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| Inside Sensation White |
Tens of thousands of people form a sea of
white and flood through the gates into an all-night techno music and
light concert. They pour into an arena completely transformed to house
some of Europe's most famous DJ's and their biggest fans from all around
the world. Large round balls illuminated with neon light drop from the
ceiling and dangle above the crowd, changing colors with the rhythm of
the music. Illuminated water fountains perched above the crowd spew out
what looks to be colored water, sparking in the darkness. What I see in
front of me is unlike any concert venue I'd ever seen before. It is a
magical and mystical light show constantly transforming into something
else as the music continues into the early hours of the morning.
To get a taste of what the concert was like watch this: Sensation White Belgium 2012 Post Show Video
Sensation
is a famous techno concert that is held in various European cities throughout
the year. It is known as a study abroad "must" for many American
college students and a place where friends abroad can come back together for a
night of live techno music, bright neon lights and dancing. The
concert has a very strict dress code of white only. Accessories and shoes can
have color, however a majority of your outfit must be white. This was very
difficult to shop for in Rome since most of the Romans wear all black or dark
colors.
Afrojack
was this year's big headline performer in Brussels. The concert was held in
Hasslet, Belgium, about a one hour train ride from Brussels where I was
staying. We took what felt like the "Sensation White train" to
Hasselt, everyone dressed head to toe in white anxiously waiting to arrive at
the arena. In just the one car I was sitting in I met so many American students
who had friends that went to Loyola or knew some friends from home. This proved
to me that it really is a small world.
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| Belgian Waffle |
The
rest of my time in Belgium was spent exploring the city and trying out the
"cusine," aka frittes and Belgian waffles. Almost everyone was
walking around the city with huge cones of crisp golden fries. We picked the
place with the longest line, taking it as a sign that this was where we would
get the freshest, crispiest and most delicious fries. They were such a hit that
we decided to go back on our last day before heading back to the land of pizza,
pasta and gelato.
The
Belgian waffles were also an event in themselves. The smell of fresh made
waffles flowed through the streets of Brussels luring tourists to the many
waffle places claiming to offer the best delicacy in the city. Strawberries,
bananas, whipped cream, chocolate, Nutella and what ever else you could imagine
could be placed on top of a warm golden waffle.
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| Manneken Pis dressed for St. Patrick's Day |
One
of Brussels’ most famous attractions, the Manneken Pis, is located at the end
of a cobblestone street lined with chocolate shops and waffle stands. I
expected to see a large bronze statue of a young boy peeing into a fountain.
What did I find? A very small statue dressed up as a leprechaun for St.
Patrick’s Day. I was a little disappointed at how small the statue was, but
found it hilarious that the little man was dressed for the day’s holiday.
This
trip was more about relaxing and letting loose at the concert rather
than planning
out an intense weekend of sightseeing. I hope more of my trips carry out
in
this fashion. I need to learn to take more time to just explore by
walking
around rather than rushing from attraction to attraction, taking in the
sights, sounds and smells of the places that are very different from
home.
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