Escalators and normalization

I'll always remember the escalators in Baku.  They were nearly vertical and moved at breakneck speeds.  Stepping on one to descend several stories below ground was terrifying.  I always thought my first foot would shoot ahead without taking the rest of my body with it, so I felt the need to jump onto the step with both feet.  The movie "Elf" hadn't come out yet, but Will Ferrell might easily have studied for the escalator scenes by watching me.

Then, in a few short weeks, I was back in Germany on my way to the US.  It was the strangest thing: the escalators were unbearably slow.  In the time it took to descend one story, I could have reached the earth's core on an Azeri escalator. 

And it's like that with culture.  The things that at first seem strange become background noise, not worthy of notice.  And then, imperceptibly, what was once strange has become the new definition of normal.  Preferable to the other, once familiar way. 

And what might those things be here in Belgrade?   Taking an imported Swiss tram to work?  Passing bombed out buildings on the way?  Asking myself whether an ambiguous sign is written in Latin or Cyrillic?  Eating popcorn for dinner?  Making international travel plans an hour in advance?  Balkan fashion choices?  How can I know?  They're too normal to notice.