Expats in Brussels

Tax-on-web Video

2006-08-29T23:06:00.001+02:00

Another attempt by the Belgian govt to educate its public.

Unfortunately this video is only available in french, dutch and german. But worth a watch for those who know nothing about filing tax returns online. A bit funny if you ask me. Give is a shot:

* Video in German
* Video in French
* Video in Dutch

Link: Tax-on-web

Websites of the Day

2006-08-29T22:50:00.001+02:00

Kris Hoet's blog: Cross the Breeze

Formula 1 @ SPA Francorchamps

For the News and EU policy buffs: EurActive

Enjoy!

Robots on Patrol in Brussels ???

2006-08-29T22:30:00.000+02:00

Any of you ever seen one of these contraptions on the strees of Brussels? I certainly haven't. So where in gods name does Reuters gets its news from:

"According to Reuters, robots are on patrol 24 hours a day on the streets of Brussels. The robots travel on treads and sport a 360 degree camera and gas sensor. They have a speaker and microphone so that the officer back at the station can talk to perps on the street. The machines are the OFRO model from Robowatch Technologies." Link

Even though the news is from October 2005... it still seems strange why we haven't seen any of this technology in action yet. apparently Group 4 Securicor security services company will uses the robots which have cameras and movement and gas detectors to assist their security guards.

Source: REUTERS

Apéritif de saison

2006-08-28T12:02:00.000+02:00

Just hot off the press... my DJ friend just told me that there's going to be a happening event on 5th September. A social evening including drinks, musical performances and live artistic acts (big surprise!).

Oh, and did i forget to mention: FREE Entrance!!! ;-)

Performers:
- Robin Gwendoline (pyrotechnique)
- Davin Bénédicte (vocals)
- Surprise artistic acts

When: 05 Sept @ 19:00
Where: 22a rue Royale Ste-Marie, 1030 Brussels.
Link: www.halles.be

Free sandwiches & beer in the park

2006-08-27T21:26:00.000+02:00

Free food!!! Free Beer!!!!

Boterhammen In Het Park (meaning: Sandwiches in the park) is a festival with Flemish music, in the magnificent Warande Park, in the heart of Brussels, just above Central Station, in the charming bandstand between the Royal Palace and the Parliment.

Each day 1000 FREE sandwiches and fresh FREE Stella Artois beers are going to be distributed to everyone. So invite your colleagues and friends for a free lunch and concert in the park!

PROGRAMME:
Monday 28/8: Noppes + the Lau
Tuesday 29/8: Ardei + Ramses
Wednesday 30/8: Tom Pintens + Johan Verminnen
Thursday 31/8: Lenny & de Wespen + Willem Vermandere
Friday 1/9: Fixkes + Raymond van het Groenewoud

Link: www.boterhammeninhetpark.be

Sunday afternoons at Belga

2006-08-27T14:45:00.000+02:00

Come rain, thunderstorm, sunshine, snow... a relaxing sunday afternoon at cafe Belga is always a refreashing experience. Known for its educated and young crowd (due to its close proximity to the university area) it has a vibrant atmosphere where you find students working on their term papers, professional discussing business plans, loners enjoying coffee with thier dogs, girls chattering away endlessly, and coffee lovers savouring every sip of the delicous blends served in classy Italian cups, everybody can find their place. You almost lose yourself in another world.

What to eat:
Omelette froide aux légumes et fines herbes, rillettes, parmentier de poulet, tartines et pains suisses.

What to drink:
Fresh rasberry juice, Coffee (their cappucino & latte are especially famous), mojito for the brave ones.

Sunday afternoon, you'll probably find me typing away on one of the tables in the corner.

Address:
Flageyplein, 18
1050 Brussels
Tel.: 02 640 35 08
Open 7/7 from 10 to 2 - week-end: 10 to 3

Link: http://www.cafebelga.be

Tippler Does Brussels

2006-08-26T20:42:00.000+02:00

I came across another active Brusselite blogger who recently started his own magazine: www.upfront-live.com

If you want the latest gossip, here it is:
Tippler Does Brussels

Brussels Airport: Security measures

2006-08-26T15:38:00.000+02:00

Travellers beware... new security regulations have been issued for all US-bound passengers.

For passengers flying to all other destinations nothing has changed. The EU regulations still apply.

Link: www.brusselsairport.be

Aperos Urbains

2006-08-26T15:17:00.000+02:00

End your work week with an al fresco aperitif by attending one of these neighborhood parties. Held in public places around Brussels, they are a casual way to catch up with friends.

When: Every Friday night, from 17:00 to 22:30, until September 8

Link: www.aperosurbains.be

Tango Nights

2006-08-26T14:59:00.000+02:00

It takes two to Tango!

Not this summer... Even if you don't have a partner you can come and find loads of Tango enthusiasts. Running until September at the bandstand in the Parc de Bruxelles.

When: 1st and 3rd Saturdays from 17:30 to 23:00
Cost: €2
www.brucity.be

Flagey: An Italian summer

2006-08-26T14:42:00.000+02:00

The Italians are not only very good sportsmen, as they recently proved during the World Cup of Football, but they are also excellent filmmakers!

Flagey and the Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique present you An Italian summer: 7 masterpieces, directed by great artists, such as Bertoluci, Fellini, Pasolini. Between the 9th of July and the 29th of August, Studio 5 is opened for all film fans!

Playing until 29 August 2006
Timing: 18.00-22.30 – Studio 5

Link: Italian Summer

The Flat

2006-08-26T13:43:00.000+02:00

If you haven't yet visited this new and trendy bar, you need to start hanging out with cooler people.

This charming apartment-turned-to-Chic-Bar consists of an alcohol stock exchange where prices of drinks flucutate based on the demand. The crowd decides on the prices. If you know how to beat the system... cocktails can be dirt cheap! They have an 'aperitivo' time with free appetizers between 6-8pm. And did I forget to mention the crowd! ;)

Hint: dress to impress

Located Porte de Namur, its open from Wednesday to Saturday from 04 PM to 1 AM.
Address: Rue de la Reinette 12, 1000 Bruxelles
Tel: 02/502.74.34
Link: www.theflat.be

Alfred Kubin: Obsessions

2006-05-27T14:27:00.000+02:00

March 18th-June 18th 2006.

To mark the Austrian presidency of the EU, the town hall in Brussels Grand-Place is hosting an exhibition of works by Alfred Kubin (1877-1959), an Austrian expressionist painter, illustrator and writer. Kubin is best known as an artist of dark, troubling forces—the satanic, the erotic and the endless cycle of death and pleasure. His work was admirably suited to the stories and novels of Edgar Allan Poe and Fyodor Dostoyevsky, which he illustrated. This show includes works by artists Kubin admired, such as Daumier, Ensor, Gauguin, Goya, Munch and Redon.

Hôtel de Ville de Bruxelles, Grand-Place, 1000 Brussels. Tel: +32 (0)2-279-6444. Open: Tue-Sat 10am-6pm. See the museum's website: www.ciger.be/rops/museum/expo35

Bruegel imagined and Bruegel in prints

2006-05-27T14:25:00.000+02:00

Until August 26th 2006

Pieter Bruegel the Elder is one of Belgium’s most famous sons, but few curators can afford to gather his works, scattered in collections around the world. In a creative solution to this quandary, the Royal Library in Brussels has decided to exhibit life-sized reproductions of all of his paintings, as well as an array of prints based on his drawings. These exhibitions are part of a four-month festival that includes walking tours, concerts and lectures at nearby venues.

The Royal Library, Mont des Arts. Tel: +32 (0)2 519 5398. Open: Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm. More details of the festival are available on this website: www.bruegel06.be

Couleur Café music festival

2006-05-27T14:20:00.000+02:00

June 30th-July 2nd 2006

Tracy Chapman, James Brown, Brazil’s Gilberto Gil and Spain’s Amparanoia are among the musicians lined up to appear at the Couleur Café festival. What started in 1990 as a world music event has kept its core—witness the presence of Mali’s Toumani Diabaté and Anikulapo Kuti. But having extended its range to include genres such as hip hop and electronica, the programme now defies classification. This unusual urban music event takes place in the Tour & Taxis, an old industrial depot.

Tour & Taxis, 3 Rue Picardstraat. Tickets available online or through agencies listed on the website: www.couleurcafe.be

Exhibition: Musée Charlier

2006-05-27T14:12:00.000+02:00

Until June 22nd 2006

This moody exhibition at the Musée Charlier compares Edvard Munch, a Norwegian artist best known for painting “The Scream”, with Félicien Rops, a Belgian renowned for his illustrations. The display of about 100 lithographs and etchings is particularly concerned with their depictions of and dark attitudes toward women.

The Musée Charlier, which stands on the city’s inner ring-road between Place Madou and Arts-Loi, is a modest museum, largely devoted to Belgian work of the late-19th and early-20th centuries.

Musée Charlier, Avenue des Arts 16. Tel: +32 (0)2 218 53 82. Open: Tues-Sun, noon-5pm. www.charliermuseum.be

Euromission Parties 2006

2006-02-03T20:15:00.000+01:00

For five times only !
Next opening night : Friday, 3 March 2006, 22:30

For the first time in Brussels history, Euromission will bring together all the international trainees/stagiaires of the EU, Erasmus and Tempus students and their friends,

Brussels is the capital of Europe and increasingly developed into a multicultural and multilingual community. Every year, there are thousands of young internationals who migrate to Brussels only for a short time for a stage at the EU Institutions or through an exchange progamme at universities.

Do they all ever meet up?... No! Therefore, …

Break out of the ‘intra-institutional’ ghetto! Get to know your peers while there is still time …

The Euromission Party organisers experienced Erasmus exchange and traineeship programme at the European Institutions. We firmly believe in the European integration and feel that it is time to bring all together for the good of Europe.

http://www.euromission.be

Carnaval de Binche

2006-02-03T19:58:00.000+01:00

The granddaddy of all Belgium's Carnival celebrations takes place in Binche, located in Hainaut province about 60 kilometers south of Brussels. Honored by UNESCO in 2003 as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, the Binche Carnival is steeped in tradition and a uniquely Belgian experience. Each day of the three-day event has a different flavor.

On Sunday, February 26 the town's celebrated folkloric societies gather early for an informal promenade through town beginning at 10:00. A more formal parade begins at 15:00. The groups will reconvene at Place Eugène Derbaix near the train station but the procession will follow a meandering route through town with lots of opportunities for viewing the fantastic costumes that have been crafted in secret.

Monday's festivities are all about kids, and tend to be the least touristy of the three-day celebration. On the agenda: confetti battle at 11:00, costume parade at 16:00, and fireworks at 19:00. If you're looking for a "quiet" day in Binche during Carnival, this would be your best bet.

February 26 to 28 in Binche. To reach Binche, take the E19 to exit 21, and then follow the N55. Because of the popularity of this event, parking will be extremely tight and many roads in the vicinity will be closed. For that reason, consider taking the train. The SNCB will run trains all weekend, with special service on Mardi Gras.

www.carnavaldebinche.be

Eupen Carnival

2006-02-03T19:47:00.000+01:00

Eupen, the capital of Belgium's Eastern Cantons, hosts a Carnival with an unmistakable German flair. It begins on Thursday, February 23 with the Parade of Old Ladies. On Saturday, the Prince of the Carnival will be granted the keys to the city and, depending on your perspective, things will either go up or down hill from there! Looking for something tame? Visit Eupen on Sunday, February 26 for a children's parade. However, the big parade takes place on Rose Monday beginning at 13:00. Expect a storm of paper flowers!

February 23 to 26 in Eupen. From Liège, head east on the E40 to exit 38.

Phone: 087.55.34.50

Link

The Atomium Reopens

2006-02-03T19:45:00.000+01:00

Closed for renovations since 2004, one of Brussels' most distinctive landmarks is ready for its grand unveiling. Refreshed and renewed for the 21st century, the Atomium will reopen on February 18. What is in store? From the observation deck in the highest sphere, visitors will enjoy a fantastic view over Brussels and the surrounding region. A restaurant, also in the top sphere, will serve cuisine impressive enough to rival the vistas. To pay tribute to the Atomium's central role at Expo 58, the redo includes a permanent exhibition about the 1950s and its views of the future, as well as space for temporary exhibitions. Last but not least, school groups will have the chance to spend the night in one of the spheres as part of an educational visit. Sounds out of this world!

Atomium Square, 1020 Brussels. From the Ring Road, take exit 8. Follow signs for "Bruparck". From Brussels center, follow signs for "Bruparck" or "Expo".
Phone: 02.475.47.77

Hours: 10:00 to 18:00 daily

Cost: €7 for adults until April 30, €9 starting May 1; €4 for youth and students until April 30, €6 starting May 1; free for children under 12

www.atomium.be

Je ne comprends pas

2006-01-29T21:06:00.000+01:00

The Brussels minister for education, Guy Vanhengel, has expressed alarm about the poor French skills of teachers in the city's Dutch-speaking schools. In theory, teachers for children aged 8 to 11 are supposed to be bilingual. Not only should they be able to teach lessons in both French and Dutch, but they earn extra pay for their language skills. However, in practice, teachers fluent in French are few and far between. In 2005, seven out of ten Dutch teachers failed a French exam imposed by the Flemish Community Commission, which is responsible for Flemish educational and cultural affairs in Brussels.

Brussels is a bilingual city. Though students attend either French-speaking or Dutch-speaking schools, they are expected to graduate speaking both languages, as this is a requirement for many jobs in city and federal administration. Mr Vanhengel warned of a more general decline in bilingual fluency, not just among teachers, but among politicians as well. In December, for example, many criticised a decision by the mayor, Freddy Thielemans, to appoint as a temporary stand-in a francophone minister who could not speak Dutch.

Drive-in Movie at Cinquantenaire

2005-08-05T10:32:00.000+02:00

During July and August, the esplanade at Parc du Cinquantenaire in Brussels is turned into a drive-in movie theatre for 300 cars (plus chairs for pedestrians). First-run movies in their original language are shown on Friday and Saturday evenings at this major inner-city summer attraction. Munch on popcorn, pasta, pizza and cold drinks while waiting for the show to start at 22:00. Doors open at 20:00. Sound is transmitted through headsets or by tuning into 97.7 FM on your car radio.

Screening continues till Saturday, August 27
Admission €15 per car (€13 for students), €10 for classic cars, €1 for pedestrian

www.dedi.be

Le Gazon - The open air DJ bar

2005-08-05T10:09:00.000+02:00

Le Gazon is an open air DJ bar open from 10pm to 5am every Friday and Saturday during the summer.

This year, Le Gazon takes place at “Le Parc de Bruxelles” (commonly called Parc Royal), Brussels. Access by Rue Royale from the side of Palais Royal - Free entrance. www.legazon.be

Doggy Walking in Brussels

2005-07-19T16:52:00.000+02:00

A new service for xpats in Brussels: Doggy walking while the owners are away at work!

About DoggyWalk
At DoggyWalk they understand that dogs are real family members and need to be looked after as the rest of the family. They also understand that sometimes this is not easy with today's busy and most often hectic schedule. DoggyWalk offers a service designed for taking care and walking your dog while you are away. This way you can make sure that your dog gets enough exercise, stimulation as well human and dog interaction. www.doggywalk.be