Antwerp is my first city to encounter Europeans, especially young girls. They look soft like butter with angelic innocence. Especially Babies look like dolls. Those dolls we see in toyshop at New Market, Dhaka. About Girls, Unfortunately they seem happy with their Belgian boy friends. Yes, they are ready kiss, but only to those boys. No place for me. But those white chic we usally see in Bangladesh are in their menopause phase, white skin but with lot of freckles in their face. I was there in 1987 for 3 months. It is a medieval city with a beautiful gothic cathedral. This is a city of Jews, Art and Red light zone.Like other old cities of Europe it has many name, Antwerp, Antwerpen, Anvers. But it is an interesting city, lots of old building. Famous Flemish painter Rubens (Petro paulo Rubens) owned a house there. Rather I should call it a villa, Small Music hall and lot of sculpture adorned the lawn. It is not far from Mier, the posh shoping street. Here they call Street as ‘Lie`, Stairs are ‘Naar’, ‘Ankoup and Verkoup` is ‘buy and sale’ tolet is 'te Huur` . Antwerpers are flemish people. They speak Dutch, it sounds awful, contrast to French. French is another major language of Belgium. In Postage stamp you will find two different
language heralds its identity,
Belgique & Belgie. One is Belgium`s French name another is Dutch. But English is absent. As an educated man (so called) i find my self in difficult condition, When I try to figure out what is what when I tried to read the lavel on them. 3 languages scripted, French, Dutch and German but English is not there. This tiny (much smaller than Bangladesh) country has 3 language people. So no place for English. It is hard to buy product by reading its lavel. Once my friend asked a sales girl showing a milk packet is it ‘cow`s milk?` The girl answered ‘what do you think ‘man`s milk`? (?). Looking at book shelf in a book shop if you try to find 'English to Dutch` dictionary, you will fail to find it. Because they call 'Dutch` as 'Netherlands`. So it is 'Netherlands-English` Dictionary. In Book shop they sale cigarette and in cigarette (
TABAC)
shop they sale book. How book & cigarette relate to each other only god knows.
In Brussels, I met lot of man "6 feet tall, full of muscles". I did not ran and take cover. Like man hired taxis are robust too. They use Mercedes Benz for normal taxi. They don’t consider it a posh car. They say 'we need heavy duty vehicle for hard work`. Here Luxury cars are Porce, BMW, Rolls Royce, Ferrari etc. When they see a six door looong car or shining Rolls Royce parking in the street, they look it carefully and with respect they exchange look with fellow friend or stranger. Suited and booted men never do that but men in jacket usually does so, especially those men who keep there both hands in pocket too keep them warm. And most of the time I wear jacket. Normal Belgian rides Rolls Royce twice in his lifetime, on his marriage day and his funeral procession.
