Random Observations from my Travels thus far…
- Almost everyone is Europe smokes, okay so not everyone but a large population does.
A lot of young people especially from Germany vacation in Prague mainly for the beer and pubs. Beer in Prague is extremely cheap and supposedly good. I’m not a beer drinker, so to me all beer taste the same.
There are so many dogs everywhere you go in Europe. Dogs are roaming the cities both on and off leash. I love to watch them roam freely off leash and as I observe them, I notice how well behaved they are. They know to only walk on the side walk and not the streets unless crossing. Dogs are welcomed in almost all places including restaurants, stores and hostels. It’s very refreshing to witness that, considering how much I love dogs & how I wish I had mine with me. Overall Europe is a very dog friendly which just makes everything feel so alive.
As I sat in the park/skate area in Budapest. I observed a group of young tatted up guys all hanging out sitting on the benches exchanging in conversation. As I’m watching them all interact, I notice two new guys walking up to group. They first give each other dabs and then proceed to kiss one another on each cheek. I know its European custom to kiss on both cheeks. Which is what makes it so interesting & cool to observe these tatted up guys give each other kisses on the cheek, simply because it’s not something we are accustom to experiencing in the US…
In Budapest, I also noticed different people middle age and older going into the trash cans picking up cans. They first look in and if they spot a can, they pick it up. Then they throw it on the floor and step on it and final step they place it in a bag and move on to the next trash can.
I love how relax people are in Budapest. Lots of young people just hanging out on any grass area, they all sit around just talking or observing their surroundings.
I also learned about Easter tradition in Hungary, Budapest. Traditionally on Easter Monday the boys visits the girls they like they recited a poem and doused them with buckets of water as a sign of fertility and the girls paint eggs for the boys and present it to them. So in essence the boys fertilize the girls with water and in exchange the girls give them their eggs![:)]()
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I noticed this back in 08 when I went to Paris. Yet now having been to three different countries and spending more time in each, this observation has been further confirmed. There aren’t many overweight people in Europe compared to back home. I feel it has to do with a couple of variables. For example; walking-people walk a lot more in Europe, they don’t eat so much sugar compared to us, they eat slower and portions are smaller. But mostly I would say that our culture lives off of Fast Food (America is built on it) and that although fast food exist in Europe it is not nearly as much. There isn’t a fast food at every corner. Families also tend to cook more at home.
I learned that in Croatia going to College/University isn’t very expensive since the government pays for your education. If you do pay something its very small like maybe what would be 2 or 5k in the US for your entire education.
I also learned from the locals that although in essence attending a private school is better ‘education-wise’ since the learning environment is more intimate; smaller classes and better teachers. Which is similar to the US with the expectation that most jobs in Croatia will actually look down on you for attending a private school because the perception to them is that you paid for your grades… So you end up having to work harder and prove yourself more in a job when you study in a private University/College then if you go to a government one.
I’ve always known that our educational system in the US is not the best yet it’s been further confirmed through my current travels. Most all European countries require students to learn English starting in kindergarten among other languages most people know at least three different languages if not more. Also how stubborn are we that we don’t teach our children the metric system or even use it for that matter when the rest of the world uses the metric system. Throughout my travels I find people speaking to me in kilometers, celsius, meters and to mean that means nothing, I have no idea what the conversion is. That is pretty sad. Which leaves it up to me, to teach myself…
I learned from a local in Croatia that even though she could leave Croatia and make better money else where. She rather make less money, have less but still enjoy the company of her friends and family in a country she loves. To her it’s the small things that count.
Coffee is very big in Zagreb, Croatia. It’s a cultural thing to hang out & connect over a cup of coffee. Going out after work is crucial for them,no matter how tired they are. It’s the relief and the highlight of the day to simply be able to sit at a cafe and converse with friends for a couple of hours over a cup of coffee and a cigarette…
I’ve also observed that although lots of people have their opinion about the US which I can’t fault them for because I agree with many. I also notice how many people want to visit/live in the US while us in US are in awe with Europe or other places outside our country. It’s simply human nature to always think the grass is greener else where.
Everyone wants what they don’t have…
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