work
Among it's small readership (mostly EU staff), European Voice it is taken very seriously. I have had to make a few phone calls to Members of Parliament (MEPs) and various commission members, and whenever I say that I am calling on behalf of European Voice, I notice a change in the tone of voice of the person I am calling.(They don't seem to be so annoyed by my American accent) Just the other day, I was given a list of people to call to double-check that they had received an invitation to an event we are holding in October. I started my usual routine of looking up each name to see if it was a male or female name, and praying that I wouldn't botch the pronunciation too terribly. As I looked over the list I saw a name I recognized. Jose Manuel Barroso. The president of the European Commission. I called, entirely expecting to speak with his secretary, and was amazed when he, the president of the EC, answered the phone. I choked on my own tongue and told him that I was calling from European Voice. He confirmed that he would be attending the event and I was incredibly excited to tell my boss the good news.
10.10.10 A little jog around the city
It's official, I am registered for the Brussels Half-Marathon!! The 13.1 mile distance is equivalent to 21.08 kilometers. It starts off in the Cinquantenaire Park and Ends in the Grand Place. I am incredibly excited and think it will be a unique to to see the city.
Fall Break
Emily and I booked our fall-break plans. here is the itinerary:
October 30-Nov 2 Art class trip to PARIS
Nov 3 Fly from Brussels to ROME
Nov 4 Spend the day in Rome before taking the 6:30 train to
FLORENCE
Nov 5 Day in Florence before taking the 6:30 train to VENICE
Nov 6 Day in Venice before our late night flight back to Brussels
CAN'T WAIT! and thanks to the Schengen Treaty, the whole trip will be less than 200 euros!
My camera is a little under-the-weather...it will be a few days before I can upload pictures. :(
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