Jet-Setting with Jordan: Yubai Liu ft Belgium

Yubai Liu works as an Enrolment Services Advisor. In addition to supporting students in his cohort, he’s involved with a number of project teams to support different student populations across campus. One of the things he enjoys about his work at ES is the opportunity to connect with the different teams and departments across ES and UBC.

Yubai, tell us where you jet-setted off to?

Last summer, I had the chance to travel across Europe which included stops in the UK, Belgium, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Croatia. One of the best parts of the trip was my stop in Belgium! I had a friend who lived in the town of Ghent (Gent), Belgium, whict is about an hour train away from Brussels. The city was the personification of ‘old’ and ‘new’ that many of us associate Europe with.
Strolling through the streets, you would see buildings from the 1600s sitting in between newly renovated apartments and grocery stores.

What were some of your most memorable moments during your trip?

For all of the history enthusiasts out there, the poem In Flanders Fields was written during the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium back in 1915. I had the chance to visit the city of Ypres, which is only about an hour away from Ghent. Situated in the middle of the town is the In Flanders Field Museum – http://www.inflandersfields.be/en. As expected, Canada and its contributions to the war are well represented within the Museum. Also, I braved my fear of heights and climbed to the top of the Museum and was able to see an amazing 360 view of the town.

Perhaps the most well-known fact about Ghent is the Ghent Altarpiece – The Lamb of God.  This priceless painting has a history that dates back to when it was first stolen by Napoleon. More ‘recently’, the artifact was one of the most sought after pieces by Nazis during WWII. A Hollywood movie, “The Monuments Men” (2014), tried to capture the tremendous efforts to keep this artifact safely away from the wrong hands. Currently, it sits in one of the churches in the city of Ghent for public viewing. Unfortunately, I can’t show a picture since photos were not allowed in the exhibit.

Also on the list, I got a tour of a real castle and dungeon!

What was the most interesting meal you had?

In an attempt to be basic, I went out to brunch with my friend. There again, I found myself in the middle of two worlds. We were at an upscale & modern brunch restaurant, sitting on the patio area enjoying croissants, mochas, and eggs benny; yet, about a 50 feet across our table was one of the oldest churches in the city. During the meal, the busy street was filled by metro trains, and then followed by horse carriages. It was definitely an experience!

What is some advice for our future jet-setters?

Be care when you are walking the stairs! I don’t know why, but so many of the stairs / steps are so small and steep. Especially in pubs! Like… why?! Please stay safe. But also, check out Ypres and the Museum when you have the chance. Ghent is a great quiet and relaxing stop (2-3 nights should be enough) in between the busy nearby cities such as London and Paris.