Ten things that an American woman did not do in the USA, but began to do in Russia
'25.03.2021'
Source: Topcor
US citizen Joanne Stein, who lived in Russia for several years, taught English in our country. She is a great lover of intercultural relations. In her blog, the American shared her thoughts about life among Russians. In particular, Joanne noted, there were many things that she would never have done in her homeland.
1. Previously, she did not have to sleep in an “unreal” bed.
In Russia, the American believes, many apartments are too small, they have limited living space, writes Topcor. Often this or that piece of furniture performs several functions at once. For example, a sofa bed. By her standards, this is an “unreal” bed. And the fact that some people slept on other furniture or just on a mattress turned out to be a shock. When she moved to a new apartment and decided to buy a bed, the owners were surprised and could not understand her. But between the sofa and the bed, the blog author chose the second option.
2. Many books that exist in Russia seemed to her "low-grade"
Previously, she did not read those. According to her, there are too few books in English in Russia, even in such huge stores as Biblio-Globus or House of Books.
3. She didn’t have to see her boss and coworkers in the nude in the USA
In Russia, Joanne had a chance to go to a Russian bathhouse, which caused her a real culture shock.
4. In the US, the author of the blog never ate at McDonalds
At the same time, she wrote that she didn’t know for sure whether there was a difference between American and Russian McDonalds, but in the Russian Federation the food is tastier, it has less fat. And from her "not so sick."
5. Did not really know the Russian "stars"
True, in her student years, when the American studied Russian, she knew some of the Russian pop music. The teacher has repeatedly arranged screenings of Russian cinema and listening to famous songs. But starting to live in Russia, Joanne quickly learned about what films are popular, what actors are playing in them. This was very helpful in communication and contributed to the understanding of many Russian jokes.
On the subject: American woman explained why she is better in Russia than in the USA
6. In the US, she did not drink tea
She associated him with England, and at home she had only a few packs in case Russian guests came. The American woman could not even imagine that you can drink as much tea as is consumed in Russia. It turned out that here it is a part of social life. Soon, she herself began to drink several cups at work.
7. American women in the United States do not have a particularly “relationship” with sparkling water
Of course, she drank it, but not often. According to her, this is not common in America, and soda can not be found in every store or cafe. And in Russia it is almost everywhere and is relatively cheap. In cafes, they always ask what kind of water to bring: with or without gas. As a result, the author of the blog claims, she began to drink soda in large quantities and fell in love with it very much.
8. Russian vodka is another phenomenon that Americans associate with Russia
Previously, the American said, she did not have to drink “fire water” in its pure form. But in Russia, she began to drink this strong drink. At the same time she was told not to savor, not to drink, but to drink it in one gulp.
9. In the US, no one was surprised at the normal weight. Joanne
In Russia, she faced the fact that many Russians believed that all Americans were fat. One woman, hearing that in front of her a US citizen, said to her in surprise: "But you are not fat!"
On the subject: How an American has created a successful English school in Russia
10. At home, I didn’t have to drive the cars of "private traders"
She was surprised that in Russia there is not only a "real", official taxi, but also those who are engaged in unofficial taxi. She was afraid to travel alone with such people, but she had to repeatedly find herself in the car of a "private trader" with her friends. “It's an interesting experience,” says Joanne. “Although it causes a certain shock, it helps out in a situation when you have to go, but there are no“ checkers ”."
