general thoughts
posted by Drew Sutherland in Belgium forum
Hi Alex,
I see your last post on this was almost two months ago so you've maybe already made the move to Belgium, but I was in a similar sort of boat too; we moved to Wallonia at the start of the year, and apart from all the logistics of the move itself, my main concerns were to do with getting a job and being able to speak Dutch or French in-order to get a job.
My wife had a job secured already before we moved, but I was also looking for a Software Developer role, and I didn't speak French or Dutch to anything like the standard I'd need for work. You're right - there really aren't many job opportunities for us in Wallonia compared with Brussels. So when I did get a job (which asked for "English and French/Dutch") it was a job in Brussels.
Personally, I think the job market is pretty good in Belgium. I even think the transport network is great (apart from the 1 day per month when it isn't). Luckily I don't have to drive through Brussels each day. Collegues often complain that the south is a drain on the taxes - but in my experience, the roads at least seem to be in better condition in Flanders than in the south.
One of the great things about Belgium for jobs is that you can live in Belgium and work somewhere else (in Luxembourg or Maastricht for instance) - there are many possibilities.
I don't think that a split would have such serious implication as the media portray - but I would still hate to see it happen. My grasp of Belgium economic history is sketchy - but I don't think the country should seperate either because of language, or economy - eg I don't think Flanders should "cut off" Wallonia just because it's industry has been in decline.
So where did you end-up: Flanders, Wallonia.. or somewhere "in-between"?
We were going to move to Ghent originally but ended up in Liege. Collegues are almost apologetic when I tell them I live in Liege (- they don't seem to have a good opinion of eg Liege or Charleroi). I agree it isn't the nicest looking compared with Ghent, Brugge, etc but that's about the only complaint I might have... that, and the pot-holes in the roads. The people are mostly great. I think I provide entertainment to shop owners whenever I try to speak French. I was worried people would treat me with distain if I didn't speak French properly - but it really hasn't been the case.