Other countries

One of the best things about traveling is getting a true taste of what other countries, and their people, are like.  As Americans I’m afraid we often match the stereotype of forgetting that there are any other countries outside of our borders.  Or if we do acknowledge them, our vision of them is built purely from snippets of media or historical facts, or just plain myth.

One example, I think, is the dour Eastern European… born I’m sure from the Cold War era, there’s the image of ugly concrete cities with cloudy skies and snow (more grey), populated by sour-faced and humorless Communists.  I doubt that was ever entirely true, though I would say the ugly concrete architecture does exist.  Not that the US was immune to such, btw.  Walking down the street in Warsaw, Poland I was made well are of this by an example of humor.

I’m sure.

It was a funny sign, but at first I was a bit surprised.  But then I thought… why was I so surprised?  Can’t Polish people have a sense of humor too?  And to be honest, I’m not sure if I’ve seen a cheeky sign like this (or rather, about this type of service) in the US.  Could (someone) in Poland have a better sense of humor about hair removal than Americans?  OMG.

A bit random, I know… and don’t misunderstand and think I am saying all people from a country (Americans included) are the same or anything.  They’re not.  But I think that what we should all remember is that people everywhere can be as varied and interesting, or not, as our “own” people.  And that’s what makes us more alike than different… in my opinion, at least.