Glad to see you've reached the STUDS of Belgium blog. We post events that may be of interest to our members and the English speaking community in Brussels. STUDS was started as an English speaking social group of trailing spouses who were either working here on assignment, or based permanently. It has evolved into more of an English speaking social group for both expats and locals. If you would like to learn more about STUDS or our weekly Friday luncheon, (just show up) please click over to the STUDS website.

Easter Egg Hunt in Brussels Parks

Hit the Parks on Sunday 31 March for a big Easter Egg Hunt in public parks around Brussels!

  Hot on the heels of the overwhelming success of Brusselicious, a massive Easter Egg Hunt will take place in association with 10 Brussels municipalities.

300 000 eggs, supplied by the Belgian chocolate brand Leonidas, are set to be hidden for the picking on 31 March at the following public places:

 

Anderlecht : Astrid Park at 15 : 00 (access via E. Rombaux Square)

Auderghem/Oudergem: Square du Sacré-Coeur/Heilig-Hart Square at 14 : 00

Brussels : Brussels Park at 13 : 30 – in collaboration with BEL RTL (access via Place des Palais/Paleizenplein)

Ixelles/Elsene : Viaduct Park at 14 : 30 (access via Rue du Viaductstraat, 133)

Evere : Clair-Vivre school at 10:30 – in collaboration with Peps Evere (access via Constant Permeke Avenue, 36)

Sint-Gilles : Pierre Paulus Park at 13 : 30 (access via Rue de Parme/Parmastraat, 69)

Sint-Josse-ten-Node : Liedekerke Park & Felix Delhaye Square at 14:00

Uccle/Ukkel : Wolvendael Park at 15 : 00 (access via Dieweg)

Watermael-Boitsfort/Watermaal-Bosvoorde : Tournay-Solvay Park at 15 : 00 (access via Chée. de La Hulpe/Terhulpsesteenweg)

Forest/Vorst : Forest Park (access via Rochefort Place) at 13 : 00

The event is free of charge. No registration required. Just turn up on the day!

The 29th Art Brussels - Contemporary Art Fair

Now in its 29th year, the Art Brussels art fair, which will run from Thursday 28 April to Sunday 1 May 2011 is already being heralded as a must-see event for all lovers of contemporary art. Art Brussels is a global player in the contemporary art field and manages, now more than ever, to maintain itself at the top of the major international art fairs. More than 400 galleries from 33 countries have submitted an application in the hope of being selected for the exhibition. The international selection committee selected 170 art galleries. Roughly one quarter of the galleries are Belgian, the remainder are from Europe and all over the world. They present a variety of works by young and established talent and guarantee an interesting mix of conceptual art, contemporary painting, sculpture, photography, video, installations and performances. The emphasis, as always, is on quality. Every year, Art Brussels gains in importance. This art fair is widely considered to be one of the major European contemporary art fairs and is gaining in importance every year. Thirty thousand professionals, collectors and art lovers are expected to travel to Brussels from across Europe and even beyond. Every year in April, Brussels is rightfully considered the European centre for contemporary art. The 1,500 artists represented at the fair includes young, emerging talent, but also established names show a selection of their best paintings, sculptures, photographs, video and other installations.

Art Brussels Thursday, 28 April – Sunday, 1 May 2011
Opening hours Preview Wed 27/04: 12 – 4 pm (by invitation only)
Vernissage Wed 27/04 4 pm – 10 pm (by invitation only)
Fair Thu 28/04 – Sun 01/05: 12 am till 7 pm
Venue Brussels Expo - Halls 1 & 3
Place de Belgique, 1 BE-1020 Brussels

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

Spring STUDS Dinner at La Soeur du Patron

A nice spring STUDS dinner at La Soeur du Patron on Saturday night. A very eclectic restaurant, the food was good, and conversation wonderful as usual. Thanks to Henri for organising everything.

The British and Commonwealth Women's Club of Brussels Brocante

The British Women's Club is having their Spring Market Saturday April 2nd from 10:00- 13:00 with free entrance. Some of the things up for sale will be jewelry and accessories, toys and games, linens, kitchen goods and many things miscellaneous. There will also be a cake stall and refreshments. Rue au Bois 509, Woluwe St. Pierre, MAP BCWBC WEBSITE

April STUDS lunch at Café Restaurant de la Forêt

April's monthly lunch will be Wed. 6th at Café Restaurant de la Forêt at noon.

The Restaurant is a classic in Jesus-Eik where the staff has been the same for years. Maybe you'll get Phillipe and his famous moustache as your waiter. They also have a nice terrace, so hopefully the weather is good.

Café Restaurant de la Forêt

MAP-Brusselsesteenweg 650

3090 OVERIJSE(Jezus-Eik)

FACEBOOK

STUDS Spring Dinner Saturday April 2

The Studs Spring Dinner with Significant Others will be held Saturday April 2nd at La Soeur du Patron. Aspiring members are always welcome to attend also. Just email prior to the event for a menu selection.

Drinks at 19:30
Chaussée de Wavre 1700
1160 Brussels ( Auderghem ) .

Where to get the best ICE CREAM in Brussels

As the nice weather unfolds on us this week I have to unload my connoisseur opinion on a subject dear to my heart.... ICE CREAM. I don't drink enough to take advantage of the Belgian Beer, but I do make up for it in waffles, chocolate, and ice cream. In a cone, between wafers, out of a cup, or an IV tube, as I prefer.... here is an around town selection of Brussels ice-cream parlours.

With its eight locations in Brussels, Capoue seems to have become king of the hill. They have homemade ice-creams and sorbets which you can eat in, or take away. Besides the regular flavors, they have some originals like champagne, bounty, or mojito, and they will also deliver to your office.

If you are in the Grand Place area... near the Bourse, try Comus & Gasterea and the Caribou . Nearby is Sikou, on the Parvis de Saint-Gilles, dishing out homemade bio ice-cream. Both Häagen-Dazs and the Australian have locations at the entrance to the Grand Place right across from each other, so you can watch the mimes and statues while licking your cones. My vote for the best people watching corner in Brussels.

If you are at the Wednesday Market in the Châtelain , take a break in the garden of Framboisier Doré . A bit lower down Avenue Louise you can hit the Häagen-Dazs, and watch the 'women who shop' parade by.

The Woluwe shopping center has a location for the the Australian too, if you prefer to do your licking inside. This place doesn't only serve ice cream, it also serves authentic Belgian waffles too.

In Uccle, it turns into a war of Capulet and Montaigu proportion as most native Belgians belong to one of two parlours. Some swear by Zizi, (French slang for a certain male body part).... others will tell you that Il Gelato is all that. I'm not going to make a call on this other than to say they are both probably a step above the rest. If you see this not as a problem....but an opportunity like I do.... It's just an excuse to have to patronise both.

Leave your comment if we left out your favorite, or you have a discovery to share.

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The Cube by Electrolux at the Parc du Cinquantenaire

Appliance giant Electrolux is planning to open up a series of pop-up restaurants this spring atop the famous monuments and mountains of Europe. The Cube from Electrolux is a dining room with a max capacity of 18 that is set to make its debut atop Brussels’ arc of the Parc du Cinquantenaire. It ain't cheap....lunch is €150, while dinner will set you back a cool €200....you do get drinks with that.

The Cube will feature a different hand-picked resident chef at each venue and will offer tailor-made recipes using locally sourced ingredients and all prepared on state-of-the-art Electrolux appliances. When guests first arrive the 140sqm space will be open for entertaining and some great sight seeing, especially from the external platform. When dinner is served the concealed dining table will drop from the ceiling so as to sit the 18 guests before being raised again for after dinner drinks and mingling.

The aim is to create an experience that surprises and inspires guests with fantastic tastes and never-before-seen views, ultimately stimulating them to explore their own creative boundaries next time they entertain friends or family at home.

Italian architects Parks Associati are the geniuses behind The Cube. It has a 140 sq. meter dinning room and 50 sq. meter terrace. Two cubes have been built and are set to stop in Italy, Russia, Switzerland, and Sweden.

The Cube will offer meals twice a day, starting March 25th, everyday, for three months in each location – lunch between 12:30-15:00 and dinner from 18:00 to 23:00 (TBC per location) during the week and special brunch and dinner times at the weekend. Bookings can be made on-line for the Belgium Cube with a global booking facility available shortly for other locations.

Saint Patrick’s Guinness Irish Festival in Brussels

The festival has already started with the parade last Sunday, but some key events in the days leading up to St. Pats Day.

March 16th: Irish-American Social & Network Evening....(To celebrate the special Irish- American 40 million Irish Diaspora relationship...all nationalities are welcome) Guinness & Cocktails jive together with music by NATO Jazz Messengers, with special guest appearance by Carmel Dempsey.
Free entrance if you pre-register at: irish.american.evening@gmail.com
At the Aloft Brussels Schuman hotel, smart casual dress

March 17th: St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, The World meets the Irish in Brussels. 5 euro.......free entrance if you pre-register at irish.and.world.party@gmail.com wear the green!
At the Aloft Brussels Schuman hotel

You can find information about living and working in Brussels, holidays in Belgium and Ireland, as well as information about all the Festival events at the Belga-Ireland Tourism & Information stand at the Fáilte Isteach exhibition room in the Aloft Brussels Schuman Hotel. WEBSITE

The Brussels Book Swapper Club

The Brussels Book Swappers Club meets every fourth Wednesday of the month to swap books. Books in English and other major languages are available for exchange. There is no membership fee.

The Club offers a fun way to get rid of books that you have read and reread... freeing-up shelf space for new titles! Bookworms from the greater Brussels area now have a fun new venue to discover new authors; make friends; exchange views on the books on display....and chat in various languages while enjoying the ambiance of the brasserie.

The club meets at Aux Enfants Terribles

Chaussée de La Hulpe 190

Watermael-Boitsfort (Bruxelles)

Facebook Page

contact Karen to get added to the email list

abkginfo@skynet.be

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Its the start of the Carnival Weekend in Belgium..and that means Binche

There are tons of great festivals and events that take place throughout the year in Belgium, but few can rival the tradition and exuberance of the Carnival of Binche. Every February on the three days leading up to Lent, the town of Binche puts on its world-famous carnival, which is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Binche, is found in the Walloon region of the country, which is predominantly French-speaking. It is a small Medieval town with just over 30,000 residents, but this small town knows how to throw a party.

On Fat Monday, the Gilles dance in the streets of Binche to music that is supplied by barrel organ players. There is a confetti battle on Fat Monday as well, and the highlights also feature the circle of friendship that is formed by members from various youth groups.

Monday ends in fireworks, which helps to continue the fanfare, but no day is bigger than Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras. Fat Tuesday is the only day in which the famed Gilles wear their costumes all day long, from sunup to sundown.

In addition to the Gilles, harlequins, Pierrots, and peasant characters help to make Fat Tuesday even more special, and you’ll want to pay attention to the fancy footwork that some of the dancers put on. The last procession on Mardi Gras takes place at around 3 p.m., and it is when the Gilles are known to toss oranges to and at crowd members, so keep your eyes peeled.

After the last procession, folks generally mill about the town center, enjoying further celebrations. The evening is capped off with the week’s best fireworks show.


Some other Carnivals around Belgium worth checking out:

Carvaval de Malmedy March 5-8

Carnaval de Amay March 6

Carnaval de la Grosse Biesse Marche en Famenne March 5 and 6

Carnaval de Aalst March 6

CANTILLION BREWERY TOUR Saturday March 5th

Cantillon Brewery is a small, family-owned brewery but since 1978, it has run primarily as the Brussel’s Gueze Museum. Having seen few changes since it opened in 1900, the brewery is working museum exhibit of late 19th-century brewery technology.

It is operated by the Van Roy-Cantillon family as a brewery for lambic, gueuze, faro, and kriek – all beers that are made with wild strains of yeast and undergo spontaneous fermentation. When it was founded, it was just one of many gueuze breweries in Brussels, but today it is the last.

Walking into Cantillon for a tour is like stepping back in time.

From 6h30 to 17h, the Master brewer, his family and friends invite you to the great brewering fair and propose you to experience the various steps in the traditional production of the Lambic and Gueuze.

ITINERARY: SATURDAY MARCH 5TH
In a 19th Century brewery with its original equipment

from 7.00 to 9.00 Brewing process
from 9 to 13.00 Filtration and hopping
from 12.00 to 15.00 Cooking
at 15.30 Pumping of wort into the cooling tun
from 7.00 to 12.00 Barrel cleaning "ancient method"

Guided tours every 2 hours as from 7.00

Admission fee: EUR 6 per person - this includes guided tour and one drink of your choice

Croissants and coffee are proposed until 8.30, free of charge

56 rue Gheude
1070 Brussels
5' from the Gare du Midi

Area map

Belgium has Europe's worst customer service!

Belgium has a great reputation when it comes to things like beer, chocolate or waffles. But any Belgian will tell you that when it comes to customer service, their country ranks among the worst in Europe. If you googled Belgian customer service you'd have anough reading material for a week.

But now, there’s a television program that’s attempting to take on the biggest offenders, while showing Belgians they don’t have to take it anymore. The show is called “Basta,” which means “enough.” It’s part “60 Minutes,” part “The Daily Show,” and part “Punk’d.” It’s made by four self-described “young, stupid guys” who got their start as a comedy sketch group.

Jelle De Beule, one of the four members of the troupe, said that Belgium is really a “goody two-shoes country.” He added that, “During history, we’ve always been conquered by the Spanish, by the French, by the Austrians. But all we do is mumble and get a little mad about it. We don’t fight the system. We just go inside, sit in our living rooms, and get mad about it.”

So, how does Basta try to get Belgians off their couches? “We inject a little humor,” De Beule said. “We don’t try to be too political about it. It’s better to put a little sugar on the spoon to make the syrup taste better.”

Case in point: When the Basta boys wanted to expose the horrible customer service of Mobistar, a major cell phone company in Belgium, they hid in a large shipping container, and then had the container plunked down right in front of Mobistar’s executive parking lot, blocking the entrance.

Mobistar’s security guard called the number on the outside of the shipping container, which rang straight through to the Basta team inside, on camera.
Watch the video:



One of the next targets might be the Belgian government itself. After all, he said, the country’s been without a government for more than 250 days. Why not, he said, give voters the chance to punk the politicians who can’t seem to get their own act together?

Zythos Bier Festival 2011...The Biggest Beer Festival in Belgium

Just like last year..... 40 to 50 Stands will be staffed by Brewers or beer companies. At all of these stands you can exchange a token for a tasty Belgian Beer served in a 15cl glass in a non smoking environment.

You rent the glass at the entrance, although you get to keep it. To get an idea of which beers will be available you can check out the beer list from 2010.
At the front back and middle of the hall you will find seats and tables provided to allow you to rest between beers. There is a food corner provided for those who need to do something besides drink.

Only a short train trip from Brussels Central Station

Contact Kjeld if you plan to go with the group Kjeld.Jensen@skynet.be

Saturday 5th of March From 12:00 to Midnight
Sunday 6th of March From 11:00 to 9pm.
Location: the “Stadsfeestzaal” in St.-Niklaas

MUSEUM NIGHT FEVER FEBRUARY 26TH

On the 26th of February, Museum Night Fever will be braving the wintry weathers once again to offer you a wild night! 19 Brussels museums and over 500 young people have let their creativity run free to concoct a seismic program.

Pop, Rock, and folk concerts.... games, fashion shows, installations, dance, performances... and a spectacular afterparty at BOZAR.

If you think that you already know the Brussels Museums inside out, you might want to give it another try.

7pm to 1am with after party til 3am

The Museum of the City of Brussels is inviting you to find out all about a Brussels work without using your eyes. This time the legend of Manneken Pis will be told in sign language. History of art students will also be presenting their favourite masterpieces.
Program Coudenberg
Visitors can discover the Coudenberg, the former palace of Charles V. There will also be a renaissance ball (workshop).

The 19 participating museums
Museum of the City of Brussels (Maison du Roi)
Coudenberg
Architecture Museum
Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and of Military History
Art & Marges Museum
Museum of the National Bank of Belgium
BELvue Museum
Brussels Info Place
Bozar
La Fonderie
Ixelles Museum
Museum of Fantastic Art
MIM
Royal Monnaie Theatre (workshops)
Jewish Museum of Belgium
Museum of Natural Sciences
Porte de Hal
Wiels
Wiertz Museum

Stand Up Brussels

ANDREW LAWRENCE (UK)
PAUL SINHA (UK)
MARLON DAVIS (UK)

STAND UP BRUSSELS

Show lasts from 8:30-10:30 on Saturday March 5th.

Venue: THEATRE 140,

140 Ave. Eugène Plasky 140, 1030 Brussels, a 10-minute walk from the Commission. More venue info here.
Bar opens at 7 pm. Show starts at 8.30 pm.

A delicious Indian Meal is served from 7.15 pm - 8.10 pm for € 10.00.
Tickets are €26 per person. No discounts.

The Belgians protest naked (video)

This is a protest that the STUDS fully endorse and would like to get behind.

There have been many dumb protests in Belgium thus far. One prominent actor has urged men to join a national shaving boycott, while a Ghent-based senator suggested women go on a "sex strike" until a new cabinet is formed. Others are staging a "fries revolution" to express their frustration with the non-government.

Dave puts on another Burns Supper

Every year on his birthday, January 25th, the world remembers and celebrates the life and works of Scottish Poet, Robert Burns, “The Bard” of Scotland..... effectively a second National Day, for Scots.

In his short 37 years, Robert Burns(25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796) also known as Rabbie Burns or The Bard of Ayshire, and known in Scotland simply as “The Bard”, penned an amazing repertoire of poetry and lyrics popular to this day.

The Burns evening was a great success. Dave Sapiro went to a great deal of trouble to organise the event, including printing the menu with a list of whiskeys to be sampled and various Burns poems.

Alan Welch won the whiskey tasting competition for which he received a complimentary haggis, specially imported by Mark (also a STUD) of the English Shop in Tervuren.

Going Away Party for Andy & Colleen

A great evening was had by all for a going away party for Andy & Colleen at Le Mess on Saturday evening. They are headed back to Canberra Australia to work at the Embassy there.


MORE PICTURES HERE


A bittersweet evening...... as Andy will be sorely missed for the great job he has done as President organising activities and holding the club together over the last two years.....and most of all, just being a great STUD. They promise to stay in touch though, and it is a good vacation spot...so we'll hold them to it.

Now meet Henri, whose face you will be getting used to as our new president. Henri has been here since this summer and is from South Africa, his wife Lorenci works for the South African embassy in Brussels.

He made the mistake of showing up for dinner and got elected president. Hey.....stuff happens. He seems anxious to fill Andy's shoes, so we wish him the best of luck.

Dave and Uli just had a baby this spring and I'm not really sure if they were aware of the party for Andy. They got a babysitter for the evening and were having their own party back in the corner.