Couleur Café 2011

Hello all,

for those who are interested: coming weekend is the Couleur Café festival at Tour & Taxis: 24-26 of June. The largest music event of this part of the city, as far as I know, and in that sense quite relevant for some of your work, and just plain fun.

A nice opportunity to combine fun and work I would say, but note that it is not for free.
Anyway, I'll be there on Saturday 25th of June.

For more information check their website: http://www.couleurcafe.be/

Good work!

Study Office Vacancy

Hi all,

I stumbled upon an interesting study (in 3 languages) of the office spaces in Brussels,
with statistics, trends and more importantly maps about stock, vacancy and future projects!
You can zoom in pretty good on Molenbeek on the big plan of Brussels for example...
I uploaded it on the drive (BIBLIOGRAPHY - VARIOUS)

Have fun with and good work!

Miguel

Broodje Brussel - Wed 27/04 12:30-13:30

Broodje Brussel is organising a free walk through Molenbeek, guided by Lieven Soete (architect/urbanist and active at Foyer). The walk will follow the old trajectory of the river Senne, and Lieven Soete will be explaining its history and impact on the urban development.

Hope to see you there next Wednesday!

Mapping Brussels

This link takes you to the map (in Dutch) that I talked about earlier today.

http://geowebgis.irisnet.be/VGCView/run.htm?cat=12

Check the linked words on the right to see what it can display and use the "i" information tool to get more information on a particular facility.

Cheers

Miguel

Kadaster Brussel

Hi all,

I just recieved a kadaster-plan of Brussels (its on the database)
You have to put the different pieces together by yourself, but it is quite detailled so very nice! 
Enjoy!

Café Kanal seminar date change

You probably all received the email, but just in case, the date of the first seminar of Café Kanal changed:

Monday April 4: On PUBLIC SPACE

19:45 at École de Cirque, Picardstraat 11 – 1000 Brussels

Hope to see you all there!

Radio Kif - Reportage "Les Flamands"

Radio Kif is a radio station, established by 11 adolescents from the Marbotin neighbourhood, in the north of Brussels (Schaarbeek). Seven boys and four girls of around 16 had a short traineeship in handling recording equipment, mounting audio fragments, ... They took out to the streets to inquire people (their classmates, random passers-by) about what they believe is a "flamand" and made a radio show out of it, which was broadcast recently.

The message of the show is quite surprising: a flamand is not necessarily someone who is dutch-speaking, but is merely used as an insult for anyone who behaves in a certain way.
Generally, a flamand is considered a geek, someone who is studious, does well at school and tries to please the teacher. He manages his things well (his bus pass is always valid, his homework is made, he brings his 10 o'clock snack to school, he eats at fixed hours). He has a certain recognisable 'style', too: blue eyes and blond hair, baggy pants and designer glasses, he walks in a particular way,.. He is generous but naive, a bit precarious and a bit anxious ("ils sont péteux").

Although we can read many negative characteristis in this description, we also distill a certain admiration for the flamand. He is successful, educated, manages his affairs well. Wealth and success are ahead. Scolding someone for a flamand insinuates a certain jealousy towards that person, the adolecents themselves admit.

The reportage features a number of heated discussions with people (a school teacher, a politician) who take the question "what does 'being a flamand' mean to you?" very seriously.
Some seem to be francophone at first sight, but reveal themseleves to be perfectly bi- or trilingual, having immigrant backgrounds themselves, and blaming the adolescents for posing 'a narrow-minded, categorising question' or for 'doing the exact same thing you despise when people treat you that way'.

However surprising I find this turn, it is not about language – as stated in the beginning of this review. Overall, I was quite amazed when hearing this reportage, which is available on myspace. Listen for yourself here!