Belgium

[jangoux]

Hey guys,

Anyone has ever lived in Belgium or stayed there for some time? Well, you guys know I live in Brazil and each day I live, I feel I am in the wrong place (I won't number the reasons, it will turn into a soap opera lol). I have a Belgium citizenship (my daughters also have it!), so I was thinking in a few years to move out to another country. I've been to Belgium a few times when I was a kid (last time I went there was around 19 years ago) and I have a lot of great memories of the country. Nice weather (well, it used to rain a lot like the place I live in. The difference is that here it rains and it stays at 30 degree celsius. At night ehehe), nice food, beautiful places...but that is it. Does anyone have anything to say about the country...things like healthcare, safety, employment opportunities, transit, culture, that kind of thing? My biggest worry is the job opportunities...my wife will be getting a literature master degree on a couple of months and will apply for a doctor's degree by next year, so I think she can find a job somewhere, but beside audio, I know shit, so I'd have to start from the ground. As for the language, I still understand some french (used to speak it when I was a kid), so language wouldn't be much of a problem to myself, I can pick it up in a few months, np. As for Flamin (or whatever they call it), I know jack shit

Another country that looks fine and interests me is Canada (at a few cities are ranked very high on some life quality charts).

Cheers,
Ivan

 

[The Front Studio]

Fuck French, Flemish is the way to go!
And as far as the french part of belgium goes, nobody works and still gets a payout, because we work our asses off for them. True story.
Flanders is still awesome to live in tho. But I'm interested in Canada too to go live there in 5/6 years

 

[Joelegend]

I am Belgian. Is it good here? I think not. I am flemish, you should choose for the french part to live maybe, they are abit more relaxed i think. Flemish ones worry abit to much about the french ones, but dont do anything about it, way to lame to start a revolution, to buzy working and being in the kitchen, we got loads of luxury we dont want to loose. Weather aint nice here tho, we had no summer last year, no real winter this year. Everything gets more expensive, ppl are rather prejudice, way to much cars on the road, slow traffic, lots of ugly ppl, lots of ugly women who think they are beautiful, rising crime. Races dont mix easely here, although i think i am noticing abit of progress. Bad roads and to many roadworks. Lots of interesting ppl uke:. Not much beautifull places (nature wise). Everything is build and full of houses. Ugly ppl. Places where metal music is played are not welcome, they hate long hairy ppl. Samba bars where ppl get shot are fine tho (i have nothing samba btw, just not my thing). At the regular farmer party's (just partys is small shities where ppl from 16 to 19 come) they are always fights going on. Lots of ignorant ppl ( i wish i was one of em ).
Wouldnt be hard to find a job actually wish require no skills really, there's enough open vacatures here. Only minor for you could be language maybe, although there are also lots of african immigrants who can find a job a here, while they dont speak dutch. If i could i would rather move to the Netherlands, is alot nicer and cleaner country, nicer women, a nicer sounding dutch and so on. Cant say anything about canada, never been there, barely know how it looks like, i did heard they only have one road there.

 

[pifos_2]

Fuck French, Flemish is the way to go!
And as far as the french part of belgium goes, nobody works and still gets a payout, because we work our asses off for them. True story.
Flanders is still awesome to live in tho. But I'm interested in Canada too to go live there in 5/6 years

way to go man. you idiot.
wat is dat voor een kut mentaliteit? no need to spread your fucking vlaams belang propaganda you rascist fuck.

If i could i would rather move to the Netherlands, is alot nicer and cleaner country, nicer women, a nicer sounding dutch and so on. Cant say anything about canada, never been there, barely know how it looks like, i did heard they only have one road there.

I am belgian too and moved out of the very south to the Netherlands about 3 years ago.

Ivan, in both country :

- it's pretty safe.
- health insurance is good, more expensive in Holland (around 100 euros per month) but you're well covered
- finding a job is not easy but everybody i know could find a job, education helps a lot

Ivan, Belgium is a nice country but if you want to work in music, Holland is a better choice. There's virtually no music buisness in Belgium.

Belgium is really unbalanced at the moment, partly because of people like the first replier, and because of different languages and history. Holland gives me more a image of unity.

Holland is also much cleaner and better organised. For example, the train network sucks big time in Belgium. In Holland it costs more but the service is way better, even if the dutch still complains about it

People are bit less easy going sometimes than the french belgians and i miss that a bit. but yeah, they're still very friendly and extremely welcomey!

 

[jangoux]

heheh I know about the 'communication problems' between the french belgians and the 'dutch' belgians - my father has told me this since I was a kid. He always said 'the dutch part doesnt like the french part that much, but I am cool with them'. I also know about the prejudice thing is the whole Europe - my mother is black and was almost deported in London back to Brazil because well....she was black. But both me and my wife look like foreigners here on Brazil (her grandparents were from Portugal and Lebanon), so I hope it is not completely a problem I also remember some prejudice on some parts of the Europe with people that speak English - like on Germany and Austria. Belgians were mostly cool with it, tho'.

To be honest, I am not even sure if I want to work with music. Tbh, I need any job that gets me more stability than music/audio, so I can take better care of my family. I am also not worried about metal places or being long-haired or beautiful woman or anything like that. I am already well-served woman-wise

Both me and my mother had surgeries in Belgium (my mother had a big back surgery about 10 years ago) and both were done on the plublic health system. Does it still work like that or health insurance is a MUST nowadays?

How about education, free education is still good?

I read somewhere that if you have children in Belgium, you shouldnt live near the center in Brussels, for example, and you MUST have a car, because the train system sucks. I also remember my father saying the public transportation in there was kinda poor. Is that true?

Holland seems nice too, but the language barrier is big! I just need a couple of months to regain my french (I used to speak when I was a kid), but Dutch would need to be learned from the ground up.

 

[The Front Studio]

way to go man. you idiot.
wat is dat voor een kut mentaliteit? no need to spread your fucking vlaams belang propaganda you rascist fuck.

I really hope you're trolling, I really do... cause if not you don't know the difference between racism and frustration. And trust me I'm not one of those extreme separationists, I'm an N-VA voter.
My point is, I KNOW that the walloons aren't as stereotypical as everyone says, but the majority is and that's a pity. IT IS the truth that the flemish part pays taxes to pay out workless walloons, it's the sad truth... that doesn't make me racist.
I do admit I was overreacting tho. Sorry.

 

[The Front Studio]

I am Belgian. Is it good here? I think not. I am flemish, you should choose for the french part to live maybe, they are abit more relaxed i think. Flemish ones worry abit to much about the french ones, but dont do anything about it, way to lame to start a revolution, to buzy working and being in the kitchen, we got loads of luxury we dont want to loose. Weather aint nice here tho, we had no summer last year, no real winter this year. Everything gets more expensive, ppl are rather prejudice, way to much cars on the road, slow traffic, lots of ugly ppl, lots of ugly women who think they are beautiful, rising crime. Races dont mix easely here, although i think i am noticing abit of progress. Bad roads and to many roadworks. Lots of interesting ppl uke:. Not much beautifull places (nature wise). Everything is build and full of houses. Ugly ppl. Places where metal music is played are not welcome, they hate long hairy ppl. Samba bars where ppl get shot are fine tho (i have nothing samba btw, just not my thing). At the regular farmer party's (just partys is small shities where ppl from 16 to 19 come) they are always fights going on. Lots of ignorant ppl ( i wish i was one of em ).
Wouldnt be hard to find a job actually wish require no skills really, there's enough open vacatures here. Only minor for you could be language maybe, although there are also lots of african immigrants who can find a job a here, while they dont speak dutch. If i could i would rather move to the Netherlands, is alot nicer and cleaner country, nicer women, a nicer sounding dutch and so on. Cant say anything about canada, never been there, barely know how it looks like, i did hear they only have one road there.

You got it right about our conditions over here, dunno about the place you live but metal and hardcore blooms well in Leuven/Aarschot and Limburg has a lot of metalcafés too.
AND there's some pretty hot chicks at the Uni I'm going so haha.
About the weather: he's right, tho I AM happy about the no winter thing. I hate snow lol.
The jobs, Ivan you can go to VDAB in Flanders, Orbem/Forem in Wallonia/Brussels if you need extra training for new jobs and those are pretty legit! If you want to find a well payed job while speaking french I'd recommend Brussels, tho most of that city isn't exactly safe.

Oh well, not that Holland is any better. I don't really like their speech and definitely not their girls, lol. Except for the Limburg areas such as Maastricht

If I were you Ivan, I wouldn't come to Europe NOW. It's all too much tension nationally and internationally. I'd love to go and live in an anglophonic country, doesn't matter which one but preferably Canada (I know, they do speak french as well there!)... just as long as it's not in Europe.

 

[The Front Studio]

Both me and my mother had surgeries in Belgium (my mother had a big back surgery about 10 years ago) and both were done on the plublic health system. Does it still work like that or health insurance is a MUST nowadays?

Mostly you get an insurance for you and your family at most places you work, not sure tho.

How about education, free education is still good?

This is funny haha. Secondary school/High school is 'free'. But you need to pay a shitload for books and copies. And college/uni is €500+ so nothing's free haha.

I read somewhere that if you have children in Belgium, you shouldnt live near the center in Brussels, for example, and you MUST have a car, because the train system sucks. I also remember my father saying the public transportation in there was kinda poor. Is that true?

The trains are mostly too late, and the busses tend to be late as well but they're good to get you somewhere. If you live nowhere near your job, a car is advisable... but that's something you should look at when you're here haha!
And I know most areas in Brussels are child-unsafe but there are good areas too. The center is the most unhealthy place in Belgium tho... way too much cars/pollution.

Sorry to triple post!

 

[midget donkeys]

.... Cant say anything about canada, never been there, barely know how it looks like, i did heard they only have one road there.

This should be in the travel book.

 

[J-Mac]

Picture from my kitchen window, I hope it helps

 

[Joelegend]

Awesome view you got there, that road is at the front side of your house i guess.

@ Jangoux: if you would actually move, and want keep it central, try Halle, an easy place to find work might at Colruyt at the central warehouses, you prolly will be ok if you only know french, conditions arent bad, i work at the actual store's, and i know i earn more then some ppl who work in construction. Colruyt is one of the NR1 company's here.

 

[The Front Studio]

Awesome view you got there, that road is at the front side of your house i guess.

@ Jangoux: if you would actually move, and want keep it central, try Halle, an easy place to find work might at Colruyt at the central warehouses, you prolly will be ok if you only know french, conditions arent bad, i work at the actual store's, and i know i earn more then some ppl who work in construction. Colruyt is one of the NR1 company's here.

Duuude where are you from? I wanna know! haha :hotjump:

 

[Joelegend]

Herentals, a small city in the center of the kempen.

 

[kaomao]

Picture from my kitchen window, I hope it helps

holy shit!!!
the only thing I could take a picture of from my kitchen window is the cats shitting in my yard lol
goddamn cats.... I love cats but those little bastards are fucking assholes.
I guess my neighbors did not teach them where to take a shit lol

 

[Joelegend]

I guess my neighbors did not teach them where to take a shit lol

I teached my cats to use the litterbox, but they prefer the neighbours garden.

 

[The Front Studio]

Herentals, a small city in the center of the kempen.

Nice I'm from Maasmechelen btw!

 

[azistenostora]

holy shit!!!
the only thing I could take a picture of from my kitchen window is the cats shitting in my yard lol
goddamn cats.... I love cats but those little bastards are fucking assholes.
I guess my neighbors did not teach them where to take a shit lol

Amen. Look at this thread where people called me stupid for saying horrible things about cats and some people were convinced that cats would never do such a horrible thing as shitting in your garden. http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/off-topic-tavern/716816-stupid-cats.html

Sorry to derail the thread. Carry on now.