Metro DJ

A long time ago, I was wondering whether the public transport in Brussels (STIB) had someone selecting the songs they play in the metro stations all day long. In the afternoon, it’s usually Queen or Abba, at night always classic music. Today, through one of the far too many newsletters, I got the answer:

“In fact, the STIB purchases the playlists in ready-made packages from a specialised company. And due to the linguistic tensions in Belgium all pieces are either in English or instrumental.”

EU Summit in a barn

That’s how I felt this BBC line read: “EU leaders to meet in old library”. OK, it is a 100 years old but so what? Most European parliament buildings are way older and not all of them are this beautifully surrounded by a park.

It’s not often that I defend Brussels’ architecture but the Bibliothèque Solvay is kind of special. First, it never was a bibliothèque (library), second, it feels and looks like Art Nouveau even though it isn’t and third, one of the world’s most famous physics conferences took place exactly here.

And if you still don’t believe me that it is not only a very symbolic but also worthwhile venue for a conference, then please check the virtual visit.

I wish the BBC could at least mention these details instead of having Van Rompuy looking like a weirdo hosting a EU summit in a barn. C’est quand même pas si difficile, non?

Les plaisirs de tous les jours – la continuation

16. Jan. – Cooking: egg plants, tomatos, garlic, goat cheese, and lots of olive oil.

17. Jan. – Spending time with people I like for tea and for dinner.

18. Jan. – Curso de español. Hablamos de peliculas, muy buen como siempre pero empiezo mesclar francès y español…

19. Jan. – Catch-up drink with a friend. Introducing him to Kwak.

20. Jan. – I love those moments in the water when swimming seems almost effortless; when 200-300 meters of crawl feel just easy and smooth. And when the guys I’m sharing the lane with let me go ahead because I’m faster…

21. Jan. – …

22. Jan. – Antipasti and a great red wine.

23. Jan. – Le Concert – A very funny and very moving Russian/French co-production. A voir absolument!

24. Jan. – A good conversation; a good beer.

25. Jan. – Seeing ‘old’ friends for lunch. Too little time, to many things to say.

26. Jan. – Pasta with Aubergine, tomato and lots of cheese…

27. Jan. – Proud of myself for keeping a promise to myself. For now.

28. Jan. – …

29. Jan. – Good day turning in a bad one and in a good one again.

30. Jan. – Sitting in my kitchen, enjoying the sunshine and a good book.

31. Jan. – Still sunshine. Can you believe it?

3D is addictive

Went to see Avatar like almost anybody else on this planet. I spent 30 minutes in the metro and much more money than I usually would for a movie: It is so worth it! As LoR fan, I really didn’t need the break in the middle of the movie. And I wish that James Cameron had spent a bit more time on the story but these images…

The OMG moment though was with the trailer for How to train your Dragon as I had seen that one before but not in 3D. I felt that I could  touch this sheep if I wanted… One is so much inside the movie.

I feel caught admitting that going back to watch a movie in 2D knowing that it is out in 3D will be a very tough choice to make.

Hapkin

“… has a very good, fresh, flouvery, Saaz hop aroma, a very big, creamy head, a soft malt character, and a spritzy, perfumy, fruitiness, drying toward the finish.”

Michael Jackson (not that one) in “The great beers of Belgium”

He also answered my question from the other day: “Best before” dates are nonsense. Most beers can only go downhill from the moment they leave the brewery. There are, though, important exceptions: the minority of beers that are designed to mature in the bottle. “Best before” dates do not do justice to them, either.

NYT in BXL

aka 36 hours in Brussels. Let’s see:

1. Beers on the Grand Place – Trappist in Le Roi d’Espagne – Done
2. Stew in Les Brassins – Done, done, done. And yes, I life in the street where Audrey Hepburn was born.
3. Jazzy Bars… though the bar sounds kind of interesting.
   
4. Break for Art Nouveau – Horta Museum – done. Pas mal… though not worth 7 euro in my point of view. I’d rather advice the Museum des Beaux Arts. 2 euro more for much more value.
5. Moules et Frites – I know the second restaurant but not the first. On the to-do list.
6. Yeah Flea market in Les Marolles.
   
7. Any Belgian chocolate is good. The best is actually Côte d’Or chocolate spread; yamee.
8. Royal Cuisine – … a tiny bit beyond my budget
9. Midnight club – On the to-do-list.
10. Le pain quotidien is way overpriced. Much better is the Sunday brunch in Le Belga – Flagey square.
    
11. Château de la Hulpe – on my to-do-list since I bought the bike last summer. Seems like a really nice place to go.

I don’t know how they put that list together but if you really have bit more than 36 hours in Brussels (and enough pocket money), it is not a bad itinerary to start with.

Date de péremption*

How much time can one is it advisable to drink a beer after the expiry date?

* Verfallsdatum

A sum bigger than the parts

What I really enjoy is when the audience at the cinema starts to act like one. It’s strange, it’s funny, it’s moving. Last time at the movie theater, people starting laughing like one, clapping and enjoying the time. My seat neighbour was constantly asking her husband what this or that in the movie means. Normally, I mind; this time, I enjoyed it.

It is this feeling that you are no longer one person standing sitting amidst other equally separated people. For the best part of 2 hours, there is this group feeling; doing something together, living something together. Maybe it was just thanks to the great movie but I liked this ‘group’ spirit. Enfin, if you can call it this way.

With brown sauce

that’s how John, the main caracter of Intermission, drinks his coffee.

As much as I like brown sauce with baked beans, the idea to put something that’s made of malt vinegar, tomatoes, molasses, dates, tamarind and spices in my coffee makes me shudder.

But somewhere inside me, the curious six year old still wants to try it. I’m staggering between disgust and temptation. Guess which side will win.

Schubladendenken*

I couldn’t sleep the other night. Even though my eyes were heavy with sleep, I could feel how my brain was still busy filtering, analysing and classifying information. Like tidying up a messy place, it would take one ‘item’ after the other, look at it, consider keeping it, and if yes, decide where to put it.

While it was doing this, I had a few good ideas. It was as if putting everything into drawers would allow me to think outside of the box. Kind of…

* Literally: Thinking in drawers; metaphor for thinking in stereotypes.