My attitude when it comes to activities is if someone I know here suggests something, I’m going to say yes. If it’s free, I’m going show up early.
The Program Manager of the fellowship I’m on, MC, invited the US fellows out to see a former Belgian fellow give a piano recital on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Robert Schumann. I was free, too. I was the only fellow to take her up on it. Now, there are only about 4 or 5 of us here so far (out of a total of 9.
The Royal Conservatory isn’t resplendent. It’s old and there is a pot in the atrium for donations for its renovation. The hall itself has wonderful acoustics and the performance was wonderful. I don’t really know much of Schumann’s work, but I’ll certainly check out more of his stuff now.
Afterward, it was off for a beer on the Grand Sablon, the square I pass each day to the archive. They have those outdoor heater things so it wasn’t too cold – fall is reaching Brussels – and pestered MC about good restaurants and things to do/see in Brussels.
All in all a nice night out that didn’t cost a dime (or, centime, as the case may be.)
Tomorrow I go with a Belgian friend to a dance performance in the Walloon Brabant part of Belgium, which is to the south of Brussels. Should be interesting....
P.S. Post Offices in Belgium are just like in the US. Four counters, only two people working, no one's happy, lots of standing in line, and the stamp machine is broken. I think I felt more at home in the Saint Gilles Post Office than I did at McDonalds.....
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Definitely the right attitude to take - that way you'll get to see everything from awesome Schumann concerts to weird Rastafarian concerts (trust me on this one...usually the weirder the better :-P) Have fun in Walloonia! *Please* try to take a photo of a sign that says Walloonia - it's such a funny word :-)
ReplyDeleteHahaha -- I get what you mean about Post Offices. I think that the post office in West Harlem on 146th is the saddest place. The people in line are saying "this is bull shit," the workers don't have stamps in their area, and I always spend like an hour there just to media mail one package! But it seems like that in every state, and I could see how that would feel like "home" in Belgium.
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