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august 26, 2015 \ newsweekly - € 0,75 \ read more at www.flanderstoday.eu current affairs \ p2

politics \ p4

Gunman stopped

BUSiNESS \ p6

Safe cycling

A man who pulled out an automatic weapon on a highspeed train between Brussels and Paris was tackled by passengers

Antwerp province has awarded grants to schools to give kids lessons in safe cycling and other road dangers

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innovation \ p7

education \ p9

art & living \ p10

Straight outta Asia

Nature organisations explain how the Taiwanese rat snake got into Flanders and how it is surviving the cold \ 10

Three billion unknowns

© Mischa Keijser/Corbis

Supercomputers allow Flemish researchers to achieve the unthinkable Senne Starckx More articles by Senne \ flanderstoday.eu

The supercomputer Tier-1 has been pushing scientists in Flanders to new frontiers, from predicting weather patterns in deep space to solving complex mathematical equations. But according to analysts, the powerful machine is underused by industry

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or much of human history, the scientific method has been the building block of science. Scientists would perform experiments in their labs to explore the laws of the universe and test their hypotheses. But there was only so much they could do with limited resources and time.

In the 21st century, another way to investigate scientific phenomena has originated: the computer simulation run on powerful processing machines called supercomputers.

Supercomputers have allowed scientists to take their research to the next level, enabling them to carry out projects that used to be unaffordable because of the huge computing power and data storage capacity they required.

The machines have been around since the 1960s, but, for a

long time, Flanders neglected its computing infrastructure.

The region had to wait until 2013 to see its first supercomputer installed: Tier-1, housed at Ghent University (UGent).

At the time of its inauguration, Tier-1 ranked 118th in the global top-500 list of supercomputers. The computer, which, unlike your PC, is a combination of many processing cores, has a peak performance of 175 teraflops – that is 175 trillion calculations per second.

One year after that installation, the region’s computing capacity was increased with the launch of Tier-2, a network of local computing clusters from Antwerp University, the Free University of Brussels (VUB), the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) and UGent. Now Flanders can boast a total computing capacity of 613 teraflops.

All of that computing power is managed by the Flemish Supercomputer Centre (VSC), which allocates “computer time” to researchers working at the five universities.

“Researchers can submit applications which are then evaluated by a panel of experts,” says Marc Luwel, director of the

Hercules Foundation, which co-ordinates VSC. If their own software is not sufficient, lecturers and postgraduate students from the associated universities can request access to the network. But researchers working for Flemish public institutions, businesses and non-profits are also encouraged to apply.

Jan Fostier is with the IBCN research group at UGent.

Together with his colleagues, he used Tier-1’s computing power to study the interaction of electromechanical waves, such as GSM, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, with large objects like airplanes, antennas and telescopes.

“We essentially solved Maxwell’s equations for these objects,” Fostier explains, referring to the set equations that show how energy and information can be transmitted through the air. “The bigger the object those waves interact with, the more unknown variables there are.”

To calculate these unknowns, the team needed processing power. A lot of it. “We once did a simulation with more than three billion unknowns, which means you would need at continued on page 5

\ CURRENT AFFAIRS

Passengers thwart gunman on Thalys train out of Brussels Federal police are looking for local accomplices in the attack last week Alan Hope Follow Alan on Twitter \ @AlanHopeFT

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elgian federal police have begun an investigation into accomplices in this country who may have helped Ayoub el-Khazzani, whose plan to carry out an attack on a Thalys train last Friday was stopped by passengers. El-Khazzani boarded the train in Brussels and is known to have spent time in Brussels and Antwerp.

El-Khazzani was alone when he was tackled on the train from Amsterdam to Paris while in possession of a Kalashnikov-type rifle, nine ammunition clips, a Luger pistol and a knife. Police said he had obtained the weapons in Belgium and boarded the train at Brussels South station.

The 25-year-old is of Moroccan nationality and lived in Spain. He has family in Brussels but told police he was sleeping rough and “found” the weapons in a park.

Police said he had visited Antwerp

© Belga

Police on the scene at Brussels South station last Friday after a man pulled out an automatic weapon en route to Paris

regularly and was known to them for his radical sympathies. It is not known whether he had connections with the radical Islamic group Sharia4Belgium.

Detectives from the federal police

have travelled to France to consult with local authorities and possibly interview El-Khazzani.

Like Mehdi Nemmouche, the man in custody for the shooting deaths of four people at the

Foster parents sought for baby found on roadside by De Lijn driver

One in three seniors has purchased the €50 annual pass for public transport authority De Lijn, as free travel for the over-65s ends at the end of this month. So far the offer has been taken up by 271,289 of those eligible.

“That is better than expected,” said De Lijn CEO Roger Kesteloot. “Our goal was to have at least 200,000 pass holders over 65 by the first of September. We’re already ahead of that. That shows that €50 is a reasonable and acceptable social tariff.”

Previously, De Lijn automatically mailed passes to everyone in Flanders 65 and over. De Lijn wrote to all 902,000 over-65s in Flanders explaining that buses and trams were no longer free for them and offering the annual pass. By comparison, an annual pass for an adult costs €294. The sales to seniors to date have brought in more than €13.5 million for De Lijn, which is faced this year with having to make savings of €35 million.

The 65+ group is the first to receive passes in the form of a MOBIB card, the new electronic chip card being introduced by De Lijn. “An annual pass

© Courtesy De Lijn

is advantageous for anyone who makes more than 35 trips in a year,” explained a de Lijn spokesperson. “Of course a senior is not obliged to buy a pass. They can also pay per trip.”

Public transport user group TreinTramBus (TTB) agreed the price is acceptable, but called for the money to be spent on improving services.

“Following three savings rounds, there’s no more fat to be trimmed off,” said TTB president Stefan Stynen. “Cuts are being made to Sunday services and night buses, and capacity is falling. De Lijn urgently needs to do something.” \ AH

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27% cars on the MS Höegh Target, the world’s largest auto-carrier, which visited the port of Antwerp last week. It has a deck area of 71,400 square metres and was delivering 900 cars to the port

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ment rules of the Schengen area, that can continue for a month, after which an evaluation has to be carried out.

But Geens stressed the danger of concentrating too hard on trains. When airport security was increased, he pointed out, the result was attacks on trains and metro stations. “If we focus too much on one area, problems simply turn up in another area,” he said.

Prime minister Charles Michel was in Paris on Monday at the invitation of French president François Hollande to meet the three passengers who intervened to stop El-Khazzani – two US soldiers and their friend. “The prime minister was happy to accept the invitation,” a spokesperson said. “This was a train full of Belgian passengers, so it would seem that they saved a lot of Belgian lives.”

One in three seniors buys new De Lijn pass

Chris Matterne, a bus driver for De Lijn who found a newborn baby lying by the side of the road last week, was at the city hall in Sint-Truiden on Wednesday to witness as she was signed onto the national register by the social aid agency OCMW. “When I opened the door of the bus, I heard a noise. At first I thought it was a cat,” Matterne told VTM News. “When I came a bit closer I saw a child’s head and felt that it was warm. I wrapped her up in my fleece.” The baby was lying on a grass verge adjoining a fruit orchard in the Sint-Truiden area. Doctors said she had been abandoned shortly after birth.

The OCMW issued an appeal for information and also called for Limburg province to introduce a special hatch for foundlings, such as exists in Antwerp, where babies can be left safely but anonymously. “I hope we don’t have to go through this again in the future,” said OCMW chair Pascal Monette.

The baby was in good health, doctors said, and will remain in hospital for a day or two to allow the city to find a foster family. She has been given the temporary name Marie Peeters. According to VTM, the hospital has been flooded with gifts from well-wishers. Matterne brought one to add to the pile on behalf of De Lijn.

The baby was wrapped in blankets but had no clothes on, and investigators have few clues to work with. The hope is that the mother will come forward of her own accord in the weeks to come. \ AH

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Jewish Museum in Brussels last year, El-Khazzani appears to have bought the guns from someone in the criminal underworld, police said. According to security expert and Ghent University professor Brice De Ruyver, “Brussels is a hub for the supply of heavy weaponry.

That’s a simple fact that should set alarm bells ringing. We have built up a terrible reputation for illegal arms trading, and we now need to do something about it.”

Speaking on TV on Sunday, justice minister Koen Geens agreed. “It’s clear that there are far too many illegal Kalashnikovs coming out of Eastern Europe – weapons that are ex-military and coming in our direction. We have to do something to stop them.”

Meanwhile, police are carrying out extra checks on baggage belonging to international passengers at South station and elsewhere. Under the free move-

of rail transports carrying hazardous substances are in breach of safety rules, according to figures from the rail safety service DVIS, much less than the 58% recorded in 2012

4,437 security cameras registered with the Privacy Commission in 2014, 85% more than in 2013. The growing number of cameras in the workplace is explained as a reaction to staff thefts

students enrolled at the University of Leuven for the new academic year is from a country other than Belgium. Students come from about 100 different countries, according to rector Rik Torfs

complaints made in 2014 to the Federal Food Safety Agency, 9% more than in 2013. Hygiene accounted for the most complaints, followed by food poisoning and food storage

august 26, 2015

WEEK in brief The Belgian Institute for Road Safety is investigating the growing number of serious accidents involving lorries, at the request of the transport industry itself.

So far this year, 10 people have died in accidents involving lorries running into the rear of a tailback.

On Thursday last week, two people were killed in an accident involving a lorry on the Brussels Ring, and the road was closed for the rest of the day.

The extensive renovations carried out on runway 25 at Brussels Airport have been completed 18 days ahead of schedule. The airport company said fine weather helped the works advance rapidly and that “disruption for passengers was kept to a minimum”. Less satisfied were residents in the north of Brussels, who were subject to increased noise from re-routed planes unable to take off and land on the runway.

Runway 25 will be back in operation after being tested by Belgocontrol.

Former Olympic athletes Kim Gevaert and Tia Hellebaut have joined their names to a campaign to save the Koning Boudewijn stadium in Brussels, home of the Memorial Van Damme athletics meeting. Brussels intends to build a new national stadium nearby but without an athletics track.

The Koning Boudewijn stadium is due to be demolished by 2020. The two Flemish athletes will be back in sports gear on 17 October, when they take part in a relay marathon in and around the stadium to raise awareness for the cause.

Alternative taxi service Uber has denied reports that its cars were operating in Ghent last week. Drivers who are working in Ghent on their own initiative will be sacked, the company said. Last week a reporter for De Gentenaar newspaper managed to book an Uber car for a trip, and the driver said

face of flanders there were four or five cars working in the city.

VLM Airlines is adding a new flight three times a week from Antwerp to Birmingham starting on 5 October. The company said the new route was in response to demand from both business and tourist passengers. VLM currently flies from Antwerp Airport to Geneva, Hamburg and Southampton.

One of Italy’s most wanted men was arrested last week in the village of Geluwe, part of Wervik in West Flanders. Erjon S had been living in Flanders for years, posing as an Albanian refugee, which allowed him to become naturalised. He is married to a Flemish woman, and the couple have three children. He was sentenced to 23 years for the murder of a prostitute in 2000 and has eluded capture since then. He is expected to be handed over to the Italian authorities.

Rail authority NMBS is ending sales of its renewable weekly pass from 1 September, a spokesperson has confirmed. The transport authority said the ticket accounted for less than 1% of sales. NMBS also wants to bring its ticket range into line with regional transport companies De Lijn, MIVB and TEC. Holders can choose between a variety of options, but the user group TreinTramBus said the decision would affect part-time or temporary workers, for whom there was no other suitable option.

Commercial Flemish TV channels Vier and Vijf are launching an advertising experiment later this year. Under the test, each time a viewer pauses a TV programme or recording, instead of seeing a frozen image, a static ad will appear. Telenet, which owns a share of parent company SBS, will take care of the technical aspects, and SBS is also in talks with Proximus to see if it is interested in the idea.

Tax-free shops at airports are deceiving customers by offering a 20% discount on prices that are inflated in the first place, according to consumer organisation Test-Aankoop. In many cases, the organisation said, prices are just as high as they would be outside of the airport. And many passengers are still under the impression that products are offered without VAT, although that is now only the case for travel outside the EU.

A unique energy project on the Albert canal at Ham in Limburg is to be extended to other locks in the area, including at Hasselt and Diepenbeek. The combined pumping and hydro-power installation provides green energy to 1,000 homes and has worked so well that all investment costs have been paid off in seven years, according to Frieda Brepoels, chair of the canal management company De Scheepvaart.

The popular Sunday market in the Jette commune of Brussels is to be split in two for renovations to Koningin Astridplein, known locally as the Spiegelplein, and the construction of the new tramline 9. Half of the market will move one kilometre away to Cardinal Mercierplein, while the Spiegelplein becomes entirely pedestrianised and a new car park is built underground.

Eddy Brouckaert, the long-time director of the Krant van WestVlaanderen, is retiring at the end of this year at the age of 65.

He will be replaced by Stefaan Vermeersch, currently acting director of the free press division for East Flanders within the Roeselare-based Roularta Media Group. The paper has 11 local editions and reaches 354,000 readers a week.

OFFSIDE Last of the ugly places The campaign in De Standaard to find the ugliest place in Belgium was such a hit with the public and the media that it not only produced two Offside columns, it also got nicked by French-speaking broadcaster RTBF. The difference is that RTBF is focusing only on Brussels and hasn’t offered any nominations of its own to get the ball rolling. So instead, let’s turn to the readers’ comments at brusselnieuws.be.

The readers are quick off the mark. The tunnel under South station is, as readers E and FDM point out, the first view many visitors get of the capital of Europe, and also for many the last. H chooses “the central avenues and the garbage that’s been put there,” including “tables and benches straight out of some bio-ecolo garden centre”. Close by, CDLA chooses “the No Man’s Land of De Brouckère”.

PS is back to the start in choosing the red-light laden North quarter (pictured), which has been a bone of contention for at least the last 30 years. SVC suggests

Charles V Upon receiving the all-clear, the Imperial Guard, surrounding Charles V, rode across the SintMichiels bridge towards Gravensteen castle. But something was wrong. A cry was heard: “Cut!” and the mass of men and horses turned around and prepared to do it all again.

It’s sometime in the latter half of the 16th century, and the scene is on the set of the film Emperor starring Adrien Brody (The Pianist, The Grand Budapest Hotel) as Charles V, Keizer Karel, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor. As some have been keen to point out, it might have been Brody’s chin that got him the part.

Charles was born in Ghent in 1500, the son of Philip the Handsome and the less fortunately named Joanna the Mad (a condition later attributed to the actions of Charles). His father had been born in Bruges and was Duke of Burgundy and the Burgundian Netherlands at the time.

Philip died in 1506, and Charles came under the guardianship of his aunt, Margaret of Austria, Philip’s younger sister, a childless widow. She was named governor of the Netherlands and ruled from Mechelen, where her

© Portrait of a young Charles V by Bernard van Orley

palace still stands.

Charles came into his titles at the age of 15, and the war over whether he should pay homage to the French king for the territory of Flanders led in 1528 to the French giving up their claim to the county. Charles went on to extend his Burgundy territories, from Tournai to Groningen.

Along the way, he picked up the crown of Castile and Aragon and became the de facto King of Spain. In 1519, he succeeded his grandfather as Holy Roman Emperor. He was officially crowned in 1530 by the Pope in Bologna.

The action in the film takes place a decade later, when Charles was forced to put down a rebellion by the citizens of Ghent against high taxation used to finance foreign wars. The uprising’s ringleaders were forced to walk through town in their nightshirts with a noose around their necks – an event marked by a parade every year during the Gentse Feesten.

It’s also an image adopted by natives of Ghent to represent their town; you can find little nooses in souvenir shops and hanging from car rear-view mirrors. Residents are known as Stroppendragers – noose wearers.

Flanders Today, a weekly English-language newspaper, is an initiative of the Flemish Region and is financially supported by the Flemish authorities.

The logo and the name Flanders Today belong to the Flemish Region (Benelux Beeldmerk nr 815.088). The editorial team of Flanders Today has full editorial autonomy regarding the content of the newspaper and is responsible for all content, as stipulated in the agreement between Corelio Publishing and the Flemish authorities.

the Stevens Tower down from the Zavel, as well as the Spanjeplein in front of Central station and its “fake old neighbourhood”.

The most stinging blow comes from FDM: “RTBF doesn’t have to look far. Their own tower on Meiserplein deserves first prize. What an ugly thing!” \ AH

Editor Lisa Bradshaw DEPUTY Editor Sally Tipper CONTRIBUTING Editor Alan Hope sub Editor Linda A Thompson Agenda Robyn Boyle, Georgio Valentino Art director Paul Van Dooren Prepress Mediahuis AdPro Contributors Rebecca Benoot, Bartosz Brzezi´nski, Derek Blyth, Leo Cendrowicz, Katy Desmond, Andy Furniere, Diana Goodwin, Julie Kavanagh, Catherine Kosters, Toon Lambrechts, Katrien Lindemans, Ian Mundell, Anja Otte, Tom Peeters, Daniel Shamaun, Senne Starckx, Christophe Verbiest, Débora Votquenne, Denzil Walton General manager Hans De Loore Publisher Mediahuis NV

Editorial address Gossetlaan 30 - 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden tel 02 373 99 09 editorial@flanderstoday.eu subscriptions tel 03 560 17 49 subscriptions@flanderstoday.eu or order online at www.flanderstoday.eu Advertising 02 373 83 57 advertising@flanderstoday.eu Verantwoordelijke uitgever Hans De Loore

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\ POLITICS

5TH COLUMN My village, my fortress

N-VA, believes in state reform not only at the federal level. It also believes that Flanders can be better organised. Now that the nationalists are in power, they hope to bring about an “internal state reform”.

One of the plans is to slim down the provinces. The government of Flanders thinks that these intermediate levels of government have become obsolete – something the provinces themselves refute. The flipside of this would be that municipalities become larger, the smaller ones being invited to merge.

Flanders has 308 municipalities, several with populations of around 2,000. Towns already co-operate for a number of tasks they cannot handle by themselves. There are police and fire service zones, for example, consisting of several villages. For utilities such as energy, water and sewer, municipalities have joined forces in so-called intercommunals, which have become veritable institutions themselves.

Minister of internal affairs Liesbeth Homans (N-VA) does not want to force the villages to merge. Instead, she wants to reward them with debt relief of €500 per inhabitant.

That is a major incentive, as many communes are strapped for cash, with some even being forced to close down swimming pools and libraries.

Still, there is little enthusiasm for the plans. So far, not a single mayor has declared his or her municipality would be up for a merger. Smaller towns fear that the rural or residential character will disappear if they are absorbed into larger urban areas.

But mainly the reasons are emotional. As Mortsel mayor Eric Broeckx put it in De Standaard: “Someone from Mortsel is simply not someone from Boechout.”

While Flanders may seem like one suburban area to travellers, its inhabitants see more differences than similarities between them and the next town. In 1976, when a merger between municipalities was enforced, some could not even agree which town would become the main seat, leading to names like Scherpenheuvel-Zichem. To this day, many Flemish identify more with the pre-’76 town they live in than the larger town to which it now belongs.

Homans hopes to finish the whole operation before the 2018 elections. CD&V, however, thinks that Homans’ 2016 deadline for voluntary mergers is too soon. The fact may be, though, that Flanders will never be ready for another merger. \ Anja Otte

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Fedasil takes on staff to cope with asylum applications Unions protest work conditions as migrants line up outside office Alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

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edasil, the federal agency for the support of asylum-seekers, is hiring 130 new staff “as quickly as possible” to help cope with the stream of new asylum-seekers, a spokesperson said. The announcement came on the day staff at the agency staged a protest against staff shortages.

“Staff at Fedasil are exhausted,” Hilde De Leeuw of the ACV union said. “There is a shortage of staff. At dispatch, they have to find a place for people to stay the same day, but that’s practically impossible. The local centres are also short of staff because there are always new people coming in, and we want to give them decent accommodation.”

Fedasil occupies the same building in the North Station area in Brussels as the Office for

© Kristof Van Accom/BELGA

Asylum seekers in line outside the Fedasil office in Brussels

Foreigners, which has been inundated with asylum applications this summer. On several days this month, the numbers of applicants – coming mostly from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia – have been too high for the office

IS jihadist makes direct terrorist threats on Belgium in message to researcher Abdellah Nouamane, an Antwerp man said to be a member of radical group Sharia4Belgium and known to have fought in Syria, sent a threatening message last week to Montasser AlDe’emeh (pictured), a researcher on national jihadi movements who is associated with Antwerp University and the University of Leuven.

Nouamane said locations in Belgium would be targeted for terrorist activity, including “libraries, hospitals, shopping streets and discotheques. We are no longer concerning ourselves with discussions about innocent victims,” he wrote. “All of the unfaithful will be killed. We will kill them just as they kill us.”

The home affairs ministry’s crisis centre said that, although it is taking the threat seriously, it would not raise the terrorist threat level at this point. “This message forms part of a much larger global strategy,” an official said.

The terrorist threat level currently stands at two (out of four), having been raised to three for a few months in the wake of an anti-terror operation in Verviers in January in which two men were killed. The office receives threats all the time, the official said,

not all of which reach the media.

According to AlDe’emeh, who originally received the message, the threat should be taken “very seriously”. The danger, he said, came not only from returning Syria fighters.

“It’s also possible that young people here might pay attention to the IS message,” he said. “You don’t have to have been to Syria to carry out an attack. We continue to underestimate the impact IS can have on the minds of young people and the hate and frustration lying dormant in our society.” \ AH

to handle, with people sent away to come back the next day.

Those people – as well as those whose papers have been processed – then turn to Fedasil to find them accommodation.

As part of the union’s action, staff handed out bottles of water and cake to those waiting in line for their applications for asylum to be submitted. The union welcomed the promise of 130 new staff but warned it was not enough.

“We are doing everything possible,” to hire new staff, said Fedasil spokesperson Mieke Candaele. “Three new members of staff have already joined dispatching in the last few weeks.

But we also need to be realistic. We can’t just take on someone new from today to tomorrow.

The procedure takes time.”

Francken, other politicians receive death threats Federal minister for work and consumer affairs Kris Peeters and CD&V party president Wouter Beke have revealed that they have received death threats in recent months. The announcements followed news that Theo Francken, federal minister for asylum and migration, recently received a death threat.

Francken recently received an email in French complaining he was giving money to migrants while there was unemployment in the country. “If I could, I would stick a grenade in your mouth,” the email read. “I would have no problem doing it. We will see each other again, I promise you.”

“Migration is a loaded subject that provokes strong reactions,” Francken said. I’m used to a bit of trash-talk. It goes with the job. But there are limits to everything. Keep it polite.”

Francken has filed a complaint with the police.

Peeters followed with news of his own that he had received death threats, as did Beke. Neither gave details of the contents of the messages or how they were delivered. Both politicians were offered special protection by the security services but declined. \ AH

Flanders plans to end shocking road safety campaigns Distressing images aimed at shocking the public into awareness of road safety could be a thing of the past, according to the new advertising agency in charge of the campaigns in Flanders.

“Shocking the Flemish doesn’t work any more,” said Tom Garcia, creative director of the Brussels-based agency Leo Burnett, which was recently awarded the contract by Flanders’ mobility minister Ben Weyts. “Studies show that the shock effect wears off with time, and you have to keep using more and more severe images to get people’s attention. We’re going in another direction. Humour works, and that’s what we’re working towards.”

Under the most recent set of state reforms, Flanders is responsible for the region’s road safety campaigns. Weyts announced a grant last week

of €133,000 for the new campaign season, which starts in October and runs until August.

The issue first came up when it was reported that the government would put an end to the long-running BOB campaign against drinkdriving. That turned out to be not the case, and the Belgian Institute for Road Safety (BIVV) will continue to work with the regions on that campaign. The BIVV bid for the contract for Flanders’ other ads but lost out to Leo Burnett.

The new season will also include ads on wearing seatbelts, using a mobile phone while driving, speeding and lack of attention.

“With 400 deaths, 2014 was a dark year on Flanders’ roads,” Weyts said. “That’s why I’m announcing a new campaign offensive, aimed above all at prevention. In at least 94% of acci-

“Look Dad, no seat belt!” BIVV’s shock campaigns are a thing of the past

dents, the cause lies in our own driving behaviour. There’s plenty we can do to make the roads safer. These campaigns will play their part.” \ AH

\ COVER STORY

august 26, 2015

Three billion unknowns Flanders’ supercomputer makes “unthinkable” research a reality

vscentrum.be

continued from page 1

least 30 terabytes of RAM memory and more than a year to run it,” Fostier says. “It’s unthinkable to perform such simulations on one machine.”

But one machine proved just enough. In the end, thanks to Tier-1 and its powerful processing brain, Fostier’s team was able to run the simulation. “And we did it within 48 hours.”

However fast the supercomputer may be, it still lacks intuitiveness and human intelligence. Before running any kind of simulation, the researcher needs to write an algorithm that the machine will be able to read and interpret.

“The final code was a result of 10 years’ work,” he says. “The development and implementation of these algorithms is so essential to the process that it has become its own discipline within computer science.”

Supercomputers can also be used for more everyday applications. Consider weather forecasting, which by all standards isn’t easy, even here on Earth. Now try to predict if it is going to be windy tomorrow on a planet in a different solar system, millions of light years away.

Postdoctoral researcher Ludmila Carone works at the astrophysics department at KU Leuven. She used Tier-1 to simulate weather on exoplanets that haven’t even been discovered yet. Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars other than the sun.

“They are hot these days,” Carone

Flemish researchers have used supercomputers to simulate the weather on Earth-like planets

ets and put them on a very close orbit around their star,” she says.

“I then simulated how the weather patterns changed in relation to the orbit and the size of the planet.”

We still see hesitation with a lot of companies when it comes to supercomputers says, referring not to their weather but to their popularity within the scientific community. “The current search for exoplanets is mostly focused on finding ones that resemble Earth, in the hope of discovering that one twin capable of sustaining life.”

These Earth-twins, however, are not easy to detect and observe because, as Carone explains, they are relatively far away from their stars and thus don’t reflect much stellar light. Instead, in her research, Carone focuses on Earthlike planets that revolve in close proximity to smaller and cooler stars. “Some of them receive just enough stellar energy to contain water,” she explains. “And because they are so close to a star, they’re much easier to observe.”

So what kind of calculations did Carone run on Tier-1? “I built more than 700 virtual Earth-like plan-

This enabled her to identify climate features that could make a planet hospitable, or not.

For every one of her 700 virtual worlds, Carone built advanced 3D models, each with over 1,000 years of climate history – just long enough to identify average weather patterns. “This resulted in simulations that were time-consuming and required a lot of processing power,” she says. “Luckily, I didn’t have to write the algorithms myself, as they are freely available.”

Could she have done it without the help of a supercomputer? “I could have built maybe a dozen virtual planets with limited climate patterns,” she says. “But nowhere near the 700 I have now.”

Breakthrough scientific research is not the only domain of computerrun simulations. Large-scale computing capacity can also act as an innovation trigger for main-

stream companies looking to develop new products and services.

The government of Flanders understands this and actively encourages private companies to apply for computing time at VSC. “Supercomputers are currently used in highly innovative environments and industries,” says Marc Luwel from the Hercules Foundation.

“But we still see hesitation within a lot of companies.”

At VCS, he says, “our role is to convince firms that supercomputing can strengthen their competitiveness.”

Some businesses feel no such hesitation and fully embrace the technology. Pharmaceutical giant Janssen Pharmaceutica, based in Beerse, Antwerp province, is one

of the first companies to benefit from the Tier-1 infrastructure.

At the moment, the company’s three supercomputing projects are focused on the analysis of large data sets with the hope of improving the development of new medicines.

“As in any other scientific environment, our R&D is facing exponential data growth,” says Jörg Wegner, senior scientist at the company.

The challenge faced by the company, and others like it, is that as the amount of data increases, so does the need for more computational power to process it. One of Janssen’s on-going projects concerns large-scale machine learning, or the idea that algorithms used in machines can not

only summarise data but also learn from it and make predictions.

“These machine-learning approaches help us understand and support novel experimental designs and, crucially, estimate potential risks,” Wegner says.

“Consider the failure rate of experimental drugs in the second phase of a clinical trial. Many potential drugs don’t survive it. By incorporating sequencing data of the genomes of the patients, we can significantly lower the failure rate during this crucial phase.”

Another firm to collaborate with the VSC is 3e. Based in Brussels, the company delivers software solutions for sustainable energy projects worldwide, including wind, solar and hydropower.

The company used Tier-1 to simulate atmospheric conditions over large geographical areas, including the Belgian portion of the North Sea. “We’ve been doing this kind of work for decades,” says Rory Donelly, who is responsible for wind simulations at 3E. “Thanks to the simulations, we can inform our clients about the long-term sustenance of wind resources in areas where they plan to build turbines.”

As result, their clients can easily predict how much power each turbine will generate, before it is even set up.

But in the realm of communications technology, three years is like eternity. And so, for all its breakthroughs and innovations, the first Flemish Tier-1 is slowly becoming obsolete. In the latest top-500 list, published two months ago, the Flemish supercomputer doesn’t even get a mention.

If it is to keep up with the rest of the world, VSC knows it needs to step up its game and update its supercomputing capacity. “That’s why the Hercules Foundation is making additional funding available for a new supercomputer,” Luwel says.

“KU Leuven is already designing a sophisticated computer room to house the next generation Tier-1.”

The new machine should become operational in the second half of 2016.

The Tier-1 supercomputer, at home in Ghent, has simulated atmospheric conditions, provided data on electromechanical waves and determined potential risks of experimental drugs

\5

\ BUSINESS

week in business Banking Van Marcke The Kortrijk-based bathroom and plumbing group is launching factoring services for its clients through its Malta-based banking affiliate Izola Bank. The company is confident that it can extend the financial institution’s activities beyond consumer credit and savings accounts to offer a whole range of banking services.

Construction Cordeel The Temse-based construction group has taken over the local activities of the bankrupt Dutch building technical services supplier Imtech and its 800 workers.

Energy German Pellets The producer of bio-fuels and wood pellets is taking over the Langerlo coal-fired power station in Genk from German energy group E.on. German Pellets plans to invest €125 million to turn it into Belgium’s largest bio-fuel energy plant.

Packaging AR Metallizing The Genk-based world-leading producer of metallic paper and packaging solutions, with affiliates in Italy and the US, has been taken over by Japan’s Nissha Printing group for €120 million.

Retail Apple The long-awaited Brussels outlet of the US digital products brand is set to open on 19 September at 10.00.

Tourism Train Hostel A 50-room hostel based on the concept of railway coaches opens this week in Brussels.

The entire facility has been renovated to remind visitors of trains and travel, and two suites have been built using authentic sleeping compartments at the top of the building.

Demand way up for local hops US market leads way to boom for hop growers in West Flanders Alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

T

hings are looking better for the hop growers of West Flanders, according to the organisation that represents the industry.

Not only does this year’s harvest promise to be bountiful, but the growers’ strategy of switching to aroma hops is also paying dividends.

“The switch is paying off,” said Erik Lagache of the non-profit Hop. “A great number of small breweries wanting to brew Belgian-style beer have started up in the US. For that, they come looking for Belgian aroma hops. Demand has gone through the roof.”

The hop industry in Belgium is tiny, about 140 hectares in total, most of it centred around the town of Poperinge in the west of the province.

Growers have always concentrated on bitter hops, but the brewing industry of late has moved

Almost 40% of inspections turn up illegal workers

Mobile operators lay on extra signal at Pukkelpop

Social fraud inspectors caught undeclared workers in almost four out of 10 inspections carried out across Belgium last year, the service reports.

Last year just over 15,100 inspections were carried out at workplaces, and infringements found in 37% of cases, involving 10,568 people working undeclared. Five years earlier, according to figures obtained by De Tijd, there were 11,005 inspections, with 26% involving offences.

The service attributes the higher number of offences to more targeted inspections, helped by data-mining – the use of various sources of information, including social media, to analyse the most likely sources of fraud. The social inspection works along with police, magistrates, tax authorities and other bodies.

By far the most illegal workers are employed by the food and drinks service industry, which accounted for 32% of the total inspections last year. The chair of industry federation Horeca Vlaanderen explained that the sector had different problems from the rest of industry.

The food and drinks business involves irregular work, where good weather can mean a sudden burst of custom and the need for more staff, and bad weather the opposite, Filip Vanheusden told VTM News. In any case, such work in restaurants is likely to become a thing of the past with the introduction next year of the new “white cash register”, which records all staff details and makes undeclared working virtually impossible. \ AH

Mobile phone operators increased their capacity in and around the Pukkelpop festival grounds last week to allow festival-goers to communicate with home in the event of an emergency. Four years ago, a heavy storm led to the deaths of five people at the festival, when stage equipment and tents collapsed.

The three main operators – Proximus, Mobistar and Base – agreed to take the measure, recalling the scenes in 2011 when festival-goers were unable to get in touch with friends at the scene or with family back home.

In the unlikely event of such an incident being repeated at the festival, which came to an end last Saturday, the operators increased capacity to allow up to 42,000 text messages to be sent every minute. If neces-

Limburg company H Essers takes over German logistics group Genk-based logistics company H Essers has taken over German competitor Kamman Thermologistiek, a subsidiary of Kamman, which specialises in refrigerated transport.

“For H Essers, this is a strategic takeover that will further strengthen our activities in pharmaceutical logistics,” the company said in a statement.

“The acquisition will allow the company to develop its position in the important Frankfurt region.”

Kamman moved into pharmaceuticals transport in 2002 and

Transport De Lijn The Flemish public transport authority plans to invest €26.8 million in 107 new buses to be built by Van Hool in Antwerp province and VDL in West Flanders. First deliveries are expected at the end of next year. © Courtesy madeinlimburg.be

\6

© Milo-profi.be/VisitFlanders

towards aroma hops, which give beer a more distinctive fruity or floral flavour.

Poperinge growers, now harvesting aroma hops, are not only struggling to keep up with demand but are also benefitting from a drought in the US that severely affected hop crops there.

Here, a combination of warm weather followed by rain is making the harvest look like a good one – something that was in doubt just a month ago when the state of the crop was analysed.

The icing on the cake: the price for Belgian hops also looks strong this year. “This is the ideal moment to get started as a hop grower,” Lagache said. “At least if you’re prepared for the major investment in planting.”

set up Kamman Thermologistiek in 2009. The takeover involves the entire fleet of 24 lorries and 25 refrigerated trailers, as well as all 41 employees and a warehouse in the Frankenthal area. Founders Jens Olivier Kamman and Wolfgang Waldow will remain in place.

Last year Kamman recorded sales of €9 million, compared to H Essers’ €440 million. The Genk company has a fleet of 1,250 trucks and 2,700 trailers, making it one of the largest logistics providers in Europe. It employs more than 4,000 workers in 11 European countries. \ AH

sary, they could also cut voicecall capacity to provide more capacity for texting.

The operators also suggested festival-goers use a short message for text or Twitter to let those at home know they are all right. Long telephone conversations, they said, use up capacity and could prevent others from contacting friends and loved ones.

In other Pukkelpop news, the Hasselt prosecutor’s office revealed that anyone caught using soft drugs, such as marijuana, at the festival would be able to pay their fine immediately using a Bancontact card.

Police were equipped with a mobile payment terminal to collect fines of €75 to €150. The move is part of a larger test project to begin in the area in September, the prosecutor said. \ AH

NMBS to take over management of Brussels South station National rail authority NMBS will take over the running of the commercial concerns at Brussels South station from its own subsidiary Eurostation if the proposal sent to the mobility minister’s office is approved, as expected. The move follows an audit critical of Eurostation, which led to the sacking of two directors.

In May, an external audit by Ernst & Young uncovered irregularities at both Eurostation and Euro Immo Star, which is also involved in handling NMBS buildings and property. Two months prior, NMBS CEO Jo Cornu sacked Eurostation director-general Herwig Persoons and 30 other members of staff. Following the audit, two additional directors were dismissed.

However no mention of that was made in the announcement that Eurostation would be relieved of the running of Brussels South concessions, to come under the umbrella of the NMBS proper, as is the case for all other stations’ concessions in the country.

NMBS said bringing all stations under one roof was “no more than logical”. It was also in line with the plans for the railways announced by federal mobility minister Jacqueline Galant last month, which included rationalisation of the various subsidiaries of the authority.

For the moment, the idea is only a proposal, delivered to Galant’s office for her consideration. No date has been given as to when a decision might be made. \ AH

\ INNOVATION

august 26, 2015

What eyes beneath

week in innovation

Scientists discover brain mechanism that compensates for vision loss

More than 200 animal species are using the De Warande ecoduct in Bierbeek, Flemish Brabant, the oldest of Flanders’ six ecoducts. An ecoduct is a wildlife crossing in the form of a viaduct in which the upper layer is reserved to let animals cross a road safely.

In the past decade, more than 200 animal species have been spotted on the De Warande ecoduct. The bestknown are badgers, stonemartens, squirrels, deer, boars, polecats and foxes, but the crossing has also helped seven species of bat, 51 species of ground beetles and hundreds of spider species.

Tom Peeters More articles by Tom \ flanderstoday.eu

B

iologists at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) investigating how the brain compensates for vision loss have made surprising discoveries that may prove crucial to the success of medical applications such as cochlear implants and bionic eyes.

Researchers have long known that the brain responds to sensory loss by combining input from other senses, like vision or touch. They call this cross-modal neuroplasticity. “Behavioural and fMRI experiments have shown that blind people have enhanced tactile skills or auditory localisation,” explains biochemist Julie Nys from KU Leuven’s Lab for Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics.

“Subsequent studies have employed deprivation of one sense from birth in test animals to understand these intriguing flexibilities,” she says.

“However, in the last decade, it has become clear that the adult brain is also able to express crossmodal changes when deprivation is imposed later in life.”

Previous experiments with mice revealed two types of neuroplasticity in response to vision loss. When a mouse loses sight in one eye, the remaining eye starts sending additional signals to the area in the brain that used to be served by the lost eye. After a while, the mouse’s whiskers – so its sense of touch – step in as well.

And a couple of weeks later, the researchers found, the “lost” area in the brain was entirely reclaimed and brain activity almost as high as it was before the loss of sight.

The Leuven project, which was helmed by Lut Arckens and funded by Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) and the Flemish government’s agency for innovation through science and technology (IWT), differs from these previous experiments in that it examined the brains of older mice and also studied the molecular level.

“That’s crucial since most medication acts on specific molecules,” Nys explains.

In their own mice experiments, the team discovered that cross-modal neuroplasticity could be suppressed with Indiplon, a sedative that affects communication between brain cells by acting on effects of the activity-reducing neurotransmitter GABA – much like an on-off switch in the brain.

When the switch is on, the loss of sight in one

© Mycroyance/Flickr

Leuven scientists are the first to determine that compensation for a lack of certain senses is age-dependent

eye is compensated for by the other eye, but also by tactile input from the whiskers. When the switch is off (so after the sedative was administered), the other eye alone takes over.

Another unexpected but important finding was that these changes were age-dependent. “Most research indicates that the younger brain is far more flexible than the adult brain,” says Nys. “Our study shows that this doesn’t hold true for every type of plasticity. In adult mice, both the remaining eye and the whiskers compensate for the lack of vision in one eye.”

The finding was surprising, she says, “because we didn’t really expect that the adult mouse brains would still be so flexible. In adolescent mice, only the functioning eye took over.”

The researchers also found that the Indiplon sedative suppressed cross-modal plasticity in adult mice: the lack of vision in one eye was compensated by the remaining eye, but not by the whiskers.

“You could say that we managed to ‘turn off ’ the whisker influence, similar to what we observe in adolescent mice,” Nys explains. “We also discovered that by exposing adult mice to darkness before removing their eye, they recovered differently. Again, their other senses took over to a smaller degree, similar to what happens in adolescent mice.”

According to the researcher, their findings may

help improve patient response to sensory prosthetics. She gives the example of a young child with ear damage. “If you wait too long with cochlear implants, there is a chance that the child’s brain has already adapted to the new situation – meaning auditory areas in the brain have already been taken over by other senses. As a result, the implant doesn’t affect the corresponding auditory brain regions adequately.”

Results of the Leuven group’s study was published in The Journal of Neuroscience, and the team has received positive feedback from international colleagues.

One New Yorker, for instance, sent an email saying that ever since he lost his eye due to cancer when he was a child, he has been seeing vivid images in the dark. “Even though he is not adding any scientific proof, such stories are always intriguing to hear,” says Nys, who hopes this new study will motivate scientists to think outside the box. “Brain plasticity is a dynamic and diverse process; it’s just not as simple as: ‘Young brains are more flexible than old brains’.”

Nys says that additional research might offer clues on what’s best – turning the molecular switch on or off – while experiments with more visually oriented mammals, like cats, could be a further step towards finding out whether the mice findings can be extrapolated to the human brain.

Q&A

tinyurl.com/forbio

Kris Verheyen is the head of the Forest and Nature Lab at Ghent University and oversees the ForBio project, which is examining the impact of single- and mutliple-species forests

models and reliable observations in other older forests to complement the data we gather.

Five years ago, you and your colleagues planted 90,000 trees over three trial fields.

How are the trees doing?

We planted 10 different species of trees in combinations of one to four species. After five years of growth, we see that some combinations “perform better” than others. For instance, if you combine pine with oak, pest and pathogen attacks on the oak decrease. But if you want to speed up leaf litter decomposition, and hence nutrient recycling, it’s better to mix pine and birch. Overall, trees in monocultures face greater challenges. This is because in

What’s best – a mixed forest that was planted or a natural monoculture?

Man-made forests make up 7% of global forests today but produce 33% of wood needed for industry. Projections estimate that by 2040, 50% of industrial wood will come from plantations. Hence, planted forests could ease much of the pressure on existing, natural forests. So it’s really important that we create sustainable, resistant and resilient plantations.

More mixed plantations may be very important in this respect, especially in the face of the risks posed by climate change. \ Inter-

a mixed forest, a specific tree species is less visible, and so less attractive, to its predators.

Also, there’s more diverse leaf litter, which improves the fertility of the soil.

Didn’t scientists already know that mixed forests do better?

It has rarely been quantified with proper experiments.

The debate on whether to mix or not goes back to the early 19th century, but the discussions have always been based on field observations or quite limited experiments that do not allow general conclusions to be drawn.

Wildlife crossing helps 200 species

Studying trees is a timeconsuming endeavour. Can’t you speed up the process by using computer simulations?

It’s true: The oldest trees in TreeDivNet were only planted in 1999. Given that trees take 50 years or more to mature, it takes a while to draw conclusions. Therefore, we indeed use simulation

Rivers in Flanders can clean themselves Stijn Baken of the University of Leuven has found that some Flemish rivers have a natural mechanism that removes phosphate from the water. The water quality of these rivers is considerably better than in those without this filtering system. Baken discovered the reaction through research in the Kleine Nete river and tributaries of the Demer river, all in the Kempen region of Antwerp province. “When iron-rich groundwater streams into a river, it comes into contact with oxygen,” he explained.

“Under these conditions, the iron doesn’t dissolve very easily, leading to the creation of a brown sludge in the water.” This sludge absorbs the phosphate, removing up to 90% of it.

Researchers plan GM potato field trial Researchers at Ghent University, the Flemish Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries Research and the Flemish life sciences research institute VIB hope to start the first field trials of genetically modified Bintje potatoes by 2017 or 2018. The trials would focus on making the potatoes resistant against late blight and follow the results of similar trials in Wetteren in 2011 and 2012.

A conclusion drawn from those trials is that only a group of several genes provides a strong resistance to late blight. Breeders must therefore use a large combination of natural resistance genes to develop varieties that are less susceptible. The researchers will now try to develop a resistant Bintje potato. \ Andy Furniere

view by Senne Starckx

\7

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\ EDUCATION

august 26, 2015

Beyond bold

week in education

Researcher wins prestigious Microsoft grant to create a “living” font

Education minister Hilde Crevits is proposing to reform part-time arts education in Flanders. The changes would mean a first year of music theory would no longer be obligatory in music academies, arts academies would have more freedom in how they organise study programmes and there would be a new diploma for piano or drawing lessons. The purpose is to increase the number of youngsters who study at music, theatre, drawing and dance academies. Currently, about 175,000 students follow part-time arts education, of whom 132,000 are youngsters. That means about one in six pupils takes arts classes after school.

Andy Furniere More articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

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nn Bessemans, researcher at the Media, Arts and Design faculty of PXL University College in association with Hasselt University, has received a prestigious grant of $50,000 – about €45,300 – from software multinational Microsoft for a project on visual prosody.

Together with two other researchers, hired with the grant, Bessemans will try to subtly enrich written language with extra meaning.

“We want to integrate in a font the expression that is added through body language and intonation in spoken communication,” she explains.

Embedding another layer of expression can, for example, avoid certain misunderstandings. “Take the sentence ‘I never said she stole your money’,” says Bessemans. “That sentence can be interpreted in seven different ways, depending on which word is stressed.”

The researchers are also working on ways to convey emotion through the font.

The font could be used in daily communication – for example in e-mails, chats and social media posts – but also in more creative texts like blogs, advertisements, theatre scripts and

We are unique in combining practical and creative expertise with a scientific approach novels. An important target group is that of weak readers, who sometimes have difficulty understanding the meanings and emotions conveyed in text.

The 50,000 dollar question is how exactly are

New technique for swimming lessons © Sven Dillen

Ann Bessemans impressed Microsoft with her font that helps visually impaired children to read

the researchers going to develop such a magical font? Because of a secrecy clause, Bessemans says there is a lot she cannot disclose.

Instead, she has indicated that the team is experimenting with forms and not the typical signs and symbols used today.

“We are not working with colours or emoticons,” she says, “and we are going beyond underlining, bold or using capital letters.”

An essential task is making sure that the reading process avoids any distracting elements and advances as smoothly as possible. Much attention is devoted to the design of the new font, but that doesn’t mean this is mainly an “artistic” project. The researchers take into account eye movement, apply neurological and psychological insights, use statistical methods and employ data analysis.

The Flemish team cannot rely on much of the existing research into visual prosody, as this is still a fairly new domain of science. “The few other studies we found showed a lack of understanding of the graphic design of fonts,”

explains Bessemans. “I think we are unique in combining practical and creative expertise with a scientific approach.” Bessemans also calls herself a “designer-researcher”.

The team has already developed prototypes of innovative fonts, which will now be tested in trials with groups of readers. In about a year, the project will be evaluated by the Microsoft’s Advanced Reading Technologies team based in Seattle and, if that evaluation is positive, the research may eventually lead to software that would be integrated in Microsoft Office suite.

It’s not the first time Microsoft has supported Bessemans’ research. In 2008 and 2009, she received grants from the software giant after a representative at an international conference was impressed with the results of her PhD research. For her PhD, Bessemans designed the font “Matilda”, which helps visually impaired children to read. Matilda is currently being fine-tuned, and there are on-going negotiations for its commercialisation. \ Andy Furniere

Antwerp province awards grants to schools to promote safe cycling At the end of July, Antwerp province allocated €22,500 in subsidies to the municipality of Boechout and 11 primary schools to develop initiatives that make it safer for children to cycle to school.

According to a 2014 report commissioned by the government of Flanders, only about one-quarter of students in the region travel to school by bike. The numbers have been decreasing steadily: in 2000, about 40% of students cycled to school. The change is most visible in primary schools, where the number of children arriving on bikes is even lower.

One of the main causes of the decrease is parents being afraid of their children getting hurt in an accident. The fear is not entirely ungrounded.

Research from the Belgian Institute for Traffic Safety demonstrates that the risk of an accident is 63 times higher if you ride a bike than if you’re in a car. However, the older the children are when they learn to cycle in traffic, the more insecure they will be on the road.

Antwerp province is trying to get more students cycling through a project called 10op10 (10 out

Crevits reforms parttime arts education

Kids can learn how to manoeuvre their bikes at school before hitting the streets alone

of 10). As part of the project, the province allocates subsidies to schools that want to set up practical lessons, create initiatives around building a safer school environment and get more parents involved.

“Antwerp province supports, for example, the purchase of traffic signs so that children can become familiar with what they mean by practising on a track at school,” mobility deputy Luk Lemmens explains in a statement. “Cities can also benefit from our support and make school neighbourhoods safer by creating maps of the

best routes.” The maps give an overview of the safe cycling routes to and from school.

With the subsidies, schools can also buy pedagogical materials, such as the Bokabox Verkeer (Bokabox Traffic) kits, which provide engaging and playful ways to learn what the different traffic signs mean. Schools can also get additional money for the purchase of bicycles, bike racks, pumps and banners.

Apart from financial support, the 10op10 initiative provides individual assistance to schools and municipalities interested in improving their own policies on traffic safety. Teachers, parents, police officers and municipal authorities can take part in free training sessions.

Similar initiatives already exist, such as the non-profit Voetgangersbeweging (Pedestrians Movement), which has created the Octopus Plan to make routes to schools safer. The Flemish Traffic Science Foundation provides support to parents who volunteer for activities concerning cycling to school through its Verkeersouders (Traffic Parents) project. In addition, the Fietsersbond cyclist union has created a website with tips on safe cycling. \ AF

The Flemish community education network GO! is the first education network in Flanders to implement the new learning technique for swimming lessons advised by the Flemish Institute for Sports Policy and Recreation Management. In a traditional lesson, children first learn breaststroke and get a certificate that proves they can swim 25 metres.

Few children, however, get the certificate after the first or second year in primary school. Four specialists who created the organisation Baan Vier (Lane Four) have developed a new learning technique in which water safety comes first. Last year, about 1,000 children learned to swim this way in Dilbeek, Flemish Brabant.

“Pupils should stand up in class” Ghent start-up company Jaswig has developed a desk that enables students to stand up while working in class, which is healthier and improves concentration, the company said. They have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise €50,000, collecting €20,000 in the first week. Jaswig will use the funds to launch production of the StandUp desk. It will be available in three sizes, with the smallest meant for pupils in the first years of primary school. “In the business world, these desks are becoming more popular because employers realise it’s important that their staff move around enough,” co-founder Samuel Rieder told De Standaard. \ AF

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\ LIVING

week in activities Car-free Leuven The entire city centre of Leuven is closed to cars for a day. Activities include a tour of the city, a bicycle sale, skate and skateboard demos and a community picnic. 30 August, 10.00-18.00, Leuven city centre; free \ leuven.be/leuvenautovrij

North Sea Beer Festival Over 20 breweries will showcase more than 150 brews, including several limited editions. Food provided by some of Ostend’s best restaurants, plus live music. A €10 weekend pass gets you three tastings and a commemorative glass. 28-30 August, Leopoldpark, Ostend; €10 \ northseabeerfestival.com

Mineralogical Museum open house In honour of its 40th anniversary, the museum is hosting a weekend of free admission and special activities.

See the Florescence Room (unique in Europe), take part in a workshop on fossil preparation and watch gempolishing demonstrations.

28-30 August, 10.00-18.00, Mineralogical Museum, Frans de l’Arbrelaan 12, Antwerp \ acam.be

Bouncy castle festival

Close out the summer school holidays with a day of bouncy fun. Lots of inflatable castles and play structures, plus drinks for the grown-ups. 28 August, 13.30-18.00, Grasveld Huize de Veuster, Pater Damiaanstraat 33b, Tremelo (Flemish Brabant); €3 \ tremelo.be/

Fiesta Latina A three-day party with concerts, Mexican wrestling, samba dancers, food stands, children’s activities, fire performers and a mechanical bull. 28-30 August, Terkamerenbos, Brussels; free \ fiesta-latina.be

Skatefest For all the skate rats out there: a party and skate jam with DJs, prizes for the best trick and most air, outdoor bar and BBQ. 28-29 August, Nijdrop, Kloosterstraat 9, Opwijk (Flemish Brabant); free \ nijdrop.be

\ 10

Snakes in a flat

An exotic species from Taiwan makes Flanders its new home Toon Lambrechts More articles by Toon \ flanderstoday.eu

A

few weeks ago, a Brussels resident was surprised by a snake that had sneaked into his house. A year earlier, a resident of Kuringen, part of Hasselt, found a Taiwanese rat snake in his bedroom that had somehow managed to slip in through his apartment’s terrace.

And these surprise encounters aren’t isolated incidents. Since 2006, no fewer than 18 Taiwanese rat snakes have been discovered in the area around Kuringen and the vicinity of the Hasselt train station.

“This year, we have already caught four Taiwanese rat snakes,” says Michiel Aerts from the Nature Help Centre in Opglabbeek. Aerts is responsible for reptiles, which means he’s the one who has to go out and catch the snakes. They are non-venomous and completely harmless, he says.

“The Taiwanese rat snake preys on small animals, such as mice and frogs,” Aerts explains. “But it grows up to 2.5 metres long and is slim and fast. I can imagine that people are pretty scared when they bump into it.”

The Taiwanese rat snake is a distinctive looking animal, with colourful skin markings – an appearance that has made it a favourite among reptile enthusiasts.

According to Aerts, a well-known reptile store in Kuringen is probably behind the many snake discoveries of late. “We suspect that something went wrong with a delivery or something at one point,” he says, adding that the exotic species is not at all native to Belgium.

“This year we found two young ones. It is not clear whether the Taiwanese rat snake is breeding in the wild, but the discovery of

© Michiel Aerts

Taiwanese rat snakes found next to the Kuringen train tracks in Limburg in recent months

these animals may point in that direction.”

Because of its climate, Flanders is not an area that cold-blooded animals like snakes tend to enjoy.

There are only three native snake species – the grass snake, smooth snake and viper. Because none of these is normally found in the Limburg area, the newcomer poses no threat to native species.

According to Aerts, the rat snakes are surviving as there have been few harsh winters in recent years.

“It is a species that needs a lot of heat; that is why they are often found in the underground power lines of the Hasselt train station,” he explains. “But so far its habitat does not extend beyond Kuringen, the station and its surroundings.”

The question of what to do with exotic animals and plant species is not an easy one, says Jorg Lambrechts of nature conservancy organisation Natuurpunt. He points out that animal species have been migrating throughout the centuries and that this process still occurs naturally. “But species migrating from the other side of the world to here is new,” he says.

“Still, only a small minority creates problems – ecologically of course, but also economically. For example, it costs a lot of money to fight the Robinia, an alien tree species whose roots tend to destroy asphalt. Yet it is often extremely difficult to eradicate an invasive species, if not impossible.”

Do invasive species ever survive

long enough to be considered native? “If it does not harm the environment and is able to procreate for 10 years, then we call it a naturalised species,” says Lambrechts.

The rat snake will make a good candidate in a couple of years’ time, but, according to Lambrechts, it will never become a common species. But that isn’t necessary for a species to be considered naturalised. “In Flanders, for example, there are two populations of Siberian chipmunk – one in the Sonian forest and the other in the Kalmijn forest in De Panne. They can maintain their population, but their habitat doesn’t grow. It is possible that this scenario also will apply to the Taiwanese rat snake.”

BITE ONA in Ghent takes the pretence out of wine tasting Since ONA wine bar opened its doors in June, it’s been a hit with Ghent’s wine connoisseurs and dabblers alike. Don’t worry if your wine knowledge isn’t up to snuff; ONA is a laid-back place.

“We want to take the snobbery out of wine tasting,” says Ona Rombaut, the 26-year-old owner and aspiring sommelier, “so we opened a place where people can come sit, drink some wine and feel at home. Something like this has been missing in Ghent”.

ONA’s interior is modern with vintage touches, including original marble floors and large windows that look out on to the busy Nederkouter. You can grab a table or sink into cushioned window seats to admire the wall of wine bottles that

dominates the room.

If you’re worried about spending your hard-earned cash on a bottle

of wine you might not like, fear not, you can buy per glass, starting at €4.

This encourages guests to try different wines without feeling pressured.

Rombaut (pictured) and her partner, Arne Braeckman, import wine from all over Europe. Instead of buying from large wine houses, they choose to go with small farmers who use more sustainable methods. “We have a wide range of wines, from bio-dynamic and organic to sulphate-free,” she explains.

Rombaut, who previously worked up the street at the Ghent laundrette-cum-coffeehouse Wasbar, says making the step to a wine bar was a natural choice for her. “My passion for wine started when I was 16,” she says. “My parents are into wine.”

ONA.GENT

ONA also offers titbits and desserts like cheeses, ham and carrot cake, all of which can be paired with certain wines. And if your group insists on heading in, but you just don’t like wine, you can have tea or coffee. “We just want everyone to relax and enjoy themselves,” says Rombaut.

If, after a couple of glasses, you’re ready to brush up your knowledge on wine, feel free to join one of the wine tastings. “We have speakers who describe different types of wine,” she says. Tastings take place on the first Sunday of the month, and, if the demand is high enough, it can be held in English.

The next tasting is on 6 September, but sign up fast because places are limited. \ Vanessa Rombaut

august 26, 2015

Slave masters and a drunk well Our Flanders Secrets series explores the architectural enigmas of West Flanders Toon Lambrechts More articles by Toon \ flanderstoday.eu

Flanders’ rich heritage has left behind many traces, and while some are touristic highlights, others are more obscure. This week we go to West Flanders, where a skewed water reservoir offers a disorienting experience and the floor inside a church is paved with the graves of slave masters.

M

iddelkerke is a crowded coastal town of holidaymakers. But if you look beyond the sun and sea, a very special site awaits. Tucked away in a residential area lies a structure that the inhabitants of Middelkerke call the dronkenput (drunk well). The reason behind this unusual name becomes immediately apparent: The building, originally designed as a water reservoir, is completely skewed.

A narrow staircase leads you inside. Instinctively, you focus on the pillars and the walls, so you lean down. While you think you are walking on a flat surface, it feels as if your feet are climbing up and down.

There is a small pool of water in the reservoir, and it seems to be flowing upwards because the slanted structure is the only point of reference. It’s a very disorienting experience; indeed, a bit like trying to walk after having one beer too many.

With the expansion of tourism in Middelkerke during the 19th century, the need for drinking water grew rapidly. The city council decided to build a concrete pipe from the Plassendale-Nieuwpoort canal to a large water tank.

From the start, the contractor ran into difficulties because the land was swampy. On the night

of 1 November 1897, when the reservoir was finally finished but not yet filled, rising groundwater pushed the entire structure up.

The building got skewed, and all attempts to straighten it failed.

Because no one wanted to bear the costs of demolition, the tank was preserved, making the dronkenput one of the oldest reinforced concrete structures in Belgium. Not long after, the architectural failure became a popular attraction.

The tombs of the Slave Masters The Zwin region, east of Middelkerke, is one of the most beautiful spots in West Flanders. Canals like the Damse Vaart and Schipdonk, with their banks lined with rows of old poplars that give the otherwise flat landscape some depth, criss-cross through the empty polders, while sturdy-looking churches stand post nearby.

© Photos: Toon Lambrechts

Despite the name, Flanders’ Slave Masters, entombed in the Lapscheure church, were good guys; Middelkerke’s dronkenput is a delightful disaster

It is an area of rich, fertile fields, with small villages but large farms. You can find gems, such as the village of Damme, but also lesser known places, like Hoeke and Lapscheure.

Lapscheure church is nicely situated, surrounded by a row of knotted lime trees. On the outside, the

building looks rather austere, but its interior has a warm and traditional feel. And it contains a remarkable collection of religious objects and works of art compiled over time.

The floor is dotted with tombstones. Burial inside the church with a headstone was the sort

50 weekends in Flanders: Discovering Flanders Fields Flanders Today has launched an e-book with ideas for how to spend a year’s worth of weekends. Visit our website and click the pop-up to get your free copy of 50 Weekends in Flanders. We’ll also print one of our suggestions every week here, too.

and a couple of concrete pill boxes left from the First World War. Begin the walk at the Menin Gate and follow the walls around until you come to the station, where the walls end.

Walk in Flanders Fields Some interesting walking trails have been created across the battlefields of the First World War. They take you through replanted woods and quiet fields where furious battles were fought 100 years ago.

Hike in the woods at PALINGBEEK The Palingbeek nature reserve stands on a ridge to the south of Ypres that was heavily shelled in the First World War. The landscape has been sensitively restored to create a beautiful nature reserve. You can follow trails that lead past military sites and forgotten cemeteries deep in the woods. Begin at the cafe De Palingbeek.

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Wander around YPRES WALLS Ypres has been attacked, destroyed and rebuilt many times, so a walk around the walls takes you through many layers of European history. You pass the remains of 15th-century towers, 17th-century bastions

Climb HILL 60 In the Zillebeke district of Ypres, one of the most interesting walks in Flanders Fields

FLANDERSTODAY.EU

was a popular tourist attraction before the First World War. It was destroyed in the fighting, but has now been restored. You can walk around the hill on forest trails with views across the Heuvelland landscape, ending up at the old-fashioned Belvedere cafe on the summit.

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of privilege only those of noble descent, or with great fortunes, could expect to enjoy. In 14 of the many tombs in the church of Lapscheure rest the so-called Slavenmeesters, or Slave Masters.

The Slave Masters were part of the Brotherhood of the Holy Trinity. In the 17th and 18th centuries, they collected money to ransom Christian slaves from the hands of the Saracens, the North African pirates who operated in the Mediterranean.

The village of Lapscheure has been around for at least 1,000 years, but the church is considerably younger. Its construction began in 1649. The thick stone blocks that form the foundation were recovered from an older church, which suffered its ultimate fate at the hands of the environment.

A violent storm in 1134 left the area around Lapscheure largely under water and the building was severely damaged. Eventually, the farmland was drained again and the original church restored.

Unfortunately, the water came back, this time by human hands.

In 1583, during the Eighty Years’ War between the provinces of the Low Countries and the Spanish rulers, rebels punctured the dykes to prevent the hostile soldiers from passing, washing away Lapscheure along with its church.

Only in the early 17th century was the area furnished with a dam again. As a precaution, the church and the village were rebuilt farther away, at a slightly higher location. The ruins of the original church were excavated and mapped in the 1980s. They are about two kilometres away at the end of a promenade, not far from the border with the Netherlands.

But there’s no trace of them now.

\ heuvelland.be

© Pierre Andre Leclercq/Wikimedia

takes you to the summit of Hill 60, where an enormous mine was detonated on 17 April 1917. A trail leads from here through a warscarred landscape dotted with huge craters (pictured).

Follow the CRATERS AND MINES WALK The signposted Kraters en Mijnen wandelroute takes you through the rolling fields near Wijtschate, where huge mines were detonated in 1917. The walk, which begins in the Wijtschate district of Heuvelland, follows quiet country lanes past craters and small military cemeteries, where many Irish soldiers are buried. \ Derek Blyth

Explore forest trails on KEMMELBERG The highest hill in the region, Kemmelberg

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The Gordelfestival is a sports and tourist event staged every year in the Groene Gordel. Come along on Sunday 6 September to get to know the ‘Groene Gordel’ around Brussels. Tours can be made on a bicycle, on foot or even on a horse. During the tours you will have the opportunity to discover various cultural assets, culinary delights and the splendid green environment.

www.gordelfestival.be

Your dailY news Sign up now for our daily and weekly newsletters with local headlines, events and features, tailor-made for expats in Belgium

Subscribe for free at www.thebulletin.be

\ ARTS

august 26, 2015

Unsolved mysteries

week in arts & CULTURE

Photographer Jan Rosseel delves into Belgium’s collective nightmare Tom Peeters More articles by Tom \ flanderstoday.eu

FOTOMUSEUM.BE

A

nyone who lived in Belgium in the 1980s knows about the Bende van Nijvel, known in English as the Brabant Killers. In the first half of the decade, masked men killed 28 people during attacks on supermarkets, mostly in Flemish and Walloon Brabant provinces, seemingly without provocation. Despite a police dossier of more than a million pages, including evidence and testimonies, none of the culprits were ever caught.

Among the victims was Jan Rosseel’s father.

Belgian Autumn: A Confabulated History is an intriguing book and exhibition by the Flemish photographer, which addresses one of the biggest traumas in local crime history.

The project criticises the investigation, which – 33 years after the first murder – is still ongoing, illustrating how surreal Belgium and its rule of law can be. It is also a testament to the banality of life.

Rosseel’s father was murdered on his way to his local supermarket, where he intended to purchase a pack of cigarettes (and a pork cutlet) just before closing time. The son, only six at the time and largely unaware of the traumatic impact of the events, would later occasionally drop the remark that cigarettes do kill.

The book and the exhibition at Antwerp’s Photo Museum (FoMu) “are the result of a long fermentation process,” says Rosseel, now 36.

During his youth, the tragedy wasn’t discussed much. But when he was studying documentary photography at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, a project about hidden spaces crossed his path, and he started to think about the secret spots in his own mind.

“The death of my mother was another catalyst,” he explains. “I wanted to know more about my family history.” Having a closer look at the evidence of the case was an important step.

Of course, Rosseel couldn’t take official evidence home, so he built himself a tiny studio at the police station in Charleroi where some 1,500 pieces connected to the investigation were stored. He photographed the objects devoid of their context. While the reasons for his project were intimate and personal, the documentary approach allowed him to maintain a form of distance.

“I tried to avoid sentiment,” Rosseel says. “Since the investigation was so absurd, I thought I had to take a more rational stance. Even a B movie

I did not develop this project to find closure. It’s better to visit a shrink for that script would not contain so many stupidities, so I went looking for some structure in the puzzle.”

Back in the darkened exhibition room at FoMu, a mysterious portrait of an unknown person wearing a mask of the late French president François Mitterrand hangs on the wall. During one of the attacks, a Nijvel gang member was wearing the same mask.

Rosseel says it’s a self-portrait based on testimonies. “For me, it is also a key image since it unravels different layers,” he explains. “There’s politics, and it also represents a certain threat.

Mijn Restaurant winner to close Ciccio restaurant

Claudio Dell’Anno, the hottempered winner of the second series of VTM’s Mijn Restaurant!, is closing his Michelinstarred restaurant Ciccio this autumn, citing the costs of running a business in Belgium.

He plans to move abroad to open another restaurant.

Dell’Anno had to move the restaurant out of the building in Knokke, in any case, as it is scheduled for demolition.

“Staff costs are high, and even when you make a profit, the state takes half,” the chef told Het Nieuwsblad. “I understand how difficult my colleagues in the same business have it. It’s not worth it anymore; I’m leaving.” He is considering a move to Australia, he said.

Pukkelpop 30th edition one of best

Politics, threat and memory collide in Jan Rosseel’s photograph based on the mask-wearing member of the Brabant Killers

At the same time, it is referring to the anonymity of the perpetrators and to the notion of memory.”

Memory is an important issue in Rosseel’s research-based storytelling. His projects not only reconstruct historical events but also ask questions about the reliability of our memories and our brains. In psychiatry, “confabulate” means filling the gaps in one’s memory with fabrications that one believes to be facts.

“The analogy with the investigation is striking,” he says. During the investigation all kinds of theories, not in the least of the conspiracy kind, were suggested, he says, including the involvement of known criminals, right-wing movements connected to the CIA and death squads.

“You can never be sure of the testimonies,” he says. “There are holes everywhere. A getaway car used by the gang even ended up at a scrap heap. Sometimes I add extra context to a certain image, but basically, it is up to the reader of the book or the visitor to the exhibition to decide whether he or she wants to take over the role of the investigator in my confabulated history of the events.”

Rosseel not only displays photos of evidence and police records, he also visited places related to the case with his camera, including supermarket car parks and a forest where the gang members used to hang out. He compiled a list of items the victims went shopping for when they

were murdered, and there is a curious photograph of the vinyl single “Te voet naar Scherpenheuvel” (Walking to Scherpenheuvel) by the Marlets.

This Flemish cover of the Neil Sedaka song “Is This The Way To Amarillo” was requested at the Aalst community radio station Mi Amigo to be played at a specific time and was dedicated to the Brabant Killers. It was half an hour before the attack on the Delhaize supermarket in Braine l’Alleud where Rosseel’s father was killed.

Scherpenheuvel is a Flemish pilgrimage town.

“I did not develop this project to find closure,” Rosseel says. “It’s better to visit a shrink for that.”

Rosseel is now taking the subject of confabulation in other directions. He is about to take part in an interdisciplinary research project about memory that brings together some 50 scientists from all over the world at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in Amsterdam.

On a personal level, Rosseel will be looking at the violent Dutch train hostage crisis of 1977, another case with political and social dimensions. “Once again, it’s not only about people getting murdered,” he says. “There are always different perspectives.”

Until 4 October Photo Museum

The 30th edition of Pukkelpop ended at the weekend, one of the festival’s best-ever editions, according to local media, organisers and ticketholders. Although music critics had been concerned about the lack of big names and programming of repeat bands, reviews have come back positive across the board, thanks to the weather, the energy of the crowd, a handful of unforgettable performances and new initiatives such as the green Baraque Futur stage, with its electricity-producing dance floor. Pukkelpop programmed a larger number of bands this year, including 62 from Belgium. The festival was sold out, with 66,000 tickets sold for each of the four days. One serious incident was reported, when a gas cylinder exploded in the camping area, wounding seven.

World Soundtrack Awards nominations announced Nominations have been announced for the World Soundtrack Awards, which takes place every October in Ghent during the city’s annual international film festival.

Film Composer of the year nominees include Alexandre Desplat (The Imitation Game, Everything Will be Fine), Michael Giacchino (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Inside Out) and Johann Johannsson (The Theory of Everything, Sicario). Up for Best Original Film Score are Antonio Sanchez for Birdman and Hans Zimmer for Interstellar, among others, and Best Original Song nominations include “Carry Me Home” from the film Insurgent and “Glory” from Selma. \ filmfestival.be

Waalsekaai 47, Antwerp

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\ ARTS

The true meaning of taste

Journalist Kathy Mathys blends culinary memories with science in first book Rebecca Benoot More articles by Rebecca \ flanderstoday.eu

K

athy Mathys has long written reviews for De Standaard’s book supplement Letteren and about food for the Dutch Bouillion magazine. Now in her first book, she goes in search of the meaning of taste – not just what it is in general, but what it means to each of us.

Every chapter in her book Smaak: Een bitterzoete verkenning (Taste: A Bittersweet Exploration) deals with a particular taste (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pure, spicy, umami and even greasy) and starts with a short story to explore what each of the sensations means using scientific data, personal anecdotes and cultural references.

thing with this information. After reading about food for many years, she was inspired to take things to the next level.

The result is a book that has simmered on a low heat for several years. “I wanted to write about the sensory aspect of taste,” Mathys continues, “make it into not just a scientific work, but a book that entwines my own culinary memories with cultural and literary references.”

In Smaak Mathys explores what taste is. Although certain of its aspects are determined by biology, others are influenced by external factors such as upbringing, experience and emotion, making taste a subjective and intimate affair.

The book entwines my own culinary memories with cultural and literary references “I’ve been writing about food for some time, first for the newspaper De Tijd and then for Bouillion,” the Flemish writer tells me from her home in Breda, the Netherlands.

“What especially interests me is food against a backdrop of culture and food in literature or philosophy – not just reviews of Michelinstar restaurants.”

Mathys (pictured) has always been fascinated by scenes of eating in books and film and used to write about them in notebooks, thinking that one day she would do some-

Memories, says Mathys, have a special impact on the way we think and feel about food. Simple and slightly banal dishes, like macaroni and cheese, can become all important to us simply because they may have been something we relished as children.

Comfort food, which we usually associate with a certain time or feeling, also becomes heartwarming for that reason. And the dreaded Brussels sprouts: Childhood traumas involving these local nasties may linger on despite

© Koen Broos

the fact that you have long grown up and may have even come to like them.

Mathys’ personal touch lures you in. Friends, family and her own youth form an integral part of Smaak, making it a very personal and relatable book that evokes

memories of your own childhood and the quirky eating habits you might have had.

“I’m not a scientist,” Mathys says, “and it was the wide array of approaches that appealed to me when I was writing this book. At the same time, it did take me a while

to let go of my journalistic point of view and make the story personal.

In the end, it’s this vantage point that ties it all together.”

The daring and refreshing endeavour, combined with all the quotes and references, makes Smaak a fun yet fact-filled treat.

Non-fiction is becoming more and more narrative-driven in general, creating a captivating story instead of a straightforward list of facts. In Smaak especially, the lines become blurred as Mathys starts off each chapter with one of her own short stories.

“I’ve been writing short stories for quite some time,” she says, “and I was urged by my publisher to use them. Surprisingly, it came quite easy.”

The stories create a counterbalance to the non-fiction aspect of the book, which is still usually cosy and whimsical. “I also deal with darker aspects of eating, like eating alone or having a last supper, but the short stories are on the whole a lot darker than the rest of the book,” says Mathys, who is currently writing her first work of fiction.

Smaak explores the true meaning of taste, through both its biological and psychological aspects. Mathys illustrates this lavishly with her autobiographical approach, creating a book that is a genuine joy to read. Packed with anecdotes and cultural references, Smaak will tantalise and surprise readers.

Smaak is published in Dutch by De ) Bezige Bij (

More new books this month Verloren brood (French Toast) Nele Reymen • Vrijdag Flair columnist Nele Reyman’s third novel deals with people and luck – both good and bad. Reno is leading an uneventful life, occasionally distracted by a prostitute named Leyla, a woman who is also troubled, making any attempt at a real relationship end abysmally. Then Reno meets Mayanne, who appears to be his soul mate.

He falls madly in love and drags everything and everyone with him on an adventure that will rock their world. Verloren brood is a novel about searching for and letting go of ideas, feelings and, often, people.

Veelal (The Usual) Mark Eyskens • Lannoo In addition to his autobiography, economist and former prime minister Mark Eyskens has written several philosophical works. His new book Veelal: Een theorie van alles (The Usual: A Theory of Everything) is

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a story of ideas that combines science, philosophy and, for the first time, fiction.

An old professor named Mortel and his genius great-grandson Hyperion are the two main characters who ponder life’s big questions, while cutting-edge science and technology results in the creation of the “transhuman”, a new kind of human capable of determining their own evolution.

Veelal is a fascinating, surprising and profound mix of fact and fiction.

Ghost Luc Vandaele • Manteau Security guard Luc Vandaele likes to kill time writing stories. These have now turned into a novel in which real-life Flemish novelist Herman Brusselmans gets a ghost writer. Lacking inspiration and living the good life, Brusselmans hires Tim Vernieuwen, a literary nobody, to write his biannual novels. One day, however, Vernieuwen decides he’s had enough. Brusselmans has to do his darnedest to convince him other-

wise, now that he’s been nominated for the Nobel Prize. An obvious Brusselmans admirer, Vandaele has tried his best to innovate and, although the premise is original, the novel is slightly contrived and lacks genuine wit.

Drang (Urge) Yannick Ottoy • Manteau Former political advisor Yannick Ottoy’s first book tells the story of Philippe, a young and ambitious police officer who doesn’t hesitate when his commissioner asks him to work an extra shift on a night that would go down in history as one of the biggest tragedies in football, the Heizel Stadium Disaster. During the final of the European Cup in 1985, 39 people lost their lives when riots broke out and infrastructure collapsed.

Drang explores the aftermath of this reallife tragedy. When the truth of the fated night gets twisted, the lives of all those involved are turned upside down. A promising and captivating debut.

\ AGENDA

august 26, 2015

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s…

CONCERT

International Bat Night 28-29 August

Across Flanders

nachtvandevleermuis.be

B

ats are among the most mysterious and misunderstood of woodland animals. For one thing, the popular notion that bats are blind isn’t true – but as nocturnal animals, they use echo location to navigate and find food in the dark.

And, although there are so-called “vampire” bats that survive by drinking blood, they don’t come from Transylvania and aren’t found in Europe at all.

Here are some real facts about bats: They are the second largest order of mammals, representing about 20% of all mammals worldwide, and they are the only mammals that can fly. Despite their numbers, bats face dwindling habitat and hunting grounds. In Flanders alone, there are 17 species, of which 13 are seriously threatened.

Every year on the last weekend of August, Europe celebrates International Bat Night. In

© René Janssen

Flanders, Natuurpunt and Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos co-operate on activities in more than 40 locations across the region. The goal is to educate adults and children about bats, their role in the ecosystem and their habits and to

PERFORMANCE

FESTIVAL

Villanova Festival

123-Piano

27-29 August

Ostend

De Studio, Antwerp villanovafestival.be

De Studio’s in-house youth theatre company Villanella puts on its annual festival to showcase Flanders’ young talent. Eight up-and-coming performers present their projects during three latenight sessions. One of the stars is Miet Warlop, a Ghentbased artist whose surreal brand of contemporary theatre has earned her accolades across Europe. Villanova’s focus is squarely on performance, but the programme also features visual arts, concerts, the obligatory dance party and a conference on the “State of the Youth.”

raise awareness so that people can help protect the animals in their own backyards and neighbourhoods.

For instance, bats like to nest in the exterior walls of houses and in the attics of churches and castles. But formerly hollow walls are being filled with insulation these days, and more and more attics are being hermetically sealed against pigeons and other pests. Property owners can help bats by installing bat houses and special roof openings that let them fly in and out.

Most Bat Night events in Flanders involve an introductory film or lecture, followed by a nocturnal walk, during which a bat-detector is used to find the animals by converting their sonar signals to audible sounds. \ Diana Goodwin

Until 20 September

\ Georgio Valentino

Ghent’s 123-Piano is a different kind of festival, somewhere between music, installation and community art. Grand pianos are installed at various sites across the city. An artist is invited to dress up each instrument, to turn it into a work of art. These art-pianos are then turned over to the public. Passers-by can admire them from a distance or sit down and play them. This third edition expands to eight locations, including Sint-Pieters train station and beloved bookshop Paard van Troje. Guest artists are scheduled to play, too, including Ghent city poet David Troch and street artist Bué the Warrior. \ GV

FAMILY

EVENT

Every year for the past decade, the East Flemish town of Beveren has hosted a street theatre festival of epic proportions. This year’s 10th anniversary edition promises to be the biggest and best yet. Performers are invited from around the world to delight the young ones with costumed antics, acrobatics, illusion and just plain comic weirdness. If that’s not enough, there’s also a four-metre tall camel. The festival unfolds in tandem with the Spiegelbeeld minifestival, which fills the Boerenmarkt with concerts, food and drink until the wee morning hours. \ GV

Across Beveren (East Flanders) straattheaterfestivalbeveren.wordpress.com

29-30 August

EVENT Antwerp Cultuurmarkt Vlaanderen: 20th edition of this annual showcase of Antwerp’s cultural landscape. Dozens of artistic institutions open their doors or set up street stands to preview the coming season.

Free performances of music, circus and theatre. 30 August, from 11.00

VISUAL ARTS Across Ghent 123-piano.be

Watou Kunstenfestival Watou: 35th anniversary edition of the summer arts festival with installations spread across the small West Flemish town. This year’s subtitle is “In the Lee of the In-between”, emphasising enjoying the journey rather than rushing from one thing to the next, as the modern, multi-media world demands.

Until 30 August \ kunstenfestivalwatou.be

Zulte (East Flanders) Karel Dierickx: Voorstelbare Werkelijkheid (Imaginable Reality): Retrospective dedicated to the late Flemish artist, whose paintings, drawings and sculptures explored the abstract. The show is named after Dierickx’s haunting final work. Until 11 October, Roger Raveel Museum, Gildestraat 2 \ rogerraveelmuseum.be

MUSIC FESTIVAL Doornzeledries, Evergem (East Flanders) rockabillyday.be

Wesley Willis said it best: “Rock and roll will never die.” But it has evolved. The wild mid-‘50s style pioneered by the likes of Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis fell out of fashion after scandals by the likes of Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. It lay fallow for decades until appropriated by a tribe of art-school-bred punks who pumped its volume levels (and pompadours) even higher.

The new hybrid rockabilly has remained a healthy subculture ever since. This annual Flemish gathering boasts retro fashion, vintage vinyl records and, of course, plenty of music. \ GV

\ openluchttheateroostende.be

\ cultuurmarkt.be

International Street Theatre Festival Rockabilly Day 28-30 August

Isolde et les Bens: Isolde Lasoen, one of Flanders’ hardest-working alt-rock drummers, steps into the spotlight to perform songs from her debut solo album. Her backing band is comprised of musicians named Ben. 28 August, 19.00, Openluchttheater Oostende, Maria Hendrikapark

Diksmuide Ten Vrede Festival (Peace Festival): Held in the shadow of an iconic First World War monument, this annual festival promotes peace, diversity and tolerance through music. 28-30 August, IJzertoren, IJzerdijk 49

\ tenvrede.be

Mechelen Maanrock: Mechelen’s free summer music festival features four open-air stages and artists from home and abroad, including seminal American hip-hop DJ Grandmaster Flash. 28-30 August, Grote Markt \ maanrock.be

© Colm Hogan

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august 26, 2015

Talking Dutch Are you stressed out – or just bored out?

AaRON @AaRONtheband 14000 of you See you tonight Brussel #bsf15 it’s been a long Time #wecutthenight #AaRONtheband #blousonnoir #onassis

Derek Blyth More articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

Y

ou don’t need me to tell you that burnout is a big talking point in Belgium. It’s so serious in fact that companies now have to take measures to stop employees getting over stressed.

But could it be that we are not so much burned out as bored out of our minds?

Frouke Vermeulen, who describes herself as a boreout coach, believes that boredom is a bigger problem than we think. She has just published a book on the topic – Vechten tegen verveling – Fighting Against Boredom.

On her website, she describes the symptoms of boreout. Als je door een bore-out geveld wordt, is je interne vlam erg verzwakt – If you’re hit by boreout, then your internal flame is dimmed, she writes.

Sleep je jezelf elke ochtend naar je werk? – Do you have to drag yourself to work every morning? Voel je je vaak uitgeput en futloos? – Do you often feel exhausted and listless? Misschien zit je met bore-out – then maybe you are suffering from boreout.

Does this sound like you? Mensen die op het werk onvoldoende uitgedaagd en geprikkeld worden – people who feel they aren’t challenged or inspired enough at work – zouden wel eens te maken kunnen krijgen met een bore-out – can sometimes be struck down with a boreout.

Doordat de activiteiten op het werk niet genoeg voldoening, energie en afwisseling bieden – Because the work you’re doing isn’t challenging, demanding or varied enough – zal het werk je fysiek en mentaal gaan vervelen – then the work is going to have a negative impact on your physical and mental wellbeing.

And the problem with a boreout is that people are

CONNECT WITH US

David Barnard @dbtwentytwo What a performance from Twenty One Pilots at #pkp15 two guys just owning it. Awesome. #livemusic

In response to: De Standaard readers are ruthless in ugliest place contest Alexander Ivantchev No surprises there often afraid of mentioning it to the boss. Wat opvalt zijn de grote schaamte en taboe die nog op het thema rusten – It’s striking how much shame and taboo is still attached to this subject, she said in an interview with VRT. But not everyone was impressed with this theory. Nog nooit dergelijke onzin gehoord – I’ve never heard such rubbish, one angry man wrote to her. Bore-out: laat me niet lachen!!!! – Boreout: don’t make me laugh!!!! U geeft de mensen die de ziekteverzekering willen melken de pap in de mond – you’re giving the perfect excuse to people who want to scrounge off the welfare state.

Er moest hem dringend iets van zijn hart – he must have had an urgent need to get it off his chest, Vermeulen wrote on her blog. Zo dringend dat er geen tijd was voor een ‘Beste Frouke’ – so urgent that he didn’t have time to write ‘Dear Frouke’.

Maybe he was suffering from boreout.

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Poll

a. Yes. A dolphin park is no better than a bear pit. It’s time this exploitation of animals for entertainment was ended

64% b. Not really. The animals are well looked-after, and kids get to see them up close. It’s an unforgettable experience

36% c. No. It’s summer; shouldn’t kids be having fun? The council needs to lighten up

0% pupils’ access as an educational opportunity but closing the parks down altogether.

The rest are happy as long as the animals’ health and wellbeing is a priority. Some would argue that the tanks are too small and that it’s unnatural to keep dolphins in captivity, regardless of how

well they’re treated. Others argue that an aquarium is one thing, performing tricks for the crowds quite another.

That’s the issue that Herent put to itself. And it ultimately decided that asking dolphins to jump through hoops was a step too far.

\ Next week's question: A Ghent start-up is advising the use of standing desks in classrooms because it’s healthier if kids stand up during lessons. What do you think?

Log on to the Flanders Today website at www.flanderstoday.eu and click on VOTE!

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In response to: Hasselt designer enriches written text with extra meaning Zizi Bp Amazing!

In response to: Rivers in Flanders capable of cleaning themselves, says researcher Rod Davies Every time I go in the rivers all I see is pollution.

In response to: Massive fish death first in Roeselare, now in Ypres Graham Morley Milena, better tell Chris not to go fishing in the canal.

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the last word

Do you agree with Herent city council’s decision to stop playground visits to dolphin shows because they are “not educational”?

You might expect resistance to the idea of a local council keeping schoolkids away from the Boudewijn Seapark, but the opposite was the case. Nobody at all took the view that it’s a bit of harmless fun not worth fussing about.

There’s almost a two-thirds majority in favour of not only limiting

VoiceS of flanders today

Open door policy

Boozy Brits

“There are not enough places in refugee centres. Why not open up your own house. Generations before ours did it, why can’t we?”

“We ask you not to promote the sale of spirits or strong beer. The British are not used to much more than their pint of lager, and the consumption of our strong local beers can lead to problems.”

Hooverphonic co-founder and music producer Frank Duchêne launched a Facebook page looking for volunteers to house migrants

Laugh and the world laughs with you “The best way to go through life with an optimistic point of view is to surround yourself with optimists.”

Leo Borremans, Flemish author of The World Book of Happiness, backs up research showing that happiness can be contagious

The city of Bruges wrote to bar owners in advance of the home game against Manchester United this week

Red-light exhibition “All of a sudden, we were standing face to face with a naked woman.

The first thing I saw was a closeup of a vagina. Completely inappropriate.”

Andy Wouters from Harelbeke, West Flanders, took his kids to visit the Atlantic Wall in Ostend, which at the moment happens to house a Beaufort art installation

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