Horse & BMAC

[Koenraad Elst]

Herr Witzel,

I have by now understood that you are something of a humorist, so I don't
mind in the least if you call me "een stomme Belg"*.  Only, a German should
be careful with what he calls Belgians.  Your great post-War Chancellor
Konrad Adenauer (and I suspect that my Christian-Democratic father had him
in mind when he picked a first name for me) described the Germans as
"Belgians with megalomania".

And now that we're at it: any bilingual Belgian could tell you that the
correct French expression is not "comme l'habitude" but "comme d'habitude".

All the same: sincere thanks for the information on the BMAC.

Yours sincerely,
Koenraad Elst



* for those who don't understand the language of paradise: "stom" means
something between "dumb" and "stupid", a common stereotype in the "Belgian
jokes" narrated by our neighbours.  Thus, on a train, three Dutchmen and a
Belgian, one of the Dutchmen tells a Belgian joke.  The two other Dutchmen
laugh, but the Belgian doesn't.  "Why aren't you laughing?" -- "I am Belgian
myself." -- "Oh, then I'll tell it to you more slowly."