Tales from Absurdistan #1

Things are different here than in the US, where I lived most of my life, and, I suspect, from just about anywhere else. Czechs themselves must feel this because Absurdistan is their own nickname for their country.

Czechs are a bit funny. They will piss and moan about everything here. But for a foreigners, and expat, or even prodigal son like me to join in and they get amazingly defensive. This is their country. Be warned before trying to join in the fun of criticizing it. 

A case: I lived in an apartment where the previous owner never terminated the contract for utilities. When I moved in, I went to the power company and asked that the account be put in my name as of the 1st of the month - and I brought the paperwork documenting me residency there. I was told that there was a current account for that address and did I know the person. I did not - the appt.  had been empty for over 3 years. I was told they could not open a new account until that one was current and closed. Since the amount was more or less trivial, I pad it on the spot. But that left the problem of cancelling the contract - which only the parties who originally signed could do (unless I could produce a death certificate and papers authorizing me to handle that). 

Now, the power was flowing to the apartment all during this time. The only problem was that the company didn't want me to pay them for it. A position in which they persisted for over a year, despite my several visits (amounting to perhaps 3 days total of sitting in their offices) when one fine day with no warning I got a call from them telling me I hadn't paid them for the power they supplied me and that they would send a man to cut me off... unless... I came in THAT DAY to put things right. I did and the solution amounted to me signing an official statement that declared that I did not know the previous tenant. When I asked why this hadn't been told to me on any of my many previous visits I was told that I hadn't asked for a "Čestné prohlášení" or Honest declaration form. 

And I had to pay 14 months utility bills in 3 working days. 

Now, returning to my original point, when I began joining in any gripe session by adding this, my tale of power company woe, most often my companions would side with the power company. Why, they'd say, didn't I just ask for that form and be done with it? The fact that I did ask for anything that would solve my problem and that I hadn't known that form existed or what it was called was seen as my fault. Everyone knows about a "Čestné prohlášení" and obviously they knew everything is done better in the US and why did I ever come to Prague in the first place? 

 That was about 5 years ago. I've been here the better part of a decade now and so I actually DO get to complain sometimes. Not as much as a lifer here. And not about certain things like the government or the medical system... but some things. Like the corruption (despite the fact that everyone would rather pay a cop off than pay the fine.)