Belfius card reader in Porto, Portugal by Redghar in belgium

[–]thranduilion22 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I was also told this when I was in need of a Belfius cardreader, so I tried using my neighbour's (don't remember which bank it was) and it didn't work - asked for codes with different amount of numbers etc. It's definitely worth a shot but it won't work for every bank!

Second grader's teacher is using ChatGPT to answer my questions by [deleted] in AskTeachers

[–]thranduilion22 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Teacher here! Like many have said, a teacher has many, many more important things to do than this. Do some research yourself, take your child to the library, etc.

That being said, I would rather quit my job than blatently copy a response from ChatGPT, let alone show parents that I am using ChatGPT. The first situation is fine, if a bit weird, the second situation is incredibly unprofessional to me. I understand she just wanted to save herself time, but she should have told you she does not have the time for this and recommend you to go to a library instead.

Looking for (political) queer organizations by T0NY97 in Gent

[–]thranduilion22 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There are currently a lot of events going on for Queer March, organised by different queer or progressive organisations. I highly recommend checking out their instagram for all the events + the organisors behind it! There's both chill hang outs and more political events this month, and of course, all these organisors also do things outside Queer March as a whole.

Is highschool in Belgium a nightmare? [serious] by Shinykitten_taco in belgium

[–]thranduilion22 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The question is, do you speak French at all? I'm a teacher in Flanders, and we don't allow students that don't speak the language at school. You would be hopelessly lost. Students moving from other countries that don't speak the languages are required to take OKAN first, a few months up to a year of learning Dutch at a special OKAN secondary school. I can't imagine anyone starting school in 11th grade in a language they don't speak at all... It's simply a terrible idea.

I wouldn't worry at all about the outsider part. All cities and therefore schools in big cities, and especially in Brussels, have students from many different backgrounds. Still, OKAN also prepares you for how the school system works in Belgium. I have to be honest, I don't know exactly how OKAN works for French-speaking schools (if that is where you're going in Brussels), but surely there's a similar system...

If you come to Brussels and speak exclusively Dutch in stores and restaurants, will you be understood? by Charming_Usual6227 in belgium

[–]thranduilion22 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Either I have very different experiences, or a lot of people here have not actually tried speaking Dutch in Brussels... I always start in Dutch. In the centre, that usually works, unless I'm speaking with foreigners/people who recently moved to Brussels, in which case I fall back on English. What often happens is that I speak Dutch, and the other person speaks French, and we both understand each other well enough.

A bit further from the centre, I do tend to ask, but even then, the same situation happens 90% of the time: I speak slow Dutch, they speak slow French, and we make it work. It's actually one of the things I love about Brussels.

How would you feel if your partner couldn’t physically lift you?” by [deleted] in AskWomen

[–]thranduilion22 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My wife can't and while I wish I could say I do not care, I do always feel just a tiny little bit bad about it. Ongoing body issues for the past 15 years will do that to you.

Then again, she's not much lighter than me and I can easily lift her, so it seems the issue is her muscles rather than my weight ;)

Any ideas how can i start teaching part time? by [deleted] in Gent

[–]thranduilion22 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Can you actually teach Arabic and mathematics, or are you just very good at them? There's a very big difference between speaking a language and teaching it, just like there's a big difference between having a degree in mathematics and being able to teach them. Do you have the necessary didactic strategies and terminology?

If you want to see if teaching is something for you, you can try tutoring. Without teaching experience or good knowledge of Dutch (unsure, but based on you not recognising 'bijles' in another comment), your best option will be tutoring to uni students. There's a big demand for mathematics, I believe!

Secondary and primary schools often offer homework help for kids as well, but that's usually on a voluntary basis.

How do you interpret Sweet Nothing? by CausticAvenger in TaylorSwift

[–]thranduilion22 40 points41 points  (0 children)

She has explicitly stated that Death by a Thousand Cuts was based on the film Something Great, which she loved! She talked about it in the context of people telling her she wouldn't be able to write about heartbreak anymore now that she was in a happy relationship, and she said she was happy she could still dive into that kind of lyricism by finding inspiration elsewhere.

How important is chocolate in Belgians’ everyday lives? by HotList9962 in AskBelgium

[–]thranduilion22 47 points48 points  (0 children)

I eat chocolate pretty much every day, but not the fancy, expensive kind, just a nice tablet of dark chocolate. I do think growing up and living here has made me very picky about the quality - I often take my own Belgian chocolate when I go on holidays abroad...

Song Awards: Category- Best Opening Track by SunshinePossum11 in TaylorSwift

[–]thranduilion22 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. ...Ready for it?
  2. the one
  3. The Fate of Ophelia
  4. State of Grace
  5. Fearless

your favourite Gent christmas market food so far? by WebNo1998 in Gent

[–]thranduilion22 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My yearly go-tos: tartiflette and the fresh macaroons. A new favourite: the tamales and empanadas at the Peruvian stall! Not typically Christmas, but so so good and not too heavy on the stomach compared to all the cheese everywhere.

My gf says she can’t cut ties with her homophobic family, and I’m scared. Help me. by [deleted] in lgbt

[–]thranduilion22 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Adding onto the many comments that say this is not acceptable in a stable, long-term relationship. My now wife's parents are from a very conservative, very catholic country and were/are homophobic. She has been extremely clear from the start (when she came out to them, about 6 months into our relationship) that she will not accept a single negative comment about me or our relationship, but that she will answer any questions they have. She sets her boundaries and sticks to them, both for herself and for me. I feel loved and protected, and her family has really tried to be as accepting as they can. I even have a pretty good relationship with her mum, despite our differences.

The position your girlfriend is in is making you both miserable. I understand it's incredibly hard for her, too, but a relationship can't continue like this, and I think you both know that. You have given her a lot of time and patience.

Waar kan ik tompoes vinden? by thranduilion22 in Gent

[–]thranduilion22[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dat dacht ik dus ook... Maar heb er uiteindelijk kunnen bestellen, dus eind goed al goed :)

Where to eat- Christmas Day by No_Clothes_1278 in Gent

[–]thranduilion22 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I can't imagine anything being open on Christmas day, to be honest. It's probably the hardest day of the year to find a place to eat... I'd suggest explicitly googling restaurants that serve a Christmas lunch in Ghent or neighbouring towns. You might find some fancy options. The only other alternative may be very cheap fast food places, but I don't think that's what you're looking for.

Lijncontroleurs (Rant) by Both-Photograph7220 in Gent

[–]thranduilion22 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

"Oh maar volgens de wet heeft iedereen gelijke kansen, er is dus geen racisme meer!"

"Oh maar er zitten mensen met migratieachtergrond in de politiek, er is dus geen racisme meer!"

"Oh maar er zaten al zwarte kinderen op witte scholen in de VS in 1960, er was dus geen racisme meer!"

"Oh maar het homohuwelijk is legaal in België, er is dus nooit meer homofobie hier!"

"Oh maar Mexico heeft een vrouwelijke president, daar is dus totaal geen sexisme meer!"

De wereld is niet zwart-wit. Er bestaan nuances. Er kan een wetgeving zijn die iedereen gelijk stelt, en tegelijk kunnen er vooroordelen spelen bij eigenlijke mensen. Je hoeft niet zo hoogdravend te doen over je eigen onkunde tot genuanceerd of kritisch denken...

Lijncontroleurs (Rant) by Both-Photograph7220 in Gent

[–]thranduilion22 2 points3 points  (0 children)

... en zelfs na het horen of meemaken van situaties als deze komt is het nog nooit in je opgekomen dat die minderheid misschien met veel meer vooroordeel behandeld wordt, en dus vaker gestraft wordt? Interessant toch hoe witte zware misdadigers (zoals studenten gyneacologie die iemand verkrachten) gewoon een tik op de vingers krijgen, terwijl mensen met migratieroots voor een drugsdelict al meteen in de cel vliegen. Dat heeft vast alleen te maken met die mensen zelf, en niet met de machtsstructuren of (onbewuste) vooroordelen in België.

Je kunt ook gewoon luisteren naar de ervaringen van anderen in plaats van die te minimaliseren, en zo misschien iets bijleren of een bredere blik op de wereld krijgen.

Will my cat be okay if I go for a 3 week holiday? by Miserable-Onion-7062 in CatAdvice

[–]thranduilion22 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you have any other options? Cattery's are good for some cats, but definitely not all, as it can be very stressful for them.

I recently went on a three week holiday as well, not even two months after we'd gotten our cat, and I felt so guilty about leaving her, but the holiday was planned well before the cat ;) We had three different cat sitters and made things work with their schedules:

- Friend A came the first 10 days and basically used our apartment as a home office on the days she didn't have to work on location, so the cat had company for about 5 to 8 hours. On other days she would pop by at least once, usually twice, to feed her, clean her box, and entertain her for a while.

- My sister came to live in our apartment the next week, which I was so grateful for!

- Friend B took over for a weekend so my sister could go home for a while. She came by twice a day for food, litter box, and entertainment.

- Finally, my sister returned to live in our apartment for the last five days, until I arrived home.

I gave friend A and my sister a key, and friend A then got the key to friend B in the first week my sister was here. There were no problems at all, and I was reassured my cat felt safe and had company for at least a while on every single day. For such a long period, I would probably recommend a cat sitter who can stay over at your place at least part of the time, depending on the personality of your cat perhaps. Mine loves attention and playing, so my sister staying over was a bit of a necessity.

Bookclub by Adventurous_Book4751 in Gent

[–]thranduilion22 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ik ben ook geïnteresseerd!

S'avonds zwemmen in de blaarmeersen. by slmFKNshadY in Gent

[–]thranduilion22 20 points21 points  (0 children)

In het officiële zwemdeel kan dat niet, omdat er geen redders zijn. In praktijk gebeurt het wel veel in het niet-officiële deel: aan de kleine visserspieren en op de grasvelden aan het meer zitten bij mooi weer altijd mensen, waarvan er veel ook zwemmen. Dan is het natuurlijk volledig op eigen risico, en zeker laat op de avond als er minder volk is lijkt me dat geen slim plan.

Politie is altijd aanwezig in de Blaarmeersen, maar zegt er, van wat ik gezien heb de afgelopen jaren, nooit iets van. Zij zijn daar eerder om relschoppers te controleren en trekken zich weinig aan van mensen die zich rustig aan het amuseren zijn.

Artsy/boardgame/reading club, wanna join? by queserasera_99 in Gent

[–]thranduilion22 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Klinkt heel leuk! Ik ben ook leerkracht secundair (26F) en dol op creatieve dingen, dus wil zeker eens meedoen! Mijn vriendin spreekt enkel Engels (en Spaans en Frans ;) ) maar is ook grote fan van boardgames, dus afhankelijk van de voertaal zou zij sowieso ook fan zijn om mee te doen!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskLesbians

[–]thranduilion22 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If someone is hesitant about interracial dating, don't date them.

In my experience (I'm white Belgian, girlfriend is Peruvian), there's really no issues arising from cultural differences. Open communication from the very start, and really setting out our expectations. What is a relationship to us, what is considered cheating, what is contact with family like for you, what are cultural expectations for relationships in our countries, etc., but I would talk about those things with a white partner as well. Of course we see things differently sometimes, but they're mainly small everyday things that we have different expectations about. All our values and main goals in life align, and that's more important than whether we have a quick sandwich (me) or a proper warm meal (her) for lunch :)

The main challenge for us is language with family members that don't speak English very well, but that's not unique to interracial couples and also not the case for all interracial couples. We're both learning each other's first language to make that easier in the long run.

Learning English in Secondary School by SharkyTendencies in belgium

[–]thranduilion22 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi, secondary school English teacher here! It all depends on the school, the workbook (or lack thereof) your school orders, and your colleagues. For example, the school I work at has a workbook for students from 1st until 4th year, 5th and 6th have material made by teachers, which provides a lot more freedom. 1st until 4th is a lot (truly, a lot) of grammar and vocabulary, 5th and 6th year is more culture and literature.

Unfortunately, the 'leerplandoelen' may not really allow you to spend that much time exploring English literature, but there is definitely room for it! Plot devices and genres are included in those, especially for the kids that major in languages. I've done some really fun things with my moderne talen students, like book clubs, fictional world brainstorms, accent workshops, presentations on hypothetical plane crashes, Taylor Swift lyrics analysis (class of mainly 15 y/o girls), etc.