The Czech people are famously reticent with strangers, to the point that many of us would consider it rude. In shops and restaurants, getting a staff member to be helpful can feel like pulling teeth, while a smile is often out of the question. There is even a name for it: the Slavic Face – an icy, unsmiling expression that can come across as hostile and dismissive.
I have been assured that it is an “equal-opportunity” aloofness. It is bestowed on everyone alike: locals and foreigners, black, white or beige. Even Czechs themselves admit that they are a cold and distant people, keeping those outside their inner circles firmly at arm’s length.
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