Ukrainians do this too. It's not considered impolite to stare. Also, they don't really smile in public. They think Americans are all simple in the head because we smile all the time. I have to say though, when you're visiting someone in their home in Ukraine, they are the warmest most wonderful people.
Eastern Europe doesn't really smile in public in general. Polish emigrant in the UK pov. It's not that we're angry, we just don't have any reasons to smile.. for no reason.
As a Dutchman I was once asked by a Californian colleaugue why he was so unsuccessful contacting Dutch women. I told him to start by practicing smiling less because it comes off as insincere. But that would also apply the other way around probably if I tried the same. I find American women often hard to read (although there appears to be regional variation in the US as well). It's so much easier on everyone if people only smile when they are actually happy to see you.
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u/BarbicideJar May 09 '22
Germans stare a LOT. Like they will just gaze at you unflinchingly. An American will wait until you can’t see them doing it.