“Niet vergeten dat volgende week de ticketprijzen van de trein omhoog gaan, he,” leest een berichtje van mijn moeder in Whatsapp, gepaard met een artikel van Het Nieuwsblad met meer informatie. Ik laat mij stante pede een scherpe “what the fuck” ontvallen op het treinperron. De omstanders kijken nerveus naar de jongeman die furieus op zijn smartphone begint te drukken. The NMBS did it again.
De Nationale Maatschappij der Belgische Spoorwegen, ofwel de NMBS, is een naamloze vennootschap die u tickets verkoopt om over zo’n 3500 kilometer aan Belgische sporen te mogen denderen. …
Het muziekgenre dat teruggrijpt naar de jaren ’80 brak in 2011 door dankzij Kavinsky’s iconische soundtrack van Drive. Haar invloed blijft vandaag nog steeds sterk gelden. Denk maar aan The Weeknd’s nieuwe album After Hours, dat doorspekt is van de retro synths en drums. Maar waar komt die fascinatie door de jaren ’80 bij jonge producers vandaan?
Synthwave is een genre met vele namen. Outrun, Retrowave, Futuresynth en Neo 80’s zijn enkele andere termen die worden geopperd door de gefragmenteerde community. Eigenlijk zijn het allemaal synoniemen voor een elektronische muziekstijl die een nostalgische throwback-zonder-einde maakt naar de muziek en tijdsgeest…
Samen een café uitbaten en traditionele gerechten leren koken, zo gaat de Berlijner om met haar nieuwste gasten. We namen een kijkje bij Über den Tellerrand en Refugio, twee organisaties die op een vernieuwende manier opkomen voor vluchtelingen.
Een kookpot van verschillende culturen
Über den Tellerrand of ‘over de rand van de plaat’ is een organisatie die vluchtelingen met elkaar verbindt door kooklessen te organiseren. Daar leren de vluchtelingen elkaar recepten aan die in eigen land traditie zijn.
De organisatie bestaat uit momenteel uit 25 actieve vestigingen, voornamelijk gelegen in Duitsland, maar breidt ook uit naar andere landen zoals Nederland, Oostenrijk en Zwitserland. Vier studenten…
Herbal Medicine, disinfectant wipes, face masks and other supplies have been distributed for free among Chinese students around the world by their local embassies and consulates as early as April. What exactly is in the packages and why is the Chinese government going to such great lengths to reach out to their students?
On April 2, Ma Zhaoxu, China’s vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, announced the first health package plans for its overseas students. The authorities are now attempting to strengthen the emotional ties with students still holding out abroad while simultaneously pleasing the outcries of worried parents back home.
Life moves fast in the Taiwanese capital. What if it catches up to you?
Certain things in Taipei’s Zhongzheng district are values that are set in stone. Holy hallmarks of the neighborhood that will not be messed with. I’m not talking about the numerous awe inspiring monuments and government buildings on just about every given street in the neighborhood. I’m referring to the ability to have surprisingly decent Dan Bing (蛋餅) on just about every corner of every sketchy street and alley. Or the privilege to spot shy gay men strolling around the 228 Peace Park at the cracks of…
An epidemic lurks around the corner during Lunar New Year
The expat carries on, sweating profusely with a belly full of steamed pork dumplings and rice. He grunts as he adjusts his sunglasses and checks his smart phone for the local metro entrance. The humidity and air pollution caught him off guard. It’s a hot afternoon in Taipei in January, giving away a glimpse of what is to come in a few months. Things are looking up for this Caucasian wanderer, desperately dragging a Carrefour shopping bag with familiar Western products and some select ‘local’ products along. Tomorrow it will…
Critical elections and a generational divide mobilize the Taiwanese community of Belgium
Lee Yu-Hsien (25) is a Taiwanese woman who has been studying in Belgium for about two years, where she acquired a master’s degree in adapted physical activity in rehabilitation. Currently she is spending some time back home in Taipei, where the population is being bombarded nonstop by political advertisements for the upcoming presidential elections of January 11, 2020. Taking a short break between studies is not the only reason why she’s home. Casting her vote in the elections is a critical priority to her and many fellow Taiwanese students in Belgium.
There is a jolt of political anxiety flowing through…
A western student gets caught up in the protest movement and captures his experiences on camera
It has been around 178 days since large scale protests disrupted Hong Kong society. The civil unrest was largely caused by a newly proposed extradition bill by the Hong Kong government in February. This new law would make it possible to extradite lawbreakers to mainland China for trial, effectively undermining the special administrative region’s fragile semi-autonomous legal and judicial system. It’s the latest Chinese transgression on Hong Kong’s turf in a long saga of incidents. The kidnapping of booksellers, political activists and directly influencing the government structure are a few other notable examples of past infractions. Foreign press feverishly flocked…
Early last October, Magic: The Gathering, a trading card game by the Seattle based company Wizards of the Coast, saw the release of its 82nd set of play cards dubbed Throne of Eldraine. A set inspired by fairy tales, legends and traditional fantasy took both old and new players on an adventure…and they lived happily ever after. For veterans, Throne of Eldraine marked the long awaited return of Magic to old school wizards, faeries, dwarfs and knights. Newbies discovered a well designed set with many starting options and a surprising level of depth and complexity.
The set was generally expected…
A new kind of Brazilian migrant faces their own kind of culture shock
The usual Brazilian migrant used to move abroad to places like Europe or the United States for economic reasons and often illegally. A lack of education was one of the main incentives for these moves and sending money back was the goal. However, recently we have seen a new kind of migration from the South American nation. Highly educated people, who do not subscribe to what the government is doing, are leaving for more open-minded environments. But can they create a new home in the heart of Europe, which often feels too cold for their southern temperaments?
Bolsonaro turned up…
Jeremy Van der Haegen
Belgian journalist writing on Asia, Culture & Electronic music
