Three Strikes, You're Out

The Belgian rail workers are not happy. The bus drivers are not happy. The teachers are not happy. And everyone is going to stay home and have a good sulk (and a long weekend). The rest of us happy campers are forced to do the same. Yes, it’s a strike of the Socialist Union. Of course, being completely plugged into local culture and current events, I saw this coming and was not surprised AT ALL that the bus would fail to appear at the bus stop to take me to an appointment.

Hey, I’m not like the other American expatriates here, I’m totally on target with community issues. I’ve been hunched over the De Streekkrant, undeterred by the Dutch language’s fondness for 12 letter words, double vowels and consonants, and an occasional “j.” As a well-informed reader, I knew there was going to be a staking because the government is concerned about the staatsschuld rising due to the weight of afzondering benefits on the be’groting. However, the average worker lives for te’ruggertroken and not having to drag his or her ezel to hant’eren. They are not going to dulden anyone messing with their uitekerings.

So now the spoorbaan isn’t working, my spoorboekje is useless and the bus ta’bel is all wrong because half the be’stuurders are buiten. If only I had a rijbewijs. To make matters worse, the geitje are at thuis today. We’re all in de val loten lopen because of the vakvereniging.

It’s grijs and there’s lots of be’nevelen today. Only 12 degrees. I may as well take my ezel over to the stellen and enjoy a dutje. It’s the only thing to do when sbeschrijving skids to a halt during a staking.

Welterusten!

© 2005 Veronica McCabe Deschambault

October 7, 2005

Comments

[Shirl Grrrl]

Ooooo-kay... now in English, please!
I did not realize that Belgians spoke Dutch, always thought they spoke French, or is it both?

[V-Grrrl]

The language used here can depend on what side of the street you live on. Each community has its own official language, primarily Flemish (a Dutch dialect) or French. The language on all the signs changes as you drive down the road, and every village or city has two names--one in French, one in Flemish. I live in a Flemish community.

[Peter]

Your Dutch is way better than I ever imagined Veronica ;-)

[V-Grrrl]

You know, I'm all about integrating into local culture, whether I understand what I'm doing or not. ; )