Excessive America

A little blurb on seismic differences...

Everything in Europe is smaller then in the United States. Everything is more compact, and usually more efficient. I live in a family with seven people total. Our fridge is the about the size of a standard American freezer. It isn't an issue, and we are all well fed. Why then, do American insist on having giant fridges for families of two and three? "But we need them," we say.

Croatians seem to utilize their entire home, or in most cases, apartment. You don't see rooms that are simply for show. The average Croatian living space is painfully small when compared to American standards. It is normal for Croatian parents to sleep in the living room every night, and give the available bedrooms to their children. If a family has a garden, it is usually well tended to, and lots of vegetables and fruits are taken from it. Many families have tables outside, which are used in nice weather. Being an American with a generously sized room of my own, one begins to realize how much we take space for granted in the United States. We value our space, almost demand and expect it. I think we often get entirely too carried away with constantly making products bigger and bigger bigger.

Of course, these differences in proportions transfer over into food servings. The amount of food one is given here is normal, not excessive like in the United States. People don't take food home from restaurants; they are able to finish everything they are given. This is reflected in the lean physique's of most Croatians.

Cars. Large cars do not exist in Croatia. You see mostly Pegeouts and Volkswagens, occasionally a Smart Car. I have yet to see a Suburban of any type. Why are Americans the only people who feel it necessary to drive hulking cars?

Most families here do not have dishwashers. Most families here do not have dryers. The climate is not so very different then New Hampshire's climate; we could just as easily hang our clothes outside to dry. (I still haven't gotten accustomed to seeing my underwear flying in the wind...)

Watching people live everyday life without the luxuries we Americans don't consider luxuries makes one remember that bigger is not necessarily better. I must say, I think we Americans have forgotten that lesson.