h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There does seem to be a (mostly) good natured sort of rivalry
between the Flemish and the Walloons. We have moved to Waterloo,
which is _just_ in Wallonia, but already these people will tell
you all sorts about the Flemish.

Like "it's a good job you came to live in Wallonia, they wouldn't
let English people live in Flanders"

- to which we replied "surely it is our right as citizens of the European Union" but, in what we have found to be a typically
Wallonian way, they suddenly lose the ability to understand
English.

But we aren't complaining. We like the Belgian way. If you want
(a) exactly what you ordered and (b) to have it delivered when
they said they would deliver it then your best plan is (c) go
to another country.

And shop opening times are:
working days: when they can be arsed
weekends: do be serious
bank holidays: hahahahahahahahahaha

The idea of customer service hasn't really made it into Wallonia.
The Flemish get it, the Walloons don't. Like, in a shop, they
are doing _you_ a favor by serving you, and don't you forget to
have the proper level of deference and respect.

Here's another thing: in Flanders they do appear to have young
people - you know, like not kids, not adults, but 'young' people.

Whereas in Wallonia it seems you spontaneously change from a
s**tting little kid into a fully formed Gallic 'sophisticate',
with no nasty teenage stuff in between. Which means they don't
need so many police of course. People are either too young to be
bad or just too damn sophisticated to do any crime.

And don't get us wrong we don't have a downer on the place. We
_love_ it and wouldn't want it to be any different.

It's a bit like the Scots and the English: they hate us, and we
don't care about them. Or the French and the English: we hate them,
they refuse to speak our language. Only joking my continental chums

PhatBob (with assistance from a stoned ZexyAce)

Yeah, I don't know what it is about Belgium, but I've always had a real soft spot for the place. Never been there, never met a Belgian, only know a little about the country, but for some reason it really appeals. Odd, really.