So much drinking

9:30 am. We are on a boat travelling down the Danube River, headed towards Devin castle. Most people are either sleeping or attempting to keep themselves awake by making small talk with their friends and family. Almost immediately I notice something a bit strange: people are buying and drinking pints of beer. This is ridiculous and even shocking to me. Have they not heard that they should wait at least until the afternoon to drink any alcohol?

Even the program organizers were drinking.  To me, this is insane. In the US, this kind of behavior is inappropriate and maybe even result in some kind of punishment if caught drinking with their students, on a field trip at 9:30 am.

It seems to me that in Central Europe drinking alcohol is not seen as a naughty activity. Drinking seems to be a social activity that can take place anywhere at any time with anyone, without negative connotations. I wonder why it is that in the USA and even Western Europe, anyone who drinks before noon is seen as someone who is incredibly unhealthy and cannot control themselves.

Maybe it is because of the anti-work attitude that many Central Europeans take. Or it could simply be because beer is so cheap!