Cell Phones, Tips, and Boston Accents

Now that I've been back for a few days, there are certain things from the States that are different than how my life was in Prague, and there are some I hate, some I love, and some that just annoy me.

First is cell phones. This isn't unique to the Czech Republic, but it is unique to my abroad experience. In Prague we had pay-as-you-go cell phones; therefore, we were cheap and never used them. We used them out of necessity and rarely just texted someone for fun. (Grandma and Grandpa, "texted" means "sent someone a text message"). It was nice because it meant that when we were out somewhere no one was on their phone. Everyone was fully in the conversation and wasn't talking with someone that wasn't there. Now that I've been home I've realized how bad Americans, me included, are when it comes to their phones. I've been going out with friends to catch up, and I don't think that there has been a single meal that neither me nor my friends has read a message while at the table, and it makes me miss that aspect of my semester. I think I might start leaving my phone in the car at meals or turning it off or something. Prague showed me my phone isn't as necessary as I always think or pretend that it is.

The second thing is a difference that I love. There is customer service here. In Prague it barely existed. Waiters and waitresses acted like you were inconveniencing them by ordering, and they made no effort to be friendly. I think customer service is important, so especially yesterday when I worked a cashier shift at Target I tried to be as holiday-spirited as I could. It was nice to hear the other cashiers wishing people a happy holidays as well, and I really appreciated the positive spirirt that just isn't present in transactions like that in Prague. On the other hand, it really stinks to tip again. In Prague you maybe leave ten percent, but it isn't really required, so the price you see on the menu is the price you pay. I wish it were the same here!

Finally, this difference isn't so much a difference as it is a new realization. Never before in my life have I been able to hear a "Boston Accent" or a "Rhode Island Accent" when someone speaks. When you grow up around something like that it's just normal speech to you, not an accent. However, after spending a semester with minimal exposure to such accents, they are now all I hear. I spent my first shift back at Target cringing every time someone spoke. With every dropped r I heard I missed the regular English of my friends from Prague, and I even missed the more broken English of my professors.

I'm off to search my suitcase for all the Christmas gifts I stashed away and subsequently now cannot locate. Merry Christmas to all of you, and thanks for keeping up with my trip this semester!