Geoff Meade (my new hero) disapproves of the blogging/facebook/twitter culture where everyone wants their thoughts to be public, their voice to be out there - yelling along with everyone else in the enormous clamour of the internet.
Yes, it is highly self-centred and most people have nothing noteworthy to say. I include myself within that grouping yet I will continue for I need to practice my English. I should say that I am English but after a year in France I've lost a lot of my linguistic capabilities in my mother tongue.
I really ought to sleep mais j'ai fait la grasse matinée so I'm not overly tired and I want to YAY a bit about Brussels before I forget it all.
Monday - Bus at 8am, Train at 9:15, arrive in London at midday. Brief introduction to the European Commission (EC), everyone started talking to each other and got very excited at the free sandwiches, quiche, party sausages and such like.
Took Eurostar to Brussels that evening, hadn't taken reading material as whenever I do in such situations it remains unread - I nicked the G2 off one of the guys I'd just met.
Arrive about 9:30pm in Brussels, get to hotel sometime after 10pm and go out looking for food/drink. Not greatly successful (but not greatly hungry thanks to fruit pastels).
Tuesday - Forgot to change the time zone on my phone/alarm clock so woke up when Fiona bashed on my door at the time when we were supposed to be going down to breakfast. Got ready VERY quickly. Still, I wasn't late for the meeting of the European Journalism Centre (EJC) rep at 8:15am, others were.
Had little intro bits to the EJC and the EC - one by Jean-Paul Marthoz (dude).
Went to the EC (Berlaymont Building) to check it out a bit, see their AV services, go to a press briefing and meet with a spokesperson for Competition.
Lunch at a fancy restaurant (l'Atélier) - three course meal plus aperitif plus wine - with the head of Press & Public Affairs of the UK Permanent Represenation to the EU.
Back to EJC building to be talked to by Simon Taylor (European Voice) and Geoff Meade (Press Association) and then bother them a bit after, supposedly about the challenges of EU reporting.
Quick coffee break before "European Current Affaires" with Jacki Davis (ex-journo, works for a think tank, married to Geoff - I wish I was related to them) Philppe Ricard (Le Monde, very French) and Hajo Friedrich (Frankfurter Allegemeine Zeitung, very German).
Dinner at another fancy joint (La Manufacture) - seated next to a journalist for Radio France and opposite one of the main guys for the European Parliament Press Room.
Wandered aimlessly for a bit in the rain after and then ended up at an Irish bar. Ah well. Back to the hotel about half past midnight.
Wednesday - tbc I'm going to bed now
Yes, it is highly self-centred and most people have nothing noteworthy to say. I include myself within that grouping yet I will continue for I need to practice my English. I should say that I am English but after a year in France I've lost a lot of my linguistic capabilities in my mother tongue.
I really ought to sleep mais j'ai fait la grasse matinée so I'm not overly tired and I want to YAY a bit about Brussels before I forget it all.
Monday - Bus at 8am, Train at 9:15, arrive in London at midday. Brief introduction to the European Commission (EC), everyone started talking to each other and got very excited at the free sandwiches, quiche, party sausages and such like.
Took Eurostar to Brussels that evening, hadn't taken reading material as whenever I do in such situations it remains unread - I nicked the G2 off one of the guys I'd just met.
Arrive about 9:30pm in Brussels, get to hotel sometime after 10pm and go out looking for food/drink. Not greatly successful (but not greatly hungry thanks to fruit pastels).
Tuesday - Forgot to change the time zone on my phone/alarm clock so woke up when Fiona bashed on my door at the time when we were supposed to be going down to breakfast. Got ready VERY quickly. Still, I wasn't late for the meeting of the European Journalism Centre (EJC) rep at 8:15am, others were.
Had little intro bits to the EJC and the EC - one by Jean-Paul Marthoz (dude).
Went to the EC (Berlaymont Building) to check it out a bit, see their AV services, go to a press briefing and meet with a spokesperson for Competition.
Lunch at a fancy restaurant (l'Atélier) - three course meal plus aperitif plus wine - with the head of Press & Public Affairs of the UK Permanent Represenation to the EU.
Back to EJC building to be talked to by Simon Taylor (European Voice) and Geoff Meade (Press Association) and then bother them a bit after, supposedly about the challenges of EU reporting.
Quick coffee break before "European Current Affaires" with Jacki Davis (ex-journo, works for a think tank, married to Geoff - I wish I was related to them) Philppe Ricard (Le Monde, very French) and Hajo Friedrich (Frankfurter Allegemeine Zeitung, very German).
Dinner at another fancy joint (La Manufacture) - seated next to a journalist for Radio France and opposite one of the main guys for the European Parliament Press Room.
Wandered aimlessly for a bit in the rain after and then ended up at an Irish bar. Ah well. Back to the hotel about half past midnight.
Wednesday - tbc I'm going to bed now
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