Personal Space

Czechs are more comfortable standing closer to one another than Americans are. Especially, on the trams. No where near what is was like in Tokyo...but still. Yet, while their boundaries of personal space are smaller, they are well guarded.

On the street, Czechs don’t acknowledge people whom they don’t know as we would in the U.S. The common U.S. “Hello” or “Good afternoon” while out and about is just not done here. When you approach someone on the street or sit near someone on a tram, people will avoid direct eye contact. It is also considered strange here to smile at strangers.

People here are just very private. It must have something to do with repeated invasions and foreign occupations. I’m told that it takes a long time to develop friendships here but that it is worth it once you do.