What's wrong with Belgium?

That's the question almost all people that I've been speaking to recently. Well, and this has as a result that I start talking for an hour or so... No, it's not that bad, but since 2 years now I came to the conclusion that I should go more into a direction which will allow me to take my life more in my own hands. And I hope you all can.
You know, it is very easy to live in Belgium if you don't want to bother about too much. If you like that things are done for you, if you don't mind that some things never change here just because it has always been like that, etc. This is really a place in the world where thinking is something you better don't do. At least that's the feeling I have, this is my opinion, it might be different for you. Maybe an example to explain what I mean. TRAFFIC. Traffic and infrastructure are maybe even the examples which says everything about who we are. In Belgium you don't think while driving, you just say "GO! GO! GO!!!" For a Belgian driving is the same as to go the quickest way from A to B. How we do it, is of NO importance. We overspeed by at least 20%. The speedlimit is in fact the minimum you HAVE TO drive. That means if you drive 110km/h on the left lane, you are not in line with the "rules" and other drivers are allowed to anything to speed you up to 130km/h. On the highway where you have 3 lanes, the rightlane is only for trucks. So if I'm driving on the middlelane I will never go the rightlane so that other cars can pass me. NO, you have to block otherwise is the driver behind you going quicker than you. ETC ETC. Everyday I'm spending at least 3 to 4 hours in my car, yesterday almost double of that, which gives me a lot opportunities to experience all this. And believe me, it is an experience. People are so much under timepressure that they would even kill somebody to do what they feel they have to do. To feel, an important verb in this context. Belgium is built on feelings. But when you start using to verb to feel without thinking, things start to get dangerous. People have to think more, so that they know how they should feel instead of vice versa. If we would think more in traffic, we would understand that there is NO interest to drive quicker than 110km/h (max). We would understand that driving under the pressure of our feelings makes us passive and therefore very dangerous animals. At least 5 times a day I see a car passing me much quicker than me which is sold by carsellers as a familycar. Marketing ofcourse, which makes those young dads and mums feel like they are more important on the road. And to confirm they are a family they put that sticker on the back stating "Jeroen en Sam onboard" So they must be proud to have 2 kids you would think, and as a responsible father you would also act like it. Well this is not really the case. This only counts if those people are in an environment where they are recognized. As from the moment they've left their hometown, those familycars become racemachines, and the happy family forgets the sticker on the back. NO responsible drivers on the wheel now, but the real man who will fight for his rights. Imagine such a lovely familycar would kill a child. I wonder if the eyes would open? Probably yes, but too late.
More about traffic in the next message.
In the beginning of SEP a colleague of mine, who is Swedish, will be moving to Antwerp. I would say that this is great news! Sofia she is called, and she is from a town close to the Vättern lake. It's gonna be fantastic to have a Swede living so close, allowing me to improve my language skills much quicker. The language is the most important priority for the moment, as after having done some talks to people from Stockholm, you can just forget it if you don't speak the Swedish. Things don't really improve a lot for the moment, but I believe that one day it will come, and than I need to be ready as things will change quickly than.
Today I heard from people living in Uppsala, that automn will start soon now. We're getting to end of August, and the weather became rather unstable like in Belgium. I wonder when the first frost will be seen in central Sweden. Lets guess... SEP15th? I'll tell you when it happened.


Vi sees,

Jeroen