I just got back last week from 3 weeks in Borneo and, as usual, often got asked "where are you from?" by other travellers. I typically answer this question with "Belgium", as that is where I currently live and own property. If I feel like giving a slightly longer answer, I might say "I was born in the U.S. but I haven't lived there in 20 years". As for my Flemish husband, he answers "Belgium" as the shortest possible answer, but actually, he says his first allegiance is to Torhout, where he was born and raised, then to West Flanders (his province), and after that, he feels Flemish (his cultural identity), then European (his broader cultural identity) and only then Belgian (but only because that's what's written on his passport). That's not saying much for Belgium, but I don't think it's unusual, at least among Flemish people.

What about you, how do you answer the question "where are you from"?

I am German and live in Belgium already since 4 years, but still reply on the question: "I'm from Germany, but live in Belgium"..............
Sometimes I am then asked: "Oh, and you speak fluent Belgian?" :shock:

Personally I would never reply: "I am from Belgium", because I live in Belgium, but I am not born in Belgium. Does that sound reasonable?

In the early 90s I used to answer "I'm from Australia", 'cause back then admitting you were from South Africa got you some disapproving you-filthy-racist-white-supremacist-pariah-looks. Well, our government at the time were filthy racist white supremacists who did turn our beautiful country into an international pariah State, but it still felt unfair to me that these foreigners blamed me personally for it.

These days it depends. If I want to keep it short, I answer that I'm from Belgium and that we don't speak Belgiumese over there. If I want to give them the full story, I tell them that I'm a South African living in Belgium. And then they want to know all about life in South Africa:
"Do you have elephants and lions running through your gardens?" Sorry to disappoint you. :?
"Do you have cars and cell phones?" Yep.
"And TV? Internet?" Positive.
"Have you met Nelson Mandela yet?" Nope.
"So you speak the funny language then?" (Dutch people don't seem to realise it's extremely insulting to call Afrikaans "funny" or "cute" or "baby Dutch" or "kitchen Dutch" or "Dutch for retards" :x they treat the Flemings in the same patronising way)
"So have you learned Belgiumese yet?" I'm working on it. :wink:

HaHaha..... still funny what kind of images people sometimes have of other countries...
Telling people I am from Germany creates just a 'tired smile' (literal translation from a German expression) and of course the references to sauerkraut, wuerstchen and bier, whereas my boy-friend being a real Quebecois from Montreal gets the full 'ahs' and 'ohs'....

Vive le Québec libre maybe?????

ohlala, didn't want to start a discussion about that...I'm still struggling with the 'vrais français de Luis IV' as my boyfriend calls his French :roll: and we did not yet get deep into Canadian politics

Who the hell was Luis IV??????????????????????????

Afrikaans is a beautiful language, I hope it remains widely spoken in SA. I dont think the Dutch mean to patronise!! It is not the same language but it sounds a bit the same, its just very interesting. Although you're right about the funny part, and I agree it often comes across a bit rude. Not very polite but there are some words that are just too funny to keep a straight face. Sorry :wink: As for the Belgians, welll they hate ABN(official Dutch with the hard GGRR, a real ugly sound they say) (same goes for other countries, no one really likes the sound of it) and I think only the Germans think Dutch sounds kinda nice/funny. So the Dutch do get their fair share when non-Dutch comment on their language.

lolly -->stokkielekker (yummie stick)
metro -->moltrein (mole train)
giraffe --> kameelperd (camel horse)

Can I see your tickets please ?

[quote="seo2007"][quote=Birkat][quote]Vive le Québec libre maybe????? [/quote]



Who the hell was Luis IV??????????????????????????[/quote]

Sorry, Louis, IV = the french Sun King [color=red][/color]

[quote="Birkat"][quote=seo2007][quote=Birkat][quote]Vive le Québec libre maybe????? [/quote]



Who the hell was Luis IV??????????????????????????[/quote]

Sorry, Louis, IV = the french Sun King [color=red][/color][/quote]

Hahaha, you meant Louis XIV!

:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

I'm English first, British second but when the question is asked I normally reply "I'm from London" as it saves on the follow-up question...

I don't think I can ever be Belgian or from Belgium - I certainly won't be applying for nationality any time soon that's for sure - but I haven't lived away from England for 20 years and so who knows 20 years down the line...

its all down to your own sense of identity... do you feel american DB?

No, I don't feel American, even though I was born there, lived there until I was 20 and have nearly all of my family there. I just don't identify with American culture or values. I'm also a French citizen and used to feel quite French while living in Paris, but now that I live in Brussels I feel less specifically French and more generally European. I certainly don't feel Belgian... although I suppose most Belgians don't, either ;-) ! If the Flanders does get independence one day, I wouldn't mind being Flemish. No offense to any French-speaking Belgians reading this. I have nothing against the southern part of Belgium. It just isn't different enough for me from France to hold any "exotic" appeal.

to the languages: so many fights for the languages between Wallons
and the Flemish.

I suggest to avoid more fights to announce that the third official language
from the German Part of Belgium should be the first and official language
in Belgium. German is a great language.

I usually say I am British, though that doesn't tell the whole story - Born in England, I am half English (Protestant), half Irish (Catholic), I speak fluent French, German and Dutch, have lived in France for 2.5 years, Germany for 1.5 years and and have now been living in Flemish-speaking Belgium since 2002.

[quote="Birkat"][quote=seo2007][quote=Birkat][quote]Vive le Québec libre maybe????? [/quote]



Who the hell was Luis IV??????????????????????????[/quote]

Sorry, Louis, IV = the french Sun King [color=red][/color][/quote]
Louis XIV maybe ? Louis IV of France was 10th-century member of the Carolingian dynasty.

It would only make sense to have English as the official language of Belgium, considering that modern English was born from the merger of Midlle English (which closest cousin was Dutch) and Medieval French. The closest modern relative of English are still Dutch and French.

I am interested to know what kind of people ask you this. I mean, they cannot be European, right ?



How about saying "I am from the EU" or "I am European" ? Good alternative, right ?

[quote="maciamo"][quote="master blaster"][quote=dumblonde]It would only make sense to have English as the official language of Belgium, considering that modern English was born from the merger of Midlle English (which closest cousin was Dutch) and Medieval French. The closest modern relative of English are still Dutch and French.[/quote]

No English has not right for this.

Belgium has only three official languages, one is German.
English not.

England is not in the neighourhood, Germany is.
Luxembourg is, one official language there is German too.
(and Letzemburgisch which is a mixture of French and German).

German is close to Dutch, therfore only one solution:

German for first language in Belgium. Most spoken motherlanguage
in the EU!