01 May '18

No beating around the bush

6037
door Nathalie Dirix
‘My roots are not in the ground but in the air.’ You can tell straight off that Irene Wolf is not pining to return to Austria.

On the contrary, she is perfectly content with the multicultural environment of Sint-Genesius-Rode, where she has lived for almost 20 years. She no longer feels at home in her native land. ‘Every time I visit Austria, I realise that not only have I changed personally but the the country is different as well. The xenophobia induces an oppressive feeling in me. ‘ She has got to know some great people in Sint-GenesiusRode thanks to the children’s football activities. She has a knack for making contact with people. She says what she thinks. No beating around the bush. When I arrived in Belgium, I learned Dutch and French quite quickly. I believe it is a form of respect for the people of the country where you live. I realise that Belgians immediately become more approachable when you speak to them in their own language.