International Festival Week features USA

An old-fashioned country fair, right here in Belgium. BBQ pork sandwiches, hot dogs, homemade apple pies and lots of other US-style goodies.

Ring toss games and pie-eating contests for the kids.

Stop by and say hello to fellow STUD Brian, for a little slice of Americana.

Website
Location:International School of Brussels
Kattenberg 19
1170 Brussels
Directions to ISB
More information: Contact Mehul Randery at intfestival@isb.be

International Festival Week features Austrailia

Once again Australia will be represented by a small group of enthusiastic supporters who will be presenting visitors with a taste of Downunder!

There will be Pavlova, ANZAC cookies, Lamingtons and a variety of other goodies and souvenirs. Andy, a fellow STUD, pictured far right, will be leading the charge.

Crush Wines , a retailer of Australian Wines in Brussels, will also be a part of our stall. Providing an opportunity to sample and purchase a range of the Australian wines available in Belgium. As in the past, there will be small boomerangs, toy kangaroos and Koalas on sale for the kids.

Website

Location:International School of Brussels

Kattenberg 19

1170 Brussels

Directions to ISB

More information: Contact Mehul Randery at intfestival@isb.be

33RD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL AT THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BRUSSELS (ISB)

One of our own STUDS... (Mehul) has organised the annual International Festival once again this year at the ISB. Let’s get out there this weekend in an attempt to make him look good. In the following days we will be previewing the different countries of the fair every day on the blog. Be sure to check back daily for updates.

The International School of Brussels Family Association will hold its 33rd International Festival on Saturday, 28 March 2009 from 10:00-17:00. The festival, a celebration of the diversity of cultures represented at ISB, brings together the entire Brussels community for a unique one day event.

At the Festival attendees have the opportunity to experience different parts of the world through food, costume, and music. The day also includes free entertainment from around the world at the ISB theatre.

Children will enjoy participating in face painting, the World Games, or any of the many other fun events planned for the day. At 11:00 the Parade of Nations is always a highlight of the day for all attending.

The festival is an experience for both the eyes and senses, and is great fun for the entire family. Everyone is welcome - from the ISB community to the greater Brussels community.

There is no entrance fee and ISB will be providing free shuttle bus service from Groenendaal and Boitsfort Station every 15 minutes between 10:00-17:00. Free parking is available at both stations during the day. NO PARKING AVAILABLE ON CAMPUS.

If you have any questions, or would like to volunteer for an hour or two, please contact the Family Association at festival2009@randery.com.

We invite you to come and celebrate the great diversity of the ISB community.

Website

Location:International School of Brussels
Kattenberg 19
1170 Brussels

Directions to ISB

More information: Contact Mehul Randery at intfestival@isb.be

Happy Saint Paddy's Day

The Riverdance Dancing Bears

The Obligatory Irish Joke

Three Irishmen are sitting around in a tavern, debating which is the best pub.

The first says, "Aye, this is a nice bar, but where I come from, there's a better one. At MacDougal's, you buy a drink, then you buy another drink and then MacDougal himself will buy your third drink!"

The second then starts, "That sounds like a nice pub but, where I come from, there's a better one called Quinn's. At Quinn's, you buy a drink, Quinn buys you a drink. You buy another drink, Quinn buys you another drink."

Then the third pipes up, "You think that's good? Where I come from, there's this place called Murphy's. At Murphy's, they buy you your first drink, they buy you your second drink, they buy you your third drink and then, they take you in the back and get you laid!"

"Wow!" exclaim the other two. "That sounds fantastic! Did that actually happen to ye?"

"No," replies their friend, "But it happened to me sister!"

The Antwerp Diamond Heist....explained

Great story on the Antwerp Diamond Heist....you almost have to think there is a movie waiting to be made on this.

This article will appear in Wired magazine's April issue, on sale March 24, 2009. It is being published online now because the subject of the story, Leonardo Notarbartolo, was released from prison in Belgium this week.....didn't he used to be a Ninja Turtle?

STUDS BALL PICTURES 2009

Although it was a limited number, due to what seemed like just a very conflicting date for a lot of guys, I think it was one of the better STUDSballs we've had......too bad for those of you who missed it.

We had an intimate room to ourselves at Auberge des Maieurs for a great fondue evening, and of course plenty of drinking. We also had a STUDS first as Ray arrived with two women....neither of which was his wife. Ray...you da man!

Everyone had a chance to previously request three songs to be played after dinner, but they had to give the reason behind their choices. We had a lot of fun with that and Kjeld had a great choice for the STUDS International Anthem at the top.

If anyone has a better idea for that, leave your comment....or any other one at the bottem.

CHEERS!

Take a minute to read Joe's post on the beer festival this weekend

Ed giving the annual "State of the STUDS address"

Ed & Kathy

Kjeld & Heather
DJ

Cathal & Mary

Kees & Nina

Ray and his entourage...Johanne & Sherie

Tony & Cathryn

Randy & Mireille

World famous Zythos Beer Festival this weekend

Zythos Beer Fest - The reborn cousin of the 24 hours of Beer fest, offers a wide range of Belgian beer often served by the brewer.
No need to change a winning combination....Just like the previous festivals there will be around sixty brewers and numerous beer marketing companies presenting their finest brews.

By purchasing €1 coins you can have your 15cl tasting glass (deposit €3) filled with liquid candy. Throughout the hall, resting places are set up and there's a food bazaar . It is prohibited to smoke within the complex.

In order to keep the festival going, the organizers sell beer merchandising at the entrance. Sint-Niklaas can be easily reached by train from Brussels, Leuven, Gent and Antwerpen. The location is only 150m from the station. And there's parking next to the building.
BEERFEST WEBSITE

Public Brewing Session at Cantillon

From 6:30am to 5 pm, on Saturday March 8th, Master brewer Jean-Pierre Van Roy, alias Mr. Cantillon, his family and friends, invite you to a brewing demonstration to experience the various steps in the traditional production of the Lambic and Gueuze beers.

Cantillon Brewery (Brasserie-Brouwerij Cantillon) is a small Belgian traditional family brewery based in Brussels and founded in 1900. Although it has been managed by the Van Roy family after the last Cantillon left it to his son-in-law Jean-Pierre Van Roy, the name Cantillon has been kept.

It brews lambic beers like kriek and gueuze in the traditional style, unchanged since it was founded. It is the last lambic brewery in Brussels. More recently it started making Iris, a spontaneously fermented beer that, unusually, does not contain wheat and is made with fresh hops, and as a result is thus technically not a lambic.

It is also the Gueuze Museum in Brussels, and is open to the public to tour and see the maturing beer, and watch the brewing and bottling processes.
Taste-wise, Cantillon's beers are quite tart and dry compared to for instance the industrial, artificially sweetened geuze and kriek of Mort Subite.
The brewery is located in Anderlecht, at 56 rue Gheude

Cantillon website

6.30 to 9.00: brewing process

9 to 13.00: filtration and hopping

12.00 to 15.00: cooking

15.30: pumping of wort into the cooling tun

6.30 to 12.00: barrel cleaning "ancient method"

Guided tours every 2 hours as from 7am Croissants and coffee are available until 8.30, free of charge.

Brussels Museum Night is back

So you think you already know all about the Brussels Museums? Well, Museum Night Fever is back after a very successful run last year. Saturday March 7th from 7pm till 1 in the morning 14 city-centre museums present Museum Night Fever.

Concerts, electro-architecturale performances, dance steps, and guided tours... by students, academies, in cooperation with the Museums. A Red Bull dance Party will carry on till 3am.

Check the Museums website for itinerary.