The first year in the French speaking school was awful, because I couldn't follow at all. The only class where I was very good was where we learned typwriting and I used to bash everybody out on a manual typewriter.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtvulnsoqgAVx8zxEbV5KVfKEH2rLejgGeUovIYbHHj0Ofur7gD4yseq9VXcR68COrrwrJOn_rpDtaAoorLDS8v09WtJneh4jfvFGItC4wOtuJi9QCRyfxf0W0xbxTKLKfUdqtodjeMSy/s320/02766240c8c5d11ed7f96c29bd356d76--antique-typewriter-vintage-typewriters.jpg)
It looked like this, the keyboard was covered so that I couldn't see the letters. That way I learned "blind typing". Fortunately later I didn't have to bash on the keys, I had an IBM typewriter with a ball, I typed so quickly that the ball always jumped out and rolled through the office. My peers complained because they all ran behind the ball and asked me not to type so fast. When I look at this typewriter today I feel like an antique ! What progress had been made since I started working !
The Business school was very famous in France and Belgium and located in an old manor house ! Our classes were in all available rooms which had been converted into to classrooms. Even the kitchen ! The house was high and narrow and we had to climb the old creaky stairs up and down to join the classes !
It was a rather old fashioned school in my eyes, because I wasn't used to uniforms at school, no school in Germany had uniforms anymore after WWII apparently they had enough of uniforms. But here the girls had to wear blue aprons ! I had never worn and apron either and found it very funny ! The students were all very nice to me and helped me with my language difficulties.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowBWsAyzMoAJhT78-yCM9I7ujZ96DKjgmHQ16S0CGE3KoKAzb5OLB3YoHngGknxVaC75HT_ZkYbS72qqves6DDY5oVSB1bBv6rp10rF0h9zNuBgCqLgqYKIcy3BBszxU2LFR7CdT_tjDJ/s320/7051508_1+%25281%2529.jpg)
I head to repeat my first year because I had only learned French, but meanwhile I understood enough to follow the same class again and of course I had a better bash this second time !
The good thing was that when I had my diploma in the pocket I found immediately a job as translator. Companies were looking for German and English speaking people. The UK was not in the Common Market yet (today European Union) and it was difficult for them to get a work permit.
I wonder now, with the Brexit, how British employees will be able to continue working in Belgium they would need a work permit. They will probably be replaced by Belgians, meanwhile a lot had learned English. Of course it also depends on the position of the employee. I have heard in the News that 2700 British have already become Belgians because they have their life here.
Photo Themes here
My cats and funny stories here