Halloween, the Brussels Way

Halloween

Unfortunately, the great American tradition hasn't really seem to caught on to the Belgian people (they are a little old-fashioned..takes longer for commercial things like Halloween to get to them). I was actually surprised at how many people ignored us when we rang the bell, or simply said they didn't have any "bonbons." When I was living in Germany and went trick-or-treating, we actually ended up with full bags of lots of random things, including not only candy, but also apples, chips, toys and even money! Yes, some people were not happy to see us, but for the most part, people thought it was funny! One family even had us come into their living room and sing our "American" trick or treat song for the whole family, who just stared at us and laughed. Anyway, back to Belgium. 

Tonight was Niki and Jonas's first time trick-or-treating in Belgium (and my first time trick-or-treating in a big city!). Jonas was a Hexe (witch) and Niki a Zauberer (Sorcerer). I helped them put on their costumes (mostly black, with big pointy hats. Niki had a wand and Jonas a big broomstick) and then painted their faces. They loved it:)

Of course, I could not pass Halloween without also at least getting a little dressed up! Did I mention that Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year?? Even more than Christmas!! I just love getting dressed up and I especially love getting lots of candy, because, as my family knows, I have a major sweet tooth. So, I also quickly painted up my face. Not sure what I was supposed to be (maybe a sorcerer/alien? I also wore a blonde wig.. Oliver took some better picture of us all which I can post later). 

Anyway, as I was doing my make-up, I suddenly heard booms outside my window...fireworks! There were some major fireworks going on at some Place in Brussels Centre. I could see them all the way across the houses from my window on the top floor. I called the boys over to watch, lifting them up and holding them in front of the open window so they could see. They were so fascinated by the colors and noise (they kept saying, "I bet another one is coming! I bet it will be purple!" They always bet each other about things, it's so funny). It's also so cute how they get really excited about the most simple things. They started yelling "Happy Halloween!" out the window, and other people standing on their balconies looked up at us and laughed. Then I started singing the Trick-or-Treat song, "I'll pull down your underwear" one. You know, the one that goes:
Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat! If you don't, I don't care, I'll pull down your underwear!" 

I translated it for the boys and they thought it was the funniest thing ever. Later, I came down with my face painted and the blonde wig, and the whole family was in the dining room, getting ready to eat dinner. I jumped out from behind the door and yelled, "BOO!" And held out my surprises for the boys: real American candy. I brought Twizzlers and Reese's with me from New York:) They were so excited, especially for the Reese's because I got them so hooked on Erdnussbutter (peanut butter) and PB&Js:)

Later we went out, and started ringing the doorbells, first saying friandises ou bêtises (trick or treat in french!) and then saying "Halloween!" because sometimes the people didn't understand what we wanted. When they still didn't understand, we simply said "Bonbons!" Some people came to the door, others ignored us.. Some just said they didn't have candy. I think that was a lie tho because what Belgian does't have sweets in the house? They are known for their chocolate and overflowing candy isles!! How could they not have sweets at home?? I believe they just said that because they couldn't bare to share their candy! :P We did get quite a lot of success from going into the night shops tho and asking! The men working their are usually very friendly. I go to the shops sometimes to ask for directions when I am lost at night in the city. We also passed a house with a big window, and inside saw a very funny scene: About 10 mid-20 year-olds dressed up in crazy costumes (one girl was wearing a giant blue foam hat) screaming and yelling. One of them looked out the window and saw me walking past, then yelled at me through the window some kind of compliment about my costume and gave me the peace sign. Was quite nice:)

Here are some pictures from our outing.. sorry they are so blurry! The boys would not stop running around all over the place! Oli took some better pictures, which I'll post later!!

Niki looks a little "Halloween crazed" if you know what I mean...Maybe too much candy?

Well, it wasn't my most successful Halloween candy-wise..(look at my side "pile" below) but, it was lots of fun with the boys and interesting to see what people thought of us when we rang their doorbells and asked for candy.

Sad:(

Well, I leave for Mallorca tomorrow! Yay for warm weather and sunshine!! :) 

Fashion Days, Mirano and the United Nations (Basically, a full weekend)

This was last weekend (So, Oct. 20th-21st). I'm sorry I havn't updated you in a while, but quite busy with the boys. This week I have to babysit them ALL DAY LONG because they are on school break and we don't leave for Majorca until this Thursday (YES, we are going on vacation to that lovely island off Spain! Can't wait to be on the beach:))

Well, now let me tell you about my quite full weekend. (You can kind of get a glimpse of it from the picture above...I have no idea who that girl is kissing me).

SATURDAY

Rue de Neuve (the biggest commercial shopping street in Brussels) on a Saturday.  Basically, don't go shopping on Saturday here..

Saturday afternoon I met up with a new au pair who just arrived in Brussels last week from Leeds, England. Her name is Abi and is very nice! We went shopping together on the big shopping street (Rue de Neuve) which has like every store you can think of plus other random ones and about 5 H&Ms.. I found this new store here that seems to be quite popular with the young people called Pull & Bear. It’s apparently Spanish and has a very urban style that I like a lot. I’m surprised it hasn’t found its way over to the US already… I’m betting it will soon though!

Pull & Bear

 Fashion Days

After shopping we hopped on the metro to go to Fashion Days—the first big Fashion festival in Brussels. There was a big fashion show taking place, as well as some exhibitions of clothing made by Belgian designers, most of them right from Brussels. It was my first real fashion show, and honestly I was really surprised! I had never seen such skinny models in my life, and some of the clothing they wore was just out of this world, while others I could see myself wearing. It was a very strange mix. At one point they had men walking down the runway wearing only a tiny cloth cover-up and a giant black mask with netting sticking out all over it. What I also found quite surprising was how unhappy they all looked when they walked down the runway… I wonder if they are told they can’t smile. I’m thinking maybe it is because if they smile it will distract people from looking at their clothes.. But that’s just a guess.

Sorry the pictures are so blurry, the models walk so fast!!!

They started out with more normal outfits...

Sorry this is so blurry (they are literally speed walking down the catwalk) but this model literally looked like a man but she had boobs... It was definitely a girl but had a chiseled face and broad shoulders like a man!

At the end they all came out together. The cool thing I saw was that they had models of all  different races..Caucasian, Asian, African American, Middle Eastern...

Room outside the fashion show, lots of fashionably dressed people and a big screen with half naked ladies dancing on it (what is with Europe and videos of half-naked women being shown as entertainment??). You could get your hair and makeup done by professionals (lines were huge tho)

Real model getting photos taken! They had castings going on there as well!

Just the beginning of some crazy designs... This outfit is a cross between going out in the Russian tundra and going on the moon

Hmmm when would I wear this? Perhaps for my next Star Wars theme costume party?

A bathing suit? If not, then I have no idea when I would wear that, unless I worked in a strip club

Upside-down skirt! (second in from the right)

Snake necklace...

This dress, if you loo very carefully, actually is showing the internal organs (made with lots of colorful beads..)

The bottom jaw of this skull is the pendant of a giant silver necklace.

Scary but intriguing photograph on the wall

Talk about shoulder pads...

Now we're REALLY talkin' bout shoulder pads!

I think I found my wedding dress!!

Dress on the right is made entirely out of can tabs.

Skirt made of film strips

 Mirano Continental

Saturday night I went to a new club called Mirano Continental. It’s one of the more fancy/expensive ones in Brussels (I guess this past weekend was just kind of my “indulge” weekend, going to all the fancy clubs and such) You have to pay 15 euros to get in (which is probably the steepest price you’ll find for a club here in Brussels), but after that you get a membership card and then its only 10 euros the next times. Inside the club it has really high ceiling over a giant dance floor with round pedestals in the middle were you can get up on and dance above everyone. They were crowed with girls in tight short skirts and high heels dancing like crazy. Up in front of the dance floor there is a raised stage with a giant bar and the DJ above it. When the famous Kid Cudi party song “Pursuit of Happiness” came on, the bar suddenly lit on fire (literally, like it was flaming around the whole thing) and everyone went crazyyy it was, well, awesome. Oh, and did I mention that I danced practically the whole night with the owner of Jeux d'Hiver's (the most exclusive clubs in Brussels) son?? Well, I did:) I also hung out with two managers from Abercrombie, who Antonia invited. They offered me a job at the store, but unfortunately I had to turn it down because I have practically no free time here during the week:(

It was "Girls Gone Wild" night, with free drinks for "girls" until 1 am. Definitely not the greatest plan if you ask me.

My blonde girlfriends from left to right: Mandi (au pair from Finland, Sofia (Antonia's friend visiting from  Sweden), me, and Antonia (my close friend and party-partner, direct from Stockholm)

Apparently setting your bottles of alcohol on fire is a "thing" here....

On the sides are two staircases going up to the second floor, which has a full, semi-circle balcony looking down over the dance floor. The second floor is mostly just full of big, white plush couches and a smoking area. Almost every club and bar I’ve been to here in Belgium has a smoking room. I try as hard as possible not to be dragged into them, but sometimes I am forced to when the people I am with smoke (of which many of my friends here actually do). I hate going in because I can barely breathe and then my clothes and hair smell badly of smoke. It’s so weird how popular smoking is here, especially with the young people. Whenever I pass the high school in St. Gilles (the commune where I live) at the end of the school day to pick up the boys, all the students stand in front of the school and pull out there pack of cigarettes and start smoking. Literally everyone I pass is smoking, some looking as young as 16. I just can’t believe it. I think the health message isn’t as strongly conveyed here as in the States.

Sunday

UN Day, Grande Place

On Sunday I woke up at 2pm and then headed straight to the Grande Place (which is actually a UNESCO World Heritage site) for UN Day! It marked the 20^th anniversary of the UN, which has one of its main offices based in Brussels. There were many tents set up, providing information on the three pillars of the UN – Peace and Security, Human Rights and Development, as well as showing  the living conditions of a refugee family, and even providing  sample World Food Program emergency food rations (surprisingly delicious). The food was made in a big stove called an Okra, that is "hybrid" because it can use both wood fuel and these special "briquettes" that they make from chopped up garbage when they can't get enough wood. They also had a bongo drum circle where kids could play. It was really a nice scene, with everyone speaking different languages and learning about the great things the UN does. It made me really consider working there one day. I talked to a lady at one of the booths about interning, and unfortunately I can’t until I’ve graduated from UBC, but then she said I should definitely apply to intern. She also said that knowing my three languages will also give me a step up in getting an internship, which is apparently quite difficult because so many people apply.

The "Peace Dove" over the Grande Place

They also had a suggestion box. The website about the success of UN Day said this:

And from the suggestion box came requests to sort out everything from the situation in the Middle East to all the waste and pollution we create worldwide. 

Questions were asked on how to become a Secretary-General and how to change the structure of the Security Council. 

But most of all we received messages on how important the work of the UN is and how without it there would be so much more suffering, war and hunger.

I think it’s great that they got so many suggestions and concerning so many different topics!

It was a peaceful ending to a quite crazy weekend:)