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This week, we got to know Bonaldi 🤩 Want to re This week, we got to know Bonaldi 🤩

Want to read more stories?

The book #expatsofbrussels is out now!

Portraits of 50 different expats in images and text. Some of them have lived here for ages, some just arrived and some are on the way out. They are between 8 and 51 years old and come from every continent and corner of the world.

Get the book now ➡️ livinginbrussels.eu/book
Expats of Brussels - #16 Bonaldi (26), from Irela Expats of Brussels - #16

Bonaldi (26), from Ireland and Angola, in Brussels since 2018
 
“After arriving in Brussels, I immediately started looking for a sports club. I joined the local GAA club, to play Gaelic football, but always intended on getting back to playing football. 

I e-mailed FC Irlande and was invited to a pre-season training session. I thought it would be a group of Irish lads, who had not signed up to the GAA. But when I got to the session, it was a bunch of French guys. I love the mix of nationalities, different backgrounds and views on life. In a way, it mirrors the Brussels population.
 
I like the social aspect, but I love competing more. Being on the first Men’s team, we probably have a reputation within the club of being the boring ones. There is a different kind of banter, more diplomatic, but we are challenging for the league, so I do not mind it - although after match pints always have a good buzz. 

For me, the football comes first and the antics second. The sport is a good contrast to my fast paced professional life, it is a hobby to take my mind off work, and it improves my time in Brussels. I could not even imagine being here without playing for the club.”

(part 2)

📸 @cem.pictures 

#expatsofbrussels book out now
📖livinginbrussels.eu/book
Expats of Brussels - #16 Bonaldi (26), from Irela Expats of Brussels - #16

Bonaldi (26), from Ireland and Angola, in Brussels since 2018
 
“Growing up, my father and I would have many interesting conversations about politics. That sparked my interest and led to studying European Studies and then European public affairs & law in college.

If you graduate in European studies, it is inevitable that at some point in your career, you will end up in Brussels. Even though I really like Dublin, it was a simple choice for me. 
 
After four years, Brussels feels like my second home – although I do go back to Ireland fairly often. Coming over, I quickly found a group of mates, and there is a massive Irish community over here. A brief look at the number of Irish pubs here being a good indicator of its size. 

Life is good here and I still have time on my side, but I am also looking at the prospect of relocating to another cosmopolitan city in the future."

(part 1)

📸 @cem.pictures 

#expatsofbrussels book out now
📖 livinginbrussels.eu/book
This week, we got to know Paul and Aobhe 🤩 Wan This week, we got to know Paul and Aobhe 🤩

Want to read more stories?

The book #expatsofbrussels is out now!

Portraits of 50 different expats in images and text. Some of them have lived here for ages, some just arrived and some are on the way out. They are between 8 and 51 years old and come from every continent and corner of the world.

Get the book now ➡️ livinginbrussels.eu/book
Expats of Brussels - #15 Paul (51), from Ireland, Expats of Brussels - #15

Paul (51), from Ireland, in Brussels since 1996

“My wife and I moved here in 1996, originally to run an Irish bar. We came over and fell in love with the place. Brussels has a kind of quirkiness. I love the beers, the food, the cobblestone, the architecture. 

We always thought we would move back to Ireland at some point, but Belgium treated us well, life took turns, we got good jobs and just stayed and built our life here. I think that says a lot about the beauty and the attraction of Brussels. So many people think they just come for a year, then stay another and another. Next thing you know, it is a lifetime.

One of the first people I met in the bar invited me to come play for FC Irlande. I joined the club the year I moved here and have been involved ever since. I have played for all the teams and in all positions. I have been captain, president, and director of football. Because of age and injury, I am retired as a player, but I am still heavily involved in the club. 
 
The diversity in age, levels and nationality makes the club what it is. Our oldest goal scorer is 64, that is impressive. My happiest memory, after all those years, was winning the Abssa division one championship in 2011.”

📸 @cem.pictures 

#expatsofbrussels book out now
📖 livinginbrussels.eu/book
Expats of Brussels - #14 Aobhe (16), from Ireland Expats of Brussels - #14

Aobhe (16), from Ireland, in Brussels since 1996
 
“I was born in Belgium, but I am Irish because both of my parents are from Ireland. I have lived here my whole life, but we travel to Ireland four times a year to see family. 

I like it here, but it is the only thing I have ever known, and I am curious to live somewhere else. Maybe I will go to college in Ireland, I am still figuring out my plans. Because I do feel Irish, even though I have only lived here I do not feel Belgian. 

Since I was born, I have been coming to the club to watch my father play. Especially when I was younger, I was here every weekend. 

I joined the Girls’ Academy immediately when it started, and I already knew some of the other girls on the team. We do not all go to the same school, but we all grew up in a similar environment. We came to the club every weekend to watch our fathers play.”

📸 @cem.pictures 

#expatsofbrussels book out now
📖 livinginbrussels.eu/book
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