Sara In Brussels

2006-02-01T12:32:00.001-08:00

Blue Danube Party - 21.01.2006:
we sold out: more than 1000 people came. We had a lot of food and drinks for free till 1am. We had traditional performances from each country. I was the presenter of the show. To see the pics check out our HOMEPAGE:
www.bluedanube.de.be take a look, it is really worth it!

2006-02-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

Blue Danube Party - 21.01.2006:
we sold out: more than 1000 people came. We had a lot of food and drinks for free till 1am. We had traditional performences from each country. I was the presenter of the show. To see the pics check out our HOMEPAGE:
www.bluedanube.de.be take a look, it is really worth it!

2006-01-24T02:28:00.000-08:00

Preparation of the BLUE DANUBE PARTY:
As I was the coordinator of this party, I had a lot to do. There were 6 countries which participated. We had a core team, consisting of 4 people - I was one of them - 2 coordinators, a tresurer and a secretaire. Besides the "normal" coordinator tasks I was responsable for the marketing and promotion. So I designed the posters, flyers and tickets:

our hp: www.bluedanube.de.be

2006-01-24T02:21:00.001-08:00

On the 29th I came back. My sister came with me. Also her boyfriend arrived the same day. We wanted to spend New Years Eve together in Brussels.
Sightseeing:

New Years Eve, first I invited some people to my place:

Then we went to another party:

Some more sightseeing:

The parliament:

The commission - my building:

main building:

parc:

2006-01-24T02:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas time with my family:

2006-01-24T02:20:00.000-08:00

On the 22.12.2005 there was the DG Christmasparty, I unfortunately couldn't attend as I was going home.
Some impressions:

2006-01-24T01:57:00.000-08:00

16.12.-18.12.2005: Eliasabth came to visit me!
In the center:

... christmas time :)

It brings luck when you touch this figure:
The symbole of brussels: Mannequin Piss - in the museum

in some nice outfits:

- outside:

The Christmasmarket:

The Christmasparty of the Stagairs from my DG (DG ENTERPRISE):

Everybody brought something to eat (meals from the home countries) and to drink. Here Maurizio cooking good italian food - spaghetti:

presents:

Then we went to a club - "le corbeau"; till 12pm its a normal bar, after midnight the dances start - on the tables:

Atomium:

Elisabeth and me eating belgium specialities - moules frites:

chocolate, mniam mniam:

St. Michelle:

2005-12-18T09:46:00.000-08:00

11.12.2005 - the beautiful city of dinant:

mister sax, who invented the saxophone:

there is the brewery leffe:

2005-12-18T09:24:00.000-08:00

20.11.2005 another trip to a city in belgium. this time it was gent. we didnt have a very nice weather but it was nice anyways:

a cool house:

some nice graffitis:

i think the belgians like australian meals not only ice:

the town:

inside the castle - torture museum:

different ;) :

2005-11-21T02:50:00.000-08:00

From the 16-18.11.2005 I was in Strasbourg, this trip was organised by the Traineeship Office. We went there by bus which lasted 6 hours :(
We were staying in the IBIZ hotel. was very nice.
after arriving we went to the EU-parlament:

some lectures:

As we saw that in a hall of the parlament there was something to eat and to drink, we invited ouerselves to join...it was something about hunting - so the meat was from wild animals:

we lended some hats, and instruments from a german "band":

Then we went home and after it to a restaurant. On the wayback we dicovered a nice place where we had to take our shoes of and sit on pillows, was very agreable.

next day a guided sightseeing-tour:

the tram is very cool:

our guide was very funny:

Inside the cathedral:

there we saw also an old clock where every hour some figures in it move. on this clock there is the oldest picture of Kopernikus-the polish astronomer:

After the sightseeing tour we went to the town hole wher we had a little reception:

Then we went to the council, this is the whole group that was on this trip:

the cathedral and the place near by it by night:

At the restaurant:

Sunday we went to Eurocorps, where we had a lecture about this institution and the work of Eurocorps. On the toilet there were some special rules:

Yeah this was all, the time passed really quickly...

2005-11-21T01:48:00.000-08:00

From the 11-13.11.2005 I was with some people in Amsterdam. It was really great!
We went with two cars (5 people each) on Friday after work. But the start from Brussels was a bit difficult as we discovered that in one car (the one I should be in) there was a flat tire...

The way to Amsterdam was also not so easy ;) but finally we arrived to the hostel.
As it was late we just headed for a drink:
and after it four of us went for a little walk, where we discoverd a nice place with 1€ beer:
On Saturday we visted the Van Gogh museum.
The only picture we were allowed to make inside was this one:

This is not an advertisment vor AMS ;) we still have our jobs ;) (just the beginning of the word amsterdam):

We made a walking tour through the red light district:

Then we went to a nice place:

and after it we tried to enter a bar which was really famouse so a lot of people were there, after waiting more then an hour we gave up to enter it (the line was sooo long) and we went to a pub, which was really nice:

On the way home we saw a bus (look at the writing- just the german speaking people will understand, sorry) and suddenly all the guys wanted to go with it ;)

The night from saturday to sunday we slept in this hostel:
relaxing:
On Sunday we made a boat trip:

funny...

then martina and I went to the Anne Franck House which was very interesting.

2005-11-09T06:20:00.000-08:00

The same day (05.11) but at night I was at two parties: first one was a birthday party of two britsh guys (one is the guy in the white shirt):
the girl in the middle is my new flatmate (stagaire at the parlamaent for 1 month), the guy on the right is an austrian trainee at the commission:
and then some of us went to an italian party:

2005-11-09T02:44:00.000-08:00

On the 05.11. I was in Leuven. This trip was organised by the Stagiaires Committee.

Thomas always taking a lot of pics:

We went through the university quarter:Where it not that Leuven is renowned all over the world for its University (the K.U.L = Katholieke Universiteit Leuven -Catholic University of Louvain), one of the oldest still existing catholic universities in the world, founded in 1425.
there is the same in china:
Beguinages are very typical for Flemish cities. They are complexes of little houses around a square and were created at the time of the crusades to house the widows of the crusaders. Later, they turned into an alternative female community system for women who wanted to lead a monastic life of prayer and service without being tied to a monastery with strict vows. These women became known as 'Beguines'.
The smallest house of a beguine:

main square:
all people participating in this trip
The magnificent 15th century town hall:

2005-11-03T10:20:00.000-08:00

"Käsekraineressen" at Stephans place:

"die leergefressene bar" zitat martina:

Stephan cooking ;)

Elena, Michael, Martina, Lukas, Marina, Patrick, Ich, Stephan:

2005-11-03T05:45:00.000-08:00

On the long weekend I made a trip to PARIS, to visit some friends. I arrived on saturday at 23h at Gare du Nord. From there I was picked up from Yo with his motorbike:
It was a really nice ride, we passed beside the louvre, the obelisk, from a distance there was the eiffel tower, everything nicly lighted up in the night.
We went to Vince's place, there were also marco and mick, and we played a bit: roi de trois - very cool game, the insiders know what I mean ;)
Next day we went to a restaurant to meet romain who was heading to vienna to see my sister.
(vince, yo, marco, guillaume/le tronc, mick, me, romain)
there we eat "flam (flamenkuch)" a traditional french meal:
after this very good lunch we (yo, trone, renaud, nathalie and myself) went to play billard:
and afterwards for a drink:
after vince joint us, we decided to go to a theatre d'improvisation. which was a lot of fun. everyone had to write a word on a piece of paper and the actors had to make a story out of this and perform it. the place was also very nice and there was a great atmosphere.

a bit of fun:
yes this was sunday. on monday we went shopping to les halles, took some drink near by.
at about 16h we begun to play "caps" and more and more people arrived. some of us played also "roi de trois":

at about 21h we made it to go out of the house to go to a restaurant. the way to it (by metro) was really funny; roi de trois in the metro: guillaume -le roumain, tronc, renaud, marco, mick, vince, and I ;) other games:
finally we arrived to the restaurant:

good food: and wine who fitted in the theme of the night: halloween >
there we had also a lot of fun ;)

after the restaurant we planned to go to a party, on the way there I had to teach mick how to dance "walzer", he gave command to franz: "franzi sing a walz" and poor franzi had to sing, while i was teaching him the steps. but he was very good :)
... we didnt get into the party location because there where already a lot of people :( so we just went to bastille:

Tuesday was very chillig, I went on a boat trip:

2005-10-24T11:44:00.000-07:00

On the 23.10.2005 Martina and I went to Brugge.
check it out:
We made a sightseeing - boat trip, was really very nice: The Basilica of the Holy Blood: The relict after which the place is named is located here; a vial of what is supposed to be the blood of Christ, revealed to worshipers on special occasions and kept at other times in a sumptuous reliquary. When we were there it was exposed, so i went to touch it. michael angelos statue: brevery:

2005-10-22T05:55:00.000-07:00

Halloweenparty on the 21.10.2005!
first of all "vorglühen" ;) at andrews place (andrew is sharing the office with me; its the guy in the middle, on the first pic) :

halloweenparty at a monastry:

2005-10-18T10:27:00.000-07:00

Visited Antwerpen on the 16.10. very nice town!
but see the fotos.
Trip with a sightseeing tram -very shaky ;):

2005-10-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

On the 15.10. we were at OKTOBERFEST!!!... as we couldnt go to germany to the oktoberfest, the oktoberfest came to us to brussels :)
it was a lot of fun. real german beer, german service, and music *gg*
manuela and michael(a belgian guy):
Knut the german specialist enjoying his national beer ;)

manuela, michael, knud, martina and i:

2005-10-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

a spanish party on friday... first beer tasting at martinas place. results will be anounced after tasted all belgian beers... ;)

2005-10-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

On the 9.10.2005 Martina and I visited Knokke.
First we went to a tourist information to ask what to see. The answer was that there is nothing to see ... but two people sitting in this office...

curious thing: a scottish men

another curios stuff: australian ice-cream is here popluar...never heard of it elswhere

cool sea :)
sometimes the water was coming to fast...

2005-10-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

The welcome party for the stagaires :)

was really cool. first there was cheese and wine and then paaaaarrrrrtttyyy!!!!

i didnt make so much photos bc i gave my fotoapparat to the garderobe to could better party ;)

2005-10-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post my tripp to Oostende. I was there with martina and claudia (a working collegue of martina) on the 01.10.2005. A nice village. have a look at the pics ;)
real sand & sea: Playground - had a lot of fun there ;)
so, as you could see it was a lot of fun there. there was also a market, so there were a lot of people, it was a really good ambiance. :)

2005-10-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

today friday, 07.10.2005 was my first workingday. i had to be there at 9am. i was a bit in stress, the first day, how will it be... and to make it more interesting, there was a strike of the transportation company (ja ja die öffis)... so i had to walk ... i couldnt hardly see anything because it was very fogg - yes this is brussels ;)

the first day was nice, i met the head of my unit(-technology for innovation; ICT industries and E-business) who told me more about the work of his unit, asked me what my interests are so that we can find a field where i can work according to my skills and interest. my first contact was my adviser, who is coming from finland and who is very nice and who introduced me to the people in the unit - all really friendly and courteous!

so thats it till now. today there will be a welcome party for all trainees and i am looking really forward to it :)

2005-10-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

so, ich werd mal auf englisch wechseln, damits ein bissi internationaler wird und damit den blogg auch meine nichtdeutschsprachigen freunde lesen können ;)

the first "working"week was actually a welcome week with all the organisatory stuff and a 2 day conference
where we had also the pleasure to meet the president of the commission, mr. barroso:

so overall it was interesting and i got to know very nice people, it is really a great community here!some of my collegues here: the first girl from the left is my flatmate.

2005-10-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

Ich wohne in einem haus, das einem arzt (bereits pensioniert-aber der noch manchmal praktiziert) und seiner frau gehört. Sie wohnen im ersten stock, dann wohnen noch 2 leute im zweiten stock und mit mir im dritten stock wohnt eine amerikanerin, die auch bei der kommission ihr praktikum macht. wir haben jeder sein eigenes zimmer mit waschbecken, tv, internetzugenang und teilen bad, küche und sozusagen den vorraum.

2005-10-04T02:00:00.000-07:00

Wohnungssuche...
Am nächsten morgen ging dann die wohnungssuche los. da ich mir schon einiges vorher in wien im internet herausgeschrieben habe, begann ich nun die vermieter anzurufen. dann vereinbarte ich mit ihnen termine, wo ich mir die wohnungen angeschaut habe. einige bilder von den wohnungen könnt ihr euch hier anschauen. am anfang war es nur so, dass es entweder mini zimmer waren
oder nette aber ur weit weg,
oder überhaupt in einer schlechten gegend. naja, jedenfalls war das herumfahren und suchen ziemlich anstrengend. am freitag habe ich dann endlich 2 wohnungen gefunden die mir zugesagt haben. da ich mich nicht wirklich schnell entscheiden hab können war die billigere dann, als ich angerufen habe, schon bereits vergeben. also, das schicksal wollte es anscheinend so, habe ich das jetzige ;) zimmer genommen...

2005-10-04T01:22:00.000-07:00

am dienstag gings dann los nach brüssel. mit einem grossen (wander)rucksack, einem riesen koffer, einer AIESEC-Tasche ;), einem laptop und nem sackerl mit reiseproviant,... ich fuhr mit dem zug; mit flug hätte ich tonnen von übergepäck gehabt.
die reise dauerte von 8.30 bis 20.30 mit einmal umsteigen in köln. obwohl es so doch 12std. waren, war es trotzdem nicht zu anstrengend. im zug habe ich paar nette leute kennengelernt. erstmals einen burschen aus regensburg, der aber in wien seine lehre als industriekaufmann macht und der, als er regensburg beschrieben hat, neben tollen pubs auch erwähnte, dass dort leute mit lederhosen herumgehen, natürlich hat er es als scherz gemeint. nachdem er in regensburg ausgestiegen ist, stiegen in mein abteil 2 burschen ein und... einer in lederhosen ;)
er ging sich dann aber umziehen, da er es nur fürs oktoberfest gekauft hatte und gerade von dort kam.
ich habe mich dann sehr nett unterhalten und die zeit verging somit wirklich schnell.

am bahnhof (brüssel-midi) wurde ich schon von martina erwartet, dann fuhren wir mit einem taxi in ihre wohnung.

Photobucket

2005-10-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

This is a test post from Photobucket.com

2005-10-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

noch in wien...
natürlich... abschiedsfeier!
die fotos sprechen für sich, es war super lustig! Angefangen hats im Cetimeter VII bei der U6 Alser Strasse, ja es gibt ihn dort tatsächlich, für all die Ungläubigen die im 8.Bezirk gesucht haben...

der kellner dort war übrigens ein echtes unikat ;), nicht nur, dass er gewusst hat was ne apfelschorle ist, nein, er konnte sogar am geruch erkennen, dass die falsche biersorte ausgeschenkt wurde!

das haben wir natürlich versucht nachzumachen:

nach einigen heissen diskussion über ethik, moral,
freizeit,uni, praktika,..., einigen SPIELEN, und BIEREN wurde dann so gegen eins die letzte runde noch bestellt und langsam zu ende getrunken, denn der plan war weiter ins B72 zu gehen.

bis wir da aber angekommen sind, dauerte es ..., erstens bröckelten ein paar gäste ab, natürlich nur die schwächsten glieder, wie z.B. Lisbeth - mein Lieblingskrüpelchen ;) bei ihr war es verständlich... bei manch einem anderen nicht so ;) der feste kern von ca. 15 Leuten blieb jedoch, es wurde noch ein echter(!) Champagner geköpft, noch herumgeturnt und herumgeblödelt .

Im B72, war es wirklich sehr, sehr heiss, also verlegten wir uns teilweise nach auswärts, wo es sehr angenehm war. da wir noch zur späterer stunde voller tatendrang waren, gings ins nächste lokal weiter. da es um die zeit nur wenig auswahl gab, schlenderten wir zum ... Boombastik. war nicht so schlecht, wie es klingt. dort hat man als 5er mädelgruppe ne wodka flasche mit orangensaft bekommen, das haben wir natürlich ausgenutz und noch einieges an alkohol geschlürft, natürlich haben die männlichen anwesenden neben ihren bieren bei uns "mitgenascht" ;).

nachdem wir hinausgedrängt worden waren - da sperrstunde war - beschlossen wir noch ins Chelsea zu schauen. Am weg dorthin, die frischluft hat unsere gehirne wieder ein bissi auf vordermann gebracht, kamen wir drauf, dass es sich nicht mehr auszahlt dahinzugehen, da schon über unseren köpfen bereits die ersten u-bahnen herumkreisten, was gleichzusetzen war mit: alle lokale sind bereits geschlossen,... also war bei der station josefstädterstrasse das ende dieses tollen abends...

2005-10-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

Da ich (noch) nicht so eine eingefleischte Bloggerin bin, werde ich mich daweil ziemlich kurz fassen und nur die (hoffentlich) für Euch interessantesten Informationen hineinschreiben. Bitte verzeiht mir alle Tippfehler bzw. sonstigen Ungereimheiten, da ich den Text, den ich schreibe nicht Tausend mal lesen will. ich werd einfach drauflosschreiben, so dass es eher natürlich sein wird, wenn Ihr versteht was ich meine. So werden sich vielleicht meine spontanen und inneren Gedanken bzw. Momentangefühls- oder sonstigen Zustände besser wiederspiegeln lassen.
So das reicht mal für die Einleitung, ich muss jetzt eh schon bissi aufholen...