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Be careful with languages
- French is a must in Wallonia! Very few people actually speak or understand foreign languages there, so if you try Dutch or English, even officers or sellers won't get the message right and will make you feel awkward. If you can speak French, don't worry about speaking right. Belgian French speakers are generally tolerant to foreign accents and mistakes, contrary to a lot of French people.
Confused dog is confused.
- Dutch gets you integrated in Flanders! If you're staying a little longer than a few months, do learn it! It's probably less difficult to pronounce than French as there are no silent letters. Also, ask your friends to teach you a bit of "dialect" (i.e. Flemish regionalisms) and do your best to NOT speak in a Hollandish accent, which might be considered as arrogant...
- French helps you even more in Brussels! If you want to live in Brussels for a long time, a sound knowledge of Dutch may prove useless, as only minorities that are also bilingual (French-Dutch) speak it there, so learn French instead.
- Attend language classes in Belgium! It will be one of the best ways to meet new people. You will mostly meet foreigners like you, but you might also see some Walloons attending Dutch classes as well (Dutch is not compulsory in Walloon schools!). Some students also organise free conversation classes in bars, one of the best ways to learn quickly, so keep informed!
Keep calm and confront bureaucracy
- Know the rules! Belgian bureaucracy is well-known for being intricate and demand a lot of paperwork, so read all the rules and possibly ask for help (don't worry, a solution can always be found even with the strictest rules), so that you don't annoy both the officer and the next people in the queue because you don't have a document or a photo that's been asked earlier...
- Obey the deadlines! Do what you are asked to do early enough, especially in Flander. E.g. the deadline to apply for the university in Flanders is months before the beginning of school year, while it is months after it in Wallonia. Also, be careful with days-off and strikes that may happen the day you have to submit an important document!
Bad luck Bryan in Belgium.
- Be patient! Administrative procedures may take a lot of time, but it doesn't mean your request isn't taken into consideration. Also, you might have to wait in a crowded place before getting to speak with a clerk.
- Be prepared to pay the price! In Belgium, people are used to pay a lot of taxes, contrary to some Eastern European countries, as well as to spend a lot of money on everyday groceries. Also, public transports in Brussels are very expensive, but think that it's also one of the best systems in the world.
- Be polite and don't take things personally! Post officers, clerks, policemen or secretaries, especially if the place is crowded, won't always be kind and patient, so smile, ask your question in a clear and short way, and don't mind if they are being rough with you. It probably means that they are having a tough day.
Stuff you shouldn't say
- Don't call all French speakers Walloons! On the one hand, Walloons mostly define themselves as Belgians, and then we relate on their province/city, not their region. On the other hand, French speakers who live in Brussels are not Walloons, since they don't live in Wallonia. Also, keep in mind that there is a minority of Flemish French speakers...
- Don't say that Belgium is a "non-country"!... Or that it should split. Or that Dutch and French are ugly languages. You will get in fight with many people here if you say things like that. Worst: don't use the words "French fries", but "Belgian fries"! Read this blog to make sure you know a bit of Belgium before giving that type of opinion. People here tend to underestimate themselves, so if you really hate their country, ask them to show you the bright side of it. There is nothing better than visiting the best parts of a place with the help of a local.
- Be open minded! Avoid all racism, homophobia or derogative comments on women. Belgium has a culture of open-mindedness and feminism.
- Be a gentleman! Women can dress up the way they want and consider men whistling to them or complimenting them in the street as complete douches. Do not be too pushy and don't make them uncomfortable...
- Know the basics! Get a picture of basic Belgian geography and remember the names of big cities and where they are situated... The North speaks Dutch and the South speaks French, roughly... So don't make the same mistake as this Austrian newspaper...
Walloon territory labelled as "Flanders" by Austrian newspaper.
Looking for new friends?
- Take advantage of social media! As I already mentioned, attending language classes are good ways to find new friends here, but Belgians enjoy more and more spending their time on a smartphone or a computer, maybe more than real human interactions... So start meeting people on the Internet. If you don't speak the local language, you can use websites such as Polyglot Club to meet new friends in your town.
- Are you Italian, German, Spanish, Arab, Turkish, Vietnamese, Congolese...? A part of the population comes from these foreign countries, but if you look at older generations, you will find many more waves of immigrations. The most important community is the Italian one. Get curious and you'll probably find cousins here!
- Complain! Complaining about the intricate bureaucracy works, but also complaining about delays of the local metro/bus/train company, or the horrible Belgian weather that goes up and down all the time! Belgians are always happy to share their opinion, especially if they can complain about stuff, so they will easily join the conversation.
- Don't randomly talk to strangers in public places! Instead of doing that, attend places where people specifically go to meet new friends: openings of exhibitions or stores, big picnics in town, or other things organised by associations are perfect for that. If you get to know people and want to see them again, never "turn up out of the blue uninvited" and always schedule things with the person a long time before.
- Stay distant and tactful with Belgians! Especially Flemish people... They are no Dutch(!) If you think something is wrong, wait until they notice it by themselves, and if they don't, try to be polite and formulate the criticism indirectly...
A Belgian's face if you're being too direct
If you think this guide is useful, send it to all your friends! If you have any suggestion, post a comment!
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