Coming from an Anglo country where, generally speaking, our culture is open and friendly... I HATE the fact that Europeans are so closed. They are a bit better in the southern countries but still... everyone seems so cold and unfriendly.
Strangers just don't speak to each other. That's the unspoken rule. And it's ok if they are from that country but if you are a foreigner AND a stranger (ie me) and attempt to speak to a local person (for no particular reason ie you are not asking for directions or the time or something) they look at you as if you are a freak. This has happened to me over and over again.
Or... I just make conversation to be friendly and after about 2 back-and-forths, it's over. It's ridiculous. Whereas with a stranger who is an Anglo we could talk for ages and ages. I just don't get it and it's frustrating as hell!
I went to networking events I went to a big TedX event and nobody spoke to me! OK maybe 1 or 2 and they were always American! And if I dared try to talk to someone they would ignore me or talk to me for 2 minutes before leaving. Also, most of these networking events are so male-orientated that if a girl talks to man I think he thinks I'm trying to chat him up or something and he feels weird about it.
ARRGGGHHHHH
This is one thing I will never get no matter how long I live here and I hate hate hate it!!
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