Linguistic anecdotes There are, of course, many stories about linguistic misunderstandings in the European Parliament. Trying to tell a joke in the chamber is always risky: one group (if you’re lucky) will laugh immediately, others may laugh ten seconds later …
An Unidentified ‘European’ Object
“French girls are a bit stuck up, the Mediterraneans want to fiesta all the time, the Germans are uptight, the Scandinavians are hot, and nobody understands the British sense of humour”: the usual stereotypes are conformed to and defied in …
Europa Geht Durch Mich
Two mixes of the song from the Manic Street Preachers upcoming ‘Futurology’ album will feature on his Phantasy release on June 23. The original version of the song features German actress Nina Hoss. Her vocals lead Alkan’s ‘Mesmerise Eins’ rework, …
Sex and the Bubble
A crowd. A battalion. An army of about 50 000 people, most graduated from some of the highest ranked Universities in the EU, who have a high intellectual sensibility, speak several languages perfectly and have lived and worked in several …
Castes: the Stagiaires
If you tell people that the Eurobubble is in many ways similar to places like Wall Street, La Defense, Geneva or DC, they would probably nod in a very convinced way. If you tell them that it is almost as exotic as …
Gossip in the bubble
Gergely Polner the head of EU affairs at British Banking association, was amused by UKIP’s campaign poster. While Nigel Farage, the leader of UK’s Independence Party expressed his enthusiasm for student journalism. However, will he be just as enthusiastic …
Life in the EU bubble
Ask British expats about Brussels life and some will admit that they don’t feel as if they live in Belgium. British newspapers are printed here and can be delivered to your door. English is the language of business, while private …
Sexism thrives in the EU bubble
It began a few years ago when I, a few years younger and somewhat naive, took up a job with the guardian of the treaties, the European Commission in all its glory. A few weeks into the job, I was …
In the Brussels Bubble
The third morning of my trip into the Brussels bubble has begun; it is a little grey but still not less promising than the days before. What should I say, now that the first half of my time here in …
The illusion of the EU bubble and the discovery of the EU foam
The EU bubble is a self-created illusion, and those who remain in this bubble simply fail to acknowledge that this bubble has actually become part of a foam over the last years. There are many bubbles in which European topics …