
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment