Brussels midi- Amsterdam - Bruges-Ghent -Brussels midi/centre - Antwerp - Amsterdam (3.18-3.27):
~~~~Belgium Waffles , you will be missed :)
I arrived in Brussels. The first day was very challenging. I took Aeroflot Russia Airlines because I needed a chip flight and Aeroflot offers good food, comfortable seating, all at a low price. The flight time was 13 hours plus layover time was 5 hours. When I arrived at the airport in Brussels, it was 10:30 pm. I chose Floris Ustel Midi Hotel which was not that far from the south railway station. I took the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train") and when I arrived at the south railway station, it was midnight. Then something strange happened, I could not turn on may Google Map. I asked several people the way to the hotel. But they didn't speak English very well. Then I asked a group of people and one of the guys told me, “ This place is very dangerous, especially for you. “ He tried to help me to hail a taxi, but it didn't work. Then he said my driver can take you to the place. I checked the time, it was 1am and even though I was a little nervous about taking a ride with this man's friend, I was tired and it was probably safer than wandering the streets of Brussels so late at night. The conversation was limited with his friend because he spoke French. When I arrived at the hotel, I felt so relieved, and the first question that popped into my head was "When is breakfast?”
Amsterdam - Adventurous Pirate
Thalys which is even faster than TGV took me to Amsterdam center. The first thing that caught my eyes, were the canal bicycles. The architectural styles were truly astonishing, with gable houses, boat houses in great numbers. I’ve been told boat houses were built to compensate for the lack of land. Gable houses represent the owners and their status. Today I’ve eaten the most gorgeous food in my life. I’ve eaten tons of fries that should last me a thousand years. I cannot image how European fries can be so amazing. Fries with mayo are a perfect match. I also tried plain Waffle and it was really wonderful. I spent 4 hrs wandering the streets and watched the street performers. The final hour, I went on the cannel cruise to understand and see more of this cultural city. The tour guides used Dutch and English to introduce the history of Amsterdam. She said Dutch people are very proud of their ancestors and how they constructed and designed architecture in the past. Indeed, Amsterdam is such an artistic city, beautiful and interesting. I ate a lot of cheese and caramel-filled waffles and felt so blessed.
Bruges-Ghent
Visiting Bruges and Ghent was recommended to me by my European friends. These two cities are very famous for their rich cultural history and well-preserved medieval and renaissance sites. I know the market square in Bruges was used to shoot a scene for the movie “In Bruges” with Colin Farrel, who is one of my favorite actors. I took TGV as well after having my delicious breakfast, and it took about one hour from Brussels-midi to Bruges. When I arrived Bruges, the place felt astonishing, almost holy to me. The background music a church choir accompanied by church bells. I took a boat to visit tour the city. It cost me 10 euro for a 30 mins tour. The tour guide spoke Dutch and English. Unlike yesterday, where the Amsterdam canal cruise was inside the boat, this was an open air canal tour. I felt a bit chilly, with the cold spring winds and the slight drizzle. The Flemish house designs show the wealth of the old Burgundian society. I found it very interesting that one side of the houses were connected with the canals, separating the houses into two sides. I think the ancient people of Europe were quite smart. They used the sea and canals to connect to the world outside, using boats to facilitate communication, to serve people, trade, and business.
I really love the food in Bruges. I love their waffles. The Belgian fries and the chocolate. I bought a lot of chocolate and visited many chocolate stores, and I ate many chocolate samples. I also visited Bruges museum and I really enjoyed amazing paintings there. I noticed the alcohol concentration is 8-15 %, which is a bit stronger than normal beer. I ate Fries with mayonnaise, which really melted my heart. I also stopped by Ghent on the way back to Brussels-midi. Ghent is in between Bruges and Brussels. I carried three bags when I left Bruges. I was enjoying the sightseeing in Ghent very much. I learned European people are very good at using natural resources, such as bicycling, wind mills, and canals. The food is the best, chocolates, beer, waffles, and fries, especially fries.
People are tall, beautiful, and handsome. I chatted with two ladies from England when I went on the canal tour in Bruges. They came to Belgium by boat from England. It took them about 14 hours in total. It made me think that taking the boat when traveling could also be a fantastic idea. That way, I could wake up in the morning instead of getting off a plane at midnight. I felt Belgium is a place which really enhanced my appetite.
Brussels -airport/metro attack!
Today I took the 5.45 am TGV from Brussels midi to Brussels Central because I wanted to explore Brussels in the very early morning and attend the conference after that. The conference started at 8.30. Shortly after the conference started, I was distracted by many people who started to check their phone messages and answered phones. I had no clue what was going on. Then the host announced there had been a terrorist attack at Brussels airport. Then I noticed that sirens sounded loudly outside. The host also said all transportations was cancelled, including taxis, and recommend us to stay in our hotels, the safest place at this moment. Then, I understood the situation was really bad. Unlike others, I did not stay at the conference hotel and needed to figure out a way to get back. I asked the hotel manager when the airport would open again because my flight was scheduled for the next day. He said, “Not a chance! The airport will be closed for several days.”
All flights were canceled in and out of Brussels. I left the conference at noon because I needed to go back to my hotel. I asked several people for directions, but I was hindered by the language barrier. It was the first time I considered that taking pictures of beautiful architecture was not a wise move. It was a sensitive time, especially when I was wandering outside. Eventually I got lucky, and I met a guy who could speak perfect English. He said he was from England and would like to offer me a ride back to my hotel. His name was James and I felt so relieved and I began to tell him about my experiences in England, London. No kidding, all stations were guarded by police and blocked by barriers. People wandered around outside, feeling very bad and scared. James told me he had been quite close to airport and said there were several bombs and the death toll was climbing. James was really shocked. After I got back my hotel, I ate crepes, croissants, and drank a lot of coffee. It seems like I will explore Brussels deeply this time. Let me check how I can memorize GoogleMap and manage my Euros wisely.
Antwerp-Brussel Square- Amsterdam
Brussels Market Square, also called Grote Market which is surrounded by museums, the Town Hall, and the Cathedral. Of course, famous peeing boy, Manneken Pis, is a favorite for most of tourists. Because of the Brussels bombing, the name of Manniken Pis was changed to Manniken Peace. I visited Grote Market several time per day to join the people here mourning the terror victims of the Brussels attacks. In addition, I wanted to see the rabbit shaped chocolates made to celebrate the upcoming Sunday Easter festival (3.27). The price of waffles range between 1 and to 2 euros. I cannot tell the difference between them. Basically, I prefer the cheaper waffles. There is long gallery with astonishing ceiling paintings and statues. The architecture dates back to the 14 century, and it is just magnificent. I cannot find the right words to describe these masterpieces.
My flight out of Brussels on 3.23 was cancelled, but I successfully arranged a new flight for the 3.27. Unfortunately, I received the notice by email on the 3.25 that my 3.27 flight also had been canceled out. So, I called Moscow again and arranged for a new booking. My present flight will be from Amsterdam Schiphol airport —> SVO —> ICN. I could not imagine talking to the people from Moscow twice about this matter. Although I got my ticket from a travel agency, I received full assistance from Aeroflot. It was an extra bonus.
After booking the new ticket and a hotel in Amsterdam, I was told Antwerp is an interesting ancient town. It was a busy trade center because of its location close to the sea. It was worth a visit on my last day in Belgium. Meanwhile, I feel quite happy being back in Amsterdam again. The spoken language in the south of Belgium is French and in the north they speak Dutch. In beginning, I thought the reason for this could be because the south is sharing borders with France, and in the north they speak Dutch because of their close proximity to the Netherlands. However, I heard another funny theory: When Great Britain was in power, England was afraid that Belgium would be too powerful and split the country in two by language discrimination. Nowadays, the top three economic powerful countries in Europe are Germany, England, and France. Still, Belgium and the Netherlands are great nations with a proud history, and I felt very blessed to be able to explore the wonderful culture of these two countries.
Back to Lovely Amsterdam (3.26-3.27):
Back to Amsterdam on March 26-27th! Unlike the first day in Amsterdam having fanatic canal trip, I decided to visit the National Museum trying to understand Viking culture. For centuries, the royal families and authority had great influence on the wealth of the flourishing societies. People in ancient times were very brave and adventurous. Without modern technology the world felt very big as information had to travel slowly by land and sea. To explore the world outside was very risky. The royal family took power by force and passed on the power through heritage. That must be the reason why and how they became royal. Again, I had fries in the Manneken store, which usually has long queues. European fries really melted my heart, and I must confess that, should I die tomorrow, I will die happy having eaten my fill of European fries. The street performers were still the best, and Amsterdam sweets were the best.
Aftermath
I shared my experience from the day of the Brussels attack. That day I got help from a stranger who gave me a ride to my hotel. One friend told me this situation was very similar to what happened on 911, where people felt more connected and supportive after the traumatic event, willing to give strangers a helping hand. Another friend of mine, responded differently. He questioned the wisdom of getting in a stranger’s car, especially as a female, under such circumstances. Sometimes, we need to take chances when the situation is uncertain. The whole city of Brussels is in lockdown and secured after the attacks. People are more aware and you see armed police and soldiers everywhere. Though security checks caused some inconvenience for people who wanted to access public places, everybody understand and accept the situation. The atmosphere is really different after the terror attack.
Conflict and RIsk management
After I experienced the Brussels terrorist attacks the day-to-day problems of my own life seemed quite small in comparison. In business, we are mainly concerned about information flow and secret contracts. However, a terrorist attack is a matter of the death of innocent civilians, including children. The bombs caused a great number of deaths and horrible injuries. The death toll so far is 34, with more than 300 wounded. The bombs included shrapnel of screws, nails, and glass to maim or kill as many victims as possible. Faces were permanently disfigured, arms and legs were torn off in the blasts. Many of the survivors now have to live without limbs or horribly disfigured. I watched a journalist interview 20 young Muslims. They said they do not feel they belong in Belgium even though they were born and raised here. On the other hand, we might have to reconsider the European policies of blind tolerance of new arrivals of immigrants. Perhaps they have to demand that the immigrants integrate into their new adopted countries even if the culture feels different and has a different religion. To share same social benefits as the natives, the new immigrants should perhaps try to fit in.
Relationship and Technology
A great leader or energized motivator is good at both relationship and technology. No matter whether these are innate competences or learned skills, we can still improve them. In a nutshell, in the pursuit and development of new technologies, the right timing is essential to success. The customer/people must be ready and want the product for the new technology to gain great market popularity.
Strategy/Execution/Culture
Strategy: Strategy aligned with Culture making successful plan
Execution: Take action of strategy, things can happen
Culture: Culture and structure shape the society. Culture is like the winds bring people in the same direction and shape the structure
Take out
European coffee: the best of the best, big size and tasty
European fries: the best of the best, it seems like each fry can talk to each other, they have live
Waffle: The cheap ones are better than the expensive ones. As a scientist, we need to consider the cost of quality
European Art, architecture: Astonishing
European people: Beautiful and smart
Stay hungry and stay humble!!!
FRIRES
MANNEKEN PEACE
Belgium fries, you will be missed :)