BELGIUM I

My first weeks in Brussels were very exhausting but also very interesting. It was a big step for me to go from my small home village with 500 inhabitants to a vibrant big city like Brussels. No matter at what time of the day or on what day of the week there is always something going on in the city. For me as a villager it is unimaginable that there is not any second of silence. Every day there are parties, festivals or other events in the city. Besides all the things that are going on, you must make sure that you still concentrate a little on your studies. It is the first time I am living alone in a flat, at first it was an adjustment to cook, shop and wash by myself. But I get used to it very fast. My first weeks in Brussels My first weeks in Brussels were very exhausting but also very interesting. It was a big step for me to go from my small home village with 500 inhabitants to a vibrant big city like Brussels. No matter at what time of the day or on what day of the week there is always something going on in the city. For me as a villager it is unimaginable that there is not any second of silence. Every day there are parties, festivals or other events in the city. Besides all the things that are going on, you must make sure that you still concentrate a little on your studies. It is the first time I am living alone in a flat, at first it was an adjustment to cook, shop and wash by myself. But I am getting used to it very fast.

Brussels is a very multicultural city. The people here come from all around the world. Never I have seen so many nations in one place. For this reason, it is difficult to meet people from Belgium. The only Belgium person I now is the girl that shares the apartment with me. However, she is not so sociable and for this reason I don't have much to do with her. During my first weeks I have met many international students who are all very open and want to get to know new people as well. So, I made a lot of new friends they come from different countries all around the world. With them I am making trips to other parts of Belgium or Europe. Or we just meet in town for a drink. Since there are many Spanish and Italian people in my circle of friends, I got to know their culture rather than that of Belgium. the biggest difference to my culture is that they have a completely different schedule of the day. For example, it is normal for them that they eat dinner around 10pm. In addition, they are hardly ever on time. It is completely normal for them if they are simply an hour late. For me, as a Swiss guy, this is not okay at all.

In Belgium, everything is a bit less organized, and everything takes a bit longer than back home. To me, a lot of the people seem to be lazy. I did not expect that in the center of Europe. For example, to get the public transport subscription I had to write several emails until something happened. The government does not really look after people in terms of health care or financial emergencies. Especially in Brussels there are a lot of homeless people. Also, certain parts of town are a bit criminal. Once I was sitting on the balcony of my flat and I heard a shooting. I couldn't believe it until I read the newspaper the next day.

Beer belongs to Belgian culture like the alphorn to Switzerland. It has always been an important part of Belgian history. The history of beer can be traced back to the monks and nuns of the Middle Ages, who were among the first ever brewers of beer. They drank a lot of beer because the water quality was very poor, and you got sick when you drank water. In my opinion the water quality in Belgium is still bad. Nowadays, Belgian beers belong to the best in the world. Especially the strong beers here in Belgium are very delicious and famous. For me as a beer lover it is great to taste alle the different beers of Belgium.

So far, my time here in Brussels has been really great and I haven't regretted for a second that I did a semester abroad. I am looking forward to the next weeks.

Ramon Mattle, November 2021