I recently received my Belgian bank card. It’s not only user-friendly, but super-user friendly. When I put it in the cash dispenser it usually automatically recognises my preferred language! Failing that I have a choice of four languages.
My bank, insurance company and utility providers in Belgium all communicate with me in English. This is a welcome, far, cry from the Netherlands which, although it aspires to be an international culture, insists on conducting nearly all of its administration (private or state) in Dutch. I can’t help but think that Dutch culture is somehow confusing the (very pressing) need for social integration of ‘minority cultures’ with mastery of the Dutch language. The same holds true for participation in civic society. I’ve lost count of the number of times that Dutch organisations (tennis clubs, environmental NGOs, etc.) are unwilling to communicate outside of their native language: even in cities where it is known that +30% of the population are of non-Dutch origin.
This is a shame and is counter-productive. The Netherlands is hugely reliant on skilled (and unskilled) foreign labour. Marginalising the people that it relies is only going to alienate them in the long term.
I had been through this story before when living in Wales. Sometimes there is a real need to speak Welsh – e.g. front line social services in primarily Welsh speaking areas. More often than not it is about keeping ‘jobs for the boys’ and denying access to a huge pool of talent. The Netherlands hasn’t quite sunk to those depths- but I can’t help feeling it’s not so far away.
Brussels (and Belgium) have long had to adapt to bi-lingualism. That has an economic cost. It has been (and continues to be) the source of many political disputes and conflicts. But, with a German speaking enclave and a massive proportion of other European nationalities, Belgium has been readily able to extend bilingualism to include two other languages. Overcoming the ‘Tower of Babel’ syndrome.
It makes me feel more at home to be able to read and sign contracts, or make international money transfers, in my mother tongue. It’s not about lack of respect for your ‘host’ culture (on any night out I will be speaking English, French and Dutch). It’s about growing the ‘global village’ and making people feel welcome in your society.
I’m starting to understand why – after initially feeling welcomed – I came to feel so alienated in the NL.
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3 comments:
I'm interested whether you will find it easier to make friends and other contacts in Belgium. People tend to stay so close to each other in NL, often keeping the same groups of friends from secondary school that it feels really difficult to make close friends here.
I often hear from this ex-pats in the NL. Particularly those who are not shacked up with a Dutchie.
It's certainly easier to get to know people to hang out with here.
Too early say if that will lead to real friendships.
Brussels is quite a transient community and of course people make more effort to get know other people when they are in a strange place. Most of my Belgian friends are not from Brussels!
People often stay here for two or three years (or less) following their postings. So I suspect that I might end up with friends all over the world (or at least the EU).
I made the effort to become an active Couchsurfer when
I moved here. (It's not just about hosting/travelling but, here at least, is a really vibrant community with events most evenings.
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