ExpatWomen:Andreea, you moved from Romania to Belgium many years ago, to study International Affairs. What inspired you to move to Brussels, rather than any other city? What were your first impressions when you arrived?
Andreea: Brussels is a very international city, home to the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council. Anyone interested in European political affairs will at a certain point be attracted by Brussels. It was this and the fact that Brussels is not a very big European Metropole that attracted me first. As a student leaving home, I thought it might be better to start small first (eg Brussels) rather than get lost in a big city (eg London).
My first impression were probably not the best as I arrived here in January and it didn’t stop raining till April. So I probably wished I would have chosen a southern city as a destination. But I got to know the city, and fell in love with it. A small city, it does offer everything a bit capital does – only at a more affordable and human pace.
ExpatWomen:What do you love most about Brussels and why?
Andreea: It must be the people and the fact it is a small, yet very international capital. The people of Brussels come form every ethnic, religious and cultural background and that has enriched my life enormously. I remember hosting a party once and someone counted all the nationalities present. We were 17 different nationalities, all having our own cultural and historical background, our own views on life. A life lesson in tolerance and embracing differences.
I also love the fact Brussels is the heart of Europe, and being a pro-European, I like to be in the middle of where Europe happens. I enjoy working in an international environment and I enjoy socializing in an international environment.
Another great thing about Brussels is the fact that despite being an important European capital, it also stays at a normal size. There is no hour long commuting, there is no feeling of a city within the city. You can easily reach down town Brussels form anywhere in Brussels in under 40min, you can go to work, back home and then still go out without waiting half your day in traffic. It is an airy city, where people have the space to breathe. And it is also a very green city which is always a plus.
ExpatWomen:How have you found is the best way to meet like-minded people in Brussels?
Andreea: Having studied here that kind of took care of itself. Most of my friends date back from my university years. However, don’t we always meet likeminded people when we do something we enjoy? Be it either e job (where I have met many international and fun people), be it a hobby (photography) or lately blogging where I got the chance to meet many local, Belgian bloggers.
ExpatWomen:Can you please share with us a little more detail about your work role and duties?
Andreea: I am working for the European Standardization Committee, on European business development projects. Concretely, I am working on European Commission projects aimed at harmonizing the Internal Market of the EU. My work, besides being challenging in terms of finding political consensus, is also a great lesson on Europe. I work with all the Member States, thus have to travel a lot, which always opens my eyes at how different we all are – yet we are all building Europe together. And it seems to work.
ExpatWomen:From your (and your friends’) experience, what are some of the best ways to find meaningful work in Brussels?
Andreea: Meaningful work is a though term. Depends a lot on how one would define meaningful. Work in Brussels does center a lot around European affairs, so anyone with a deep interest in Europe could look (and even find) a job in Brussels. The best ways are probably not much different form the ways used in every country: job sites, head hunters or directly with the companies or institutions concerned. Specifically for EU related jobs, probably www.eurobrussels.com is one of the first resources.
ExpatWomen:Previously, you’ve mentioned these as your top five tips for women moving to your location:
Andreea:
Subscribe to ‘The Network’.
Subscribe to ‘The Bulletin’.
Locate your nearest expat-style places (bookshop, restaurant, bar).
Register to learn French or Flemish.
Join a club/ gym / book club.
ExpatWomen:Could you please give us another five top tips, more related to new arrivals in Brussels (in terms of what they should expect and what they should do to set up in their new location)?
Andreea: What to expect: a complicated Belgian administration that will only lead to frustration if you are not charged with a good doze of patience (not my forte!), a good doze of humor and the occasional glass of wine when you get home. Belgian administration is notorious to give you only half the information and to send you from one place to another till you get dizzy. And you still don’t have all the papers you need. Arm yourself with patience and ask every question you can think of to avoid days (if not weeks) of running around. However the system itself is there and it is good:
- you need to have an address, then you’ll have your residence, which is then your ticket to health insurance, to bank accounts, and other necessary matters.
You need to have an address, then you’ll have your residence, which is then your ticket to health insurance, to bank accounts, and other necessary matters.
Individualism. Something else that I find a little strange, is that neighbors don’t seem to know each other or want to know each other (in the city). An initial feeling of coldness will come from the locals (Belgians) but give them some time and they will open up.
To gain weight. I am not kidding. The food (chocolate anyone?) and beer in this country are so good, it will be difficult to resist: then again you can always register at a gym, which will only increase your potential to meet new and interesting people.
Rain. Rain. Rain.
Use your connections. I guess this would apply anywhere, but unlike bigger European cities, Brussels is very much of an insider city. Talk to your colleagues at work, talk to your friends, ask them what you would like to know. I had invaluable advice from colleagues be it on where to find construction materials (!), be it concerning work permits, where to find an organic shop, or where to register for a language course. People are an incredible network in Brussels and it would be a pity if you would miss out on this easy accessible information.
ExpatWomen:Can you please tell us some web sites that you would recommend for your location?
The rest of websites I know of, which provide useful information are either in French or Dutch, but drop me a line and I’ll suggest some.
ExpatWomen:Finally, Andreea, do you have any words of wisdom for our Expat Women?
Andreea: Well, you will probably come to Brussels thinking: I will only stay here for [x] amount of years (depending on your work contract, family commitment etc) and then find yourself 5 or 10 years down the line still thinking the same but loving and staying in Brussels. So embrace it, with its good and bad, and you’ll see Brussels will give you back in terms of quality of life and life style.
ExpatWomen:Thank you very much Andreea. We wish you all the very best for 2008 and beyond.
Warning: include_once(../buscador_input.php) [function.include-once]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/expatwom/public_html/mentor_month/andreea.php on line 311
Warning: include_once() [function.include]: Failed opening '../buscador_input.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/expatwom/public_html/mentor_month/andreea.php on line 311
