What do the Western people know about our countries?

When I came to Glasgow last year, I had no intention in getting involved in these departments in any way. Nonetheless, as time went by, I gradually became interested in them and eventually even took some of their subjects. Why? I find it very interesting to be in classes with Western students and observe the way they perceive the countries of the former Eastern bloc.

It is true that most people don’t know much about the Czech Republic and other eastern countries. Even among the student there are many who are surprised and confused when you tell them that the Czech Republic was never a part of the USSR and that we actually have functioning hospitals. Then, there are some who see the territory as something rather exotic, mystical, unexplored, and want to learn something about it out of curiosity … It is interesting to observe how their preconceptions (backward, uneducated territories) dwindle away over time. They learn that there are many more similarities in the economies, cultural values or people’s expectations among the European countries they had expected and that there is one common European history rather than two separate ones. Finally, there are those who take profound interest in the nations of the former Eastern bloc and are keen to explore their histories and cultures. They learn Czech (or Polish, Hungarian, Estonian, Russian…), study Jan Hus and Milan Kundera and watch Czech films. When I ask them why the hell they study this exotic useless stuff, they tell me that if I am expected to know English language, Anglo-Saxon history, values and customs, why should I not expect them to know mine? This kind of talk always surprises me because I am simply not used to it. These are the people I like.

It is also interesting to see how the Western students react to Czech art. Over the years, Mr Čulík, who is the head of the Slavonic Studies department and conveys the Czech Cinema course, has identified the films that work best with the young Western audience. Naturally, many of them are not the most popular ones in the country of their origin. Pelíšky can never be appreciated by a Western viewer as much as by a Czech one. On the other hand, some of those that usually have most success among the students are, I dare to say, not the most popular ones in the Czech Republic . These are for example Coach to Vienna with its strong message that is independent of language and cultural context or The White Lady which is praised by the viewers for its self-ironizing mood and black humour that is arguably very similar to the British one.

I like taking part in this all. I like presenting the place I come from to people who would otherwise have no idea about it. I am trying to play my part in reassuring the Westerners that East-Central Europe is not always like this…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXCSdJivHzU