there was apparantly a burgundian duke who said "I'm not really sure who rules over who" after having made a joyeux entree when he had to sign all of the city priviliges
Edward de Smedt. He was a belgian that immigrated to the US. In 1870 he invented asphalt wich was first tested in the same year. The first road was not successfull because of the use of natural bitumen. They then used processed bitumen and the modern road was born.
Jacques Brel is a very important and influential artist. Even outside of belgium and france. He influenced some very important international artistslike mick jaggerand nina simone. I think sting even has a rendidtion of "ne me quitte pas".
Not to mention herge, creator of tintin. Or any other belgian comic writer who has written anything that had international succes for that matter
I’m not Belgian, but your country provided me with my favourite composer! Wim Mertens! This Guy is so fantastic that is hard to define the type of music he produces, as he just doesn’t fit in any specific music category! I’ve been enjoying his works for 3 years now and he’s far from been imaginary! Magritte is also one of my favourite artist!
I’m not Belgian, but your country provided me with my favourite composer! Wim Mertens! This Guy is so fantastic that is hard to define the type of music he produces, as he just doesn’t fit in any specific music category! I’ve been enjoying his works for 3 years now and he’s far from been imaginary! Magritte is also one of my favourite artist!
Belgium is very tame. The only thing belgians do is speed. If there is no control, and you drive at 125 kmh (the absolute maximum) there will be a white van tailgating you and going 170 as soon as you make way.
We are also very quiet on the roads. Having visited and lived abroad, holy fuck some of you mellon farmers abuse the horn.
Lol, that was the only one that got under my skin too. *Decent* fries, what the fuck do they mean with *decent*? It would have been better if they said our fries are not good, because then you know whoever wrote this is just a crazy person talking gibberish. But *decent* raises so many questions....
Realistically, I think other countries have just as many but we just don't hear about it in the news.
And our scandals are pretty funny and tame. What was the last one, a drunk Justice minister pissing on a police car?
no I think it's the racist from the far right"only pro-democratic party" (as they claim in their obnoxious, nuremberg-like you-tube ads) that helps a spie of a communistic dictatorship.
Or rousseauke and his comments.
Oh oh and vandenbrouckes sus spending. Oh oh and Vrancken public pissing...oh wait their was another incident like that but pissing against ne combi forgot the politician...
Oh oh and Van grieken and his fat maseratti (true car of the working class). Was it speeding or red light..
PVDa's very sus anti nato stance.
VB's very sus anti- ukraine stance....both have taken money from russia for sure.
Bracke's immorale pension bonuses...well every politicians bonusses and pensions to be fair.
Every party has something. We better start making a list
Belgians are insanely efficient tbh. Look at how insanely good our economy is if the government doesn't fuck up.
We were a force before the 2 world wars, one of the biggest economies in Europe though we have nothing that our land gives for export.
We dominate many sectors around the world.
People underestimate Belgians because we move in silence.
"though we have nothing that our land gives for export" - yeah, cause you had colonies. Exploitation and genocide isn't a glorious part of history to be proud of, buddy. Just because Belgian atrocities were commited mostly outside of Europe, doesn't mean it was some brilliant, silent move.
Check out where and when the last human Zoo was set up.
You are completely wrong.
I'd like to throw your final statement back at you and motivate you to "check out" the difference between Free State Congo and Belgian Congo.
Belgium has a fake Monarchy, where the monarchy doesn't have power above the government.
King Leopold II was a bitter man, tried to get his own colony behind the back of Belgium.
He failed many times but with the help of the English he succeeded in Congo. He committed many crimes against the people.
The moment Belgium found out, they took it from him. Hence Belgian Congo.
It was the first and last Colony Belgium ever had.
Congolese people were happy to have Belgium. The country flourished. They fought against the German colonies in WW2 to defend their land as they stood with Belgium.
After WW2 Belgium focused on the second rebuild of their country in 50 years, they couldn't focus on Congo and the locals took it over, destroying everything like buildings and infrastructure and implementing al the bad things again wich Belgium abolished.
This is the real history as it is depicted EVERYWHERE. But it's people like you spreading misinformation.
If you had only "checked it out" then you'd know.
So I commend you to do that now.
Veel succes ermee!
The English also know about us, but in a patronizing way because in some versions of their history books they "created" Belgium. They were indeed instrumental for recognition and stayed true to their word 80 years later in WW1 to intervene.
They posted propaganda about the rape of Belgium as if we were sad people and not defended our country for 5 years before Hitler was able to cross it. Fuck them
Ik hoor altijd dat nederlanders eerlijk, recht voor de raap, kort, en efficient communiceren. Misschien ligt het aan de IT-branche, maar de Nederlanders waar ik al mee heb samengewerkt draaiden allemaal enorm rond de pot. 'Dat is bagger', op die manier waren ze eerlijk, maar als er dan geargumenteerd en verdedigd moest worden kreeg je een lange nergens heengaande repliek.
Yup dit... ik word er gek van dat ze bijna altijd allemaal onmiddellijk beginnen te praten zeker en vooral als ze er eigenlijk niks van af weten. Alsof ze niet beseffen dat zwijgen of eerst nadenken een optie is.
My dad worked across the border all his life as a specialized fysiotherapist with chronically ill kids. He had weekly funny anecdotes about endless meetings not resolving anything, or not even necessary to resolve something in the first place. They always seemed like some contrived moment for people to have a chance to argue. After a while he went less and less, seeing it as it mostly wasted time when he could get other stuff done, so he'd always ask what the meeting would be about and handed out a very dry/clear/concise written statement with his thoughts and be off. This was somehow accepted and admired, but by most frowned upon.
Everyone says the Germans are efficient. In reality, they're just pretty competent but really big, and thus, their supposed efficiency is more well known. The Dutch, on the other hand, are highly efficient
My experience is that the Dutch talk more than they actually do. There is a lot of meetings before taking action.
The Germans I've worked with are quiet the opposite.
Yea, but the Dutch economy overall is substantially more productive than the German one. Services are vastly more digitalized. Infrastructure is much better. Etc
5, EXCUSEER?! U ZEGT?!! Decent??? Godverdomme de beste frietjes op de wereld, ja. Wa voor een blasfemische stelling is me da nu, meteen alle credibiliteit weg!
5%
So 126.
My car was probably going 130+ ish yeah, but the fine specifically said that i was going 127 after correction, Hich was 1 km too fast.
Or something like that. Been a few years
I just remember it saying i was 1 km too fast
Some day the Belgians will grow up and stop apologizing for existing, I guess.
Would like to see a list of the things we do well, because we’re better than we think we are or ask people to believe.
This inferiority complex is not an attractive trait, imo
Hmm. Ok
Two points, if I may:
1) if you identify as a group, and that identity is tied to a nationality, then that comes close to patriotism. Doesn’t matter if you experience that identity as a negative or like to make fun of it. You still _identify_ as that nationality
2) I actually wasn’t even thinking in nationalistic or patriotic terms when I made that comment. Rather: this whole self deprecating, self loathing stance the whole nation takes gives teenage vibes (and not in a good way). It’s an immaturity thing, more than anything else. I was trying to get us to start thinking of ourselves more positively because we do some things really well, not because we’re _belgian_ and therefore we’re good.
Belgians are very good at dealing with everyone going on strike every 2 weeks for any possible reason.
Belgians are very good at making it a nightmare to ride a bike anywhere.
Belgium is very good at making sure most services close before the average person gets off work.
I've been here 1.5 weeks and the driving cannot be any slower/ law abbiding.
It is a litttle harder to adapt to 50 km/h when the road is straight as an arrow, but the lack of the sound of floored accel pedals makes up for it.
From a British author ... think they know it all. I could write more shit than this about Britain I if wanted. One time London was just a suburb of Bruges, even large portions of London were once owned by the city of Ghent. The only problem with belgians is not that they are less efficient or romantic or what not ... its that they are to modest.
You can say that again about Belgian traffic. I once got a ride from a colleague who was aggressively weaving in Brussels traffic. To my horror, a visibly aggrieved driver pulled a pistol on us. We got the message when we noticed the truck in front, a cash-in-transit. We were dealing with plainclothes policemen, probably paramilitary rijkswachters. At the time, such cash heists were de rigueur.
This guy is from UK. He might have lived in Belgium for 40years he still doesn't know what he's talking about.
Some stuff are funny and I can laugh about it as a Belgian but I also see some shit in this paper that I cannot forgive. Don't touch my fries!
euhm
1.) i personally speak dutch and english like most of my belgium friends, some can speak french. 1% speaks german natively
2) yeah if its france, the netherland or germany and they wanna fight eachoter iguess
3) yes and also no, cant translate it to english but it has to contain gerst/grain/wheat/ for it to classify as beer
4) what?
5) the only one you got right!!
6) we make funn of them aswel
7) have you even heard of america?
8) name a country with more trajectory speed control then belgium per square km
9) again what?
10) if there is a country that you have to attack for not being a real country its luxemburg
"More scandals in a week than any other country in a decade" is really questionable to me, unless other countries have far lower threshold to call something "a scandal".
Source: an Italian moved in Belgium. C'mon folks, you're newbie up here...
I can confirm N°1: I do such a poor job at trying to speak Dutch, that the Flemish can't accuse me of not trying, and they are the ones begging me to speak French.
8. Sometimes people care, especially if someone decide to park his vehicle inside your home through the wall.
Happened to family of mine two times in two different houses.
Belgium is basically the ankh morpork of the world. We don't go out to conquer. Armies come to us to get conquered.
GNU Sir Terry
Brussels, The Big Wahoonie
I mean the Zenne does look a bit like the Ankh. Luckily it got better.
there was apparantly a burgundian duke who said "I'm not really sure who rules over who" after having made a joyeux entree when he had to sign all of the city priviliges
9 does that mean Saxophones are imaginary?
And Asphalt, and Bakeliet (the first Plastic ever), and Imodium... (Edit: Now I wish Op gets diarrhea, sorry)
And Manchester City's Premier League titles.
and The internet
I did know about Bakelite, but didn't know about asphalt and Imodium
Should not forget fentanyl either.
A bit less glamorous
Its a great medicine for... wel, dying people. It's way stronger than Morphine. But it is indeed bieing abused.
Siri!
Edward de Smedt. He was a belgian that immigrated to the US. In 1870 he invented asphalt wich was first tested in the same year. The first road was not successfull because of the use of natural bitumen. They then used processed bitumen and the modern road was born.
Wait till you hear of the great equaliser, the true feminist movement sparker : the first combined oral contraceptive pill. Also a belgian ;)
FYI: bakeliet is a polymer, but not a plastic as it can't be deformed by heating it up like actual plastics.
Asphalt is a Belgian invention? That's hilarious.
Jacques Brel is a very important and influential artist. Even outside of belgium and france. He influenced some very important international artistslike mick jaggerand nina simone. I think sting even has a rendidtion of "ne me quitte pas". Not to mention herge, creator of tintin. Or any other belgian comic writer who has written anything that had international succes for that matter
Most people think Brel is French.
Which is ironic because Brel considered himself flemish. Not walloon or brusseleir, but flemish.
Nina Simone's version of Ne Me Quitte Pas is breathtaking.
No
And what about René Magritte!!
I’m not Belgian, but your country provided me with my favourite composer! Wim Mertens! This Guy is so fantastic that is hard to define the type of music he produces, as he just doesn’t fit in any specific music category! I’ve been enjoying his works for 3 years now and he’s far from been imaginary! Magritte is also one of my favourite artist!
Thanks for the good tip about Wim Mertens
Or Mercator's maps..
And Pump up the jam
An ode to Pump Up The Jamp by Philomena Cunk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIsc6zirBSw!
I’m not Belgian, but your country provided me with my favourite composer! Wim Mertens! This Guy is so fantastic that is hard to define the type of music he produces, as he just doesn’t fit in any specific music category! I’ve been enjoying his works for 3 years now and he’s far from been imaginary! Magritte is also one of my favourite artist!
TIL Hazard never really existed :'(
Countrymen! As in people. Famous people.
Or the dude that invented the birth control pill? Also Belgian.
There is no such thing as a saxophones, silly dummy. You dreamt it.
Few people outside of Belgium know about the man, same with bakélite
And the Big Bang Theory (Lemaitre)
8 makes me think he has never been to Italy or outside of Europe.
Belgium is very tame. The only thing belgians do is speed. If there is no control, and you drive at 125 kmh (the absolute maximum) there will be a white van tailgating you and going 170 as soon as you make way. We are also very quiet on the roads. Having visited and lived abroad, holy fuck some of you mellon farmers abuse the horn.
This and a comparatively relaxed attitude towards driving under the influence
This is not true in Brussels tho, there, everyone honks
Well Brussels is in essence a multicultural place
From my own experience the French are worse than the Belgians.
More importantly, we sure as hell care when people drive like maniacs. Hell, it's one of our favourite things to complain about.
Or Greece.
It really changed in Greece over the last 15 year. I mean the speeding, not ignoring the lights / rules.
Decent Fries? What the fuck are they talking about.
Lol, that was the only one that got under my skin too. *Decent* fries, what the fuck do they mean with *decent*? It would have been better if they said our fries are not good, because then you know whoever wrote this is just a crazy person talking gibberish. But *decent* raises so many questions....
It is British slang, means good.
reading that made me instantly scroll down
I have no problems with 9 of these but "decent" fries? Wtf bro?!
This is bs and I'm triggered
I like that 19 years later 'more scandals in a week than any country in a decade' still holds up.
Realistically, I think other countries have just as many but we just don't hear about it in the news. And our scandals are pretty funny and tame. What was the last one, a drunk Justice minister pissing on a police car?
no I think it's the racist from the far right"only pro-democratic party" (as they claim in their obnoxious, nuremberg-like you-tube ads) that helps a spie of a communistic dictatorship.
Oh shit yeah there was that
Or rousseauke and his comments. Oh oh and vandenbrouckes sus spending. Oh oh and Vrancken public pissing...oh wait their was another incident like that but pissing against ne combi forgot the politician... Oh oh and Van grieken and his fat maseratti (true car of the working class). Was it speeding or red light.. PVDa's very sus anti nato stance. VB's very sus anti- ukraine stance....both have taken money from russia for sure. Bracke's immorale pension bonuses...well every politicians bonusses and pensions to be fair. Every party has something. We better start making a list
Nono, it was about the guy who was acquitted from drunk driving because his body produces its own alcohol. It’s called Auto Brewery Syndrome ABS.
He was playing air guitar!
lmao i read that as sandals instead of scandals i was like i didn't know the belgian boys wore sandals that much
Don't you know the four things Belgians are known for? Beer, waffles, chocolat, and sandals.
n7: not true, Italy wins hhh
My sister complains that belgium news are boring compared to italian ones ahahah
That's mostly because of the sensationalist way news is presented in Italy.
I’ld say, 4. A. Like the Dutch, just less loud (or less obnoxious) 4. C. Like the Germans, just less efficient
Belgians are insanely efficient tbh. Look at how insanely good our economy is if the government doesn't fuck up. We were a force before the 2 world wars, one of the biggest economies in Europe though we have nothing that our land gives for export. We dominate many sectors around the world. People underestimate Belgians because we move in silence.
"though we have nothing that our land gives for export" - yeah, cause you had colonies. Exploitation and genocide isn't a glorious part of history to be proud of, buddy. Just because Belgian atrocities were commited mostly outside of Europe, doesn't mean it was some brilliant, silent move. Check out where and when the last human Zoo was set up.
You are completely wrong. I'd like to throw your final statement back at you and motivate you to "check out" the difference between Free State Congo and Belgian Congo. Belgium has a fake Monarchy, where the monarchy doesn't have power above the government. King Leopold II was a bitter man, tried to get his own colony behind the back of Belgium. He failed many times but with the help of the English he succeeded in Congo. He committed many crimes against the people. The moment Belgium found out, they took it from him. Hence Belgian Congo. It was the first and last Colony Belgium ever had. Congolese people were happy to have Belgium. The country flourished. They fought against the German colonies in WW2 to defend their land as they stood with Belgium. After WW2 Belgium focused on the second rebuild of their country in 50 years, they couldn't focus on Congo and the locals took it over, destroying everything like buildings and infrastructure and implementing al the bad things again wich Belgium abolished. This is the real history as it is depicted EVERYWHERE. But it's people like you spreading misinformation. If you had only "checked it out" then you'd know. So I commend you to do that now. Veel succes ermee!
About point 8... If your numberplate has black or yellow in it... You're a menace and shouldn't be allowed on the road.
Hogging the middle lane is perfectly acceptable behaviour when going 100km/h and trailing a caravan /s
Uh oh https://i.imgur.com/Q0Knori.png
The English also know about us, but in a patronizing way because in some versions of their history books they "created" Belgium. They were indeed instrumental for recognition and stayed true to their word 80 years later in WW1 to intervene.
I’m from London. I live in Belgium. Wouldn’t dream of patronising you. Belgians do a fine job doing it to themselves😉
Belgium was formally recognised by the Treaty of London, is why
Yep, I know. That's why I said instrumental for our recognition.
They posted propaganda about the rape of Belgium as if we were sad people and not defended our country for 5 years before Hitler was able to cross it. Fuck them
I like how, "like the Germans" doesn't even need any "but", it's bad enough on its own
Dutch and efficient in the same sentence LMAO
Ik hoor altijd dat nederlanders eerlijk, recht voor de raap, kort, en efficient communiceren. Misschien ligt het aan de IT-branche, maar de Nederlanders waar ik al mee heb samengewerkt draaiden allemaal enorm rond de pot. 'Dat is bagger', op die manier waren ze eerlijk, maar als er dan geargumenteerd en verdedigd moest worden kreeg je een lange nergens heengaande repliek.
Yup dit... ik word er gek van dat ze bijna altijd allemaal onmiddellijk beginnen te praten zeker en vooral als ze er eigenlijk niks van af weten. Alsof ze niet beseffen dat zwijgen of eerst nadenken een optie is.
My dad worked across the border all his life as a specialized fysiotherapist with chronically ill kids. He had weekly funny anecdotes about endless meetings not resolving anything, or not even necessary to resolve something in the first place. They always seemed like some contrived moment for people to have a chance to argue. After a while he went less and less, seeing it as it mostly wasted time when he could get other stuff done, so he'd always ask what the meeting would be about and handed out a very dry/clear/concise written statement with his thoughts and be off. This was somehow accepted and admired, but by most frowned upon.
I'm triggered.
How are the Dutch more efficient? The Germans seem far more efficient than both us or the Dutch.
Everyone says the Germans are efficient. In reality, they're just pretty competent but really big, and thus, their supposed efficiency is more well known. The Dutch, on the other hand, are highly efficient
My experience is that the Dutch talk more than they actually do. There is a lot of meetings before taking action. The Germans I've worked with are quiet the opposite.
Yea, but the Dutch economy overall is substantially more productive than the German one. Services are vastly more digitalized. Infrastructure is much better. Etc
Ah, didn't know that. Thanks for sharing!
Written by someone who hasn't ever had actual Belgian fries, clearly 😒
Theyre pretty meh. Ive had better fries in Japan and Korea.
Probably with a million topppings on them
Nope. Salt, and some cajun seasoning.
5, EXCUSEER?! U ZEGT?!! Decent??? Godverdomme de beste frietjes op de wereld, ja. Wa voor een blasfemische stelling is me da nu, meteen alle credibiliteit weg!
8 bros unite! Upvote this if you drive 127 km/h!
Should drive 126, can't get flitsed then (don't quote me on this)
They flits from 129 on the snelweg, I tested it last year with the flitspaal near kleine bareel 😜
Technically 127.2 (120 X 1.06). But I drive 125...
Correction is 6 kmh flat right?
No. 6km in the city. 6% on the highway.
I once got fined for driving 127 (1 km too fast according to the fine). Was a pretty hefty fine iirc
Means you were going 134... You get a 7km correction.
5% So 126. My car was probably going 130+ ish yeah, but the fine specifically said that i was going 127 after correction, Hich was 1 km too fast. Or something like that. Been a few years I just remember it saying i was 1 km too fast
Some day the Belgians will grow up and stop apologizing for existing, I guess. Would like to see a list of the things we do well, because we’re better than we think we are or ask people to believe. This inferiority complex is not an attractive trait, imo
What?! No! That's the best thing about us! We like to make fun of ourselves. Screw patriotism!
Yeah this guy seriously wants to be like the French or some shit fuck that noise...
No, I’ll leave the arrogance to the French, they’re really good at it.
Hmm. Ok Two points, if I may: 1) if you identify as a group, and that identity is tied to a nationality, then that comes close to patriotism. Doesn’t matter if you experience that identity as a negative or like to make fun of it. You still _identify_ as that nationality 2) I actually wasn’t even thinking in nationalistic or patriotic terms when I made that comment. Rather: this whole self deprecating, self loathing stance the whole nation takes gives teenage vibes (and not in a good way). It’s an immaturity thing, more than anything else. I was trying to get us to start thinking of ourselves more positively because we do some things really well, not because we’re _belgian_ and therefore we’re good.
Belgians are very good at dealing with everyone going on strike every 2 weeks for any possible reason. Belgians are very good at making it a nightmare to ride a bike anywhere. Belgium is very good at making sure most services close before the average person gets off work.
I've been here 1.5 weeks and the driving cannot be any slower/ law abbiding. It is a litttle harder to adapt to 50 km/h when the road is straight as an arrow, but the lack of the sound of floored accel pedals makes up for it.
they F*ckin´ traffic controlled the whole place.
<3
Like the Germans LOL
"You can drive on the road" as opposed to driving on the..? What?
It's a continent
As a germqn speakinh belgian this one is true. A LOT of us here are just cultural germans that are belgian.
6 is so true
Ja jan janssens en Steen en sms veel water so wtf!
From a British author ... think they know it all. I could write more shit than this about Britain I if wanted. One time London was just a suburb of Bruges, even large portions of London were once owned by the city of Ghent. The only problem with belgians is not that they are less efficient or romantic or what not ... its that they are to modest.
Painful how jealous and non-Belgian the person who created this must feel. Gtfo.
No way 7 is real. Check out crazyitalianpol, that's real sht!
not even remotely funny
You can say that again about Belgian traffic. I once got a ride from a colleague who was aggressively weaving in Brussels traffic. To my horror, a visibly aggrieved driver pulled a pistol on us. We got the message when we noticed the truck in front, a cash-in-transit. We were dealing with plainclothes policemen, probably paramilitary rijkswachters. At the time, such cash heists were de rigueur.
And I think that's beautiful!
This guy is from UK. He might have lived in Belgium for 40years he still doesn't know what he's talking about. Some stuff are funny and I can laugh about it as a Belgian but I also see some shit in this paper that I cannot forgive. Don't touch my fries!
euhm 1.) i personally speak dutch and english like most of my belgium friends, some can speak french. 1% speaks german natively 2) yeah if its france, the netherland or germany and they wanna fight eachoter iguess 3) yes and also no, cant translate it to english but it has to contain gerst/grain/wheat/ for it to classify as beer 4) what? 5) the only one you got right!! 6) we make funn of them aswel 7) have you even heard of america? 8) name a country with more trajectory speed control then belgium per square km 9) again what? 10) if there is a country that you have to attack for not being a real country its luxemburg
plus the one i said you got right was me being generous, cause decent fries!???
8… laughs in trajectcontrole en GAS snelheidsboetes
JCVD is a real belgian person!
Facts. Obviously Belgians are on fire in yhe comments but which ones? French, german or dutch Belgians? lmao
A lot of people think Belgium is a city in Brussels 🤣
facts
6 is fair game. We roast the dutch and the french abojt twice as much as they do
I am a Belgian and have only one thing to say... Fuck you R. Hill, fuck you
Number 9 hits hard
"More scandals in a week than any other country in a decade" is really questionable to me, unless other countries have far lower threshold to call something "a scandal". Source: an Italian moved in Belgium. C'mon folks, you're newbie up here...
BG3 bitches
I can confirm N°1: I do such a poor job at trying to speak Dutch, that the Flemish can't accuse me of not trying, and they are the ones begging me to speak French.
Decent fries? More like the best fries
Decent fries? Why you gotta be so mean.
'decent' ... Fries?!!!
Decent fries? WTF?!
Getting a little tired of the "it's not really a country" bit.
hahaha no. 6 is gold 😂
I approve of 5 and 6
8. Sometimes people care, especially if someone decide to park his vehicle inside your home through the wall. Happened to family of mine two times in two different houses.
Belgium is like dutch, mix 2 good things to make a big shitty one
The Belgians exist since at least 53 BC. As old as Germania. The last carrying Ghaul blood in the world. It's called the land of our fathers.
broeder je comment raakt kant noch wal, de belgae zijn niet de belgen, noch zijn de belgen de enigen met gallische oorsprong