Green Grass of Home

In 10 episodes on RTV, they present five Flemish people who have been living in the US for years and have a well-founded view on politics and the presidential elections.

Episode 1: School is Cool

The family of Marie-Astrid Baeyens wanted quality education for the children and opted for private education. An expensive choice, because in addition to the sky-high tuition fees, the family also pays the tax for public education.

Episode 2: Under the Boardwalk

Just 200 kilometres from New York is the second-largest gambling city in the US: Atlantic City. The casinos attract millions of tourists every year. But it soon turns out that not everything shines in the gambling city.

Episode 3: Working Class Hero

Kristel Deckx from Dessel has, like many Americans, two jobs. She works as a physiotherapist, started a successful restaurant with her husband and also runs a wine bar. Why all this business? Because it's so easy in the States.

Episode 4: House of Cards

Like the rest of America, Colorado, too, has been severely affected by the credit crisis. The Dutch real estate agent René Vellinga had a difficult time for several years. But he also witnessed how his clients had their difficulties.

Episode 5: Road to Nowhere

Mariane Maes and her husband left their loss-making horticultural business in Belgium to start over in America. The family lives in a village in the middle of nowhere. Business is going so well now that they have 60 employees. Almost all Mexicans. Fortune seekers, just like them.

Episode 6: Truck Stop

Is unhealthy food in America a cliché? Absolutely. But fast food and soft drinks remain incredibly popular. Mariane Maes and her husband don't get used to it. They drive many miles to get healthy food.

Episode 7: Your Own Personal Jesus

Frank Goeyvaerts was still a child when he moved to the States. He had a successful career at an oil company and is now retired. Frank is a convinced Republican. He's tired of paying for someone else's benefits.

Episode 8: Bang Bang

Georgia, like many other American states, has a very liberal arms law. This also leads to strange situations. What to think about the village of Kennesaw, where every household is obliged to have a firearm in the house?

Episode 9: We Built This City

Lief Sannen has a successful dental practice in the heart of Manhattan. Without having to work hard she earns a lot. And that doesn't come as a surprise, because a visit to the dentist costs a fortune. Health insurances are very expensive in America, and on top of that the own contribution is a lot higher than in Belgium.

Episode 10: On Every Street

Nowhere in the US the crisis hit harder than in New York. Never before has the city counted more homeless people. Even people who used to have a decent job now often end up on the streets.