"Urban cows I - Under translation" Région de Bruxelles-Capitale Travelogue by Norali

During a summer afternoon in 2003, I had this opportunity to talk with some cows in Brussels streets. What I learnt from those encounterings is really related to Belgian features. However, the cows told me that their origin dates back to 1998 in Switzerland. Then they started touring big cities of the world.

A bit astonished, I asked them about how it comes that they know so much about Belgium. They told me that for months, they were trained by some Belgian trainers on how delivering information about Belgium. Training took place in Tour et Taxi premices, an ancient industrial site that is preserved. It included some cultural knowledge lessons, relooking sessions and some pose rehearsals before the cows hit Brussels streets hence entertain crowd and passers-by with their tales. Soooo, with that in mind, I was enthusiast in listening to them.

I give you here translations of what they told me. My colleague, Dannie, helped me a lot in capturing the very moments of my conversations with cows. Many thanks to her!

I hope you will enjoy the tales and use the tips in my Belgium page when visiting the country that hosts the Cows in 2003. If you want to hear the cows in Brussels streets, hurry up! They will migrate to another country at the beginning of fall.

I hope you will have fun. BTW, this funny idea of translating and sharing our conversations spurted out of my brains on a sleepless night of end of July. Sooooo, the cows and humans alike find it normal that I don't have that much time to update things on here. But patience, mes amis...

Here and there, people can't help but argue about whether the trainers are artists or not.

Personnally, I don't want to be involved in such argument. What interested me most were their tales and, sometimes, their looks.

I noticed that cows are specialized. Some told me about Belgian food specialties, others about Belgian economy... Few conveyed messages concerning the need for charity, peace... Not to be overlooked: the light-hearted ones, the socialites, the shoppers. They are just there to entertain, to imitate humans in everyday life... They are fun, in fact.

Check my Brussels page then my Région de Bruxelles-Capitale page for Tlogs on some cute urban cows...

They also provided me with some tips and tricks. Discover them in my Belgium page.