Life is too short for superficial “how are you”s and small talk.
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Passing through Oran, Algeria
A brief glimpse of the streets and European influences in Algeria’s second largest city
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Back in Brussels
I was in Doha on 22 March. A colleague told me that there had been an explosion at the airport when we stepped out during a break at the conference. I thought she was joking or maybe I had misheard something. It didn’t seem real.
But I wasn’t surprised that this had happened. It was only a matter of time.
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Catel & Bocquet: Kiki de Montparnasse
Kiki de Montparnasse by Catel Muller and Jose-Luis Bocquet is one of the few French books that I’ve read from cover to cover. Spanning more than 400 pages, this graphic novel offers a colourful glimpse into les Années Folles (the Roaring Twenties) in Montparnasse, Paris through the life of Alice Prin. Better known as Kiki de Montparnasse, or simply Kiki, she was the muse…
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Amara Lakhous: Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio
Review: Clash of Civilisations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio is a delightful mix of social commentary, mystery and satire.
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Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in figures
I was recently in Abu Dhabi for work. Even though I had been to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque on two previous occasions, I decided to revisit the mosque. It was the first time that I was at the mosque on my own (instead of hosting journalists). Going through the photos that I’ve taken at the…
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Discover Ghent and its throbbing medieval heart
Did you know that Ghent has more listed buildings than any other city in Belgium? Just take a walk along the picturesque Graslei harbour. The former port area features an impressive row of guild houses and each medieval building has a story behind it. For instance, Vrije Schippers was the guild house for the local bargemen, who had the right of…
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Ghent: Belgium’s secret gem
Once upon a time, Ghent was the largest city in Europe after Paris. This was during the 13th century. Due to its favourable location – at the confluence of the Leie and Scheldt rivers – Ghent was a prosperous city and prominent trade centre during the Middle Ages. For instance, during the 15th century, it was…
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Egon Schiele + Reading Friedrich Torberg: Young Gerber
For most of my student life, I was relatively relaxed about schoolwork and exams compared to my peers. I didn’t understand why my classmates were stressed with getting good grades. The only time I was stressed at school was when I was 17, at the end of my first year in junior college, when I spectacularly failed my…
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