How refreshing it is to see a familiar face in a foreign place! I realized this over the weekend when my best friend from home, Maris, came to visit me in Brussels for the weekend with her friend Sessie. She and Sessie are studying in Strasbourg, France for the weekend, and they made the trek to Belgium on Friday evening. We spent Saturday exploring the downtown area. Wandering the side streets near Grand Place, we happened to stumble upon what is quite possibly the most amazing vintage shop that I have ever seen. It’s called “episode,” and it has everything from old Converse sneakers to quirky pantsuits. Old t-shirts and fabrics have been re-worked into unique dresses, tops, etc. It was honestly a shopping paradise! Somehow, I managed to walk out of there with only two items…I was quite impressed with my self-restraint!We were fortunate enough to meet up with Jennie, my friend from Furman, as well. She was in Brussels for the day with one of her friends from Groningen, so the two of them joined us for our shopping adventure.
Of course, I had to take the girls to see the legendary Mannekin Pis. It was actually a very special day because the statue was decked out in “World Diabetes Day” garb for the 14th of November. It was absolutely surreal to see this Brussels icon promoting the cause that I have been working on for the past few months. Two of my co-workers from IDF happened to be at the fountain filming a promotional video for World Diabetes Day, and Sessie and I appeared on film to discuss the cause. It really meant a lot to me that she was willing to contribute.
After our World Diabetes Day adventure, I showed them the shopping district of downtown Brussels. It was absolutely bustling with people on a busy Saturday afternoon, so they really got to witness the insanity.
We were pretty exhausted from navigating the crowds, so we took a break back in the apartment with a Chinese food dinner and some cheesy television. We were lucky enough to catch a British game show called “Hole in the Wall” – one of the strangest competitions that I have ever watched.
We began our Saturday night out with a trip to the Delirium alley. We eventually made our way to the Central Station after hearing rumors of a free party in the train station. Of course, I curiosity got the best of us, so we at least had to check out the scene. Stepping out into the station, we heard thumping music and saw swarms of police officers and drunken teenagers. Apparently, this is a famous annual event with renowned DJs who I would not be able to identify. After scoping out the crazy scene and realizing it was not worth waiting out in the rain and bracing the crowd for an undetermined amount of time, we headed back toward Grand Place to go dancing at Le Corbeau. This was a wonderful choice as the bar/club had a decent crowd and a spectacular music selection ranging from Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love” to Grease’s “You’re the One That I Want.” It was a splendid night in Brussels, indeed.
On Sunday morning, I took Maris and Sessie to the Place Jourdan Sunday market to see the wide variety of stands and to get coffee in a nearby shop. It was a relaxing way to start the day and give them a taste of authentic Brussels traditions.
The rest of the afternoon was spent watching Mad Men in the apartment before the girls departed back to France. Oh how we’ve missed the joys of vegging out with American TV together. It is certainly an underrated pleasure.From dancing to chilling and everything in between, it was absolutely one of my favorite weekends in Brussels with two wonderful girls!
Today I attended my first meeting in the Parliament as a representative for IDF Europe. This meeting is an component of what the IDF Europe crew classifies as "EU Affairs." We met with a few MEP's and the leaders of National Diabetes Organizations to discuss the future of the Diabetes Working Group in the European Union.
The day started off with a rather smooth commute to work (Public Transportation Tip #1: don’t try to be ladylike and cross your legs on the bus. You will topple over embarrassingly onto the person beside you). I tuned into some James Taylor to chill me out, and then headed into the office where I met Chris Delicata, the VP of IDF Europe, and Anne Marie Felton, the Chair of the Federation of European Nurses in Diabetes (FEND). They were both very charming and friendly. After editing a PowerPoint presentation and receiving an official IDF Europe blue circle pin, we hopped in a taxi to head to Parliament. As we drove through the streets of Brussels, Mrs. Felton pointed out nice restaurants and spots worth checking out.
Upon arriving at Parliament, I had to show my passport and receive a badge certifying that I was an official guest of the UK MEP, Sarah Ludford. We then proceeded to the meeting room which overlooked the city of Brussels with a bird's eye view of the Palais de Justice. Somehow, I managed to turn my focus to the meeting and record important notes and suggestions for the meeting minutes. The major point on the agenda was to discuss the logistics of the upcoming World Diabetes Day that will take place in Brussels in mid-November. It was fascinating to be a part of the brainstorming process in politics. All of the planning and strategizing that occur behind closed doors was happening right there while I was in the room. I learned that many of the people have personal ties to the Diabetes cause (i.e. spouses and children suffering from Diabetes). Between hearing these stories and those of my father who has been working closely with a man suffering from severe complications of Diabetes, the cause seems much more real to me. It is astounding that such an epidemic goes relatively unnoticed when compared to Swine Flu and Cardiovascular Disease. In the meeting today, the attendees discussed how it is important that we research the ways in which Cardiovascular Disease has brought it's cause to the forefront of legislative agenda and medical research in an attempt to apply those same techniques to raising awareness about Diabetes.
After the meeting, I returned to the office to type up my notes. There I met Lala who was nervously preparing to send her son off to study abroad for a year. I smiled in a sympathetic manner, remembering the high emotions on the day that I departed for Brussels. She expressed to me that, when she had children, she never imagined what all she would have to go through with them - preparation, separation, anxiety. But, she told me, she cannot imagine her life without her children. This woman has a huge heart. I love that she can be all business with me one moment, and the next open up to me with a profound observation or emotion about family, or cultural influences, or past adventures.
I headed home pretty pleased with the way my day turned out. I had started out nervous and uncertain of what to expect, and I ended up rather confident and content. I settled in for the ride home. I quickly realized I wasn’t the only one having a good day – a young couple sitting across from me, about 14 or 15 years old, I’d have to say, were necking and kissing and canoodling without a care in the world. Ah, Europa…there is no holding back over here.
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