The 5th Year in Brussels

...Can I hear the Jaw's theme-melody now??? Di-di-di-di-di-di-di...

Today is exactly my 5th year in Brussels. God, its' unbelievable! 5 years! Today! It's been 5 years today, since I've arrived in Brussels! (Got it now??).

Anyhow, that sort of celebrates an update..

Before Brussels:

Young, very naive, fresh from college, bar-job in the airport, single, optimist, stylish, lots of friends, talk a lot, party-freakin' music-lover…

After 5 years Brussels:

Older, naive, participates in various courses, secretary in the Commission, still single, semi-stylish, semi-optimist, even more friends, talk a lot now in 3 languages, music-lover…

First Impressions...

Brussels, 16 January 2001:

Brussels Int. A suit-case in one hand and actually another suitcase in the other hand plus the return-ticket – despite the fact that I had indeed pointed out to the company that I was NOT going back! ‘But it will be cheaper madam’.

So, Welcome to Sunny City! The weather was absolute fantastic! I called friends and family at home and bragged about it. And then the rain came. Two weeks after my arrival, it started. It rained for almost 3 months. With no break at ANY state. Days and nights. 3 months un-interrupted rain. Unbelievable. But quite phenomenal actually. So they said as well, the experts. First time it had rained that much in about 120 years. - Wha'?? Don't look at me!!So, when the xpat people's favourite subject is brought up once again about how rainy Brussels is, I am sure that either they don't remember this period or they haven’t been here long enough, or they seriously have to get a life, as talking about the rain in Brussels is really not that exciting… Unless it pours for 3 months in a row.

The people.

In winter they wear black. In summer they try not to. The Belgians are unique people. And if you meet one in Brussels, you can be sure that's unique too. 70% of the Belgian population is foreign or have foreign roots. The remaining 30% are xpats. That makes a total of 100% of the Belgian population, foreigners. Well, no wonder anyway, the country is only 175 years old. Before that, the same people must have come from whatever it was called before they called it Belgium, right? Things they did right the first time; Beer, chocolate, music...

Brussels.

The cosmopolitan city. A miniature of New York. Ok, a mini-miniature of NY. Easy-living. Don’t have it, buy it – it’s usually cheap (-er compared to Denmark anyway). Get a life. Easily. Bars, restaurants, disco’s, soirées, theatres, festivals, expo’s etc, there is ALWAYS something on. All year around. If you are bored here, suit yourself. Lots of the stuff is for free too. You can get involved - if you want to. Belgium is absolute fantastic for social living. So social life was easy to create. Everyone needs a drink after work. Especially the Irish! :o)
Per definition a demonstration is taking place here once a week, year around. I have never seen such active people! As all demonstrations either starts from the square outside my office-window or ends here, can sometime makes you wonder if it’s just yet another attempt for socialising, or a way to kinda ‘have a day off’…(especially the Friday and Monday marches seems rather suspicious…).

The Office in the European Commission / DG Information Society, 2 February 2001.

My first day in an office.

I was lucky, I know. I met Lisa in the office (introducing!). Despite breaking her arm when she ‘felt down from a chair while hanging up a picture at home’*, and therefore was away from the office my first 3 weeks there, we caught on very well on her return (thou meanwhile, I did become friend with a semi-Belgian – as Belgian as it gets). Work-wise I was scared shitless. I knew about pulling pints, as well as I can tell you long stories about coffee-beans from my previous job. My dad’s a computer-geek (and an Ex-rally-driver – and can I hear people go; “Ahaaa…”?) and therefore I luckily had a fair knowledge in IT. I did very well in my new office. I felt people liked me, and I saw myself working there for a loooong time. But as anywhere else in the world, there was a mental freak in this office too. This one knew that I was supposed to take over her job. So she did her outmost to make sure that that would never happened. And as I wasn’t the one sleeping with the boss, I was then the one who had to go. It was sad. I was sad. I expected so much more from this place. So I moved home to Denmark for a month. In fact I was forced to - partly cos the Commission is closed for interim’s in August, partly cos I didn’t have a job anymore – hadn’t it been for the first part, my contract would had included August as well. I didn’t know if I wanted to go back to Brussels, until Lisa called me one sunny day in August home in Denmark. It was nice to be back home. But for anyone who's been abroad, it's not always as you expect it be, the return.

Housing.

When I came 5 years ago, I lived with my cousin (have I ever expressed how grateful I was???). I lived there longer than I thought I would, I must have like it ;o) Then I got my own apartment. In Brussels 4 walls and a door is considered as a home. I got my 4 walls, 1 door and windows. In the EC-area. Rue des Confederes. My first reality-check living in Brussels, or basically just in the whole living-abroad-thing. The apartment was fair. At least size-wise. It was furnished. It was expensive. And the windows had a view straight up in the sky – I could have been the weather forecast dudette on Channel 4. Learned lesson; Never live under the roof again. In that context I was happy about moving back to Denmark. And then Lisa called; If you come back to Brussels, we have found the greatest place to share! It costs so and so, it’s this big, and we will live the 3 of us there! You, me and Carla (introducing!). I don’t know if it was the thought of coming back to Brussels, or simply just to have to live with two Irish girls, that triggered it, but I decided in that moment to come back again. Just to try one more time. I probably wasn’t ready to move back to Denmark at the time anyway. Like, I hadn’t been ‘out there’ long enough to feel the difference. (And then after a while, you feel like if there is a difference, and then that feeling of difference disappears again after yet another while - The only constant is that I still feel like I'm on holidays somehow!).

Music.

You got so much of it. It’s everywhere. You can’t avoid it. You can’t ignore it. I met Pierre at Couleur Café. A fantastic 3-days latino festival in centre of Brussels. He was rapping in a Hip-hop group from Liege and was my first introduction to the Belgian music-scene. I was crazy about one specific Belgian group (Orishas), and who were the reason why I went to Couleur Café in the first place that day. Pierre asked if I wanted to meet them back-stage afterwards. ‘Huh??! Get outta here man, no way! Really??!’ - This place, this city, this country, everything was just unbelievable! And so easy!! And so a whole new world of festivals and music in general opened up to me. My interest rose sky-high, and there’s no doubt about that this is the way I have to go. Ever since then I’ve had the privilege to meet a lot of musicians from Belgium, and I made my first experience as a manager with “Khenbula” (my boys!). Well sort of experience. I didn’t know anything about it, and I didn’t get many things through either, basically cos I didn’t know how to, and there were some difficulties with the languages as well – they spoke French, I spoke English. But we made friends, which was probably more needed at the time for all of us anyway. Musicians are like the Irish; you know one, you know them all. I got to know a lot after a while, and basically I can’t wait to get really started.

So far so good:

I’ve ‘been here and done that’, I bought more than just one t-shirt, thou fashion is not exactly ruling this city, at all. On the contrary, you can make money if you bring it here! (And that’s a million-dollar advice btw!). I’ve seen what I think I wouldn’t want to miss. Met a lot interesting people, and a lot of not so interesting people too. I grew not only a bit older but also a bit up here. Well, a lot perhaps. Currently I’m having a great job in DG Enlargement – talking about working in the eye of the storm. I like to wake up in the mornings and go to the office (don’t relate getting late to be not interested btw…). I have a rich social-life, and thou I might not do what I planned in the morning in the evening, I haven’t been bored one day yet. And that’s a lie. I’ve actually been bored a couples of hours one Sunday before Christmas. But as far as I remember, that was the only time, but I was also really utterly bored. Boooooored. Yawning yet?

Staying here for the rest of my life? No. Way. Not a chance. Nope. It’s just not good enough. Sorry, that may just sound very bitchy but I still think Copenhagen is way more cool, clean and kind. Had they been a bit more stylish, hygienic and friendly, I could have considered it. (Obviously the Belgian friends I got already know they’re not included in this statement. But on the other hand Belgians have one of the best senses of humour ever – it can just take some time to discover it, you have to meet them first).

Basically, I’m staying for a little while still. Ha, I don’t know how many times I’ve freaked people with; I’m moving home, now! And look at me. Sitting here and writing about my 5th year in Brussels. But sometimes the home-sick gets unbearable, and the only thought I can think of is ‘move home – move home – move home’… I know I will, I just don’t know when. I must love it here, somehow. Also lately, I think I love to hate it (plus, I still love it! Confused yet?). I think everyone should have something they love to hate. Brussels is mine.

Brussels, the place I love to hate :o)

* Lisa felt down the bar while dancing on it. I only knew that 2 years after...