Anirudh Tomer

Anirudh Tomer

I enjoy conducting scientific work, visiting mountains, cooking, landscape photography, and solving problems. I am currently doing statistics/machine learning in the field of medical science and biology for a living.

Belgium (2014 to 2020)

I lived in Belgium to study for an MSc in Statistics at KU Leuven, in Leuven Belgium. Also, I have visited it multiple times after I moved to the Netherlands. Living next to the forest in Leuven brought me closer to nature. Often I walked in the woods after midnight and slowly lost all of my fear of the dark. I was studying and living with a large international group of students. And that removed all of my prejudices about people from around this world. Belgium gave me almost free education and a couple of close local friends, and I am very grateful to the Belgian people for this. I traveled extensively to every nook and corner of Belgium, hitchhiked, couchsurfed, kayaked in almost all rivers, saw seasons changing, made bonfires with friends while camping, and tried local food in both restaurants across the country and the homes of locals. I have attended Belgian weddings in both Flanders and the German commune. It would not be incorrect for me to claim that I have seen more of Belgium than most locals and have probably understood Belgian people reasonably well. Belgium and Belgians have a special place in my heart, and I will always consider it a home away from home.

Trails

Countless trails in Wallonia and Flanders over all seasons.

Food

Belgian fries are crispy and tasty and are often eaten as a meal along with frikandel (hot dog). Food in much of the country is meat-heavy and rather bland, but fries, artisan chocolates, Liege waffles, and world-class beers make up for it. Belgian beers, unlike German ones, are served in smaller quantities but are so much more flavorful and joy to drink.

Transportation

Public transportation is fairly reliable but prices are high.

People

Belgians are rather reserved unless you meet them in a bar. They are also humble and down-to-earth people. It takes a while to win their trust, but they go the extra mile as a friend once you do that.

Special Experiences

Every single day that I lived in Belgium was special. Walking in Leuven's historic town, hiking in Ardennes in autumn and summer, and kayaking in the rivers became the norm over time. An amazing experience was getting invited by a Portuguese EU official to the EU parliament. We met on a train journey from Arlon to Leuven. Another one was getting stuck for a whole night in Jemelle because of a snowstorm. The next day my photo was published in the local newspaper among the people rescued from the train. On one of the hiking trips in 2015, I visited the ruins of a castle Miranda near Dinant. It was a bit risky because when a warden passed by on his quadbike, I had to lie down on the ground to hide from him.