Monday morning blues...

LIFE is  full of  contrasts. One moment I am driving the fancy Porsche S E-hybrid of my friend on our way home from tango. The next morning I wake up, wave off my daughter to school to take my laundry to the nearest laundry place in a blue Ikea bag. My boots are worn out, but they are the only pair of shoes appropriate for this type of weather. It is a grey Monday morning. Snowy water

comes falling out of the sky.


I take my dog for a tour around the block. I have not slept a second. My dog who finished the gluten free chocolate pie last night during our absence is behaving like she has been drugged. Every half an hour she is paying a visit to my side of the bed. At four in the morning I have to take her out for a pee.
But she does not calm down. I am still ignorant about the reason behind her foolish behaviour. But in the morning   when the digested chocolate comes out on the back side I understand why. She’s thirteen years old but still a puppy. Stealing food whenever she can. Chocolate is her favourite.

It is a wet stroll around the block, but it does not feel cold. Some cars are still white. I leave my house and turn left past the synagogue. I am taking the glass bottles to the container to then continue my walk. The streets are dirty with metal cans, plastic bottles, dogs’ number two’s, food left overs everywhere. There are more garbage bins now than six months ago. Yet no one in this area seems to notice them. I could be taken for a racist. I believe that is not what or who I am. But it has to be said that in this dominantly Moroccan neighbourhood the streets could be far cleaner than what they are today.

I look outside from my first floor window and have a good view over the street. ‘My’ side has been turned one way. Every five minutes however a car drives through. There is no police to be seen. They are all busy hunting terrorists. Even when two cars used to be parked in front of the gate, clearly exchanging forbidden powder, there was no police around. And maybe that is the beginning of the problem. Young unemployed thrive freely and start with pity crime. They enter a small but lucrative business and develop the taste for it. Most likely this is the first step into bigger things, illegal. There is never any control and they go by for years, unpunished.

It was here, twenty years ago when I moved to Brussels. It is still here, but stronger, bigger, more powerful than before.

Do I feel unsafe walking the streets? No.  I have not felt scared not even for one second. I know the city, the people, its dynamics.  I love this city, but the big hype is over and done with.

I live here because I have to, at least for still a while. I enjoy its tango scene, its creative mornings. My friends live here and I earn my living from people having to be here for a short while.

I miss the sun, especially on a grey Winter Monday morning like today. It brings out the blues in me. But soon my daughter will be home from school and lighten up the house with energy. Soon I will be enjoying a free massage given by a friend as part of her training. I will finish the day with a glass of cava. And soon this grey Monday will be over. Tomorrow will be a sunny day !

Brussels for Free ( part 1 )

Now that I finally have time to explore Brussels, - having left behind the bed and breakfast business in favor of long term rental, - I have promised myself I will make the most of it.



As time does not necessary means money, I started exploring the free events Brussels has on offer. My educated guess is there are plenty.


For now, let's focus on my # 1 and # 2.

My # 1 event was hosted by #Permafungi.

After reading an article titled  #SafeFoodFromTheFridge ' first, I then visited the, also free, exhibition this Summer. A small part of the expo was covering an initiative of young engineers in Brussels on how to grow mushrooms on a base of coffee. I surfed to find their website and registered myself. A few weeks later I received an invitation for a guided tour of their premises in Tour & Taxis, Brussels.

The Permafungi project  is, in their own words

" based on a highly innovative technique that converts an overly abundant organic source of waste into two useful products: mushrooms and fertilizer. Indeed, used coffee grounds are an ideal substratum for the culture of oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus)."

Used coffee grounds from the #EXKI stores in Brussels are first collected on a bike. Not only is this coffee biologically grown but treated in the best hygienical circumstances as well.

Growing oyster mushrooms is the result of three different phases:

phase 1 - Inoculation : 

this is when the substratum is prepared by mixing straw and coffee with the mycelium ( the mushroom seeds ). The whole process occurs in a sterile environment. Once all ingredients are well mixed, they are then placed in big, transparent plastic bags.

phase 2 - Incubation : 

During the 3-week incubation time the mycelium will colonise the substratum by 'eating' and decomposing the coffee grounds. A clean and dark environment are essential for this process. During the incubation, the bag's content will change from black into white.

phase 3 - Fructification : 

Once the mycelium has 'taken over ' the substratum, it is forced to reproduce. By placing the bags now in a ventilated space with a degree of humidity of 95 %, the bag's content suffers both a thermal and humidity shock. A few days later the first oyster mushrooms will appear and can be harvested one week later. If treated well, the bags can then produce a second even third harvest before being used as compost.           

permafungi my first harvest

permafungi my first harvest before being thrown into risotto

I bought my own kit and yes indeed, about one week later I was able to collect my first harvest. Unimpressed by the catering skills during the T & T presentation, I made a risotto with my mushrooms by simply adding some curry, onion and garlic. It was delicious.

*****

I 'discovered' my #2  free event by reading, for once, The AGENDA. #CreativeMornings Brussels tends to hosts its sessions at the #Beursschouwburg. This month's theme is CHANCE and today's speaker was the Belgian political scientist turned designer ALAIN GILLES. No doubt Alain is a gifted speaker and a great designer. However, focusing more on his career and his most successful designs rather than on the real topic, CHANCE, I doubt he was the right choice. 

But I enjoyed the idea, free croissants, fruit and coffee over a morning session and I will be back for sure on December 12th when some secret speaker from P.A.R.T.S. will cover next month's theme EDUCATION. 

I also met a great person, Foxi Von Riga, one of the previous speakers. Foxi, whose real name is Olga, is another political scientist turned artist and her work is full of color. She lives under the motto
"When you allow yourself to be the real You, magic happens".  A motto I can only support !

Unfortunately I had to skip the breakfast for lack of gluten free choices. I had coffee and a banana in stead. Having gotten there on my bike, my Friday morning was entirely free.
Convinced now Brussels for Free can be fun ! Then follow me !