they have assumption that some whites speak their language. So most officers don’t take risk by gossiping in front of you. And I don’t believe it’s the land of smile, it’s just $$$. They don’t smile when you have no money. Check how they treat their slave labors from neighboring countries.
If it is e-visa system, I think it is normal. If you don’t hear from them, it means there are a lot of applications ahead of you and your file is waiting to be handled. Next step is “Ask more documents OR Pending Approval”