{"id":4960,"date":"2026-07-06T17:49:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T21:49:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hoperoth.com\/blog\/?p=4960"},"modified":"2026-07-06T17:49:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T21:49:47","slug":"allez-les-diables","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hoperoth.com\/blog\/allez-les-diables\/","title":{"rendered":"Allez Les Diables!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Kristian and I went shopping the other day and the guy helping us out said, “Hey, your French is decent, are you Belgian?” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of all, this is empirically hilarious. Belgium is to France as Canada is to the US (smaller and less wealthy, has a surprisingly problematic history of murdering indigenous people). Europe is simply swarming with Americans these days (gee, I wonder why). Don’t want to get caught out pretending to be Canadian? Just say you’re Belgian. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"A
An “artist’s” rendering of Hope as Hercule Poirot as imagined by Magritte<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Second of all, while not everyone in Belgium speaks French, they do<\/em> live in a country where quite a few people do. French ability through osmosis, right? Usually people think I’m German, where the language sounds decidedly… not<\/em> French. Belgium feels like an upgrade. I’m gonna go ahead and assume that my French is improving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Me being me, I’ve been jokingly telling everyone that I’m Belgian. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When my friend Haley and I went on a little adventure a couple of weeks ago (more on that in a later post), the women at the rental car company started calling us “the Belgian Ladies.” As in “have fun, Belgian ladies!” and “welcome back, Belgian ladies!” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then I saw this Instagram reel and decided to make Belgium my whole personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Just kidding.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Mostly.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>
View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/blockquote>