The accident after which I stopped being friends with an American: personal experience
'19.10.2020'
“When you come to live in another country, at first you have no friends. None. Since I came to the United States on a fiancee visa, my only friend was my husband. It was, of course, great, but I wanted to communicate with other people, and in Russian, and not in English, ”writes an author from the community "I live in America" on Yandex.Zen. Next - from the first person.
I remember the first time in 6 months I accidentally heard Russian speech in a store. I immediately wanted to hug these people and make friends!
Later I realized for myself that friends are not chosen by language. If a person speaks your native language, this does not mean that you will become friends. The same mentality and language are not grounds for friendship.
My husband wanted me to “assimilate” and be friends with the Americans. Such a case presented itself.
We were invited to a barbecue with a couple, where the husband was American and the wife was Russian. The American Glenda and her husband were also invited.
Glenda was fun. She constantly smiled and laughed contagiously. She told funny stories. She was interested in the culture of Russia. The last name of her great-grandmother was Seagull! Perhaps Glenda's ancestral roots go back to Russia.
Glenda and I went hiking in Forest Park in Portland. “Forest” means “forest”. Indeed, this huge park looks like a forest. And you can get lost in it.
Once a week at 9 am a group gathered near the park. Everyone paid $ 2. And someone from the group led everyone else along the already proven route. The one who was leading had to pass this road in advance, know all the turns and be able to tell something interesting.
Sometimes we drove far from Portland. In America, it is customary to discount the driver for gasoline. It is more profitable and more fun to drive one car. Once we set off in a large group in several cars on a hike along a mountain river. The road went up all the time. We made stops to rest.
At some point, I twisted my leg on the wet spring grass. At first I hobbled, but then I could not walk at all. That is, she turned it up very thoroughly. I jumped on one leg to the car.
On the subject: Such a different mentality: how an American woman almost lost her Russian friends
Glenda was driving. She brought me on that walk. But she refused to give me a ride home. She offered to take me to ... a tram stop. And from the stop I had to walk 15 minutes, jumping is simply unrealistic. My husband was at the doctor's office at the time. And besides, it was raining.
I immediately remembered a children's song: “A friend in need will not leave. He won’t ask too much. This is what a true faithful friend means ”...
In the end, Glenda drove me to the house of a Russian friend. And Russian subroutine immediately bandaged my foot tightly and applied ice. In general, she provided first aid.
From that moment on, I stopped communicating with Glenda. Somehow, she immediately became uninteresting to me. From friends, she turned into an acquaintance for me.
We have met several times over the years. But not on my initiative ...
Original column published on the blog. "I live in America" on Yandex.Zen.
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