Saturday 4 July 2009
Saturday 4 July 2009
Stock up on the tastes and smells of home.
A small country with no obvious start or finish.
Sunbeams' guide to the white, blue, green, yellow...
One of the best healthcare systems in the world.
Survive the pitfalls of the city's streets.
Expat women in Belgium and France most satisfied.
A moving piece about a 'school refuser' son.
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Hiding in her own home as the landlords resolutely ring the door bell more times than the town crier would, Expatica's blogger resolves to finally change her ways.I have been dreading tonight for the past week. I will spend all day worrying about what will happen. No, I'm not headed back to the commune. It has the potential to be even more stressful … the landlords are coming!
Don't get me wrong, my landlords are very lovely people. They were extremely helpful and kind when we first moved in. 
The problem they are coming to address is in our bathroom. In fact, virtually every problem we've had with the house since we moved in has been in this bathroom. (You may recall a previous incident involving leaky shower tiles). I honestly believe the bathroom is cursed … or worse, they are sabotaging it so they have a reason to keep an eye on things. (Okay, I'm really not that paranoid, but it would help justify my apprehension at dealing with them.)
Most of my issues with the landlords revolve around my own insecurities — not being able to speak their language past a two-year-old's level, never having the house remotely clean enough to suit mevrouw's standards (Martha Stewart couldn't meet those standards), having completely opposite taste in home décor (I'm really not in love with the textured, yellow wallpaper — in every single room) and worst of all — our opposing ideas of personal privacy.
You see, I'm a firm believer in personal space. I'd blame it on being Canadian and coming from a huge, empty country, but Andrew doesn't have the same issues. So I guess I have to blame it on my own insecurities.
I don't like it when people show up unannounced because I don't have time to prepare — (i.e. clean the house from top to bottom and put on clothes that I haven't pulled out of my 'around-the-house-only' drawer).
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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