I was visiting my in laws this weekend, when my mother-in-law mentioned that there were protests across Europe. This didn't shock me since, Spain, Greece, France and other European Union countries are facing hard times. Belgians protesting in the streets of Brussels and spraying milk on their fields, however, over a proposed increase in retirement age and falling milk prices is shocking.
About five years ago, I spent some time in a little Belgian town called Louvain-la-Neuve
. Belgians are a very easy going people, who rarely get upset about much. Yes, there are "ethnic" clashes between the Flemish and French speakers, who occasionally want to split the country in two. When this happens, however, most Belgians don't even panic. They go to their local pub, drink some good beer and eat some delicious food and ignore the hot air. After all, Belgium was almost destroyed during both world wars, what else could be worse?
Apparently this economic melt down has provoked fear in the heart of Belgians. What does this mean? I'm not sure, but it seems that this "recession" has taken it's toll on even the most peaceful places. A good beer, chocolate and some crepes won't undue the declining quality of life around the world and in Belgium.
