Cultural Comparisons (5)

While studying in the Czech Republic, Olomouc has become my new European home.  Olomouc is just like my normal home town, it has restaurants, a shopping mall, a post office, a university, a community, transportation, etc.  Although it has many things in common with Kearney and the United States, I have also noticed some significant differences between the two.   Here are five main differences I notice.

1.       Smiling and Loudness                                                            

      It is common for people in the Czech to often have straight faces and not smile often.  They also are very quiet while in all public places. This is often hard for my friends and I to follow along with.  It is normal for us to smile and laugh a lot no matter what setting we are in.  At one of our first lectures we were even told that many Czech people think Americans are fake because they always try to come off as happy.  I personally love to be with friends and laugh and I believe that that is how we should live our lives.  It is definitely a struggle sometimes not to be too loud on trains or the tram or in the store or restaurant.

2.       Bathrooms

To me going to the bathroom is part of your everyday life.  Well most public places in Europe do not like to make it that easy.  Most common places here will make you pay to go to the bathroom.  Common places like gas stations, airports or train stations, park bathrooms will all make you pay to use.  I have definitely learned the lesson the hard way to make sure you plan your bathroom trips accordingly.

3.       Transportation                                                                               

Back home the main form of transportation is driving a car around. The normal thing to do when you turn sixteen and get your license is to get a car or atleast be able to drive a car around for yourself.  Well here in Olomouc the main form of transportation is the tram system.  Not many people own cars and just use the tram system.  The trams are nice and handy that you can just get on anywhere and ride to where you need to go, but you the hardest part is learning the tram times and having to schedule to make things on time by the tram schedule rather than being able to leave whenever in your own car.

4.       Dogs

One thing I love about Olomouc is that you see dogs everywhere!  I love animals so I love seeing the fury characters always walking around with their owners.  The funny thing is that a lot of the time I do not see them in the common places you would think.  I have seen many dogs in airports, grocery stores, malls, the phone store, etc.  The dogs literally can almost go everywhere with their owners.  I have also noticed that the dogs here are a lot calmer here and are trained super well.  Seeing all of the dogs sure do make me miss my at home!

5.       Beverages                                                                            

Well I hate to admit this but the saying that “Beer is cheaper than water in the Czech Republic” is true.  This has been something that has been hard for me to get accustomed too.  For example, when we go out to eat back home I would always order water, one, because it was free and two, just because I like to keep myself hydrated and do not drink a lot of caffeine or anything else.  In Olomouc, if you go to a restaurant and want water you will have to pay about $3.  A normal beer in Olomouc is around $1.  To save money and stay away from other liquids, I have started to carry a water bottle in my purse and just fill it up in sinks or anywhere I can find to keep myself hydrated.