There is a law which states that city officials may not speak any language to you other than Dutch. I learned this when trying to register and get my Belgian identity-card at city hall.
Me: Kant u Engels Spreken? (do you speak English?)
Then: Nee (no)
Now that I have enough Dutch to fumble around and try to explain myself, I've discovered how to beat the system: speak Dutch with reckless abandon, whether you know the right words to use or not. After about a minute of this, the attendant will simply lose patience and kindly request that you switch into English.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Thougts, Pictures, and Stories from Carillonland
Flickr Reel
www.flickr.com
This is a Flickr badge showing items in a set called This Benelux Life: June. Make your own badge here.
1 comment:
"Kunt u", "Kan jij". Also, it's so true. I tried to go to the police station to get a report, and had to talk in Dutch, and after 30 seconds of my fumbling he gave up and went to look for someone who spoke English.
Post a Comment