What is it that intrigues foreigners about CZ women?

Discussion in 'Culture' started by caulfield2, Oct 10, 2006.

  1. caulfield2

    caulfield2 Well-Known Member

    BESIDES APPEARANCE!!!

    For those of you who are either Czech women, foreigners dating or interested in Czech women or just general observers from their time travelling to and fro in the Czech Republic.

    I was curious because my friend Tanya (she's half-Ukrainian but grew up in the US from birth) said she was disappointed the people there weren't as friendly as in Italy.

    I'm wondering if this is a trait of all Eastern European countries...that they are more "shy" or "private" and don't walk around the world like they own it, as SOME Americans (I try not to!) tend to do. I've also heard that you can always spot an American tourist because they're smiling like idiots all the time.

    Some people have told me that it takes longer for Eastern European women to trust someone...in my travels in South America, you could join any group, party and feel like you've known the people for years, to feel welcome and comfortable. My friend Tanya didn't feel that way apparently.

    I also think Americans tend to be more open in their feelings, share their problems more easily...tend to think their problems are the only one that exist or the worst problems of anyone in the world. We're very dramatic and emotional, maybe it's the Oprah (a tv show popular among women) -ization of the US.

    So besides the very much FALSE stereotype that Eastern European women are more content to be led by their husbands, that they are more obedient, like to cook and clean and take care of children and NOT be independent or ambitious in terms of getting their own education or a job outside of the home (more stereotypes that are usually 100% wrong), what is it that appeals to foreigners about CZ women???

    And, please don't go on about physical characteristics...that would be boring and repetitive.
     
  2. dzurisova

    dzurisova Well-Known Member

    Do you have anything good to say about America?
     
  3. caulfield2

    caulfield2 Well-Known Member

    America helped Europe and Japan greatly after WW II with the Marshall Plan and the rebuilding of Japan...of course, after we'd dropped nuclear bombs on them and needed to revitalize their economy in order to have more buyers for our exports.

    We were the model for creating the idea of free speech (including the right to burn our own flag in protest), freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, the right to petition, and, of course, freedom of religion (along with the English and French).

    We were the model for creating social programs like Social Security (FDR) and Medicare/Medicaid (health care for poor and elderly) that have become common denominators of many industrialized nations.

    We have a very low marginal tax rate, although the majority of the country (80-85%) are not enjoying the benefits of the current administration.

    We used to be one of the most admired nations in the world until Bush went unilaterally (unless you count England) to war against Iraq for the second time in a decade...and we decided to be the "policeman" of the world.

    We have many great entertainers, musicians, composers, directors, writers...in fact, entertainment (movies, music, tv) is the #1 export of the US in dollar terms. Of course, many argue that OUR entertainment is ruining the culture of the rest of the world and unduly influencing young people.

    We have a system of government which prevents small fractions or minorities from taking power and carrying out policies like Hitler and Stalin did in the 30's and 40's.

    We have an economic system that allows people who work hard to excel, regardless of their birth...although some would argue that the Bush family is a monarchy in a sense.

    We also are making college/university more and more difficult for the middle class and poor to attend, and 16% of Americans don't have health insurance. Not to mention the fact that most young people no longer vote because they don't believe their vote makes a difference, believing only the powerful and influential have a say in what occurs in government. In fact, fewer young people vote here than any other nation on earth.

    But we started unions so workers would have better benefits and more rights (along with England and other European nations), we have the most egalitarian society in terms of women working and raising children (although women still make 70% of what men make for the same job or work), we have the death penalty on one hand (only one of less than 10 countries in the world) but we also give our criminals more rights than any other country.

    We have the greatest technology in the world (although India and China are quickly closing the gap), the greatest military (in terms of technological advantage)...but also some shortsighted decisions to drive huge SUV's that ruin the environment and permissive policies that allow corporations to make huge profits while simultaneously polluting the world for future generations of young people. Women also have the right to get abortions legally.
     
  4. alenastef

    alenastef Well-Known Member

    Wow, caulfield, you seem angry!
    Anyway you made me laugh... after you first post you continue with Marshall Plan :D
    A Czech girl talking: I probably am not AVERAGE, I have graduated, I have started to work in a completely different field, I spent few years abroad (always in Europe) for studies, and even if I have a foreign boyfriend (who I see every 1-2 months) my dream is not to build a nice family with children and dinners every evening.
    Well, any idea HOW is the average type like???
     
  5. caulfield2

    caulfield2 Well-Known Member

    I am mad that after 9/11, my country is now ranked behind countries like China in public-opinion polls about who you would trust the most...what does that say?

    It's frustrating, because the average American citizen did nothing...the policies set by the president or administration aren't controlled by the citizens. I find myself having to apologize for my country, like the music group "The Dixie Chicks."

    Maybe I'm also mad that things are the way they are and not enough people care to do something to change it.

    As far as the original topic, I was just writing about some stereotypes about Eastern European or Russian women. Of course, that's what men WANT to believe. The reality is that women all around the world are becoming more and more similar...more women than men are going to college or university, getting jobs, sharing household duties, deciding not to get married or have kids.

    There are lots of American men that are threatened by a woman that is more intelligent, a woman that makes more money or has a Master's degree or PhD. They think they will find more "traditional" women that don't want to compete with men, that accept not being the "breadwinner" or "decision-maker" in the home.

    I guess you brought up another stereotype, the 16-24 (or 30?) year old party girl that goes to the clubs, dances, loves to get attention from men, bounces from boyfriend to boyfriend always looking for a "better deal," has had multiple plastic surgeries....has the goal of marrying rich and never having to work a day in her life.
     
  6. dzurisova

    dzurisova Well-Known Member

    Well it looks like you have a few good things to say about America, although most of your comments that compliment American have a clause attached complaining about your country. Perhaps you should move?
     
  7. caulfield2

    caulfield2 Well-Known Member

    I love the US. It will always be my home.

    When I lived outside of the US the past year, it made me appreciate my country even more. I was proud to represent my country as a citizen living abroad and trying to be the best that America represents and not just an "ugly American."

    Until a Democrat is elected President, I will have issues with my country.

    Of course I love having satellite t.v., high speed internet access, not having to wait to see a notary, having my own car, fast food, but these are things I lived without for a year and I survived. And I'm sort of cheating, because I did have DirecTV living in Colombia, South America.

    However, I realized that there are more important things in life too...not always trying to get ahead, not always trying to "cut corners" or take advantage of other people, civility, family...the people in Colombia that had to live with 10-15 relatives in one small apartment seemed in many ways happier than the typical suburban American family. While there was less privacy, everyone looked after each other and cared about each other. All the family members shared responsibility for raising the kids...and the goal wasn't to send the grandparents to a nursing home or for every kid to move away from home and escape the control of his parents.

    The US will always be a country of conspicuous consumption in which there's no such thing as enough for MOST people. Of course, a minority of people lead simpler lives, either by choice or due to poverty. And it is nice to have a CHOICE, for that matter, to go into a store and have 92 different types of coffee to choose from. OTOH, there should be such a thing as enough...a big enough house, a big enough SUV or a car that's TOO expensive, too many gadgets and electronic gizmos. There's too much competition with neighbors and friends (it's called "Keeping Up with the Jones" Effect) and not enough appreciation for the finer things in life that are often ignored.

    No country is perfect, the US is better than almost all that I've visited, but that doesn't mean it can't be improved or made better. All empires throughout history have fallen due to complacency and the status quo, so it's the responsibility of every citizen to be duly vigilant, making sure to honor the intentions of the Founding Fathers of this country.
     
  8. Ceit

    Ceit Well-Known Member

    What appeals to anybody about anybody foreign? I think people always see foreigners as exotic, perhaps more open to things potential mates from the same country aren't open to. And the Iron Curtain probably made women from the (now ex-) Communist countries even more exotic; what's more enticing than the hidden and forbidden?

    :lol: I feel the need to quote a poli-sci professor I had in college -
    "Democrats do with chagrin what Republicans do with glee."
    There won't be any real changes in American policies until another political party develops and gets some power, which doesn't look like it will happen any time soon.
     
  9. caulfield2

    caulfield2 Well-Known Member

    Just look at what's going on in the US right now with the Foley-page investigation. There's not a single "gleeful" Republican. They're all still in denial that gay people exist and that one of them was one of their own and making advances and inappropriate IM's and e-mails to 15 and 16 year old boys.

    It will probably cause that party to lose Congress for the first time in 12 years.

    In terms of exotic, I guess there is the foreign accent thing.

    When I think of exotic, it's usually defined by skin color...for instance someone who is Asian-Indian, Hispanic, Native American or African, a mixture of these groups or any type of bi-racial person.

    I'll give a few examples. The lead singer of a group named the Pussycat Dolls (just know her name is Nicole something) who is part Filipino, part Russian, and about 2-3 other ethnic groups mixed in. Jessica Alba...or David Bowie's wife, Iman, who is from Somalia.

    Of course, people from other countries and cultures and religions almost always seem intriguing or exotic to us, because they're so different...they have different perspectives, viewpoints, beliefs.

    I listed off some negative things about the US...someone who's never lived here or had the opportunity to travel here would probably say, look, your country has lots of good things about it, and that's true and a valid point...but there's a saying that the grass is always greener on the other side. For instance, people who live in my hometown (it's between 1-1.5 million people) always think my city is boring and want to move to LA, New York, Chicago....even Dallas, Denver or St. Louis. It's all based on your perspective and what you have been exposed to. The more you travel, the less everything seems exotic and the more "normal" our multi-cultural world seems. Or you could just try living in New York, where you could be a photographer and photograph someone from all 200+ countries in the world without leaving a 20 square mile area.
     
  10. alenastef

    alenastef Well-Known Member

    Hey, Caulfield, did you know that also in the Czech rep. we have high speed internet, fast food and all these things you have nominated? THIS would not be a problem. I think it is in your mind, in US you just feel at home and this is incommunicable.
     
  11. caulfield2

    caulfield2 Well-Known Member

    I'm thinking of living in the eastern part of the country, so there won't be the proliferation of those things you'd find in Praha.

    Living in Colombia the last year, I dearly missed my car, but I really treasured the conversations I had and the friends I made on the public buses. It's totally different than the US, where everyone is "shielded" by their cars...where there's little interaction between people.

    It was also dangerous to drive a car in that country, especially after dark and between bigger cities because you could be robbed, murdered or kidnapped. Obviously, the CR is much safer.

    The Internet speeds will always seem a little slow if you're used to the fastest possible, a T1 line or cable. I know it took 10 minutes just to open my e-mail sometimes in South America...which was like the US internet speeds about 8-10 years ago.

    Fast food, same thing....I'm just used to having lots of choices. Being a "new" bachelor again, I don't like to cook for myself, unless I'm cooking for or with someone, not just for myself. I don't think I cooked more than 5 times (unless you count using a microwave or oven for pizza!) last year.
     
  12. dzurisova

    dzurisova Well-Known Member

    Here's a quote from Congressman, Pete Hoekstra:

    "The Republican Conference has no reason to be ashamed of its response to the surfacing of the repulsive communiqués between former Rep. Mark Foley and congressional pages. Within hours of learning about the sickening details, we told Rep. Foley that he was no longer welcome as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. We said: ‘Resign or you will be expelled.’

    “Contrast that reaction to 1983, when the House censured former Democratic Rep. Gerry Studds by a vote 420 to 3 for engaging in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a male 17-year-old congressional page. He did not resign, and Democrats not only failed to vote him out of the House when they were in the majority, but they elevated him to Chairman of the former House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fishing in the 103rd Congress."


    That is an awfully generalized biased statement of one particular group of people. Especially coming from someone who wants to partake in social work. Aren't social workers suppose to be accepting of others and respect individuals for their different beliefs. To generalize republicans by saying that they are all in denial that gay people exist is very prejudice and generalizing of a group of people. It borderlines a hate-statement. What is next? Will you say all white people... or all black people... or all Christians...?
     
  13. caulfield2

    caulfield2 Well-Known Member

    How many openly-gay Republicans serve in Congress?

    The Democratic Party has always been open to anyone.

    Majority Leader Dick Armey (Republican) once called Democratic Congressman Barney Frank, to reporters, "Barney Fag."

    I respect all PEOPLE...but it's difficult to respect a political party that believes it's better "to hide" the fact that you're gay, or to stay in the closet. How is that progress?

    Jerry Falwell is one of the most respected members of the Christian Coalition, a group that supports the most extreme, right-wing Republicans. After the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US, Falwell said on the 700 Club, "I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen." (to which Pat Robertson, another famous pastor and Republican candidate for president, concurred). As for homosexuality, Falwell remarked, "AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals."

    Many ministers believe that people who are gay can be "cured" by prayer, when all scientific and biological evidence points in the opposite direction.

    As long as the Republican Party supports candidates with these views, then I cannot respect them.

    I shouldn't have said ALL Republicans. But let me ask this question. If two men or two women were to marry, would the world fall apart? Would men suddenly want to have 5 wives or marry animals? Would women stop marrying men? I don't think so. Things would go on, just as they always have.

    A hate statement or hate crime would be if you were black and I burned a cross in your yard and wrote the "n-word" on your house with spray paint.
    Obviously you've never suffered a real or true hate crime.
     
  14. Sova

    Sova Well-Known Member

    So what does politics have to do with why foreigners are intrigued by Czech women? If you really want to continue the debate, please start another thread.

    As for the original question, I think many people have a desire to learn more about the world around them, and becoming close with someone from another culture enables the possibility of learning a new perspective on life. Perhaps, there's a sense of mystery or adventure that goes along with that as well.
     
  15. alenastef

    alenastef Well-Known Member

    Well, Caulfield, CR is not only Praha and nor in the eastern regions we live in the jungle. (Writing you via wifi...)
     
  16. dzurisova

    dzurisova Well-Known Member

    caulfield2, since the moderator has asked that we stick to the original topic, I'll pm you my response.
     
  17. wissy

    wissy Well-Known Member

    Well done Alenastef !!!
    :evil: I get increasingly angry reading some of the posts on this website, that so many people think that the Czech Republic is so backward. I don't know if this is due to ignorance or just plain arrogance .... discuss.

    p.s. Maybe this will need a new thread.
     
  18. BMoody

    BMoody Well-Known Member

    One thing I like about my Czech girl (the only one I really know, haha), is that she didn't play games with me. American girls test you every step of the way during the dating process, but my Czech girl let things come as they did and let the relationship set it's own expectations. I know that she evaluates whether or not it makes her happy--she obviously seems happy to me--, and yet she doesn't try to make me into something I'm not.

    The biggest note is that she doesn't know my culture, and I don't know her's, so we sort of fake it the best we can. We get to make up the dating game instead of following rules!
     
  19. scrimshaw

    scrimshaw Well-Known Member

    Hey Caulfield2
    I do not want to turn this into a political debate. I can find that anywhere.
    It is nice not to find that here.
    But I will say that I definitely do not feel that I have to apologize for the United States when I go abroad.
     
  20. Sova

    Sova Well-Known Member

    I know exactly what you mean. Big plus!
     

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