MESSAGE FROM OOSTENDE (17 july 2008)
Now that my sweetheart and I are staying at Oostende for three weeks, we can witness the good (and less good) sides of the Flemish national character.
To many Dutch people, Flanders (the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) evokes nostalgic sentiments: it's the kind of Holland that Holland should really be. Typically Flemish words like Babelutte, Lieven or Zoeteke manage to soften up many a Dutch soul.
But it must be recognized that Flanders is a country of extremes. An example of this became apparent when the crowd of people returned home after the weekly summer fireworks here in Oostende.
Right across the full width of a zebra crossing a nasty SUV blocked our way. To us, it represented one side of the Belgians: Belgian barabarians can be even more shameless than their Dutch counterparts. Uncomplainingly, however, the crowd trudged past the offensive vehicle. In Amsterdam, it would probably have been scratched or damaged otherwise; here people just walked by in an utterly docile manner.
Alternatively, when I walk through the Leopold Park I see confirmation that Flanders is also home to utterly barabaric characters: a sign with an explanation about a sculpture is -- quite senselessly -- scratched with LUL (c*ck), a word that is as offensive in Dutch as it is in Flemish:
In many walks of life we see that Flanders is a country of extremes. For instance, Dutch construction workers seem to find it no problem to block the way to pedestrians if that suits them better -- as can be seen in this picture which shows how a lorry of a Dutch firm named Tijsterman completely blocks the pavement -- for many days.
Literally, Tijsterman means ravaging man. Yes, you're right, madam: they are aptly named! What you cannot see in the picture is that passing pedestrians are showered with gritty dust. I won't blame you if words like riff-raff or scum compulsively enter your mind.
In Belgium I saw exemplary construction works, in which special protective corridors had been built for pedestrians. Or what to think of this street beacon which I found at Oostende and which was meant to prevent pedestrians from stumbling on the heap of stones at its foot:
But on the other hand I see a noose made of steel cable sticking out from the pavement, which -- especially in the dark -- can cause fatal falls.
Yes ma'am, just as you say: Flanders is a beautiful country, but sometimes hard to understand ...
