DAY TO DAY_17

DOSSIER Multilinguisme, Visa pour une culture commune

PHOTO COMPETITION Le Berlaymont s'offre des couleurs Distribué en partenariat avec

Supplément à La Tribune de Bruxelles - 30 septembre 2008

Edito . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Very European Person 4-6 Cultural Diary. . . . . . . 6-8 Contact. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-18 Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Avant Propos Titan et Babel dans les moeurs de cette façon : par les

Grande Europe. 27 nationalités au sein de

initiatives individuelles qui ont fait boule de

l'Union. 23 langues reconnues au sein des

neige alors pourquoi pas un engouement

institutions européennes comme langues

pour les langues ? Parce qu'au-delà d'une

officielles et 3 comme langues procédurales.

langue universelle avec laquelle tous les

Des

de

documents

Moving . . . . . . . . . . 26-27 Afterwork . . . . . . . . . . 28 Dolce Vita . . . . . . . . . . 30

Le Day to Day in Brussels est imprimé sur du papier recyclé.

Plus de 200 langues répertoriées dans la

milliers

Pleasure . . . . . . . . . 22-24

traduits

citoyens se comprendraient, c'est surtout

quotidiennement dans les 20 autres idiomes

d'une envie de diversité des langues dans la

et un énorme service d'interprètes se

tolérance, d'une curiosité pour les autres

chargeant de rendre compréhensibles les

cultures et d'un apprentissage toujours plus

discours du Parlement, de la Commission,…

qualitatif dont l'Europe a besoin.

Quel travail de titan pour que l'Europe ne tourne pas à la tour de Babel cacophonique !

L'année

européenne

du

Dialogue

interculturel qui s'achève porte d'ailleurs La Commission, justement, a décrété depuis

haut les couleurs de la multiculturalité et

cette année le 26 septembre "journée

partant, du multilinguisme. Quand on sait

européenne des langues" : tous les citoyens

que moins de la moitié de la population

qui ont eu envie d'oeuvrer à la promotion

européenne parle une autre langue... Il y a

du multilinguisme ont pu apporter leur

du travail. Mais les membres des institutions

petite pierre, d'une façon ou d'une autre...

européennes qui commencent une réunion

Un site internet donnait même quelques

en anglais pour la terminer en français en

suggestions à tous. La journée européenne

passant par l'italien et le néerlandais en sont

des voisins au mois de mai s'est installée

les meilleurs ambassadeurs !

Vous aussi respectez l'environnement en glissant votre magazine dans un sac ad hoc après sa lecture !

Dossier réalisé par RGP Rue des Francs, 79 - Tél.: 02.211.28.49 Fax: 02.211.28.70.

COORDINATRICE : Elodie Weymeels COMMERCIALISATION : Luc Bolsius, Hatim Elmajd, Michaël Cohen TEXTES : Renaud Hermal, Ingrid d'Oultremont, Laure d'Oultremont, Elodie Weymeels PHOTOS : Bénédicte Maindiaux, La Tribune de Bruxelles, www.photos.com, Dreamstime, DR, EDITEUR RESPONSABLE : François le Hodey

Une idée, une suggestion, une réaction ?

Voici une adresse mail à votre disposition : d2d@tbx.be.

MISE EN PAGE : Daphné de Ridder / Azur Graphic IMPRESSION : Sodimco INTERNET : www.tribunedebruxelles.be

V E RY E U RO P E A N P E R S O N

The meeting of the other, a big adventure

Eric Pauwels D

aring to take risks, daring to go to meet the other at the risk of revealing certain of his weaknesses. That is the fine tribute that Eric Pauwels pays to his children. First, to his daughter, in 2001, with his documentary “Lettre

d’un cinéaste à sa fille” (Letter from a filmmaker to his daughter). And, today, to his son with his first novel, worthy of a great epic, “Le voyage de Gaspard” (Gaspard’s Journey), which is situated between the oral tradition and the written tradition and appeals to all ages. For almost a year, the writer immersed himself in the stories he loved, became imbued with them and took ownership of them to construct the thread of the novel. Every Sunday, the young Gaspard, accompanied by his faithful companion, Puf, visits the museum of which his grandfather used to be curator. Today, now blind, the latter spends hours with Gaspard, standing before works that he explains to him. One day, he decides to show him what is, for him, the most beautiful work in the museum. He takes Gaspard to stand in front of a … blank wall. The young boy does not dare to interrupt his grandfather and starts to imagine the voyage that he embarks on to find the painting. Thus begins a long journey of initiation for the young boy amidst the imaginary, where his encounters always take him farther and farther away. Through these encounters and beyond the tale the writer tries to arouse reactions first in his hero, then in his readers, to the fundamental truths, at times very simple, of life.

The dream of the journey Born to a family in Antwerp, Eric Pauwels lived in Paris during his childhood.

Bilingual, he speaks “Parisian” at school and the Antwerp patois at home. However, it is in French that he chooses to work. After studying theatre at the INSAS (Institut National Supérieur des Arts du spectacle et des techniques de diffusion) in Brussels,

Thrust and Parry

he is fascinated by the performance of the actor, of the double.

The scriptwriter, Enrico Falchignoni, whom he meets at the time, advises him to study the origin of the theatre through rites of possession and shamanism. It is then that he goes on a journey to South-East Asia and Indonesia and starts to film the ceremonies of the rites of initiation in order to preserve their images. His encounter with the filmmaker and ethnologist, Jean Rouche, who was then working on African rites, encourages him to embark on a Doctorate at the Sorbonne. Gradually, he moves from the ethnological documentary to the documentary of creation. He returns to Brussels and meets Michèle-Anne Demey and Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker whose creations he films. “Their dances were like those of the whirling dervishes. I had filmed the dance in the sacred and here I am filming the

possession

in the profane and the spectacular.” The bridge between the two had been thrown.

In all his films he embarks on a journey of initiation, as in “Fragilité des apparences” (Fragility of Appearances), which opens like a story. He always tries to showcase the work of the filmmaker and of reality, which then becomes a metaphor. In his films, in the margin, he reflects on fundamental questions while trying to stand back from

Your preferred district in Brussels?

Altitude 100, from where you can see the countryside The European city you can see yourself living in ?

Brussels or a city close to the sea The place you like to escape to?

The hut at the bottom of my garden Your favourite hero?

Ulysses. He was the first hero to tell us that we can’t live without lies The worst lie ?

To say that there is only one truth A book ?

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenso

reality. In his current work, “Les films rêvés” (The Dreamed Films), which is expected

A film? The entire work of Jean Rouche

to be released in the summer of 2009, he features a director who dreams about all

A Belgian expression ?

“Perhaps not?” to mean “yes, of course”.

A language that has so much humour cannot disappear …

the films he would have liked to make. The opportunity, as in “Le voyage de Gaspard”, to go on a journey to universes we have all dreamed of.

4/ VERY EUROPEAN PERSON

V E RY E U RO P E A N P E R S O N

So far, you have made several films, often approaching documentaries. What made you write this novel ?

At the outset, I made a film for my daughter, “Lettre d’un cinéaste à sa fille” (Letter from a Filmmaker to his Daughter). I gathered together real anecdotes, almost short news items, which I wished to share with her. The film ended with “La mémoire est collective et la mort n’existe pas” (The memory is collective and death does not exist). In fact, by passing things on, one does not die. For my son, I set off to do something quite different.

Here, we are in the realm of myths, the imaginary. Death is omnipresent. It is there.

We have to enjoy the present moment because, one day, we are going to die. The fundamental difference between a man and a woman is that the latter is a bearer of life, of heredity. She represents eternity. Whereas, for a man, this is not the case. Men are, in my opinion, more confronted with death than women, which is why they have a greater need to leave something behind on this earth.

What was the main thread of your production ?

I like projects that measure the distance from the other, where there is a real human risk.

You have to take the risk to move towards the other, even if the other is different.

You are also an ethnographer. What interests you in the study of customs and populations ?

Their similarities and their differences. We all have the same hopes, the same fears, the same dread about death, for example. We are ultimately all the same, but the translation of this similarity is different from one culture to another.

And when you study the myths that attempt to explain lightning, thunder, the sun, always the same, while the moon is not, the fact of telling the truth or of lying … You realise there is an initial archetype, which will be recounted according to the different versions.

There is not one myth but several myths, which, according to an old definition, is a lie that is trying to tell the truth.

Do you think that a common culture can emanate from the cohabitation of very diverse nationalities that speak different languages ?

Yes. I think that the fundamental problems posed by each language are the same everywhere. If you want to live in Lapland you have to learn the different words for “snow”.

This specificity will elude you if you don’t live there. It is possible to find a way to speak together and that the differences that remain are extremely important.

All languages have a common purpose.

Speaking a different language structures thought in a different way, but the fundamental problems remain the same.

What image do you have of Brussels as the capital of Europe ?

Brussels had changed a great deal. When NATO established its headquarters in Brussels, you didn’t see the difference – and I know what I’m talking about, my father used to work there. But since it’s become the capital of Europe, you notice it … And that is the crux of the institutional problem facing Belgium today.

What do you think of Europe ?

I am pleased that it is taking its time, that it is questioning itself, that it is gradually welcoming new States. One mustn’t forget that we are the first generation not to have known war. And it is unimaginable today, thanks to the European institutions. Even if the fundamental problems remain the same from one nation to another, I think that Europe is not going to smooth out the cultural differences, but, quite the contrary, it will highlight them. It is a guarantor of culture, history and peace.

What, in your opinion, is the power of all these myths in the different cultures ?

It is the lie, the illusion, the fact of inventing stories to explain the world as it is. The real answer to our fundamental fears lies in stories, because there are no scientific answers.

VERY EUROPE AN PERSON /5

C U LT U R A L D I A RY

The Peeing Boy all around the world A tongue in cheek fun exhibition is being staged by the chocolate producer Belcolade (which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year) on the theme of a life-sized Peeing Boy made out of chocolate.

Nothing out of the ordinary about that so far. In fact, the chocolate manufacturer sent 55 chocolate Peeing Boys all around the world and, as a result, has put together a

6/ CULTURAL DIARY

large collection of photographs of the little chap taken at landmarks in each country. Remind you at all of the garden gnome in the French film “Amélie”? What a laugh!

Bruxelles en scène, 23, Galerie de la Reine – 1000 Brussels. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tel.: 02 512 57 45. www.bruxelles-en-scene.be

C U LT U R A L D I A RY

Multiculture on my Berlaymont !

Attended by Commissioner Jan Figel, the award ceremony for the four winners of the photography competition “Cultures on my street” took place on 25 September at the Berlaymont. A European judging panel had selected 20 photos which the public could then vote for. The most popular photographs are now on show on the esplanade.

• First prize was won by Joseph Smith from Malta for “Village Cobbler”. « Freddy's shop is a meeting place for friends, locals and even the occasional tourist!» he explains. « Freddy welcomed me into his world and shared his experiences with me. I was intrigued by this man's 'cultural' vision: the juxtaposition of religious icons and pop stars. His work space is crammed with tools of the trade, with shoes scattered around.

He is totally detached from the arrogance of self-sufficiency and the artificiality seeping into our daily lives.. »

• 2nd prize goes to Denmark’s Nikolaj Lund for “Open Minds”. « The Danish women in the middle had been talking to Safaa (the woman on the right) for at least two hours, » he explains. « After that, they hugged each other and exchanged phone numbers. These are people with very different ethnic origins, yet they met with open minds and tried to understand each other’s backgrounds and way of life. That, to my mind, is intercultural dialogue in action. »

• 3rd prize goes to Jérôme Clair, a 26 year old from France, for “Left out of the game”.

• The Public’s Prize was won by Belgium’s Simon Vansteenwinckel for “Fairy Tales”. « This picture illustrates a playful dialogue between children, who don’t care about cultural differences. Their innocence and their lack of preconceptions should be a model for all adults. »

For more information, visit www.dialogue2008.eu

Photo: Nikolaj Lund

Photo: Jérôme Clair

Photo: Joseph Smith Photo: Simon Vansteenwinkel

CULTURAL DIARY /7

C U LT U R A L D I A RY

Things to see and do

Every two years at around the same time, onlookers, amateurs, enthusiasts, journalists and professionals from the world of fashion feel the pulse of current and constantlyevolving creation in Brussels for the Modo Bruxellae Designers’ Walk. For three days, designers, students, fashion labels and houses invest town centre sites with a specific project.

The Walk’s sites are located from the area surrounding the Dansaert district right up to the Place Royale. Tickets/maps will be on sale for €5 from 24 to 26 October 2008 at the meeting point: La Centrale Electrique, European Centre for Contemporary Art, 44, Place Sainte-Catherine.

Friday 24 October, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. – public walk with late night opening and Vice Party. Saturday 25 October, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. – public walk. Sunday 26 October, 11 a.m.

Tous Fous de Mozart [Mad about Mozart] will take place from 23 to 26 October at the Théâtre du Vaudeville in Brussels. Four days and 5 thrilling, energetic, refined and fantastic concerts given by internationally-renowned pianist Roberte Mamou and friends!

Tous Fous de Mozart, Théâtre du Vaudeville, Galerie de la Reine. For more information and tickets, call 0498 280 737

Roland de Lassus (born 1532) was unquestionably one of the greatest Renaissance musicians. Born in Belgium, he raised polyphonic music to unrivalled heights.

The Huelgas ensemble plays Lassus.

Saturday 11 October at 8 p.m. at the Eglise des Minimes. For more information and tickets, call 02 641 10 20. www.flagey.be

The Addams Family. A family outing to the cinema? We’re off to Flagey to see Barry Sonnenfeld’s film about this monstrously cult family! Starring Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christina Ricci and Christopher Lloyd.

1991, VO ST French. Sunday 12 October at 11 a.m. at Flagey’s Studio 5. Film: €7. Film + brunch: €10.

For more information and tickets, call 02 641 10 20. www.flagey.be Skoda Jazz Festival: Jazz, blues, world music, avant-garde and hip hop will be on the programme for a number of local concerts in a variety of towns throughout Belgium. Herbie Hancock, Five Peace Band, John Scofield, Anouar Brahem, Dub Inc., Chucho Valdes, Philip Catherine and many others will be on the bill for 2008!

Until December. www.skodajazz.be

8/ CULTURAL DIARY

Une création de Louise Assomo (DR)

Les Petits Riens Charity Fashion Show The now traditional, festive and magical Les Petits Riens Charity Fashion Show is taking place on Friday 17 October. Hurry up and book your seats, it’s the place to be! 22 designers at this 6th outing on the theme of “the street”. How? Tickets are on sale (€25 for adults, €15 for students) at the Retro Paradise boutique (105, Rue Américaine – 1050 Brussels) or by transfer by no later than 3 October to account no. 001-1927752-50.

Les Petits Riens sorting centre, 49, Klein Bijgaardenstraat - 1600 Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. For more information, call 02 537 30 26.

CONTACT Every month, Day to Day describes a Brussels commune from a practical point of view. Who do you need to approach regarding administrative matters ? How are you welcomed in your commune?

What are its pro-European initiatives ? Here you will find all the information you need !

The City of Brussels, a great big melting pot Undoubtedly one of the most disparate communes in Brussels, it stretches North to South with districts which are both colourful and conventional.

I

n the same area, the City of Brussels is home to districts which couldn’t be more different from one another. Of course there’s the Pentagon, at the centre of the inner ring’s boulevards, which is home to the old historic centre with the îlot sacré around the Grand’Place, the Sablon district, the Place Sainte Catherine, the Marolles, the Béguinage district and so on. Elderly residents of Brussels, trendy bourgeois bohemians, businessmen and young foreign visitors rub shoulders there on a daily basis.

• L’impasse des Cigognes, a pretty little alley which is worth the detour, near to Rue Antoine Dansaert.

• The Plasticarium – the world’s largest collection of plastic designer objects.

Tour by appointment only. Tel.: 02/344 98 21, 35, Rue Locquenghien, 1000 Brussels.

• The Dansaert district and its numerous trendy shops.

• The flea market in the Place du Jeu de Balle, open daily from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• The completely renovated Art Nouveau building (former Palais des Vins), 58-62, Rue des Tanneurs, with its great bookshop, café-restaurant and organic market (www.ateliersdestanneurs.be).

• Synchronised audio tours with D-Tours starting from the Grand’Place, Sainte Catherine’s market or Les Marolles (www.d-tours.org) • The Maison de la Bellone, Rue de Flandre

English bookshops: Waterstone's NV - 71-75, Boulevard Adolphe Max, 1000 Brussels - 02 219 27 08 Sterling Books - 38, Fossé aux Loups, 1000 Brussels - 02 223 62 23 www.sterlingbooks.be

• The former Beguine convent (photo) • Typical Brussels bars in the town centre, such as La Bécasse, Le Théâtre Toone and Le Falstaff • The antique dealers in Sablon and the Rue Haute.

10 / CO N TAC T

Demographic situation • Number of inhabitants : 148,873 (as at 01/01/08) • Number of registered European nationals: 25.560 (as at 01/07/07)

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France: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5660 Italy: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3400 Spain : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2759 Poland : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2013 Romania : . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1727 Portugal: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1283 Greece: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1294 UK : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1255 Netherlands : . . . . . . . . . . . .1200 Germany: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1196 Bulgaria: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .388 Sweden: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .339

The port of call for Europeans - For those who haven’t yet obtained the right of domicile or who have just arrived in Belgium: Administrative Office for Foreigners at 6, Boulevard Anspach, 3rd floor, Mondays to Fridays from 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday evenings from 4.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.

Tel.: 02 279 35 20 - For those who have obtained the right of domicile, who come under the population service: Population Service at 6, Boulevard Anspach, 2nd floor, Mondays to Fridays from 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Thursday evenings from 4.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.

Tel.: 02 279 35 60

www.brucity.be

Photo: Jean-Luc Flémal

10 things you mustn’t miss:

To the North, there is an opening towards Laeken, with Heysel, of course, but also more industrial sites along the Canal and residential districts. These are seeing renewed interest with the anticipated arrival of the European school on the site of the Cadet school. To the South, Avenue Louise and the Bois de la Cambre are still part of the City of Brussels. This strange long corridor jammed between Ixelles and Uccle was one of the building projects of Leopold II. The Bois de la Cambre was built at the end of this prestigious avenue to attract the upper middle classes along this road. Then there’s the Schuman district, of course, which is home today to the European institutions and the milling crowds we associate with them.

These five areas give the City of Brussels its hybrid and ill-assorted character.

The 12 most represented nationalities:

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Multilingualism. A visa for a common culture ?

Speaking several languages is a first step towards multiculturalism. Does this mean that it’s a passport for a common vision, the essential challenge for the future of Europe?

12 / Day to Day in Brussels

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O

ver 200 languages are listed in Wider Europe. 27 nationalities rub shoulders every day inside the European Institutions, where 23 languages are officially recognised as official languages and 3 as languages of proceedings.

Thousands of documents are translated on a daily basis into the 20 other idioms, and interpreters are responsible for making the speeches of the Parliament, Commission, etc. understandable. Without them, the European Institutions could quickly resemble a veritable tower of Babel, which was a construction brimming with expectations, on which thousands of men and women worked without understanding each other. The plan was there, given over to many hopes.

However, the tower was gradually abandoned because of the confusion of tongues used.

Fortunately, Europe has not seen these excesses. Nevertheless, over and above the symbolic or religious meanings which this

myth from Genesis might evoke, deep down we can recognise the challenge Europe faces, i.e. to enable 20 languages, and even more different expectations, to coexist within the same organisation.

From multilingualism to interculturalism Multilingualism, speaking several languages, is without doubt considered to be an asset, especially in economic terms. Better knowledge of languages has, beyond any doubt, become a condition of employment, but it is also one of the reasons for good company performances, even though the potential is far from being fully exploited. The Business Forum on Multilingualism underlined to what extent “today, knowledge of languages is fundamental if we want workers to feel at home throughout Europe.” The Commissioner for multilingualism, Léonard Orban, even said “to what extent linguistic diversity, investment in languages and intercultural skills can become real factors for prosperity and a source of profit for all.”

In fact, that’s Europe’s whole challenge if it wants to go beyond certain limits, particularly in terms of a common vision, as underlined by Dirk Jacobs, sociologist at the Free University of Brussels.

“There’s no problem economically,” he explains, “but is that the aim of Europe? There is also the issue of common social policy, common immigration, etc.” Speaking languages is one essential aspect of the European Union’s language policy, but it is also necessary for the various stakeholders in this Europe of ours to be made aware of cultural diversity.

They must be able to live side by side, understand one another, get on with each other and answer each other coherently, regardless of the language used.

Multilingualism, which is the coexistence of different languages in the same geographic area, must therefore also lead to interculturalism, which goes even further than multiculturalism, since its aim is to make cultures aware of each other. These challenges have become essential for Europe, and Europe is making a great deal of effort in this regard.

Grundtvig, which respectively promote vocational training abroad and adult education, have been making a contribution towards this effort. Since 1987, over two million students have taken part in the Erasmus exchange programme, and the goal to be achieved by 2010 is three million. For most of these students, Erasmus is often the first experience of learning another language and another culture. However, all of these efforts go even further than that. They aim to highlight cultural differences rather than iron them out.

Language should be seen as a tool. It is up to each individual to awaken to this opportunity and embark on a personal journey to discover these great riches which all the different cultures we in Europe share represent.

Unity in multiplicity In 2004, for the first time, a European Commissioner was given explicit responsibilities for multilingualism, 2008 was declared European Year of Intercultural Dialogue and, for many years already, programmes such as Comenius in schools (see boxed text), Erasmus in higher education and even Leonardo and

LAURE D'OULTREMONT

13

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BRUSSELS, a multilingual city It’s what makes Brussels so special. No real dominant languages, but cultures which live side by side... sometimes without integration.

F

rom a political point of view, Brussels is

required to use the corresponding language

mongrel but, by extension, it has come to

traditionally a bilingual city. French

of the area as their administrative language.

mean someone with mixed origins, a symbol

speakers represent 85 to 90% of the

The Brussels-Capital region, made up of 19

of

population, and Dutch speakers 10 to 15%.

communes, was the only bilingual one,

multiculturalism. Every year for the past eight

According to a 2007 study carried out by Rudi

resulting in the political problems we

years, this huge parade tries to highlight

Janssens, a sociolinguist from the Vlaams

associate it with today. This bilingualism was

everyone’s cultural differences. Of course it’s

Universiteit in Brussels, from a sociolinguistic

a key element of Brussels’ identity. Today, it

a celebration, but in more global terms it is,

point of view, the linguistic landscape is

has been replaced by multilingualism. We see

above all, a challenge which involves putting

becoming more complex. You just have to look

it, for example, with the “Zinneke Parade”.

networks, cultures and, of course, languages

at the multilingualism of the population. The

The primary meaning of “zinneke”, an

in touch with each other.

number of bilingual families and the number of

expression which is typical of Brussels, is a

languages spoken at home are rising. As a result of previous immigration, Italian, Turkish and Arabic already had a certain place in society. With the arrival of members of the European Union, English has become one of the capital’s working languages (cf. boxed text), although French remains the lingua franca.

“However, in actual fact you can no longer say that you necessarily need to learn French to live in Brussels,” comments Dirk Jacobs, a sociologist at ULB. “It is possible to live in isolation with English, as with Turkish. Although the authorities are legally required to provide their services in the two official languages, i.e.

French and Dutch, more and more communes are also responding to requests in English. In the UK and the Netherlands, which are more traditionally multicultural countries, these practices are commonplace, but in Belgium they are fairly recent. This is due to the political heritage which dominates in our country.”

A “zinneke” city Linguistic borders were adopted in 1967 following the community problems which Belgium experienced. They separated the area of Belgium into four regions, which are

14 / Day to Day in Brussels

Photo: Chantal Brever

the

capital’s

cosmopolitanism

and

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What about local life?

institutions are. It’s symbolic, but it shows the extent of their lack of interest in taking part in

To observe this good linguistic harmony, the

local life. My belief is that this lack of interest

issue of sociological networks must also be

is one of the reasons why there is no

raised. If we use these criteria to evaluate the

dominant language in Brussels. You couldn’t

integration of newcomers, can we say that

live like this in Paris or London, with no

the new nationals identify with Brussels? “I

contact with the local population. However, it

think what speaks volumes is to look at their

is possible in Brussels. Brussels is not a city

participation in the last elections,” comments

without roots, but rather with lots of roots,

Dirk Jacobs. “We were able to see that their

with multitude spheres which have relatively

rate of participation was below that of third

little contact with each other.” Managing the

countries. In Ixelles, Etterbeek and the City of

coexistence of these spheres has become an

Brussels, it was even less than in the other

additional political challenge.

Cf. JANSSENS, Rudi, Language Use in Brussels and the place of Dutch.

Some recent observations.

communes, and that’s precisely where the

Which lingua franca for Europe ?

Of course, we can’t follow an approach where everyone speaks their own language. People would cease to understand one another. “On the one hand, we can no longer be too accommodating as regards other languages,” continues Dirk Jacobs.

“There has to be a lingua franca.

The approach maintained by the European Institutions is to have several working languages, mainly English, followed by French and German, the use of which is declining, and to translate all documents into the 20 other languages. Of course, this approach respects linguistic diversity, but at a high cost! It is important to protect the future, and the issue of power has not been dispensed with.

Some researchers, such as Philippe Van Parijs (professor of economic and social ethics at Louvain Catholic University - Editor’s note), have put forward the idea that there should be financial compensation for those whose first language is not English.”

What about English as the third language in Brussels?

French has dominated in Brussels for a long time.

Today, although French remains dominant, “we are seeing that Dutch is increasingly being spoken in public life. In terms of language use, English is in a stable third place and is especially spoken in the work environment.” So why not use it in public life in Brussels too? This is a question which is cropping up with increasing frequency. Many semi-public institutions, such as STIB and Bruxelles-Proprété, already use it regularly, and although the authorities can only legally reply in one of the two official languages, an increasing number of cases are being dealt with in English in the communes of the capital.

However, wouldn’t this possibility impoverish English?

“We are seeing it already. There are terms which are only used within the European institutions,” explains one Commission interpreter. “What’s more, English political concepts are being introduced inadvertently via the language, which doesn’t always go in the direction Europe wants.” Furthermore, is this what the people of Brussels want?

Day to Day in Brussels / 15

FOCUS

« Experience Europe at school » D’un projet destiné avant tout au personnel éducatif, la Nouvelle Ecole a fait un projet global.

Presque chaque année, des élèves partent à l’étranger grâce au programme Comenius.

Photo: John Smith 2008 - "Cultures on my street" Photo Competition

35

nationalities sit together at this primary school in the heart of Saint- Josse-ten-Noode, the smallest commune in Brussels, and one of the poorest. It’s what is known in Belgium as a positive discrimination school.

The programme, which is run according to the Freinet method, is the same as in other schools in Brussels. The Nouvelle Ecole showed immediate interest in the project when the European Community launched the Comenius programme about 15 years ago. In the beginning, the European Community awarded scholarships to certain pupils and teaching staff at a particular school. And the aim? To widen their horizons and develop exchange partnerships with schools abroad.

But the head teacher, Olivier Dradin, wanted to extend such experience to a whole class.

These exchanges have been running successfully for some years now. “ It has enabled us to work with schools near Venice in Italy, in Gerona in Spain, Zabki in Poland, Saint-Jean d’Angely in the Charente Maritime, Riom in the Auvergne and Airan in Normandy”, he says. We prepare for the trip as a whole class and travel with low cost companies, the children staying with families.

16 / Day to Day in Brussels

The trip we did to Gerona cost ?125 per student, all-in”. For children who very often come from disadvantaged backgrounds, this is a real bargain! And for their teachers, too.

These partnerships also provide an opportunity to immerse yourself in new teaching methods, and see that problems, failures and successes at school are the same, wherever you are.

Rubbing shoulders with other cultures Apart from the tourism aspect, these trips offer a first contact with a different culture, often unknown except through books. “ We all have certain preconceptions about foreign countries”, continues the head. “It’s all very well reading a book about wine, but you get to know it much better if you actually taste it.

It’s the same with different cultures. On these exchanges, the children get to enter a different dimension. They can actually experience Europe by rubbing shoulders with other students, customs and languages.” All the barriers fall away. A Polish student who has trouble with French at school can become a translator when abroad because he

is the only one to speak the language. He is given a task and a responsibility and, at the same time, he experiences a kind of success mostly unknown to him at home. He can make an essential contribution. “At our little local school, it’s even more important for the non-European students. They have no concept of Europe, and their world is limited to the end of their street or district.” The Nouvelle Ecole, with its huge amounts of enthusiasm, has created a global project from one that was initially aimed at individual teachers, opening the door to discovering the richness of other cultures.

www.lanouvelleecole.be

IAC MEISER

IAC DELTA

IAC DROGENBOS

IAC BERCHEM

IAC VILVOORDE

770 Chée de Louvain 1030 Bruxelles 02/702 31 24

210-220 Bd des Invalides 1160 Bruxelles 02/674 45 11

GroteBaan 332 1620 Uccle - Drogenbos 02/334 40 40

1255 Chée de Gand 1082 Berchem-Ste-Agathe 02/481 65 80

Mechelsesteenweg 306 1800 Vilvoorde 02/252 16 63

FOCUS

Culture in support of multilingualism WWW.MUSEUMTALKS.BE SPIEGEL (c) Jean-Pierre Stoop

On this site, artists, musicians, media figures and ‘ordinary’ visitors send us their original reviews lasting a few minutes of works or pieces that have made an impression on them in some way. You can listen to or download all of these reviews at www.museumtalks.be.

3/5-10 : word marathon following its success in Toulouse, this marathon is staging evening readings by artists and performers. The literary circuit begins with readings from original texts at the Flagey. www.marathondesmots.be

11/13-11: Nine Finger – (English) he result of a collaboration between KVS, Rosas and La Monnaie, Nine Finger is without doubt one of the most striking theatrical events of 2007. Through the eyes of a child soldier, we are made to consider the perversity of war. The play asks the question: how should art respond in the face of the world’s atrocities ? www.kvs.be

25/30-11 Spiegel de Ultima Vez- dance NINEFINGER (c)Herman Sorgeloos

18 / Day to Day in Brussels

Twenty years after he started, and with almost as many creations under his belt, Wim Vandekeybus gives us an evening of the best of his work; some items are performed in full, others are adapted. Using nine dancers, he takes a look in the mirror, in search of the essence of his personal idiom of movement. www.kvs.be

3/12 : Closing night of the European year of the Dialogue Interculturel à Bruxelles with the Fondation Internationale Yehudi Menuhin.

Concert featuring Youssou N’Dour, Natacha Atlas, Trio Loyko and Iva Bittova, who will be forming a dialogue of words and music on the theme of “How was the world born? www.menuhin-foundation.com www.iyouwesharetheworld.eu www.dialogue2008.eu

13-17/01/2009 : the German play Unter Eis at the Théâtre National Following three solitary characters in parallel, who are at once victims and executioners in a society governed by the laws of commerce, Falk Richter, acute observer of German and European society, dramatist and associate director at the Berlin Schaubühne, delivers a comic, poetic, biting and burlesque tragedy about the world of business. www.theatrenational.be

SOCIÉTY

The cry for help from the cork industry Il echoes with the one for protection of nature from the World Wildlife Fund.

W

e all know cork as being the traditional way of sealing wine bottles. How could something so insignificant be the centre of attention from the EU commission as well as from the WWF? This situation has a solid base in the economical and social role that cork plays in the southern part of Europe. The cork industry is essentially up to 90% in European hands and represents an annual export trade value of around 329 million US dollars. The cork forests and the production facilities are located around the Mediterranean Sea, mainly in Portugal, Spain and France. This business provides thousands of European jobs as well as a unique European technical product. Recently the cork industry started a communication program about its products directed to the members of the European Commission and the European Parliament.

Antonio Rios de Amorim, CEO of Amorim, talks about the reasons behind that program: “we want to sensitize all the actors in Brussels to all the purposes of cork. Uses of cork go far beyond the wine stoppers: it’s used in the clothes industries and it also can be a green alternative to polyurethane in thermal isolation of new constructions.” This latter application could of course be very valuable for Europe in order to realize the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the context of the Kyoto protocol. Since the cork oaks absorb carbon dioxide and, at the same time, the methods of producing cork result in very little emission of this greenhouse gas - it is a double win.

However, it is the bottle stoppers market that drives the European cork industry accounting for 70% of it. Recent changes to wine bottling bring much unrest to the cork industry. More and more often large wine companies tend to impose lower prices for the stoppers. This tendency is damaging the cork industry, which is also losing market share in favour of plastic and screw caps, as some wine companies believe that switching to synthetic stoppers gives them a modern

20 / S O C I E T Y

touch. These practices cause worries about the future of the cork industry.

In its struggle for a healthy sustainable cork market the cork industry may count on the support of the Word Wildlife Fund. At first sight this support is surprising – it’s not in the habits of the WWF to support industries – but the WWF is concerned about the ecological value of the cork forests and the consequences of their possible disappearance. The organisation regrets that “recent increases in global production and markets for cheaper wines which are consumed soon after bottling, have encouraged the widespread use of synthetic stoppers and screwtops”.

The WWF fears that an increase in synthetic stoppers market share to 95% would have negative consequences in two aspects. Firstly, the social consequences would be catastrophic for some regions already threatened by poverty. More than 500.000 people would lose their jobs. Secondly, the fauna and flora would suffer as well and the risk of desertification in Portugal and Spain would increase significantly seeing the cork oaks are preventing the soil from erosion.

Cork’s loss of its commercial value would result in conversion of the cork oak forests into other types of land exploitations. Aside from affecting the soil this would also be detrimental for several protected species, such as the Iberian imperial eagle, the Iberian lynx and the Barbary deer, which inhabit those forests. Therefore, the WWF extends a call to the wine and cork industries to maintain

markets for cork stoppers in order to guarantee the existence of the cork landscapes. This is in line with the organization’s mission “to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature”.

Will they be heard? The answer is the European politicians’ hands. This problematic is certainly an example of tomorrow’s challenges Europe will have to face. No doubt, such concerns will tear apart generations of politicians between their liberal economic views (“let the market regulate itself”) and their care for social matters as well as for preservation of our natural environment.

SAMUEL HOSTE

PLEASURE

Octobre tient sa revanche L'automne est là, avec sa lumière déclinante et ses matins très frais mais aussi avec les couleurs inimitables des jardins, parcs et forêts, magnifiés par la lente agonie des feuilles. Et nous, on rêve de ce qui nous donnera des intérieurs encore plus doux.

Faire vivre la maison d'une pression Voici ce qu'il faut à ceux qui commençaient à s'ennuyer entre home cinema, ordinateur intégré au frigo et gadget pour mettre en route la machine à café le matin. Il s'agit du TPS-6X de Crestron, le n°1 de la domotique, pour une utilisation résidentielle ou bien professionnelle. En une pression des doigts, vous pourrez faire vivre votre maison grâce à une technologie à votre service: éclairage, sécurité, communications, climat, internet et bien plus encore. Le TPS-6X communique avec la plate-forme via un cable Cresnet ou Ethernet et rend possible la reproduction des images video dans le format souhaité. Et en plus... c'est beau !

Simple comme un banc à chaussures

www.crestron.eu

Depuis 2008, HeliumConcept créé en 1998 par les designers Annick Schotte et Damien Bihr, édite une série de créations, des recherches abouties issues d’une multitude d’attentions, des objets produits en séries limitées pour adoucir le quotidien. La première pièce de cette nouvelle démarche: un banc/chausseur qui a pour objectif de faciliter les gestes et actes de la vie quotidienne [acte simple 1.1] : ranger et mettre ses chaussures. www.heliumconcept.be Tél. : 0496 281 336.

Mobilier haut de gamme… prêt à être customisé !

La nouvelle collection Customobili dessinée par le designer belge Arnaud Wolters et conçue avec Marc Demeur se décline de manière originale autour du concept clef du médaillon amovible et interchangeable glissé au coeur même de l’assise. Saisi par le regard et ludique à manipuler et à employer au quotidien, le médaillon crée, dans une logique soit folle, soit décadente ou très haute couture, de l’animation visuelle et tactile, là où d’habitude rien ne se passe. C'est la surprise assurée pour votre intérieur. www.customobili.com

22 / P L E A S U R E

PLEASURE

Tout simplement magnifique La broche feutre IWA décorée de pierres de couleur brillantes par Natan.

160 €

Adieu le bain, vive la douche A peine 2 ans après son lancement, la société belge

Remettre sur le tapis

Aquaconcept a enregistré un véritable boom. Son atout : la sim-

Il n'y a pas mieux qu'un tapis pour modifier en profondeur son

plicité de son design et la rapidité de la livraison ! Les douches

environnement et la configuration d'une pièce. The Rug Company

se composent seulement de grands panneaux en verre, de

présente sa nouvelle collection de tapis 2008 ... Les cubes et les

charnières et de poignées en inox et de pierre naturelle en guise

imprimés sont mis à l'honneur dans cette collection tendance.

de base étanche. Avec un délai de livraison de seulement 3 à 4 semaines pour ses concepts de douche sur mesure.

Information points de vente : 010 84 96 89.

Infos Aquaconcept : 03 296 03 03. Points de vente sur www.aquaconcept.be, où la brochure d'informations peut aussi être téléchargée.

B E D D I N G A N D R E L A X AT I O N F E S T I V A L FROM

3 RD

TO

30 OCTOBER (open on sunday) SPECIAL OFFERS

www.willyvanderelst.be Tél. 02 242 35 86 - 225-231 chaussée de HELMET - 1030 Bruxelles

PLEASURE

Les vieilles peintures n'ont qu'à bien se tenir Sigma Coatings a mis au point une peinture pour murs et plafonds qui purifie l’air ambiant. Et il s’avère que ce n’est pas un luxe !

En effet, il ressort du rapport de 2007 sur l’environnement de la Flandre que dans 85% des environnements intérieurs examinés, les valeurs

Ma télé bien-aimée

indicatives des substances nocives sont largement dépassées. Avec SigmaCare CleanAir, ceux qui construisent et rénovent peuvent

Le Loewe Art c'est le tout dernier téléviseur de Loewe, soit un centre de divertissement ultraplat et luxueux. Ce téléviseur élégant mesure 89,9 mm d’épaisseur et a une diagonale d’écran de 1,06 m. Le caractère unique de cet appareil tient dans le fait que sa minceur extrême (SlimLine) qui ne l’empêche évidemment pas d’être doté d’innombrables fonctionnalités ! www.loewe.com

effectivement contribuer à améliorer la qualité de l’air.

En fait, SigmaCare CleanAir comporte un photocatalyseur (dioxyde de titane) qui absorbe l’énergie lumineuse. Cette énergie induit une réaction chimique avec les substances nocives qui entrent en contact avec la peinture. Ces matières nocives sont ensuite converties en CO2 et en eau. Le résultat? Un air intérieur plus sain et plus hygiénique ! Elle convient donc parfaitement aux personnes ayant les voies respiratoires sensibles et trouve donc son application dans la maison, par exemple dans la chambre d’enfant ou dans la chambre à coucher.

Petits dessous contre gros froids

SigmaCare CleanAir. Infos : sigma.be

Simone Pérèle réinvente toujours plus la séduction avec sa ligne de lingerie Fidgi. Une ligne très complète qui compte désormais sept formes de soutiens-gorges, une guêpière,

Promenons-nous dans les bois

un porte-jarretelles et quatre formes de slips avec une gamme de tailles étendue. Le coloris ivoire et les produits spécifiques de cette ligne sont idéalement conçus pour le

Quoi ? Vous n'avez pas encore de bottes en

mariage. Les matières utilisées sont le tulle brodé élastique

caoutchouc pour baguenauder joyeusement

et la maille microfibre. Il garantit une excellente tenue

au jardin ou aller faire du shopping avenue

jusqu’au bonnet E, avec une gamme de tailles qui commence au 80.

Louise ? La nouvelle collection automne/hiver de Regatta est colorée à souhait, rigolotte et confort. Lady Patchwork, c'est vous !

Simone Pérèle, infos points de vente : 010 84 96 89.

Regatta Lady Patchwork, 35 ?. Info points de vente: 02 267 09 03. www.regatta.com

Ciel, mes chaussettes !

Parmi les must-have de la rentrée, on ne marche plus sans ces chaussettes bicolores, à la douceur inégalée.

Rue Blanche, 58 ?.

Tél. : 02 481 50 81. www.rueblanche.com

24 / P L E A S U R E

Nos spécialistes de Bruxelles et Woluwé vous proposent de vivre l’expérience Bang&Olufsen.

Les nombreux fans de la marque emblématique danoise peuvent en témoigner : au-delà de l’excellence technologique, du design et de la performance sonore magistrale, Bang& Olufsen réveille vos émotions. Des voix et des images d'une telle pureté qu’on a l’impression qu’ils prennent vie…

Une expérience unique dans la réalisation sur chantiers.

Parce que chaque client est unique, nos spécialistes étudient votre intérieur pour créer une ambiance propice au confort optimal de vos sens, tout en veillant au respect des contraintes techniques.

Avec un éclairage bien pensé et du matériel adapté, votre intérieur deviendra vite un lieu agréable en adéquation parfaite avec votre mode de vie.

Nouveau: Le célèbre téléviseur LCD BeoVision 7-40 vient d'être réactualisé, avec un écran full HD, des améliorations significatives au niveau de la qualité d'image et un son inouï. Il représente le mariage parfait entre une technologie LCD d'avant-garde et le système d'enceintes le plus puissant jamais créé pour un téléviseur. Son lecteur DVD intégré apporte la touche de magie finale pour que vous puissiez vivre une émotion visuelle et sonore hors du commun.

Nos spécialistes vous offrent: • Une pré-visite gratuite. Analyse de vos besoins et étude de la future installation.

Que ce soit un simple téléviseur ou un système complexe multi-room avec homecinéma, automatisé ou non, nous proposons des solutions. Le devis est gratuit.

• La réalisation d’un plan de câblage électrique.

• Une grande disponibilité pour vous inviter à vivre l’expérience B&O dans nos magasins.

• Un service après-vente soigné et minutieux.

• Et…. pour cette fin d’année (du 1er octobre au 31 décembre 2008) : 5 ans de garantie au lieu de 2 ans (excepté pour les téléphones) et la reprise de votre ancien téléviseur B&O pour une valeur de 650€. (*)

CONTACTEZ-NOUS au 02/640.08.25 pour prendre rendez-vous

Nos deux Concept Stores Bang&Olufsen Bruxelles, haut de la ville : l’espace situé chaussée de Charleroi donne, avec son salon, un sentiment de ‘chez soi’ qui pousse les clients à prendre leur temps pour écouter et regarder en tout confort.

Nouveau : Bang&Olufsen a ouvert un second espace à Woluwé, à l’arrière du Woluwé Shopping Center. Un cocon luxueux également ouvert à des expériences d’écoute et de vision dans le salon isolé.

Bang & Olufsen, Chaussée de Charleroi 27, 1060 Bruxelles, 02/640.08.25 Bang & Olufsen Woluwe, Rue Saint Lambert, 135, 1200 Bruxelles, 02/501.68.711

(*) voir conditions en magasin

MOVING

GRASSE

Fragrances from across the world After 4 years of building work, the new International Museum of Perfume in Grasse will re-open its doors on Saturday October 18th.

Founded in 1989, this museum is an important landmark in the city of Grasse, the birthplace in France of the luxury perfume industry.

Devoted to one of the most prestigious traditional activities in France, the International Museum of Perfume, a public institution dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the international heritage of fragrances, aromas and perfumes, offers visitors the chance to find out about the history and origins of the industrial trade and the big perfume houses.

Through the medium of its exceptional collections of artefacts and displays of the various industrial techniques, the museum traces the history of perfume, soap, makeup and cosmetics over the last four thousand years.

There are over 50,000 artefacts in the museum’s collection, including bottles from Egypt, Greece, Rome and the five continents. The International Museum of Perfume also offers a display of artefacts from the decorative arts, botany, industry, ethnography and sociology, ranging from works of art and the exceptional to objects in daily use made in volumes of up to 500,000 copies, but witness to the time they were made, nevertheless.

International Museum of Perfume, 8 place du Cours, 06130 Grasse

26 / M O V I N G

PARIS

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo : A novel and two exhibitions

T

wo City of Paris museums are joining forces to explore this universal masterpiece by Victor Hugo, a work whose plot is shot through with the history and spirit of the French capital.

The exhibition at the Maison de Victor Hugo aims at catching all the reality of the novel. True, everyone knows Les Misérables – Jean Valjean, Javert, Fantine, Cosette, Gavroche and the others.

We've seen the musical, studied excerpts at school.

But the real, original book – have we actually read it? This surprising, unexpected exhibition mingles history and fiction, emotion and meditation, and works of the 19th and 20th centuries as it captures the many voices of a novel which Victor Hugo himself described as "one of the high points, if not the high point of my oeuvre."

The Musée Carnavalet's contribution focuses on Paris, that vital main character in Hugo's book: a city open to all the revolutions of modernity while still a mass of medieval alleyways and hovels dating from the Dark Ages. Each slum dwelling, each narrow lane is explored in an investigation that plunges the reader into the heart of the plot as he stalks Jean Valjean, Cosette, Fantine, Marius and the sinister Javert.

2 Exhibitions from October 10th, 2008 until February 1st, 2009.

1 Maison de Victor Hugo Les Misérables, an unknown novel ?

6, place des Vosges - 75004 Paris Tel. : 01 42 72 10 16. Ouvert tous les jours, de 10 h à 18 h, sauf les lundis et jours fériés. www.musee-hugo.paris.fr 2 Musée Carnavalet Paris in the time of Victor Hugo’s ‘Les Misérables’ 23, rue de Sévigné - 75003 Paris. Tél. : 01 44 59 58 58. Open daily from 10 am to 6pm, except Mondays and public holidays. www.carnavalet.paris.fr

MOVING

NETHERLANDS

GUIDE

A charming little interval….

H

ow would you like to stay in a windmill in the middle of a conservation area in the Gueldre? An experience in itself, but also a great base for visiting the picturesque town of Bergharen, the stronghold at Grave and Floris and Nimège castle, for example.

A city break in Amsterdam takes on another dimension if you stay on a houseboat moored near the city centre with a superb view of the Amstel. The houseboat is near the Albert Cuyp market, where you will find plenty of lovely little shops, local bistros and restaurants, and you won’t be far from the magnificent Martin Luther King Park.

To the south of Maastricht, on St. Pietersberg Mountain, stands the exceptional Hoeve Lichtenberg holiday accommodation. This elegant court farm (dating back to 1816) is built around a vast internal courtyard and

houses the St. Pieter Museum, which belongs to the Vereniging van Natuurmonumenten (natural monuments association). From the tower, which is several metres high, you have a magnificent view out over the Meuse valley and the Burgundian city of Maastricht. This is an extraordinary place, and you can take in the atmosphere of the many little outdoor cafes near the Vrijthof. And, the next day, you can even go in a little group and make your very own clafoutis limbourgeois in the old-fashioned way in the little bakery opposite the farm.

Gastronomic journeys 41 towns and cities across 20 countries, including three new ones: Krakow, Stuttgart and Cologne... and 3006 listed establishments, including 1544 hotels and 1462 restaurants! The Michelin Main Cities of Europe 2008 guide is perfect for inspiring you to take gastronomic trips across Europe. NB: the guide includes the 2-star Spondi in Athens, and the first single-star restaurant in an Eastern block country – the Allegro in Prague. This edition offers 292 starred establishments and 157 bib gourmands offering good value set menus (starter/main/dessert).

Michelin Main Cities of Europe 2008 25,30 €

In the picturesque village of Marken, you can also experience the original atmosphere of an authentic wooden fisherman’s house near a pretty little port. Marken, situated between the Gouwzee and the IJsselmeer, is an ideal base from which to enjoy water sports or take a visit to Volendam.

For more private holiday accommodation in the Netherlands, go to: www.eurorelais.be

M O V I N G / 27

A F T E RWO R K

An interesting line-up 6pm

Fair Trade stop. Tout l'Or du Monde. The first Fair Trade café-boutique in Brussels is celebrating its first birthday on the eve of Fair Trade Week (1st to 11th October). In its first year, the boutique has seen lots of experiences, meetings and ideas! Over 350 food products, cosmetics, craft items, CDs and food supplements are on offer…not forgetting the theme-inspired evenings to introduce Fair Trade networks, and cultural events such as photographic exhibitions, clothes sales,

A little drink. At the Bois de la Cambre at the ice rink A truly seductive setting: contemporary lines, taupe walls, beautiful dark chandeliers, low-lit bars and tall tables create an intimate mood.

Don’t miss the huge wall panel depicting beautiful landscapes of Africa… The place to be if you like to go dancing in the evening, too.

talks… Ethical drinks evenings and colourful parties are held regularly! Come and see: fashion accessories and decorative items bringing together recycling, design and ethical production, Arga Argafine Oil (cosmetics and cooking ranges) and organic Fair Trade Belgian chocolates from Tohi.

On the programme: special Peru drinks evening with the producers on 3rd October, “beauty and tasting” afternoon on 4th October, Guarana drinks evening in association with Guayapi Tropical on 10th October and a gourmet afternoon on 11th October.

Tout l'Or du monde, rue Plattesteen 7, 1000 Brussels.

Tel. : 02 513 07 10. www.toutlordumonde.be

7pm

Bois de la Cambre, 1 chemin du Gymnase, 1000 Bruxelles. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.

Closed during the day. Tel: 02 649 70 02.

8.30pm Happy Birthday. La Quincaillerie is celebrating a big Birthday this year! This brasserie is still the place to be, even 20 years on. There’s a packed programme – an added incentive to go there for dinner.

Seafood, dishes à la mode and classic ones revisited – so what do you fancy? There’s a huge choice, plus a good wine list with affordable prices. And the decor is amazing. You can go for the “select brasserie” option downstairs, or, if you prefer a more intimate setting, you can reserve a mini alcove upstairs, next to the old safety deposit boxes, the last vestiges of this former bank redesigned

by Antoine Pinto.itué ce restaurant dont l'âme vient d'Antoine Pinto.

La Quincaillerie, rue du Page, 45 – 1050 Ixelles.

Tel. : 02 533 98 33.

10.30pm On the street. V-tro. In the rue de Flandre, you’ll be won over by the idea that Tessy Bauer, Sandra Biwer and Jeanne Halet had to put art right at street level! V-tro is a shop window measuring 3 x 1 x 2 m in the heart of the Dansaert quarter, hosting exhibitions of the favourite pieces chosen by the team that can be viewed by people passing by at any time of day or night. The current exhibition runs until 09/10 : “Happy Happy” , by Leïla Meziane and Yohann Robin.

V-tro, rue de Flandre, 7 - 1000 Brussels

11.30pm Time for bed? No way! Direction le Bazaar there’s lots going on at this venue, which is typical of the Marolles quarter and offers a warm, bright reception. A restaurant with wonderfully late hours (not that common in Brussels, but we’ll come back to that), the Bazaar turns into a late-night venue on Fridays and Saturdays, with a disco in the basement. When everywhere else is playing techno and house music, this place is very different – with a passion for a wide range of music such as pop, dance, rock, and even world music, disco and big hits from the 80s.

Le Bazaar, rue des Capucins, 63 - 1000 Brussels.

Open 7.30 to midnight, and 7.30 to 4am weekends – Closed Sunday and Monday.

Tel: 02 511 26 00.

28 / A F T E R W O R K

D O LC E V I TA

Progression

LA RECETTE

Éplucher et tailler l'oignon et le potiron.

Faire revenir l'oignon avec l'huile d'olive, ajouter ail, thym et laurier, la cardamome, et ensuite le potiron.

Cappucino de potiron à la cardamome

Mettre le fond de volaille et cuire 20 minutes.

Une fois cuit, retirer l'ail et mettre le tout dans un mélangeur électrique puis passer avec une passette pour obtenir le velouté.

On sort juste de la semaine de la mobilité, et le potiron est de saison. Cette recette minceur nous vient de Franck Salein, Chef au Spa et hôtel Les Sources de Caudalie. A l'entrée de l'automne, elle ne pouvait pas mieux tomber ! (85 calories par portion) Ingrédients pour 4 personnes - 500 g de Potiron - 100 g d'oignons - 1 gousse d'ail - 300 ml de fond de volaille - 15 g de lait écrémé en poudre - quelques graines de Cardamome - 2 cuillères à soupe d'huile d'olive sel, poivre, thym, laurier

DU NOUVEAU DANS LA BOÎTE À BISCUITS

Dans une casserole, mettre un peu d'eau à bouillir. Ajouter le lait écrémé en poudre et faire mousser à l'aide du mixer pour obtenir une belle mousse. Dresser l'assiette Placer le velouté dans une tasse à café ; juste avant de servir, napper délicatement avec la mousse de lait.

Sommelier Pensez à un verre de bordeaux rouge en apéritif ou pendant le repas pour profiter de ses propriétés anti-oxydantes ; il ne contient pas plus de calories qu'une pomme. Malheureusement, vous devrez attendre. car on ne boit pas de vin sur un potage !

RAZZIA DANS LES BOUTIQUES CULINAIRES Cadeaubox Boutiques Culinaires ou comment se faire inviter chez les frappés de cuisine... qui auront trouvé grâce à vous le couteau qu'il fallait pour réussir les sushis, le siphon à espuma pour épater les amis avec des mousses originales et réussies… Ou encore l'huile d’olive fine qui va tout changer ! Un cadeau utile et original !

Parce que rien ne vaut une petite pause thé accompagnée de quelques biscuits, on se réjouit d'ouvrir la boîte Tea Time de Delacre pour en découvrirtrois nouveaux biscuits qui prennent place aux côtés des Marquisettes, Cigarettes russes, et autres Biarritz. On dégustera donc d'abord le Coeur blanc, un sablé au cacao enrobé de chocolat blanc, le Pain d'amande avec un léger fourrage aux amandes, le Diamantine saupoudré de coco rapée et nappé d'une fine couche de caramel et le Métropolitan, un biscuit au chocolat noir corquant sous la dent.

Delacre Env. 10,50 € le kg, 6,40 les 500g.

Prix: 25, 50 ou 75 €. Info: www.cadeaubox.be

LA COQUILLETTE, ça n'est pas qu'une petite pâte...

6 grammes de plaisir absolu, c'est le paradis non ? Pierre Marcolini s'est amusé avec maestria dans sa création de la divine coquillette, inspiré par la gourmandise japonaise pour les ganaches sans enrobage... une vraie gageure à fabriquer pour un chocolatier !

Désormais, cinq variétés aux cinq couleurs scintillantes s'offrent en une seule boîte : Gianduja; Poivre Sarawak, Caramel /Réglisse, Agrumes et Tonka. Une fois en bouche, ces petites « choses fondent et libèrent des saveurs à faire sourire le plus triste sire...

Disponible jusque fin avril 2009. Boîte de 25 Coquillettes, 5 fois 5 goûts. Consommable dans les 5 jours. 25 €.

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