Dear Kate,
I thought you would appreciate this, considering your letter last week regarding sexism in Eastern Europe. Around Vienna, there are a bunch of ads for Palmer's, which is similar to Victoria's Secret, that feature eight or nine women in thong underwear with their rears facing the viewer.
One of the more creative Viennese graffiti artists emblazoned all of these billboards with the words "F--- Sexism," with one letter written on each exposed butt cheek. At least we know there are a few feminists around here.
So lately, I've realized that, although I've done my best to blend in as a European up to this point, I have to admit, I'm sometimes very willing to let people know I'm American. The reaction it elicits is often priceless.
For instance, when I was in Bratislava, a pair of elderly men approached my friends and me as we were passing by the opera house. When they discovered we were from America after a few minutes of conversation, they began to laugh. One of the men, a former boatman from Holland, asked us if we were from New York, and since I'm from New Jersey, which is close enough, I said I was.
His eyes absolutely lit up. "New York!" he yelled. "The greatest city in the world! Times Square! Empire State Building! Statue of Liberty! Broadway!"
This reaction isn't so rare. A lot of Austrians that I've met talk about traveling to America the way we talk about traveling to Europe: with a certain sense of romance. New York and San Francisco seem to be the most popular destinations, but Boston and Washington, D.C. also have gotten a few mentions. For the most part, people think the United States is pretty amazing.
After talking with the various Europeans my age that I've met, though, there are definitely a lot of negative stereotypes about Americans. We know about most of them: We're loud, wasteful; we wear ugly shoes and athletic clothes everywhere, we're all rich, and American women are easy (according to Europeans, of course).
Thankfully, most of these young people don't extend those stereotypes to politics. They realize that we don't all agree with the political actions of our country. In fact, they're aware of the polarization that has formed between the conservative and liberal portions of our population and recognize that, as 20-somethings, most of us fall into the liberal category.
I can't say I had too many stereotypes formed about Europeans before I came here, aside from images of Austrian men in lederhosen and women twirling and singing in the Alps, but there is one that I've found is pretty off-base.
From what I know about recent European history, I had the idea that the fall of Communism had, of course, left some unrest, but that the institution of capitalism had ultimately ended up doing well. It did - just looking at Prague and Bratislava can show you that - but even after over a decade and a half, there are still people who would prefer their old way of life.
A guy I met in Poland explained to me that although the younger generations are acclimating well, since they are going through college and getting used to being financially independent now, their parents just long for "the days when everyone had a job."
More interesting still was a conversation I had with an older tour guide in Prague, whom a friend of mine asked what was different between now and then. His response was that "then, you couldn't want anything." I was immediately reminded of an English course I took last year where the professor had said that exact sentence about the era several times throughout the semester.
I've found, really, that moments like that - when I realize that what I have studied actually happened or is happening where I am - are frequent here. I've seen dozens of works by my favorite artists, Klimt and Schiele, and I'm able to speak the language I'm studying on a daily basis.
After studying the Holocaust and its surrounding history in various courses, I went to Auschwitz and Birkenau and saw the most unadulterated presentation of that history that I've seen yet. You just can't do that anywhere else, and it's so interesting to learn from experience, really, rather than just textbooks.
Another good part about being here is that I got to form some really great new stereotypes about Austrians, and they're mostly true, too: first of all, Austrians don't understand lines. The concept of "line" does not translate. Basically, it's everyone for themselves, and watch out for the little old ladies.
Second, waiters are mean, and the more famous the caf?© is, the meaner they are. And people really DO wear lederhosen. So there you go - a few generalizations about Austrians just to even out the score with their generalizations about us.
Can't wait to see
you in November,
Bridget
Bridget Reddington and Kate Peck are juniors majoring in English. They can be reached at bridget.reddington@tufts.edu and katherine.peck@tufts.edu.
