Flemish Pride

Dinner with the De Moor Family

Lokerse Paardenworsten and Fries

I believe the home stay dinner was the most enriching aspect of the BENELUX program thus far. As a course on the identity of the Low Countries, visiting and witnessing the authentic home life of a Flemish family proved beneficial to my newfound understanding of Dutch culture. Thus far, I have enjoyed the history of the Dutch language and its vital role in the identity of the Low Countries. My favorite lecture, and one that remains relevant to this evening, was the lecture given by Kevin of the Dutch Language Association. It was therefore an honor to meet An de Moor and dine with her family. Her personal story was an inspiring one, particularly because it intersects with Dutch history.

During dinner, we learned that An is currently a member of the Order of the Prince. But even more, she was the first woman invited to join the, at-the-time, all-male, secret organization. Despite initial opposition to her joining, An gained the organization's support and became its first female president. Her story, inspiring as it is on a personal level, gains even more prestige due to its national and political implications in relation to the Dutch identity.

Since our dinner, I have wondered a great deal about the Order of the Prince and how the organization is structured, specifically the differences between how the organization functioned before women were extended the opportunity to join and how it operates today. After hearing about the current dynamics of the organization, I am not entirely sure how far it has traversed since its starting point. According to An, the organization is comprised of 98 members, only five of which are currently women. In terms of preserving the Dutch language it makes sense that a group representation of Dutch people push for its preservation. I do not think the Dutch people are well represented in an organization whose female membership estimates at 19%.

Though comprising a small portion of the organization, I felt that An did a great job promoting her culture. When she would do so, she was very specific in her differentiation between the terms Belgian and Dutch. Where Belgian is the all-inclusive term referring to both Flanders and Wallonia, Dutch speaks primarily of Flanders and its culture. As a member of the Order of the Prince it makes sense that An was very adamant about using these two terms correctly. In her differentiation, I was able to understand the tensions that exist within Belgium regarding its two national languages, one that is not taken as lightly as I initially thought.

Her sense of regional pride was extended in the dish she served for dinner. An served a dish called lokerse paardenworsten, a sausage dish covered in a tomato soup specific to her hometown of Lokeren. The authenticity of the dish added to the spirit of An's role in preserving her language and her culture, a role I am happy to have experienced firsthand and one that I appreciate due to its uniqueness.

 

Sophia