The Brussels Tribune N°8

Oeuvre de Patrick Van Roy (photo) et François Avril (dessin) à voir à la galerie Petits Papiers jusqu'au 17 octobre

Brussels goes comic crazy

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Mensuel gratuit réalisé par La Tribune de Bruxelles - N°8 - Octobre 2009

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XIN LILIANG / WU QINGXUN (DESIGNERS) - LA PROJECTIONNISTE DU VILLAGE

Start

Europalia.china: discover the land of the rising sun To celebrate its 40th birthday, Europalia will be bringing China to Belgium. The schedule of activities is, like China, huge. p.5

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Cultural Diary p.4-5 Art & Galleries p.6 People p.7 Euro Culture p.8-10 Socialising p.11 Focus on... p.12-15 Comics in Brussels Real Estate p.16-18 Sport p.19 Ex-pat football league Shopping p.20 Afterwork p.22 Weborama p.23

Comics galore!

As you can see from the front cover, our focus this month is on the final few months of Brussels’ Year of the Comic Strip. The Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée is a must, especially on 3 and 4 October when dressing up as a cartoon character gets you in for free! There’s lots more, including military comics, slightly risqué comics, photo/comics (a new genre?) and a festival in St Gilles. We also have an interview with cartoon expert Hugues Dayez. In sport, we tell you about an expat football league and in our new section called ‘Socialising’ we look at gyms. In another new section, ‘Euroculture’, we look at a number of events marking the 20th anniversary of the Goethe Institut Brussels plus a selection of other Brussels’ goings-on (movies, art, cinema etc.). If you need help relocating to Brussels, check out our ‘Property’ page. We also have a page on the Afro-Brazilian martial art capoeira, a preview of Europalia China, news about jazz and lots lots more!

Julian Hale - TheBrusselsTribune@tbx.be

Euro Culture Goethe Institut Brussels turns 50 p.8 KLAUS RUDOLPH - MUSIK FABRIK

The Brussels Tribune does not take any responsibility for the accuracy of content of blogs/websites - that is up to the reader.

THE BRUSSELS TRIBUNE - Rue des Francs, 79 1040 Bruxelles www.tribunedebruxelles.be REDACTION: Tél.: 02 211 30 51- TheBrusselsTribune@tbx.be Coordination : Elodie Weymeels Ont collaboré à ce numéro : Julian Hale, Michèle Schoonjans, Charlotte Mickolajczak,Wasabi, Sally Pidgeon, Elodie Weymeels.

COMMERCIALISATION : Contacts : Michael Grünik (0495.578.535) Michaël Cohen (0475.254.071) Hatim Elmajd (0498.629.237)

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EDITEUR RESPONSABLE : François le Hodey MISE EN PAGE: Azur Graphic, Daphné De Ridder IMPRESSION : Sodimco The Brussels Tribune est imprimé sur du papier recyclé. Vous aussi respectez l’environnement en glissant votre magazine dans un sac ad hoc après sa lecture !

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Cultural Diary En bref

h Côté Campagne Le salon Côté Campagne c’est de la décoration, des objets de charme, de l’art de la table, des idées pour l'aménagement du jardin et de la terrasse, un marché de produits fins à déguster et pour les plus jeunes: le village « enfants » avec ses nombreuses activités. Et pour son 5e anniversaire, Côté Campagne, évènement incontournable de la décoration d’intérieur, met le cap sur la « Green Attitude »!

Au programme

également : de nombreuses démonstrations et conférences sur les couleurs, la maison Feng Shui, la chaux et ses nombreuses applications, les nouveaux enduits, l’habitat au naturel, les murs végétaux. Sans oublier « le village enfants »: poney, grimage, cours de cuisine, clown, ateliers natures, cours de peinture, etc..

U Les 9, 10 et 11/10, de 12h à 19h le 9 octobre et de 10h à 19h les 10 et 11 octobre. Ferme du château de Corroy-le-Grand, Chemin de Serrui, 4 -1325 Corroy-le-Grand. 7 ?, gratuit pour les enfants de moins de 12 ans. Chiens en laisse admi Infos : www.fureurdelire.be

h Bravo la Nuit Blanche !

Cette année, la 3e édition de BRXLBRAVO et la 8e édition de

NUIT BLANCHE auront lieu le même week-end, du 2 au 4 octobre. Cela va être un florilège d'activités en tous genres ! Le fait de joindre ces deux événements au sein d'un même partenariat dans le cadre de l'Année européenne de la Créativité et de l'Innovation ne peut que valoriser le dynamisme culturel et la richesse artistique de la capitale de l'Europe !

U Infos : www.nuitblanchebrussels.be ou www.brxlbravo.be

The jazz season is up and running! g And it’ll be going on just a stone’s

throw from the European quarter in three places with some complementary and eclectic music.

Every year, from October to May, the ‘Les Lundis d'Hortense’ association organises a number of concerts that show the variety and quality of the booming Belgian jazz scene.

The ‘Gare au Jazz’ [Watch out for jazz] series” has something going on every Wednesday at the Jazz Station.

Located in a completely restored old station, this Brussels club is an enchanting one thanks to its modern architecture and its jazz-inspired decor. Architect Paul Delaby converted this station into a jazz place back in 2002. The dominant colours are black and white, essential colours for jazz. And some things remind you of its African origins, such as its zebra-striped wall. It all takes place in a pleasant, comfortable spot enjoying good acoustics so that you can enjoy the selection of things you fall for instantly: varied and quality jazz played by well-established musicians and up-and-coming young talent. The ‘Gare au Jazz’ concerts are every Wednesday at 8.30pm at the Jazz Station, located on Chaussée de Louvain, between Schuman, Madou and Place Dailly.

A shorter version of this comes in the form of the ‘Midis Jazz’ [Jazz at noon] series of events, which has musicians

Attention, à la Fureur de lire To spread the word about reading in a fun way and to distribute the programme of activities related to this, reading ambassadors coached by the Magic Land Théâtre will go to meet people in public areas in Brussels and Wallonia from 14 to 18 October. They will invited them, with humour and poetry, to read an extract from their magazines/newspapers/ books to camera. These creations of sound and video will be put online on the www.fureurdelire.cfwb.be website. This year, there’s something new : a ‘Lectomaton competition’ will be organised and a whole load of other activities !

Infos : www.fureurdelire.be

Architect Paul Delaby converted this station into a jazz venue back in 2002. doing solos or performing in duets so that people can while away an hour at midday. Also organised from April to October, they take place in the Musical Instruments Museum, at the Charlier Museum and at the Music House.

The events are great opportunities to discover artists in intimate surroundings that often have good acoustics.

And the price is pretty low too ! ‘Midis Jazz’ concerts are from 12.30 until 1.30pm. Some of the concerts are at the Charlier Museum, next to Madou metro.

U More info : Les Lundis d’Hortense asbl, c/o Jazz Station.

Chaussée de Louvain 193a-195. 1210 St-Josse. Tel : 02 219 58 51. LDH@jazzinbelgium.org. www.jazzinbelgium.com

Textiles and their ‘Creative Space’ You just can’t help feeling full of curiosity during Design September ! This is too good an opportunity to make sure you see the collection of LcD textiles close up. The collection is a limited edition of materials made up of technical fibres that have been worked on in a semiartisanal way in Belgium, France and Italy. Copper is a key part of it.

The materials used all have technical performance properties used in other applications (e.g. cellophane or the horsehair in fishing rods).

The collection is dedicated to light. All the textiles are translucent and can be used either in space, around windows and for things like screens, blinds or partitions, on walls or seats, or for spectacular patches around the body for haute couture and for the theatre, or for fashion accessories (e.g. hats, bags etc.). Really cool !!

U Creative Space Kreon-Pro Materia (exhibitions, events, workshops etc.)

Rue de la Chancellerie 19 , B-1000 Brussels // +32 (0) 2 768 25 10 From Monday to Saturday from 11am until 5pm or by appointment // Shut on Sundays and bank holidays

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Cultural Diary

Europe gets into « China » mode g Europalia.china, which is celebrating its 40th

anniversary this year. will be officially launched on 8 October. People will be able to discover this huge and booming country, which generates curiosity, fascination and concern in equal measure, via this huge cultural event.

It’s been going on for forty years ! From October to February, the Europalia festival will get going in Brussels and in a number of Belgian towns and towns in neighbouring countries. There’ll be lots of art on show : music, plastic arts, cinema, theatre, dance, literature and more. For four months, the whole of Belgium and its neighbouring regions ‘dress up’ as the guest country. On 8 October, Europalia International will open its 22nd festival, dedicated to China. The festival will include 50 exhibitions and 450 events all over Belgium and in some towns of neighbouring countries : Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. It’s a huge and eclectic programme which will have something for everyone !

Europalia has become one of the most important cultural festivals in Europe. This is partly because of the number of events and the range of artistic disciplines on show and partly because it draws such a large audience and covers such a wide area.

Most of the festivals have attracted over a million visitors !

Initially, Europalia was organised every two years.

It then welcomed the first members of the European Community: Italy, the Netherlands, Great Britain, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Belgium, Greece and Spain.

Then it was Austria’s turn in 1987, a candidate country at the time. Then, in 1989, it was Japan. In 1991 it came to back to Europe to welcome Portugal before looking towards the Americas in 1993 with Mexico.

Chinese nationals taking part in a tea-making ceremony two years. It then opened itself up to Europe’s neighbouring countries and to major powers in the form of Russia, in 2005. In 2007, for the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, Europalia organised a special festival with the 27 member states of the EU.

From 1998 to 2003, the festival took place every year and was primarily a way to show off the culture of eastern European countries who were then candidates to join the EU : Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Bulgaria. Since then, with Italy in 2003, Europalia went back to being every

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Galleries Three exibitions at Meessen De Clercq's is currently exhibiting three outstanding artists. Ellen Harvey (°1967), a New York-based artist, presents two sets of her works.

‘Collection of impossible subjects’ (a masterpiece) and ‘Invisible Self-Portrait in My Studio’ invite the visitor to think about the field of all that is possible but also on the impossibility of representing reality. Vincent Fortemps (°1967), Belgian author & editor of comic strips. ‘Into the Darkness’ is the title of next his publication. His drawings, full of scents and musicality, emphasise the solitude of the individual facing the immensity and the brutality of the world. This comprehensive and detailed work, rhythmical in a dense and subtle way, will delight the reader. Jamie Sholvin (°1978), conceptual British artist. His work refers to the protest of the victorious Afro-American athletes at the Olympic Games of Mexico City in 1968. The artist uses the colours of the American flag and positions the wax mouldings on a base so that it looks like the steps of a podium. With his work, Sholvin focuses on the resistance of oppressed people and the racist problems that afflict the United States.

U (1) Ellen Harvey – The Empty Collections. (2) Vincent Fortemps – Into the Darkness. (3) Jamie Sholvin - Untitled (Hero/Slave) >17.10.09. MSSNDCLRCQ – Rue de l’Abbaye, 2a – 1000 Brussels T/ 02 – 644 34 54 – www.meessendeclercq.com. Tuesday – Saturday 12noon – 6pm. Free entrance

And the third prize is… David De Tscharner, third prize winner in the Art’Contest competition, agreed to take up the challenge to customize the Reva (the small urban electric car that has recorded the most car sales in the world) and to decorate it with a lot of humour and creativity. It will be an opportunity for him to be handed the keys of the new look Reva, which he will drive this autumn in Brussels, and at the same time for art-lovers to see Art Contest first prize winner Maxime Brygo's magnificent photos one last time.

This is an unusual event, to which everyone is welcome!

U One off – Art’Contest Part II . David De Tscharner – Reva Customization . 07.10.09 – 6:30pm-9pm. WE Project – Rue Emile Regard, 20- 1180 Brussels. www.weproject.be, www.artcontest.be .

Free entrance

Contemporary Art | Exhibition

Brand mark Artists Gilbert & George (an Italian/British duo) are perhaps best known for their large scale photographic works, which look like stained glass. They are also known to put themselves, their thoughts and their feelings at the centre of their art and almost all of the images they use are gathered within walking distance of their home in London’s East End. Yet their pictures capture a broad human experience, encompassing an astonishing range of emotions and themes. From the beginning, Gilbert & George wanted to communicate beyond the narrow confines of the art world, adopting the slogan ‘Art for All’. As a result they have joined the very small handful of artists to become household names. Both dress impeccably and are instantly recognisable to the general public.

Their latest series, ‘Jack Freak Pictures’, which can been seen at Baronian-Francey, bring a modern world to life. This exploration of the inner human world has always been central to the art of Gilbert & George. The creators and inhabitants of a vast, wild cosmology, in which the most basic and profound values of human existence are described in a panoply of signs, patterns, scenes, text, words and attitudes – all of which can be found on the streets of any city in the world. ‘The Union Jack flag’ is used as the heart and the backbone of the series (the biggest produced so far). Gilbert & George do not interpret this symbolic symbol (of law and anarchy, exultation and threat) but fill it with ambiguity.

British sense of humour? Irony? The protagonists leave it up to your interpretation! An opportunity not to be missed to discover a selection of Gilbert & George’s latest & largest works so far.

Gilbert & George, Harvest Dance, 2008, 226 x 190 cm

U31.10.09. Gilbert & George - Jack Freak Pictures.

Baronian-Francey – Rue Isidore verheyden, 2 – 1050 Brussels T/ 02 512 92 95 www.baronianfrancey.be.

Tuesday - Saturday 12 noon – 6pm

Contemporary Art | Exhibition LUC VAN MUYLEM

Don’t miss

Subtle Sensuality Economical in his use of objects, Guy Leclercq's (°1940, Nederbrakel) exhibition says a lot. His works refer to sensuality, a source of tension between human beings. He uses his forms to express possible variations relating to love: tensions, misunderstandings, attraction games and repulsion... All kinds of feelings are expressed with sobriety and restraint.

His works give off a feeling of great serenity. Solid and well balanced with flexible, rhythmical forms, they are intense despite the limited palette of colours (deep black, grey, burned white, ochre, umber, charcoal grey

A scent of taboo fragrances

etc.) which illuminate the works with sensuality and a magical aura. Guy Leclercq uses a formal language made of simple geometrical forms and ordinary elements. He does not define himself as an abstract painter. His abstraction is the result of choice and arbitrary decisions. His abstraction owes its poetic vibration to this ambiguity. He invites us to a dialogue full of nuances, composed with sensibility and sensuality, where the geometry and the poetry are compatible.

Pull out your sensory antennae and let yourselves be carried along by the moment!

Antifoon – oil on canvas- 180 x 180 cm - 2009

U31.10.09. Guy Leclercq – dans le silence de l’ombre. Galerie Fred Lanzenberg – Avenue des Klauwaerts, 9 – 1050 Brussels . T/02 647 30 15 – www.galeriefredlanzenberg.com.

Tuesday – Saturday 10h-12h30 14h19h. Free entrance

An exquisite exhibition of Chinese contemporary painter Zhu Xingjian’s works. His drawings are about eroticism: a remarkable subject in itself if we consider that Chinese eroticism has been censored for centuries. Zhu Xinjian was inspired by characters of the most major Chinese erotic novel ‘Jin Ping Mei’ (Plum tree in the Golden Vase). It is a novel with an erotic, black, comic and satiric reputation, which pulls no punches in its description of Chinese society manners at the end of the Song dynasty. Zhu Xinjian’s work evokes three heroines of the book: Golden Lotus and Vase, the fifth and sixth common law wives of the male hero Ximen Qing and Plum tree in Spring, maid of Golden Lotus. Tip: to make your visit more exciting, ask for the translation of the texts on the paintings (reproduced by André Levy's French version ‘Fleur en Fiole d’Or’).

U10.10.09. Zhu Xinjian – Peintures érotiques chinoises. Galerie Antonio Nardone - Rue Saint Bernard, 34-36 – 1060 Brussels Zhu Xinjian - “Golden Lotus”, ink on paper, 11 x 15,5 cm

T/ 02 333 20 10 – www.galerieantonionardone.be. Wednesday to Saturday 2 – 6pm, or by appointment. Free entrance

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People

“Don't just make a song and dance about it!" g Tomás Sanz, independent publisher and capoeira enthusiast, has been living in Brussels for 5 years.

Alongside teaching French and Spanish to bring in some cash, he has successfully realised that proverbial plan that often pops into most people's heads, merging his hobby of passion and his profession, by publishing books and dvds to help spread the word on capoeira.

Tomás got his first taste for this increasingly popular Afro-Brazilian martial art in his hometown of Paris. He then nourished his interest some more, while studying a Masters in Publishing in Madrid, but it was only when he got to Brussels that he really began to make progress.

"When I moved here, the local Capoeira group was one of the first things I looked for but I was still very much a beginner back then." He confesses he was a bit of a slow starter and like most newcomers, he nervously stuck to the sidelines before plucking up the courage to combat in the ring, or "roda", as they call it in capoeira circles.

Now he spends up to 7 hours a week training and is also an active member of the support committee behind Brussels' Capoeira School.

"Each training group has a different feel but I particularly liked the teaching style and atmosphere in this one, so I started going regularly and quickly gained confidence. In the next 18 months I want to qualify as a teacher."

Progressing into teaching seems to come naturally to Tomás, maybe because he has got it in his blood.

As he says, "Les chiens ne font pas des chats." His parents met while they were studying Spanish in May '68 in Nanterre and both went on to become teachers. Tomás is not a native Spanishspeaker as his name might lead us to believe. In fact, he learnt Spanish later in life, after doing a university degree in Economics and Politics.

After grasping the fundamentals of capoeira, he started to dig deeper and ask himself more philosophical questions about its roots and what they meant to him. "It has become an important part of my life. Due to my Spanish connection, I'd always wanted to visit Latin America and was thinking of Buenos Aires, but it was capoeira that led me on my first trip there when I toured Brazil with Brussels' Capoeira School".

Originally to resist oppression, ensure survival and lift the spirits of Africans enslaved in Brazil during colonial times, today capoeira continues to evolve and has now

spread to every continent, apart from Antarctica, due to some common cultural values united in martial art, Samba beats and games, resulting in improvised, spontaneous performances, wherever capoieristas' paths cross.

As well as personal and professional development, Tomás feels that capoeira has enhanced his social life here in Brussels and beyond. "Some people are happy to take part just for the sport and the training but there's a strong social side, which is what I really like".

While he is not shy in giving any new language a go and has picked up a penchant for Portuguese, he insists there are no language barriers when it comes to practice.

"I've met people of all nationalities and there is no one common language in the class, other than what is communicated through moves and music." As one of the great mestres, João Pequeno, says, "Everyone can

do capoeira, men, women and children. Even infants are doing it before they can walk". Of course, Tomás would agree but he goes on to say, "Try it here in Brussels!"

Name: Tomás Sanz

SALLY PIDGEON

Nationality: French

U To meet Tomás and friends, information about classes can be found on the website: www.capoeira-school.be

Living in: Ixelles

Discover Tomás' book collection on his website: www.sanz-editeur.com, or send him an email for more information: contact@sanz-editeur.com

Chaque mois retrouvez les Européens de Sally Pidgeon qui nous parlent de leur vie, de leur passion et de leur ville.

Envie de témoigner ?

Ecrivez-nous à TheBrusselsTribune@tbx.be

Used to live in: Paris, Madrid Favourite café in Brussels: La Mandibule, Chaussée de Wavre Best advice for a newcomer to Brussels: "It takes time to discover it but it's worth it when you make the effort!"

Philosophy in life: "You can ask questions but that doesn't mean I have to answer!"

8

Euro Culture

The Goethe Institut in Brussels is marking its 50th anniversary with a series of cultural events. Asked why people go to the institute by Le Soir, new Director Berthold Franke said: “ In the 1960s you had to come her to get to know German culture.

That’s no longer the case today.

Initial contact with German culture takes place via sport, tourism etc.

Our area has become the second contact, i.e. ‘I’d like to know a bit more about it…’”. Well, here’s a great chance for readers as there are plenty of events going on.

One of the big events is an all day conference on the consequences of the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall on Europe, called ‘Focus 89 - Breaking down barriers’. The conference is being organised by the European Union National

Music festival

A permanent 13-meter high sculpture by German sculptor Bogomir Ecker will be installed on Place Flagey this winter (November/December). The sculpture marks both the 50th anniversary of the Goethe Institute in Brussels and the 20th anniversary of the Brussels Capital Region.

© ULRIKE OTTINGER

New sculpture to appear on Place Flagey

The event begins at 9am on 28 October and ends at 5.15pm with a summary and recommendations. Those wanting to attend should register electronically at www.eesc.europa.eu/focus89 by 16 October 2009.

If you’re looking for information in German about German history around this time, before or since,

The Berlin Wall http://www.goethe.de/lhr/prj/kal/dei ndex.htm is a real treasure trove of facts and figures. You can find a dossier on the fall of the Berlin Wall atwww.goethe.de/ges/pok/dos/dos/ mau/deindex.htm .

U Where: Room Civitas, JDE 62, 6th floor, 99 rue Belliardstraat, B-1040 Brussels.

When: 28 October Website: www.focus89.eu For further information please contact: Julia Kofler 02 63 9 0482 or julia.kofler@britishcouncil.be or visit the website www.focus89.eu

Ulrike Ottinger photo exhibition plus films

The work of contemporary musical composers Mauricio Kagel and Karlheinz Stockhausen will be performed at the Bozar at 8pm on 13 October to mark the Goethe Institut Brussels’ 50th anniversary. A conference takes place (entry free) the following day at the Royal Brussels Conservatory (call 02 238 1166 for more information).

U Where: Bozar, Rue Ravensteinstraat 23, 1000 Brussels Tickets: 25 euro (call for information on reduced prices) Ticket sales: 02 507 8200 Website: www.bozar.be

Institutes of Culture (which includes the Goethe Institut) in Brussels in partnership with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the Council of Europe and Culture Action Europe. The idea is for it to build on the recommendations of recent seminars, notably the CultureWatch Europe conference in Krakow, to chart a way forward for cultural players and decision-makers in Europe.

© NORBERT ENKER

The 9 November 2009 will mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and will see the start of Focus 89, a week-long festival to celebrate the birth of a new Europe. Through a selection of films and accompanying debates, Focus 89 will explore the build-up to 1989 and its farreaching consequences on contemporary European culture and society. We’ll let you know more about the programme in November’s edition of The Brussels Tribune.

Goethe Institut Brussels turns 50!

© EUNIC BRUSSELS / DESIGN SDRALEVICH + GARCIA

Focus 89 film festival

The Goethe Institut will be hosting an exhibition of Ulrike Ottinger’s photographs from 1 October to 24 October.

Ottinger is a film-maker and photographer who has travelled widely. “Her subjective perspective […] can always be felt in the pictures. Horror and beauty […] are present in all her work,” says the Goethe Institut. The exhibition opens on 1 October, when one of her films, Prater, will be shown.

The film is about the Prater park in Vienna, how it used to be and how it is now. Her

other films will be shown at the Cinematek from 9 October until 26 January.

U Where: CINEMATEK, Rue Baron Hortastraat 9, 1000 Brüssel When: From 9 October until 26 October Website (for more info about her films – in German): http://www.goethe.de/ins/be/bru/ver/d e4802289v.htm Tel: 02 5511919 Email: info@cinematek.be

German language courses The Goethe Institut offers a range of German language courses with internationally recognised exams at each level. So you can learn German for fun or for business (e.g. if you need it for your curriculum vitae).

You can have one-to-one classes, classes in a small group of up to seven people or do a group class with up to sixteen people. Classes are usually twice a week for one and a half hours or once a week for three hours on Saturday mornings. Courses generally cost around 415 euro for 60 x lessons of 45 minutes over a fifteen week period.

There are lots of other possibilities for special courses, including a fast learner course, a course to prepare you to take a Geman exam as well as grammar, literature,

theatre, conversation, history, current affairs and children’s courses (from age 2 and a half). You can also learn German online if you can’t make it to the institute. These courses tend to cost around 250 euro for 30 x lessons of 45 minutes over a fifteen week period.

Enrolment for courses began in mid September but it’s still possible to sign up in October. You can test your German online to see which course you’d be best suited to by going to: http://www.goethe.de/cgi-bin/einstufungstest/einstufungstest.pl

U Goethe Institut, rue Belliard, 58, 1040 Bruxelles ; 02-238.11.66 ; www.goethe.de/bruessel

9

Euro Culture Art

Is it a cloud or isn’t it?

If you’re near the Place Royale on 3 October any time between 7pm and 2am (it’s Nuit Blanche so you might be!), drop by and see a fascinating art installation called 'Ceci n'est pas un nuage', co-financed by the European Commission. The installation is by Darya Von Berner and was renamed because it is being shown right opposite the Magritte Museum. The ‘Ceci n’est pas un nuage’ name is a joke on ‘Ceci n’est pas une pipe’, one of Magritte’s most well known works of art.

© DR

The artist will ‘install’ several suspended clouds near the museum. It was shown at the 2007 Nuit Blanche in Madrid, where it attracted big crowds. You can apparently “go into” the cloud, which, according to Von Berner, “cleans” the air and gives you the impression of being high up in the mountains or at sea! Sounds pretty cool doesn’t it?

Opening event of BRXL BRAVO The opening event of BRXL BRAVO, in cooperation with the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, takes place on 2 October from 7pm at Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Rue des Tanneurs. There will be a performance of the ballet ‘5 Easy Pieces’ (Velvet / Joanne Leighton) followed by a reception. Every ‘piece’ in the ballet results from the exchanges between dancers and artists. The pieces are not linked but form a whole and can be combined as adjustable elements of the larger work. It costs just 7 euro to attend all three days of BRXL BRAVO!

More info: http://www.brxlbravo.be

Exhibition

Street art at the Danish Cultural Institute

Conference on Families in Europe today A conference organised by the European Union National Institutes of Culture will spend a day looking at European experiences in terms of marriage, family and partnership today on 8 October. The main issues that the conference will address are:

EU and national law:

© URBAN DK

National and European laws relating to issues such as polygamy, gay marriages and arranged marriages and inter-European law co-operation.

Cultural patterns in marriage and partnership: How family, marriage and partnership have evolved through history and up until today.

Paintings by Urban DK

The gap between culture and legislation:

In a new exhibition called Street art in exhibition, the Danish Cultural Institute is showing the poetic, clever and unusual graffiti work of Danish street artist Urban DK. Street art in exhibition shows graffiti taken out of its usual context, the street, and put into new settings.

The canvases are closely packed so it almost seems as if they have been painted directly on to the walls – street art has literally moved into the gallery. Urban DK is inspired by the ´80s American hip hop and graffiti subculture where art and language work together and colours are mixed in spectacular ways. Graffiti art is an artistic form of expression, like all other art forms.

U Where: 35 Rue Royale, B1000, Brussels.

Exhibition: until 22 October 2009 from Mon to Fri, 9am4pm. Cost: Free - Tel: +32 (0) 2 230 73 26 - E-mail: info@dkibenelux.org - Web: www.dkibenelux.org

Music

Swedish folk music Väsen, a Swedish folk music band, will be peforming in Leopoldsburg on 23 October. The band consists of Olov Johansson (nyckelharpa), Mikael Marin (viola) and Roger Tallroth (guitar). They have toured together for

20 years and are now celebrating with a new recording and a tour.

When: 23 October at 8.15pm Where: CC Leopoldsburg, Kastanjedreef 1 3970 Leopoldsburg

There is a gap between current practices and national laws in Europe today. What can we do to close it?

U The event starts at 9am with a welcome speech by Jöelle Milquet, Belgium’s Deputy Vice Minister, Minister of Employment and Equal Opportunities, and ends at 5pm.

Where: European Economic and Social Committee To register: contact Chiara Carazza, EUNIC Brussels at co-ordinator@eunic-brussels.eu

PARTIES Welcome !

For all newcomers, Brussels Mania throws the biggest welcome party in Brussels, with a presentation of the hottest spots in town.

Dance the night away and receive plenty of beer, fries and tickets for fun activities for free! It’s on 7 October and starts at 9pm.

Uwww.brusselsmania.com/w abxlint/en/students/17081/b russels-mania-partywednesday-the-7th-ofoctober-2009.act

Erasmus Fiesta Website for students on Erasmus exchanges in Brussels. The Express organization throws two Erasmus Parties/ a month on Thursday's at Louise Gallery (Avenue louise - galerie louise niveau-1). Check out their calendar for more events…

U Entrance 5 euro, doors open at 11pm. www.erasmusbrussels.net/

The sound of Fuse Another website for students packed with events. For example, on 1 October, there’ll be a mixture of Belgian and Erasmus students at FUSE, one of Brussels’ largest clubs! Music will be provided by Belgium’s most famous DJ’s. Buses to VUB Etterbeek all night. Don’t miss it!

U Meeting: 10.30 pm in front of the palace of Justice 11 pm @ Fuse (Rue Blaes 208, city centre) www.esnbrussels.be/

Film

Swedish silent films A series of Swedish silent films will be screened in the Cinematek in Brussels in October. For a period of around ten years Sweden was world famous for their silent film production. An example is the film De ofrivilliga [Involuntary], by Ruben Östlund (2008, 98 minutes), in which five group gatherings evoke a set of moral dilemmas, linked by quirky humour and unusual photography… The film has various screenings between 7 and 30 October. It was selected for the Cannes Festival and won the Iris d'or at the Brussels European Film festival in 2008.

When: 1 September until 30 October Where: Cinematek in Brussels Website for more info: www.cinematek.be

Late & Happy hours Le You is a nightclub with special Thursday parties.

Entrance is free entrance, there is a happy hour all night long (buy one drink, get two) and there are resident DJs Yves-E-Zone, Olivier Gosseries, Miss Luna, Milo, Karl & special guest every month...

U Every Thursday from 11pm till 5 am at Le You near central station. www.leyou.be/

10

Socialising Gyms | Fitness clubs

Let's get physical ! g You’ve quite possibly just got back from a very

relaxing but not very active summer holiday.

That’s why, this month we decided to look at a few fitness clubs to see what they had to offer and how much it all costs.

Winner’s has fitness, squash and climbing At Winner’s, you can play squash, do some indoor climbing, do various fitness activities, have a sauna or go on a sunbed. For squash, there are two options. You can become a member (80 euro) and then pay 60 euro (for 10 bookings of 30 minutes each) or 100 euro (for 20 bookings of 30 minutes each). As a non-member, you can play 9 euro per booking of 30 minutes or 80 euro for 10 bookings or 150 euro for 20 bookings. There are nine courts available and you can hire a squash racket for 2 euro per 30 minutes (15 euro to pay if you break it!).

Fitnesswise, you can either have a ‘Power’ membership - comprising fitness, aerobics and spinning for 70 euro per month or you can pay quarterly (190 euro), twice-yearly (340 euro) or yearly (600 euro) or a ‘Basic’ membership – where your subscription covers you for either fitness, aerobics or spinning (60 euro for one month, 165 euro per quarter, 295 euro per six months or 530 euro per year). European Commission officials pay a slightly lower rate, e.g. 55 euro instead of 60 euro for a month of the ‘Basic’ membership. Facilities include an aerobics room plus walking, running and spinning machines.

U 11-13 rue Bonneels, 1210 Brussels. Tel: 02 280 0270 Open from 8am to 10pm during the week and 8am to 7pm at the weekend.

A fitness specialist is on hand from 12 to 2pm and 5.30pm until 8.30pm during the week.

Relax Sport Club focuses on fitness Relax Sport Club has running, walking and spinning machines plus weights. It also has a steam bath and offers massages. A fitness specialist helps you with a programme and monitors your progress. Rates are very flexible, varying from 9 euro per session (usually around an hour and a half but could be longer) to 45 euro per month to 372 euro per year. You can also decide to have 10 sessions (plus two free) for 87 euro or 20 sessions for 133 euro.

To give you an idea of prices for the sunbed, that varies from 8 euro for 9 minutes to 23 euro for 24 minutes.

The length of time recommended depends on your skin. A massage costs around 20 euro while a steam bath comes to 6.20 euro.

U Avenue de Roodebeek 65, 1030 Brussels. Tel: 02 734 4070 Open from 10.30am til 10pm on weekdays and 10am til 2pm at weekends.

Learn about wine in French!

The Alliance Francaise in Brussels is organising an oenology course (that’s knowing stuff about wine to you and me!) from 8 October until 3 December. It will take place every two weeks and will look at the origins of wine, recognising wines and combinations of different wines with different food. Those attending the course will receive a certificate at the end of it.

U Where: Alliance Francaise, Rue de la Loi 26. When: Every two weeks starting on 8 October Cost: 200 euro. Tel (to book a place): 02 502 4649

Passage Fitness – watch TV as you exercise!

Passage Fitness is a bigger facility than Winner’s or the Relax Sport Club. There are two gyms for classes, weights rooms, lots of running machines, walking machines and spinning machines (you can watch TV as you’re exercising too!) as well as a sauna and a steam bath.

If you want to join the Manhattan Club only, which is close to Brussels town centre and the Gare du Nord, the initial costs are 99 euro (including training guide) plus either 19 euro (60 minutes in a group with a personal trainer) or 29 euro (60 minutes in a group with a personal trainer plus 30 minutes as an individual with a personal trainer). In addition, you’ll pay between 62.95 euro and 72.95 euro per month.

U Avenue du Boulevard 21 - 1210 Bruxelles (St-Josse-ten-Noode) Tel: 02 274 2920.

Email: manhattan@passage.be Open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 7am til 10pm, on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9am til 10pm and on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays from 10am til 6pm.

Socialising

11

Ballad in Brussels

Art Nouveau/Art Deco walking and coach tours

Brussels 1900 - Art Nouveau coach tour The Brussels 1900 - Art Nouveau tour shows you the Art Nouveau highlights in the city centre, avenue Louis Bertrand in Schaerbeek, the Squares district in Etterbeek, the Ixelles ponds, avenue Louise and Saint-Gilles. The tour includes visits to the interiors of some Art Nouveau buildings, some of which are not open to the public. Each tour includes visits inside two houses designed by either Victor Horta or Jules Brunfaut or Henri Jacob. If you’re not familiar with the Art Nouveau sites in Brussels, then this is an excellent opportunity to rectify that shortcoming!

Brussels 1900 – Art Nouveau is a bilingual (English and French) coach tour that will be running every weekend in October, departing from the Hotel Metropole, Place de Brouckere (see www.arau.org/ct_home.php for exact timings).

Art Nouveau in Schaerbeek walking tour The Art Nouveau in Schaerbeek walking tour looks at designs by Gustave Strauven, François Hemelsoet and Henri Jacobs, who successfully challenged the conventional design of houses, apartment buildings and schools. The style became very widespread in this district, which

retains much of its nineteenth-century architectural harmony.

The Schaerbeek walking tour departs from the corner of Chaussee de Haecht and Avenue Louis Bertrand at 2pm on Sunday 11th October (in English and French).

Marolles Art Nouveau walking tour The Marolles Art Nouveau walking tour goes through the working-class Marolles district, which has always been a place that has welcomed new immigrants to Brussels and innovative social structures. It was also the site of the first struggle for popular representation in the planning process: in 1969 its residents staged the “Battle of the Marolles” to oppose wholesale demolition and to demand renovation of existing buildings instead.

The tour departs from the Palais de Justice, Place Poelaert, at 2pm on Sunday 18th October (in English and French).

Art Deco/Art Nouveau walking tour The Ixelles Ponds walking tour will show you some of the best 20th century buildings in Brussels, from Art Nouveau via Art Deco to Modernism. Café Belga, heavily influenced by Art Deco design, is also a great place to watch the world go by on Place Flagey and have a cup of coffee.

The tour (in English and German) departs from the corner of Rue du Lac and Rue Vilain XIIII, at 2pm on Sunday 25th October.

PICARD

Look out for a series of great walking and coach tours this winter, organised by ARAU (Atelier de Recherche et d’actions urbaines). You can find more information about other tours at www.arau.org

12

Focus ‘Military’ comics ‘Comics attack at dawn’ is a comic strip exhibition for military buffs. The exhibition gives an idea as to how many how many cartoonists have drawn inspiration from history and military techniques.The cartoons are of guns, uniforms, planes, tanks etc. and are placed alongside the relevant piece of military equipment. Some cartoons are very close and detailed representations of the equipment while others are the cartoonist’s interpretation. Drawings by the big names from Belgian comic strips, such as Hergé and Van der Steen, will be on show.

Comics take Brussels by storm g In case it’s escaped your attention, 2009 is the year of the comic strip in Brussels.

Some of the world’s leading cartoonists come from Brussels, including Hergé (Tintin), Franquin (Gaston Lagaffe) and Peyo (The Smurfs), so this really is something you shouldn’t miss out on! So we’ve interviewed a leading Belgian cartoonist (Hugues Dayez) and have a page on comic strip exhibitions for you to enjoy from October onwards. The weather just might be a bit cold and wet, so what better way to spend some time than visit an exhibition or two!

U Where: Royal Museum of the Army and of Military History, 3 Parc du Cinquantenaire, 1000 Brussels.

When: 16 October 2009 until 28 February 2010. Open: From Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am til noon and 1pm til 4.45pm.

Tickets: Free of charge. Website: kwww.klm-mra.be

Birth of the Comic Strip

Belgian Centre for Comic Strip Art’s 20th anniversary The exhibition ‘Births of the Comic Strip’ offers a look at the origins of the comic strip and takes the visitor from the end of the 18th century (with Hogarth and Rowlandson) to the early 20th century. The Autrique House is an Art Nouveau building designed by Victor Horta.

U Where: Autrique House, 266 Chaussée de Haecht, 1030 Brussels. When: 5 November 2009 until 25 April 2010.

Opening times: Wednesday to Sunday from 12 until 6pm (except bank holidays). Tickets: 6 euro for adults, 4.50 for groups and the elderly, 3 euro for children, students and people living in Schaerbeek. Website: www.autrique.be For more info, call: 02 215 6600

The first port of call we’d like to suggest is the Belgian Centre for Comic Strip Art, which is housed in a magnificent Art Nouveau building and will be celebrating its 20th anniversary on 3 October. That was the day when King Baudoin officially opened the centre. In fact, on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October, visitors who dress up as a comic strip character will be allowed in for free! They can then visit the museum itself, enjoy some music and see cartoonists such as Marvano and Ferry. For children, comic strip characters will be walking around entertaining them and there’ll be quizes too.

The centre also has a library – the biggest comic strip library in the world that’s open to the public – and all its catalogues will go online from 3 October. That means you can then see what comic strips they have, see the cover of particular books and then go to the centre to look at them. The centre does not sell or lend books. You’ll find out more about two exhibitions that the

centre will be hosting on our ‘Cartoon exhibitions’ page.

In 2008, the centre attracted 159,871 paying visitors. According to the centre, the total number of visitors for that year (i.e. including visitors admitted for free for various reason) came to 200,000. Over 60% of them are non-Belgians (French, Brits, Dutch, Germans, Spaniards for example but also from places further afield such as China, Quebec and Japan).

Going back to the year of the comic strip itself, you can sign up to a newsletter by going to: www.bruxell e s b d . c o m / e n / n e w s l e t t e r. c f m .

There’s also a ‘comic strip walking tour’ that you can do in Brussels yourself, looking at big cartoon murals in the city centre. There are others in Laeken too.

Go to www.bruxellesbd.com/en /route_bd.cfm to download a PDF so that you can do the tour with some friends or your children.

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14

Focus

'Dayez talks comics' g Interview with cultural journalist and comics

expert Hugues Dayez The Brussels Tribune spoke to Belgian cinema critic and cultural journalist Hugues Dayez about why comics are so popular in Belgium, what the differences between Belgian and US/UK comics are, Japanese comics and the year of the comic in Brussels. He had lots of interesting insights. Read on to find out more:

Why are there so many comic shops and so many comics in Brussels, both for adults and children?

Comics are very much part of Belgian culture. They started becoming a fixture of Belgian life between the early 1950s and the late 1960s. From the 1950s onwards, there was a lot of rivalry between two magazines, Tintin and Spirou.

Talking comics If you’re going to go along to an exhibition or want to try your hand at your own comics or just want to learn more, you’ll need to know some of the lingo! Here are a few important words:

Ex-libris: Originally, the ‘ex-libris’ was a small piece of paper stuck on a book to show who the owner was. Nowadays It’s a piece of paper or card which has a drawing of a character or a scene from the book on it. This is highly prized by collectors and is more valuable if the comic was a limited edition or was signed by the author him/herself.

Fumetti: This is Italian for ‘comic strips’. In the singular, it’s ‘fumetto’.

Manga: The general term for comic strip in Japan.

Mangaka: This is the author of a manga.

OAV: This is short for « original animation video » and refers to animated episodes or films that go straight into video form.

One-shot: This is a book containing a complete story (i.e. it is not one book of a series that together tell the story).

Planche: This is an original comic strip page.

They were big hits, drawing about 300,000 readers per week each.

What’s the difference between Tintin and Spirou?

There are two different schools of thought behind them. Tintin is focussed on realism and believable stories with a lot of research behind it. Another example of this was a historical comic about the Roman empire called Alix. Spirou was much more about humour and fantasy. You’ve got cartoons like The Smurfs, Spirou, Gaston La Gaffe [a character who regularly puts his foot in it] and Boule et Bill [about a boy and his dog] in the magazine.

Why did people like the comics?

There are lots of reasons. Maybe one was that television was in its infancy and didn’t have many children’s programmes. So young people would buy comics. But one of the distinctive things about Belgian comic culture was that it wasn’t just children who read them as they were for the whole family. So parents read them too. Tintin could basically be read by the whole family.

Are there strong connections between France and Belgium in the world of comics?

Yes, but one big difference is that while Belgian cartoonists continued to draw and write for younger readers (while still producing for the adult market), French cartoonists moved much more towards the adult market. Tintin and Spirou started off as small family businesses and there were initially no plans to expand them. But then, when the magazines were older, they tried to sell the business and sold to international investors. Now we talk about Franco-Belgian comics in Belgium because most of the money invested in comics comes from France.

Have Japanese comics been successful in Europe?

Yes. Japanese comics, or mangas as they call them, have been successful partly because they’re more trendy and partly because they’re produced at more regular intervals than is the case for Belgian comics. In Japan, a new one comes out every month so it’s a bit like a ‘comic factory’ while in Belgium a new book will often only come out once every year. Young people nowadays want everything all at once and don’t

CV EXPRESS Born in 1964, Hugues Dayez is a Belgian cinema critic and cultural journalist. He has written four books about comic strips, including Tintin et les héritiers, which caused quite a controversy. He also writes a weekly column in Spirou. His books on comics:

·Le Duel Tintin - Spirou: entretiens avec les auteurs de l'âge d'or de la BD belge, Luc Pire, 1997 ·Tintin et les héritiers: chronique de l'après-Hergé, Luc Pire, 1999 ·Blain, Blutch, David B., de Crécy, Dupuy-Berberian, Guibert, Rabaté, Sfar: la nouvelle bande dessinée, Niffle, 2002 ·Peyo l'enchanteur, Niffle-Cohen, 2003 want to wait a year for the next instalment. The new development is that the French and Belgians, who bought the licences, are now a bit worried because the mangas create competition with French and Belgian comics.

How do you see the future of comics?

It’s difficult to say but the future is in multimedia I think. A book is part of a whole structure, including on screen cartoons, communication between authors and reader on the internet and some pictures of an author’s work on the internet.

In the UK, the perception is often that comics are for kids? Why do you think that is?

British people are much more open to and interested in US comics.

They’re completely different to Belgian comics. They come out frequently, a bit like Japanese mangas.

They’re also more about a ‘superhero’ culture. Brits tend to see Belgian comics as more arty comics for a small circle of people. While comics in Belgium tend to be part of

family culture, there’s a much clearer distinction in the UK between comics for adults (often involving sex and violence) and for children.

Has the year of comics raised the profile of comics a lot?

It’s relatively meaningless for Belgians because comics are part of their culture every year because of all the exhibitions. But for tourists it may have raised the profile of comics.

Where would you suggest a comic book novice went to learn more about the ‘9th art’?

I would suggest going to the Centre de la Bande Dessinee Belge to get a good introduction as it’s a permanent centre.

On the web >> www.bdtour.be Lits of comic bookshops all over Belgium, comic strip authors’ biographies and interviews, comic strip drawings, reviews of comic books, comic strip events and places (e.g. hotels and restaurants) with links to comics. A real treasure trove for comic book aficionados!

There are plenty more comic strip websites, with all sorts of info: >> www.actuabd.com (recommended by Hugues Dayez) >> www.blam.be >> www.generationbd.com You can find more weblinks here: >>http://comicsfestivalbelgium.we bnode.com/links-/

Focus Cuvelier finally and fully expressed his passion for drawing the human body, especially the female form.

Frenchman Jean-Claude Forest (1930-1988).

Comic strips include: ‘Barbarella’ in ‘VMagazine’ (1962), which was very controversial. The character, whose physique was inspired by Brigitte Bardot’s, embodied modern woman during a period of sexual liberation.

Forest is regarded as one of the founders of adult comics.

Cartoon ‘strips’ can be sexy The ‘Sexties’ exhibition features four authors (Crepax, Cuvelier, Forest, Peellaert) who, thanks to their graphical and narrative daring, have marked the development of the comic strip by moving it beyond the domain of children. In the mid 1960s, these four artists drew inspiration from painting (in particular Pop Art), cartoons (Yellow Submarine, etc), the cinema, music (rock, but also French ‘yéyé’), literature and photography. So come and see the portrait of an era marked by rapid changes seen through the eyes of Crepax, Cuvelier, Forest and Peellaert.

Belgian Guy Peellaert (born in 1934). Comic strips include: ‘Les aventures de Jodelle’ (a character whose body was inspired by that of French singer Sylvie Vartan) was published as an album in 1966 and ‘Pravda, la survireuse’ (Françoise Hardy was the model for the character of Pravda). His style, which was in keeping with the era, introduced ‘Pop Art’ into the frames.

Italian Guido Crepax (1933-2003). Comic strips include: ‘Histoire d’O’, ‘Emmanuelle’ and ‘Justine’. His layouts included a revolutionary narrative system consisting of stories within stories and flashbacks.

U When: 25 September 2009 until 3 January 2010.

Where: Brussels Centre for Fine Arts, Bozar, Rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Brussels. Web page: www.bozar.be.Tickets: 02 507 8200. Cost for adults: 5 euro

© GUY PELLAERT

Belgian Paul Cuvelier (1923-1978) was a leading post-war Belgian comic-strip artist.

Comic strips include: ‘Corentin’ and ‘Epoxy’ (1968). In the mythological tale ‘Epoxy’,

15

EXHIBITIONS Brussels Comics Festival in St Gilles

Comic strips from all over the world

A picture by Patrick Van Roy after an artist added to it.

Where photos meet comics...

‘Bruxelles, Objectif BD’ is an exhibition combining the skills of a photographer and those of some 20 comic strip artists. Self-taught photographer Patrick Van Roy went around Brussels taking photos of places that you would not necessarily know were Brussels. The photos were then sent to the comic strip artists who added their drawings to them.

U Where: Galerie Petits Papiers 1, place Fontainas, 1000 Bruxelles.

When: From 8 September til 17 October. Opening times: Monday to Saturday from 10am til 6.30pm. Cost: Free. For more info: 02 513 4670 or contact@petitspapiers.be Website: www.petitspapiers.be

To celebrate the Belgian Centre of Comic Strip Art’s 20th anniversary, the centre has commissioned two Belgian journalists, Daniel Couvreur (Le Soir) and Lucas Reynaert (Belga) to choose a comic strip album for each year from 1989 onwards.

There will be comic strips from all over the world, including countries like China, the US and the UK. Only on 22 September will we know which ones have been chosen… For the exhibition, there’ll be some pages from the albums on display, some text explaining why the journalists chose a particular album and a description of the cartoonists.

U Where: Belgian Centre of Comic Strip Art, 20 Rue des Sables, 1000 Brussels When: 29 September until 6 December Cost: 7.50 for adults and 3 euro for children under 12 years old (also gives ticketholder access to the whole museum) Website for more info: www.cbbd.be

The centerpiece of this festival are the 70 comic strip artists who will be there to sell signed copies of their books. They’ll Comic strip artist Raoul also draw a little car- Cauvin is centre stage at the toon for you while St Gilles comic festival you are there to personalise your new comic even further! There’ll also be an exhibition of Raoul Cauvin’s work (see his website to get a feel for what he does: www.topbd.be/cauvin/ ). Children from about five years old to twelve can enjoy a cartoon workshop too. Look out for a Tintin stock exchange (Saturday) and a BD (comics) stock exchange (Sunday). At the same venue, why not go along to the Saint-Michel Prize (or, rather, prizes, as there are various categories for the awards) for cartoonists, which has been going since 1971? Previous winners include Hergé, Franquin, Jijé, Jacobs, Herman, Rosinsky, Graton and Cauvin. The prize ceremony takes place on Friday at 7pm and entry is free.

There’ll also be a cocktail plus something to nibble on from about 7.30pm but authors won’t be signing books on the Friday.

U Where: City Hall of Saint-Gilles, 39 place Van Meenen, 1060 Brussels. When: 9 until 11 October. Website for more info: "http://comicsfestivalbelgium.webnode.com/info/

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16

Real Estate Property | relocating

Need help relocating? g If you’re moving to Brussels, have recently moved or know someone who’s moving, it’s worth bearing in mind that there are companies in Belgium that can help you ensure that your relocation is as stress-free as possible.

One such company is ‘Art of Living’. We spoke to the company’s Managing Director Bernard de Gruben.

dinating their move. For the move, we contact two or three companies for quotations and then analyse which is the best option for the individual. That doesn’t include the formalities with the commune, i.e. helping the person obtain their residence permit. Sometimes, the client only wants us to accompany them only the first time they go to the commune and sometimes they want us there the second and third times too. We can also work ‘a la carte’ and ‘design’ a tailormade package or work on an hourly basis. One example might be if the client wants us to read the contract through in detail.

Is there a more comprehensive package?

What sort of companies/organisations do most of your clients come from?

As with most relocation companies in Belgium, most are from multinational companies.

How does it work in practice?

We have various multinationals as clients and they contact us when one of their employees is moving to Belgium. We then design a package for them.

What is the most basic package on offer?

We have a basic package costing around 2,750 euro. That includes helping an individual look for somewhere to live (buy or rent) as well as helping him/her with the contract, the inventory, the bank guarantee, the transfer of utilities (e.g. gas, electricity, phone, internet, television) and coor-

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Yes, there’s our VIP package, which costs around 4,125 euro. That includes a general orientation tour in which we spend a day showing the client (and usually his/her family) the different areas in Brussels, pointing out the pluses and minuses of each of the communes. We then spend around two days showing them appartments/houses (to rent or buy). Accompanying the client to the commune for the residence permit is part of this package. We’ll also go shopping with the wife or husband to help them arrange the delivery of, for example, a washing machine, fridge or drier.

Do they receive any information in writing?

Art of Living in a nutshell Established in 1991, Art of Living provides relocation services to multin a t i o n a l companies, the E u r o p e a n Commission and individual clients.

They include: orientation, home search (rent or purchase), school assistance, temporary accommodation, lease negotiation, administrative formalities, tenancy management, cross cultural training, family integration to the ‘Art of Living in Belgium’.

The company’s website also has some useful information on various aspects of living in Belgium, ranging from health services, public transport, taxis, childcare, Belgian festivals, Belgian tourist offices and language courses.

U You can also find a weblink to expat websites on its website: www.artofliving.be

Yes. We give them a welcome pack with information about the commune they’ve moved to (e.g. where the ‘maison communale’ is, their owner’s water, gas and electricity companies, location of shops, sports clubs, restaurants, plumber’s contact details etc.). We also give them a booklet called Expat in Brussels, which has more general information on Brussels as a whole.

rare. Our main clients are multinationals and lobbying companies in Brussels. But we would be very interested in working with European Commission and European Parliament officials.

How long does the whole process take?

Has the financial crisis affected you much?

Often, the client can be in their accommodation within a month but then it may take another two or three months for them to be fully registered in the commune.

Not so much. We have a lot of clients so when one sends fewer expats another sends more. Our turnover has fallen by 10% compared to last year, which suggests that there are roughly 10% fewer arrivals.

Once that is done, do your services end there and then?

No, they can contact us for other services, for which we would charge by the hour. For example, maybe they have a problem with their internet connection but are going away on holiday and want it fixed. We could arrange to be at their home when the technician arrives.

Do you interpret for clients who don’t speak French or Flemish?

We don’t offer an interpreting service as such but we will interpret for clients at the commune.

If, for example, they speak English, and need a doctor or a dentist, we’d point them towards an English-speaking doctor or dentist.

Do you work with clients from the European Commission and European Parliament?

That does happen from time to time but is pretty

Do particular nationalities go particular areas?

A lot of Japanese people go to Krainem, Stockel and Woluwe St. Pierre, near where the companies that are employing them are located.

Americans often move to the Waterloo area, as the St. John’s school is out there, and many Brits go to Tervuren because of the British School. But other nationalities head to Waterloo or Tervuren too, especially when they are sending their children to these schools.

U Contact information: Website: www.artofliving.be Art of Living - Avenue Ernest Solvay, 59 1310 La Hulpe Belgium Phone: +32 2 653 00 37 Fax: +32 2 653 24 41 E-mail: artofliving@artofliving.be

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18

Real Estate IN BRIEF Belgium: house sales on the up House sales are up. In June, 19% more houses were sold by comparison with June 2008. Afeter stabilising in July, August saw a rise of 15%, some newspapers said recently.

Property | news

USA : signs of recovery g Two indicators confirm that the US property market is stabilising.

This improvement emerges from the notary federation’s figures and is confirmed by the major property market players. June and July were record months for Century 21. Sales have doubled since the beginning of the year. Sales figures have gone up at Eran since March. But for mortgage loans, the figures are only available up until June, a month during which 20,600 loans were granted, i.e. as many as in June 2008.

‘Low cost’ housing is popular in France Builders and promoters of individual houses are betting on the low cost housing market by offering housing built on standardised structures as the new housing market struggles to get going. « All the builders have lowered their ranges to be able to continue to sell because customers today are looking closely at the cost, » stresses André Caron, director of Caron Marketing, which specialises in property and building markets, to AFP. The market for low cost new housing in France, corresponding to 60,000 houses, i.e. about 30% of the market, has kept itself going in a bear market. « In 2008, sales of ‘low cost’ houses fell by 11% in 2008 while the global market fell by 30%, » says Caron.

The number of new housing put up for sale is down sharply, by 28.9% compared to last year, according to figures provided by the Ministry of Ecology in August.

By rationalising their building costs to the maximum, companies are targeting ‘first movers. « The real market is the 45% of French people who are still tenants, » says Alexandre Macieria-Coelho, President of Mikit France, which has specialised in ready to finish housing for 25 years.

ter for the first time in three years and the official announcement of a rise in sales of new housing by 9.6% in July as compared to June.

In the wake of the slow recovery of the property market, the construction sector is beginning to show signs of recovery in the US. TWO INDICATORS PUBLISHED on Tuesday in the US have confirmed that the property market and housing construction in the country have stabilised if not risen. The prospects for house sales are rosy given that they have rose in July for the sixth consecutive month, up as much as 3.2% on June, i.e. a lot more than the 1.5% rise forecast by analysts.

The National Associaton of Realtors (NAR), which publishes these figures, has revealed that its index of sales prospects is at its highest level since June 2007, i.e. less than two months before the US property loan crisis, which dragged down the US and global economy, took place. The NAR writes that the market has recovered in a number of regions in the country thanks to the tax credit agreed in the budgetary relaunch plan for first-time buyers.

The recovery of the property market had also emerged last week via the publication of the S&P/Case-Shiller index, which showed that housing prices had risen in the US in the second quar-

This figure is a « good sign » according to Andres Carbarcho-Burgos, from Moody’s Economy.com, who revealed that it coincides with other good news regarding the housing market. The ministry’s figures tend to confirm the trend towards a rise in individual houses being built, which has been noted for four months. They also confirm that the construction sector, a big victim of the current crisis, continues to be very weak in spite of everything and that its recovery will take a long time. In seasonally corrected data, construction spending in July was at its lowest level since February 2004. (AFP)

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This drop wiped out the recovery in private construction spending, which accounts for more than two thirds of the total and which went up by 0.1% after falling back by 1.6% in June and 2.2% in July. In particular, private housing construction spending rose after two months of falling, by 2.3% in July, i.e. its highest rise since September 2008, the month when the financial crisis peaked.

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Belle terrasse bien exposée et équipée de screens et d’une tente solaire. Grand hall d’entrée, très beau séjour lumineux, 45 m², cheminée avec feu ouvert, parquets anciens. Très belle cuisine hyper-équipée, 2 chambres avec armoires incorporées, 1 salle de bain, 1 salle de douche. Grand garage et cave. Construction récente 2006, occupée que comme résidence secondaire.

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Closely linked to the property market, the construction sector is up too despite appearances. While figures published on Tuesday by the Department of Trade showed a fall in construction expenditure in the US of 0.2% in July by comparison with June, that was mainly due to a slowdown in public construction, by 0.7% after a rise by 3.6% in June.

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20

Sport

Ex-pat football league kicks off in September g So, the football season has well and truly begun, with

plenty of domestic league fixtures, transfer gossip and European cup action! You have three choices – you can either avoid it completely, watch a lot of it or watch a lot of it AND play in a European league of your own…

Sweden’s expat team

For the schedule of matches, see: http://europa.leaguerepublic.com/gen/ListPublicFixtur e.do?divisionseason=6657396 To contact the league to take part, see: http://europa.leaguerepublic.c om/contact.do?siteid=8422531 U For information about this year’s Presidency Cup, organised by the country currently holding the Presidency in the EU: http://sites.google.com/site/pr esidencytournament2009/

Cricketers wanted.

If you don’t want to commit to playing regular, serious cricket, contact Julian Hale at JulianAHale@gmail.com as he is looking to set up some occasional cricket nets plus an indoor game or two over the winter. Ideally, you’ll have played a little bit before or you’ll have reasonable hand/eye coordination and played a similar sport (like baseball). There is also a regular fun match between the UK press and the UK permanent representation to the EU. Commission officials would be very welcome to join either team or perhaps even have their own team… On the last weekend in August, the press took on the British government officials in a twenty over match and won with just four balls to spare – gripping stuff.

Who said cricket was boring!

T h a t ’ s because expats from 20 of the E u r o p e a n Union’s 27 member states will be putting on their national football strips and boots for some league action from September until June. This is the third year that the league has been going. “There’s a good spirit.

Sometimes it gets a bit tense on the pitch but we’re always friends afterwards,” said Eric Salmgren, who, apart from being the coach of the Swedish team, works on European Parliament relations at the Swedish Permanent Representation. In all, there are nineteen teams competing as, in a throwback to the past, the Czechs and Slovaks have joined forces to play as one team!

Players include the EU’s Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and Sweden’s Ambassador to the Political and Security Committee Olof Skoog.

In general, they come from all sorts of organisations, be that permanent representations, the European Parliament, the European Commission, NGOs, companies or

consultancies for example. There are no restrictions on eligibility and players can join a team even if the season has already started (by going to http://europa.leaguerepublic.com /contact.do?siteid=8422531 and filling in the form). Although the vast majority of the players in each team are generally nationals of that country, there are exceptions. For example, a Brit plays for Sweden because his wife works at the Swedish Permanent Representation.

European football governing body UEFA are sponsoring the league.

Professional Belgian referees do the refereeing, which helps them gain experience before they move on to refereeing matches in the Belgian professional leagues. The matches are 11-a-side and are a bit shorter than normal football games, 35 minutes each half rather than 45 minutes.

After each team has played every other team once, the top four go into the quarter-finals. Their opponents are the four winners of a series of play-off matches between the 5th and 12th placed teams. The final is in June and is usually preceded by an exhibition game. Last year, it was

Grass hockey

Grass hockey update If you’re English or German, then maybe after the last weekend in August you’ll be inspired to either (re)start playing hockey or introduce your children to the game. That’s because England and Germany were in the final of the European hockey championships in Amsterdam this year. England ran out 5-3 winners in a hard-fought match, thereby winning their first every European hockey championship. The Netherlands beat Spain 61 in the 3rd/4th place play-off. So look back at last month’s edition of The Brussels Tribune, find a club and start getting involved!

‘North’ (e.g. UK, Nordic countries etc.) v ‘South’ (e.g. Italy, France etc.)

The form team is Poland, which has won the league and the cup (the ‘double’) two years in a row. Sweden finished tenth last year, which was its first in the league. “That wasn’t bad as usually newcomers finish near the bottom. We’re hoping to finish in the top eight this year,” says Salmgren, who plays in central defence for Sweden. The knock-out cup competition takes place over two days in June/July. “That’s usually very sociable, with a bar and a BBQ,” he adds. In last year’s cup, Spain [whose professional counterparts are reigning European champions] lost to Poland 2-0 in the final. Before that match, Sweden, as organisers, took on Europe in an exhibition match, which they lost 1-0.

The cost varies depending on which team you play for but is around 50 euro, which comes to under three euro per league match. But most teams also play friendly (i.e. non-league) matches against companies, local football clubs or other league teams.

Julian Hale

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22

Afterwork

A dreamy summer evening g Happiness can be as simple as sharing a glass of red wine among friends. But you still need the perfect plan to make it happen… Check out this guide.

People often dream of a simple little bar that doesn’t look up to much but has everything that they want.

You know, a cosy spot where you would always be welcomed with open arms, as if you were being greeted by your family. And certainly not one of those cafes where you need the patience of a saint to order from the bar, where you need to leave your hand stretched out more in hope than in expectation. You’d like one too where the waiters have a smile on their face. You’d like this bar of your dreams on a corner, with pretty noblewomen. The colours would be simple too, white and sky blue. There’d be two red slate boards hanging outside, showing what festivities are going on at that time. Inside, the bar would be open and a big shelf would contain bottles of wine from all over the world.

At the back of the room, there’d be a big black and white photo from the family album, the sort with a lady and her dog with the same haircut. The owners would be, well, let’s say brother and sister, twins for example. The sister would be serving. You wouldn’t want a forced smile from her but for her to welcome you as if she were welcoming you into her home. She’d be a pretty girl with a little ‘je ne sais quoi’ look in her eye.

Well, it all exists

and you’d choose from the nice little selection of appetizers. You’d have sardines, warm Portuguese chorizo, a salad of Japanese seaweed with sesame, some cold meats, some nice ‘meme’ toasted bread with melted cheese, lentils and lots more. The owner would suggest a really good Beaujolais by the glass, a very appropriate Château Cambon – produced by Marie Lapierre, the wife of the ‘pope’ of natural wines Marcel Lapierre – all very fruity wines. You’d chat, you’d laugh and you’d end up with a bill of around 15 euro a head. Afterwards, the night would still be young. You’d wake up the following day, certain that you’d been dreaming. Well, you hadn’t because it’s all true! Pinch me if you want but that’s what happens at the Petit Canon. And we’ll be back.

Wasabi U Le Petit Canon, rue Lesbroussart, 91 1050 Ixelles. Open from Monday to Saturday, from 11am until 9pm. Tel.: 02 640 3834. www.lepetitcanon.be

One evening when it’s hot, you’d go there with some friends. You’d have seen a great film before, like « Les Beaux Gosses » [Beautiful kids] by Riad Sattouf. You wouldn’t arrive too late because the place would be somewhere you’d get the evening rolling. You’d get two tables from the terrace

Retrouvez les bons plans restos de Wasabi dans La Tribune de Bruxelles et sur www.tribunedebruxelles.be

En bref

The chocolate producer Godiva is already turning its back on the summer by presenting its winter collection. The idea is to present the intensity of this season, with all its intense aromas, via chocolates and pralines.

There are two particular novelties worth pointing out. The ‘Marron Noir’ [Black chestnut] mixes cream with rum-scented chestnuts. All of this comes in a beautiful black chocolate shell. The ‘Noix Praline’ [Praline and nuts] is a nutty praline covered in milk chocolate. Other chocolates add to the experience of this new collection, which is a limited edition.

U Boxes from 20 euro (350 grammes), www.godiva.be

The Wood is in the Bois [wood] The Wood opened in the warmth of summer and above all in the fresh air of the Bois de la Cambre. This new bar/restaurant, which we can thank Serge Vanderheyden and Carl de Moncharline for, joins the Chalet du Gymnase and the chalet Rossignol as another of the areas with hotel, catering and cafeteria establishments. Now, we just to have wait for the (imminent) completion of work on the chalet Robinson and get ready to party. The official opening of The Wood is due in September! To do a tour, you just need to go along to Avenue de Flore, 3-4, which is open seven days a week.

N.B. The Wood, a genuine hotel, catering and cafeteria establishment has come to an agreement with Natagora, which will occupy the place’s second wing. The asbl will ensure that information is delivered about the Bois de la

Cambre – its history, leisure activities, geography through different events and exhibitions… through the ‘Maison forestière’ asbl, which is due to bring together the different players in the wood (Town, the friends of the Bois de la Cambre and franchiseholders etc.).

BÉNÉDICTE MAINDIAUX

Winter’s here already!

23

Shopping

JUST OPEN !

New Look En plein coeur de Bruxelles, à De Brouckère, l ’Anspach a été inauguré récemment. Ce nouveau complexe commercial auquel viendront s’ajouter un aparthôtel, des logements et les nouvelles installations du casino (12000 m2) offre un nouvel espace commercial lumineux dans lequel on rpeut découvrir de nouvelles enseignes comme "Maisons du Monde" ou encore New Look ! ................................................................................................................

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Isabelle Baines Positionnée au confluent de l’art et de l’artisanat, spécialisée dans le fait main, le sur-mesure, et la pièce unique, Isabelle Baines a su imposer au fil des ans un style sobre et épuré.

Volontairement à contre-courant des effets de mode tapageurs, de l’uniformisation des produits et des campagnes publicitaires à outrance, la marque Isabelle Baines entend défendre et valoriser la qualité d’un savoir-faire artisanal à Bruxelles. Les séries limitées « handmade », le sur-mesure, ainsi que tous les prototypes sont tricotés et cousus à la main dans l’atelier-tricot à Bruxelles. On retrouve tout son savoir-faire dans sa nouvelle boutique, à deux pas de l'avenue Louise.

U Rue de la Longue Haie, 4 - 1000 Brussels. Ouvert de 14 à 18h30 le lundi et de 10h30 à 18h30 du mardi au samedi. Tél. :02 502 13 73. www.isabellebaines.com

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Atelier Cosmétique Végétale® Yves Rocher Yves Rocher a ouvert depuis peu les portes de son premier Atelier Cosmétique Végétale® au Woluwé Shopping Center (entre Tollet et la Maison du Porte Plume). Un espace de 55 m_ entièrement consacré au monde végétal, à découvrir sans plus attendre !

U Woluwe Shopping Center

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................................................................................................................ « Sarah Pacini & Friends » Cette nouvelle boutique s'est installée dans le centre fashion de Bruxelles. Sarah Pacini y invite ses designers favoris.

Leurs collections y prendront place de manière permanente ou temporaire dans ce nouvel écrin.Cette saison, c’est le tour de la collection de Philippe Dubuc, designer canadien pour hommes.

U Rue Antoine Dansaert 25/27, Bruxelles.

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Mellow Yellow, La marque de chaussures préférée des addicts de la couleur, créé par Bruno Van Gaver en 2003 à Paris, s’installe dans le quartier le plus fashion de notre capitale ! Dans un décor blanc dynamisé par quelques touches de couleurs vives, ces chaussures ultra-tendances, colorées, féminines, créatives (et très accessibles) s'exposent. Pensées pour les femmes actives, qu’elles affichent un look pointu ou casual.

U Rue Antoine Dansaert, 98 - 1000 Bruxelles. www.mellowyellow.fr

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Et le bijou créa la femme C'est à deux pas de la place Brugmann que Joëlle Van de Voorde crée ses bijoux fluides, épurés et contemporains : colliers, sautoirs, bracelets, boucles d’oreilles et pendentifs sur lacets. Les collections « Et le bijou créa la Femme… »® s’offrent depuis peu aux regards : chaque samedi, l'espace de création blanc immaculé s'ouvre au public. la nouvelle collection est parée pour l’hiver. Tons chauds, touchers tactiles, atmosphères d’ambre et d’ébène à découvrir très vite !

U Rue Franz Merjay, 156 – 1050 Ixelles. Chaque samedi, de 10h à 18h30.

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Fabienne Delvigne Pour la collection automne-hiver 2009, Fabienne Delvigne invite pour la première fois la gent masculine dans son univers. Borsalino ou casquette ? Dandy ou voyou ?

Séducteur… en tout cas ! L’homme marche sur les traces de Cary Grant et d’Humphrey Bogart...

U Avenue Vandendriessche 25, 1150 Woluwe-St-Pierre , www.fabiennedelvigne.com. Tél. : 02 735 90 41

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Shopping

JUST OPEN !

Institut Power Plate Depuis le printemps dernier, chaque premier jeudi du mois, l'Institut Power Plate invite ses membres (hommes et femmes) et leurs amis à rencontrer les diététiciennes de Nutripharm. A cette occasion, ils ont la possibilité de goûter tous les produits hyperprotidiques distribués par Nutripharm et, s'ils le souhaitent, d'entamer un régime adapté à leurs besoins. Tout au long de leur régime, ils sont suivis par une diététicienne qui les aide à atteindre leurs objectifs. Combinée à des séances de Power Plate et de Kinesis encadrées par un coach ou à des activités cardio et avec la vraie volonté, la formule se révèle gagnante à tous les coups. Qu'est-ce qu'on attend ?

U Power Plate Institute Bruxelles - 111, avenue Louise - Bruxelles Séances sur rendez-vous : 02 538 11 15.

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Must by Lucia Esteves Must est le nouveau magasin multimarque de Lucia Esteves. C'est un petit boudoir exclusivement féminin où Lucia se fait un plaisir d’associer les matières et les genres, de coordonner les couleurs et de créer sa tendance ! On y trouve des griffes inédites comme Freddy The Club, Rutzou, KristenseN du Nord, Humanoid, … plus globalement des étoffes soyeuses et cuir vieilli, du cachemire et de la maille …en structuré ou déstructuré. L’essentiel de la collection hiver se décline sur une palette de tons naturels rehaussés par des touches de couleurs acidulées.

U Rue Darwin, 37 – 1050 Ixelles. Ouvert du mardi au samedi de 10h30 à 19h. Lucia.esteves@skynet.be

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Knott Shop La première vraie boutique de Jean-Paul Knott a ouvert ses portes en septembre. Il y avait déjà la Knott Gallery, boulevard Barthélemy qui constitue plus un show room avec des expos tous les deux mois.

Désormais, il y a la Knott Shop qui reflète le "monde de demain" vu par le créateur. Dans cet espace, pas de mono-pensée : il y aura des produits différents, des genres différents, des prix différents ! A voir...

U Rue Lebeau, 19 - 1000 Bruxelles. Tél. : 02 514 18 35. www.jeanpaulknott.com depuis septembre

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Oliviers & Co 10 ans, cela se fête... Le 23 octobre 2009, la première boutique bruxelloise d'Oliviers & Co, rue au Beurre, célébrera ses 10 ans en Belgique ce jour-là, le respect du produit, les saveurs de la fine cuisine à l’huile d’olive, la créativité, la convivialité…le goût seront à l'honneur. A épingler dans votre agenda culinaire, les nouveaux musts de l’hiver : L’Affiorato, le nectar de la nouvelle récolte 2009-10, l ’Huile d’Olive Vierge Extra à la Clémentine et au Citron en provenance du Portugal et pour booster vos envies culinaires quatre vinaigres hauts en couleur - le Vinaigre au Coquelicot de Nemours. Trois Pestos de Chefs bien typés viennent relever vos plats : Pesto Alla Genovesa- Basilic & Parmesan, Pesto ai Peperoni- Poivron & Ricotta, ou encore Pesto La Rossa- Tomates Séchées & Basilic.

U Rue au Beurre, 28 – 1000 Bruxelles .Tél. : 02 502 75 11

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Un nouveau concept à "La Manufacture" de Marcolini.

Afin de proposer à la fois des produits de qualité et d'une fraîcheur inédite, Pierre Marcolini adapte sa boutique du Sablon pour en faire un lieu de production, où la plupart des cuissons et des finitions sont assurées sur place. Le client a non seulement la possibilité de commander les fameuses pâtisseries, mais il peut également s'émerveiller devant les compositions présentées dans l'étalage. Système de livraison : Si la commande est passée avant 18h, la livraison est possible dans Bruxelles jusque 21h. La livraison est gratuite dans Bruxelles si le montant des achats est égal ou supérieur à 35 euros (Si le montant est inférieur, un forfait de 5 euros est appliqué).

U Place du Grand sablon, 39 - 1000 Bruxelles. Tél. : 02 247 99 88. Ouvert du mardi au dimanche de 10h à 19h.

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Ilona Chale Au numéro trois de la rue Coppens s’installe la nouvelle galerie d’Ilona Chale… Dans le quartier du Sablon, à l’ambiance chaleureuse où artistes, antiquaires, artisans et autres passionnés d’art se côtoient, une petite porte s’ouvre discrètement sur le monde merveilleux d’Ilona, créatrice de bijoux. Depuis peu, cette artiste a quitté la rue Washington et expose ses oeuvres dans une maison du 19e siècle, sur deux étages.

U Rue Coppens, 3 - 1000 Bruxelles. Ouvert du mercredi au samedi, de 11h à 18h, le dimanche de 10h à 16h et sur rendez-vous. Tél. : 02 511 34 12 - www.ilonachale.be_info@ilona-chale.be

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B52 Location de salons privés, catering sur mesure, team building, incentives... et bien plus encore

Nos partenaires Toutes nos salles sont équipées de machines à café Nespresso, les tables sont garnies d’Aqua Panna et de San Pelegrino, de verre Chefs & Sommeliers, nos cuisines sont équipées par Kitchenaid, Pirex et Velharia de Janas. La qualité de nos partenaires est aussi un gage de réussite pour vos événements.

Les Salles Petites ou grandes, de 2 à 100 personnes, suivant vos besoins, vos envies, nous nous plions en quatre, au minimum, pour répondre à vos attentes. Nos seules limites sont votre imaginaire et les contraintes techniques.

Le Sol AR Espace avant tout dédié à la dégustation, c’est là que nous vous recevrons si vous êtes un peu festifs ou bruyants. Un authentique bar/cave comme à Saint Germain des Prés à la grande époque, avec autant d’âme mais moins de fumée.

B52, avenue Brugmann 52 I 1190 Bruxelles I www.be52.be I contact: info@be52.be

The Brussels Tribune takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the weblinks on this page. It is up to the reader to check these.

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Weborama

Cartoon characters show you another side of Brussels www.brusselsmania.com Lots of great ideas of things to do in Brussels, with various fictional cartoon characters with their own specially created personalities giving you top tips. One of them is a 28-year old Spaniard called Paco, who has travelled the world for so long that he doesn't even remember his real name. After years of globetrotting, he fell in love with a girl from Brussels and decided the time had come to put his backpack down. No one is more skilled in the art of low budget than this master of everything free. Particularly appropriate right now in these financially difficult times. One of his tips is to go to the Royal Museum of the Army and Military History, one of the world’s largest military museums. The entrance is always free and there’s a panoramic view of Brussels overlooking the arcade.

Comic-related blogs www.10best.com/Brussels,Belgium/ Listings website covering restaurants, cafes, museums, parks, bars and shopping. It rates Brasserie Horta, where the Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée is located, as the top Brussels café. And you can read more about what you can do at the Centre in our dossier on comic strips.

The Centre comes in at number five in a list of top ten attractions, behind the Grand Place (1) and the Magritte museum (4) but ahead of the Atomium (6) and the Palais Royal (7). This is how they describe it: “Often considered laughter-provoking, comic strips in Belgium are serious business, to the point of being referred to as the "ninth art." Belgium's best-known comic export is Tintin, the boy and his dog created by Herge in 1929. Along with Tintin, the Belgian Comic Strip Center pays homage to Asterix, Thorgal, the Smurfs, and Willy and Wanda, along with Andy Capp, Charlie Brown, and some familiar superheroes.”

Along with descriptions of the various places, there’s usually also a map to find it plus the chance to click on an icon with a ‘thumbs up’ (i.e. you liked it) or a ‘thumbs down’ (you didn’t). You can then see how many people liked or didn’t like it before you decide whether to go or not.

www.brusselsmania.com /wabxlint/en/15381 /our-guides.act

www.brusselsmania.com /wabxlint/en/fashion_trends /15363/comics-shops.act

You might want to download the cutout versions of the cartoon characters and print them off for your kids so that they can put them together and collect them!

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A list of shops in Brussels where you can buy comics.

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Museum talks www.museumtalks.be/ Select a museum, subject or language. Then click on the mp3 of your choice and just listen to it. And if it gives you a flavour for more, then download your favourite MuseumTalks for free on your mobile phone or mp3 and ... set off for the museum.More than 100 different MuseumTalks can be heard online (e.g. a rapper dedicating a song to the painter Magritte or a Spanish brewer evoking the particular charms of the Brussels Gueuze Museum).

Weatherwatch www.accuweather.com/ Do you need to know if it’s going to rain because you’re playing tennis with friends in the evening and you’re not sure whether to cancel that outdoor court and book an indoor one? Do you need to know because you’re planning a long walk in the countryside? Or do you want to know because you’re curious? Whatever the reason, accuweather.com is very handy. Enter your location and you can get hour by hour weather as well as the weather in the next one to five days and a forecast for up to 15 days.

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