Overseas Briefing International relations in the produce aisle

Author: James Kerrigan

PRAGUE - America has got a lot of things figured out, but not everything. I grew up going to the Hanover Co-op, our neighborhood grocery store which doubled as the gossip headquarters for local mothers. It had just about everything one could want, but after one trip to Albert, the Czech Republic's take on Shaw's, it is clear American supermarkets have room for improvement.

Once I calmed down after paying the 10 Korun (the Czech currency) deposit for a shopping cart, I was taken aback by the quality of these four-wheeled hovercrafts. Full mobility in all directions revolutionized my shopping experience. They can navigate the narrow aisles with ease. Sticky American wheels were replaced with an engineering marvel - fully pivoting wheels which roll even more smoothly than a Pilsner Urquell goes down. The Co-op has work to do.

Equally impressive was the breadth in the produce section. Pictures rivaling those that appear on the pages of a language textbook facilitated the process but did not solve all my problems. The printer could barely handle the speed at which I weighed my fruits and vegetables, reminiscent of the between-class rush at the first floor printers in the New Library. As it turns out, pomegranate is a false cognate. The oranges were delicious, anyway.

Though there was a decidedly large language barrier, judging by the speed at which shoppers completed their visits to Albert and the hard-hat wearing customer base, it is safe to say recent college acceptance letters were not the topic of conversation as I am certain it is at my grocery store over 4,000 miles away.

The journey through Albert grew more difficult as a lack of recognizable brands forced our purchasing decisions to be based on more primal methods. I resembled an eager child shaking presents on Christmas Eve. Besides some unfortunate mistakes in the baking aisle, my first trip to Albert was, by and large, a success. I anticipate Albert and I will have a healthy relationship over the next four months.

I am not as confident about the status of Czech-American relations. Perceptions of other countries develop in many different ways. Case in point: last night.

Late night tram stops produce many interesting scenarios, but this one was particularly meaningful. A group of American friends and I engaged an older Czech man in a conversation about the United States. As we began to pester him about why he had negative feelings towards Americans, he responded that we do not have a respect for money. The group of young Americans quickly tried to rebut his point, but our efforts only lasted a few seconds. Shortly thereafter, a slightly intoxicated American yelled across the street to one of his friends, "Hey, get me a gyro!" If his words were not enough, he pulled out all the change in his pocket and hurled it across the street.

In just 15 seconds, this Czech man confirmed his belief about Americans. Simple gestures go a long way in shaping opinions. Blaming Bush or some other exogenous circumstance is not enough. So next time I pull out of the pet food aisle, I will be sure to look both ways, and learn the Czech word for "sorry."