Are you moving forever? Do you need cash, or do you want your money (bank account) transferred?
Answers will heavily depend on the above. For cash, you can order dollars at your local bank. It will be a shit rate. Airports do it too, at an even worse rate.
If you're talking about whole accounts and transferring your savings, it's more complicated. Depending on the amount (don't tell anyone here how much you have :-) ) it could be possible to use wise.com (formerly transferwise), or even Revolut (first xxx€ are free every month, so if you don't have much and can wait a few months...). If you are a Belgian citizen you might want to keep your money in EUR in Belgium, and not transfer everything.
Hi, check out meetup.com groups :) Those are not all necessarily couple/relationship-oriented, but you'll definitely get to meet other expats, or people who share your interests, and make great connections/friends. You'll see how it goes from there.
Just a suggestion :)
Although one of the poorest communities of Brussels, you should not fear anything. The locals are usually friendly. Just be as careful as you would visiting any big city. True, it's not the most appealing part of the city. But Botanique might be one of the most beautiful buildings with a public garden in Brussels. And it is not that far from the city centre either. Walk down from Botanique to Rogier and you're at the north end of the centre.
You can either take the metro or use the bike. From Delta, you can take the "promenade du chemin de fer", which is a nice dirt road, and then leave at the first exit (Demey), or take the Boulevard des Invalides, then you can continue on a bike lane until your destination. I recommend using mapy (https://en.mapy.cz/) to plan cycling routes (just put the route and choose MTB and it will show you a path following the best cycling lanes), it's much better than Google Maps.
By metro, you leave at the last stop (Herrmann-Debroux) and walk 1-2 minutes. Either way, it's maybe 5 minutes from Delta. I recommend taking the bike, it's fast and easy. With a folding bike, you can take it easily on the train and don't have to pay extra.
Of course you could also bike all the way from Mechelen but it's a stretch and the bike roads outside Brussels are unfortunately bad :)
I think it's here: https://www.google.be/maps/@50.8400217,4.3790752,102a,35y,198.93h,39.51t/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en. It's in the Leopold Park, just behind the European Parliament. Here's a picture: http://www.wikiwand.com/fr/Congr%C3%A8s_Solvay.
I would suggest looking at airbnb or couchsurfing. Based on my personal experience, I don't think Brussels has as many youth hostels as other European cities, so you would probably be better off by trying to stay with some locals.
For cafes and bars and restaurants you're best to head for place Flagey in Ixelles. Nice bars there are Belga and Epaulé Jeté.
A restaurant there which I really like around there is Chez Oki - Japanese and European fusion. Not cheap, but since it's for your anniversary ... Other options for food are Casa Creole, Dam Sum. If the weather is nice you can walk around the lakes and then around the abbey at the end of the lakes (check a map; it's obvious).
You must also visit the Grand Place in the centre, it's the main square, what Brussels is known for.
You can find all these places on Google or Tripadvisor.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Found somewhere located on Rue Fulton: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Rue+Fulton,+Bruxelles,+Belgium&hl=en&ll=50.845324,4.390411&spn=0.007682,0.021136&sll=50.845974,4.39333&sspn=0.015364,0.042272&hnear=Rue+Fulton,+1000+Bruxelles,+Belgium&t=m&z=16
Is that still a nice area or is it getting too far north of Etterbeek?
Most amazon purchases will come from the same warehouses, whichever site you order from. .fr and .de will ship free to Belgium, .co.uk won't. Electronics can sometimes be cheaper on .de but it doesn't seem to be the case much these days. For books in English, I'd recommend http://www.bookdepository.com/ they're owned by Amazon but are cheaper and ship for free (they are slower though).
I live just next to Montgomery, on the border between the 2 Woluwes, it's one of the safest neighbourhoods I've ever lived in. The area is nice, I walk and cycle it regularly. There are multiple parks close by and a short tram ride will even take you into the woods for longer walks.
Bullet journals are the only thing that keep me going. I have some bad migraines (4 a week minimum) so basically I'm always in pain. By pointing out what is urgent and important, I can at least make sure to do 3 to chores a day. On Sunday I use the Eisenhower matrix to reschedule all the things I did not manage to do the week before, and so the ratrace continues :) Also, did you have some proper rest/holidays? It is important to take care of oneself <3
Eisenhower matrix https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/eisenhower-matrix
For a nice online option, try Tandem ! From my experience learning German on it (and teaching French), the people are very nice. Just as any other site of its genre, don't put too much personal information on your profile or be careful about your pictures. Otherwise, as long as you're willing to share your language, it's a nice option. I don't know if there is an (official) age limit to use the app though
>* Can anyone recommend any resources for learning Flemish / Dutch (online or software or books)? My French is passable for day to day life, but it would be nice to be able to function in another language.
Duolingo ( https://www.duolingo.com ) does French, and Dutch has just been added in beta.
As others have said, Dutch isn't really essential in Brussels but it can be useful to know a few things like greetings etc if you plan on visiting Flanders. It's always good for starting a conversation, even if it will always switch to English immediately afterwards.
>* If anyone has lived near the Montgomery Metro, any recommendations for anything in the immediate vicinity would be appreciated.
What type of recommendations are you looking for?
I live close by. I guess it depends on what you define as immediate vicinity, but if you like museums, the ones at the Cinquantenaire are worth a visit. The military one is free and you can climb to the top of the arches through there.
yup, on meetup.com you can find social events based on your preferred 'topics'. I think there are also a few groups for internationals/expats in Brussels :)
​
On a curious note, what's your phd about?
When we first came to brussels, we had the same issue. What worked best is to gently pour the boiling water through a coffee filter, without the coffee of course, into a flask for later use. One of these with a few paper filters should do the trick. Let the water settle a bit after boiling, and don't pour the last bit of water, just throw it and rince the kettle.
That is only for DSL-based connections like Scarlet, Proximus or EdpNet. This uses the old "telephone" wiring.
Telent (and Voo, for that matter) use the coaxial cabling, formerly used only for cable TV signal. You should look for an outlet with a round connector like this one.
Would you say that secondhand one is about as good or much inferior to this one? https://www.amazon.com.be/Vangoa-Ukul%C3%A9l%C3%A9-Konzert-acajou-d%C3%A9butant/dp/B07CPT4JBF/ref=d_pd_sbs_sccl_2_3/262-2719735-5847957?pd_rd_w=WfTQ5&content-id=amzn1.sym.8c82be30-0c07-4fa9-ba24-4ca75503881e&pf_rd_p=8c82be30-0c07-4fa9-ba24...
Would you say that secondhand one is about as good or much inferior to this one? https://www.amazon.com.be/Vangoa-Ukul%C3%A9l%C3%A9-Konzert-acajou-d%C3%A9butant/dp/B07CPT4JBF/ref=d_pd_sbs_sccl_2_3/262-2719735-5847957?pd_rd_w=WfTQ5&content-id=amzn1.sym.8c82be30-0c07-4fa9-ba24-4ca75503881e&pf_rd_p=8c82be30-0c07-4fa9-ba24...
Sorry that happened to you, how awful. I carry a keychain alarm similar to this. You pull the pin and it will sound at 100dB, enough to attract attention and hopefully make them turn away. An artist friend of mine keeps a tiny spray can of paint in her purse, to spray an attacker in the eyes and to identify him if he's apprehended, luckily she hasn't had to use it yet. I don't like knives or pepper spray as they can be taken and used against me.
Self-Defence classes can help you seem like less of a target, by teaching you body language, posture, and de-escalation tactics. They'll definitely help your confidence.
911 996 phase II, yes I know these tapes I have read bad things about the audio quality :( but I could give it a try and see by myself
Not sure it can help in this particular situation but you could ask on the hoplr app? It's a neighborhood community app thing. Worth asking there, maybe a neighbor can help. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hoplr There might be an apple version.
I have the same problem, but what solved is using Le Chat SENSITIVE. Look for that, Le Chat sensitive. Also, if possible, install a filter for your shower and replace it every 6 months. An example of a filter https://www.amazon.fr/universel-Cartouches-pression-impuret%C3%A9s-Aquahomegroup/dp/B01M62IRCV/ref=sr\_1\_8?\_\_mk\_fr\_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=25BQ6JHMZBRL4&keywords=filtre+douche&qid=1649614218&sprefix=filtre+douc...
Nice initiative, full support. Unfortunately I don't have much time to contribute myself but I'll format & post whatever the community comes up with.
If anyone has any suggestions on how to go about this (collaborate on a Google Doc, ... ?) feel free to let me know. Otherwise you can send me submissions via PM or email my handle at protonmail.com. If you do email me, send a PM as well since I don't regularly check that inbox.
Have you tried meetup.com? There are quite a lot of Brussels groups there. You might also like some of the recommendations on the Use-It map.
I use Weather Underground and this provides an hour-by-hour weather including % chance of showers. Very accurate stuff. Indispensable before going cycling or scootering for the day.
N26, an online-only bank that also offers free accounts. Very easy to open an account through their app, and your card arrives within a few days. It also has more language options than you'll get with a traditional Belgian bank (e.g. Spanish and Italian in additional to English, French and German).
You also get perfect exchange rates on debit card transactions worldwide. And you don't have to already be resident in Belgium to open it (provided you're from one of the multiple other EU countries they operate in, I think).
Although it's German (and you'll get a German IBAN starting with "DE"), your Belgian employer cannot refuse to pay your salary in it - as mine does. Likewise Belgian companies must allow you to set up direct debits, etc with it. As with any EU-based bank account, your first €100k is covered by the state in the event that the bank fails.
If you do sign up I'd be grateful if you used by referral code ;) williamg8486
I would suggest CLL Centre de Langues (mostly group classes). I did a 3 week course there upon my arrival in Belgium, and this gave me the foundation I needed to be able to start going to activities where the only language spoken was French. After the course I immersed myself in French speaking environments and, 6 months in, I had learned a whole lot and was getting by quite well.
Once you have a basic vocabulary, I recommend watching French films with French subtitles (sous-titres pour malentendants) on Netflix or through DVD rentals. Lookout for French conversation tables/activities on Meetup.com.
All the best!!
Only ignorant, uninformed or stupid people can talk about conspiracy theory at this point. It is fuckin conspiracy! But people like you will realize that only when half of their vaccinated family dies from the next mutation.
Read the fuckin book
That being said, the logo could use a better icon indeed. Show more of the conflict in the second one, quick search gave me this which would work perfectly if simplified some more.
These guys close to Merode offer capsalon, but I can't say anything about the quality, I haven't tried it.
While you're waiting for your answer you can already learn easily a few hundreds words thanks to https://babadum.com/ Greek is included, It's a pretty nice way to start to learn with images and feeling you're just playing , I recommend it even before to go on Duolingo.
:)
Meanwhile, if you're stuck with broken screen (hopefully some part of it still works...) and wish to use the phone, you can do so by using the free and wonderful <strong>scrcpy</strong> application.
It replicates your phone screen on a Windows, Linux or macOS machine.
I think I saw it on reddit, but this should answer your question https://www.brusselstimes.com/all-news/belgium-all-news/119685/over-70-of-belgians-want-to-radically-reduce-their-working-hours/ And
https://clockify.me/assets/images/working-hours/oecd-hours-worked.png Cause , at least most of the people in US, don’t get those things just for pretty eyes
I think the Villo app is this one: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jcdecaux.vls.bruxelles
But keep in mind that you can only take/return a bike from one of the Villo stations and these can sometimes be empty or full, which can prevent you from either taking or returning a bike.
The Royal Walk XXL 137 cm automatic umbrella is a very sturdy full-size umbrella at a low price.
And the Knirps A.200 Medium Duomatic is compact and at least as strong (but a bit more costly).
Those are the best two choices that I know of.
In some neighborhoods, the street lamps are not even on poles but simply screwed to the sides of buildings...
I don't think they are going to do anything about that let alone move the lamp post. You're going to need blinds. I had the same problem and got these from Amazon that just clip to the top of your windows. https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0749V17QP/ref=pe_27091421_487030221_TE_dp_1
What you usually find here are thick double sided sticky tapes that allow you to fix stuff to the wall without needing nails. They come in different strengths and prices depending on your use case.
Command Languettes pour Accrochage de Tableaux, 4 x 2 Languettes Larges, 7,2 kg https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00X7792IE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_pRG8FbBWH6N67
I went with the bus a few times and it's super easy. I used flixbus, you can buy a ticket at the airport but I'd reserve it before, just to be sure! https://shop.global.flixbus.com/ but I see they also have an app that's maybe more useful https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.flixbus.app (i suppose it's on apple. store also, I'm an android user)
ticket is 5€ as far as i can see :)
EDIT : IT'S FLIBCO, i stand corrected, as @jomme mentioned below! You can find the info on the Charleroi airport website.
Good luck!
I would be surprised if lead based paints were never used in Belgium.
If you're after a testing kit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/3M-LeadCheck-Swabs-2-Pack/dp/B0051VARFG
Brico has an ok selection but staff generally aren't very knowledgeable. You can search their website to see what they sell, that's often quicker.
A good specialised paint shop is Miniox, but again they may not know about historical lead based paint use.