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This story may only be amusing to Belgians...

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In the latest chapter of our lives, Lydia and I have packed up our all our worldly belongings, said goodbye to our dear friends in Australia and America and are beginning afresh in Belgium. What wonderful adventures await us in the Old World?

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This story may only be amusing to Belgians...

February 4, 2009

Snow falling on Louis Melsensstraat

A friend of mine was telling me an amusing story about the language differences in Belgium, where Belgian French is considered by the French to be childish (in fact, on French TV a Belgian accent is often used to portray a silly character), while the Belgians find classical French to be excessively complicated. He was giving a talk in English at a French University (being Flemish he is more comfortable talking in English than French) and after his talk a Professor in the audience asked a technical question in French:

"Qu'est-ce que la plaque avez-vous utilisé?" ("What plate did you use?")

He replied in Belgian French: "Nonante-six puits" (literally "ninety-six wells")

The Professor replied: "Nonante-six? Qu'est-ce que c'est en français?" ("Ninety-six? What is that in French?") to much amusement of the audience, but my friend won with his retort (in English):

"That is four times twenty plus sixteen".

(my apologies if I mangled the French beyond recognition)