Up Cycling

A few weeks in Brussels and I have established daily routines that enable independent action. I continue to be a citizen journalist but I am a citizen first. That means that I am looking for the links that enable citizens to come together and influence the direction of their community.

In the mornings, I walk across town from my flat in the Arab quarter to my place of work in the European quarter where the EU offices cluster in concrete and glass. We citizen journalists do not have offices but we water the plants in the foyer of the Maltese Presidency in Justus Lipsius and hang about the public areas looking for honey for the beehive.

At first, the walk to work was anxious and I followed the main routes on my small tourist map. Each day, a key landmark would fall into place and I began to experiment with shortcuts and side roads. Often, I lost myself but Brussels is forgiving and I discovered alleys and galleries, gardens and cafe streets, as well as slightly chaotic residential areas where new developments blocked the footpaths and garbage bags piled high.

In time, I established the most direct route that includes taking the free lift, giving some change to the accordion player and passing the Palace of Justice with its golden dome and timeless scaffolding. Here men and women scurry in black robes with white legal lace around their necks.

Rue des Tanneurs is a quiet side street on my route up to the lift. On the corner, I began to take notice of the jumbled window display, the pallets formed into shelving, large light bulbs on timber bases, old suitcases with knitted socks and babies' bibs, folded paper objects. The neat lettering on the glass advised me that this was Orybany, Atelier Boutique (www.orybany.com), that their concern was with ethical practice, up cycling and sewing classes, and listed their opening hours.

Another week passed before I made a deliberate effort to go there when the shop was open. In the meantime, I explored the building and the street. The questions multiplied in my mind. Outside the shop window next door, Brewspot, I wondered if home brewing has become a radical act in the light of attempts by multi-national corporations to patent the natural products and processes of making beer. On the other side of Orybany, a creative cardboard emporium suggested the source of the practical sitting boxes used in the Singing Brussels festival that I had attended in Brussels on my first weekend in Brussels.

Further down the street, I walked through an arch into the building, past a homeless man looking very much at home, into a courtyard with cafe tables and beyond that, into a covered market; not a plastic bag in sight, olive oil on tap to fill your own containers, large, lidded barrels of nuts, seeds, grains to scoop into paper bags, boxes for loading fruit and vegetables to take to the check out. What enabled so many ethically responsible endeavours to proliferate on this quiet residential street?

The questions swirled until last Wednesday when I set off with the intention of finding Orybany open. And I did. Orybany is open in all senses. Two women, deep in French conversation, sat on a sofa amid the racks and shelves. I clutched my iPad after taking a photo of the window display. One of the women looked up and smiled a welcome, the kind of smile I had not seen anywhere in the European quarter.

I explained about Malta, about my route to work, about my curiosity, about my wonder. She talked with passion and commitment about the four years since Orybany started up in a different part of the building before moving to this corner spot. She was Juliette Berguet and her partner and friend was Liliane Malemo who designed and gave sewing classes. The building was converted from an old winery and the floors above were now homes for people who struggled in the current economic environment. On the street level, spaces were made available at reasonable rent for ethical start ups.

"It's difficult for start ups to compete against the big corporations who push up rents and know how to avoid paying taxes. Making an area shiny is OK, but if it excludes the local community..."

Another woman came into the shop and Juliette greeted her. I wandered off to explore the space where sewing classes were given and find a small top for my nephew as well as an over cape for me..

"We include local women by offering free sewing classes," continued Juliette when I returned to the counter to make my purchases. "If someone comes in and can't afford the prices we have to charge because we have ethical employment practices, then we can tell them to bring an old dress to sew into a new fashion."

Juliette came with me to the door and pointed across the street.

"In that park, another start up is going to establish community gardens and next week there will be a concert with local musicians."

So that will be another blog along with some more questions and perhaps a few answers to explain the magic of Rue des Tanneurs.