Leuven vs Sable

Today's post is a comparison between the time I spent in Leuven (2007-2008) to my time in Sablé.

Obviously they are different since I was studying abroad in Leuven and I'm working here, but they are both small towns in neighbouring countries in Europe.

Language

Sablé: I am actually trying to learn French here and knew a tiny bit before I came.  But no one here speaks English except for the English teachers. The French are Proud with a capital P of their language.  That is good if you are trying to learn French because it forces you to speak it. On the other hand it can be super frustrating and it's hard to make close friends since you can't get beyond basic subjects.

Leuven: I never attempted to learn Flemish except for "Ik sprake hein flems" (I don't speak Flemish) and "een Broodje austoblief (A sandwich if you please).  But I didn't have to since literally everyone spoke English.  This also made living so much easier since I could communicate about mundane things like my cell phone bill and I could also make friends with natives, unlike in France. 

Nightlife

Obviously Leuven wins. No need for categories. I don't think I was ever sober for a whole week. Leuven is a student town though and known for it's beer and bars.  

Transportation

From Leuven I could be in Brussels  in 20 min. for 3 euros. It takes me 25 Euro and an hour and a half to go to Paris. Neither is bad, but it was easier to travel when getting to the airport was cheaper. That said, I pretty much went everywhere I wanted to go while I was in Leuven so  I didn't really care about traveling outside of France this year.  Both train systems are nice and comfortable, but Belgium is way cheaper.

Cost 

Neither country is prohibitavley expensive, but Belgium is cheaper.  And chocolate is cheaper. That's pretty much all that matters, obviously. Cheese is around the same price, but Diet Coke is more expensive in France, but also better. (Diet Coke changes flavours in each country, trust me, I know Coke like French people know wine)

Food

I know France is known for it's food, and that's a well-deserved reputation, but I'm a vegetarian so I can't try most of it. What I have tried, the bread, cheese, bakery goods, is delicious. What isn't delicious are the sandwiches. France makes horrible sandwiches. The bread is awful- it's this white, pasty chewy thing,and the toppings are meagre, I don't really know what their thinking.  Belgium on the other hand, makes wonderful sandwiches. The bread is thick, crusty and fresh and the toppings are varied and plentiful. mmmmm my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Also, Belgium has fresh waffles.  and O-M-G the chocolate.  And for some reason Leuven also had amazing gelato. For 1 euro you could get a huge scoop of 'Ferrero Rocher" or  10 other amazing flavours. (and miraculously I actually lost weight in Belgium, it is to this day the mystery of my life since I existed entirely on waffles, currys, sandwiches and chocolate)

Men

Belgium wins. Sorry France. I am just not into the crunchy gel that French guys put into their hair. Also Belgium guys are way taller than Frenchies. Not that Belgium guys are so great, they are all obsessed with relationships, reserved to the point of coldness  and obsessively wear striped shirts, but they are tall, speak English and friendly when drunk.

Women

This is just in my humble opinion, but I still don't know what all the fuss is about concerning French girls. Belgium girls , while not my style, took a lot of care in their appearance. They also didn't wear makeup or do their hair, but they all wore long skirts, boots, stockings and a high necked shirt- all the a grey/brown palette of course.  Again, not my style, but it worked for them.  

French girls are never sloppy, but they also never take fashion risks.  Everything they wear is a staple. Also, they don't wear makeup or do their hair, and wear really drab, depressing colours, similar to the Belgian colours. You think because both of their countries are so dreary they would wear some pink. But no.    Frankly, I'm just not impressed by either country's women, but men have vehemently disagreed with me.

And frankly, the men in both countries dress way better than the women. 

Working hours

Neither country works a lot. I guess people in Leuven worked more than people in Sablé, but not by much. In both countries banks are closed for lunch and everything is closed on Sundays.  This is probably this biggest difference between Canada and Europe. Grocery stores are open 24/7 where I live (granted in a big city) and the mall is open 10-8 on Sundays (previously 10-5, oh my).

But the French strike more, and they seem to really strive towards a "work to live" existence, where their priorities are not advancing in a career, but enjoying life.  (good for them but not for me)

+Class System

I think this has to do with the fact that there is such a class system in place in Europe, even now.  People don't often think beyond their station. So if their parents are working class, than they will be too. They don't even try anything else. I once asked my class what part of France their grandparents had come from and 28/30 had actually lived in the same town. Imagine if your grandparents, and possibly your great-grandparents had lived in the same town, working in the same profession (often brick-making or at the chicken factory)  There's not really an "American Dream" where you work hard, go to university, move to a city and get a career. They would rather stay in their region around their families and what is familiar. There is also  this intense regionalism, where French people looooooove their region (and then their country). That's why in a tiny country like France you have 10 different dialects, and in a tinier country like Belgium you also have 10 different dialects of Flemish. It's bizzare, but these Europeans stick to what they know and like it that way.