„Cold Belgian people“?

Before I came to Belgium some people in my country Serbia told me I shouldn`t be surprised if I find people without motivation to meet strangers. Serbians consider themselves as very warm, helpful, kind hosts. After 2 weeks spent in my „new country“, it was my birthday. I will tell you how cold my team colleagues were: they bought cakes and sang a birthday song in Dutch for me. Just like in Serbia, they kiss three times on a cheek. I found a birthday card in front of my door from Kim from kitchen. I don`t demand glory on my birthday but I usually become emotional. "In de gloria, Hip, hip, hip, hoera!" I felt welcome and loved. 

I can`t not to mention that my supervisor took me from the airport the first day and gave me a dinner at his home with his family. When I entered the door of my host organisation, everybody already knew my name and said that they were expecting me. Smiling faces are trying to support and integrate me into the system by providing detailed explanation about any of my interests and I am a very curious person.

I share apartment with Spanish guy Javi. He was here one month already when I came after long visa procedure. Even though he barely speaks English, he gentleman alike showed me all the neighborhood and practical things he had to discover by himself. He calles me Đoković, I call him Nadal, after famous Serbian and Spanish tennis players. We make jokes about our social life in forest but actually there is nothing to complain about. Sometimes I feel like a guest here: delicious meals in restaurant, entrance to every available service in the domain, my bicycle, healthy life in nature and everything free of charge. I must have been lucky.

When we finish work, all the workers go home and de Hoge Rielen stays alone with guests, housekeeper, Javi and me. Sometimes we interfere with groups playing guitars, making parties or just chatting but usually we spend time riding bicycles for hours. There are hardly ever the same paths through the domain but there is more out of it. Kevin from kitchen will show us some places that we heard about.

 We are making plans about traveling through Belgium, Netherlands, France and Germany. Everything is near here, transportation is easy- people are ready to help and offer free sits in their car for small amount, we have free days. The only obstacle is learning to save money and economize, which is one of the goals of the EVS program.