Monthly Archives: February 2007

in english

Belgian beer review: Chimay Blue

This is a post in the Belgian beer review series.


Belgian Beer Review, originally uploaded by Chiva Congelado.

Chimay Blue is a dark trappist beer (9%) with a very complex taste. At the beginning I didn’t like it very much, but once my palate got used to it I started to appreciate the different subtle touches of smoke, chocolate and even a little bit of what I can only describe as dried figs. It packs quite a punch, though, so be careful and drink it responsibly.

in english

I’m not an Arab or a Turk, but so what if I were?

I was talking with another person when he made a comment assuming that I was Spanish. When I mentioned I am Mexican, he apologised profusely. I defused it with a comment saying that usually people think in Europe that I’m either Arab or Turk, because it is the truth.

Although there is some people that try to take advantage of the social security system available in this country, I believe they are as hardworking as anybody. I am taking Dutch lessons with them and they’re pretty OK, and I’ve noticed that they have many businesses that even open on Sunday (something almost impossible in these parts).

Of course not all of them are perfect and culture shock for their communities and the host society is not uncommon, but I believe it has to do with people sticking to the labels of “Turk”, “Arab”,
“Flemish” or “Walloon”, instead of noticing that we’re all “Human” with a capital H, regardless of how corny it may sound.

in english

Belgian Beer Review: Duvel

This is a post in the Belgian beer review series.


Belgian Beer Review, originally uploaded by Chiva Congelado.

Duvel is a beer I had heard a lot from my Finnish friends. Good aroma, and very clear colour. Should be served freezing cold. However, I don’t like it that much since, at 8.5% alcoholic content, it just tastes too much of alcohol, and I like my beer tasting like beer.

in english

New kind of video games: PeaceMaker and FoodForce

I like video games, especially those related to strategy. I’ve played games in the series of Age of Empires, Total War, Command and Conquer and Civilization, among others. However, a new kind of socially-responsible video games have caught my attention.

PeaceMaker is also a strategy game, but in this case you take control of one of the sides in the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the goal is to achieve peace and the Nobel Prize. Their usage of real news footage in the game seems particularly interesting.

FoodForce is a game developed for the UN World Food Programme targeted at pre-teens, where they are given the task to co-ordinate the food assistance operations of the UN in a fictional country. It has now been downloaded millions of times.

I don’t know about you, but I feel these kind of gaming is worth trying. We can teach people that doing the right thing can also be fun.

in english

Belgian Beer Review: Leffe Brune/Bruin

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I have had an idea for some time now, to review as many Belgian beers as I can during my stay here, so let’s get started!


Belgian Beer Review, originally uploaded by Chiva Congelado.

Leffe Brune is a dark abbey beer under the Leffe brand. It seems to be quite popular here (at least, I have found it almost everywhere). With a deep brown colour and a rather full caramel flavour, it is one of my favourite beers so far. Its alcohol content is 6.5%, so it doesn’t hit you very hard.