Do you speak Nederlands?
Yes, you do, because a lot of words have Dutch origins: mannequin, brandy, cookie, dyke, rucksack, wafle, drugs, decoy, aardvark, wildebeest, frolic, geek, knapsack, skipper, yankee, ... are just a few words of Dutch origin in English. But there are in Spanish, French, Indonesian, Japanses too ... So you already speak Dutch.
Dutch Language
The language spoken in Flanders is Dutch. It is neither a fictitious language, such as Belgian or Flemish, nor is it French. The official language is the same in Flanders as in the Netherlands, and is spoken by approximately 21 million people. This puts Dutch in sixth position in the European Union behind German, English, French, Italian and Spanish. Decisions concerning the Dutch language are all joint decisions, made by the Netherlands and Flanders within the framework of the Nederlandse Taalunie (Dutch Language Union). Flanders and the Netherlands both use precisely the same spelling and grammar. However, there are some noticeable differences in vocabulary and, particularly, in pronunciation.
All windows open wide
A tiny country cannot afford to recede into narrow-minded provincialism. Flanders has been aware of that for a long time. During the Middle Ages, its location at the cross-roads of the busiest trade routes in Europe resulted in a rich, internationally oriented culture. That open-mindedness has not diminished. The Flemish have an eye and an ear for the latest trends. You can tell that from the streets, in the shop windows and on the supermarket shelves. You can also hear it in the music of an innovative rockband like dEUS, techno music like Soul Wax, Buscemi or 2 Many DJ's, music like Hooverphonic or K's Choice, dance music sensations like Praga Khan, Lords of Acid, or Kate Ryan, ...
Harry Potter doesn't speak Dutch
As regards the media, Flanders welcomes the entire world. Newsagents sell newspapers and magazines in every major European language. The cinemas in all the larger cities show the latest American and European feature films. Foreign films are not dubbed in Flanders, they are subtitled. That applies to foreign feature films, television series and reports broadcast on Flemish television - quite an asset if you're busy learning Dutch.
On the same wavelenght
Keen television fans will be in their element in Flanders: almost every house has a cable connection, providing an average of thirty channels to its subscribers: Dutch, Walloon, German, French, British, Spanish and Italian
channels, as well as satellite channels such as CNN, MTV and NBC Superchannel. There are 5 Flemish channels, too: two public channels, TVl and Ketnet/Canvas, and thecommercial channels VTM, Ka2 and VT4. Not to mention the regional broadcasting stations Ring TV and RO B TV, with news and reports from and about the Vlaamse Rand.
Flanders has 5 national radio stations, each with its specific type of programme: information (Radio 1), light music (Radio 2 and Donna), classical music (Radio 3) and rock (Studio Brussel). Radio Flanders, the Flemish world service, presents news programmes in English, German and French every morning.
Avant-Garde Art
Open-mindedness and a feel for interesting confrontations are characteristics of contemporary Flemish art too. This brings together age-old native traditions and recent international movements, such as in the work of James Ensor, the 19th century painter from Oostende, symbolist Leon Spilliaert, expressionists Constant Permeke, Gustaaf De Smet and Frits Van den Berghe, contemporary artists Roger Raveel, Panamarenko or Luc Tuymans.
Musicians and ensembles such as Philippe Herreweghe, Jos Van Immerseel, La Petite Bande, Huelgas Ensemble and I Fiamminghi have acquired worldwide fame. Directors and choreographers such as J an Fabre, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker (Rosas Dance Company) and Wim Vandekeybus (Ultima Vez) perform on every international stage. The novels by Hugo Claus have been translated into just about every European language. Not to mention Flanders' exciting comic strip culture: almost every child is familiar with characters like Suske & Wiske or Nero.
Music in the Air
Flanders is a land of festivals: renowned musical events are held for just about every kind of music: rock, folk, world music, classical, jazz, blues, early music, dance music from the Caribbean or even Gregorian chant.
Many summer festivals are free of charge. That does not apply to the Torhout-Werchter double festival, where over a 100,000 local and foreign rock fans gather each year at the beginning of July. Every big name in the music business over the past 20 years has performed there.
When the open air festival season draws to its end, the Festival van Vlaanderen begins. This prestigious festival draws the best international orchestras, ballet and opera companies to the Flemish cities and towns, including the municipalities in the Vlaamse Rand. Jazz fans in the Rand should not miss the Jazz Hoeilaart festival, a must.
Another tip: keep an eye on the cultural schedules in the newspapers and magazines. Or zap into the cultural schedule on Ring TV or ROB TV once in a while!
