Belgium? or am i wrong?

[RockLee]

Norwegian: cool, Sweden: very cool....Finland: ???...reminds me of fish and lakes. owww lakes, nice for sailing...How's the weather there? I guess you do have that cool Scandinavian design

Finland is a cool country, haven't been to Norwegia, Sweden or Denmark yet. Lakes, yes, there are about 300 000+ lakes in Finland. Fish, there is too, but Finland is more known for its sauna's. The weather is at the moment just like the Netherlands and Belgium. Hope it'll snow soon tho.

 

[SushiShin]

how long will you stay there in Finland Rock?

 

[Satorian]

Wow, I live about 1 hour by car away from Belgium (been two times to the track at Spa-Francorchamps), but I had no idea there currently were such breakup concerns.

Wow. I'm stunned.

 

[RockLee]

how long will you stay there in Finland Rock?

Don't know, I'm not going home next year if it depends on me. I'm here on a long term basis.

 

[SushiShin]

Still no governement, but they are discussing, in the meanwhile have to find an other discussion

 

[Guilty41]

149 days without a governement.
A crisis is near. It's sink or swim.

 

[SushiShin]

I'm not sure, but i think i'll vote for the independency of Flanders

 

[Haruspex]

Unbelievable no government for like almost a half year. Belgium sure is a wonderful country if you don't live in complete anarchy after all this.

 

[Homerduff]

I'm not sure, but i think i'll vote for the independency of Flanders

I don't think it's a solution yet to make Flanders independant. I do feel that drastic changes need to be made. Helping out Wallonia is important for Flanders too, the only problem is that they haven't improved their economy in the last 20 years ! So my question is: what happens with all the money Flanders gives to Wallonia ? I've always been sceptic about the politicians in Wallonia.

If it's impossible after all to co-operate with Wallonia, then yes I'm afraid it would be time to become independant. Shure we would have the best economy in Europe no doubt together with the Scandinavian countries. But then again, I always felt more 'Belgian' then 'Flemish'.

I don't mind that we haven't got a gouvernment yet. I'm actually glad that the Flemish politicians are really strict this time about this very sensitive topic.

 

[SushiShin]

I don't think it's a solution yet to make Flanders independant. I do feel that drastic changes need to be made. Helping out Wallonia is important for Flanders too, the only problem is that they haven't improved their economy in the last 20 years ! So my question is: what happens with all the money Flanders gives to Wallonia ? I've always been sceptic about the politicians in Wallonia.
If it's impossible after all to co-operate with Wallonia, then yes I'm afraid it would be time to become independant. Shure we would have the best economy in Europe no doubt together with the Scandinavian countries. But then again, I always felt more 'Belgian' then 'Flemish'.
I don't mind that we haven't got a gouvernment yet. I'm actually glad that the Flemish politicians are really strict this time about this very sensitive topic.

Spoken as a real person from Antwerp im glad you have an opinion to share to us. I haven't follow the news allready for more then 2months but sometimes i read on the net or i hear from other collegue some daily news. But to be honest I don't care, since im leaving this country when im a bit older.
As to me to Homerduff, many thanks dear inhabitant of Antwerp!

*Shin / ﾆ歎ﾆ停?

 

[Homerduff]

Today Yves Leterme (man who was asked to form government and futur prime minister) resigned from his job. There's just no way to get a fair deal out of it.

I think the crisis is now more than huge. This may well be the end of Belgium, cause I don't see any other solution. I'm not happy about it, but I think it's the only solution to split up the country peacefuly.

Seems like the Belgium crisis is also making the headlines in the USA ?

CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/12/01/belgium.ap/index.html

 

[Guilty41]

I don't think Belgium will ever end because the big moneymakers and people in high
places won't allow that. We are now just being controlled by the media and the politicians who have an other agenda. I think there's a different story behind the curtain.

 

[A ke bono kane kotto]

Well i don't care to be honest, this land has nothing to offer really except chocolate,beer.

Good for you. Why do you live there already ?

 

[A ke bono kane kotto]

For me its paradise cause i live in a bigger house and i have a better status then in Belgium.

So you like the Philippines better because it is poorer and you can afford more things ? Well, you are going to hate London and Tokyo, but love Africa !

For me Philippines is good for other rich people too. It is quite logical to be honest, if you are rich you don't have to complain.

As youb said, Belgium has beer and chocolate. The Philippines doesn't even have that. Philippines cuisine is not famous like Thai, Vietnamese or Chinese one. The country is not famous for its special culture. It has no original temples like Japan, China and Thailand. It does not have the cool things that Japan has, like anime, J-pop, electronics, games... What can people do there to have a good time ?

And yes i know all the japanese people in Antwerp! it's my city and my city isn't very big, the port of antwerp is huge but the city is tiny! i didn't say they ALL leave after a year but the most do!

Antwerp is tiny ? It is a city of 700,000 inhabitants. How many people do you know in the whole world ? How many of them in Antwerp ?

One final good thing about Brussels: There are direct flights to Japan from there.

Aah, unfortunately there isn't direct flight to Japan from Belgium anymore. I asked. Only from Paris, Amsterdam or London.

 

[A ke bono kane kotto]

If people are different just accept it, and i don't care about Brussels, i live in Antwerp so why should i care about Brussels

Brussels is only half an hour away from Antwerp. Think that it takes three times longer from Tokyo airport to the centre of the city. So it is quite near, and you should visit it more often if you want to meet Japanese people.

About Philippines again i don't see it as paradise i see it as my home, isn't it normal you like your own home?

Is it ? Many people don't. That's why some left to repopulate North America. Or does the Philippines goverment try to make people believe they have to like their home, so that not everybody leaves for a better place ? Well, at least people who can afford it, like you !

Education sure isn't better. ;-)

Did you also read Juno's post ?

I wouldn't want to be a part of The Netherlands ever to be honest. You can keep the Wallonians tho!

Even the Italian ones ?

 

[A ke bono kane kotto]

To Belgium people who don't live in Antwerp ( that town is a country on its own) . Most Antwerp citizens are entirely different from the rest of Belgium . I agree not all of them . Flemish laugh with them all the time.
That's why there is also much racism there because most of them think they are better then people in the rest of the country.

So that is racism against other Belgians then ? Are Antwerpians an ethnic group of their own ? Have immigrants overtaken the city by now or what ?

It is true that belgian laws and authorities are more than often a pain in the *** especially if u are a foreigner but I must say that there are so many benefits here.

What type of problem can you have as a foreigner ? I never had any.

 

[A ke bono kane kotto]

Finland is a cool country

You meant "cold", right ?

Lakes, yes, there are about 300 000+ lakes in Finland. Fish, there is too, but Finland is more known for its sauna's.

So how do you fish if the 300,000 lakes are frozen ?

I'm not sure, but i think i'll vote for the independency of Flanders

Can you vote in Belgium ? I don't think there will be a referendum on the question anyway. Because I don't think the country can technically split. The Flemish aren't going to move all their institutions out of Brussels !

Unbelievable no government for like almost a half year. Belgium sure is a wonderful country if you don't live in complete anarchy after all this.

Anarchy ? Did you understand the situation ? There is no NEW government. But the old one is still in place. ;-) What were you thinking, that life had stopped for last 6 months and people couldn't even get a new driving licence or set up a new business because there was no government to approve the official papers ?

 

[A ke bono kane kotto]

But to be honest I don't care, since im leaving this country when im a bit older.
As to me to Homerduff, many thanks dear inhabitant of Antwerp!

You should care ! If Flanders becomes indepdent you will need a new visa to stay in Antwerp, maybe with tougher conditions...

 

[Homerduff]

UPDATE

Since a week or two there has been an interim gouvernment for the time being in Belgium. It's led by our prime minister (Verhofstadt) who lost with the elections in June, but he should only take care of some very urgent cases. You can say that it's a smack in the face for democracy: the Belgian citizens have voted for different politicians to lead the country. But, with the current crisis we are in it's maybe for the better that there is actually something going on.

 

[Elizabeth van Kampen]

Hello Belgium,

As your neighbour I am sorry that there is no government in Belgium yet. But Brussels is the European capital so I guess that everything will be fine again.

I lived 9 years in Switzerland, in Lausanne. There are 4 languages, and 3 completely different peoples ( German, French and Italian). They have jokes about each other, their food is different, their TV programs are different, they don't really love each other, their banks look like palaces and they are all extremely proud of being a Swiss!

 

[The 10th Plague]

Surely I've heard about the still ongoing government-forming in Belgium. I live very close to the Belgian border, and I even am 1/4 Belgian, so I do follow the news about that. The thing I just don't get is why there's just no second elections, because the results from the last elections surely aren't going to give a satisfiable government. Also, I am amazed by how much influence the Belgian King has in such a case. Normally, the King shouldn't have any real governing power, as Belgium is a Constitutional Monarchy. In this case, it seems to me that the King is having power, as he gave the old cabinet more power.

When it comes to dividing Belgium, I must say I'm a bit amused by this. I know how awfully chauvinistic Walloons (the French-speaking people of Belgium) can be. As I live in the city of Maastricht, our city has a Flemish border on the west, and a border with Wallonia (Wallon in French) in the South, and thus many tourist from Belgium (including Wallonia) come to the city. The Flemish people always try to understand a person, and will most presumably talk French when they're in Wallonia. Walloons, on the other hand, won't talk Dutch in Flanders (Vlaanderen in Dutch). Walloons will always speak French, which is quite annoying. (Also, they always drive in filthy 20-year old Peugeots and are constantly in search of cannabis ). It's even more annoying when they're speaking a French dialect. I find this very antisocial. Example: When I'm going abroad, for instance Britain, I'm not going to talk Dutch or Limburgish to British people, as that would be rude.

Well back to the point: You may see I like Flemish people, but dislike Walloons (although I'm always polite, and actually I must not be prejudiced, but hey:disliking is a feeling, and feelings can be changed ), it would be funny to see Wallonia be seperated from Flanders. Wallonia will be a poor country if that's the case, but I don't think Flanders will survive on it's own. It's just too small for that. The only option for seperation of Belgium is, that Flanders goes back to The Netherlands (yeeeh: the two countries will finally be re-united), and Wallonia goes to France.

 

[A ke bono kane kotto]

Also, I am amazed by how much influence the Belgian King has in such a case. Normally, the King shouldn't have any real governing power, as Belgium is a Constitutional Monarchy. In this case, it seems to me that the King is having power, as he gave the old cabinet more power.

A constitutional king also has power. It is not given to him by god but by the constitution. And usually lawmakers are less generous than god (well, the king himself).

When it comes to dividing Belgium, I must say I'm a bit amused by this. I know how awfully chauvinistic Walloons (the French-speaking people of Belgium) can be.

In fact it is the Flemings who are supposed to be the chauvinistic ones. They are the ones who want their independence, boast about their economy and are too proud to accept bilingualism in communes around Brussels where people speak both Dutch and French.

As I live in the city of Maastricht, our city has a Flemish border on the west, and a border with Wallonia (Wallon in French) in the South, and thus many tourist from Belgium (including Wallonia) come to the city. The Flemish people always try to understand a person, and will most presumably talk French when they're in Wallonia. Walloons, on the other hand, won't talk Dutch in Flanders (Vlaanderen in Dutch). Walloons will always speak French, which is quite annoying. (Also, they always drive in filthy 20-year old Peugeots and are constantly in search of cannabis ).

How do you know they are Walloon and not French ? If they drive filthy 20-year old Peugeots then they must be French. Such cars can't pass the technical control (is this the right English expression ?), and the law is the same for this everywhere in Belgium. Walloons are big fans of BMW's, trust me !

It's even more annoying when they're speaking a French dialect. I find this very antisocial. Example: When I'm going abroad, for instance Britain, I'm not going to talk Dutch or Limburgish to British people, as that would be rude.

There are French dialects in Wallonia ? Are you sure they aren't French ? In France they have so many dialects : Provencal, Occitan, Savoyard... In Wallonia, only a few old people can speak in dialect, and it doesn't sound like French.

Well back to the point: You may see I like Flemish people, but dislike Walloons (although I'm always polite, and actually I must not be prejudiced, but hey:disliking is a feeling, and feelings can be changed ), it would be funny to see Wallonia be seperated from Flanders. Wallonia will be a poor country if that's the case, but I don't think Flanders will survive on it's own. It's just too small for that.

What do you call "poor country" ? Wallonia would be poorer than Flanders, but it still would be richer than Spain or Italy, maybe more like France. Every country has richer and poorer regions, and every region has richer and poorer provinces. The richest part of Belgium is Brussels and the Walloon Brabant, both French-speaking. The poorest in the Hainaut province, also French speaking.

If North and South Holland were to split from the rest of the Netherlands, the Netherlands would be poorer than Wallonia, and the newly founded Holland would become the second richest country in Europe after Luxmebourg.

Spain and Italy have even bigger differences between rich and poor regions. The difference between Flanders and Wallonia is like the difference between Lombardy and Piedmont, not like Lombardy and Calabria !

 

[Homerduff]

I don't think Flanders will survive on it's own. It's just too small for that. The only option for seperation of Belgium is, that Flanders goes back to The Netherlands (yeeeh: the two countries will finally be re-united), and Wallonia goes to France.

Surely Flanders will survive on it's own. In fact, we would be richest country in Europe and maybe in the world. Recently out of a study, it has been proved that Flanders is at the moment the richest region in the world. I don't see why the size of a country mathers. Actually, most of the time small countries are very rich. Just think of Luxembourg, Hong Kong, Qatar, ...

Flanders will be better off alone.

 

[A ke bono kane kotto]

Surely Flanders will survive on it's own. In fact, we would be richest country in Europe and maybe in the world. Recently out of a study, it has been proved that Flanders is at the moment the richest region in the world. I don't see why the size of a country mathers. Actually, most of the time small countries are very rich. Just think of Luxembourg, Hong Kong, Qatar, ...
Flanders will be better off alone.

This is not true. The EU keeps tight statistics on the economy of its regions (check this), and Flanders does not make the top 10 of either NUTS1 or NUTS2 regions. Francophone Brussels, on the other hand, is ranked second and third, by respective size of regions.

 

[SushiShin]

Lets hope that Belgium wouldn't excist longer and Akebono kane kotto please stop with quoting me, this is disrespect, if you do more you will follow the consequences.