All is swell in Paris

Paris in November: Cold,foggy and less tourists! Seriously, this time of the year is a delight because the weather adds a certain aura to the city of ligths. Yesterday we went to out to eat brunch at "Le comptoir Paris-Marrakesh". Great vibe, impeccable decor, eclectic menu and not too chic guests. If you have time to kill on a Sunday in Paris, why not go for a mixture of French and North-African cuisine? And the prices are not too steep either. "Le Comptoir Paris-Marrakesh" is situated just close to Les Halles, in walking distance from major attractions such as the Louvre. After the brunch, we went across to the Left bank and walked all over Saint-Germain and the Latin Quarter. The fresh air sure did us good. Don´t be surprised if you´re strolling alongside the Seine on a Sunday afternoon and encounter a hoard of rollerblading Parisians. Apparently every Friday and Sunday the natives take to their blades ,form a large mass and head off on to the boulevards. The whole event is carefully watched by police and medical personel and normal traffic halts while the swarm of blading people pass by. Quite an impressive sight!

Bienvenue en Belgique/ Welkom in België

So it is official then; I am going to Belgium. Yes, the treasured land of Tintin,Magritte,Poirot,French fries (!) and a whole lot of beer is going to be my homeplace for the coming semester. Sounds like a piece of Walloon cake you say? Well don´t be fooled, this will be my exchange-semester at Université catholique de Louvain (UCL). It is just a short ride from Brussels, capital and political heart of Europe. I am very excited to study abroad and from the look of it, I think it will be a great experience. I´ve heard that the studentlife is great and the proximity to cities such as London,Paris and Amsterdam means a lot of travelling! The main task now is to set up a course-plan and then to find some OK accomodation. The practical formalities can be a real pain in the you-know-what,but to quote a certain Wisenheimer: No pain,no gain!

If you are interested in finding out more about Belgium, visit the official tourism page

If you want to learn more about my adopted school (some French knowledge required),visit the webpages of UCL

If you are fed up with this article and just feeling thirsty,visit The Belgian Beer Escort

Finally a new mobilephone!

Yesterday my new mobilephone arrived in the mail. It is a Sony Ericsson K750i and quite sleek imho. The camera has got a 2.0 megapixel camera and a whole array of functions. I just have to take some time to get to know all the possibilities. At least this phone is a quantum-leap from my former one, a Nokia 2600,the most basic phone out there *blush*. Above you can see a picture taken with the phone this morning. Now I can take adequate pictures without dragging around my digital camera. Sweet!

The greatest couch-scene in The Simpsons

We all love the funny twists on the scenes when the Simpsons-family run to their couch in front of the tv. These are known for their great parodies on everything and everyone, but there is one which is outstanding. It takes the simple couch scene to a whole new level and gives us a glimpse into creation and meaning of life itself! I saw this one yesterday and I was left speechless!

Trick or treat!!

So this year´s Halloween is over. Although I live a country which does not have any grand Halloween traditions (it´s even hard to find a decent pumpkin),we celebrated the creepy night as any good spookophile would do. I have to admit that I care less about the story behind Halloween, I rather just want to dress up and act whacky. The party was great and people displayed all kind of costumes. I myself went for the Mummy (no I didn´t use toiletpaper this time). This one of those celebrations you just can´t resist because it´s so much fun to see friends turn up in the weirdest outfits!

Click here to find out more about Halloween!