By Nicolas Baygert
Since the results of the national elections held on Sunday 13 June, Belgium is assessing its viability as a plural Nation-State. The most recent episodes in the political and institutional crisis, which paved the way to the groundbreaking success of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) and their charismatic leader Bart De Wever, are nowadays leading to severe pessimism.
Europe's box of melting chocolates, EU regions on their way to statehood?
Monday, August 9 2010 By manajan | Galaxy Europe | no comment
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Erasmus that changed the life
Friday, July 16 2010 By Noveerotaaja | Galaxy Europe | no comment
Simone (in the middle with ESN T-Shirt) and ESN International Board 2009/2010
Article by Anita Kalmane
It was 11 o’clock in the morning, when I rung the bell of Erasmus Students Network (ESN) office. Three out of five board members were already there, two arrived a few minutes afterward, but Secretary General at that time Simone Dalle Nogare was still sleeping. However, my interview about ESN was scheduled exactly with him.
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Is Chez Mamie really the Smallest Bar in Brussels?
Saturday, July 10 2010 By rosie rose | Brussels Capital | no comment
No-one, not even the staff, knows for sure. In any case, we challenge you to find smaller. If you want to find out for yourself, you'll have to fight your way through the usual bizarre mountains of broken and confused antiques and junk in the Place Jeu de Balle flea market. You'll find Chez Mamie cozily close to the beautiful forties style neighbourhood swimming pool.
Photos: Hugo Michaux
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When one postcard from a friend is not enough
Wednesday, July 7 2010 By blog.bruxelles | Galaxy Europe | no comment
This post is also available in: Dutch
By Anita Kalmane
“Send a postcard and receive a postcard back from a random person somewhere in the world!” – that is the slogan of PostCrossing, a website which unites more than 190 thousand postcard fans from more than 200 countries. They all have the same aim – trade, send and receive postcards. I met with Raquel Ferro, the most active postcrosser in Belgium.
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Fake beach, real fun
Friday, July 2 2010 By blog.bruxelles | Agenda | no comment
This post is also available in: Dutch
By Rose Kelleher
What does an artificial beach in a semi derelict city docklands look like? Like a helluva party!
The ninth year of the “Bruxelles les Bains” summer beach party got underway today and will run until August 22.
About 600 m of sandy, emm, sidewalk just near Yser metro stop right along the canal is giving the hot sweaty Brussels crowd a chance to cool off and pretend they're somewhere much more exotic. The Brussels culture fairy has waved her magic wand and transformed this industrial-feeling quayside, and for the next 50 days it will be packed with brightly coloured deck chairs, girls in grass skirts, immense sandboxes filled with adults reading novels under the sun and rowdy overexcited youngsters. A large platform with streaming jets of cold water stands in the middle of the “beach” to allow body temperatures to cool down, and is proving particularly popular during the current heat-wave. Girls and boys, dressed inconspicuously in sexy summer beach bikinis and bermudas, sip Mojitos at the many cocktail bars that line the way.
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"We must talk more about freedom"
By Charlotte Van Calster | Galaxy Europe | no comment
This post is also available in: Dutch
A new book on Central and Eastern Europe after 1945 has been born. Another one, yes, but the difference with all the others is that this book aims to compare some of the new democracies, arisen after the fall of the Soviet empire. And thus far, this has never been done before. In The Power of Freedom, Mart Laar wants everyone to understand what happened, and the best way to achieve this understanding is by comparison. According to Mart Laar, the freedom that was lost after World War II and regained after the fall of the Iron Curtain, that freedom, would not be there if it weren't for a lot of people. It's our common history: the history of united Europe.
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The opening ceremony of Belgian Presidency goes Rock'n Roll
Thursday, July 1 2010 By manajan | one comment
This post is also available in: French Dutch
Saturday 3 July, don't miss the open air concerts on European Parliament's esplanade and Place du Luxembourg.
'I love EU' Party will be a mix of music, dance, fireworks, sound and light show. Maurane, Sandra Kim, Udo, Joshua, Joost Zweegers, Daan, Saule, Marie Daulne, Jasper Steverlinck, Toots Thielemans and others will entertain during the first half of the evening.
An After-Party will start at 23.30 on Place du Luxembourg. A good opportunity to celebrate the Belgian way...
Submit your article for the EU Health Prize for Journalists!
By manajan | Galaxy Europe | no comment
The European Commission launched in March the second EU health prize for journalists in print and on-line articles. The prize is part of the 'Europe for Patients' campaign launched in September 2008. It aims to stimulate and reward high-quality journalism that raises awareness of healthcare and patients' rights issues. This year's prize follows on from the first health prize for journalists which attracted over 460 articles from journalists from all across the European Union.
Journalists, you are invited to submit articles published in print or on-line publications between 16 June 2009 and 18 July 2010 using an on-line entry form.The winners will receive cash prizes of 5.000 € for first place, 3.000 € for second and 2.000 € for third. All national finalists will be invited to Brussels in autumn 2010 to participate in a media seminar on EU health issues.
In each EU country, one national finalist will be selected by a jury composed of journalists and public health experts, chaired by the European Commission. An EU jury will then select three EU level winners among the 27 finalists. Once the names of the national and EU jury members are confirmed, they will be made available on the Journalist Prize website.
To submit an article and find out more about the Prize, visit the Journalist Prize website.
Not Much Midsummer for Scandinavians in Brussels
Tuesday, June 29 2010 By blog.bruxelles | Brussels Capital | one comment
This post is also available in: Dutch
By Anna-Karin Friis
The Scandinavians in Brussels can be traced by following the flags in Etterbeek and Ixelles: the Finnish church and café in Rue du Luxembourg, the Scanshop in Place Jourdan and even a Scandinavian hairdresser in Avenue d’Auderghem! A stroll through these emblematic contact points on Misummer Day does not reveal the Swedes letting loose by jumping around the Midsummer pole in any awkward postures. Quite to the contrary; some Scandinavians have given up on their tradition.
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Central, 'more Commercial' and Currently very Colourful: Café Dépot
Sunday, June 27 2010 By Charlotte Van Calster | Brussels Capital | no comment
This post is also available in: Dutch
Rue Dansaert is probably one of the most famous streets for the Dutch-speaking population in Brussels. Close by, in Rue Auguste Orts and very close to La Bourse, de Beurs (The Stock Exchange) -and close to Café Kafka- you can find the next bar we are taking you to: Dépot. Even though the bar only opened in 2004, it has become a real bastion for Dutch-speaking people in Brussels. And with a Flemish owner and Flemish staff, it probably does not come as a big surprise that the Flemish feel at home there. After all, it is where their Stella is...
Photo: Dépot cheering for the Dutch soccer team in this year's World Cup
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Is Europe ready for a joint economic recovery?
Saturday, June 26 2010 By Charlotte Van Calster | Galaxy Europe | no comment
This post is also available in: Dutch
Last Wednesday, the 23rd of June, an extraordinary plenary meeting was held in the European Parliament of Brussels. Why? To discuss the results that were reached at the EU summit the week before. Present? Belgian politicians Herman Van Rompuy (President of the European Council), Guy Verhofstadt and Karel De Gucht and Portuguese President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso. Most frequent words? Conformity, working together and joint dedication. And all of that to "win Europe's trust back".
Photo: ©European Parliament/Pietro Naj-Oleari/ Flickr
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This week in Brussels: Agenda 25th of June - 2nd of July
Friday, June 25 2010 By Charlotte Van Calster | Agenda | no comment
Summer has (finally) arrived and brought along: Summer Festivals... Here are some you simply cannot miss out on!
Colourful music @Couleur Café
25th of June - 27 of June
This weekend people from all over the world, singers, dancers and listeners, gather at Tour & Taxis for Couleur Café's 21st edition. What to expect? Great music, great food and above all an incredibly great atmosphere! Who is there to be seen? Rodrigo & Gabriela, Baloji, Systema Solar, Snoop Dogg, Los Amigos Invisibles and oh-so-many more. Endless options! Check out the complete line-up here.
Photo: © http://www.couleurcafe.be
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A gap in the market
Thursday, June 24 2010 By Charlotte Van Calster | Brussels Capital | no comment
This post is also available in: Dutch
At Brussels' very city centre, close to everyone and everything, lies De Markten or literally translated 'The Markets'. De Markten is a community centre that offers a wide range of cultural as well as other activities, together with a lot of social contact and pure cosiness. And when, after having completed your cultural activity/ies, your throat needs instant refreshing or your stomach would like nothing better than to be filled (and stretched) with food, you're always welcome to go and do exactly that in the bar by the community centre. For the old as well as the young, for art lovers as well as theatre lovers, for everyone...
Photo: © PitsLamp photography/ Flickr
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Europe, at your service!
Tuesday, June 22 2010 By blog.bruxelles | Galaxy Europe | no comment
This post is also available in: Dutch
By Joëlle Verstraeten
Translated by Charlotte Van Calster
Maybe you are not aware of it yet, but Europe dedicates itself to improving the lives of its citizens in various ways. During the European Foundation Week (EFW) a lot of open debates and conferences were held and there was an interactive exchange to help people discover Europe's underlying structure. The very first EFW took place from the 31st of May until the 4th of June in the Square at the Kunstberg or Mont des Arts.
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Brussels goes Kafka
Monday, June 21 2010 By Charlotte Van Calster | Brussels Capital | no comment
This post is also available in: Dutch
Where Rue Auguste Orts turns into the famous Rue Antoine Dansaert; just at the intersection with Rue de Poissonniers, you can find Café Kafka. Café Kafka is a bar in the very heart of Brussels, near La Bourse, the Stock Exchange. With a varied programme - live performances be it Tango, Classical music or Jazz, exhibitions, literary performances and more-, Café Kafka attracts a wide range of visitors. Cafebabel Brussels went to see what more the bar has to offer...
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A writer in Brussels: Luc Deflo
Friday, June 18 2010 By Charlotte Van Calster | Brussels Capital | no comment
This post is also available in: Dutch
He writes theatre plays and books, psychological thrillers to be exact. Though born and raised in Mechelen (Flanders), he has made Brussels his home now. Meet the spiritual father of detectives Bosmans and Deleu. Cafebabel Brussels proudly presents: Luc Deflo.
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For the movie lovers – Brussels Film Festival
Thursday, June 17 2010 By blog.bruxelles | Agenda | no comment
This post is also available in: Dutch
By Anita Kalmane
In the last week of June our capital will not be living – it’ll be “moving” as the annual Brussels Film Festival is approaching. On June 23-30 you can forget any other activities and attend one movie after another, all of them being produced not earlier than 2009.
As it’s quite easy to get lost in the variety of the movies offered, Cafebabel Brussels is here to provide you with five tips and three movie suggestions.
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What is in for me after my internship? How to best prepare your future in Belgium
By Pablomombo | Cafebabel Events | no comment
Do we know what we want to achieve?
Are we pleased with the outcome of the internships we have done?
Do we know where are we heading to? Is the way forward correct?
Do we apply for the most suitable jobs?
Come and join us for a debate on Thursday June 24 2010 at 6:30 pm
@ café des épices, Place Jourdan 21!
And… the first drink is offered!
Let the music play for free
Wednesday, June 16 2010 By blog.bruxelles | Agenda | no comment
This post is also available in: Dutch
by Anita Kalmane
What are your plans the upcoming days? Working all day long? Enjoying the sun and enjoying Summer? Shopping and exploring Brussels? Here is one more thing to add to your list – forget about everything and relax in the Musical Instruments Museum!
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Cafebabel is looking for… you?
By manajan | Job vacancies | 11 comments
This post is also available in: French Dutch
Cafebabel.com is an online European magazine and the first one at that! At the moment, we are looking for an intern to work for us at our Brussels office during the months of July and September. Do you happen to be a master in writing breath-taking articles? Are you a student in Communication or Journalism, interested in everything Europe is and will be and in everything that’s happening in Europe? Then you may well be the one we are looking for!
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