Living in Brussels is not a piece of cake (or chocolate). In almost four years that I've been here I've managed to discover a few crucial things you need to know/have to be able to survive in the land of beer and chocolate. Here's the beginning of the (never-ending) list:
1. Umbrellas – it seems obvious to bring an umbrella to Belgium. Wrong. Bring a few! The most common view on a rainy and windy day in Brussels is the garbage cans filled with broken umbrellas. There are two strategies how to deal with this problem. You can invest in a really good and expensive umbrella, hoping it will last more than one day or you can keep buying the cheap crap, assuming it doesn't make any difference, as an umbrella fit for the Belgian weather is yet to be made. Personally I practise option number two...
2. Good shoes – if you are a walker who hates the public transport (like me), you will need to invest in shoes. The pavements in Brussels are a piece of art, a very abstract piece of art. The stones come in all possible shapes and heights. Who said that the pavement should be even and not slippery, that's boring! I might be very sleepy when I leave for work in the morning, but after half an hour of fight to stay in a vertical position, I am fully awake. Very clever, I should be grateful...
3. Patience! A lot of patience. Planning a trip to the post office, for example, should not be taken too lightly. Most of them open at 9 and close at 17, so the only time a working person can visit this precious institution is in the lunch break. My local post office has 5 counters. I have never seen more than 2 open at lunch time. Plus, there are always a few 'regulars' – usually middle aged women who seem to know everybody working there and who do not simply come to send a letter or pick up a parcel. You can learn their whole life stories waiting for your turn. The funny thing is – nobody seems dissatisfied, nobody protests and asks for more counters to be open. If, then it's almost for sure a foreigner. The locals just accept things as they are, after all c'est Belgique! This is the phrase you will hear often when asking why things don't work and why nobody does anything to improve it. Why should they? C'est Belgique.. So if ever going to a post office, bring a good book! Kafka might be the right choice (see next point)
4. Sense of humour. Imagine you are a foreigner who just came to Brussels, you hardly speak any French, but you need to go to your local commune office to get your residence permit. You arrive there and to your great relief it turns out they have a special office for foreigners affairs! You hope you might be able to communicate with someone there. Wrong again! You are told that yes, they can speak English, but they don't.. Because if they speak English, people might expect them to start speaking other foreign languages in the foreigners office, for example Chinese.. You understand why Kafka might be a good reading for your post office trip before the visit to the commune?
… to be continued
