Culture and Influence

One thing that I have noticed is the difference in cultures between Prague and the Netherlands and how their past has dictated the societies that we see today.  The culture in Prague is still very set in the Eastern European way of life and still embrace their Slavic heritage.  However, it was interesting to see the transition that is unfolding in Prague with a generational gap.  The older generation seems to still associate more with Russia as they were once a part of the Soviet bloc.  The newer generation, those born since about 1985 and especially those born after 1989 seem to be much more Westernized.  We went to a toy store in Brno and it was interesting to see that many of the toys were based on American media such as the Simpsons and Star Wars.  In the Netherlands it seems that the Western influence is set and it seems much more like the culture back in the States (minus some parts of Amsterdam).  This is probably a result of the influence the Allied nations had on this region after World War II.  It has been interesting to see the differences between these two cultures.