observations on Brussels (with pictures!)

---

I have made a few observations about customs and actions of the people in Brussels so far. I don't know if all of them can be compared to the people of Belgium as a whole or not. I will hopefully find out for you.

Lets do this in a list:

1. When you greet people (even if it is the first meeting), you 'kiss' on the cheek. Well, it's more of that you touch the other person's right cheek and make a kissing sound. Now, if you really know the person, you do double; but I have yet to experience that. This was strange for me the past couple nights. I went back to that dinner party again to finish all that food. At home, when we have people over, you can do a big waive to the whole group. That is not polite in Brussels. You must go greet each person with a kiss. It is the same when leaving. It is awkward for me because I don't really feel comfortable kissing these old French men that I don't know. It is interesting to see two men on the metro do this when they see each other from across the car and go to greet each other. I'm sure this will be come second nature to me and will be doing it to all of you when I return.

2. In the states, we use escalators as 'lazy stairs.' We just stand on them and wait to reach our destination (whether it be the top or the bottom). In Brussels, they are 'quick stairs.' It is very rare to see anybody just standing on the escalators. I realized this the hard way when everyone was pushing me out of the way. And, the escalators aren't constantly moving. They have sensors to start them moving. I was on one this morning and the sensor was lower than normal and started working in mid-step. Good thing nobody was around.

3. So this isn't really a custom or action, but it's interesting. The doors on the buses, trams, and metros don't automatically open. You either have to pull the lever (on the old cars) or push a sensor button to open the doors. I missed a stop because I forgot about this. I thought my door was broken. It was a bit humiliating. Oh and all the music in the stations is American. I have heard a rotation of Beach Boys and Beatles in the two stations that I have waited in.

4. Driving is a dangerous sport. There are very few rules to the road. Whoever reaches the intersection first gets the right away, no matter what direction or what the sign says. The traffic lights are on the same side of the road. You can barely see them from the car and not many pay close attention to them. If the intersection is clear, you can go, apparently. There are no parking meters. You put a sign on your dash saying when you will return to you car. That's it. Any free space on the road can become a parking space, even if it is half way on the sidewalk.

I think that is it for now. Au revoir!

---

Comments

[Wendy]

your adventure has begun
Well, Katie, your adventure has definitely begun! Thanks for sharing all the nitty-gritty info and astute observations; it is so fascinating to read! It is a bit mind-boggling, isn't it, how things that seem like they'd be familiar, are actually not. Europe shares so much in common with the States, but there is just enough that's different to throw an American a little off kilter. (I speak from experience there.) But this is one reason why travel is such a life-expanding thing: to experience things you never have before and to realize how people live in ways quite foreign to our way of life. Your pictures are great! What a cool staircase! Love the kitties, too. NOW - we need a picture of you! Looking forward to hearing more from you. Be safe, be happy, and enjoy all the cheek kissing! : ) Wendy