The mentality here seems to be so...downtrodden? and morose that its starting to affect me. Christin told us about the history lesson that she attended yesterday and how the professor emphasized the fact that the Czechs have basically been bullied by the Germans and the Russians for as long as they or anyone can remember.
I feel like I stand out so much as an American here, just because of my clothes and attitude. Anywhere I go, in a group or not, I feel like I get stared at by everyone.
Another thing that I have noticed is the lack of what I guess I consider common courtesy or Southern courtesy. I grew up in the South and have lived there all my life, so I don't really know or understand why people won't smile back or at least be (what I consider) polite to me. I understand that Czech culture is very reserved, and I can respect that, but the coldness? is just so foreign to me.
Example: Yesterday in the subway a woman had fallen and obviously had hurt her arm very seriously. As we passed we asked her if she was okay, which she obviously didn't understand because we were speaking English. In a busy Metro station, only two Czechs stopped to help her - everyone else just walked by without speaking. Some people didn't even look at her.
All of this just makes me feel so grateful for the way of life and the Southern culture that I have had protected and preserved for me in America.
AH! To end this depressing post, a drawing:
No comments:
Post a Comment