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Belgian Contributions to the World!
bazjonster
Posts: 2,875
I am actually quite fond of Belgium. Trips to Ypres, Brugge, Brussels reinforce that. However, I have just done a bit of quick research into Belgium's contributions to the world.
They include such greats as Chocolate, Beer, Cheese and of course, the Brussel Sprout! But most notable of all is the country's influence in 'Comic Strips' and the production of the 'Waffle'. Kind of says it all really!
They include such greats as Chocolate, Beer, Cheese and of course, the Brussel Sprout! But most notable of all is the country's influence in 'Comic Strips' and the production of the 'Waffle'. Kind of says it all really!
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Someone had to come last in Jeux sans Frontieres2
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I've spent a lot of time in Belgium and can agree with Ray, Colin Farrell's character in the sublime film 'In Brugge'
'Belgium is famous for 2 things. Chocolate and child sex crime. And they only invented the chocolate to get to the kids'
If you want an insight into Belgium watch that film, it is a very weird place full of very weird people especially in the more rural parts2 -
Back in the 80's I served in Germany and one of the jobs I had (on behalf of the German authorities) was to ensure that any visiting aircraft to the base that were making their first point of entry into Germany were cleared through the appropriate customs procedures.
On one particular occasion one of the girls who I worked with was sent out to the aircraft pan to 'meet' and 'clear' a Belgian Air Force jet and its pilot. When she came back in to the office, our Sgt said to her "was he a Walloon"? (Bearing in mind that Wallonia is a region of Belgium). To which she replied "I don't know if he was well hung Sarge!? I didn't ask him!!"
Priceless. Still brings a smile to my face now.6 -
Frites and Mayonnaise, Mussels, excellent beer and very good chocolate.1
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Magritte, Django Reinhardt, the saxophone, Audrey Hepburn and the truly brave and wonderful Andree ( Dedee) de Jongh an astonishing young woman, look her up.
There are loads of good things about Belgium, and loads of good people.3 -
What about Asterix the Gaul?0
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He's French. One album is called " Asterix & the Belgians".ForeverAddickted said:What about Asterix the Gaul?
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Jean Claude Van Damme.1
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Despite the standing joke that Belgians have contributed little, a quick bit of googling shows that it's not true. The following were all discovered of invented by Belgians:
● Roller skates
● Praline
● Asphalt
● Chicory
● The World Wide Web (everyone knows about Tim Berners-Lee but how many know of the role played by Robert Cailliau?)
● Saxophone
● JPEG conversion (with this there's be no digital cameras)
● The Mercator projection
● The contraceptive pill (invented by a certain Mr Peeters!)
● La Jamais Contente (the first car to travel at over 100km)
● The first commercial scale generator - The Gramme Ring
● Bakelite (the first synthetic plastic that could be made on a commercial scale)
● Index card
● Brussels Sprouts
● Cell division
● Loads of pharmaceuticals
● Surrealism (pioneered by Delvaux, Ensor & Magrritte and continued today by Duchatelet and Meire)
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They also produced Roland and Katrien. Stupid country.0
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Eddy Merckx2
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It was their contribution to 'comic books' and 'waffle' that I was more interested in Stig. It seems to have been imported to our football club! However, if they bring the Trappiste brew and mussels with them, well, that's a different matter ;-) I do genuinely really like the country.Stig said:Despite the standing joke that Belgians have contributed little, a quick bit of googling shows that it's not true. The following were all discovered of invented by Belgians:
● Roller skates
● Praline
● Asphalt
● Chicory
● The World Wide Web (everyone knows about Tim Berners-Lee but how many know of the role played by Robert Cailliau?)
● Saxophone
● JPEG conversion (with this there's be no digital cameras)
● The Mercator projection
● The contraceptive pill (invented by a certain Mr Peeters!)
● La Jamais Contente (the first car to travel at over 100km)
● The first commercial scale generator - The Gramme Ring
● Bakelite (the first synthetic plastic that could be made on a commercial scale)
● Index card
● Brussels Sprouts
● Cell division
● Loads of pharmaceuticals
● Surrealism (pioneered by Delvaux, Ensor & Magrritte and continued today by Duchatelet and Meire)
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There is an idea that Magritte was not a surrealist, but rather was attempting to chronicle everyday life in Belgium.
This is not too far fetched, as theories go2 -
I love Belgium, well Brussels actually. Very nice people. Shame we landed ourselves with two duffers.1
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Antwerp is a fantastic city I will say that, mostly though Belgium is thoroughly forgettable. However it really is a strange place.
It undoubtedly has some very beautiful but very stereotypical European towns and cities (type of place where cheese and ham sandwiches are served for breakfast), and it almost goes without saying, the country has always been a battleground and we have many, many of our forefathers resting there.
You need to go to the backwaters to understand where I'm coming from when I say the belgians generally walk around with a slightly bewildered look on their faces most of the time. When midnight strikes they can be properly unpredictable2 -
No he's a GaulForeverAddickted said:What about Asterix the Gaul?
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Is anyone else getting an advert for a Belgian/Dutch dating side next to this thread? Vind.love
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I have worked for a Belgian multinational company for the last 15 years - I know all about Belgians and their ways!!3
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Nice Jugs!killerandflash said:Is anyone else getting an advert for a Belgian/Dutch dating side next to this thread? Vind.love
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Charlemagne ...
Adrian Carton de Wiart (only foreign VC holder)
and ... Tintin !2 -
Plastic Bertrand, surely?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32SkxLCZz_o
Oh, and Vaudrée, a bar in Liège which sells 1,000 different beers.3 -
Georges Simenon. Author of the Maigret detective novels. Excellent writer.0
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Belgian Spring Classics, especially the Ronde.Leroy Ambrose said:Eddy Merckx
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My third kid was born in Leuven, they are a boring crew really, liked living there, everything was cheap0
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Soulwax/2 many djs0
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2Unlimited0
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Christian Ferdinand Schiess - Swissskywalker said:Charlemagne ...
Adrian Carton de Wiart (only foreign VC holder)
and ... Tintin !0
