België voor beginners

Jaana, de district engineer, heeft gisteren eindelijk zijn toelating gekregen om de 2jarige master in Water Resources Engineering aan de Universiteit van Leuven te gaan volgen. In zijn ‘welkomstpakket’ zat een kleine grappige maar treffende citatie over België en zijn mooie inwoners. Lees even mee, de eerste zin is al grappig;

Belgium is famous for its French fries, chocolate and beers (Stella Artois is made in Leuven!) What all Belgians have in common is a love for the ‘good life’, which they find in their excellent food and drink, comfortable housing, reliable medical and social services, highly developed traffic and communications infrastructure. Belgians are not the type wanting to impress other people with their achievements, or to convince other of their righteousness. They tend to be rather reserved or introverted in their first contact with other people, but are sincerely warm and friendly once you get to know them better. They are happy when they can enjoy a safe and comfortable life, together with their family and friends, and they put a high value on privacy. They have a clear aversion towards moralizing, towards telling other people how they should or should not behave (an attitude for which they criticize their neighbours in Holland), and they take ‘live and let live’ as the basis for their philosophy. R.Hill, in a book on different European characters, describes the Belgians as ‘open-minded opportunists’, noting their pragmatical attitude.

Ik vrees dat Bart Dewever gruwelt bij deze beschrijving, maar hij voldoet er waarschijnlijk ook maar half aan.