This is an interesting piece, though a bit sad. I have always thought of smiling as the universal language, but I suppose I look at it from my perspective as someone who has lived in the US for nearly 40 years. That Russian emigre teller who didn't get why she had to smile...had she thought about what a smile might do to those she helped at the counter? But yeah, I get how smiles can be misconstrued in different cultures.

I loved seeing the different soldiers portrayed with smiles. I'm sure at some moments in their lives, they had things to smile about.