On with our expat series! This rugby player, born and raised in Belgium, and his girlfriend are now settled in Newcastle, Australia, after a few months travelling through South Africa, Asia and New Zealand. Meet Mathieu Verschelden.
Belgian Boutique : Which opportunity / reason triggered you to move abroad?
Mathieu Verschelden : I moved to Australia, to play rugby but also because I think it’s important to be able to open up to another culture and to therefore change my habits.
Belgian Boutique : How do you connect to your home country?
Mathieu Verschelden : Thanks to new technologies such as Whatsapp, Messenger, Facetime and Skype I can talk to my family and friends back in Belgium. Sometimes I also send some postcards.
Belgian Boutique : Are you planning to leave / stay / come back?
Mathieu Verschelden : My plan is to play a full rugby season here in Australia with the Hamilton Hawks Rugby Club of Newcastle. And after that I would like to discover the Australian West Coast and continue to travel around South America.
The view from Mathieu's home.
Belgian Boutique : Which expat should be known / discovered?
Mathieu Verschelden : Two of my friends, Quentin Windels and Tanguy Houghton. They arrived here in Australia in January and they are both huge travelers. Alain Mirialakis, a former Belgian national rugby team player is also here in Newcastle and works as a sport nutritionist . And the last person I have in mind is Douglas Eaton, also a Belgian fellow living in Sydney.
Belgian Boutique : What do you miss the most from your home country?
Mathieu Verschelden : I miss my family and friends. But I also miss good chocolate!
Belgian Boutique : What product or service should you like to import to Belgium?
Mathieu Verschelden : I like the way Australians educate their children and how they are doing much more outdoor activities than in Europe.
Belgian Boutique : What’s your favourite place to relax in Belgium?
Mathieu Verschelden : Le “Château de la Hulpe” and my parents’ house in Lasne are my two go-to places to relax when I am in Belgium.
Belgian Boutique : What’s your favourite Belgian / home country dish?
Mathieu Verschelden : “Boulettes à la liégeoise” or simply good Belgian Fries with mayonnaise: the best you can get!
Belgian Boutique : Where do you go for a truly Belgian meal?
Mathieu Verschelden : I quite like "Au vieux Saint Martin" in the Sablon in Brussels and also the "Skievelat"—that is a real Belgian brasserie.
Belgian Boutique : What can we always find in your fridge?
Mathieu Verschelden : Butter.
What's in his fridge?
