Belgian handwriting

Here there is the handwriting of a typical Belgian. I know, this kind of handwriting is pretty normal in France and some other European countries. What surprises me the most is that this paper belongs to a very young “guy” from the school. I don’t want to be the kind of person that points out that women and men are differencet but I really think his handwriting is so dedicated and refined for a “guy”. It would be more normal for a girl to have such a pretty handwriting but... a “guy”?.

I couldn’t hide my attentive staring, I was just enjoying how easily and elegant he could do it. Finally, he and his friends noticed that I was too interested in his paper and I asked him what he was writing about. He answered that he was writing a “convention” for his work group. Then I explained of course why I was staring at them in that way.

• Sorry, it's just your handwriting, it is so different from mine.
  
• “oh really, how do you write?”
• Well, it’s just straight, I think...
• “show me!”

In Belgium and indeed in my school the use of computers in the class is not common. People here are used to take notes by hand and they don’t seem interested at all in showing up with new and sophisticated computers or high-tech devises in the school. Is this a typical “francophone cliché”? I mean, they can afford it of course. He could write his "convention" with a computer and send it by e-mail to his fellows or post it on FB ... but they sit in my table with a notebook, they write by hand and then they ask questions too many questions, "where do you do come from? what is your name? do you like Belgium?" etc.

I saw something similar on my way in the tram. A high school guy was reading his chemistry notes, his handwriting was also dedicated and clean but I noticed something else, young and adult people in general are used to reading in public transportation, there are books here and there. Of course there are also some people interacting more with their mobile phones but in some way the others capture my curiosity more.

I will end with the following question:

Do you know the handwriting of your close friends?