So I had the opportunity to drop by Brussels and visit, on my way to Rotterdam, where I am performing at the awesome Ellipsis Rope Event. And I have to say that I loved Brussels a lot more than I thought I would. I love the fact that street art seems to me to be alive in the city. And the rough, straight lines of the buildings are sweetened by tags and drawings.
I got the feeling that colourful drawings, caricatures and graffiti are to Brussels what typography and British humour are to London. I instantly fell in love with the 80s vibe of the city which is a lot, a lot different from the Romanian, communist 80s vibe. It feels to me a lot more minimalist in its clean, grandiose lines rather than the austere and copy-paste 80s that I was born in, in Romania.
And the people! You can not help falling in love with people who will smile at you in the street. I had the exact same experience in Amsterdam. It is not just a courteous, obligatory smile, but a warm, inviting “I hope you have a nice day” kind of smile. And people actually look in your eyes while they smile at you in the street. I felt seen as a human in Brussels. And I had the most tongue- titillating street burger with caramelised onions, ever. I stumbled upon this street food truck, right behind the train station, while I was looking around for the bus stop. It was amazing!!! They also had a black sausage thingie to eat, which my very poor French prevented from understanding what it actually was. But I have already decided to try it when I get back here in 4 days.
However, I have found that they are pretty bad at dealing with English speakers. A lot of the signs are confusing to foreigners and some of them are not in English, but the friendly people who are willing to help you out, more than make up for it. Also, hearing French and being able to speak French (poorly, as I am able to) is amazing. And just like always, hearing French with an African accent is the hottest thing I can imagine. I always feel that the African way of pronouncing French gives it more character and strength. So incredibly hot!
Now I am on my way to Rotterdam and very excited to discover a new city that I am visiting for the first time. I promise to let you know how that goes!
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