European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Story and photos by David Tarrant Brussels Bureau you know a place is a bit strange when it considers registering pigs for identity cards. Only in Belgium. The Liny country s delights Are Well chronicled the world renowned chocolates Beer and cuisine the museums filled with works of Art the attractive flemish towns with their cobbled streets. But for thousands of newcomers posted to Belgium each year the country can also be a labyrinth of strange Laws and customs a with a maddening bureaucracy that seems to dog your every step. Consider for example some of the problems a typical newcomer to Belgium faces a languages the country s two main languages a French and flemish a can wreak havoc with a newcomer trying to drive from one town to the next. Directional signs sometimes use both languages. But sometimes not. Signs to the town of Mons suddenly switch to Bergen a the town s flemish name a leaving the hapless traveler scratching his head. Liege becomes Luik. Brussels is spelled Bruxelles in French and Brussel in flemish. A telephones it s time to Brush up on those letter writing skills because the typical wait for a phone is three to six months. In some of the older More crowded sections of Brussels some people have reported waiting up to a year. A taxes you name it Belgium taxes it. Even government sponsored folks exempt from most belgian taxes have to pay a tax on their car radio and their to sets a if they receive european channels. A insurance it s mandatory to have Home insurance. It s also common to have Quot family insurance Quot which can cover accidents caused by children and another policy for the cleaning lady not Only when she s working but also when she s travelling to and from your Home. And Don t forget about Quot pet insurance Quot in Case the the secret to surviving in Visele do Leman second from left shows newcomers to Belgium How to get around. Newcomers Brave the bus system during a recent class. They also Learned that the names of towns on Diz ional signs can to in French or flemish. Stripes Magazine october 18, 1990 \