One of the biggest cultural shocks that I experienced in Russia was the complete lack of customer service or basic handholding. Ireland's longest river is the Shannon (224 miles, 360 km). There are various rules and laws that protect you, as a private individual, against unlawful seizure by the government.
The good news is that after getting to know you, Eastern Europeans tend to open up and become a bit friendlier. The Mongol Empire expanded to include Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Hungary and Bulgaria. As I stepped outside the Italian airport, I felt as though all this huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. 4.
I can deal with crappy weather and depressing people. There’s one characteristic that all Eastern Europeans share, from Finland to Macedonia, from … Here rises the Allegheny, tributary of the Ohio, which in turn flows into the Mississippi at Cairo, Illinois. Nevertheless, the problem of being surrounded by unfriendly people is further compounded by not being able to communicate with them (see below). Even landing in Belgrade (not a wealthy city by any stretch of the imagination) after a flight from Moscow recharged me in some mysterious ways. In a similar way, they could have boiled roots and tubers, much like cooking raw potatoes, to make them more easily digestible. Perhaps it’s a luxurious item that Eastern Europeans simply do not need. I’m not used to luxuries or conspicuous consumption. Scandinavia is the most “progressive” in this regard because you can be a Somali immigrant who’s literally fresh of the boat and you won’t be treated any differently than a native Danish guy with spiky blonde hair. For example, they maintain their traditions, focus on their families, are well-connected to their history, and are hospitable. Other terms used were Indos, Dutch Indonesians, Eurasians, Indo-Europeans, Indo-Dutch, and Dutch-Indos. Michael Derrer, a Swiss consultant and translator for Eastern Europe, told me, “Western perfectionism asks for improving situations, which of course is good in the long run, but Eastern Europeans can cope with situations that are not perfect, which is useful for the short-term individual well-being.”. "description": "Eastern Europe shares common positive characteristics that not only distinguish it from Western Europe, but also from most of the world. Don't let that spidery network of river courses in the interior fool you: Australia is the world's driest inhabited continent (Antarctica, bizarrely, is drier). "image": { I realized that most often than not, the region is portrayed as some paradise on earth instead of being depicted closer to reality. "keywords": [] If you go into an Eastern European restaurant, point at a meat dish, and ask them what kind of meat it is, they would simply tell you it’s meat. Many media outlets are portraying it as some “anti-terrorist operation,” but it really isn’t: it’s a true full-fledged war between two different sides and ideologies. But Bulgaria is in EU and St. Petersburg is one of Russia’s richest cities, so I can’t even (or don’t want to) imagine what rural parts of a poorer country such as Ukraine, Belarus or Moldova look like.
}, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, Greece, and Slovenia are considering flat taxes.
And that means you have to forget about Western inventions such as “sex with no string attached” and start reacquainting yourself with the lost art of actual dating—you know, such as opening doors, going out to dinners and actually paying for them. Other super friendly nationalities are Mexicans and Colombians.
And this is St. Petersburg I’m talking about—a city of over 5 million people—not some little village in the middle of nowhere. "mainEntityOfPage": { The invaders were assimilated and “Slavicized,” creating new Slavic national identities. When I was in St. Petersburg last year, I decided to purchase one of those digital travel scales in order to weigh my luggage. This is Moldova. Just like that. The longest river in Britain is the Severn (220 miles, 354 km), its catchment area shown in blue in the southwest. Various explanations, assistance, and handholding that you’ve previously taken for granted will simply be met with one or two words “obvious” answers, answers that you already knew, answers that make you feel like an idiot. Image: Grasshopper Geography, The hydrographic map of Germany is dominated by just four major drainage systems: the Danube (in orange) in the south, the Rhine (in blue) in the west, the Elbe (in purple) in the east and the Weser (in green) between the latter two. While it’s very hearty, it’s also very flavorless. "author": { Of course, Eastern Europeans are a diverse bunch, as The Hidden Europe certainly proves. I could breathe easier again.
Brazil may be a country with a huge income disparity, but you don’t feel this when you’re in the country, regardless if you’re in a super-wealthy area like Ipanema or some poor favela. Medieval European warfare tactics were ill-suited to fight the mounted archers of the invading horde. Some don’t even speak any English period.