Open Space @ The HUB

The HUB Brussels is an amazing, innovative co working space right around the corner from me. I’m often tempted to grab myself a desk there but can’t quite justify it … a lot of my editing is done later at night and I have a perfectly good space at home. It’s always nice to have an excuse to spend some time there though, which is what MediatEUr‘s open space event offered me on Friday. So two posts in one really – some open space action and some HUB vibe. Here’s the full flickr set

That building opposite Midi

I’m guessing everybody in Brussels (or who has ever visited) knows this building – it’s bang opposite the entrance/exit to the Gare du Midi, right by the taxi stand/spot-where-you-smoke-your-last-cigarette-before-boarding (well, not me, not for the past 5 months anyway :) ) … I’m not sure everybody thinks it’s as cool as I do though, so here’s my attempt to convince.

November 6 2011

Et Voila – this blog is a year old today. I’m quite pleased about it really… I haven’t posted every day religiously but I’ve managed to drag a lot of shots out of my daily wanderings.. which is nice, and the blog is definitely a motivator, also nice.
Anyway, there are 30x40cm prints to be won by the first three people who send me the correct answer (do not post publicly though!). I’m sending you on a little hunt through some of my favorite shots of the last year… each photo will have a clue (in bold)  to the next one. I will give you a year and an event, you will need to find the right day and month and move on to the photo posted on that day.

A little tip: you don’t need to manually cruise through all the shots… there are the categories to the left, and, better still, a search box (if you enter August 18 for example, you should find the shot faster!).

on this day in 2008 – Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, the largest bankruptcy filing in US history

November 3rd 2011

I really like this shutter and the markings of the old lettering on Rue du Namur…I often walk past and think it would make a nice backdrop but it’s the last slice of hill before “Home” so I’m often too tired/braindead… I’ll go again sometime, see if I can find some more exuberant characters walking by.

On a different note: In three days this blog will be a year old – in order to celebrate this landmark, I am organising a little giveaway competition… here’s how it works: on Sunday (the anniversary), I will post a photo at 3pm. In this posting I will ask a question. The first three people to send me the correct answer via email/contact form on this website/facebook message/private twitter message (anything not public, basically) will each receive a 30x40cm print  (or equivalent if square) of any one photo published in the last year on this blog.

October 30 2011

There is a dry ski slope in Brussels, Yeti Ski! I thought this was a strictly British oddity, but apparently not. Stumbled upon this completely randomly – unfortunately the ‘skiers’ were packing up when I arrived but, if there are any takers, there was a distinct après-ski vbe in the little chalet at the foot of the slope.

October 27 2011

Cousin Gaby in town working on The Straits tour. Met her at Zebra bar downtown and then wandered around the tourist hood looking for a Tintin t-shirt for her man – you would think this would be the easiest mission in Brussels but it turns out that outside of the official shop (where the t-shirts are potentially too ‘arty’), it is astonishingly difficult to find any! I wonder if there are strict marketing laws when it comes to Tintin apparel, especially at the moment when it seems the whole city is going Tintin crazy with the release of the Spielberg film (I am not at all immune to the marketing and can’t wait to see it).  Event gig in the evening – people in suits sipping champagne but reasonably entertaining all the same.

October 21 2011

And warm Madrid it is. Visiting Tom, Becs & my little niece Maya who live conveniently close to the airport. I haven’t seen Maya since last September so quite a change – she knows loads of words, understands pretty much everything, runs around like she’s on a mission, laughs constantly  – very lovable. I didn’t shoot anything in Madrid yet, so here’s one from the am in Brussels.