I have seen nothing in a bag on a shelf like in the US. Lunch is the big meal of the day, not dinner. Almost everyone buys their lunch at school or work and lunch always starts with soup. Today for lunch, I had celery soup, followed by beef spaghetti and a granola bar that I took for later. Dinner is just something small - more soup, schnitzel (breaded chicken), yogurt or a sandwich. It took a little bit for me to get use to the change in meals. In the beginning, I always wanted to eat more for dinner just because that is what I was used to, even though I wasn’t really hungry. This change in perspective makes sense to me though. I have time to use the calories from the amount of food at lunch, instead of just sitting and relaxing on a full stomach after a big dinner like I did in the US. Overall, it makes me feel better.
When I first got here all of these changes in perspective were overwhelming, but now that I’ve been here for over two months, they make sense to me. I am able to see that these ideas make sense for people living here. It makes sense to know how to communicate with more people than just those who speak your language. It makes sense to buy fewer clothes, use less energy and save the planet. It makes sense to eat more food in the middle of the day when you can use the energy. Just because Slovaks have a different perspectives from Americans does not mean that their way of doing things is wrong. When I think about why it is different, I can see value in their perspective.
