'There are more alligators in the state than residents': what surprised a Russian woman in the south of the USA
'14.10.2019'
Source: Lenta.ru report
Svetlana registered on a dating site to pull up her English, and met her future husband there. As a result, she ended up in New Orleans.
My move to the USA took place very unexpectedly for me. Before the move, I did not know anything about the USA! Only terrible stories that girls first give birth, and then they can not pick up children during a divorce. And, of course, that the States are a country of opportunity. Of course, you can always spy on life in a foreign country in social networks, but you can never be sure of truthfulness, Svetlana quotes Lenta.ru report.
I signed up on an international dating site, mostly not even for the sake of dating, but to pull up English with native speakers. Thoughts about moving were sometimes in my head, but for some reason I never thought about the USA. But it turned out that my future husband was waiting for me there.
We started chatting in March on 2016, and in June, he offered to meet. I agreed to fly to the USA, because I wanted to watch him at home, in the family, with colleagues. She received a tourist visa quickly (it was 22 for a country in the last five years). We first met in October in New York. He appeared in front of me as a programmer with two roses in his hands. For myself, I noted that this is the funeral of our relationship, but as it turned out later, an even number of flowers for Americans is the most common thing.
A month after returning to Russia, I decided to fly again. In January, we decided that I would apply for a visa as a bride. I signed up for an interview in July (despite the fact that they scared me from 10 months to a year), where they approved me for 5 minutes without any interrogations or tricky questions. For five months in the process of obtaining a visa, I came across both total support of relatives and relatives, as well as misunderstandings and furious attempts to dissuade from the “stupid step”.
It seems to me that the move primarily depends on the mood, so for each this event is a personal experience, which can be both negative and positive. First of all, I was surprised - you will laugh - locks on the doors. They are less reliable than locks on the doors of the toilet in Russia. After my iron door, they seemed so dangerous that at first I was tormented by paranoia. It seemed that anyone could push her hand and enter! Therefore, the presence of weapons in any home did not surprise me. The second noticeable difference is that children run down the street in their shoes, even in + 5, and at home they all wear shoes. The third surprise is that for some reason the southerners are setting up a similarity of a recreation room in the garage and drinking beer there, watching TV, despite the presence of beautiful backyards.
Now I’ve been in the USA for a year and a half, living not far from New Orleans. It has its own special cuisine, the freshest oysters for 50 cents apiece, alligator sausages, spicy crayfish and shrimp. Alligators are grown on special farms, and they live here more than residents of Louisiana.
In any restaurant (taxi, spa, hair salon) it is customary to leave about 20 percent tea. This is not a law, of course, and many local people do not do this, but the service here is mostly always flawless, and the waiters live only on tips. The work of a waiter here is not at all easy: they are unlikely to take a job in a good restaurant without recommendations or “cronyism”, but will have to start with washing dishes. But successful waiters earn about 80 thousand dollars a year in the south, they keep for their work.
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But going to the clinic is always an adventure for me. The insurance system is so confused and unclear that sometimes you just want to not get sick. The last case - barley got out in my eye, and yet I had to go to the clinic. The doctor looked into my eye, pressed, dripped drops and let go. At the reception they took 100 dollars from me (taking into account my insurance, which is considered one of the best), and later another bill came for 50 dollars.
With the search for housing faced our friends. In order to rent an apartment, you must provide the company with proof of solvency, payment of taxes, and so on. In exchange will be given a contract with fairly stringent conditions. Special people will take out the garbage, but a warning can fly in behind a towel hung on the balcony railing. With their housing about the same. We went on vacation for two weeks and did not cut the lawn in front of the house. Upon arrival, we found a warning, which stated that the appearance of our house spoils the overall picture of the area.
Americans are very friendly. Men help to bring the weight to the car and open the door, everyone says “sorry” and smiles when they meet them with their eyes. It is much more pleasant to see smiles than stone faces! In any place - from queues in state institutions to refueling - you can always find an interlocutor. When I arrived, all my husband’s acquaintances and friends helped me to get used to a new place, called me to events, to visit, to holidays. I joked about bears in Siberia and told about the frosty winter, they, in turn, hunted down the stories about alligators and swamps. The girls constantly weighed out compliments - at first it surprised me, and then I got used to it and began to say something pleasant to others.
Americans are very understanding people. My English at the time of the move was about average, but no one ever looked askance at me. On the contrary, many try to speak slower, to repeat words, so that it is easier for me to understand them. Here you can attend free language courses at schools or churches. And in the latter, no one will try to convert you to their faith: here you can drink tea with buns and talk on various topics.
Locals are very advanced in terms of travel. Here absolutely everything is thought out for this: travels to the ocean, to national parks, to the mountains - everything can be easily planned. For every taste and budget - from campsites with toilets and showers to comfortable hotels. For example, Americans like to rent buses or RV-cars (cars-houses) and move around the country on them. Fortunately, the quality of their roads allows you not to worry about various situations.
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Most of all, when I arrived, I was worried about changes in weight. I was panicky afraid of getting fat, as I had heard about body-positive Americans who eat only fast food and hormonal chicken. And what was my surprise when I discovered products in stores for every taste and color: a huge number of options without gluten, sugar, casein, labeled Organic, meat without antibiotics and hormones. It turned out to be much easier to adhere to any diet than in Russia. Well, about sports, I also worried in vain. For 30 dollars a month, I have access to more than thirty gyms with pools, group classes, a sauna and other pleasures.
I brought with me a suitcase of shoes with heels and at first even put it on. Until she realized that people here are not soared about things, but dress as they please. And it is captivating. Americans quietly come to the restaurant in shales and leggings, and no one looks askance at them. For solemn occasions, they, of course, dress up, but for every day they choose comfort and convenience. Girls of any stature calmly wear short dresses and do not complex. I think this is worthy of applause.
It seemed to me that there are visually more fat people here than in Russia. But is it? Perhaps people just do not consider themselves worse than others, if their figure is far from the standards, and the girls go outside not in robes, but in what they like. I adore it in American women - love for my forms.
I was warned - "wait, depression will come in six months." But this turned out to be another empty threat. It’s not scary to stay with yourself, because this time can be used to rethink a lot and start doing what you always wanted. There are many social networks through which you can find Russian speakers nearby.
I realized that the same people live in the USA, like everywhere else. With their experiences, fears, ambitions, achievements, ready to support and help. Therefore, if you want to live in another country, try. Look for work, love, friends, communicate, learn the language. The USA is a country where everyone can be anybody.
