I've been in Slovakia for ten months now. I thought I'd share with you a few things I've learned in that time:
1-You have to press the button to request a stop on the Slovak night buses. Otherwise, it will keep merrily chugging along until the end of the line. And you have to get out, walk a few miles in the dark, and pray that no one attacks you on the deserted road.
2-No one will bag your groceries for you. You have to bring your own bag, do it yourself, and if you aren't fast enough, the rest of the customers will stare you down while they wait for you to clear out.
3-Showing up two to fifteen minutes late to anything except your bus, train, or streetcar is tolerated well and quite common. This was not difficult for me adjust to. ;)
4-With the exception of a few mega-chains and shopping malls here, stores that are open after 6 pm are almost non-existent outside of North America. This saves you the trouble of having to go out in the cold after dark!
5-That waterproofing spray for your boots only really works if you stay out of puddles...and rain.
6-The bus driver has no qualms about slamming the doors in your face and driving off without you.
7-The streetcar driver doesn't either.
8-Or the train conductor.
9-Taxis are really nice sometimes.
10-Napkins or plates are not necessary if you are just eating bread.
11-Pretty much everyone knows more of our language than we know of theirs.
12-Pretty much everyone knows more about our pop culture than we know about theirs.
13-And yet, pretty much no one understands why Americans shower every day.
14-Wearing a watch is really not all that necessary. See #3.
15-If you don't eat all of your food at a restaurant, you risk getting a reproachful mom-like look from the wait staff.
16-If you aren't wearing enough layers to make you sweat profusely in the winter, you risk getting a reproachful mom-like look from the nearest elderly lady.
17-If you eat too much and wear too many layers, everyone will tell you that Americans are fat.
18-Only Americans smile enough to show their teeth in photos.
19-Only Americans wear sweat pants or running shoes in public.
20-Only Americans talk loudly enough to be heard across the room when speaking to someone three feet away.
21-Only Americans are surprised that they are perceived as overly-friendly sloppy dressers.
22-Few things in life can match the satisfaction of having a foreigner mistake you for a member of their own culture. Even if your accent makes it obvious the second you open your mouth, their little error feels like acceptance.
1-You have to press the button to request a stop on the Slovak night buses. Otherwise, it will keep merrily chugging along until the end of the line. And you have to get out, walk a few miles in the dark, and pray that no one attacks you on the deserted road.
2-No one will bag your groceries for you. You have to bring your own bag, do it yourself, and if you aren't fast enough, the rest of the customers will stare you down while they wait for you to clear out.
3-Showing up two to fifteen minutes late to anything except your bus, train, or streetcar is tolerated well and quite common. This was not difficult for me adjust to. ;)
4-With the exception of a few mega-chains and shopping malls here, stores that are open after 6 pm are almost non-existent outside of North America. This saves you the trouble of having to go out in the cold after dark!
5-That waterproofing spray for your boots only really works if you stay out of puddles...and rain.
6-The bus driver has no qualms about slamming the doors in your face and driving off without you.
7-The streetcar driver doesn't either.
8-Or the train conductor.
9-Taxis are really nice sometimes.
10-Napkins or plates are not necessary if you are just eating bread.
11-Pretty much everyone knows more of our language than we know of theirs.
12-Pretty much everyone knows more about our pop culture than we know about theirs.
13-And yet, pretty much no one understands why Americans shower every day.
14-Wearing a watch is really not all that necessary. See #3.
15-If you don't eat all of your food at a restaurant, you risk getting a reproachful mom-like look from the wait staff.
16-If you aren't wearing enough layers to make you sweat profusely in the winter, you risk getting a reproachful mom-like look from the nearest elderly lady.
17-If you eat too much and wear too many layers, everyone will tell you that Americans are fat.
18-Only Americans smile enough to show their teeth in photos.
19-Only Americans wear sweat pants or running shoes in public.
20-Only Americans talk loudly enough to be heard across the room when speaking to someone three feet away.
21-Only Americans are surprised that they are perceived as overly-friendly sloppy dressers.
22-Few things in life can match the satisfaction of having a foreigner mistake you for a member of their own culture. Even if your accent makes it obvious the second you open your mouth, their little error feels like acceptance.
Haha, nice. I especially like #3. I could fit in in a culture like that :)
:D anna great discoveries, I laughed hard while reading it:) yeap i must agree what you've written is true, that's just us:)