• Belgium way of life

    posted by Deleted user in Belgium forum 

    Hi Fernando,

    Hope I can help you out with some of my observations. I was born and raised in Belgium, but have chosen not to live there for the past 5 years because of various things, some related to my ideas below:

    - Belgian life is still very conservative, everything new and more modern is usually frowned upon at first and takes a long time to be properly established.

    - Belgians love potatoes, beer, chocolate, pastry, football, free concerts in parks and in city squares, going on sun and ski holidays, and generally eating and drinking royally. Oh yeah, don't tell Belgians you like Heineken beer if you don't want to be mocked for the rest of your life.

    - Most Belgians will say they are not racist, but believe me a lot actually are (against non-white people from outside Europe in particular).

    - There is a general idea that politicians and the government are messing up the country and have been doing it for a long time, but no one actually thinks about trying to change things themselves.

    - Belgian political power has been fragmented so much that it seems like nothing actually ever gets done.

    - The organization of everyday life is quite hopeless, everything from store opening hours to public legislation doesn't seem to make any sense.

    - Belgians are generally proud of the educational system and it's probably one of the only things that doesn't get overly criticised all the time.

    - Public infrastructure is a joke. I think 85 % of countries in the world have better and safer roads than Belgium. Cycle lanes, when available, pose a real threat to cyclists' lives. Especially in cities.

    - Though a lot of people moan that life has become so expensive, lots of people still spend a lot of money on luxury products and services. It's all about living above your class and showing it to others.

    - Sports are a big factor in Belgian life. Primary and Secondary school students have Wednesday afternoon off to dedicate to extra-curricular activities such as sports and hobbies. Traditional sports include football, basketball, tennis, cycling, gymnastics, swimming, horse riding and athletics. Various competitions, leagues and open meets usually draw a good crowd. This might play some part in the very low obesity level in Belgium.

    - Though we moan a lot about the goings on in our country, most people would never think of relocating to another country. Loyalty to the country runs deep, but not so much on the surface like in the US.

    - There seems to be a general tendency to look back at 'better times' and constantly compare to the present. The same goes for the older generation and the Euro. Many of them still calculate back to old Franks, though prices have changed substantially and are no longer comparable to pre-Euro standards.

    - Even if it seems that my list shows more 'negative' aspects than 'positive' ones, it's part of the Belgian mentality to shrug off some of the bad and soldier on. It seems to be generally accepted that all is not so bad and that we are lucky in comparison to so many others.

    - Don't call fries 'French Fries'. It's a sensitive issue. Don't rub us the wrong way.

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