Minor Differences

okay, so i might have stolen the title from theoatmeal.com… But it seemed fitting.

I spent the weekend at my aunt and uncle’s house, and on the 2-hour train ride there and back, I had a lot of time to think about some cultural differences I’ve noticed and admired from an outsider’s point of view. They’re not anything mind-blowing, or things I didn’t notice every other time I’ve been here, but I feel they’re worth mentioning, and pondering.

Beds: beds, if they exist soley as beds here, are much narrower than American beds. A single bed is skinnier than even a dorm bed. More often than not, beds are often pull-out sofas and futons, so you can actually use them when you’re not sleeping in them. This is due to the fact that there is much less space here, and people’s houses are generally smaller, but still.

Windows: besides the fact that I LOVE not ever having to use any kind of central air conditioning (I don’t even think too many people have it here…) because the weather is perfect—even on a hot day, there’s enough of a breeze to keep the house cool, the window design is ingenious. They are mostly ‘french-door’ style windows. When the handle is down, the window is locked. Halfway up, it opens all the way, like a door. Flipped all the way up, and the window tilts out, so you still get a breeze, but the window isn’t all the way open. Good for cooler or windier days. Some balcony doors are designed like this too. Nice to be somewhere where bugs aren’t a problem, and you don’t need screens…

Public transport: almost goes without saying, but everyone uses it, so it’s insanely convenient and reliable. Watching from the train window, every tiny rural community has a train stop, even if it’s no more than a concrete slab at the end of a dirt road. Have no idea where you would BUY tickets for said train, though, because here in town I’m used to going to the central station a few blocks from our house.

Farming: I LOVE going through the rural communities and seeing people actually working their own land. There are still relatively few tractors. Most people either use a blade, or occassionally I’ll even see a horse-drawn plow. The countrysides are therefore much more peaceful, and I’m sure the air and water quality are well beyond what they would be in Georgia, seeing as how’s there’s less fuel and exhaust being pumped out.

Pets: are fewer, and on a mission. Most won’t come up to you, no matter how much you coo at them. And they’re allowed on the public transport, no questions asked and no pre-requisits. Makes me miss my pup that much more…except I can’t imagine her sitting on the floor. She would insist on sitting her 57-pound ass in my lap, no doubt. Also, the current breed trend is yorkshire terriers. I swear, 90% of the dogs I’ve seen are yorkies. A close second are french bulldogs. And actually, I’ve been surprised to see quite a few pits…

Clothes: Obviously, no one walks around in Nike shorts and T-shirts, but overall, I feel like the fashion has loosened up since the last time I was here—there’s fewer people trying WAY too hard to be the next Chanel ad. The general style is hipster-ish: skinny jeans, high-tops or ballet flats, layered shirts, choppy hair, little makeup. Basically something I’d see at the 40-Watt back home.

Food: you buy less, but more often (usually you’re walking home with it, not piling a billion plastic bags into the back of your Suburban…). A lot of stores will charge you for bags if you don’t have your own. (They could make a KILLING on that in the states!) Fridges are the size of a typical kitchen cabinet, so even the containers are about half the size, which means you use less to make it last longer… Plus, most things are fresher and are mostly local (as in, within the country.) My favorite part of groceries, by far, is the bread. If it’s over a day old, it’s almost considered unetible, and you go to the nearest bakery and buy what you need for the day. I can’t ever get enough of that fresh-bread smell!

I’m not anti-American, but man, Europe does it right on so many levels!