(DR. LARSON-----#5: Cultural Comparisons)
Until now, I have lived in Kearney, Nebraska my whole entire life. I was born there, went to school there, and even chose to go to university there. Needless to say, Olomouc is just a tiny bit different than Kearney, and the Czech Republic is maybe a little different than Nebraska, and Europe is quite a bit different than the United States. It takes a little while to get used to a new place, but if you let it be and go into it with an open mind, it can be one of the most fun and exciting things you will ever experience! I remember my first small dose of culture shock; we had just gotten into Prague our very first weekend, and I had to use the little girl's room at the airport. I do my business, go to leave, and can't find the flusher! I literally sat there for a solid five minutes trying to figure out how to use these fancy new European toilets! Since then, I've actually kept a count of how many different ways there have been to flush a toilet (I'm at 14!), but this was just a small example of one cultural difference I have experienced since coming to the Czech Republic. This is one of my favorite topics to talk about, and I probably could for hours, but instead of just listing all the weird different things I have noticed, I am going to delve into just a few of my favorites.
One of the major things that I have loved getting used to is the way European towns are laid out, and how to navigate and get around them. Because many towns' roads are based upon old trading routes and merchant squares, they are often very narrow and winding and because of that, we tend to to do quite a bit more walking here than back home. I get a kick out of my "Walking Distance" graph on one of my iPhone apps, because the months of March and April are loads higher than any other previous months back in the US. It's no wonder why people are so much thinner and health here, when the average walking distance per day can be as high as 7 miles.
There seems to be a small increase in March.
(Today was a lazy day, don't judge me.)
Walking isn't the only way to get around here though, and we have all gotten extremely comfortable using public transportation. The main way we get from one side of Olomouc to the other is on the tram, and it is so much a part of our daily routine here now, that we don't even have to think about it! I have not driven for almost two months now, and i think I have gone more places than I ever have with my car! Trains, trams, busses metros and cabs are so much more convenient and fun that I think public transport is going to be one of the main things I will miss about living in Europe.
Another thing I have noticed over here that is really interesting is the way people interact with one another and even the conversations between individuals. One very pleasant thing that happens when you spend time with people here, is that they actually spend time with you, and not just stare at their phone screen the whole entire time, and even though you might not have taken a picture to show for it, it still happened! Another thing that has been (pleasantly) absent from a lot of European conversations that I have had, is just the meaningless small talk jibber jabber that most Americans have gotten so used to, that I doubt many even notice anymore. I feel like when people talk to you over here, they actually have something worth saying, or they don't talk at all. There isn't a need to "fill the silence" like I feel there is in America, and honestly it has been a breath of fresh air. I have learned that one thing that pins you as an American instantly is our smile! It doesn't matter if you are having the worst day ever, in America, it is so normal to feel like you have to hide it behind a big fake smile, and still answer "how are you?" with "good!", even if you aren't. Here, it's different. First of all, the "how are you?" question is not even used very much, and at least here in the Czech, people actually answer the question honestly, and then maybe a real conversation comes out of it! Weird, huh? I also love how nothing is really sugar-coated. (Yes, you actually do look fat in that dress. You're right, you did over-cook that meal. etc..)People here are more blunt, and a lot more forward. Not rude or without-filter or anything, but if you are doing something that they find annoying or abnormal, they WILL tell you, or if you ask a question, expect it to be answered without sparing your feelings.
One thing that is very different from the US is just the range of cultures and people that you are constantly exposed to in Europe. In Nebraska, there are Nebraskans, and Nebraskans, and maybe a couple more Nebraskans. Occasionally you might get an out of state-er, but chances are they still speak fluent English, and are from a surrounding state. Here, when countries are just a few hours away from each other, you never know what language (or more realistically: accent) your next conversation might be in. You can actually learn a lot about people if you actually take the time to get to know them and not just talk lazy small talk at them, and this has by far been my favorite part of the whole trip. Now that I have met so many amazing people, I will never be afraid to start a conversation with a stranger again, because I have learned that if you give someone the time of day, they may just be one of the most incredible people you have ever met. This is something that Europe has given me that I will carry with me my whole life. People can make all the difference, and if you go to a new place and just go sight see and get the expected picture, I truly believe you barely see anything. If you actually want to go learn about a place, try to experience it through someone who actually lives there, or meet someone new to experience it with. Give up your hotel room and go stay at a hostel instead. Go to a pub or restaurant alone and strike up a conversation and learn how to say "cheers" and "thank you" in the local language, and try the weird food that the foreign waiter is vigorously pointing out, even if you can't pronounce it. That is the difference between being a tourist, and traveling.
I swear I have learned more about myself, and the country I come from by being over here and exploring cultural differences than I ever would have learned by staying. There is a quote, "Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors." I have learned so much, and I am starting to see that maybe the way I have always learned to do things is neither the only, nor the best way to do them, and I think that being able to think like that might be what traveling is supposed to do to you.
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