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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/7/2007 12:47:48 PM

Estring

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Hmm, let me think about that for a second. Okay, done.

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/7/2007 12:48:13 PM

pahunkboy

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on a blank map i could not tell u where Belguim is.

^wonders that the French seem to make noise in Montreal^

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/7/2007 1:01:53 PM

Level

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quote:

ORIGINAL: FullCircle

I could be struck off the FR high council for telling an outsider this Mr Level but O’hell your worth it. I believe it stands for ‘Fast Reply’

I'll put in a good word for you with the council, never fear.

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/7/2007 2:56:17 PM

HaveRopeWillBind

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If Belgium has to split into two nations due to language does that mean the US has to divide into English and Spanish speaking nations?

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/7/2007 3:01:45 PM

Guilty1974

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Well, as Flanders' got two of the very best SM venues of the dutch speaking countries, and it's population is very friendly, I wouldn't mind a merger of Flanders with The Netherlands and Wallonia with France, but I'm afraid the Belgians don't want to.

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/7/2007 4:39:03 PM

NorthernGent

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quote:

ORIGINAL: popeye1250

NG, maybe the reason was because of drunken English soccer mobs?

You're probably not far off, Popeye. We went in the summer after Chelsea had wrecked the place, but they're Cockneys and we're Northerners, like chalk and cheese really. Mind you, the Belgians wouldn't know that. It did cross our minds that this had something to do with it.

Having said that, English soccer mobs have wrecked parts of Holland and Germany, but they don't seem to mind as much.

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/7/2007 4:40:22 PM

NorthernGent

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quote:

ORIGINAL: susie

You have had a very different experience in Bruges to myself and my family. We have always been shown great kindness and friendship in the city. In fact the people have been so nice that one family that own a restaurant on the main square have become great friends. On my parents wedding anniversary last year they decided to spend a weekend in Bruges. I told the family in the restuarant that my partner and I were coming over to meet with my parents as a surprise. They organised a fantastic evening arranging special flowers and cake for them.

I can honestly say that over the time we have been there we have made more friends than anywhere else we have been.

Well, fair enough, maybe we caught them when they weren't on form. Who knows.

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/7/2007 5:04:40 PM

NorthernGent

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Level

Or a drunken NG?

Naaahhh, our money was running out by then, so we were sober in Belguim (maybe that was the problem)....but we had been drunk in The Netherlands, Germany, France and a few more. We were only 21......5 lads, money in our back pockets, no work...loads of young foreign lasses to chance your arm with..........good times.

Germany was a real clash of cultures. One of the lads we went with was 6'5 and one night when he was pissed he fell over the tent and wrecked it (in The Netherlands), and we'd lost all the pegs along the way, so we couldn't put the tent up (hence trying to get a hotel room in Belguim). We pulled up at a campsite in Cologne, and the Germans are famous for doing everything properly, everything has to be done by the book, so we pulled up and laid our tent canvass across the floor (no use trying to put it up as the thing was knackered), and the Germans had these huge camper-vans with massive grills and all sorts of steaks, sausages, meats frying on these grills....we had tins of cold raviolli, some bread and a vat of the cheapest French wine we could get our hands on....we went into town, got leathered with the locals and came back, got under our tent like it was a quilt and went to sleep (it was pissing it down, too)......not a care in the world. Next morning, the Germans were looking over at us like we were peasants from the 16th century, and in all fairness, they weren't far wrong.

Anyway, back to Belgium.....good luck to them whatever they do.

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/7/2007 5:13:42 PM

NorthernGent

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quote:

ORIGINAL: philosophy

FR......when asked to name 3 famous Belgians, people usually include Hercule Poirot......a fictional Belgian written by an Englishwoman.......

The two tennis players - Henin and Kloisters, and the footballer - Enzo Schifo (Italian immigrant), top player in his day.

There you go, I know Belgium like the back of my hand.

and that bloke from the advert who pretends the Stella Artois has ran out and gives the soldier a glass of wine instead.

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/7/2007 5:20:05 PM

Level

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quote:

ORIGINAL: NorthernGent

quote:

ORIGINAL: Level

Or a drunken NG?

Naaahhh, our money was running out by then, so we were sober in Belguim (maybe that was the problem)....but we had been drunk in The Netherlands, Germany, France and a few more. We were only 21......5 lads, money in our back pockets, no work...loads of young foreign lasses to chance your arm with..........good times.

Germany was a real clash of cultures. One of the lads we went with was 6'5 and one night when he was pissed he fell over the tent and wrecked it (in The Netherlands), and we'd lost all the pegs along the way, so we couldn't put the tent up (hence trying to get a hotel room in Belguim). We pulled up at a campsite in Cologne, and the Germans are famous for doing everything properly, everything has to be done by the book, so we pulled up and laid our tent canvass across the floor (no use trying to put it up as the thing was knackered), and the Germans had these huge camper-vans with massive grills and all sorts of steaks, sausages, meats frying on these grills....we had tins of cold raviolli, some bread and a vat of the cheapest French wine we could get our hands on....we went into town, got leathered with the locals and came back, got under our tent like it was a quilt and went to sleep (it was pissing it down, too)......not a care in the world. Next morning, the Germans were looking over at us like we were peasants from the 16th century, and in all fairness, they weren't far wrong.

Anyway, back to Belgium.....good luck to them whatever they do.

Good story, NG.

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/8/2007 12:21:27 AM

meatcleaver

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quote:

ORIGINAL: NorthernGent

quote:

ORIGINAL: LadyEllen

Would a division make Belgium twice as interesting, or only half as boring, is the main question I feel.

E

I'm normally quite positive about other countries after I've visited; I struggle with Belguim, though.

Hmm Let me try to defend Belgium. They have the highest concentration of beer varieties in Europe and the world I believe and certainly some of the best. Belgium chocolates are also considered the best in the world and guaranteed to get a woman to drop her knickers. As for famous Belgians there is Rene Margritte, Marcel Broodthaers, Rubens, van Dyck, Peter Breugel, Velsalius, Jacques Brel, Django Reinhardt, George Remy, Adolphe Sax (inventor of the saxophone). I could go on.

As for Belgium splitting up, its no more of concern than Britain splitting up which it probably will do sooner or later. It matters less as to whether countries split up if they are members of the EU, their are statute protections for individual regions anyway. Ironically, England is the only country in the EU that is not recognized as a country in its own right. Thank the British government for that.

EDITED I once stayed in Antwerp for six months. I had one helluva time and fucked three different women one weekend. All nice middleclass women on a rebelion kick. All were Flemish, I don't know if that makes a difference, though maybe the fact I was out drinking until 4am each morning as were the women did.

< Message edited by meatcleaver -- 10/8/2007 12:38:54 AM >

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/8/2007 6:29:17 AM

KatyLied

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The only famous Belgians I can think of are professional cyclists.

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/8/2007 6:38:28 AM

mnottertail

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Weren't there some draft horses..............?

As to the OP....
We can't handle the Middle East, but I am confident that The Good and Godly Government of the United States can impose their will on Belgium, at least.

Geo Bush

< Message edited by mnottertail -- 10/8/2007 6:40:37 AM >

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/8/2007 6:39:39 AM

KatyLied

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I'm feeling less and less good about being a long-lost Belgian Princess.

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/8/2007 7:35:15 AM

Lordandmaster

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Belgium should divide into Pretty Belgium and Ugly Belgium--that way foreigners like us would know exactly where to go when we land.

Maybe I've finally understood why Duvel comes from Ugly Belgium.

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/8/2007 7:55:16 AM

pahunkboy

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I dont understand the intracacies of Yugoslavia. [^ ducks. where did THAT come from ^]

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/8/2007 8:24:14 AM

LadyEllen

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Yugoslavia always was complex PA - a country manufactured out of mutually intelligible languages but nothing else.

It comprised Serbia - populated by Serbs, not unsurprisingly perhaps with an Albanian minority in the south in Kosovo (where Albanians were the majority) and a few Hungarians and assorted others around the borders, who happened to live on the wrong side of the lines drawn to make Yugoslavia when WWI ended.

Then there was Macedonia which looked towards Greece. And Montenegro. And Bosnia Herzogovia, and Croatia and Slovenia.

There were plenty more reasons for these constituent parts to fall to pieces than there were for them to stay together. Different religions - Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Muslim. Different scripts - Serbians use Cyrillic similar to Russians, whilst the rest use Roman script like us. But the really big reason is to do with the histories of the parts.

Serbia was an independent country - an oddity, surrounded by the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the north and the Ottoman Turks to the south for a long time. Meanwhile the rest of Yugoslavia was part of or subject to those Empires. The Austro-Hungarian declaration of war on Serbia which followed the assasination of the Archduke is what started the first world war, in which of course the Slovenians and Croatians fought for the Austro-Hungarians. The importance of Kosovo comes from this time when the Serbians were pushed out of their country, through Kosovo where their army and population had fled to.

The first Yugoslavia came into being after that war - with the Serbians, being on the side of the victors, pretty much in charge and causing resentment. Then when WWII came along, more trouble was stirred up in that the Slovenians and Croatians readily joined the nazis to fight the Serbs. Again, the Serbs were on the winning side and more domination of the country and resentment followed, culminating in the wars over there in the 90s.

Strange thing is, that the Serbs have always been on our side - but this time, they were the bad guys. One has to feel for them really, given their history of others trying to destroy them its no wonder they had the mentality they did - fortress Serbia against the world and so on. Still , nothing excuses the crimes perpetrated by all sides.

E

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RE: Should Belgium divide into two nations? - 10/8/2007 10:50:02 AM

NorthernGent

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quote:

ORIGINAL: meatcleaver

Belgium chocolates are also considered the best in the world and guaranteed to get a woman to drop her knickers.

Would you want to fuck a woman who's game for anything in exchange for a box of chocolates!? Fuck that. What's wrong with them over there?

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