Ode to Brussels
Hi again! This is Emma Smith, and for this week’s post, I want to tell you about one of my favorite places in the world.
Brussels is a city of contradictions. It’s simultaneously a bustling capital city and a quirky small town. It’s a very international city, but in many ways it’s also distinctly Belgian. Though I could never tell you everything about this place in one blog post, as I begin my 10th week in this city, it seems like a good time to reflect.
During the summer of 2015, I spent six weeks in Brussels as an undergraduate on the EU Study Abroad. This summer, I will spend just under a month here as a graduate student on the same program. We come to Brussels because it is considered the capital of Europe. Most of the European Union institutions are based here, as are countless other international organizations (like NATO), think tanks, and NGOs. Brussels is geographically central to Europe, and is in many ways synonymous with the European project. The city is full of expatriates and foreign students from across Europe and around the world, so meeting people from all walks of life is an everyday occurrence here.
If that was all there was to be said about Brussels, this would be quite a city. But, there’s a lot more. Brussels is not only the capital of Europe, it’s also the capital of Belgium. Both the city and the country are split between the Dutch-speaking Flemish population and the French-speaking Walloon population. While some claim that this linguistic divide means that Belgium lacks a unified culture, there is a unique Belgian character to be found if you know where to look. Among the many tourist attractions of Brussels is the Manneken Pis, a tiny statue of a young boy peeing. On Wednesday, our group had the privilege of visiting the Francophone parliament of Brussels. We got the full tour and a great discussion with the President, Julie de Groote. Madame De Groote described Belgium’s history of being invaded and conquered and its current issues with corruption. She told us how complicated and difficult it is to govern a country with so many distinct groups, regions, and kinds of people. However, she also told us about Belgian pride, and the importance of the Manneken Pis to the national character. According to Mme. De Groote, the statue is a symbol of Belgian defiance, even in the face of attacks and conquest. The pride surrounding the Manneken Pis is clear; an organization exists to care for the statue and to dress him in various costumes appropriate to the season, national holidays, and other events.
Belgian pride goes well beyond this statue. In my conversations with both Belgian natives and expat residents of Brussels, as well as my own experiences in this city, it’s become clear to me that Brussels is a really special place. Yes, it’s a great place to learn about Europe and the world. Yes, the fries and waffles are pretty fantastic. But there is so much to be discovered here that you can’t learn in a weekend. The opportunity to spend so much time in this city, and especially the opportunity to discover Brussels while living like a local with my host family, has allowed me to understand the city on a deeper level.
Despite my familiarity with and affection for Brussels, there’s still so much I don’t know. All the more reason to keep learning and travelling!
