Netherlands & Belgium: Same language, different people

Belgian Gwendolyn Lootens speaks Flemish but she tells Nicole van Schaijik about the differences she has noticed between Amsterdam and her native Ghent. The greatest point of difference between Belgium and the Netherlands, I find, is that people are far more open and spontaneous here. They talk a lot more, a lot louder and they are quicker to begin a conversation with you on the street or in a shop. I think that is great and I find the Dutch are very friendly. Belgians are more modest, closed. They more often walk with their head down and talk far less. Belgians also suppress more and there are more taboos in Belgian society. If you are open about something, people can respond with a look that says 'you can't say that!' Here in the Netherlands you never have to hold yourself back. Personally I am very open, like my father, and therefore not really Belgian. That has come to the fore since moving to the Netherlands. I come from Ghent in Belgium and sometimes I felt restricted there. Should I return there I will certainly not let myself be limited again, never again. It is good to be open. Read more: Eurogates. Forum of education news