We’re Not in Brussels Anymore…

Our host mom, Martine, was watering flowers in the front yard when my roommate and I were leaving for our farewell dinner with the rest of the ISA gang. We hesitated on our way out — wait… is this the last time we’re seeing each other? Ever?

We tried to express our gratitude. “Martine, merci, BEAUCOUP. c’était incroyable!” We probably sounded silly.

Martine did not sound silly in the slightest. She was sad. She told us we were like her daughters, if only for four months. Then she cried.

Saying goodbye to Brussels was difficult. It wasn’t just a goodbye to a city that I came to cherish, or to Europe in general. It was a goodbye to an existence. It was a goodbye to the life that I built from scratch over the course of nine months — a life that I would never have again and a life I can only hope to visit a shadow of one day.

I’m being melodramatic. I can always visit Brussels.

Gaggles of people crowd the Manneken Pis. Maybe he’s just trying to pee in peace?

I can always return to the Manneken Pis to giggle at the hoards of tourists in disbelief. I can always return to Place Saint Gery for coffee and cool-people-watching. I can always return to Place Saint Catherine for shrimp croquettes on the street, exceptional gourmet ice cream served by an exceptionally grumpy man, gooey almond croissants alongside organic honey beer bread…

But I won’t be living there. I will have no justification for pretending to be an expert on my surroundings. My French will be awful again, and I won’t be able to have silly exchanges with the silly locals all the time. And I won’t have the fantastic friends, the families, that made it all so memorable.

This “existence” can’t be replicated. It’s being an American 20-year-old studying abroad in the capital of Europe. It’s not being tied to anything except a few courses a week and self-inflicted desires for adventure, high-brow culture, epicurean delights and bizarre conversation. This existence could only last a year, which I acknowledge in full. Much longer, and a real life would start to form, and such fun is tough to maintain in a real life.

That free feeling could happen again. I could lead a more exciting life in the future. I could visit 15 new countries in another short-term stint abroad, somewhere, someday. It’s very possible. Yet, settling back in the States has so quickly made those dreams seem even more dreamlike. Brussels in itself feels like a dream that never really happened.

Less than one week ago, I was celebrating my last night in Belgium. There was a party, sponsored by my college, where the top floor to a swanky club was rented out. There was bottle service and flashy wristbands that said “VIP Guest.” We danced all night and said our goodbyes. Closure. A friend and I took a cab back out to the suburbs. To home. We sat on an apartment ledge, the cobblestones beneath our feet glittering from the rain from hours ago. Another friend took his cab to the airport. He waved goodbye, and that was it. The birds had already begun singing. We held each other and cried for hours. We slept for minutes. And then it was time for my own taxi, a gorgeous ride through the lush Eastern suburbs. Brussels winked at me as the sun came out for the first time in weeks.

The initial feelings about America, after coming back, are what you would expect. Everything’s so big. Everyone’s so wasteful. Everyone’s in such a hurry yet life is so slow. Consumerism. Consumerism. Consumerism.

I have photos and memories, but already, they somehow don’t feel real. I continually tell myself: “Yes, Janelle, that happened.” Speaking in past tense is sad enough, but not speaking at all, when no one around really cares, is quickly setting all those memories into sepia tones.

I’m ending this post with an excerpt from an email from a new friend, an amazing friend, from New York, who I met in Brussels, in a chance encounter that feels like long, long ago:

“When I returned from my first study abroad in Estonia, a close friend of mine from there left me with an Estonian proverb:

 ’Kes on läinud välja maailma seal viibida.’

It roughly means:

‘Who has gone out to the world will stay there.’

So where do we wander to next my friend?

Janelle Bitker
Brussels, Belgium
Academic Year 2011-2012

You can follow Janelle’s other travels on her personal blog www.janellebitker.com.

How to Fall in Love with Brussels

Nearly nine months ago, I arrived in Brussels with one backpack, one suitcase, and not much else. I was easily excitable. I was nervous. I was uncomfortable. I was overwhelmed by city life, by options, by people.

And here we are. Nine months later. I’m leaving Brussels in a week, as easily the best year of my life comes to a close. What has changed? What has studying abroad done for me?

While my parents were visiting, they said I was more worldly and confident. Those seem like obvious traits to contract from a long stint in any hyper-international city like Brussels. I’d hoped there would be more differences, more improvement, but maybe worldliness and confidence is good enough. Those are, after all, pretty valuable.

And from what I’ve gleaned from other international students, the real internal changes comes during the reverse culture shock stage — the return home, the reassimilation, the hurt, the longing, the confusion, the disconnect.

The disconnect.

I’m banking on my new friends spread out across the states, across the world, as a support system for these inevitable moments of feeling alone, alienated and disenfranchised with everything normal.

But until then, prepare for some reflections, guides and lists, as my way of attempting to summarize this experience into comprehension. An attempt to remember and continue to remember the things I’ve cherished most as an American studying abroad.

First:

How to Fall in Love with Brussels

I’ve rarely found anyone during my travels that understood why I chose to study in Brussels. I’ve rarely found anyone that understood what I saw in this city, how I could be enamored with a city that’s so dirty, dumpy and boring, with its top monument being a little peeing boy.

Brussels is weird, full of dichotomies, and so long as you don’t dig the conventional, it’s easy to fall for the city.

1) Cultures and Languages

The Sunday market at Gare Midi makes for a remarkably international morning.

As I’ve said before, Brussels is incredibly international. It’s the home to the European Union, and for that reason alone, diverging European cultures are brought together and present everywhere.

Legally, all signs are in French and Dutch, the country’s top languages. But German is also an official language, so sometimes you’ll see signs in all three, or if you wander east, signs exclusively in German. Then there’s English, because in Brussels, more people speak English than Dutch. Then there’s every other language in the world.

I hear new languages on public transit every day, and I can rarely identify them. Is that Bulgarian or Macedonian? Is that Polish or Czech? Am I hearing Arabic? Which of the many, many African dialects is that? Why would I even bother asking myself such questions?

In turn, exotic restaurants abound. Japanese specialty shops have made it to the suburbs. Street markets can transport you to Turkey.

But at the same time, Belgium has its own unique and quirky culture that’s absolutely evident in day-to-day life in Brussels. It’s something that sets it apart from the likes of New York City or London — international cities that, while are obviously fantastic, can’t exactly be considered emblematic of their countries.

2) Architecture

Brussels isn’t uniform. The Grand Place is, of course, stunningly gorgeous and remains the most beautiful city plaza I’ve ever laid eyes on.

Outside the center, you have examples of 19th century Parisian style apartment buildings, pristine, beige and permanently royal looking. Then there are the typical, narrow brick homes you’ll find all over the country. And then there’s a sprinkling of truly unusual Art Nouveau, and nothing says cool like stumbling upon a Victor Horta.

Some find the modern architecture, particularly around the EU quarter, an eyesore. Maybe they have a point, but I find it all part of the charm. Brussels is old and new, in all respects, like most of Europe.

3) Food

Even a simple sandwich — beef tartare and capers — can be an amazing lunch in Brussels.

Belgians are the butt-end of many French jokes, but Brussels has more Michelin starred restaurants per capita than Paris. So, ha!

In all seriousness though, it’s real difficult to have a bad or mediocre meal in Brussels. The restaurant scene is thriving and diverse, with traditional, rustic bistros just as popular as the most cutting edge, modernist dining rooms. It’s all here and it’s all more affordable than, say, Paris.

I could never tire of the smell of caramelizing Liege waffles in the streets of downtown. I always relish the opportunity to pick up top quality chocolate at the grocery store for next to zero euros. And there’s not much else as satisfying as a cone of fries after a long night of beer tasting. In fact, there’s not much I’ll miss more than the fast food — deep fried meats served simply so, and juicy, meaty kebabs. Sultan’s, move to California, please?

4) Art

Brussels doesn’t have a museum that every tourist “must” visit. There’s no Louvre, no National Gallery, no Albertina, no Prado. But there’s a lot of smaller stuff, and in fact, the artistic community in Brussels is really active. It’s easy to enjoy without any pretension.

Apart from festivals and little galleries and stellar rotating exhibits (hint: the current Stanley Kubrick photography expo), there are some permanent gems.

The Magritte Museum has an unrivaled collection of the Belgian surrealist’s works. And the Belgian surrealist’s works are awesome. The BOZAR consistently churns out interesting, high-brow exhibits in Victor Horta’s palace. Tucked away far from the center, the Musee d’Ixelles has a surprisingly impressive and vast permanent collection, including original posters by Toulouse-Lautrec.

And there are concerts, lots of them, all the time, all over the place! The options are overwhelming, with high-profile artists coming through constantly. Good and bad: the venues are small, meaning the shows sell out quickly. But when one manages to get tickets, the reward is tremendous. Particularly beautiful and intimate venues include La Botanique, Cirque Royale, and Ancienne Belgique.

Seeing Andrew Bird perform at Cirque Royale was easily one of the cultural highlights of my year.

What I adore most, though, is the love for cinemas. The BOZAR holds Cinematek, a separate film museum that screens classics and silent films with live piano. Film festivals abound all over the city, in art house cinemas like Cinema Nova or the Vendome. Walking through the super touristy Rue des Bouchers, you’d never know that if you walked through one hotel lobby, you’d end up in an adorable cinema called Actor’s Studio, with just three small screens. Even smaller: Le Styx, in Ixelles, where screens have space for a dozen or two. Wherever you go, there’s likely an unusual film, from somewhere in the world, in its original language, with trendy moviegoers lining up, nearby.

5) Green

A couple takes an afternoon stroll through the Bois de la Cambre.

Yes, Brussels is pretty sustainability-minded, but I’m talking about accessibility to greenery. Brussels has a lot of natural beauty for a place many mistaken to be urban sprawl. I’ve heard folks claim it to be the Greenest Capital in Europe, and they could easily be right.

Part of this distinction is owed to the massive forest that spreads across the southern part of the city, along with the huge Bois de la Cambre, whose center is a lovely lake, whose center holds an island, whose center has a Swiss chalet turned restaurant. To the east, there’s Parc de la Woluwe, which combines hilly forests and large ponds. Wandering any of these spaces, it’s easy to forget you’re in a metropolis.

The obvious parks — Parc Royale in the city center and Parc du Cinquantenaire with its giant arch — are both enjoyable with feelings of importance. But nearby are other gems: a few steps from Parc Royale lies Parc Egmont, completely hidden and incredibly peaceful, and close to Cinquantenaire in the EU Quarter is Parc Leopold, a prime spot to people watch around a pond, surrounded by modern architecture.

Also: Parc de Tervueren, the most pristine and manicured of them all, a gorgeously green tram ride just outside city limits. And Parc de la Sauvagere in Uccle, rough and hilly, with horses grazing.

Nine months later, I’m still discovering new things about this city on a daily basis. And from what I’ve heard from many locals, Brussels can continue to surprise for years.

Janelle Bitker
Brussels, Belgium
Academic Year 2011-2012

You can follow Janelle’s other travels on her personal blog www.janellebitker.com.

Fitting in

It's impossible to be bored in Brussels, especially at night. This was taken at an art museum, where burlesque performers weaved through visitors.

I have a Belgian friend who refers to me as his Belgian friend. Obviously, I am not Belgian, but my consistent willingness to meet him at a neighborhood bar on a Monday night has won me the title.

Apparently, he hasn’t met another American so open to hanging out on weeknights. And, coming from neighboring city Ghent, he doesn’t stay in Brussels on weekends and doesn’t have tons of Belgian pals at school.

It’s interesting, we Americans at our big universities are used to having our own bedrooms in apartments with friends, with large kitchens and spaciousness, while our parents only live a couple hours away. We never go home. The American college experience means to live independently (well, not financially) and grow up. In Belgium, students live at home with their parents while attending school. If that’s not feasible distance-wise, then they rent a tiny, tiny studio and return home every weekend.

Horses grazing in the middle of the city? There's always more exploring to be done.

What is my point? My point is that it’s hard to make Belgian friends here in Brussels as a temporary student. It’s tough to make European friends in general, when you know and everyone else knows that you’re leaving in the not too distant future. I’m fairly certain my ISA comrades from last semester did not leave behind many local friends. When the time for goodbyes arrived, they were sad to be leaving each other.

That’s completely valid, of course. The study abroad experience immediately connects you to others in similar positions. Having Americans around is a comfort, and you get comfortable real fast.

I was determined not to let this happen to me. I was aggressively pursuing friends early on, which kind of worked, and I kind of came away with a legitimate local friend or two, and a lot of highly enjoyable acquaintances that I’ll realistically never keep in contact with upon departure.

I've been taking lots of day trips, like to Leuven, a cute medieval city less than 30 minutes away from Brussels.

In other words, I feel quite lucky, and I’m so relieved, again, to have two semesters to cement these friendships, because having just one semester would have made the task near impossible.

In other words, also, I’m feeling really comfortable and local. Hell, I even feel Belgian sometimes. I don’t feel that urge to explore new neighborhoods every day like I did just a few months ago, but I still always feel alive. I relax at home more. I have regular hang out spots. I think in Euros and Celsius. I say certain words with European accents. I’m fully caught up on my favorite American television shows. But at the same time, I know I’m leading an abnormally active life — quick, spontaneous daytrips to neighboring cities, weekend couchsurfing adventures, and hunting down the best in local eats and weird nightlife.

In other words, I’m amazed it has taken nearly seven months for me to feel semi-local in Brussels, and I am so content that I can still relish every day.

In other words, I was devastated when midterms came and went, meaning I have less than a quarter of my study abroad experience left.

In other words, I am not ready to go home.

Janelle Bitker
Brussels, Belgium
Academic Year 2011-2012

You can follow Janelle’s other travels on her personal blog www.janellebitker.com.

Getting to Know BeNeLux: Utrecht, Rotterdam

Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg are often grouped together as “BeNeLux.” The three small, bordering countries have overlapping languages, policies and vibes, and as a resident of Belgium, I feel a personal duty to be adequately acquainted with all before returning to the States.

Firstly — It’s true! I’m officially a resident of Brussels. The paperwork isn’t completely finished, but I’m documented with an identification card and everything. With near success a whopping six months later, I’m too relieved to be annoyed at the bureaucracy any longer.

So my little side trip last weekend to Holland was legal. Hooray!

As a professor canceled class on Thursday, and I don’t have classes on Fridays, I enjoyed four days in the land of bikes and windmills.

Old Utrecht with its thousands of bicycles

My first two days were spent in Utrecht, an adorable city about 30 minutes from Amsterdam by train. It’s one of Holland’s oldest yet liveliest — a student city home to one of the country’s most respected universities.

One of Utrecht's many canals

Between the spread of canals and cobbled alleys, it’s impossible not to be charmed by Utrecht. I spent a lot of time drawing comparisons to other cities — it’s like a smaller Amsterdam, but with the young energy it feels a lot like Ghent too. And while I biked alongside other students through the outskirts of downtown, I felt like I was back at the University of California, Davis.

The slight nostalgia continued in Rotterdam. The city center was destroyed during World War II thanks to some German bombing sprees, so the rebuilt Rotterdam is essentially a new city.

Crazy "modern" architecture in Rotterdam, including its famed cube houses

When I got off my train Friday night, I was amazed at how much I felt like I was in America. I was walking alongside tall office buildings and modern window displays, overwhelmed by consumerism for the first time since I’ve been in Europe.

I still find it a bit amusing that Rotterdam and Amsterdam have a fierce rivalry. Given how incredibly different the two cities look — “skyscrapers” and funky 1970′s “modern” architecture compared to the classic Dutch brick upon brick — it’s hard to see where comparisons are made. But there are similarities. The two biggest cities in the country are both hotspots for culture and art, boasting loads of museums and special events. Coffeeshops are prevalent in both, although made into far more of a tourist spectacle in Amsterdam, while Rotterdam hosts a more well renowned nightlife. Rotterdam’s skyline reflects its more cutting-edge offerings.

The Erasmus bridge and Rotterdam skyline

It’s easy to feel at-ease in the Netherlands in general, not just because of its closeness to Belgium, but for its liberal nature and kind inhabitants. And the trip was cheap — with couchsurfing and spending a few more hours on buses instead of trains, I managed to spend less than 70 euros in total for four days of fun!

I’ll get to round out my Dutch experience with an ISA-led excursion to The Hague and Delft at the end of the semester. Combined with an imminent weekend trip to Luxembourg and my past travels through other Belgian cities, I think I’ll be leaving BeNeLux with a fairly thorough education to this second home’s varied wonders.

Janelle Bitker
Brussels, Belgium
Academic Year 2011-2012

You can follow Janelle’s other travels on her personal blog www.janellebitker.com.

Back in Belgium

I’m back.

Back to the ISA Student Blog and back to Brussels, Belgium, my home since late August.

Brussels is an amazing city, with way too much to discover in just a few months. I’m looking forward to delving into the smaller neighborhoods for long, long walks and seeing what I can find. Based on my incessant research through various books, articles and blogs, I’m quite sure there’s a lot.

In fact, there are even tons of normal, not-hidden things in Brussels that I’ve been meaning to do ever since I’ve arrived. I always knew I’d have spring semester, but I still can’t help feeling pathetic for still having never been to Cinematek, the super cool film museum that screens global classics, or Chez Leon, a touristy spot but nonetheless a restaurant world renowned for its mussels.

It’s amazing that in a brand new city — a city you pass through for two nights — you can manage to hit all the desired museums and the cool clubs you’ve been reading about. Easy. But in your own city, things somehow take more effort.

Maybe I’m thinking this way because I’m tired. I’ve been in Brussels for nearly one week, but prior, I was on the road for more than five. It was my winter vacation and, gosh darn, I was going to use it.

A view of Salzburg

I flew into Austria, and backpacked through Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Prague and Bratislava. I couchsurfed the whole way, met some fantastic people, got crash-courses in all the local cultures, and ate a ton. Wiener Schnitzel, Sachertorte, Leberkäse, Weißwurst, Bryndzové Halušky… Oh my!

Bryndzové Halušky, potato dumplings with sheep's milk cheese and bacon, Bratislava's national dish

The Christmas Market in Vienna

After that, I ventured to a small farm in France and completed a two-week work exchange — I put in 6 hours of work a day, and in turn, I was fed and housed. It was certainly an experience. I have never been so utterly bad at anything in my entire life — chasing loose bunnies, feeding goats hay, opening absurdly heavy doors — but by the end, I learned loads about thriftiness and self-reliance.

Chickens on the farm in France

After that, I had a week in the Bordeaux region of France to eat some more and decompress.

All in all, it was a fantastic break that I’ll never forget. Now that I’ve settled into Brussels a bit, I’m already itching to get up and leave again. Ah, the travel bug! It exists! I thought I’d be purely exhausted but the desire is ever present!

Luckily for me, Belgium is excellently located for quick and inexpensive trips into Holland, Germany and France. Perhaps I’ll utilize the next couple weekends to get this bug out of my system, before schoolwork piles up. Or, more likely, I’m now one of these “traveler” types, who can’t get enough of new encounters and new transient relationships. Perhaps this bug will never leave.

Janelle Bitker
Brussels, Belgium
Academic Year 2011-2012

You can follow Janelle’s other travels on her personal blog www.janellebitker.com.

Being Thankful in Belgium

Being away from your family, your friends and your familiar home is tough during the holidays. Some of the Americans at my school were noticeably depressed today, thinking of the Thanksgiving celebration they were missing and the classes they were attending instead.

I wasn’t feeling the gloom too much this week. In fact, I basically forgot it was Thanksgiving until I saw my Facebook flooded with comments about home and reunions and happiness. And then I got a wee-bit sad.

But at least I had a Thanksgiving dinner to still look forward to. Our ISA resident director Sabine made sure that we Americans got our fill of gluttony, and it was one of the most adorable and delicious holidays I’ve ever experienced.

Sabine used to be a chef, so the special-ordered turkey was perfectly tender, the fresh cranberries were vibrant and sweet, the stuffing with apples and cranberries tasted like the season, and the mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and red velvet cake were, of course, excellent.

What was especially impressive was the mass of contributions from students and friends. More than 30 of us piled into Time Square, a small cafe underneath our office that closed down for the day for our private party. Cynthia, Sabine’s assistant, made pumpkin pie and Brussels sprouts. Yanni, the kind owner of Time Square, made mushrooms, carrots and salad. I made cornbread. Another student made mushroom crepe casserole and Mexican hot chocolate. Another made deviled eggs. Another made apple cider, and another made truffles. Another made gravy. Another made cookies. And there was freshly brewed espresso to wake us up from our food comas just enough so we could find our ways home.

There was also an ugly sweater contest. I bought my gorgeous, itchy thing from my favorite flea market for one euro. It’s like the sweaters I wear at home, that I was too embarrassed to pack with me for fear of European trendiness and judgment. I was right, of course. The European students here wouldn’t be caught dead in my ensemble, but alas, I no longer care.

My sweater took third prize. The winner was Alex, who sported a woman’s sweater that was unlike anything I had ever seen. A button-down collared shirt, basically, turned sweater, with jewel buttons. The win was well deserved.

It was a lovely meal — a meal I am truly thankful for, with company that I am truly thankful for. The ISA family has really been a family.

The day before, ISA threw another family bonding soiree. A chocolate making workshop.

I had been excited for this day since before I got to Brussels, just from seeing pictures on the program’s Facebook! The whole thing felt a little rushed — 45-minute presentation on chocolate followed by 45 minutes of “making chocolate” — but had plenty of delicious tastings.

Basically, we got to play with chocolate. We got to make designs with the hot, melty form, let them harden and take our shapes home. It was great fun, and naturally, I made cats.

In three mere weeks, this ISA family will be done for. The other 20 students are heading home, one other is transferring to the program in Italy, and I will remain in Brussels with Sabine and Cynthia. A new flock will arrive, and I know I will feel weird about it.

But for now, I will stick to the sap: I am more thankful this year than I have ever been before.

I am thankful for this study abroad experience. I am thankful for my family, for helping me get to where I currently am and supporting me in every way humanly possible. I am thankful for me friends at home, still staying in touch and pretending to keep up with my blog. I am thankful for my new friends, so different from those at home and yet still so wonderful, and probably oblivious to how much I talk about them on the internet. I am thankful for the ISA program, which has been a great mix of cultural exposure and American comfort. I am thankful for my host family, who has been more loving than I ever imagined.

Lastly, I am thankful for just about everything else.

Janelle Bitker
Brussels, Belgium
Academic Year 2011-2012 

Read more about Janelle’s experiences abroad at www.janellebitker.com

Proof That Belgium Is Not Boring

I’ve been more or less in bed for the past three days, recovering from a fever that probably came about from having too much fun.

The general consensus in Europe is that Brussels, and Belgium in general, is pretty dull. The country is always getting made fun of or rejected for one of its neighbors. But my weekend, pre-disease, is definitely proof that Belgium can be kind of cool.

It began Thursday night in an old train station. The scene was underground, in both senses of the word, with Afro-Portuguese pop and Brazilian Baile funk blasting till morning. The people were kind and carefree, and while some might say they were dancing like idiots, I’d say they were the best dancers I’ve ever seen in Belgium.

It was basically any California hipster’s dream, without any pretension. Thank you Recyclart, also organizer of alternative art exhibits and performances, for becoming my new party destination.

After a night of minimal sleep, I was relieved that Friday was a national holiday. No school!

I had lunch with an America-loving-European at Ellis, a gourmet hamburger restaurant in downtown Brussels. The dining room was sleek and modern, and set me right back to the States. It was packed, too, with all sorts of semi-creative burgers floating around. I opted for lamb with coriander, guacamole and bacon bits. It was tasty, certainly, but even after three burger-less months, I knew it couldn’t compare to the burgers I was eating all summer in San Francisco. What is the reason for the European struggle? My guess is not enough fat, not enough char and not enough juice.

They probably don’t add enough fat for health reasons, who knows why they don’t char their meat, but they definitely don’t make them juicy enough in order to be neat. The neatness is taken to another level, though: they eat their hamburgers with a fork and knife.

I watched my lunch date in agony, and I told him he was ruining his experience by cutting it up into little pieces. He said the burger comes with a fork and knife for a reason. I looked around the restaurant, and I was clearly outnumbered. Blasphemous.

After lunch we hopped on a tram to Tervuren, a rich community just outside of Brussels. Our destination was Tervuren Park, which many locals say is the most beautiful park in — erm, basically in — Brussels.

Connected to the regal-looking Royal Museum for Central Africa, the park boasts well-tended lawns and pristine lakes. Forests surrounded trees blanketed in warm hues, which surrounded the park’s center. As the sun set, we sat on a bench while hundreds of children marched with glowing paper lanterns for Armistice Day. On the other side of the park, an orange-tinted full moon was rising. The entire scene was perfectly idyllic and perfectly Belgian.

The festivities continued with hot wine and a small carnival in Tervuren. There were silly rides, outrageous lights, and still, the glowing full moon.

If only my camera didn’t break, right?

And finally, that leaves Saturday night — perhaps the number one reason why Belgium cannot be considered boring. It was I Love Techno.

I Love Techno is Europe’s biggest indoor techno event in all of Europe, and it’s in Belgium’s own Ghent. 35,000 fans poured into five rooms that featured the likes of Boys Noize, Steve Aoki, Nero, Crookers and more. What resulted was well-organized mayhem: sweat dripping from the ceilings, ambulances rescuing those partying too hard, and everyone else’s souls matched to the same reverberating beat.

And so, it was probably this epic night of dancing and happiness that led to my bodily downfall. A friend blamed the intense temperature change I experienced from the muggy dance floor to the cold journey back to Brussels the next morning. Regardless, it was worth it!

Janelle Bitker
Brussels, Belgium
Academic Year 2011-2012 

Read more about Janelle’s experiences abroad at www.janellebitker.com

Photo courtesy of orvalrochefort.

Another Week in Brussels

With a week full of midterms nearing, my social life has taken a serious hit this week.

That doesn’t mean I’ve had much time to study though. Tuesday and Thursday mornings were both spent at the Schaerbeek commune, where I’ve wrestled with Belgian bureaucracy.

Or more like, my ISA resident director Sabine has been wrestling, and I’ve been cheering.

The goal is to legalize my stay in Brussels, and ultimately, to extend my visa until May to schengen and non-schengen areas alike. As of now, I am technically not a resident of Brussels, and once my visa expires, I can’t go to non-schengen countries like the England, Ireland or Romania.

Each commune, or neighborhood, has its own rules and required documents. And they’re probably all annoying.

The very first time Sabine and I trekked out there, it was just after the 8 a.m. opening, the last week of August. We were told that the rules had changed. I was given an appointment — which means nothing — for October 20, but we were also advised to try at the end of September.

Due to business and busyness, we didn’t return until this Tuesday. I arrived 10 minutes before the commune’s opening to hoards of people crowded around the door. Yikes. Three hours later, our ticket number was finally called, and we were told we not only needed the previously specified documents, but photocopies of said documents. And no, they did not have time to photocopy things themselves.

So we grudgingly returned on Thursday at 8 a.m., the train station-esque waiting hall becoming very familiar territory. Two hours of waiting later, we lucked out. Step number one to my resident permit has been completed. Now I wait three weeks, get something in the mail and — whee! — I get to go back.

The week had some more pleasant times, too, though.

On the first Wednesday of every met, a bunch of museums in Brussels are free after 1 p.m. I headed to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, specifically, the Museum of Ancient Art and the tiny “Museum of Modern Art,” which was basically a small exhibit due to some remodeling.

The Museum of Ancient art was quite beautiful though, and it held impressive collections of Pieter Brueghel and Peter Paul Rubens — two painters I’ve been studying in my Art History class. I convinced myself that my museum trip was as helpful to my studies as, say, studying.

Later that night, Sabine hosted a movie night at the ISA office, where we had a fabulous Belgian dinner and watched “In Bruges.” Sabine dished out carbonnade à la flamande, a traditional beef stew made with (of course) beer. On the side was seemingly bottomless frites (of course).

I saw “In Bruges” years ago in the states, but I enjoyed the film far more after visiting Bruges. And jokes about Belgium being a bullshit country are a lot funnier after you here them in person, in Belgium.

On Thursday I showed a 23-year-old couchsurfer from Poland around downtown Brussels during my three-hour break between classes. Brussels was her last stop on a one-month sojourn through Europe, where she almost exclusively couchsurfed and hitchhiked solo. We talked about Belgium, Poland and her travels. She said there was only one instance all month where she felt uneasy about one of her hosts, but otherwise, she met the most wonderful and memorable people. Her only real regret was not bringing her laptop around, as the lack of internet made couch-searching and such more difficult than she had anticipated. She also recommended pepper spray, just in case. Tips noted!

And, finally, last night I finally checked out L’Archiduc, a 1930s jazz bar in downtown Brussels. The swanky decor and swanky clientele, joyously grooving to an eclectic jazz DJ, was a beautiful escape from the standard Belgian pub scene. In other words, I am definitely taking my dad there.

Janelle Bitker
Brussels, Belgium
Academic Year 2011-2012 

Follow her other adventures this year at www.janellebitker.com.

From Brussels to Germany, for Class

For my Art History class at Vesalius College, we learn about things, and then we go see them. Magnificent paintings and famous arches are not limited to our books and our imaginations, rather, only to our student budgets.

This past weekend we went to Cologne and Aachen in Germany to learn about Charlemagne and the Roman Empire. Much of the trip was spent in museums — lots of museums — and on organized tours, which you know I adore.

So unfortunately, I don’t feel like I got to know Cologne. I walked by, said hello and sped off to Aachen. While we spent even less time in Aachen, I did get in a good hour of wandering in and saw a good amount of the small city.

But Cologne is huge, so I don’t even know what I missed!

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We did explore the shopping district one afternoon, which is filled with glamorous labels and modern buildings. There were some niches of old-world charm and enormous terraces for beer-induced gaiety.

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And of course, we saw the Kölner Dom, Cologne’s staggering cathedral. We climbed up all 509 stairs to reach the top, and we took in the lovely view and cold air. At night, the Dom was simply radiant.

A view of the Cologne Cathedral at night

Also at night, all 35+ art students were treated to a traditional German meal, consisting of beef goulash, a giant dumpling and fresh apple sauce on the side. The dumpling’s consistency, like a massive piece of buttery gnocchi, was fascinating, and unfortunately put a lot of the Americans off. But there was no denying that the bold beef and apple combo worked. There was also no denying the warm and flaky apple strudel for dessert.

In terms of Cologne’s supposedly wicked nightlife… Well, we were too exhausted post-tours to really explore it! We tried hitting some bars right after dinner, but who drinks at 9:30 p.m. except middle-aged folk?

Eventually we ended up at a Thai karaoke bar, because one student just really, really wanted to sing. The place was packed with bachelorette parties and 20 to 30-somethings, but as a group of 10 Americans, we were heavily scrutinized. After about 45 minutes, and with half of the students having not ordered any drinks, security proceeded to yell at us. That sucked.

I’ve never experienced anything like that in Brussels. I’ve also never had my ID checked at the door of four bars in one evening, let alone at all!

So Cologne, you are a little strange. But I’d be willing to give you another chance if the time was right. Meanwhile, I’ll check out your more popular, younger sister Berlin — in mid-October, flight is booked and all!

7 Reasons to Love Ghent

Another Saturday, another ISA excursion. This time, we invaded Ghent, an adorable Flemish city that is frequently compared with, yet ignored for, Bruges. We fell in love quickly. Since Saturday, my roommate has declared time and time again, “I am going to live in Ghent.”

Reasons to love Ghent:

1. The beautifully restored medieval architecture feels like a fairytale.

2. The city center is car-free. Trams pass through, and there’s the occasional car needed by a business owner, but otherwise its just pedestrians, bikes and sprawling terraces.

3. A river runs right through the center, giving the trendy youth a place to lie out, eat ice cream and people watch.

4. The center is one charming cafe after another.

5. There is a booming student population, giving the whole city a lively feel.

6. To combat grave graffiti problems, the city actually designated alleys for it. So now graffiti artists can create and create and create, though knowing their creations will be temporary.

7. Do you see these photos?

Our group spent much of the day apart, exploring the city on our own as we wished to. Together, we went through a castle displaying torture devices, took a boat ride along the river and had a guided walking tour.

Sabine provided us some Ghent culinary specialties, too.

The bagel-looking things are called “mastellen,” and they are basically ultra-soft bagels with notes of cinnamon.

Mastellen and fresh mustard

The mustard is another story entirely. It’s Yves Tierenteyn-Verlent mustard, only available from one shop, made fresh every day and jarred on the spot. It’s a masterful balance between tangy and sharp, with a wasabi-like punch at the end. There are no preservatives so the goodness doesn’t last long, otherwise you can bet that I would have purchased jars and jars for my family at home.

Gummy candy called cuberdons

The purple cones are “cuberdons,” and the special candy is nicknamed “the nose of Ghent” for its shape. These noses are chewy and gummy and sugary, with a syrup center, made with various fruit extracts.

In conclusion, Ghent is wonderful, and I intend to come back, perhaps sometime in spring when I no longer have ISA excursions. I hear the nightlife is sweet, and I can imagine only joy in such a picturesque setting.

Janelle Bitker
Brussels, Belgium
Academic Year 2011-2012 

Read more about Janelle’s experiences abroad at www.janellebitker.com