4 Hamburgers a Day?

Since I have been here in the Czech Republic, I have met several people who want to tell me about what the United States is like. They are an expert, know all about the culture, the habits, people, etc. How do they know all of this? From TV of course. No, no, they've never been there, but maybe know a guy who was there one time 10 years ago.

Experts.

Today, one of my students informed me that for lunch in America, everyone eats 4 hamburgers and drinks a couple liters of soda. Everyday. (Mind you, while he was telling me this I was drinking water and he was drinking out of a 2 liter bottle of Pepsi.)

I asked him where he possibly go this information from.

"Have you seen the show 'Man XXL'?"

He says it's some documentary about a really fat American man who eats McDonalds all the time and even feeds his one-year-old baby hamburgers.

Wait... that's where you get your information from?? You are stereotyping and making judgments about all of America based on one horrible reality TV show about a disgusting, obese man? Please. That's insulting.

I also believe that when I first met this same student and told him I was American, he looked at me up and down and said, "But you're slim!?" as if he really didn't know it was possible to be American and not be overweight.

Did I mention he always drinks out of 2 liter bottles of Pepsi?

Also today, in trying to prove to me how much he knows about how awful America is, he told me about a visit by one of his colleagues to somewhere in the United States. I don't know when or where his colleague went, but apparently he didn't enjoy his visit so much. Supposedly his colleague is a really 'healthy' guy and goes to the gym regularly, likes to eat well, blah, blah, blah. His colleague told him that eating well in America was very difficult and he wasn't able to find a salad anywhere.

Have I told you about Czech food before? It goes like this: pork, sausage, potatoes, bread, dumplings (basically the same thing as bread) and cheese. Mmm... healthy. The few times I have been to a Czech restaurant I have a really hard time finding something that I can order (as I don't eat beef or pork and try to eat minimal dairy). I usually end up with something deep fried and smothered in cheese. Horrible.

Under the vegetarian sections of Czech menus (if they have one) all I am able to find is fried cheese, broccoli with cheese, or cheese with ham. Yes, ham, in the veg menu. If there is a salad on the menu, it is an overpriced ice burg lettuce salad with a couple of little tomatoes thrown in and covered with something worse than Ranch dressing.

So it is really hard for me to imagine how someone could go to the States and think that it is difficult to eat healthy there. You can find good salads at practically any restaurant you visit. Hell even McDonalds has decent salads if you're desperate!

Someone we met in Austria told me that she heard a rumor that it was impossible to buy fresh vegetables in America. Wrong! I think America has more and better quality than Austria and Czech combined.

Ok, I know I'm ranting a little bit. I really just don't understand how people can possibly pretend to know so much about my country when they have never even set foot in it. I have been in the Czech Republic for 8 months now and I don't pretend to have any idea about their culture. Yes, I'm learning about it and I know a whole lot more than I did before I arrived, but I still could never make all of these gross assumptions about the Czech way of life. I can tell you about my experiences with my students, Czech friends, and dealing with people in the streets and shops, and about some of their traditions and customs, but I refuse to act like I know what it's all about. I don't. (okay, maybe that comment about vegetables sounds like it contradicts what I am saying, but that is just based off of my experiences and what I find available in the grocery stores...)

So how can someone who has just watched a couple of American TV shows and maybe reads the news every once in a while possibly think they know enough to teach me about my own country?

Sorry, I'm done now. :)