Chocolate Filling: Notes from under the Belgian crust

By Maher Hamoud

CHOCOLATE FILLING is a record of a four-year stay in Belgium. This book is a travel memoir by Maher Hamoud, an Egyptian journalist who almost accidentally happened to be staying in Belgium. The author's experiences are inextricably linked to how he was produced, meant to be, or pleasantly failed to be. A period that might appear to indicate the future of an outsider sharing the life of locals. However, human unpredictability can always change what it forecasts. Without this randomness, life would be as dull as we might imagine a discussion with a politician to be, whether Belgian, European or Arab. MAHER HAMOUD is a Brussels-based Egyptian journalist, a political science researcher and the editor-in-chief of Propaganda Monitor. WHAT OTHER AUTHORS SAY ABOUT CHOCOLATE FILLING: "Hamoud writes with great passion for describing places, feelings and attitudes, particularly in Belgium, and occasionally relating to Europe and his home in Egypt. He has the mind of an anthropologist, the skill of a journalist, and the soul of a daring revolutionary. This travel memoir is a piece of humorous provocation not only about his home or host countries, it's about humanity at large. His reflections on a four-year stay in Western culture can tell us about the non-representative Arab forced to live Orientalist clich?s and evoke embarrassing laughter." - The Daily News Egypt "A thoughtful and hilarious exploration of Belgium, travel, and what it means to be viewed as an outsider" - Jack Shenker , author of The Egyptians: A Radical Story "It made me cry and laugh, feel ashamed and proud, sad and happy. A book all Belgians should read." - Koert Debeuf , author of Inside the Arab Revolution: Three Years on the Front Line of the Arab Spring "From Tahrir Square to Belgian frites - 21st century Belgium contemplated by an award-winning Egyptian journalist" - Tristan Rutherford , author of Walking Istanbul: The Best of the City The author can be reached on Twitter: @MaherHamoud1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maher.hamoud Or by email: m.hamoud@PropagandaMonitor.com

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1539379698
• ISBN13: 9781539379690
• Release Date: October 2016
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 242 Pages
• Weight: 2.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.0" x 0.6" x 4.3"