Zilina week 2

This week the classes were just as hectic and unorganized, but this time, I just took a step back and let people serve me tea and tell me where to go. Yet STILL, Thursday after I was done with the 2 classes I had, a woman I've never seen before told me she was waiting on me that morning for an 8am class I'd never heard about. I did not welcome her bitterness gingerly and had she not snuffly disregarded the confrontation, I might have said some ugly things.

This week, classes were more talkative and engaging since we got to talk about an actual topic: cultural differences between the US and Slovakia. Shockingly, not many students (out of 10 classes!) had been out of the country spare the occasional flight out of Vienna, for example. So it was basically me against them. I threw in some two sense about Norway, but only if it was drastically different. These were some of my favorite acknowledgements:
The US doesn't allow cheating (apparently it's quite wide spread AND accepted here)
People from the US are competitive. Yes. In other countries, I've learned, they don't vote on such things as "most likely to succeed" or "employee of the month." Those are standards Americans set based on who works the longest and hardest - not necessarily standards some want to live up to here.
People in the US are quicker to be friendly, but more regarded as fake since that friendliness fades.
Here, they don't have nannies and aupairs. They get 3 YEARS of maternity leave.
They are not so proud of their history here. I discussed this with a professor afterward who says that stems from communist roots. If things are going to change or happen at all, then someone else is going to tell you to do it. They haven't had much say in their history.
Along those lines - roots in communism has taught them to all be quite similar. One student pointed out that she thought there is a huge variety of people in the US compared to culture here.
In one class, we got into a discussion about the students frustrations with the systems at the university. I shared his sentiments of course, but it's interesting to hear it from a Slovak. The discussion turned into how to be proactive and initiate change. Apparently, they don't really do that here.
Do I like Slovak boys? haha - how could I answer that question when half the class was Slovak boys?
I learned about what's going in Slovak news! A meteor over a city in the east, Eurovision song contest contestant was chosen, and elections are coming up in June.

In the last class of the week for me, yesterday at 10am, the class was super interested in asking me about topics that I could dwell on for an hour EACH - education, child rearing in the US, and reasons for obesity. I asked them why they were so interested in such deep topics, and they responded, "we have so many opinions about Americans and now we get to talk to a real one." haha. I was grateful that they wanted to learn, but what power I have! I'M the one American whose opinions their receiving? Interesting....

Today, Emily and I go to the orphange for the first time. My weeks are becoming busier and busier.
I can't believe it's March.