There are million things, but let’s make it
easier so I am going to say 3 specific examples.
1.
Are you a robot?/ let’s eat…/let’s have a party
Ok, I am from Spain so since we are human
beings when we meet people we kiss and we are kind and we smile a lot so
obviously when somebody say “Bok drago mi je” and shake your hands is a bit
uncomfortable, even if I knew this before because it is happening in the rest
of Europe I am still freaking out how people can be so distant and so cold,
let’s make it clear:
Me: “ Hey, ho are you man? Everything ok?”
Random Croatian person : “hey, everything
ok, thanks”
Me : “Do you have some plans for tonight
maybe?”
Random Croatian person: “Yes, I have some”
Me: “ahh, ok cool, what are you doing?”
Random Croatian person : “I am having some
drinks with some friends, WHY??????”
(It wasn’t clear that I wanted this person
to invite to join them??)
Let’s
eat
Something easy to understand:
Morning-Breakfast
13:30/14:30 lunch
21:00/22:00 dinner
People having dinner when is still sunny?
At 17:30/18:00/19:00? Are we crazy or what? I can’t go to sleep if I am hungry
and of course I will be hungry if I have dinner at 18:30! Plus it is not
healthy to be 13 hours without eating ;)
Let’s
party
Party=having
fun, forget about problems, talk, drink, eat, dance, do whatever you want to
do. NO STRESS
It was quite surprising/annoying/depressing
to see how people have a lot of problems just to understand that there is no
need to have a reason to make a party:
Me: “We have a party this Friday, would you
like to join?”
Random Croatian person: “A party, this
weekend? Why?”
Me: “Why? You need a reason to have a
party?”
Random Croatian person: “Are you
celebrating something or what?”
Me: “Oh, yes, I guess we are celebrating we
are young, e are abroad, we are happy and we are ALIVE, do you think is it
enough to make a party?”
So we just spread the word all around
because you ant to have as much fun as possible but for Croatians live is not
that easy little Jorge…
Random Croatian person :“What wait a
second? What are we buying?
Me: “Buy and bring whatever you want, this
is a party, just relax”
Random Croatian person “Wait, wait, are we
cooking?”
Me: “This is a party not a dinner, anyway
bring whatever you want, feel free to do it, this is a party, let’s enjoy”
Random Croatian person “What time do you
want me to go there, should I invite more people, is it ok if you don’t know
them??”
Me “Bring with you whoever you want, there
is no need to ask me, this is a party JUST RELAX”
Random Croatian person: “What are we doing
after the party, are we going to some club? What time?”
Me: “Go to hell… :D”
Crosswalk
Zagreb, Croatia, random street, 08:00 AM
(or whenever….)
An intrepid Spanish guy is about to do
something quite reckless, he wants to cross the street using the crosswalk and
he thinks some Croatian driver gives a shit about it!!!!
Sorry dude this is not going to happen
NEVER, if you want to cross the street you have to risk your life, you should
be extraordinary brave, you have to look into drivers eyes and tell them “U
picku….” Because, don’t get me wrong, courtesy is not working here, they will
be making fun of you if you try just with the “Molim vas…” so, this is my
advice:
“You could die in every single crosswalk in
this beautiful country so enjoy every second because drivers don’t care at all
about you”
3.
English
It was surprising/embarrassing to discover
how almost every single person working in a store in Zagreb have a quite better
English than mine:
“Oprostite…Engleski…?”
“Yes sure Sir, how can I help you?, just
please let me know if there is something that you need, and I have to apologize
because I started to talk to you in Croatian I didn’t notice you don’t know my
language, anyway if there is something I could help you please let me know. Oh
sorry Sir, you may don’t understand me? You want me to speak in German?
Italian? Spanish maybe?”
“Ok dude…”
