Cultural Comparisons (5)

After being in Europe for about 6 weeks now there are many differences in culture that I have noticed.  Living in the same state for my whole life I never really thought about things being done differently then the way I was used to.  These are some of the big differences that I have noticed since being here.

Transportation

Tram in Olomouc

Back home practically everyone has a car and drives everywhere.  There's really not a big use of public transportation.  Here, it's either public transportation or walking.  Everyone rides the trams whether it's the elderly or a young child heading to school.  This also means you have to when to leave according to the tram schedule.  I think I am finally starting to get it down but at first you had to get to the stop 30 minutes ahead of time just to make sure you could get the right tram on time.  It seems strange to me when I see kids with their parents on the tram, I just can't imagine what it would have been like to take trams or buses everywhere as a kid.  However, here I am very thankful for them, especially since our dorms are about 15 minutes out of the town center and where we have class.  Once you're in town though, everybody walks.  I don't mind walking now that the weather is nicer but when it was cold it could be a real pain.  It's just so different from Nebraska where you can't really walk to things.  Things in town here are usually close enough to walk to and I still think the city is beautiful so this is a difference that I have learned to enjoy.

Grocery Shopping
We don't have a meal plan here so we get to do our own grocery shopping.  It can be an interesting experience and not just because all the products are in Czech.  One thing we learned very early on is that they never bag your groceries, or even give you a bag when you check out.  You either have to pay for bags or bring your own.  Now I typically have my book bag with me when we go shopping so I put my groceries in there.  I have just about mastered the art of bagging all of my stuff, paying, and leaving in a fluid motion, although it took lots of practice.

Public Restrooms
This was one of biggest differences I noticed, back in America I definitely took for granted having free public restrooms everywhere I went because in Europe that is not the case.  Most places you have to pay to go to the restroom if there is one at all!  The only time they are typically free is if they are in a place you already had to pay to get in such as a museum or on a train.  We have definitely learned to take advantage of free bathrooms whenever given the chance.

No Free Water
This one was also tough to get used to.  Back home if you don't want a drink at a restaurant you can get a nice be glass of water with unlimited refills, for free.  Here water is not even the cheapest thing on the menu and if you do get it it's typically a tiny bottle with no refills.  Sometimes water can be just as expensive as a soda and in the Czech Republic you can actually get beer cheaper!  I have gotten used to carrying a water bottle with me wherever I go which definitely comes into use on days with lots of walking.

There are plenty of other differences here and there but these were some of the main ones that stood out to me.  It's interesting to see a different way of life and really puts things in perspective for me.   While I don't necessarily like all of the differences, I love getting the chance to experience life outside what I considered the "norm."