Monday, September 20, 2004

A disclaimer to the country of Belgium

Originally from Ireland, I now find myself living in Antwerp, Belgium after spending a few years working in a few different places – some of them glamorous (Gothenberg, Boston, Frankfurt and Milan), some of them less glamorous (Basingstoke, Welwyn Garden City, Manchester and Slough – no offence David Brent).



After graduating from university back home, I started a job with a company that sent me to Belgium on my first day of employment for what was supposed to be 4 weeks intensive training.

A total of 1 year and 1 day later they moved me on to England, for rasons to this day I’m still not sure of.



Now, ten years later, my life has turned full circle and I now find myself back in Antwerp again where I have donated a further 3 years of my precious life to Belgium and all that it has to offer.



This time however, was different.



This time, it was my choice to come here.



This time, I wasn’t some lazy good-for-nothing student, dreading the prospect of dedicating the next 40 years of his life to hard work and effort to actually BECOMING something but having resigned himself to the fact that it was what was sort of expected of him.



This time, I came to Belgium as a *sort of* well-travelled young man approaching his thirtieth year ready to settle down and build a life in a country where I felt I could be comfortable.



So there you have it – before I get all sorts of comments from irate Belgians (is there really such a thing that exists?) – I actually LIKE Belgium!



The whole “BelgiumIsBoring” thing is actually a wonderful example of that IRONIC humour that we are so famous for. “We” being the native English speaking people that inhabit those islands that look and let’s face it - sometimes behave like - a chip on the shoulder of Mainland Europe.



Ladies and Gentlemen of Belgium and beyond I give you……



THE BELGIUM IS BORING BLOG!

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