A day in the life - Eurocrats/brats

The first in a multiple part series providing insight into the daily live of a Belgium G.A.A. player.

Estimated # on squad; Too Many

The sight of these folk brings a look of disdain to many a man's face. These lads saunter around the pubs of Shuman and Place Lux, dipping in and out of conversations whilst switching languages faster than the former Cork Hurlers switch their stance.

Decked out in their fine suits, colourful scarfs and clippidy clop shoes, confidence is not something they have to dig deep to find. A typical working day for one of these characters goes something along these lines;

08h30 - Alarm clock starts thumping in the ear. Up the euro scholar gets to go to the bathroom before returning to bed for another half hours kip.

09h00 - He rises for breakfast. Not a full Irish though. Instead some extravagent cocktail of fruit. He would have learned about these new fruits whilst on a stagiere / very expensive junket to some far off land, during which time the most productive thing he did was learn how to make a good smoothie.

10h00 - Just in time for the morning scones, our young political whip breezes through the office doors like some sort of Lord Mayor. He hits the power button on the PC and while waiting for it to warm up he hops from office to office until he finds someone else who is in 'early'. Sat deep in their chairs with legs crossed and hands clasped, they 'hohoho' about the latest cock up from the opposition government. A quick glance at the watch causes panic and they scamper down the stairs for tea and scones.

11h00 - Belly warmed and PC booted up, the emails are examined. He offers instant retaliation to a few and leaves the rest simmer whilst he gathers some other fellow MEP assistants for a game of soccer in the hallway.

12h00 - With beads of sweat appearing on their moisturised skin, they call a halt to the action and head for lunch. Slurs and jibes are exchanged with their political counterparts and temperatures become raised over their three course lunch and half bottle of wine.

13h00 - Time to get busy now for the afternoon. Their boss, who spends alot of his/her time in their Irish office has now arrived at his Irish based desk (I allowed for time difference) so the work needs to be caught up on.

15h00 - Things are 'frantic' in the office as the opposition have just announced an amendment to some random agricultural bill. Responses are drafted, allies are brought closer and the tactics are consensed. Still amongst the chaos, they need to pop down to the canteen for a frappa to settle the nerves.

15h45 - Back at their desk they keep the head down and manage to churn out something which has value associated with it in the bureacratic halls of the European Parliament/Commission etc.

18h00 - Home time arrives and our young assistant is absolutely wrecked after the hectic day of 'work'. A pit stop in Place Lux is a must for any self respecting person and one glass of wine becomes two and so on and so on.

22h00 - The key turns in the door of their merky 10 person appartment and signals the end of another hard day at the office. On with the slippers and up with the feet, followed by an almighty gasp of relief that another day has been conquered.

Some of these jokers actually manage to fit in a bit of G.A.A. on occasion as well. However, their teammates remain deeply suspicious that their motivations are borne of self interest as they chase more votes or try to add another achievement to their gloriously overflowing CV.

If you try to ID them at training, they are very distinct. Usually identified via one of the following traits; always late, no urgency about their movement, full of chat between/during/after drills, the jersey which covers their back (usually a soccer jersey they picked up on their travels) or they can be found bemoaning the aggressive nature of a previous tackle.

Still, in a city like Brussels, they are a necessary evil. You have been warned.