I'm a long-term American expat. Belgium is the 6th foreign country where I've lived and worked.
A few practical questions, since I'm a bit baffled by my experience here so far:
1.) Why does everything close so early? How does anyone shop when little is open past 6 p.m. and so many places are shut on the weekends? A lot of the banks shut by 4 p.m. and are closed during the lunch hour, which makes them virtually unusable. These are problems that haven't existed in the US since my grandparents' era. Am I missing something? I work in a white-collar IT job, typically 9 a.m.-7 p.m., and I'm finding it exceptionally inconvenient here. I've resorted to ordering a lot of things online, but then the post office isn't open late enough for me to pick up my deliveries, so I'm giving up my lunch hour to pick up boxes (which frequently aren't even at the location stated on the delivery slip). I also can't go swimming after work (as I've grown accustomed to doing everywhere else I've lived) because the pools are shut by 7 p.m. or so. I feel like I'm living in a straightjacket. Does anyone have advice on how to cope with this?
2.) What are my taxes paying for? I'm sacrificing 50% of my pay to the government, yet the local public services barely operate - e.g., the Schaerbeek town hall is only open 9:00-13:00, every visit just leads to more confusion, and every person I speak with gives me conflicting information. The regulations are incredibly complex, but it doesn't seem like anyone understands the regulations they're supposed to enforce. The bureaucracy and paperwork seems excessive and IMHO, mostly pointless. The govt. here is extremely well-funded, so it ought to be the Bugatti Veyron of public services, yet my experience has been the complete opposite. I realize the federal retirement pensions are pretty good and that costs a lot, but other countries operate similar schemes more efficiently. Unlike some Americans, I don't mind paying high taxes, but I expect them to be used effectively, and it strikes me that there's a ton of inefficiency here. Do others feel the same? Are the locals aware of how their money is being used? My French coworkers complain a lot, but the local Belgians seem to shrug it off. What gives? Is there any push to reform the government and improve the efficiency of public services?
3.) How long have others had to wait for their paperwork to get processed? I've been here for over 3 months, yet still don't have my residence permit, parking permit, driver's license, etc. In the UK and New Zealand, it took less than two weeks to process everything and I never had to think about it again. Even South Africa was easier than this. Yet here I feel like I'm running in circles with no end in sight. I have a coworker from Bangalore who's been here for 6 months and is still waiting for some of his documents. Is this a typical / "normal" experience?
4.) Is there any way to get reimbursed for medical expenses before you have your national ID number? I was told I have to register for a mutuelle, but I can't do that till I have my registration documents. Can I get anything back from the government in the meantime? Is it worth the hassle?
5.) Aside from the beautiful architecture, beer, and chocolate, how is everyone else finding it here? Although I fell in love with the place when I visited, I'm starting to doubt my decision to move here.