I think you're getting to the point of it: the smile vs. no smile decision is about the default "communicate with me" or "don't communicate with me" posture.
This is much like how midwestern and southern visitors perceive northeastern cities in the US. Although I've found strangers in Boston perfectly accommodating, they tend to be rather less ebullient about it than elsewhere in the US.
Well, this is all anecdotal, so these are my observations as a Soviet-born, Israeli-raised, now-American.
This is much like how midwestern and southern visitors perceive northeastern cities in the US. Although I've found strangers in Boston perfectly accommodating, they tend to be rather less ebullient about it than elsewhere in the US.
Well, this is all anecdotal, so these are my observations as a Soviet-born, Israeli-raised, now-American.