I have been living in this country for 1 year after coming from London, and to be honest with you - I have some few challenges with it. There are some differences in culture that I am used to after being raised in Norway, and have been travelling in 50 countries + in the world.
I do not say that this is a bad place to live, but there are things I obviously find weird - and how they treat their own population. Here the other day I was standing behind 3 policemen in a cew on the Albert, which is the local food shop. This guys was on their way to lunch, and when they came to the till I recognized that they took up some vouchers to pay for their food.
This is also something I have recognized when I visit my missus at work, and we are going for a lunch - she suddenly take out some meal vouchers and pay when we come to the till. You can even see that this is something they offer in different positions when you apply for a job. I have understood that the country was once a part of Soviet Union, but it is almost 30 years ago - and I guess its about time to move on.
In Norway they also have vouchers, but this is something which is offered to drug addicts - or people who struggle with other addictions and cannot handle their own economy. I am not here to try to change this people, since they obviously find this normal - but I have another idea for them. Why not give people a decent salary, so they can choose themselves what they want to spend their hard earned money on?
I understand now why a Police wanted to rob me when I took a cigarette on the main bus station some few years ago. He came over with his female colleague and asked me for my documents when I took the last drags of a fag to my big surprise. After a few seconds he said, you are smoking in a forbidden area - and it will cost you 5000 czkr. I asked him, ok - where am I supposed to get this money from, and he said to me that I could go over to the cash machine and take them out to give him.
I got pissed off to say it mildly, and responded him: "Listen, we are not in Africa - so give me a penalty and I will pay when I am back in Norway". He obviously understood that he met somebody that knew the law - and his female colleague dragged him away, while he handed back my passport. How do I know that he tried to rob me? I checked the fine on internet, and it should cost 1500 czkr if you violate this law. So, to repeat myself - instead of giving officials a salary that they hardly can survive on with meal vouchers - give them a decent salary so people can decide themselves what they want to use their hard earned money on.
The hangover of the Soviet Union still lingers in that place, but it is not surprising, the other day I saw an analysis that said that in Germany supposedly it is still that way, people who belonged to East Germany have a much less productive economy and income average of those Germans is still lower.
People got used to a lifestyle for a long time. For example, what the police tried to do with you is very common in the nations where the state's presence was enormous, because the traffic of influence works like this, people with contacts and positions in the State tend to abuse the civilians without influence on this.
great conclusion!