5 things that an immigrant from Russia stopped doing in the USA: personal experience
'29.09.2020'
Source: "Queen in the USA" on Yandex.Zen
Changing the country, you change your habits. Not right away. First, you look closely at the environment, try on their lifestyle, and then imperceptibly integrate into the system and start doing the same, the channel's author notes. "Queen in the USA" on Yandex.Zen. Next - from the first person.
Here's what I stopped doing when I emigrated to America:
1. Stopped using public transport
In Moscow, where I lived, the transport network covers even God-forsaken corners: metro, buses, trolleybuses, even trams roam the capital. The ubiquitous "minibuses" complete the picture. And if you have managed to get to a place where no human has ever set foot, then there and back you will be taken by a taxi that is very affordable by the standards of a Muscovite.
In such a picture of the world, the prospect of getting behind the wheel itself never smiled at me. I don't like cars. Well, all these delights: pour gasoline, dig it out of a snowdrift, warm it up, go through MOT, pay for an exam or pass a million if so, pay for violations and alleged violations. In general, I did not overcome this obstacle course. I was completely satisfied with a bunch of metro + taxi.
What have I found here?
- Firstly, there is not even a grocery store within walking distance, let alone the rest of the benefits of civilization.
- Secondly, the scanty route network of public transport makes you cry.
- Thirdly, at any moment you can easily run into the fact that the train has left in front of your nose, and the next one in 40 minutes, or any branch is closed today (the reason is weighty, but unknown).
I had to learn to turn the steering wheel. Nothing, I've been driving like a pretty one for two years now.
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2. I no longer cross the road at a red light
I confess I am sinful. In Moscow, she often ran across the road. Both pedestrians and drivers are much more disciplined here. I so rarely see "deer" crossing the road that it became a shame to be such a "deer" myself.
By the way, traffic lights and zebras are stuck here much more often. This is due to the system of “cutting” cities into squares. That is, from the transition to the transition - 2-3 residential complexes in total. You need to cross the road every 2-5 minutes.
It annoyed me at first. When in a hurry, every traffic light makes you nervous. Then I…
3. Has ceased to rush all the time
Every city has its own pace of life. In Moscow, everyone is running somewhere: it doesn't matter, to work, home, to a meeting with friends or to the store. Everything happens in a rush and bustle.
Here it is different. People move more leisurely through the streets, drive cars more calmly, find a moment to smile at a passer-by and exchange a few words at the checkout.
Over time, I also slowed down, stopped rushing headlong, began to notice what was happening around, talk with old women and not get annoyed that at each traffic light you need to slow down a little more.
4. I stopped building a career and started thinking about a small personal matter
Office work no longer attracts me as much as it once did. Team spirit, common cause, achievements, high positions and salaries - all this is associated with dedication, a minimum of time for life outside of work, the need to be always in good shape, to think quickly, to take responsibility - in a word, to be on top.
I worked for 10 years in Russian news journalism and achieved everything I wanted. Perhaps that's enough. It's time for a quiet work, using your skills and abilities. I am a good editorial specialist. I am a native speaker of a language foreign to this environment. My knowledge will allow me to quietly earn a poor, comfortable life.
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5. I stopped running to the clinic for every sneeze
There are several reasons for this, but the main one is that I do not like ordinary medicine in the United States. I have many complaints about the system: from the need to wait a long time for an appointment to dubious appointments that doctors make. My personal experience of contacting medical institutions in this country is sharply polar: emergency medicine is beyond praise, planned is depressing.
Other reasons include the need to pay extra for a lot, fear of exorbitant bills, language barriers, the lengthy process from the first visit to receiving help, and often outdated methods of treatment.
The advanced medicine, which is famous all over the world, is large centers and expensive doctors with private practice. The mass consumer is trying to get medical care that is inferior to the level that I received in Moscow under insurance from my employer.
Original column published on the blog. "Queen in the USA" on Yandex.Zen
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