Cedric

I met Cedric while my staying in Peru. He is from Brussels, but now working in PWC in Luxembourg. When they announced me that I am going to stay three months in Brussels, I wrote him and we both decided that it is great opportunity to meet after so much time and talk a little bit.

This weekend he came to Brussels and stayed few more days. We had great lunch together and actually, spent the whole afternoon talking, walking a bit around the city and enjoying exhibition of photos from all over the world in Park of Brussels (great idea to organise photo exhibition in park, isn't it?) . We discussed Peru a lot and his trips all around the world. I did not know that he is such a traveller. He was in North and South America, Africa, all around the Europe and has plans to visit Asia and the other parts of this beautiful world.

He invited me to visit him in Luxembourg. I would definitely love to see this town one more time. When I was 13, I decided that one day I will come back. Curious, how will I feel about it after so much time.

Magical pairs of EYES

Eyes ... I wished so many times to be able to read in people's eyes. So many feelings and emotions could be seen besides dark eyelashes. Unfortunately, we never know what this special look exactly means. We can just try to guess.

I remember several special looks. Or better said, several special pairs of eyes. Those of my parents, of my brother, my best friend from Bratislava -Aďka and few more ...

Magic world of Place Lux

Before coming here I had just little information about Brussels. One thing I heard a lot about was Place Luxemburg, so called Place Lux. Many people say that it is place where one definitely have to go while visiting Brussels. Place where all eurocrats meet after work having glass of beer or wine in Ralf's bar, enjoying "happy hour".

Finally, on Friday I got in this magical world full of suits, different badges and good-looking people. Roeland invited me to go out with his friends. Meeting in Ralph's. When I was approaching Place Lux, I was totally surprised and amazed. There were so many people standing in front of the Ralf's bar, on the road, sitting on the grass, chatting and meeting others while drinking beer. Roof of the car parking nearby was covered by empty glasses. I just could not believe my eyes. Most of them very well dressed. Due to great weather everybody was outside, inside the bar was totally empty.

I realised that this is probably meeting point of the stagiairs and assistants and other people working in EP. Place where one can meet the others and relax a bit after long working hours.

The next day, on Saturday evening, the place was totally empty and Ralf's bar was closed. Such a great difference in comparison to the previous day.

Real Friday evening

After quite a long time I had opportunity to enjoy Friday evening the way students like to enjoy it. I could leave work at 3:30 p.m. (!!!), but I needed to go to the library, so it took me one hour more. After work we went to the Brussels park with Ivana and Anka. It is such a great place to relax and to enjoy a piece of nature in the middle of the city.

Afterwards, I had some beers with Roeland, his friends and Palo. We left around midnight, but in spite of the late hour, I was not tired enough to go home and sleep. That is why we decided to go for a walk to the city center. Palo promised me to show me nice garden called Parc du Sablon. We came there and realised that it is closed already. Fortunately, the fence was not so high, so we scrambled it over and got into the garden. Seeing it by night, I added it to my list of magical places here in Brussels.

Parks in Brussels

What I really love in Brussels are all these parks where people sit on the grass, relax and sunbath (some of them already in their swimming suits :-)) The others are practising different kinds of sport, chatting, eating or doing whatever they want.

At lunch time we met with Roeland in front of EP. He actually works in one lobbying company situated on the corner of Place Lux (I can see his window from my office). He told me that he knew the best sandwich bars around.

This sandwich bar that he showed me is probably well-know all around, because there were quite a lot of people buying their sandwiches there. I had Brazilian one - special combination of fruit, cheese, carrots and mix of mayonnaise and ketchup. Seems probably weird and crazy, but it was DELICIOUS :-))

We were eating in the park. Even people wearing elegant suits sit on the grass and have their lunch there :-)) It is just great habit. I love it.

:-) too nostalgic ... sometimes :-))

Clint wrote me today - we are still in touch. He answered my email in ten minutes. He is leaving to YNP on Monday. Curious if we meet once again someday in the future. Remember the last day very well. I found his name tag on my red jumper. And then the way from Old Faithfull to Bozeman "on" Carl's car. Enjoying the sun while listening to Modest Mouse. Love that music.

We talked about Work and Travel program tonight with Ivana. Now I feel so happy about having the opportunity to see how the life is going on there, to visit USA, to travel a bit and the most important - to LIVE it. It is weird how one's point of view can change after some time.

Really busy?? (really LiVe #6)

Ivana told me that she was watching plenary in Strasbourg on-line from Brussels this afternoon. Less than 100 deputes were present ...

From 785 deputes 76 participated in the plenary. The rest was probably on their way to Brussels, or even better, home - to enjoy weekend.

Busy job, isn't it?

Meeting new people (LiVe from EP #5)

GREAT news: 2 (!!TWO!!) more types of beer; total = 4 :-)

Martin is leaving tomorrow, today, it was his last day at EP. Weird feeling I would say. But he seemed quite happy about it. Actually, all his friends left already, so I understand that he is looking forward to go home. Before he left, he made me meet quite a lot of people. We went to the office of Peter Stastny - very famous Slovak ice hockey player - and met new stagiaire Ivana. Then he introduced me to one guy from Slovenia and one girl from Slovakia, with who I am going to meet on Wednesday in order to attend my first reception (it means food and drinks for free :-))

I was alone in the office the whole day. Renatka needed day off to move into new apartment. In the morning I had to book some tickets and I spent the whole afternoon with Martin talking and walking around EP and calling my mum, Vašek and Aďka :-))

In the evening I had an ice cream with Ivana and then, we went to great pub to have a beer. We had great talk, she seems to be really interesting person. What is more, she told me to join her and one Slovak girl on Sunday during trip to Antwerp. Juch juch juch juch going to ANTWERP on Sunday :-)))

Tomorrow having probably lunch with Roeland. Quite curious to meet him.

LiVe from EP (part 4)

On Monday, probably for the first time, I did not have to pretend that I have something to do. Actually, I had quite a lot of work, or better said, I had all the time something to do. For the first time since I have been here, I had great feeling that I am doing something useful. We were preparing program for visitor's group in June. Renatka told me that if I want to visit some place, I should tell her, cause I will be taking care of the group and we can incorporate my points into the program. I proposed the Chocolate Museum and Erasmus’ House. Seem to be interesting places.

Great :-)) In addition, I always wanted to try being a guide. This is real opportunity.

Sad news: I cannot call to Peru from our office. I can call probably wherever in Europe, to Canada and USA, but Peruvian numbers are forbidden.

I had lunch with Adam. For the first time I went to one of these pubs at Place de Luxembourg. It is quite expensive there, but well, I could not leave Brussels without once having lunch there among all the other eurocrats.

I left office after eight o’clock. With Renatka and her parents we were watching plenary in Strasbourg. Our boss had a five minutes’ speech and the topic of “Advanced therapies” was discussed. These “Strasbourg red weeks” seem to be quiet in Brussels, no deputes are here, the most of assistants left. Our office is quiet and no stress in there.

When I came home, Petra asked me, if I would like to go for a walk with her. I agreed. She showed me lakes in Ixelles. Actually, this part of the city is nice and great to live in. We had a nice talk.

Vašek will come on 11th of May. This will be just after first visitor's group left, so I will be able to show him around at least the most interesting places in Brussels.

Trip to Leuven

Today I got lost again. Well, not really lost, but I probably missed one street, so instead of shortcut I took the "longcut" hehe :-)) I definitely have to buy some map.

We had lunch again in Palo's place, this time I was suppose to cook ehm, but finally it was quick and easy. I just put everything into the oven, and in few minutes it was ready ehm well, a little bit more than ready, but still edible :-)) Then we decided to go to Leuven. I was so happy to go for a trip, and I could not wait to see this town. Matus told me that it is one of the most beautiful places he has ever seen. You can imagine how curious I was.

Actually, Leuven has special athmosphere that I enjoyed a lot. The library is just GREAT, I have never seen such a beautiful library before. It is situated in old building, wooden shelves full of books, stairs made of stone, just perfect ancient place.

Then we walked to the Town hall, had a great ice cream on the square full of pubs and cafes, enjoyed quiet atmosphere in "Grand Beguinage" and cross the park to get to the right direction to the station. It took us only four hours, but I enjoyed this small trip a lot. To sum it up, Leuven is worth to see. If possible, I will try to upload some photos.

Meeting my cousin Zuzka after 5 years

1. movies in Belgium are subtitled in French and in Holland

2. even if we were in big cinema, there was free sitting

After five or six years I met my cousin Zuzka. She works here in Brussels in Council of EU and travels all around the world. Few days ago she came from Senegal, before she spent several days in Costa Rica, in Thailand or wherever in Europe.

I really wanted to see her after so much time. I was afraid if there will be something to talk about, if I recognize her after so much time ... But actually, it was great evening. Firstly, she invited me to the cinema and then we went to the Grand Place to have a beer. I tried Kierk (my SECOND type of beer :-)), it reminds me on lemonade :-)) We were chatting about her job, about my job, about our families, well, about quite a lot of things and I had really good feeling from this meeting. I hope to meet her more often, maybe to stay in touch. We will see :-))

Accidental meetings

1. I met my friend Riso from Prague in New York near the Empire State Building. Just like that.
   
2. I met TWICE my cousin at the airport in Milan. Just like that.
   
3. I met one French friend in Bratislava before Christmas. Just like that.
   
4. etc
   
5. TODAY I met Adam from Prague in Brussels with his boyfriend. Just like that.
   

Adam wrote me that he would be in Brussels this weekend, but even if I wanted to see him so much, I did not count on meeting him accidentaly somewhere in the street :-) He promissed to have lunch with me on Monday.

Worried about my cooking ability

Great news: I have already tried TWO different types of beer

I love weekends, wish, every weekend could be as great as this one :-)) Palo invited me for lunch. I had no idea how to get to his place, but I found the exact way on internet. When I was approximately in half of my way, he called me and told me to take different street - probably the quicker way. But as usually, I got lost :-)) and before I reached his house I managed to ring on the wrong door.

He prepared delicious lunch. Now I am a bit worried. It should be my turn to invite him for lunch. But ... ehm ... my cooking ability is far from being as good as his. But I think that I will propose him some deal to be even :-))

Then we went for a walk to Royal Garden. Really nice place, but opening hours seem quite strange to me - from 9:30 a.m. till 3 p.m. and then from 8 p.m. till 11 p.m. Vierka would say: WELCOME TO BELGIUM! :-)) We were just laying on the grass and enjoying the sun. I missed this so much while my hard studying weeks.

My first walk around the city

On Thursday evening I went finally out. I thought that I would have a beer, but actually, no beer that evening, instead two MOJITOS :-) Well, I should explain the whole situation.

We went to see one old Slovak movie (Southtern mail) from 1987 at the Permanent Representation of the Slovak Republic to the European Union. It was really nice - "athmospheric", no explicit plot.

After that we went to the center. By night it is really nice place for a walk, quite romantic I would say. Then Palo took me to his favourite place to have some Mojito. It is small bar next to the Grand Place. The owner is from Cuba and they play just salsa and this kind of music. You can imagine how happy I felt about it. What is more, later there is live music – the atmosphere is just great, if you have somebody to talk to about some interesting issues hehe.

We missed the last bus. That was quite bad, but I do not mind walking, so we went on foot. I was not able to find good direction, but after 40 minutes or so we just stood in front of my door. No idea how he found it, beacuse he told me that he has never been there before. One more time I have to stress the fact that Slovak guys are great gentlemen. He accompanied me home, even if he, the poor guy, had to go more than half an hour back home at one o’clock in the morning.

But still, I hope to try belgium beer sooooooooon :-))

Live from EP (part 2)

This post is really LiVe, because I am writing directly from my stagiaire's notebook in our office in EP. But it few minutes I am going to see some Slovak movie with one former stagiaire, hope, he will provide me with more useful information about everythnig that is going on here :-))

Toaday, as usually, I was not really busy. We had nice lunch with Martin and Lubo and then I was just responding my boss's emails, confirming hundreds of reservations and trying to book a room in Strasbourg for press conference. This will be organised with relation to the legislation process taking place next Wednesday. I am quite curious how everything will end up.

I realised that being stagiaire in MEP's office could be sometimes a little bit hard. Not in the sense of tough work, but in terms of type of work I am doing. I really want to learn so much, I am so curious about so many things, but nobody is really willing to delete all these question marks from my mind.

In addition, the assistants probably think that if they stay here till midnight, everybody should do so. Example: Today I was trying the whole day to book a room for press conference. This lady on the phone was very inprecise. Whatever. But I needed more information and she answered one of my four emails in the way that nobody in our office really understood what she wanted to say. At 4 p.m. she was not answering the phone. Vierka said: "Oh, the next of these lazy eurocrats!!!" Come on, it was 4 p.m. I think it is not TOO early to go home.

I am leaving now. Tomorrow we start at 9:30 instead of 9 o'clock, because boss is never in the office on Friday. Great, half an hour more for sleep :-))

Live from EP (part 1)

Today I had a nice time.

In the morning I spent approximately 30 minutes trying to find one office. Yes, EP is really huge institution with enormous number of offices. And if nobody explain you how it works, you can spend quite a lot of time looking for the right lift in the right part of this right building that should take you to the right floor where you should find the right corridor with right numbers - and then, finally, you can easily get to the office you need. As far as I have to sit the whole day on my ass in the office, I always try to find some reason to get out and to walk around a little bit. And I do not mind to get lost :-))

We went for lunch just with Martin, because the other stagiaires were busy. We talked a little bit, so step by step I start to understand a lot of things and ensure myself that my impressions on some people were quite appropriate. He told me that Renatka (second assistant) was MISS Costarika. Imagine, I am sitting in one office with MISS Costarika, quelle chance!!! :-))

I am so grateful that he is there. Otherwise I have no idea who would have time to show me around. It is such a pity that he is leaving ... The good thing is that on our tour around EP we met other stagiaire - Luboš - and he is staying till the middle of July. He told me about some sport center not far from EP, so I am looking forward to do some sport. I need to be in a good shape before summer started :-))

Pursuite of happiness

Knowing exactly what I want is not my strong point (especially while talking about some special issues such as my future occupation, love issues or choosing food in the restaurant etc.). Well, I am working on it and in some matters, it is getting much better.
But at this moment, after quite a long time I know exactly what I want. Isn't it great? :-))
The worst about it is that even if you badly want something and finally, you achieve it, it does not necessary make you happy.
Therefore, my question is: How should I know what will make me happy? :-)) Does anybody know??

My first days in Belgium

Yesterday my boss told me to leave earlier, because I seemed to be very pale and tired after the whole night journey. I left at seven o'clock...

There are pros and cons of everything :-)

CONS:

1. late work hours (from nine in the morning till seven or eight in the evening)
2. till now I met just one stagiaire, he seems really nice, but is leaving next week
3. I arrived two days ago and I still have not tried any of 500 types of beer that exist in Belgium
4. I have not seen anything from the city apart my way to work
5. I have to sit in the office even if I have no real work
6. I am terribly tired because of the lack of sleep during last week
7. I have not write a single page of my bachelor thesis
8. there are just two of us in the house
   

PROS:

1. I love to walk to work every morning - the best part of my way is the park that I have to cross just before I reach EP - there is really nice lake and it makes me feeling well to see a little bit of nature :-)
   
2. I practice English and French and Slovak :-) every day (unfortunately, no Spanish)
   
3. I have really nice room
4. I love those trees with pink flowers (there are plenty of them on my way to EP) - these pink flowers are everywhere on the sidewalks and it reminds me of romantic summer scene from a movie :-)
5. tomorrow I am going for lunch with Martin (stagiaire that is leaving next week) and he will present me two other stagiaires
6. there are just two of us in the house, so one shower is enough (it is not the case of the other Slovenian house where there are 16 people for one shower)
7. weekend is approaching, I hope to walk a bit around the city
8. maybe I will meet Adam (former editor of my student newspaper) during the weekend (he will be on business trip in Brussels)
9. I am in Brussels - I will make one more city MY city :-)
10. Vasek, my parents, Ales, probably Jirka and Roman, Petula, maybe Martin and Adka - they all will come to see me juch juch juch (if anybody else would like to come to see me, just let me know, everybody is welcome :-)
    

Saying good bye

I was very happy about spending my last day in Prague the way I did. Few hours with my boyfriend, then bottle of wine with my roommates and finally, blog meeting. Just people that I care for a lot.

These last months my roommates were very important to me. I met them every day while studying for last exams, I could talk to them everytime I needed a break. They supported me, forced me to study and hug me when I was crying because of this stupid exam that I did not pass. And finally, smiled and laughed with me, when I succeded in it.

PS: Yesterday I had this strange feeling. That actually something should be said, but I did not know what exactly. So I did not say anything. Probably, it was not the best choice, but I was not able to expres myself. Oh, I am loosing ability to say truly what I feel. Probably, I should go again to Peru to learn it again hihihi

NO more ESCAPING

Few years ago my "capricornian" friend Petlo told me that I am exactly the same "escapist" as he is. We are so similar in our actions and in our way of thinking that it surprises me every time we talk (what is unfortunately not so often). I admitted. I escaped several times, because I was too coward to face not very pleasant issues. I left. It was easier.

Today one friend told me: "So you are escaping again??" Probably she did not mean it, but I was a little bit angry because of this expression. I am not as coward as I used to be, I am trying to do my best. Leaving the battle field never meant winning the battle. And that's it. I am trying to be brave and strong. In addition, this time there is absolutely NO reason to escape.

On the road again

I remember the name of this famous book of Jack Kerouac. Even if I have not read it yet, I realised that this is exactly the name for this period of my life. I am packed again and in one week this time I will be sitting in the yellow bus heading to Brussels.

What is more, my parents already took all my stuff from Prague, so there is nothing left. Just few really necessary things. I am so grateful that they came to help me. Otherwise, I would not be able to move out so fast. Actually, it is so great to know that every time I need help, I can count on them. I feel so secure knowing it.

Few days ago my friend Martin from Bratislava wrote me. "Would you like to join us on Friday and on Saturday? We are going to Mala Fatra. It would be nice, if you come with us." Oh, I wanted so much to say YES, sure, I will join you. But I could not because of exams again and because of traineeship in Belgium.

What is more, today I got message from David, one of my first friends here in Prague and my "lecture mate" and chocolate co-consumer :-)) He is organising some kind of project in Nurnberg this week. He wrote me that I would be welcome. It is not possible for me.

To sum it up, there is just one question in my mind. Why the hell I am going to Brussels, if I have friends here, in this part of the world? Probably it is because of my way of being. That is the way I am. Always of the road heading to somewhere where I have not been before ...