Enjoy your time in Brussels

Our last trip in 2014 will be Brussels. The European Commission has organised an official visit to the European institutions in Brussels. We have the opportunity to visit the Council, the Commission, the Parliament, the Committee of the Regions, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Parlamentarium. But Brussels is not only the capital of Europe, the city offers its visitors plenty of activities to spend a lovely time.

As the majority of us are going to spend also the weekend in Brussels, we have some suggestions so you can make the most of your stay!

Christmas market
Brussels has a huge Christmas market with approximately 230 chalets situated in the Grand Place and around the Bourse, the Place de la Monnaie, the Place Sainte-Catherine and the Marché aux Poissons. Don't leave Brussels without drinking a hot chocolate or mulled wine! In addition, the Christmas market offers an ice rink for skating and a light show on the Grand-Place every day.
More information on: http://www.brussels.be/artdet.cfm?id=4843&agendaid=59

Place du Luxembourg
This place is the meeting point of the crowd living in Brussels on Thursday evening after work. It’s also the perfect occasion for networking opportunities. One of the bars of the zone (Ralph’s Bar) has “happy hour” from 18 to 19.

Where to eat?
As Brussels is a multicultural city, its gastronomic offer is also very varied.
You can taste the typical Belgian dishes as the vol au vent, carbonnades flamandes, chicons au gratin in Mokafé, a typical taverne bruxellois. The prices are affordable and it is also worth to try their delicious desserts.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188644-d1625626-Reviews-Mokafe-Brussels.html

In Saint -Gery, you can find a wide range of Asian restaurants. If you prefer the Portuguese food, Flagey is your best option. Restaurants as Caramulo, Portugal or O’Braga offer typical Portuguese dishes. In this place, you can also eat the typical Portuguese sandwich – bifana. If you have time, you have to have a coffee and a pastel de nata (the typical Portuguese custard pie) in Pasteleria Garcia.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188644-d4035798-Reviews-Pastelaria_Garcia-Brussels.html

Where to go out?

City –center
- Place Saint-Gery: This place is always full of people and there are very nice pubs.
- Delirium: An obligatory visit for tourists in Brussels. The pub has more than 3000 different beers. http://deliriumcafe.be/
- Moeder Lambic: An ideal place to taste the traditional Belgian beer, as well as a wide range of Belgian cheeses. If you have doubts about your choice, ask the waiters! They are there to help you! http://www.moederlambic.com/
- Cabraliego: It is not the most beautiful bar ever, but the prices are very cheap. Beers for 1 euro, a bottle of cider for 4 euros and long drinks for 3 euros. You can also eat the typical Spanish dishes (Raciones). It’s only open on Friday and Saturday! http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188644-d2413488-Reviews-Centro_Cabraliego-Brussels.html

Place Flagey
- Café Belga: Large, lively café/bar with what looks like its original 1930s art deco details intact in the interesting jazz age Flagey building next to the Ixelles ponds. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g188644-d1023649-Reviews-Cafe_Belga-Brussels.html
- Bar du Marché: Happy hour from midnight to 1 am! 2 cocktails for the price of one. http://lebardumarche.tumblr.com/

Ixelles Cemetery
The neighbourhood of the university students, with a lot of restaurants and cafés. In “El Café”, there is happy hour every day from 19 to 21, and you can taste the Mexican food. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1136493-d3848121-Reviews-El_Cafe-Ixelles_Brussels.html

Hiking trip in Echternach!

On November 8th, the God of sky and thunder had mercy on us after all, and we went to Echternach for our hiking trip! The Trips Subcommittee suggested the E1 trail, which starts at Echternach and passes by Bedford.

Echternach is in the Mullerthal region, better known as Luxembourg’s Little Switzerland because its landscape is very similar to its namesake country. The region is know for its trails much appreciated by hikers. It is also the oldest town in the country. Its abbey dates from 19th century but it was founded here in the 7th century! (source)

The town is not very big so we quickly made our way to the trail.

The trail is actually a circuit, with the possibility of stopping at Bedford. However, we were enjoying it so much that we decided to do it all!

We had a great time! The surrounding nature is beautiful, with amazing rock formations and water streams. We talked and played games while walking, it was a lot of fun!

It was a great trip! We left Echternach wishing for more hiking trips!

December: Let's go to the theatre!

1. Grand Théâtre et Théâtre de Capucins:
http://www.theatres.lu/AGENDA-y-2014-m-12-d-01.html

2. Baise m'encor, rebaise-moi et baise
http://www.theatrecentaure.lu/baise_encore/baise_encore.html

3. Greek play:
http://tinyurl.com/oglqyoa

Ciné-Concerts

6. 12. 20:00 Tabu : A Story of the South Seas (LIVE @ Cinémathèque / Ciné-Concert)
USA 1931 / 85’ / English intertitles / From : Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau with live music by Zone Libre
more info at: http://www.plurio.net/5/eid,539757#sthash.06SC5QL2.dpuf

Picture taken from: http://www.plurio.net/5/eid,539757#sthash.06SC5QL2.dpuf

7. 12. 20:30 Rebel Without a Cause @ Cinémathèque
USA 1955 / English with French subtitles / 108’ / c / From : Nicholas Ray / Starring : James Dean, Natalie Wood, Jim Backus

A classic!

Troubled teenager Jim Stark (James Dean) can’t help but get into trouble, which is reason enough for his parents to move from one town to another. He has just moved to Los Angeles and is going to his first day at Dawson High School. But he still has trouble fitting in. Especially when he gets into a fight with popular boy Buzz ( Corey Allen) and finds himself falling for his girlfriend Judy (Natalie Wood)…..

14. 12. 15:00 Laurel & Hardy, Charlie Chaplin & Buster Keaton (3,70€)

Big Business (Das große Geschäft / OEil pour oeil) /USA 1929 / 18’ / From: James W. Horne / Starring: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy

A Dog’s Life (Ein Hundeleben / Une vie de chien) / USA 1918 / 34’ / From: Charlie Chaplin / Starring: Charlie Chaplin

One Week (Flitterwochen im Fertighaus / La Maison démontable) / USA 1920 / 25’ / From: Buster Keaton / Starring: Buster Keaton

accompanied on the piano by Hughes Maréchal

Concert: Merry Christmas Darling!

Concert Voices International at Bonnevoie Church sat 6.12 at 19.45.

"Voices International, directed by Mr. Thomas Raoult, presents the Christmas concert series of 2014. As per its17-years long tradition, the performance of this international choir - that counts 87 members representing 37 different nationalities - will be characterized by a various and interesting repertoire, with songs of different styles and languages."

Free admission, but baskets will be passed around with proceeds to be donated for charity for children.

http://www.voicesinternational.lu/

Source of the picture: http://www.voicesinternational.lu/

Janka's Column: Charming Vianden

The country of Luxembourg still seems to me like an undiscovered chest of wonders showing off its beauties that would win every sceptic over. It feels so ridiculous that no one really knows much about it. Castles, ruins, villages, all hidden among the hills surrounded by marvellous nature all around. Like Vianden, a small remote town situated in north-eastern part of the grand duchy, known for its gorgeous castle dominating the valley of the river Our.

Yes indeed, it looks like from a fairytale... However, it was built between the 11th and 14th century on the site of an ancient Roman castellum. The counts of Vianden were expanding it little by little trying to compete in terms of their wealth with the neighbouring House of Luxembourg. During the 16th century it was abandoned most of the time as its owners gained a new title of the House of Nassau-Orange and some new properties as well. In 1564 Prince of Orange, William the Silent as he is often called built in the castle the very first blast furnace in Luxembourg. Still he had to leave it soon because of the revolt against the Spanish king Phillip II. After the war the king confiscated the castle and gave it to Peter Ernst von Mansfield, the governor of Spanish Netherlands (one of his former soldiers – a catholic Bathasar Gérard later put an end to Villiam I of Orange‘s life by shooting him one evening after dinner for what he was sentenced to even by the standards of that time, brutal death: his right hand was burned off with a red-hot iron, his flesh torn from his bones with pincers in six different places, he was quartered and disembowelled alive, his heart was torn from his bosom and flung in his face and, finally, his head was cut off at the end).

Click here to read the rest on Janka's blog, Lady in Black (scroll down for the English version).

Movie Marathon

This Saturday some of us enjoyed the Movie Marathon at Gatto's den!

We had many amazing things to eat and drink, such as fresh guacamole (courtesy of Mateja), loads of oranges (courtesy of Mr. President), home-made Glühwein (prepared by Culture SC, with expert tasting help from Teele), and many many more delicious things ☺

"I love you, you belong to me!"

First movie on our list was Breakfast at Tiffany's, which gave us excellent ideas about our future parties – things that have to be involved: a cat (check!), about twenty more people than how many can actually fit into the apartment, boxes full of alcohol, rich guys from Brazil, and, of course, the police.

Everyone was (I believe) entertained by our next movie, Four Rooms, although I do hope that our parties can do without guns, mouth gags, dead hookers and pinkie cutting!

Last but not least we chose to watch the lighter Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, as opposed to the heavy German movie The Lives of Others. Some of us enjoyed it, while others (you know who I'm talking about) took a little nap or two...

All in all, a great night, thank you everyone for contributing to it! ☺

CV Cafe

3/12/2014 Wednesday at 18:30 @ MUDAM

Career SC would like to invite you to CV CAFÉ: join us for a drink, share your thoughts on CVs of other trainees, and at the same time get feedback on you own! We are sure that your CVs already look amazing but there is always room for improvement, right?

The event will be divided in 2 parts:
1. Speed-CV-ing (each person will have a look at all the CVs, one at a time, decide if he/she likes it and write a short comment (like/dislike, pros/cons) in no more than 2 minutes)

2. Discuss your CV with a partner (you will work in pairs and look at your CVs in detail as well as give thoughts and ideas on ways to improve it)

IMPORTANT! Do not forget to bring two printed versions of your CV: one version with your name and/or photo covered/deleted for the first part in order to receive more objective feedback, and one version of your normal CV you would send to your potential employers for the second part.

Domain name: Metz, 22nd of November - Password: Baptiste

Metz, almost an hour far from Luxembourg, is even better than its name sounds; it is pronounced "mess".

Keep calm and let's deal with this "Metz-Mess"; first, be sure that you have typed correctly the aforementioned domain name and password. Baptiste, our favourite French, has arranged all the details and promised Metz to be nothing but a non-stop party!

Take a look at our photos: