I cannot for the life of mine find a job in Ireland and I may get a job offer in Belgium. I cannot find any information on Belgium which doesn't read AI generated. Is it a real country? Pls halp.
Yes, Belgium is indeed a real country! It's located in Western Europe and is known for its rich history, diverse culture, and delicious cuisine. From the medieval city of Bruges to the vibrant capital city of Brussels, Belgium offers plenty to explore and experience. As for job opportunities, Belgium is home to many multinational companies and organizations, making it a promising destination for employment. If you're considering a job offer there, it's definitely worth researching further and considering the potential benefits. Feel free to ask any specific questions you have about Belgium!
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How plausible is it I'll get a solo mini apartment as a foreigner without French or Dutch or German?
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How does the healthcare work? I don't understand the articles.
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Could I be openly GNC in the middle of big cities such as Brussel?
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How queer friendly is everyday life?
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How accessible is veganism?
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Will we be friends?
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Is Belgium not too anti commie?
i’m sorry i copy-pasted chatgpt trying to be funny
i live in amsterdam, i’ve only been in belgium as a tourist so i don’t know most of these things either, but i can help looking things up in dutch if it helps.
from what i’ve read it seems that the housing market is better there than it is here, but that doesn’t say much unfortunately.
from what i understand you register for social security and then join a ziekenfonds/mutuelle/health insurance fund, which partially covers your medical expenses. for example, the vlaamse sociale bescherming costs 31 or 62 euros per year. it’s also possible to sign up for private insurance which covers the remainder. then there’s also a limit (maximumfactuur) which is income-dependent, but above that limit everything should be fully covered.
from what i know belgium and especially most big cities rank among the most lgbtq-friendly places. but if the situation is anything comparable to the netherlands, there are growing reactionary transphobic movements.
i can’t really say anything about everyday life in belgium as a queer person, afaik most people are respectful and queerphobia isn’t seen as an acceptable position, but gnc and non-binary identities are probably not widely understood.
from what i can find dutch supermarkets operating in belgium (like albert heijn) have the largest assortment of vegan products, and veganism seems to be growing. as for clothing and stuff i’m not sure.
of course
, but i don’t live in belgium :(they seem to be doing better than us at least, but i don’t know much about the general public attitude or any state repression.
sorry for having to prefix pretty much all of my answers with an afaik, but i hope it helps at least somewhat!!!
Thank you! I hope the job offer gets back to me with positive news. >/////<
happy to help!! lmk if you need any help translating or looking up stuff in dutch
Hey, lived in Belgium all my live so I'll give it a try.
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As far as everybody I know, apart from maybe gen X and older, are pretty good with the English language, when in Flanders i'd expect people to be more than able to help you. I'm renting myself, but I have to say I'm lucky my landlords haven't raised my rent in the years I've been living in my current appartement. When living in a city, a studio goes for around 450 - 600 euros a month (might even be more depending on location). As for the housing market, I work fulltime but let's say I won't be buying a house anytime soon. Still better than the Netherlands tho!
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You'll have to check in with your employer about health insurance. They should guide you through that process. For nationals part of the bill gets covered by the state, the other part is privatized.
3+4. I'm a cis male, so my experience isn't all that helpfull. Depends on which part of which place. Most of my social circles are pretty left leaning (not enough tho), so my view is even more skewed now I think about it. Radical acceptance is a standard in the local punk scene. Won rights however are never secured, and reactionary movements are on the rise. Hell, the fascists are set to win the votes here with about 25% this year. That said, our ML party (PVDA - PTB) is also on the rise (getting around 12%).
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In cities, quite a lot. I sometimes go out eating with a friend who is vegan, he isn't complaining about his options here. There are also vegan products available in supermarkets as well as specialized stores and restaurants / coffeebars. Shopping for food isn't all that cheap in my expierence.
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Depends on your choice of football club
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That's Europe for you
- The only balls I like are men's, sorry!
I hope I get the job. I'm scared my spirit will get crushed when I don't. .__.
Anything with English. I specialize in software testing, but I applied to anything.
I'd imagine Brussels has the most opportunities in that field, being 'the capital of Europe' and all. I'm not too familiar with that city myself, living in a different province.
Best of luck to you. Hope you get the job, there's never enough comrades here.
I wouldn't go to any smaller city because I know how queerphobia increases the smaller the city, but Brussels doesn't respond. I'm waiting on the only job offer which responded, but with how slowly it's going, I worry it won't work out. I am not the most qualified candidate. They said they could expand my qualifications, but it entirely depends on whether the client agrees (they outsource), and I worry they're silent because the answer is no. And even if I proceed, there will be more interviews which I may bomb. I just want the job. FML. :((((
I didn't say so, I just said I may. I have experience of interviews asking questions unrelated to the actual work which I assume is done to sabotage the candidate.
Eh, I wouldn't look too much into it. To my great shame, I've been on that side of the table before I switched to my current job. Questions like that were pretty common. Either to ease a candidat a bit, or get an idea of who a candidate is, what they like, ...
I get no job offers at all apart from that. I get maybe a job offer once a year. I am happy for you if you have highly sought after skills, but I am a filthy immigrant and no one wants me unless they wish to underpay someone and treat them like shit, then one company may wish once a year, but that's that. I have experience with such questions from interviews where it clearly looked like they didn't want to interview me at all.
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Hi where is King Leopold III's grave? I just got off a 10-hour flight and need the loo.
I don't drink alcohol, don't smoke, don't do drugs, I'm vegan, I'm a communist, I'm gay,
I am the evil personified.
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A little off topic, but if someone hypothetically had a chance to move to Ireland from the US, would you recommend they take it?
No, I moved away because I was going homeless. If I move back in I'll be homeless and jobless. Ireland as a country is a tragedy ruined by unfathomable capitalist greed. I just happen not to speak other European *languages and that's where all my friends are.
Ireland as a country is a tragedy ruined by unfathomable capitalist greed. I just happen not to speak other European *languages and that's where all my friends are.
That's your nation of birth?
Nope. If I had their citizenship, I'd move back to England. No, England isn't it either. I have no ties with the place I was born in, so please stop viewing me through a nationalistic lens. Thank you.
No no no no no noSorry I read that the other way around.
Ireland is an upgrade over the US, materially. There are other factors to consider that are 100% personal though like family, friends, culture shock...
Not me, but thank you for the compliment. That's what you find on the search for Flemish rabbits
Belgium is a 1960s EU administration district reform that got out of hand a bit much and we're now stuck with. Make of that what you will.
On a scale from 8-10 how much do you like french fries?
Belgium is your standard rich Western European country. The country itself isn't a concern if you're cool with that kind of place in general. Focus on the job itself and if you want to leave Ireland!
I'm not a fan of fries, but don't hate them.
I'm not in Ireland. Ireland has no housing or job for me.
its not a real country, but we do have a real marxist party
IDK, I kinda feel like I want to try Belgium. I hope I somehow get the job offer. >/////<
People are being annoying. Belgium exists, and on the “ground level”, existing as a worker, its probably the best country I’ve ever lived in. Salaries are relatively high, bills are not that expensive, urbanism things are “ok”, pretty decent for Europe (but no comparison to Asia…) - like transportation, infrastructure, parks and public “third-places” etc.
And most importantly, the people here are actually nice? I’ve lived in two cities famous within their countries as being the capitals of “arrogant removed” (no not Paris), and the difference between those and the one I live in Belgium is insane. People smile at you on the streets. Service people chat with you, and it doesn’t seem forced. Like they actually like their jobs (as much as one can I guess) and are happy?
It’s a stark difference from everyone always complaining about everything and just trying to argue with you for a sick sense of fun or something…
Maybe people already live in better countries. And I honestly would assume Ireland is pretty good, but I know very little of the “ground level” existence there. But coming from where I came, living in two other European countries (southern European ones), so far this is pretty good.
I still want to move to the Netherlands one day, and will keep applying for jobs and move as soon as I get one. But I wouldn’t mind living 5 years in Belgium (that’s a lot for me).
Why do you want to move to the Netherlands over Belgium if I may know?
It’s been my dream for many years. It’s mostly emotional. Belgium (specially in Flanders) is VERY similar to the Netherlands. They speak Dutch after all.
If I didn’t go to the Netherlands I’d move to another city in Belgium. I just like moving in general.
But I’m happy you might be coming to Belgium!
Belgium has one of the last decent communist parties in Europe, PTB-PVDA. Might be cool to join 🤗
Historically, no Belgium is not any good, nowhere in Europe is good.
Ok, but I'm stuck in Europe. I have no linguistic skills to move somewhere communist. :(
Every advert I saw did mention needing a degree. Besides, the language barrier would still exist. I don't want to be as lonely as I am again. :/ I want to find a bf and have a fullfiling life outside of work...
The Belgian aspirations in the Congo may have ended, however:
They still sell chocolate hands as a reference to the Congolese who had their hands amputated as punishment for not harvesting enough rubber for the Belgians.
They still sell chocolate hands as a reference to the Congolese who had their hands amputated as punishment for not harvesting enough rubber for the Belgians.
Belgians, excuse me, what the fuck
They are not referencing Congo but an old myth about the founding of the city of Antwerp. However, continuing to make candy in the shape of severed hands is a bit fucked up, considering the context of the colonial history of the country.
After a certain point it would have to be a dog whistle to continue the tradition, right?
I get how Black Pete (Zwarte de Pete) is a mythological assistant of Saint Nicholas (Santa, Father Christmas, etc) whose skin is black from going down chimneys to deliver presents. However, most, if not the overwhelming majority of people who dress as Black Pete nowadays put on bright red lipstick and Afro wigs to make it as close to American blackface as physically possible.
I remember reading this short piece on belgian politics by anton jager and it seemed like a funny place
It's a cross-nation state, that's all I can say...
It's actually the name of a small chain of restaurants, much like Dennys or IHOP. They're know for their waffles, but they're kinda overrated IMO.
