Our Belgian mefites need a hug

March 22, 2016 2:06 AM

Yesterday I received confirmation of my hotel booking in Brussels for a conference to be held soon. This morning we wake to discover that already there have been 2 explosions at the airport and a further one at the metro station near the European institutions. Now, we're on hold. Starting this thread to ask all mefites in the vicinity are ok.
posted by infini to MetaFilter-Related at 2:06 AM (63 comments total)

.

I have friends over there and have visited them. There are no words.
posted by SillyShepherd at 2:39 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Pretty obvious that the cells there are doubling down, time to do their thing before they are swept up in the dragnet. A few misguided youth are going to make it much harder for European Muslims going forward, I really hope that the Belgians can deal with this in a focused and professional manner.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:42 AM on March 22, 2016 [8 favorites]

My husband and I are ok. I'm feeling pretty shaken up though, because my parents are coming to visit in a few weeks and they're flying into that exact airport, so I keep thinking about "What ifs." If you've got some internet hugs, I could really use them today.
posted by colfax at 2:49 AM on March 22, 2016 [84 favorites]

/me sends a great big value-pack of hugs to colfax
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:52 AM on March 22, 2016 [8 favorites]

/container load of hugs to colfax.

Is it too late to have them fly into Amsterdam and take a train or some such?
posted by infini at 3:06 AM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'm here. In my office and we've been told to stay here for the foreseeable. Quite close to Maelbeek metro station so can hear lots of sirens. Very freaked out. A lot of people on holiday this week because of Easter but still waiting to here from some if they are ok...
posted by roolya_boolya at 3:08 AM on March 22, 2016 [36 favorites]

Big hugs and support. I'm so sorry colfax and roolya_boolya.
posted by Sophie1 at 3:15 AM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Sending love and many, many hugs from Greece. We've heard from or about several friends and friends or family of friends who are all safe, waiting to hear from a few more. I'm so, so sad and sorry about this.
posted by taz (staff) at 3:52 AM on March 22, 2016 [5 favorites]

Nothing of interest is happening in Ghent. Same as it ever was.
posted by logicpunk at 3:56 AM on March 22, 2016 [12 favorites]

Hugs to all of you who need and want them. Be safe.
posted by cooker girl at 4:24 AM on March 22, 2016

It was horrible news to wake up to this morning, and so saddening.
posted by Dip Flash at 4:32 AM on March 22, 2016

Trouble here in Holland as well, a station close to Schiphol has been evacuated.
posted by daveje at 4:33 AM on March 22, 2016 [5 favorites]

HUGS.
posted by mightshould at 4:37 AM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Yup, it seems that a suspicious parcel has been found at station Hoofddorp in the Netherlands.
posted by Too-Ticky at 4:38 AM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

I have relatives who were meant to be flying (and thankfully had decided to stay a few days longer). Shaken and sorry Brussels is going through it
posted by ersatz at 4:42 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Woke up to a notification from the CBC app on my phone.

.......................
(So far, ugh.)
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 4:45 AM on March 22, 2016

heh, and here I was thinking that if they do go ahead with the conference, I'd fly to Ams and take a train
posted by infini at 4:45 AM on March 22, 2016

My roommate is from Brussels and is planning a trip home on April 1st (and will return in 10 days with her parents in tow). I haven't seen her this morning - it's hard to tell whether she's left for work and somehow hasn't heard, or whether she has heard something, and it's bad, and she's shut up in her room.

Be well, Brussels.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:48 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Thinking of you all. Take care.
posted by harriet vane at 4:50 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Enormous hugs and solidarity from Rome.

I'm starting to side-eye coming into the center for work on Friday when the yearly clusterfuck that is the Via Crucis is supposed to be happening...
posted by romakimmy at 4:50 AM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Hugs. A re-affirming hand hold. A touch on the back.
posted by jadepearl at 4:51 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Sending prayers from New York.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:58 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

A close friend of mine was at the airport, and texted me asking if I'd heard anything, just as I heard it on the radio. He apparently felt the blast, but wasn't sure what had happened. Last I heard he was evacuated, but no idea how he's filtering back home.
Here in Ghent it's like nothing's happened.
Hugs to the injured, and the families of the victims.
posted by Karmeliet at 5:01 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Horrible. Hugs and loving thoughts for anyone who needs them.
posted by Fig at 5:06 AM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Sending love and hugs to anyone who needs it today.
posted by TwoStride at 5:16 AM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Sending hugs to Brussels, one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my entire life. Can't believe this happened. Hugs and peace to all of you.
posted by silverstatue at 5:18 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

More hugs & cetera to Brussels from Rome.

I'm starting to side-eye coming into the center for work on Friday when the yearly clusterfuck that is the Via Crucis is supposed to be happening...

The growing police/carabinieri presence feels more ominous than calming...
posted by progosk at 5:27 AM on March 22, 2016

Brussels was my home for a bit shy of a year, back in 1983. Hope my old friends and acquaintances there are all safe and well. Terrible, these wanton attacks. Hope this rotten world can get a little more straightened out and on a better path in the months and years to come.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:29 AM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

The Dutch train has been searched and nothing suspicious turned up.
posted by Too-Ticky at 5:33 AM on March 22, 2016 [5 favorites]

Hugs to you all.
posted by rtha at 5:33 AM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

I love Brussels, and the Belgium people, and I'm so sorry this is happening.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 5:38 AM on March 22, 2016

Hugs to you, colfax, and your family.

And hugs to you all
posted by glaucon at 5:48 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

I guess madness like this is all kind of weirdly routine now.

If I had stayed over at my girlfriend's in Brussels I'd have been on the wrong tram through Maelbeek at just about the wrong time on my way back to Leuven, but at the moment I'm just figuring out how to finish my work before cycling dinner to her tonight, and what to do with my Ryanair flights to Berlin from the wrong airport on Friday. There were tons of ambulances screaming towards the big university hospital near where a work a little while ago, and all my colleagues are mostly just resigned and tired of it all rather than angry or hateful.

As Fred Rogers said, we should look for the helpers, and Belgium honestly is full of them at the moment.
posted by Blasdelb at 5:49 AM on March 22, 2016 [49 favorites]

This is sad and despicable but I refuse to hate the people who did this. I'll hate their actions instead.
posted by Too-Ticky at 5:51 AM on March 22, 2016 [6 favorites]

Working on getting two employees back to Paris from Brussels at the moment, could have been much worse as many more were flying in tonight for an event tomorrow which has happily been cancelled.

Hugs to all that need them, this is not a nice thing to live through.
posted by ellieBOA at 5:52 AM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Hugs and comfort. This is so sad.
posted by fraula at 5:52 AM on March 22, 2016

Hang in there folks. So sorry to hear this. It's been 26 years since I visited Brussels for a couple of days but I remember it as a beautiful place with great people.
posted by freecellwizard at 5:57 AM on March 22, 2016

My parent company is based in Belgium and we pretty much had to have a tally of our coworkers today. Thankfully everyone is OK, even one that actually had scheduled a flight this morning. I don't know why she didn't go or if she was scheduled to go slightly later.

Hugs to everyone that was affected this awful day!

And Belgium really is a nice place to visit. Lovely old town centres, beer, chocolate, waffles and all that.
posted by Harald74 at 6:16 AM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Finally heard for sure that my sister who lives and works just outside of Brussels is fine and her husband is in the US for now. My heart goes out to all those whose news is not as good.
posted by mareli at 6:18 AM on March 22, 2016 [11 favorites]

Jesus, so sorry, Belgium.
(Hugs)
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 6:48 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Just checked with my European Commission colleagues as their office is literally upstairs the Maelbeek station. They're a little bit shocked after seeing wounded people fleeing the station but they're fine.
posted by elgilito at 6:56 AM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]

Hugs to all from a random dot on the US map.
posted by shiny blue object at 7:09 AM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Love from Malaysia. I'm waiting to hear back from a friend who I hadn't talked to in a very long time, but I hope she's OK.
posted by divabat at 7:15 AM on March 22, 2016

I've got flights to go to a conference in Brussels in May. No hotels yet.

But I'll book them soon. Yes, still going.

In the meantime, buzzing about Facebook checking on various friends in Brussels.
posted by nat at 7:17 AM on March 22, 2016

This is sad and despicable but I refuse to hate the people who did this. I'll hate their actions instead

I hate the people who did it and their actions.
posted by AugustWest at 7:39 AM on March 22, 2016 [5 favorites]

Sending hugs of solidarity from Belfast to Brussels, to anyone who wants them.
posted by billiebee at 7:58 AM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]

Our family and friends are all safe, only two were in Brussels anyway. I feel sick to my stomach though.

Yup, it seems that a suspicious parcel has been found at station Hoofddorp in the Netherlands.

Just last weekend my husband returned by train from a business trip and forgot his suitcase in the train. We were half expecting a bomb squad to have detonated it as a precaution, but no, it had travelled all the way to Roosendaal undisturbed, where it waited for him to go and collect it the following day. No fuss at all (and nothing stolen from it). That may very well change; I think people are going to be a little more nervous about unattended luggage for a while.
posted by sively at 8:24 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Lots of thoughts and hugs going out to all of our Belgian mefites, from this USian as well. Be well, take a breath, hug your loved ones, and embrace the new day that dawns tomorrow. Hell, let's all hug then, too. We may just start something.
posted by Brak at 8:34 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Thoughts & hugs to Belgian mefites, their friends & families, I weep for you. So deeply sorry also for every victim of terror that this horrifying event triggers.
posted by madamjujujive at 9:19 AM on March 22, 2016

Mark me as another that got an "I'm ok" text from Brussels before the news, sure made that first image on CNN twist the stomach into a knot.
posted by sammyo at 9:40 AM on March 22, 2016 [5 favorites]

Be safe everyone.
posted by Fizz at 9:47 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Just heard on my way into work. Hugs to you today and for the days ahead.
posted by a halcyon day at 11:35 AM on March 22, 2016

Hugs to MeFites, friends, colleagues, and anyone else who wants one in Belgium.
posted by en forme de poire at 12:30 PM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Hugs and love to everyone there.

I had been doing some airplane commuting in the U.S. Northeast in 2001, and I had been heading downtown to catch the end of the Boston Marathon in 2013. Both times neither I nor anyone I knew came anywhere near to being hurt, but there was this unexpected weird moment when I realized that the people who care about me might hear the news and think I'd been involved, and the intense need to update them as soon as possible, thinking of the worry and anxiety they could be feeling. I think of it as the "I'm okay, turn on the news" message moment.

Which I guess is a very round-about way of thanking you all for your updates.
posted by benito.strauss at 12:40 PM on March 22, 2016 [4 favorites]

Hugs to everyone that needs them today.
posted by nubs at 1:06 PM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

more hugs here
posted by dawkins_7 at 2:44 PM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

My friends are okay, but, like Churachura, I think about the security guy with incredibly blue eyes who chats with you at the United Airlines check-in counter, as he looks over your bags, passport, and person, and the people who own a wonderful Indian restaurant in Etterbeek.
posted by SillyShepherd at 4:37 PM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

I only know one person in Belgium, but he's one of my oldest friends, going back to middle school. I honestly can't remember if he's in Brussels or Antwerp these days, but either way I'm worried about him in the way that old guy friends aren't supposed to openly admit to each other. I sent him an email ("hey man"), but it's the middle of the night there and I haven't heard back. I guess statistically it's unlikely he or anyone he knows was hurt, but it's one of those things that's pretty hard to let go of until you know.

Hope everyone's safe.
posted by teponaztli at 5:36 PM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]

Hugs from someone who has been flying through Brussels every few months for a while, and still will. My thoughts are with you all.
posted by solotoro at 7:24 PM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

"A few misguided youths"? Seriously--this wasn't a prank gone wrong.
posted by Ideefixe at 9:10 AM on March 23, 2016 [5 favorites]

En Cote d'Ivoire, on n'a meme pas peur!
posted by ChuraChura at 11:01 AM on March 23, 2016 [5 favorites]

Just came here from watching that on youtube, churachura ;p
posted by infini at 11:38 AM on March 23, 2016

A few misguided youth

Oh, kids these days! They do the darnedest things!

But seriously, that's the most tone-deaf thing I've read about the coordinated terrorist attacks in Brussels yet.
posted by John Cohen at 1:01 PM on March 24, 2016 [2 favorites]