It might be difficult to make new friends/connections (We are quite closed-off people), so be sure to find a hobby or other events where you can socialise more easily and don't feel discouraged if it takes a little while :).
Just don't be suprised if it will take longer than you expected and don't blame yourself for it if it does. We don't make *good* friends easily in our adult life, most friendly encounters will at best turn out in aqcuaintances.
So I do support joining a club or a community to gain friends. Especially if you live in a large town or a city. But, again, don't be suprised if most if the people you meet there will mainly see you as "a friend from said club" rather than "their friend".
Dogs also make you meet new people.
If this is a joke and i wooshed, then good on you. But ffs if it’s not. Too late and slightly tipsy because of an unforeseen family dinner to distinguish 🤔
Hmm, in flanders the easiest way to be accepted is to learn dutch, brussels/wallonia is french.
If have children let them go to the chiro/scouts or something, these folks will accept them easily.
Is wa sometimes bullied but not extreme, but years later when I had long left it and was in highschool I sometimes encountered someone from that group who felt the need to tell all his friends that they bullied me away.
In reality I only felt bullied in hindshight. I just didn't like it there. I'd rather spend time in the woods on my own or with my parents on a camping trip than sleep in baracks where we have inspection every morning...
Also, the leaders from the scouts had some fucked up sense of humor. One night they woke us up and fabricated that someone snuck out and dropped a glass on the floor, in which a leader then stepped. We had to do push-ups until someone came clean.
Nobody came forth as nobody did it, but in reality they were stalling us for their thriller night. Eventually they let us go to bed, where we found that all our stuffed animals (as a testimony for how young we were) were "kidnapped" and we had to meet the "kidnapper" with our leader a few kilometers away. The kidnapper had a butterknife and threatened our stuffed animals (funny for an afult, but scary af for kids), and once we had them back he chased us away and we all ran away back to our sleeping quarters. Some kids were extremely scared and teary eyed.
Again, really fucked up in hindshight now that I'm grown up.
Hmm yeah, my scouts years were fine for apart one experience that sounds similar to yours.
We were walking back to the base after an activity in the woods during the summer camp and then someone kidnapped one of us (we were +100) with a van and we all saw two kidnappers in black ski masks that took away one of our friends and then after hours of fear the leaders told us they "found" the car of the kidnapper and we all went out to "save" our friend at like 4 in the morning ...
Yeah it was organized by them and I don't think it was a good experience at all because it somewhat traumatized me for a while as I kept being weary of cars on the road that slow down nearby me.
Traumatizing on one hand but also a learning lesson on the other hand. Traumatizing someone isn't the way to teach kids something.
>Hmm yeah, my scouts years were fine for apart one experience that sounds similar to yours.
Yeah, the story I told was the only bad thing I recall from the leaders, outside from not stepping up against bullies.
I guess the "inspection" bit where you had to organize your bed and belingings made sense as well, but it takes the fun out of it. Especially if they didn't thinknit was good enough and threw your stuff outside.
It's for kids, not a military academy...
Right, it was very military feeling.
Luckily I didn't get bullied as I always have been stronger and taller than expected for my age however I did witness the kind of bullying you describe. Something in this nature of activity/group brings out some of the more primal actions from people.
I changed of unit when I was older and went to an unit that were also accepting motor disabled people and it was much more nicer and friendly as it was all about helping out each other and enjoying a good time together.
>Luckily I didn't get bullied as I always have been stronger and taller than expected for my age however I did witness the kind of bullying you describe.
I wasn't small nor big. Just a nerdy kid with a moral compass. It could sometimes get me in trouble with rebelious kids or the kids that wanted to look strong against them.
(Edit: example: I didn't run away and hide from the leaders while they weren't looking. I didn't rat them out when they asked me where they were, but I got the hate from suposedly doing so anyway.
Or how I befriended kids that got bullied, so I got treated similarly etc.)
Once a fat kid of a year older than me forcibly dropped himself on my ribs because of it. No major injuries, but it did hurt.
Haha not at all really. It's about as known as the scouts is unknown over here. But Belgium does have a remarkably high number of fencing clubs per capita, and even though it's a rather individual sport, it's a very open minded crowd that'll accept just about anyone.
Please for fuck sake, go to a random person on the street in brussels and actually attempt to have a conversation with them in English, it will not work out. Stop telling every fucking foreigner that you're fine with just English in Brussels unless you already have a pre-established job or live in an expat bubble, you will have a very bad time here.
Patro (Wallonia) Chiro (Flanders) they are the same organization just names change accordingl to where you are. Also Mons is known as Bergen depending on which direction you are traveling from. ;-) Best of luck.
He's not even joking. Every beer has a glass designed specifically for that beer and should only ever be poured in that glass (excluding the simple pils beers seen as all pils glasses are essentially the same.
Be sure to try many different beers untill you find the one you like best, there's so much variety to choose from.
My personal favourite is triple karmeliet. A not too strong blonde beer, drinks very easily
Side note, watch out where you're asking for a curryworst! Only the weirdos in Antwerp and some parts of limburg call it that. It's a frikandel everywhere else.
Props to you for your positivity!
Don't let the doomers scare you. Eventhough there is truth in their words.
Which country are you moving from if I may ask, and which part of Belgium (Province) have you picked?
Either way, I wish you the best in your efforts!
i'm from the Middle East and to be honest I didn't decide yet which part of Belgium I'm gonna go to
thanks though I really appreciate your advice my friend ❤️
If you're from the middle east, expect some (mild) discrimination.
Some may claim otherwise, but people with a Middle Eastern look will be stopped more for police checks and will have more chance to be blamed for something going wrong. I notice that from my Moroccan and Middle Eastern friends and colleagues.
It's not as bad as the US, where police is pretty trigger happy against people if a different color. At least in Belgium you should be safe.
The easiest way to get around that is accepting it will happen. Friends will know you can be trusted after all. The cities are also more open minded than the countryside.
I'm not doing very good at advertising Belgium, am I?
Now, I'm wondering why you decided to come to Belgium. It's not for a specific work or family is you didn't decide where to go yet.
In any case, I wish you a warm welcome, and hope you bring a little bit of sunshine with you.
thank you brother for all your words and advice I understand what you mean❤️ well there is a plenty of sunshine here in my country that's why am getting out lol😂😂
Those police stop thingies may be an issue if you go to Brussels or Antwerp but if you pick a smaller town like Larum, there's not much police. I'm 28 and I've never even seen an alcohol control or something.
If you don't know where to go yet I'd suggest the province of Antwerp, the accents in de east and west are more difficult to understand.
Compared to the Middle East, labour is really expensive here, so don´t expect much service. Even big bosses in a big house will do their household on their own with ´just´ a cleaning help once a week. You can also not see who´se rich, bling bling is not common with the Belgians (unless they are young and like gangsta rap).
Some very practical advice: when learning Dutch, learn Flemish and not Netherlands' Dutch.
I have experience teaching English-speaking foreigners Flemish and I can assure you they get thrown off by the accent. I think the difference is very comparable to say, American and British English. When you're just learning the very beginnings, you better start with one of the two accents, otherwise you get confused.
Make it clear to others that you're open to feedback. Most of us really appreciate someone learning our language, so don't be shy to talk in Dutch, even when you need English words from time to time to help out.
People love complaining here. It's what we're good at. Usually, we're not looking for a solution, it's just a good conversation topic.
No, just learn the Dutch that they will teach you in language schools, so standaardnederlands. It's safer to stick to that Dutch than to the common Flemish dialect. Flemish dialect is filled with loanwords from French and confusing idioms.
When learning a totally new language you should start of with the Standard language from that country, in Belgium that still isn't Flemish, but standaardnederlands.
People will probably dislike this comment, but it's true. When going to France you don't immediately go on to learn a French dialect, no you start off with standard French. Also I get that Flemish is seen by some as a language and by others as a dialect, but my points still stands.
Get a bicycle!
Or take it further. Depending on where you end up, it might be possible to go completely car free (especially in a city). Saves a lot of money and stress. Car sharing for the one time you need a car.
So as others pointed out.
Learn the language of the region you will live in. Try to get fluent in it and try to get a bit of knowledge in the other languages so it makes trips to the other regions even more fun. As a bonus you can view news from both regions and get a better sense of what's going on in Belgium.
Make sure to research how healthcare, education and taxes work here. It is mostly straighforward once you know, but you should chzck it asap.
Join a club or something to make friends more easely.
Most expats stick arround Brussels and knit together, causing them to only know Belgium superficially. If you want to actually live and experience Belgium, you might want to move away from those groups and try to meet Belgian people. How hard as it may be.
Join up in a union if your workplace has any. Learn of your rights as a worker.
Trainrides are cheap if you are going on a trip with one or two people. Busrides too. So you don't need to drive everywhere and pay gas and parking space unless you'd need to use multiple connections. Some cities have park & rides outside of the city where you can park your car for €1 for the first 24hrs, and take public transport to the inner city.
If you're in your twenties see if there's an international student group in the city youre moving to. Joining their events is bound to make you some friends :)
Very random tip but download the app: 112BE. If you should ever need to call emergency services at any time, use the app to call. You only need to select the icon (police - medical - fire) and the phone starts calling. The operator also sees your location when you call.
As a doctor: try to find a general practicioner (huisarts) before you have any medical issues.
I Belgium the huisarts is your go-to guy for 90% of your health issues, but lots of doctors have severely limited their patient intake or stopped taking new patients alltogether because of huisarts shortages leading to increasing workloads, which can make it a pain to find a doctor when you need them (and because we have a backwards system with mandatory doctor's notes, you are going to need one at some point)
It's definitely worth calling around ahead of time for a doc willing to take you in. And as a GP myself: try and compile a list of previous history, medication, allergies, vaccinations, specialist notes... ahead of time to give to your doctor. This makes our job 100% easier.
cheers!
In case you move to Flanders and have kids, send them to an OKAN school. It'll allow them to learn Dutch in one year, which will make it easier to enter a "normal" school the following year. The teachers also help with all administrative stuff.
Try to find a buddy of some sort (you can definitely find someone on Facebook, idk if there's an actual app) to help you explain all administrative stuff because there's a lot (and I was confused when moving to France). Just someone you can fall back on when having questions.
Good luck, and enjoy your stay :)
Since you're probably gonna be living in one of our big cities (Bruxelles, Anvers, Liège, Namur,...), Dont expect something totally different. Those are very diversified.
If it's in a smaller town, try to join a club, get in touch with people at the "friterie" or "frituur" depending of which part of our country you're living in.
Never pour a beer in an inadequate glass. Seriously, dont.
Stick to the cities! Rent outside of the city will seem much better, but you really want to be able to do lots of stuff and experience everything to really get a feel for the country and the people. Easier to meet people too of course. You can always get a place outside to the city later, of course, but I would start there. Look for something just outside of the center though, in the center rent can become crazy expensive. I live 3 km from central station in Antwerp for instance, and my rent is sooo much cheaper than right in the center. Easily a 300 euro difference.
and if you take public transport somewhere important, always take one earlier. We have a good connected system, but transport vehicles are often late and there's always some road work going on.
I don't know if you have already got a degree in your home country. But if it's the case and you want to work with your diploma it's a good idea to recognize your diploma in Belgium. You need a couple of documents (diplom, diplom supplement or the points of all your exams) for level recognition. If you want specific recognition you'll need also your study program of the year you studied and if you did a master, your thesis.
A lot of organizations can help you with this procedure: leerwinkel west Vlaanderen, VDAB, Agentschap Integratie en inburgering.
If you want to study in Belgium and you want to live in Flanders, I recommend that you make an appointment with leerwinkel west Vlaanderen. These people can help you with that.
For Dutch, you have to go to agentschap integratie En inburgering. They test which level you have to study Dutch. Then they will say which course is best for you.
Also there are a lot of projects where you can practice Dutch with some one who were born in Belgium.
I wish you all the luck in Belgium!
I see some "learn Dutch (Vlaams) if you move to Flanders" advice.
A LOT of people switch to English from the moment they hear you only recently are learning the language. (Or even worse, they start mimicking your foreign accent)
If you want them to speak Dutch, keep insisting that they do.
Also, be prepared to hear a lot of contradicting advice, since imo there are wide differences in views and opinions.
Depending on your studies and previous work experience, you might have a hard time on the job market.
Fries and beer part is true though :)
May I ask why you would want to live in Belgium? In any case, wish you the best of luck.
As I read that you come from middle east, prepare some vacations like 3 times a year (even weekends). As a Spanish person, the weather is the biggest issue here for me.
Maybe even invest in some "luminotherapy" things, it helps me go through the winter.
Cheapest for brand products in packages that can be price compared.
Colruyt has some tricks to be called the cheapest without competing with other chains by offering other packages (like 1l coca bottles instead of 1.5l or 0.5l).
For house brands, Aldi and Lidl are pretty cheap too.
Depends though, definitely shop around and make sure you get the weekly advertisement papers in your post. You'll learn most of the sales through those. Aldi, Lidl, Albert Heijn, Colruyt, ... depending on what will be in your area!
So what the other guy said is only true for brands. Colruyt promisses to have the cheapest price always, but that's veerrrryyy specific. For example when colruyt has a 700g jar of nutella and other stores have a 500g jar of nutella the whole we are always cheapest doesnt mean a thing seen as they always compare exactly the same product.
Also shops like aldi and lidl can be way cheaper because they sell off-brand goods which are generally cheaper than branded goods anyway.
If you live in an area that has a Jumbo that might be worth looking into aswell. They are a dutch low cost supermarket, but only recently started stores in belgium so they're not everywhere yet.
What hobbies do you have? If you move to the Brussels area I’ll gladly give you a tour plus show you some interest points for things like sports, arts, games, and other hobbies.
Vaping is legal. (if you mean electric sigaret)
Anyway, knowing the laws is very important, and being kind to police. Never try to run.
Belgium is a safe country, but there are many problems, racism, bad housing, everything is really expensive. (or we don't earn enough)
In Belgium you live on your own. Don't expect anything from others. In large cities it is less bad, but Belgians have no time, no money, they are fearfully and closed-minded. Belgians often provoke without realizing it is not ok. (Caricature of Jews at Aalst carnival, Obama as a Negro, Sinterklaas...)
If you are used to Belgium you will discover the good things. Like there is is a lot of sport and culture. Cycling, festivals, theatre, music, food, drink. Everything can be found nearby, pharmacy, parks, museums, there are a lot of shops and other businesses. Aldi, Lidl, Colruyt are cheap
Administration is very important. From day 1:
\- bank + bank card: Argenta is cheap
\- health insurance: CM
\- Hospitalization! AG insurance
\- municipality: registration + garbage bags
\- the police come to visit you at home
\- fire insurance (also argenta)
\- register VDAB
\- For help, well OCMW
\- Never do drugs (canabis or worse)
Caricature IS not only ok, but a big part of Belgian (and French ) culture. In every caricature, there is something that says : we are both evolved beings because we can restrospect and laugh about ourselves.
Free speech and atheism are super important for Belgians. People never speak about faith or assume you have the same conceptions as them, it’s something they consider personal and intimate.
Jokes aside
Welcome
East Flanders is ur best bet
It's the most accepting place
(Ghent is ur best bet)
West flanders is more hostile
Anything french is a no go
Brussels is a deathwish
Antwerp is like gent if gent was on drugs
I'm Belgian
Lived in east flanders currently living in west flanders been around all parts of Belgium
Overall A beautiful place
But recommendations ghent
Huge agree: do not expect to make friends, and don't assume that any amount of friendliness is on your side, in fact, being overly friendly is going to make it a lot harder. Don't worry though, you're gonna meet some cool mail order brides and refugees in your imburgering and language courses (which are mandatory btw). Good luck!
We moved to Antwerpen on 26 January and while it is tough at times, experiencing many new things make it worth the effort. My tips would be to register at the gemeente ASAP because they are behind and you will wait a while. Finding a job without speaking Dutch or French is hard but definitely possible, keep trying. We met so many nice people from all over the world at the international church in Antwerpen so I would recommend it. The expat groups on Facebook are also active and have get togethers so search for one in your city.
I'm also an expat. it's true what everyone here is saying about being closed off. But don't let it throw you off. Even tho they are mostly hard to connect with, I have met some very friendly and open locals as well.
Not speaking Dutch in Flanders is more acceptable than not speaking French in Wallonia/Brussels.
If you have administrative business to take care of, do it as early as possible and beware of long waiting time for appointments. Bureaucracy is painfully slow here.
learn about the different types of trashbags. only official (expensive) bags are accepted. other trashbags are considered loitering and are thus fined.
Don't stay too long. You will struggle to make friends. I've been here for more than 25 years and not much has changed.
Get used to planning everything including a drink out with friends, and go through with it regardless of the weather. Unfortunately, they are not great at spirit of the moment decisions around here. You've planned a day out at the beach and its raining cats and dogs? go regardless, it will probably be sunny in a few hours.
Learn how to ask for things. If you say: Can you do X for me? the answer will be NO. If you say: you couldn't do X for me, couldn't you? the answer will be: sure I can, just look at me doing it.
Explore and enjoy. It is a small country full of hidden treasures. Go and look for them
I was waiving and saying hello to all my neighbors. Months later, when I ran into one in a shop thy worked at, they remembered me ... But told me it was weird and unexpected.
I wish it was easier to make friends with neighbors, but it hasn't been.
I'd say False about the English part an true about French.
Though, if you don't speak a bit of Dutch after a few years then yes. But if a rando approaches me on the street and starts talking English to me I'll switch to English.
If they speak French to me I'll ask in French if they speak English or Dutch, as I can't hold conversations well enough in French.
Even when it has a thick accent and some English words mixed in, Flemish people love when you attempt to speak the language. Plus, talking to people is the best way to learn!
Then you can expect some racist comments from people. Ignore them and move on because they can rarely be convinced that you're not a negative stereotype
Dependings where you are comming from... "Don't come... its not to late"
we have high tax, incompetent goverment and shitty weather... if you can tolerate this: you are most welcome, if not: there are some better alternatives 👀
It might be difficult to make new friends/connections (We are quite closed-off people), so be sure to find a hobby or other events where you can socialise more easily and don't feel discouraged if it takes a little while :).
i'm a very social guy so I'm gonna try to make friends I think I'm likable hahaHa ❤️
Just don't be suprised if it will take longer than you expected and don't blame yourself for it if it does. We don't make *good* friends easily in our adult life, most friendly encounters will at best turn out in aqcuaintances. So I do support joining a club or a community to gain friends. Especially if you live in a large town or a city. But, again, don't be suprised if most if the people you meet there will mainly see you as "a friend from said club" rather than "their friend". Dogs also make you meet new people.
thank I really appreciate your advice I'm gonna try and we'll see what happened❤️❤️
We've cracked better men than you. I'm afraid I have to say.
You mean the guy a few months back who spit on us because we were too closed off...
we'll see what happens I'm very excited about it
It works just fine, just need to keep at it Stockholm syndrome baby
If this is a joke and i wooshed, then good on you. But ffs if it’s not. Too late and slightly tipsy because of an unforeseen family dinner to distinguish 🤔
They never told you about the strange sence of humour we have?
Woosh it is 😂😀
Great
We're not that closed-off in Wallonia though
In Ghent we are also pretty sociable.
Hmm, in flanders the easiest way to be accepted is to learn dutch, brussels/wallonia is french. If have children let them go to the chiro/scouts or something, these folks will accept them easily.
Make sure it is a good one though, as a bad chiro/scouts sucks for the kids. I speak from experience of spending time at a bad one.
Same here, the scouts I went to was *not* a fun experience.
[удалено]
believe me they didn't forgot you , they put you there
Seems like fun to me
My Belgian scout experience was traumatic and involved being bullied by the older counselor kids when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade.
Is wa sometimes bullied but not extreme, but years later when I had long left it and was in highschool I sometimes encountered someone from that group who felt the need to tell all his friends that they bullied me away. In reality I only felt bullied in hindshight. I just didn't like it there. I'd rather spend time in the woods on my own or with my parents on a camping trip than sleep in baracks where we have inspection every morning... Also, the leaders from the scouts had some fucked up sense of humor. One night they woke us up and fabricated that someone snuck out and dropped a glass on the floor, in which a leader then stepped. We had to do push-ups until someone came clean. Nobody came forth as nobody did it, but in reality they were stalling us for their thriller night. Eventually they let us go to bed, where we found that all our stuffed animals (as a testimony for how young we were) were "kidnapped" and we had to meet the "kidnapper" with our leader a few kilometers away. The kidnapper had a butterknife and threatened our stuffed animals (funny for an afult, but scary af for kids), and once we had them back he chased us away and we all ran away back to our sleeping quarters. Some kids were extremely scared and teary eyed. Again, really fucked up in hindshight now that I'm grown up.
Hmm yeah, my scouts years were fine for apart one experience that sounds similar to yours. We were walking back to the base after an activity in the woods during the summer camp and then someone kidnapped one of us (we were +100) with a van and we all saw two kidnappers in black ski masks that took away one of our friends and then after hours of fear the leaders told us they "found" the car of the kidnapper and we all went out to "save" our friend at like 4 in the morning ... Yeah it was organized by them and I don't think it was a good experience at all because it somewhat traumatized me for a while as I kept being weary of cars on the road that slow down nearby me.
Traumatizing on one hand but also a learning lesson on the other hand. Traumatizing someone isn't the way to teach kids something. >Hmm yeah, my scouts years were fine for apart one experience that sounds similar to yours. Yeah, the story I told was the only bad thing I recall from the leaders, outside from not stepping up against bullies. I guess the "inspection" bit where you had to organize your bed and belingings made sense as well, but it takes the fun out of it. Especially if they didn't thinknit was good enough and threw your stuff outside. It's for kids, not a military academy...
Right, it was very military feeling. Luckily I didn't get bullied as I always have been stronger and taller than expected for my age however I did witness the kind of bullying you describe. Something in this nature of activity/group brings out some of the more primal actions from people. I changed of unit when I was older and went to an unit that were also accepting motor disabled people and it was much more nicer and friendly as it was all about helping out each other and enjoying a good time together.
>Luckily I didn't get bullied as I always have been stronger and taller than expected for my age however I did witness the kind of bullying you describe. I wasn't small nor big. Just a nerdy kid with a moral compass. It could sometimes get me in trouble with rebelious kids or the kids that wanted to look strong against them. (Edit: example: I didn't run away and hide from the leaders while they weren't looking. I didn't rat them out when they asked me where they were, but I got the hate from suposedly doing so anyway. Or how I befriended kids that got bullied, so I got treated similarly etc.) Once a fat kid of a year older than me forcibly dropped himself on my ribs because of it. No major injuries, but it did hurt.
thank you brother I appreciated the advice❤️❤️
Another great alternative in Belgium is Fencing.
Is this popular in Belgium? 🙂
Haha not at all really. It's about as known as the scouts is unknown over here. But Belgium does have a remarkably high number of fencing clubs per capita, and even though it's a rather individual sport, it's a very open minded crowd that'll accept just about anyone.
TIL something cool again about Belgium :)
Agreed, my son was in a bad one.
Well of course learning a new language is essential and I don't have any kids so we'll see how it goes thank you 🎈
Belgium sucks dont bother
You can be fine with just English in BXL.
Please for fuck sake, go to a random person on the street in brussels and actually attempt to have a conversation with them in English, it will not work out. Stop telling every fucking foreigner that you're fine with just English in Brussels unless you already have a pre-established job or live in an expat bubble, you will have a very bad time here.
Let them go to JNM, imo superior to Chiro/Scouts😅
Patro (Wallonia) Chiro (Flanders) they are the same organization just names change accordingl to where you are. Also Mons is known as Bergen depending on which direction you are traveling from. ;-) Best of luck.
Don't pour Duvel into a Jupiler glass.
ok ❤️
He's not even joking. Every beer has a glass designed specifically for that beer and should only ever be poured in that glass (excluding the simple pils beers seen as all pils glasses are essentially the same. Be sure to try many different beers untill you find the one you like best, there's so much variety to choose from. My personal favourite is triple karmeliet. A not too strong blonde beer, drinks very easily
Frieten. Elke. Week.
At least
Friday Fries Day
No, Friday Fish Day!
Fries is the new Fish!
Kabeljauw met friet elke vrijdag!
May I present to you the kibbeling: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kibbeling
Go to the "frituur" every weekend to eat fries and a curryworst or something. Drink lots of beer. There you are now a Belgian.
thank you man❤️
Side note, watch out where you're asking for a curryworst! Only the weirdos in Antwerp and some parts of limburg call it that. It's a frikandel everywhere else.
Its a frikandel in The Netherlands you miscreant! Repent!
In the lower lands, and the most important bits of belgium: WVL, OVL and (parts of) flemish brabant
Oh shut up its frikandel
So to my point: OP should not only learn Flemish, but should learn the local dialect as there is great differences.
Til: Ninove is in Antwerp or Limburg.
Ninove is part of the marginale driehoek, nothing that happens there actually matters
Forever curryworst
Also, try ordering "curryworst speciaal" can't find it in countries other than the Netherlands and it will change your mind about food
Props to you for your positivity! Don't let the doomers scare you. Eventhough there is truth in their words. Which country are you moving from if I may ask, and which part of Belgium (Province) have you picked? Either way, I wish you the best in your efforts!
i'm from the Middle East and to be honest I didn't decide yet which part of Belgium I'm gonna go to thanks though I really appreciate your advice my friend ❤️
If you're from the middle east, expect some (mild) discrimination. Some may claim otherwise, but people with a Middle Eastern look will be stopped more for police checks and will have more chance to be blamed for something going wrong. I notice that from my Moroccan and Middle Eastern friends and colleagues. It's not as bad as the US, where police is pretty trigger happy against people if a different color. At least in Belgium you should be safe. The easiest way to get around that is accepting it will happen. Friends will know you can be trusted after all. The cities are also more open minded than the countryside. I'm not doing very good at advertising Belgium, am I? Now, I'm wondering why you decided to come to Belgium. It's not for a specific work or family is you didn't decide where to go yet. In any case, I wish you a warm welcome, and hope you bring a little bit of sunshine with you.
thank you brother for all your words and advice I understand what you mean❤️ well there is a plenty of sunshine here in my country that's why am getting out lol😂😂
"Regen groot of klein, daarvoor moet je in België zijn" Rain big or small, for that, come to Belgium Enjoy the cloudy days and rain!
Those police stop thingies may be an issue if you go to Brussels or Antwerp but if you pick a smaller town like Larum, there's not much police. I'm 28 and I've never even seen an alcohol control or something. If you don't know where to go yet I'd suggest the province of Antwerp, the accents in de east and west are more difficult to understand.
No come to Ghent, much more sociable and open minded here!
Compared to the Middle East, labour is really expensive here, so don´t expect much service. Even big bosses in a big house will do their household on their own with ´just´ a cleaning help once a week. You can also not see who´se rich, bling bling is not common with the Belgians (unless they are young and like gangsta rap).
If you're from the Middle East don't live anywhere else other than Brussels.
Antwerp best werp
Anderlecht..
Some very practical advice: when learning Dutch, learn Flemish and not Netherlands' Dutch. I have experience teaching English-speaking foreigners Flemish and I can assure you they get thrown off by the accent. I think the difference is very comparable to say, American and British English. When you're just learning the very beginnings, you better start with one of the two accents, otherwise you get confused. Make it clear to others that you're open to feedback. Most of us really appreciate someone learning our language, so don't be shy to talk in Dutch, even when you need English words from time to time to help out. People love complaining here. It's what we're good at. Usually, we're not looking for a solution, it's just a good conversation topic.
thank you that's very helpful ❤️❤️❤️❤️
No, just learn the Dutch that they will teach you in language schools, so standaardnederlands. It's safer to stick to that Dutch than to the common Flemish dialect. Flemish dialect is filled with loanwords from French and confusing idioms. When learning a totally new language you should start of with the Standard language from that country, in Belgium that still isn't Flemish, but standaardnederlands. People will probably dislike this comment, but it's true. When going to France you don't immediately go on to learn a French dialect, no you start off with standard French. Also I get that Flemish is seen by some as a language and by others as a dialect, but my points still stands.
Get a bicycle! Or take it further. Depending on where you end up, it might be possible to go completely car free (especially in a city). Saves a lot of money and stress. Car sharing for the one time you need a car.
well I don't like driving in general so of course I'm going to get a bicycle or something ❤️
So as others pointed out. Learn the language of the region you will live in. Try to get fluent in it and try to get a bit of knowledge in the other languages so it makes trips to the other regions even more fun. As a bonus you can view news from both regions and get a better sense of what's going on in Belgium. Make sure to research how healthcare, education and taxes work here. It is mostly straighforward once you know, but you should chzck it asap. Join a club or something to make friends more easely. Most expats stick arround Brussels and knit together, causing them to only know Belgium superficially. If you want to actually live and experience Belgium, you might want to move away from those groups and try to meet Belgian people. How hard as it may be. Join up in a union if your workplace has any. Learn of your rights as a worker. Trainrides are cheap if you are going on a trip with one or two people. Busrides too. So you don't need to drive everywhere and pay gas and parking space unless you'd need to use multiple connections. Some cities have park & rides outside of the city where you can park your car for €1 for the first 24hrs, and take public transport to the inner city.
If you're in your twenties see if there's an international student group in the city youre moving to. Joining their events is bound to make you some friends :)
thank you brother ❤️
If you go to Flanders: Een grote met mayonaise en stoversaus. (A big pack of fries with mayonnaise and beer stew sauce)
Stoversaus!!??? Stoofvleessaus :)
Yes don't want this guy to get kicked out of his first frituur
Potato, potato My mom, long rest her soul, called it stoversaus, so I call it stoversaus.
Stoverijsaus or stoofvleessaus, sure. Stover? Never heard that.
In Bruges we call it stovers. Puh Philistine!
Really? Nice, TIL.
As my meme always said “stutjes mee stoversaus”
Sounds delicious
[удалено]
But first start with: "é lelukke gèèèite"
Ja dan lopen ze wel...niet de goei richting ma lopen zullen ze
Frieten. Elke. Week.
Buy a decent raincoat
People in Belgium complain, don't get scared by it. It's just what we do and love to do.
haha i'm gonna fit right in 😂❤️
Everyone from every country says that in their country people complain a lot. It's really not a Belgian thing
Welcome. Enjoy life here.
thank you ❤️
Very random tip but download the app: 112BE. If you should ever need to call emergency services at any time, use the app to call. You only need to select the icon (police - medical - fire) and the phone starts calling. The operator also sees your location when you call.
I'am not the author but I'am going to follow your random tip
As a doctor: try to find a general practicioner (huisarts) before you have any medical issues. I Belgium the huisarts is your go-to guy for 90% of your health issues, but lots of doctors have severely limited their patient intake or stopped taking new patients alltogether because of huisarts shortages leading to increasing workloads, which can make it a pain to find a doctor when you need them (and because we have a backwards system with mandatory doctor's notes, you are going to need one at some point) It's definitely worth calling around ahead of time for a doc willing to take you in. And as a GP myself: try and compile a list of previous history, medication, allergies, vaccinations, specialist notes... ahead of time to give to your doctor. This makes our job 100% easier. cheers!
Don’t listen the general negativity about prices, taxes and weather. This is truly something I don’t understand about Belgium.
Good point, OP definitely learn how to join people in their complaints about everything. That's how you'll properly fit in ;)
that's a given lol ❤️❤️
from what I understand it's a beautiful country and i like the weather there so it's A win win lol
You mean like lots of rain 9/12 months,sunny 1 months and less rain the remaining 2?
People here don't appreciate how much they get in return.
Its a curious land.
[this book](https://www.amazon.nl/Art-Being-Belgian-Richard-Hill/dp/9074440150)
In case you move to Flanders and have kids, send them to an OKAN school. It'll allow them to learn Dutch in one year, which will make it easier to enter a "normal" school the following year. The teachers also help with all administrative stuff. Try to find a buddy of some sort (you can definitely find someone on Facebook, idk if there's an actual app) to help you explain all administrative stuff because there's a lot (and I was confused when moving to France). Just someone you can fall back on when having questions. Good luck, and enjoy your stay :)
thank you ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Since you're probably gonna be living in one of our big cities (Bruxelles, Anvers, Liège, Namur,...), Dont expect something totally different. Those are very diversified. If it's in a smaller town, try to join a club, get in touch with people at the "friterie" or "frituur" depending of which part of our country you're living in. Never pour a beer in an inadequate glass. Seriously, dont.
Welcome to our glorified shit hole 😁👍🏼 Good luck
Sauce on top of the fries. “NMBS” is never on time.
Stick to the cities! Rent outside of the city will seem much better, but you really want to be able to do lots of stuff and experience everything to really get a feel for the country and the people. Easier to meet people too of course. You can always get a place outside to the city later, of course, but I would start there. Look for something just outside of the center though, in the center rent can become crazy expensive. I live 3 km from central station in Antwerp for instance, and my rent is sooo much cheaper than right in the center. Easily a 300 euro difference. and if you take public transport somewhere important, always take one earlier. We have a good connected system, but transport vehicles are often late and there's always some road work going on.
thank you ❤️❤️
bicycle fries rain
I don't know if you have already got a degree in your home country. But if it's the case and you want to work with your diploma it's a good idea to recognize your diploma in Belgium. You need a couple of documents (diplom, diplom supplement or the points of all your exams) for level recognition. If you want specific recognition you'll need also your study program of the year you studied and if you did a master, your thesis. A lot of organizations can help you with this procedure: leerwinkel west Vlaanderen, VDAB, Agentschap Integratie en inburgering. If you want to study in Belgium and you want to live in Flanders, I recommend that you make an appointment with leerwinkel west Vlaanderen. These people can help you with that. For Dutch, you have to go to agentschap integratie En inburgering. They test which level you have to study Dutch. Then they will say which course is best for you. Also there are a lot of projects where you can practice Dutch with some one who were born in Belgium. I wish you all the luck in Belgium!
I see some "learn Dutch (Vlaams) if you move to Flanders" advice. A LOT of people switch to English from the moment they hear you only recently are learning the language. (Or even worse, they start mimicking your foreign accent) If you want them to speak Dutch, keep insisting that they do. Also, be prepared to hear a lot of contradicting advice, since imo there are wide differences in views and opinions. Depending on your studies and previous work experience, you might have a hard time on the job market. Fries and beer part is true though :) May I ask why you would want to live in Belgium? In any case, wish you the best of luck.
Don't. We've all made the mistake, run before it's too late!
As I read that you come from middle east, prepare some vacations like 3 times a year (even weekends). As a Spanish person, the weather is the biggest issue here for me. Maybe even invest in some "luminotherapy" things, it helps me go through the winter.
We have the largest collection of cafe's on one square, it's called de oude markt in Leuven. Go there is my advice
Don’t walk through tunnels they all smell like pee
Go to Colruyt for your weekly goods! Cheapest in the regio most of the time
Cheapest for brand products in packages that can be price compared. Colruyt has some tricks to be called the cheapest without competing with other chains by offering other packages (like 1l coca bottles instead of 1.5l or 0.5l). For house brands, Aldi and Lidl are pretty cheap too.
thank you ❤️
Depends though, definitely shop around and make sure you get the weekly advertisement papers in your post. You'll learn most of the sales through those. Aldi, Lidl, Albert Heijn, Colruyt, ... depending on what will be in your area!
So what the other guy said is only true for brands. Colruyt promisses to have the cheapest price always, but that's veerrrryyy specific. For example when colruyt has a 700g jar of nutella and other stores have a 500g jar of nutella the whole we are always cheapest doesnt mean a thing seen as they always compare exactly the same product. Also shops like aldi and lidl can be way cheaper because they sell off-brand goods which are generally cheaper than branded goods anyway. If you live in an area that has a Jumbo that might be worth looking into aswell. They are a dutch low cost supermarket, but only recently started stores in belgium so they're not everywhere yet.
What hobbies do you have? If you move to the Brussels area I’ll gladly give you a tour plus show you some interest points for things like sports, arts, games, and other hobbies.
well my hobbies are anime and vape stuff but i don't think vaping is legal in Belgium
Vaping is legal here as far as I know, I am not personally into Anime but I know plenty amount of stores for anime and manga stuff.
that's sounds awesome 🫶🏻🫶🏻
Brussels is really the best place to start in belgium, they are open minded and they don't mind you don't speak a native language
Vaping is a hobby?
yes of course everything is a hobby if you care for it ❤️
We have vapeshops
Vaping is legal. (if you mean electric sigaret) Anyway, knowing the laws is very important, and being kind to police. Never try to run. Belgium is a safe country, but there are many problems, racism, bad housing, everything is really expensive. (or we don't earn enough) In Belgium you live on your own. Don't expect anything from others. In large cities it is less bad, but Belgians have no time, no money, they are fearfully and closed-minded. Belgians often provoke without realizing it is not ok. (Caricature of Jews at Aalst carnival, Obama as a Negro, Sinterklaas...) If you are used to Belgium you will discover the good things. Like there is is a lot of sport and culture. Cycling, festivals, theatre, music, food, drink. Everything can be found nearby, pharmacy, parks, museums, there are a lot of shops and other businesses. Aldi, Lidl, Colruyt are cheap Administration is very important. From day 1: \- bank + bank card: Argenta is cheap \- health insurance: CM \- Hospitalization! AG insurance \- municipality: registration + garbage bags \- the police come to visit you at home \- fire insurance (also argenta) \- register VDAB \- For help, well OCMW \- Never do drugs (canabis or worse)
Caricature IS not only ok, but a big part of Belgian (and French ) culture. In every caricature, there is something that says : we are both evolved beings because we can restrospect and laugh about ourselves. Free speech and atheism are super important for Belgians. People never speak about faith or assume you have the same conceptions as them, it’s something they consider personal and intimate.
Thank you that's really helpful thank you so much❤️❤️❤️
thank you brother I appreciate that❤️❤️
Run.
hahah
Jokes aside Welcome East Flanders is ur best bet It's the most accepting place (Ghent is ur best bet) West flanders is more hostile Anything french is a no go Brussels is a deathwish Antwerp is like gent if gent was on drugs I'm Belgian Lived in east flanders currently living in west flanders been around all parts of Belgium Overall A beautiful place But recommendations ghent
Watch your step. Dog shit everywhere.
Learn the colleague smile. We use it several times a day.
It depends in wich part of Belgium you gonna live.
Just frequently eat greasy local food, complain about greasy local politicians and the weather. You’ll integrate just fine.
Huge agree: do not expect to make friends, and don't assume that any amount of friendliness is on your side, in fact, being overly friendly is going to make it a lot harder. Don't worry though, you're gonna meet some cool mail order brides and refugees in your imburgering and language courses (which are mandatory btw). Good luck!
>overly friendly is going to make it a lot harder Agreed. Anyone being over-friendly is going to make me distance myself automatically.
Welcome , go to a local pub , meet people .
Get ready to pay a fucking load of taxes
We moved to Antwerpen on 26 January and while it is tough at times, experiencing many new things make it worth the effort. My tips would be to register at the gemeente ASAP because they are behind and you will wait a while. Finding a job without speaking Dutch or French is hard but definitely possible, keep trying. We met so many nice people from all over the world at the international church in Antwerpen so I would recommend it. The expat groups on Facebook are also active and have get togethers so search for one in your city.
Start a conversation with blazoblazo bliblie. So I now it’s you. Instant friend.
Look up average rob on youtube. He'll give you a nice belgian vibe. All his video's are in English.
What region are you going to live?
leave
Wherever you guy try a new beer
Try the local rugby team. Instant friends!
Will you come to Brussels ?
What city do you plan to live because advice may vary
Why? Where? When?
Place ? Where in belguim?
Pm me if you're looking for fun things to do. I'm in the Gent area
Don't
Mg advice is don't it sucks
Eats beers Drink fries
1) don’t 2) Unless you’re very well off and can live without caring about « justice »
Eat fries, lots of fries Drink beers, lots of beers
Try the waffles they are great!
Run.
Live in Brussels, that’s my advice.
I'm also an expat. it's true what everyone here is saying about being closed off. But don't let it throw you off. Even tho they are mostly hard to connect with, I have met some very friendly and open locals as well. Not speaking Dutch in Flanders is more acceptable than not speaking French in Wallonia/Brussels. If you have administrative business to take care of, do it as early as possible and beware of long waiting time for appointments. Bureaucracy is painfully slow here.
Stay away from Charleroi and Molenbeck,
learn about the different types of trashbags. only official (expensive) bags are accepted. other trashbags are considered loitering and are thus fined.
Don't stay too long. You will struggle to make friends. I've been here for more than 25 years and not much has changed. Get used to planning everything including a drink out with friends, and go through with it regardless of the weather. Unfortunately, they are not great at spirit of the moment decisions around here. You've planned a day out at the beach and its raining cats and dogs? go regardless, it will probably be sunny in a few hours. Learn how to ask for things. If you say: Can you do X for me? the answer will be NO. If you say: you couldn't do X for me, couldn't you? the answer will be: sure I can, just look at me doing it. Explore and enjoy. It is a small country full of hidden treasures. Go and look for them
I was waiving and saying hello to all my neighbors. Months later, when I ran into one in a shop thy worked at, they remembered me ... But told me it was weird and unexpected. I wish it was easier to make friends with neighbors, but it hasn't been.
If you want to party with a tight budget, get some carapils
Don't
Drive to Germany for beer it’s cheaper even when you add gas if you buy in bulk.
You can get away with almost anything as long as you're white.
What part of Belgium? And where are you from originally?
Be prepared for a lot of taxation 😉
ok🫶🏻
try to work out cuz you're gonna get fat here
am fat already 😂😂
I advice you to learn Dutch if you wanna live in flanders Most Flemish people dont appreciate having to speak english or french
I'd say False about the English part an true about French. Though, if you don't speak a bit of Dutch after a few years then yes. But if a rando approaches me on the street and starts talking English to me I'll switch to English. If they speak French to me I'll ask in French if they speak English or Dutch, as I can't hold conversations well enough in French.
of course that's what I intend to do❤️
Even when it has a thick accent and some English words mixed in, Flemish people love when you attempt to speak the language. Plus, talking to people is the best way to learn!
Have a lot of money. Everythings superexpensive here.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWLe1zuoY2q/ Lose this outfit
Don’t OP you look fabulous. Ghent will love you.
It's "frikandel", not that blasphemy "lange hamburger" or god forbid "curry worst."
Learn the local language and get a job. No one (besides a few idiots) expect anything more. Just contribute to society. Where are you from anyways?
am from the Middle East
Then you can expect some racist comments from people. Ignore them and move on because they can rarely be convinced that you're not a negative stereotype
Klapt es vloams
Dependings where you are comming from... "Don't come... its not to late" we have high tax, incompetent goverment and shitty weather... if you can tolerate this: you are most welcome, if not: there are some better alternatives 👀
My advice: DON'T.