Getting Used To...

Getting Used To…

Belgium is a very cosmopolitan environment and without doubt a multi-cultural society. However, there are many traditions and customs in existence which newcomers to the environment may have to get used to. You do not have to look at these aspects making a country better or worse; every country has its pluses and minuses. Belgian is a small country of wonderful diversity and an enchanting value for life. The pace of life is slower than in many western countries but perhaps it is this that makes it all the more enjoyable.

Not least of all, expats from the UK or USA may well find a difference from the consumer driven society with they are familiar. In Belgium, you are unlikely to go shopping on a Sunday. Very few, if any, stores will be open, not even DIY stores. Sunday is seen as a family day, which does not include a family shopping trip. As a result, be wary of the Motorways back to Brussels on a Sunday evening if the weather has been good as many families will have taken a day trip out to the coast.

Even less likely is any drive towards 24 hour shopping. If you find that you have run out of milk at 8.00 in the evening, your only option is to find a Night Shop; these are small general stores which do provide a late night service but they can be few and far between. Do not expect to find a Petrol Filling Station that is likely to sell milk or snacks out of hours.

And remember Banks and many other shops will close for an hour at lunch time.

Similarly you will find a huge diversity in the quality of marketing from shop windows. There are some beautiful stores with elaborate, elegant displays but in others it may literally appear as though a trolley has fallen over leaving a basket of goods quite simply in a pile.

Service is also very different. Whatever you may think of the “Have a nice day” syndrome as far as sincerity is concerned, many shop assistants, whether staff in large stores or owners of smaller establishments, seem to give the impression that they may be doing you a favour by serving you! This itself is a display of Belgian culture.

But it is certainly not all bad news. The shopping experience overall can be more than enjoyable. In all the major cities you will find charming covered malls offering shelter from the weather, department stores, boutiques and specialist shops and often markets catering for all interests.

One of the biggest cultural differences you are likely to find, is adjusting to how to get people to do things. Often e-mails may be not be responded to, phone calls may not be returned, even when you are trying to pay someone to do something for you. Getting things done is one of the biggest challenges …….. but that is all part of living in a different culture.

The Belgians love to enjoy themselves and whilst the form of entertainment may be different from what you are used to, a good night out is easy to be found. For those who do not speak the local languages, even going to the Cinema is not a problem as most will regularly show popular films bearing the symbol “OV” meaning “Original Version” which is usually in English as well as films in other languages.

Remember that cultural differences do exist. Without question, and thank goodness(!), not all western countries are the same. Many Belgians who have known and worked together for many years, may still welcome each other by their surname and using their first name may be considered impolite. Conversely, it is the norm to greet with a kiss on each cheek; Belgians can be very tactile which can take some getting used to.