Some observations

26 Dec 1991

This city, Prague, is incredibly beautiful, the buildings and the parks and the layout of the city. Everywhere you look things are under construction, which isn’t so appealing to the eye, but you can tell that when it’s done most of that will be very nice too. It’s true that the products available here are very limited, but that seems to be changing very quickly, and though it might not seem quick enough when you go into several stores and find exactly the same thing, a lot has changed even in the short time that we’ve been here. Plus, sometimes it’s a nice change from the U.S., where you have chose to an absurd degree – having to choose between 40 different kinds of shampoo, for example.

The biggest problem that I have encountered is with the people. they have a very weird attitude towards life. Daniel says they behave like cattle. It’s true, they seem to exhibit the ultimate example of the characteristic of rebelling by doing what you’re told. In fact, I’d say that that’s the main trait of the national fictional hero – the Good Soldier Svejk. But, unfortunately, this inability (or refusal) to use common sense seems to be more than just a fictional thing here, it’s a national pastime, and it seems to be much worse that the average amount of brainlessness that you come across in any big city. So, you walk around and see many people who will mindlessly walk directly into you rather than move out of the way, or just stop in your way. Or public workers who refuse to listen or try to be at all helpful. And even workers in stores who do almost nothing to try to make themselves accessible, to the extent that you might think they were hiding to avoid having to sell you anything. I would think that this was a problem caused by communism and the bureaucracy created by that system, but judging from Svejk and other pre-Soviet books and things that my teachers have said, it’s more likely that there is a strange Czech attitude that is older than communism but happens to be especially well suited for the mental labyrinth (and the eventual numbness resulting from it) of the Soviet system.

On the other hand, the history of the Czech nation seems to include a lot of intellectual innovations that were unprecedented in Europe, or most of Europe (i.e. religious toleration, etc.) but who knows how indicative that is of the national character.

Well, they certainly are a strange group of people. Maybe a lot will change. It’s hard to tell how deep the changes will go (impossible, actually). I’m very curious to see how things evolve, and I’m really glad to have been here at this time, this beginning of a new era, so that things I learn about CSFR in the future, even after I leave, will mean a lot more to me having been here and having experienced this place.