Been sending out email updates on my adventures so far. See them below!
1) Bonjour from Brussels! 7/3/07
Hi all,
Just thought I'd finally get round to emailing you all, as I have a free few mins. I am intending to hopefully annoy you all with regular updates on my sordid adventures over here and some nutters among you have suggested I set up a blog but thats still wwork in progress!
For those of you who don't know, I recently started (as in last week) a short term job in Gary Titley MEP's office in Brussels. Sorry I didn't tell you all sooner but there was only a week between getting the job and coming over so I had little time! Suffice to say I'm thrilled and having a great time. Also if any of you ever fancy a weekend away feel free to visit!
Today sees me officially survive a whole week out here and its been great! The view from my office of the 13th floor of the Parliament is fantastic, and that pretty much sums up the week! The first three things I noticed about Brussels were dog poo (loads of it), Bars (very nice, and good beer!) and Pharmacies! There must be one on every street! Belgians are evidently hypercondriacs. I'm living in a classic European city house with three other 20-somethings, a Dutch guy and a German who have temporary jobs at NATO and a Polish girl who just finished one at the Committee of Social and Economic Affairs. The house is just off Square Ambiorix near Schuman and is a nice area with parks, shops and several Irish Pubs!
As for the job its fantastic. And I tell you this, anybody who tells you the European Parliament doesn't matter and has no power don't have a clue! The policy work done here daily is vastly important, and several times over the last few months the EP has brought the Commission and Council of Ministers crashing down. The place is great and I'm happy to be a part of it!
2) Blizzards and Booze-ups... 19/3/07
Hi all,
Bet you thought you were rid of me by now, well unlucky! How are you all? I'm very well, despite the freak blizzard that engulfed Brussels today! At one point you couldn't see out of the window it was so thick but now just as quick its all melted, weird, but apparently it happens quite regulary!?!?!?
Finally did some touristy stuff, visiting the Grand Place, the Cathedral and the Royal Palace and its Parks. The one problem with the Grand Place is it ain't that Grand! The buildings are great and ridiculously oppulent and sculpted but the actual square is tiny! Wind assisted I do believe you could spit the distance!
The Park was abit dishevelled too. I don't know why but all the fountains in the city have been allowed to go dry, its actually quite depressing when you look at them filled with skate-boarding scallies (true Belgian scallies are particularly comical. I think it would take about three of them to take on a scally from Stoke for example).
Last week the Parliament was having its monthly Plenary session in Strasbourg (which by the way is oppossed by basically every MEP but is only continued because the French Gov like to think Stras is the Capital of Europe, not Brussels, and they would veto any attempt to change it! Sign the petition at www.oneseat.eu) and so I was left in charge in Brussels, guarding the office! Of course, most of the action was going on in Stras. Despite this I still had plenty to do but also had time to get to know the other Stagiare's and generally have fun!
Obviously last weekend was a train wreck of a piss up - thank you very much St Patrick! But its true you know, wherever you are, Guinness tastes different...
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