Many of my friends from back in Leeds stood aghast as I announced 5 months ago that I was leaving for Brussels to complete a training contract with the EU – a so-called stage. For my friends, the EU was a mythical beast. Occasionally lamented on the news but always distant and always inexplicable. Even more confusing to them was that I was leaving the warm loving folds of Leeds and heading to Brussels- a city symbolised by a little statue of a small boy urinating into a pond.

As the cliché correctly states, I simply didn’t know what to expect. My apartment was booked online through a very informative trainee housing website so I ended up living quite a long way from work. This means I have to use the Metro system a lot – although I’m pretty certain that the Brussels Metro has only recently stopped using steam power so it didn’t prove too tricky. The system is simple and on the whole, very safe.

Merode station, Brussels

My first day on the stage in the European Parliament was similar to any first day anywhere; bombarded with information and bustled from A to B by grumpy people.

Reaching the safe-haven of my unit, things began to settle down and I was immediately introduced to everyone. As soon as the work kicked into life, I realised how well-oiled this well-oiled machine was! To put it a better way, the work output had the meticulous rhythm of a Swiss watch; every tiny wheel merging seamlessly with every other tiny wheel to produce a glorious flow of synchronisation. I felt a bit like a blind man at a wallpaper convention- sure I was there, but what was I really doing?

I felt a bit like a blind man at a wallpaper convention- sure I was there, but what was I really doing?

Jumping forward five months I can definitely recommend the stage. It can be quite daunting at first- the level of information you have to take on board to feel even halfway there is quite scary. But it does get easier and words and signs start to make sense.

Some pearls of wisdom I would pass:

1- Don’t live in Laeken/Molenbeek- too far away and the sound of gunfire can grow a bit tiresome.
2- Don’t worry if you don’t understand the building layout- it can take 2-3 weeks
3- Treat the canteen as your best friend in the entire world
4- Try and wave at Hans-Gert Pöttering (EP President) at least once on the stage, although in future it may be at Mr Schulz or Mr Watson? Who knows!
5- Be as sponge-like as possible throughout the whole 5 months and you will learn loads.

One final note; if you can sneak into some of the Commission’s activities such as the stagiaire 6 a-side football league you will have the time of your life! When you arrive, if anyone asks which Commission department you are from pretend you are Russian. Also if you go, make sure you ask which team won the last winter stage league. You may stumble across league champions Char 14/217 and a mute Russian footballer called Richard Streeton.

Image source.