Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by The Shiznit on December 6, 2011 at 9:51pm

Welcome to I-Power, Els.  Glad you finally spoke up.  :-)

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Permalink Reply by Michael V. on January 21, 2012 at 6:04pm

Welcome Els :-)

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Permalink Reply by Focking Original on January 21, 2012 at 8:40pm

Hello Els, Welcome!

I'm a fellow Belgian myself. Half my family is from The Netherlands and I live very close to the border. What you maybe don't know yet, but is good to know, Belgians feel most comfortable if you act like them. An example: Somebody goes shopping and the store closes. When the store manager doesn't have a lot of time, the person who goes shopping can feel like it is bad mannered. Somebody from NL will let the store manager know that "We're not used to that kind of behaviour in our Country" or something like that. Belgians will rather accept the unchangeable situation. We aren't used to people invading our personality. In general, we're shy, but once you crack us open, we're really funny, loving & caring people.

Oh and one more thing. Don't judge our intelligence by watching TV.

Like the show manbijthond, it can be hilarious, and then I'm ashamed to be Belgian =P

Enjoy your stay <3

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Permalink Reply by Els van der Stok on January 21, 2012 at 8:55pm

 We aren't used to people invading our personality. In general, we're shy, but once you crack us open, we're really funny, loving & caring people.

Fortunally i came to live here because i know some great belgian people, and i like the way they communicate. Though it it really hard for me to 'be like you' cause even for a dutchy, i'm quite a free spirit. And it takes a freaking  lot of time to get someone from belgium to trust you.
Though in the Netherlands i will be considdert trustworthy untill there is a reason to asume the opposite.
So far i didn't came across a lot of likeminded people, but i might just have to find the right party, or exhebition.

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Permalink Reply by Focking Original on January 21, 2012 at 11:33pm

Yea always try to be yourself. But in situations where people might not know your personality, people might get angry or annoyed, while you're just being yourself.

I am a shop-keeper and I try to be as open-minded as possible. So I let people just be themselves. =)

I find Belgians and Dutch people interestingly weird people, living so close, but so different and so the same. Basically how the NL government can influence it's people into optimism.. and being loud  ( joking ;) but still I don't know how the majority is super social. Group Mentality perhaps. idk

About finding like-minded people, no luck here either. (But I'm a bad example. I'm great socially, but I don't have enough energy, nor the urge, to go out and meet people (yet). My past is complicated.)

About trust, I trust everyone way too easily. I give everyone one chance. (<- bad habit)

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Permalink Reply by Els van der Stok on January 22, 2012 at 1:38pm

I don't know why the difference is this huge, this morning i was reading an article about how much money suicide costs Belgian society every year.

I think it is a group thing, if you come across a lot of smiling people on the street, or cute kids or someone in a weird outfit, it makes you smile. And i feel like there are a little more weird people in the Netherlands, who cause more smiling people, who cause optimism.
Nah, this theorie sucks.

I think it is also about confidence, it seems like belgian people are expected to be all the same, don't color outside of the lines or you might learn something. 
People want to live up to those expectations, even when it is easier or even better to settle for less.

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