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badprofessor -> RE: what do you know about Belgium? (2/21/2008 8:27:31 AM)
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I went to the Benelux in the early nineties to sample the various beers of Belgium--I'm quite fond of Trappist ales. I took a train from Rotterdam to Brussels and when I got off the train, I had one of the biggest d'Oh moments of my life. I had totally forgotten that French would be spoken in the south. Being Canadian, I have a rudimentary grasp of the language, and I could have done a lot better.
Though I can't pretend to have an in depth knowledge of the Walloons versus the Flemmish issue, I have a sense of it. We have our own version in Canada, and it comes up in conversation from time to time. I used to live in Montreal where you hear something called franglais which is a similar hybrid as the French/Flemmish blend you hear in Brussels. Sorry, but I can remember what you call it.
One of the other things I recall is the dog sh-t all over the place in both the Netherlands and Belgium. What I really laughed at was the tiles on the streets with a picture of a dog squatting. In those days I had hair down to my waist. I was walking past a group of little kids, and the sweetest little girl gushed incredulously, "Quel grosse plume!". My hair is much shorter now, but sometimes one of my friends will still say that to me.
I could go on reminiscing, but just one more. At that time, hardcore techno and gabba was ruling the dance floors, and most of it was coming from Rotterdam and Belgium. I was in a small town in the North, maybe Bruges, and school had just let out. There was a cafe on the edge of the town square blasting while a hundred kids were screaming across the square toward it. Very cool.
Any way, I know a little bit about Belgium...
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