I like Brussels but if you ask me why I cannot tell you.

Brussels is the centre of Europe in function only. There are many beautiful and must see cities. London for one is far larger in both size, economic power and international standing. Brussels instead is a city that has a history of harbouring fugitives or bringing outcasts together at one time or another. It is the capital of a country with three national languages - yes you read me three. Apparently there are about ten German speakers near the border with Luxembourg, but you wouldn’t know it by the amount of animosity that Nederlands and Francais speakers have for each other. The Belgians seem to have made Brussels a microcosm of Europe at large. And the city is a mess.

Collapsing and building So I have started this post all muddled, kind of writing in the middle about some language stuff that doesn’t really begin to give a clear impression of what Brussels is about. I think this is a symptom of the city of Brussels and Belgium at large rather than my inability to form a train of thought. Other countries have stereotypes: Stockholm is stylish, Norway is beautiful, New York is grand, London is full of whinging poms. Brussels is… well everything. All at once. All at the same time. All on top of itself. The city is continuously falling into dilapidation, collapsing, being reborn as something new. The immediate impression after stepping off the plane from Stockholm and catching a train in was what a sh#t hole. After wandering around for a while little gems sneak out, a quirky shop, pub or statue here, an amazing building whether it was built 500 years ago or yesterday there. Where as in Melbourne people kept telling me if I lived there its gems would shine in the dust in Brussels this is far more evident. Maybe because the layer of dust is so thick.

Grote Markt

At the centre of this confusion is the language issue. Brussels is not only a very historical city, but it is also the current head of the European Union. This means that an enormous amount of new construction is mixed with the old buildings, as well as innumberable foreign languages being spoken on top of the French and Dutch that is found on every sign in every shop window or on every wall. Navigating is difficult due not only to windy streets with no discerning landmarks and six streets intersecting at every corner, but when each map I get is always in a different language to that being displayed on the street signs; well I have got properly lost at least three times. I pride myself on being able to orient myself in a city reasonably well but I have to walk a block just to find what street I am on let alone which direction. And don’t get me started on Belgian public transport. Needless to say they missed the class which gave the London Underground map as an example.

Manneken Pis

This all said, whilst getting lost and wandering around Brussels I discovered the Mannekin Pis, a diminutive statue of a boy that is continuously peeing. Only that day he was peeing from a keg of free Belgian beer, and the tourists were loving it. Belgians are also obsessed with comic books and while Tintin maybe French so are half of the Belgians. Comic stores abound, boutique secondhand stores and exclusive record stores (ala Empire Records), international markets, enough beers to float a ship, history and cosmopolitanism. Brussels is not boring, there is too much stuff everywhere to be boring. The most frustrating thing is I quite like Brussels, but I don’t know why.

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Comments

  1. Karl Beckert

    Ah Belgium. It’s not quite France, not quite the Netherlands, not quite Germany. Its charm is that it can’t decide what the hell it is. Like many people it can’t decide its identity… I mean really… what is an identity? Is there actually such a thing as an identity? Or do we merely make it up in order to make our place in the surrounding societal culture? And if so, what’s Belgium saying? I reckon Belgium wants to be loved by everyone, and tries be everything to everyone. That’s it! That’s why you like it, and everyone else who has ever visited Belgium likes it too! Because Belgium will be whatever you want it to be.

    :) - stream of consciousness. Trying to answer your question. Hope things are going well up there brother. Keep it real!

    Big K.

    73:163 11:41, Sep 09 2007

  2. mummybot

    I couldn’t agree more. The people here will switch language before you have a chance to talk to them in their own language (not that I can). Too eager to please, the French wouldn’t be caught dead always speaking in English :)

    Definitely keeping it real, you make sure that John Key chap doesn’t get elected. Maybe point out that he has no substance :) Wait, Mike Moore already did that but nobody paid any attention to that part of his speech.

    73:164 22:04, Sep 09 2007

  3. Marieke

    taaa raaa ra eerst-e couplet. Ik heb en bordje met vet, ik heb en bordje bordje bordje bordje booooordje vet al op de tafel gezet.
    Ta ra ra tweede couplet. Ik heb en bordje met vet, ik heb en bordje….
    Ta ra ra derde couplet…vierde, vijfde,

    And the rest you know. Along with the tune.

    Not particularly useful, but may earn you a pint in the pub. Or a kicking…:-)

    Nice to see some new posts. Miss you.

    73:165 15:50, Sep 10 2007

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