Sun, 22 November 2009
A guide to doing gaffe-free business here.
Includes geography, people, government, economy and transnational issues.
Find an affordable roof over her head.
Heroic Gauls celebrate their half century.
Kimberley uncovers the sacred rituals of Frite Almighty.
Tips for managing a successful relocation back home.
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Expatica's blogger warily eyes Belgian motorists and road users from the relative 'safety' of the passenger seat.Safety from the passenger seat?
My parents question my decision not to drive in Belgium.
"Not even in your own little town?"
I laugh, but how do I explain the driving situation here to folks who are used to the Atlantic Canadian concept of traffic… I remember a time when a 20-minute wait for traffic lights was a long, annoying commute.
A 20-minute wait on the Antwerp ring might get you 30cm!
But it's not the volume of traffic that has me confined to the passenger seat because I drove without (much) fear in Los Angeles. I can handle the eight-lane highways. The trouble with driving here is a bit more intangible.
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This leads me to the 'unique' Belgian driving rules; the most confusing for newcomers being Priorité à droite. As it does in English droite (right) has two meanings: the opposite of left and a legal or presumed entitlement.
Priorité à droite definitely embodies both of these definitions. The rule is: if you are driving along and someone is entering your road from the right, you must yield to them.
This almost makes sense in a four-way stop where all roads are of equal size. But imagine barreling along a major road and suddenly a car pulls out of an unmarked lane you didn't notice until the last second …
Of course there are exceptions to the priorité, but only Belgians are allowed to know them.
This handy guide from Expertise in Labour Mobility includes how to write a CV, application procedure, interview dos and don'ts, Belgian management culture.
Belgium’s first alternative directory assistance services - available through the shortcode 14-14 - can now be accessed on the internet.
Moving to Belgium presents a host of challenges to expats, not least of all finding the right home.
The psychological effects of global mobility can be physically painful.
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