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spezial intro spaceship calls earth (en) lovely monster (en) mirror game (en) medien ohne halsband (dt) city life killed by speculation (en) tu t’es vu quand t’as lu? (fr) out of place (en) job lottery (ro) not chinese enough (est) you have to go down to go up (dt) moja elektrownia atomowa (pl) how poor can you get? 1 (pl) how poor can you get? 2 (est) interpreting tulip faces (en) communication bites (li/nl)

LOVELY MONSTER Brussels, do you feel European? An inquiry In the streets of Belgium’s capital    | Natasha Sá Osório (LONDON). How European do you feel? In a bid to discover the intensity of what it is to live in the centre of Europe, I wandered in the heart of Brussels on a true hunt for Belgians. The word hunt suits here, not because they are hard to find but because they truly dread journalists. Don’t be fooled, my fellow media colleagues. Behind those très sympa smiles and helpful skills when giving directions, lies a fear that makes them run a mile when they see a note book or hear the word “questions” in my twisted French. Or maybe I’m too used to working in a country like Portugal, where everyone longs to appear in the media and loves giving their opinion. But my hunt was worthwhile.    There seems to be a great discrepancy between the younger and the older generations when it comes to feeling European. “I am first European. Then I’m Belgian,” said Thomas Davis, a twenty-nine year old receptionist. “I believe more and more that people who live in Brussels will feel this way because there is some tension between the Flemish and the Waloons, so the concept of the European Union brings us together.”    Dops Martine, 64, has a very different opinion. As a retailer who has spent her whole life in Brussels, she feels she is not getting a good deal. “Prices went up, real estate values have gone through the roof and I don’t feel like I’m selling more than I did before.” She explains that she teaches her children the values and the importance of being European, and she couldn’t name any other country better than Belgium as the soul of the community, but she says she gets “annoyed” with the politicians.    Nevertheless, some can see both sides of the coin. Sophie Charles, 31, explains that the older generations felt invaded by the monster, a nickname given to the European Parliament building. She said it came to replace a beautiful park, with a delightful residential area. “But I must say, if it wasn’t for the E.U., Brussels would be a small, narrow-minded, provincial town. I love the mix of cultures and the thrill of a cosmopolitan city, and I’m sure the young generations do as well.” Touché!