If you've ever seen the movie RV
with Robin Williams, you may
recall the logo on the side of the family's caravan: Rent Me for a
Day or a Lifetime, and the image of the guy with open arms,
convincing you to climb aboard... or run away (Sonnenfeld, 2006).
Planning an international vacation or accepting an expat assignment
is a bit like that. The adventure awaits with open arms to take you
awaaay. Away from your
“normal” and into a wilderness of expectations and surprises.
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| Coming and going from Brussels Airport |
Whether by your own
free will to live something new or by request from your or your
partner's employer, it's all up to you. You ultimately choose to make
it a short experience to get a taste of what's “out there” or you
sit down for a gourmet, multi-course meal where your senses are
excited by how unpredictable flavors work together. If you remember
in that movie, many tastes (of clothes, of lifestyle, of food – the
“vegetarian” meal with no meat, but all organs) come together in
a whacky adventure that makes the viewer laugh, out loud, and
sometimes roll off the couch. That is the attitude one needs when
going abroad.
To
encourage more laughter than tears, I'd like to offer a few helpful
hints specific to arriving in Belgium – for a day, or a
lifetime.
Assuming you've had a good flight and
that you've arrived in Brussels airport, found your luggage, (swung
by for one last Starbuck's coffee or, in my case, chai tea), it's time to get somewhere...
If you're driving:
Good
luck! Driving in any new city, even in your native country, can be
tricky. The two rules that still leave me baffled are “no turn on
red” and “priority to the right.”
Turning Right on Red
When an intersection consists of five
or more lanes, it is tricky to know which lane will have the next
green light. Even if you think you can tell, don't chance it!
On a positive note, there are certain
intersections of Brussels where acrobats and jugglers will entertain
you across the street until your light turns green. They will ask for
a small coin in exchange, but are really nice about it. Keep your
window up and smile if you don't wish to contribute. They will smile
back. So, be patient and enjoy the show. These acts are apparently a
special local treat. One performer told my husband that he and his
friends went to South America to do the same, but got arrested.
Giving Priority
If you are coming to a four-way stop,
everyone should
slow down to check that no one is arriving on his right... in
theory. However, what would seem
logical could turn into a very dangerous game of chicken. Don't
chance it! (After a decade here, I never
assume I have the priority)
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| city of Leuven |
If you choose public transport:
Buses and trains
are wonderful options and, generally, keep to the time schedule.
However, certain hiccups can occur, including but not limited to
strikes. And not just by the drivers. Anyone else in the country
could also strike or manifest in the middle of major axis points.
These events are less entertaining than the acrobats and jugglers
(see above).
Now that you're
here, you've got to eat!
Fast food:
“Quick”
is the belgian fast
food restaurant. It is good, but at the end of the day, it is fast
food.
Brasseries:
These
restaurants are among my favorite because of their laid back
atmospheres and because they are the easiest to experience with
children. Strollers usually fit through the doors. But beware of
where the restrooms are located. Older brasseries, although great for
their charm, tend to still have “facilities” (nothing facile
about it) up or down a very
narrow and winding staircase.
A typical brasserie
menu offers meals from hot sandwiches and cold salads to nice, warm
belgian specialties and are really good!
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| Le Falstaff - restaurant/brasserie in art nouveau style |
Fine Dining:
The
last time I checked, there were nearly 100 restaurants in Belgium
with at least one Michelin star! But don't think you have to eat only
in one of them to get an exquisite taste of Belgium. Coming from the
New York region, I have found that restaurants in general offer very
good quality and delicious meals for the prices they ask. What's
better is that the lunch menus (2-3 courses) are often the same as
the dinner menus but less expensive, just because it's lunch hour and
not dinner time. So, it's a great way to discover those Michelin
stars!
Tips
are included in your restaurant bill, even at cafés.
However, I have tipped for exceptional service or when the children
were quite young and we were dining at a place that wasn't
necessarily destined for children. Even in these cases, the tip
doesn't need to be more than 5%.
And so after a good
meal, it's nice to have a cozy place to go home to...
.jpg) |
| Town if Vaulx in Wallonia |
Hotels and Bread-and-Breafasts:
A simple internet
search will give you the whole range of possibilities throughout
Belgium. If you want familiar surroundings, there are always Holiday
Inns, Radissons, Hiltons, etc.
Renting versus Buying a Home:
If you're planning
on staying under five years, I would suggest renting a home. The
closing costs of buying can reach 20% and wouldn't be worth it unless
staying longer.
Now my family's
expat assignment was for two to three years, so we rented... for ten
years! All I can say, it's a gamble. The reverse also happens where
expat families get called back to their native countries earlier than
expected.
For
more on this, please read my post: An
Unexpected Expat Life.
Now that you're
settled into the best housing option for your situation, it's time to
meet the neighbors!
Don't know what to say?
Two words: Language
school.
Language
centers are abundant throughout Belgium (of course, as it has its own
three official languages to learn), from private schools like Berlitz
to less expensive schools with bigger class sizes to local community
classes.
Luckily,
I already spoke French when we arrived. And so, I took Dutch classes
in a nearby Flemish community at its community center (for almost
nothing). I loved it! My teacher taught us everything from the
language to the culture (which
I personally feel is so important). I was in a class with other
adults from all over the world. Despite our initial differences, we
had the one common goal of wanting to communicate with each other and
that brought us together... not just as classmates, but as friends.
Take that first step...
Even
with limited language, a smile is sometimes all you need, or a wave
from one backyard to the next. A great tradition is “l'heure
d'apéritif”
or cocktail hour. Invite your neighbors for a drink. It doesn't take
much to put out some juices or wines and a few snacks. It's also a
great excuse for a Belgian beer tasting. Besides, who doesn't speak a
foreign language better after a drink? You might even discover your
guests speak a bit of your native language... you'd be surprised by
how many do. About five years into one of my friendships, I was
astonished to go to her house one day and hear her speaking to her
other guests in English, and really well! You never know.
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| Tredegar House Folk Festival |
I
could give you a hundred more tips on your future trip or expat
experience, but instead of just reading about it, go to it! Jump into
a new place with wide-open eyes and ears. See the sights, listen to
the people and their music whether it's a hoe-down, classical, or new
jazzy beat. At the end of RV,
the cast sings a great rendition of Get Your Kicks on Route
66, I think we can get our kicks
just about anywhere with the right attitude.
For
more personal stories of my expat life and of my experience raising Third
Culture Kids, visit Good
Night, Sleep Tight and click
on Third
Culture Stories.
For more expat tips
from expats all over the globe, visit HiFX's
expat page, where I have also added my two cents worth.
Have a great trip!
.jpg "Belgian trips, expats, expat guides, Doug Morris, The Expat Guide to Having Fun in Brussels and Belgium")
