Life is continuously changing, taking you on different paths and bringing new opportunities you only need to recognise and take advantage of. ‘Go with the flow’, but make the most out of it. It is something that I think governs the life of most expats, at least those who have managed to adapt and integrate where they live, far from their birthplaces. Katerina Tsichlaki is one of them, who has also become a dear friend.

She’s been living in Belgium for 20 years already, and she says that Brussels is her home now.

’I feel happy here, to me home is the place where our memories are being created and dreams and love reside.’

For a Greek born in sunny Crete, it is no small thing to say with such conviction that she loves Brussels, it is almost contagious. She laughs when I ask about her favourite thing about this country :

’the weather, of course … I am joking. Belgium is teeming with architectural treasures. I am particularly fond of the Art Nouveau movement, not only in buildings but also in furniture design, jewellery, and glassware. I love the proximity to other European cities, the flea markets and the very neat, beautiful and well taken care of gardens in the Flemish villages. I love opera and theatre and enjoy my daily strolls in the Cinquantenaire Park.’

Katerina admits though that she spends most of her holidays in Crete, Peloponnese and Epirus and she loves to travel to London, Boston or the French Alps for skiing. She loves to cook Mediterranean meals, and I can definitely certify her food is delicious ! She says she also likes Japanese food, for an authentic unpretentious experience, I recommend Yamayu Santatsu in Ixelles.

Katerina’s life story started in Greece.

’I was born and raised in Heraklion, Crete, the place where hospitality (philoxenia=love of strangers) was born. According to mythology, Crete was the birthplace of Zeus, the most powerful god of all, who was also the protector of strangers. It was considered a sin to treat a stranger badly and hospitality was always offered regardless of one’s status, class or wealth. I learned from an early age what philoxenia meant. My parents, for instance, had their house open to friends and friends of friends every Sunday and it was a happy gathering of all ages that lasted all day long, with great food, music, games and laughter.

I later left Crete, studied Political Science and Public Administration and later got my MBA degree in Athens. I worked as a Press Office Assistant for a political party, in charge of preparing and delivering press releases. After my Master’s, I started working as Product Manager for a large pasta company. Then, I met my husband and decided to move to Brussels to be with him, as he had a permanent job at the European Institutions.

In 2012 I became involved as a founding member of the nonprofit association, The Discovering Network, aiming to promote Greek and Cypriot products, gastronomy and culture in Belgium. We were organising gastronomic and cultural events and finding sponsors while I was also responsible for the social media of the association.’

Together with her husband she often organises cultural events at their home, promoting young musicians.

’I love being creative, I am into arts and crafts. Jewels are my passion and my hobby. I am inspired by nature which is mostly my fuel for creativity. More particularly, I love creating brooches and earrings with bronze, semi-precious stones, liquid glass and soldering metal. I showcase my creations at the Greek stall, during our Christmas Charity Bazaar every year.

I have been active member of the Greek Group of Femmes d’Europe since 2010 and have been FdE Social Media Manager for the last two years. Frankly, I started going to the group meetings as an escape from the heavy daily routine of growing two kids.
These days, I try to go to most of the events.
It is here that I meet a lot of new friends and enjoy the idea of being part of a beautiful team, working for a great cause.’

As Katerina is very involved and concerned about the success of our Association, she adds in the end :

’one of the goals of the Communications team is to keep in touch better and more efficiently with our national groups. Unfortunately, we often lack internal interaction. We need feedback from the groups, we ask our members to be more active, spread the word of what we do, use the social media platforms and promote our work. Social media is a powerful tool to raise awareness and support our mission. It helps us reach a wider audience and increases our visibility.’

So, dear ladies, stay active and support our cause ! LIKE Femmes d’Europe !