LATE! It was somewhat frustrating because as much as we want to be early,
Kuya Martin and I woke up late and our hosts were in a hurry for a doctor’s
appointment. So we rushed with everything from taking the shower and up to
eating breakfast. When we arrived to the train station, Stijn oriented us with
what we will be doing the whole day. He explained that since the places we'd be visiting are quite near it wouldn't be pratical to take a car or ride a bus, so he asked us to get our walking shoes ready.
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| A panoramic shot of the city square |
He gave us a quick tour around the city. Got to see the big and old churches at the same time we got to see shops selling clothes and chocolates. Also got in Leonidas, the shop that sells the most expensive and houses the best chocolates in the world!
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| K in Kortrijk Shopping Mall |
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| Inside the church |
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| In front of Leonidas |
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| Delicious but expensive chocolates. :( |
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| Kortrijk's City Hall |
After the long and tiring walk, we went to the city hall for a short tour and to have our lunch. Tom, the city's Head of Communications, oriented us with Belgium, Kortrijk, and the city's history and government. I found out that Belgium is currently divided into 3 big communities: the Dutch (North), French/Flemish (South), and the German (East). 41 people get elected in the City Council by the people and from that council, the Mayor will be elected, who is allowed to serve for 6 years and can be reelected. Their Prime Minister is the Head of Government while their King serves only in ceremonial functions.
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| Tom, Head of Communications |
He also shared that they dont have any corruption issues and that the common social problems that they faces are unemployment and security. But ironically, as I did some research, it turns out that Belgium is one of the countries with the lowest unemployment rates.
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| The view from the topmost floor of the city hall. |
After the loading our minds with information about Belgium, its politics and economy, we went to the topmost floor where we had our Belgian lunch. After 2 hours of lunch break, Stijn told us that we'll be meeting with the city's Deputy Mayor for Youth and International Cooperation.
Mr. Alain Cnudde, shared about the city to city cooperation between Cebu City and the Kortrijk. He said that part of the cooperation is the strengthening of the city government, administration and civil society. The partnership also aims to partake in the exchange of knowledge and experiences. In 2004, the mayor first visited Cebu and in 2005, the MOA that sealed the partnership between the 2 cities was signed.
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| Listening to Stijn's introduction |
After the talk, we spent some time in the carnival where Sir Karl and Kuya Russel treated Arge, Kuya Martin and I with Belgian fries and waffles, and surprisingly they offer big servings compared to what we have in the Philippines.
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| Sir Karl, Kuya Russel and Arge enjoying the fries and waffles. |
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| One picture before we eat everything! |
After they were all fetched by their host families, Kuya Martin and I wandered around the city and then we just remembered that we forgot to tell our host where to pick us up. So we thought, we'd stay at the train station to be sure, and luckily Barbara fetched us there. Whew! Before going home, we went to the supermarket to buy some stuff. They paid 87 euros for goods that filled the car. It made me think how an 87 pesos is just enough for one meal in the Philippines.
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| First rice meal in Belgium. Nomnomnom. |
At home, we ate a very special Belgian dish (pork/meat wrapped in a tomato) with RICE! Yey! The perks of being hosted by a Pinoy! While having dinner we discussed about taxation in their country. Found out that they are taxed really high, reaching to almost 50% of their income, though it also gets lower the more children that they have. Since Barbara is pregnant, we asked her how they will take care of the baby since both of them are working. They told us that they have a daycare center in Kortrijk where they can leave their baby (should be 3 months old above), and just pick the baby after work. I found this way really convenient especially for parents who work hard for their family. The couple also told us how important it is to work in Belgium to survive. With my energy drained from the long walks and the sumptuous dinner, I was ready for a great sleep! Zzzzz.
