I have a simple method for quickly assessing the friendliness of a foreign country. It’s called the “smile test.” While in public, if I make eye contact with a complete stranger and smile, what sort of reaction do I get? Most Americans not only smile back, but also give a friendly nod.
However, this does not work so well in Poland, where the nice ones give cold, blank stares. It is within this cheery cultural context that I present to you our Great New Year’s Tragedy of 2011.
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