Bakker Bugle Blog Say it three times fast. In Luxembourgish.

27 August 2010

Best of the Week: News, 27 August 2010

Filed under: luxembourg,news — Will @ 17:00

First, the news of the last several days, courtesy ARA City Radio. Please note the changed link to their local news. Also note that the headlines are our own editorial responsibility.

Lots of news from the Luxembourgish Department of Obviousness
CEPS/Instead has been conducting a survey into attitudes to immigrants. For the first time they’ve looked to see if men and women have different feelings about migrants here, and also what immigrants themselves think of other immigrants. The survey found that both men and women are equally concerned over the impact of immigrants on Luxembourg society. Immigrant men and women worry that more immigration will mean more competition for jobs. Indigenous men and women seem more worried about their impact on social security and crime figures. But second generation immigrants seem to start sharing the concerns of the indigenous population the longer they live here.
And in another important piece of social research, National Statistics Bureau STATEC has discovered that wealthy people are generally happy. Researchers say people with high incomes feel better about life than those who struggle financially. 94% of people in the survey’s top income bracket said they satisfied with their life. Only 71% of the poorest surveyed said things were going their way. But its not just about money, the researchers say. They also found that the more educated a respondent was, the more likely they were to feel positive about life.
Unions and Employers: Fighting together against change
Unions and Employers have joined forces to condemn proposed legislation to prevent harassment at work. LSAP deputy Lucien Lux has been trying to get his legislation adopted for nearly 9 years. (more…)

24 August 2010

Cruise photos, at last!

Filed under: entertainment,europe,photos,travel — Will @ 17:26

You may remember that, this May, we celebrated our long-term success with a cruise. Now, our short-term delay in posting our photos from that cruise has come to an end!

As usual, we’ll release photosets on Flickr with extensive captions — one or two days at a time. We wouldn’t want to overwhelm you! To begin, you can enjoy our pictures of the first two days, as we travel to Venice, board the ship, and thrill to the sailaway down the Guidecca Canal. You’ll see parts of our Crown Princess cruise ship, the city of Venice from dozens of high angles, and a few other treats.

If that description isn’t enough to tempt you, (more…)

18 August 2010

Get ready for Schueberfouer!

Filed under: culture,entertainment,luxembourg,photos — Will @ 19:37

In just two days, Luxembourg will hold the 670th annual Schueberfouer.

Try to wrap your mind around a tradition that old. More than 30 generations.

As an ex-pat, I’m interested in looking at it from the perspective of cultural integration — or how long it takes to be considered a native. (more…)

17 August 2010

You know you’ve settled into Europe when…

Filed under: culture,europe,mental state — Anita @ 10:39

…you are stunned each time that somebody thinks your Visa has expired because it is dated 04/09/2010.

Culture consists, in part, of the customs that you take for granted. So we know that we’re adapting to European culture (or Western European or French-inflected or whatever) when we’re surprised by how things are done in the good ole USA. Some more examples: You know you’ve settled into a European state of mind when…

  • You find it unspeakably rude when, at a restaurant, your server brings you the check before you ask for it.
  • “Of course it’s a topless beach. Why not?”
  • You are uncomfortable when someone takes your credit card out of your sight.
  • You get frustrated at having to sign a bill for small purchases with your credit card.
  • You are excited to find a parking space within a quarter-mile of your destination.

We think of these little differences several times a week, and we’ll post more in the future. Guests of the B&B, what seemed alien to you about daily life in Ireland and Luxembourg?

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