DIScourse

Grand-Place / Grote Markt / Market Square, Brussels




















Stadhuis (City Hall) Antwerp

Bonapartedok and the Lightboat with new the MAS(Museum of City History)building in the background









Inside the De Brandt Park, Antwerp

















Sorry for the delay in my blog posts but my internet connection at my apartment is not very reliable (I am picking it up free). A lot has happened since my last post.

On the 21st, after work, I took the train to Brussels (about 45 minutes) so I could attend the Einstürzende Neubauten Alles Wieder Offen show at AB Club. I missed the trains I was hoping to catch but ended up getting to the club just before the band went on stage. I met up with another EN supporter at the show and we talked a bit before the show started. I was happy that the show started on time, which I'm not used to. The show lasted about 2 hours and there were a couple encores but it was over and I was out of the venue by 10:30 which was great since the last train to Antwerp left at 11:30. The band played newer songs but it was an excellent show complete with an actual set design (lighting, backdrop, etc).

On Thursday after work I made my way to KULMINATOR (the best bar ever with over 500 beers, many of which are aged) and managed to book an appointment for a hair cut and color on the 7th.

I did not end up doing as much as I had wanted to over my first full weekend in Antwerp as the weather was not particularly good. On Friday I learned that we quit work 2 hours early to get in shopping and relaxing before the start of the weekend. I ended up going to Kulminator again, then went home and made dinner then watched television.

On Saturday I got up a little later than I was planning but made it out of the apartment and to the open air market outside my apartment for some vegetable shopping. I later went for a walk and to finally check out the designer stores (Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Veronique Branquinho, Walter Van Beirendonck). I didn't end up buying anything since the sales start in a month. After my walk and window shopping I went to the grocery store to get things for the rest of the weekend. In the evening I decided to try out the 80's Night at a local club, Den Aalmoezenier. The doors open at 10 but I didn't want to arrive too early so I got there at 11. Unfortunately, that was too early and there were only two people there, the DJ and the coat-check/drink-ticket lady. I left and decided to come back later after going for another walk around town. It started to rain a little around 11:30 so I headed back to the club to find some people there, but it was really slow until about 1:00 when people finally started to dance. I think I was there until 2 or 2:30 (the club closes at 6) when I was too tired to keep my eyes open.

On Sunday the weather wasn't very nice in the morning so I stayed in bed watching television (it's fun switching between Dutch, French, German and English channels). After I got up I walked to the office to pick up my bike and decided to go for a ride to the docks. I found the bar that I went to two years ago (Cappuccino Club) which is right next to an old Light Boat (one of two in existence, I think). On a bike you get a better sense of the size of a city. Antwerp is pretty small compared to a lot of major cities, but I was able to see some things I hadn't seen yet, like the new MAS building that's going up. I later came across the Burning Plague pub and decided that I needed to go in based on the name alone. It looked like it was owned by a former rocker with punk music playing, a Harley Davidson poster and a signed electric guitar on the wall. Not a very good drink menu though.

So that was pretty much my weekend. I didn't meet anyone new or meet up with any of my coworkers or friends, but I guess these things will take time.

Now it's Thursday and the week has been pretty uneventful so far except I did find the addresses for most of the designer's ateliers/offices and on Monday I managed to find the offices for Raf Simons, Walter Van Beirendonck and Bruno Pieters. I was surprised to find out how close all of them are to my building. On Tuesday I met up with a coworker after work and we went to De Brandt Park (a little outside the city) so he could go for a run and I could walk around and take photos. It was a nice large park that I think used to be a private residence complete with a mote and thatched grounds keepers house. I think there was a large wall surrounding the property because on my walk I kept coming across concrete and brick foundations. After the park we went to the Kulminator and I had a Westmalle Dubbel beer from 1994 for about the same price as a new Westmalle is in New York, quite a difference in taste after 14 years of aging.

Tomorrow night is the Vampire Party (otherwise known as goth night) at Den Aalmoezenier which I am planning on attending, but now I know not to show up until midnight.