Culture shock of Russians in America. Culture shock upon arrival in America. Love for silence
Almost 10 years ago, after working for five years at a major foreign oil and gas company, and spending an indecent amount of time on the road and in places that normal people do not want to be (at least for any extended period of time), I was so tired of everything that I came to my boss, an Albanian, to quit. I remember how he shook his head knowingly all the time that I told him about the difficult conditions of my working life. And after listening to me, he said only these 5 words to me: “Do you want to work abroad?”
Well, of course, I wanted to work abroad - after all, why did I study English for half my life? The thirst for knowledge has always drawn me to places where I have not yet been. And I agreed. Of course, he tore up the letter of resignation. And within a week, I was assigned to work in a tropical paradise… in Nigeria. Then I thought: “of course, not the most ideal place to work, but everything is better than Siberia” (my former place of deployment).
As a result, due to the aggravation of the security situation in Nigeria, I never got there - the capture of foreign hostages by the rebels became more frequent there. As a result, instead of Nigeria, I ended up in “that still Africa” - Sudan (fortunately only for a month), and from there, and already for a long time - to the USA. And not to some Oklahoma region, but to the most special city in America, to the homeland of Tom Sawyer and Louis Armstrong - New Orleans. Work on floating drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.
And that's what we're talking about today. Or rather about what stages of adaptation I had to go through.
My relationship with this country began (however, like any other serious relationship usually begins) with a "honeymoon". Everything seemed wonderful and beautiful, the sun - the brightest, the trees - the greenest, the people - the kindest (but this feeling, unlike many others, never passed).
But just a few weeks later, my consciousness began to skip small portions of reality, and my Honeymoon with the country suddenly ended. And what came after him, I would describe as nothing more than a “culture shock”. And describing this particular period, I would like to spend a little more time, if only because it will be the most fun for you.
Studies on the subject say that about three months after arriving in a new place, the differences between the old and new cultures become so obvious and flashy that they can instill anxiety and constant irritation in the immigrant.
To be honest, I don't remember being constantly irritated. Of course, there were things that at first sometimes caused frank bewilderment. For example:
1) Huge cars.
For a long time, I couldn’t understand why everyone was driving around in pickup trucks and huge SUVs. And this is in the south of the country, where there are almost no dirt roads left, in principle, snow falls every 5 years and lies there for exactly half an hour (to the wild delight of the kids).
Ford F series. America's best-selling car.
2) Public transport
almost completely absent in the southern United States. Rather, it exists, but in a completely rudimentary state, so getting anywhere on it is almost impossible. America is definitely an automobile country, and this can be explained by historically cheap gasoline and democratic car prices.
Unreal "highways" of Houston. America is a car country.
3) And, of course, fast food restaurants
Or as the Americans themselves call them - junk food or junk food. No, here I don’t even mean McDonald’s and Burger Kings, which are just around every corner, and which we have long been accustomed to in Russia. Enough has been said here before me.
I rather want to mention a purely American invention “drive through” - a service in any fast food restaurant where you can buy food without leaving your car. I personally take the process of eating food quite seriously, and the whole idea of eating in so-called "restaurants" where you don't even have to get out of the car seems sacrilegious to me. By the way, there is one fast food chain in America that I promise never to visit. This is Sonic. In this "restaurant" you won't even get a chance to get your butt off the car seat, as the whole restaurant is all about "drive though".
The restaurant where you come to ... eat in the car is an amazing invention.
4) And the last thing I would like to end with is cases of extreme obesity.
Don't get me wrong - I don't mean overweight people here, or even very overweight people. I mean cases of extreme obesity. In fact, it makes a demoralizing impression on a person who has not been used to this kind of thing since childhood.
When friends from Russia came to me, I took them to Wal-Mart (a huge supermarket behind my house) as if on a tour - to look at people moving around the store on special electric carts designed for the disabled. Basically, of course, it was not the disabled who moved on these carts, but people who were too lazy to walk around the store with their own feet. I can say with confidence that this was the apogee of my culture shock.
People from Walmart are far from the “face” of America.
About six months after I started thinking about what my new country living - the most abnormal of all possible, I began to get used to. Behind fat people, I began to see their incredible kindness and truly American friendliness and goodwill. I am used to traveling everywhere by car. I realized that New Orleans has a huge amount of the finest restaurants, without a drive through!
And slowly everything else for me, too, became the "norm". I adjusted to the new environment and spent some truly wonderful years there. I made friends who are close to me in spirit and way of thinking, leading a healthy lifestyle.
In general, despite the fact that I frankly disagreed with the policy of their government, and sometimes did not hesitate to express it, I never had any problems with ordinary people which most often are not politicized at all. They don't give a damn about what and where their government is doing. And many of my entourage were openly against the policy of wars and intervention.
The level of politicization and prozombization, I would say, is on average lower in the United States than in Russia, but it is definitely present in poorly educated circles - American rednecks are not much different from Taganrog Belyakov (Svetlakov) from Nasha Rush.
Once on the Internet, I came across an article written by a doctor who had long immigrated from somewhere in Asia:
“There is nothing in the world that comes close to life in America. Ultimately, it all comes down to people - no matter how hard you try, you can't find a better person than the average American - the average person on the street. I live here and I will die here.”
To be honest, I have never had a fanatical love for this country (read - for the foreign policy of its government), but having lived in almost all parts of the world, I cannot but agree with this. In America, any person is able to find his happiness, since the real America is not at all what we are usually shown on TV. Just like Russia - not at all what they show on TV there.
Stay with us,
Mark Freedom.
P.S: But I bought myself an SUV only after 5 years of living there. And before that, he was interrupted by the “modest” Toyota Camry.
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AboutAuthor
Mark
Simon Black is an international investor, entrepreneur, traveler, free man, creator of Sovereign Man. In his free daily messages, he shares his life experiences to help you achieve greater freedom, financial and personal.
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1
What shocked you the most about the Czech Republic? Shabab Siddiqui of New Jersey, 20 years old: Most of all in the Czech Republic I was shocked road traffic. In the US, cars come to a complete stop when pedestrians cross the street. In the Czech Republic, this is not always the case. In Prague, cars only slow down. One day, culture shock hit me literally: I was hit by a car when I was crossing the street in a hurry. I was not injured, but I can say with confidence that the traffic in Prague is something that took some getting used to.
2 How are Americans different from Europeans?
Jordin Fisher of Illinois, 21:
Americans are a loud and sometimes obnoxious variety, mainly because we don't hesitate to talk about everything. We're not afraid to put on a show - as long as it's not hysterical - simply because we think it's funny. Compared to Europeans, Americans are much less shy. I think that Americans study harder in universities. But the Czech education system, compared to the American one, is easier and more logical.
3 What was the hardest thing to adjust to? What was the most difficult thing abroad? How did you overcome it?
Abby Wilson of New Jersey, 20
The hardest part was adjusting to the differences in food, both in taste and availability. It was difficult to find some products, but I managed to find a replacement. The biggest problem abroad is homesickness. In New York, I'm only an hour away from home, and if I'm homesick, I'll go to my family or call. Here, the time difference and problems with Wi-Fi made it difficult to call home. It helped me to know that this was a unique and exciting experience, and by traveling on weekends and hanging out with friends, I was distracted from homesickness
4 How difficult was it to practice your religion in Prague?
Lily Dolin from Massachusetts, 19 years old:
I have repeatedly heard from many people that the Czech Republic is one of the least religious countries in Europe, and I believe that this is true. Prague has many Easter markets, but they are nothing compared to the processions and festivals in other cities such as Madrid. I am not a super-religious person, but I appreciate the cultural and social aspects of Judaism. It was easy for me to practice and maintain my Jewish identity. I am very glad to have the opportunity to be abroad, and I got to know the Jewish community in Prague better.
5 How did foreign countries react to the recent US presidential election?
Alyssa Jung from California, 19 years old:
The main reaction I've received has been frivolous ridicule about Trump's election. Many times when I talked to a waiter or a taxi driver, they laughed and joked about Trump. I feel that their tone is in line with the disbelief that many Americans feel, but since this is not their reality, not their country, it becomes entertainment.
6 Are there different attitudes towards minorities in Europe?
Lily Li from New York, 19 years old:
Asian Americans are perpetual foreigners in the US, and the growing Vietnamese population in the Czech Republic is facing the same reception. I was embarrassed on the way to class because my skin color mattered more than ever. Many Czechs are proud of the founder of McDonald's, an American whose mother was born in the Czech Republic. Czech politicians consider political correctness a restriction on freedom of speech enjoyed by minorities, but there are some teachers and judges motivated to progress.
7 What stereotypes do you face?
Abi Green from Virginia, age 19:
The main stereotypes are that Americans are loud and not broad enough. This I can confirm. We speak louder than Europeans. Lack of vision comes up sometimes, and honestly, I use that as an excuse. Most of the people I met in Prague seem to be interested in the US. They tend to be interested in American culture and how it differs from their own. In general, they treat me the same as everyone else.
The first glance is always the most “unblurred”.
About ten years ago, I first flew to another continent, namely the United States. What surprised me this country from the first days of my stay in it? Yes, sometimes it never ceases to amaze to this day. And we must pay tribute to the fact that in this country there are more positive emotions and facts to be surprised than negative ones, but the latter, in my opinion, also exist.
My first flight to the US was with a layover in Atlanta. From the very first steps, I was struck by an airport of enormous size, from the runways of which numerous planes take off and land at minute intervals. In one of the halls of the airport they saw a large black piano. The keys themselves were pressed, beautiful music sounded, and ... without a pianist! I froze in surprise and for a long time could not take my eyes off such a piano.
Then I already found out that in 2007 the airport named after. Hartsfield-Jackson became the busiest passenger airport in the world, with 89.4 million passengers a year. For comparison, this figure for Domodedovo Airport (Moscow) is about 30 million people, for George Bush Airport in Houston - 45 million people.
The airport in Houston is always crowded with cars and buses, they come one after another, but to my surprise, I do not choke on exhaust fumes and the smell of gasoline. Later, I was convinced of this a few more times. Once I was going to walk with my granddaughter in the courtyard of the house, but I heard neighboring area tractor. A house was being built there and a tractor was leveling the land. Out of habit, I wanted to refuse to walk, being afraid of gas contamination, but just in case, I stuck my nose out into the yard. No matter how much I sniffed, I did not feel the smell of gases from a working tractor, and this again surprised me. Then she stopped being surprised, deciding for herself that this was probably because gasoline in the USA is different, of better quality.
My next surprise was about the price of gasoline, which is directly dependent on the price of oil. Oil prices are falling, and gasoline, respectively, too. In Russia, gasoline prices are always rising.
Another pleasant surprise was the multi-lane roads with multiple interchanges with a clear separation from the oncoming lane and underground traffic light controls at intersections with secondary roads.
Houston was struck by the absence of people walking on the sidewalks. The streets are practically empty during the day, and this was an unexpectedly new phenomenon for me. It turns out that Houston was originally conceived as a city for motorists, not for pedestrians. And in this city, if the right store is opposite, but on the other side of the highway, you will never get into it directly. There are areas where there are no sidewalks at all. But in all outlets, in museums, in cinemas and theaters, in institutions, there are ramps and elevators for wheelchair users.
In Russian stores, usually at the checkout, when issuing purchases, they ask: “Do you need a package?” and if the answer is yes, they charge a fee for it. A completely different approach in US stores. It would never occur to anyone to ask such a stupid question; at the checkout, purchases are immediately placed in large branded bags without paying for them. I won’t say that this surprised me very much, I knew from Europe, but nevertheless, the difference in this regard from Russia caught my eye.
From the very first days in the USA, I was amazed a large number of toilets in in public places, moreover, free. In Russia, in large supermarkets, toilets are also free, but in parks, on the streets, on highways, as a rule, they are paid.
But the strongest impression on me was made by the fact that my Russian friends still do not believe: the absence of dust in houses and apartments. I “fight dust” in Russia once a week: I wipe window sills, shelves, paintings, polished tables ... Although you can do this every other day, since the dust comes from no one knows where. And if you shake a blanket against the background of a sunbeam, you will see a lot of small dust particles. In the USA, don't shake the blanket - you won't see any dust in the sun. No dust and that's it. And cleaning from dust can be done once a quarter, or even less often.
Another incident struck me. From the car, we saw an art dealer right on the side of the road. One painting intrigued me, and we turned into a nearby gas station to approach the art dealer. We bargained, he dropped the price and ... withdrew the required amount from our card with the issuance of a check to us on a special device. This is where I was completely blown away. Street vendor - and a check in hand, everything is as it should be !!!
Later, I was struck by electronic ballot boxes on a university campus. The garbage containers are equipped with hidden sensors that record the amount of garbage in them. At the same time, the garbage is compacted to certain limits, and the signals are sent to the central base, where they are processed and it is determined where and when to send the garbage trucks.
In Russia, in 2014, a project of "smart" garbage containers was developed at Kazan University on the basis of the American corporation Cisco. If their implementation is carried out, the city will be much cleaner.
As a doctor, I was surprised by the attitude of pediatricians towards babies. In the United States, it is not customary to exercise home control over a newborn child, the so-called patronage. Parents put the baby in a special car seat and take it to the doctor, where, while waiting for an appointment, he comes into contact with other children, including sick ones.
In Russia, a doctor visits a child at home, moreover, it is believed that in a sitting position, such babies in early age get a curvature of the spine, so they try not to plant children less than three months from birth. Patronage is carried out free of charge at the address of actual residence, regardless of registration and the availability of a medical policy.
After discharge from the maternity hospital, information about the child is transferred to the children's clinic.
In the first ten days of a child's life, the local pediatrician or patronage nurse should come daily. The next visits fall on the 14th and 21st day of the newborn's life. On weekends and holidays, the doctor on duty at the children's clinic may come.
My worldly opinion is this: if in the United States medical care was available to all segments of society and free of charge, and if doctors visited the sick at home in the first days of illness, and if there were no problems with insurance companies to pay for certain medical procedures, then the US could be called one of the best countries in the world to live in.
Irina Kinger,
This is a story about how a Russian woman, who left for the States a long time ago, suddenly decided to return to her native Moscow. To Russia, one way. It turns out that culture shock can also be experienced from the Motherland, especially if you have not been there for a long time. And again become Russian - "from scratch". Diana Abroskina says:
Whether it's to the next street, or across the country, any move will always be hectic and exciting. For me, moving has always been a joyful event that opens up new opportunities and brings a variety of changes to my life.
Getting used to the neighborhood, exploring nearby supermarkets and cafes, meeting new people and feeling newfound freedom are experiences that will surely enrich your world.
However, the most exciting change comes when you leave your comfort zone when you decide to travel the world.
I have spent most of my adult life in the USA. However, one summer day, I found myself at John F. Kennedy Airport with three huge suitcases and a one-way ticket to Moscow.
I haven't been to Russia for so long that I managed to fully absorb the American way of thinking and way of life. I flew back to my homeland feeling more like a foreigner than a citizen.
Becoming Russian again, starting almost from scratch, is an experience I wouldn't trade for anything.
During this adventure - returning to my homeland, I had to get rid of some American habits that were already imprinted on an unconscious level. With habits that made up my daily life.
But mostly, I had to change the way I perceive the world around me.
1. Drink unlimited good coffee
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to find a good coffee shop in Russia, even in Moscow. When I lived in New York and traveled around California and other states, I got used to the fact that there is a coffee shop on every corner, with all kinds of coffee from all over the world.
In Russia, it is difficult to find a coffeeshop where you can spend the evening and drink good natural coffee. And, the farther from the western part of the country, the less coffee tastes like coffee.
2. Yoga
Yoga is a relatively new activity in Russia. Those types of yoga that I saw can be divided into 2 types. The first of these is the spiritual practice of Hindu yoga, where Kundalini yoga focuses on opening and clearing the chakras.
The second kind is physical exercise from yoga, you can sign up for such classes at a local gym. Women who are usually obsessed with aerobics go there to lose weight. Vinyasa, Ashtanga and Bikram, so popular in the US, are practically non-existent in Russia.
Here people still prefer to work in gym rather than spend time on proper breathing and asanas.
The practice of yoga in America includes a certain lifestyle, eating pure organic food, being peaceful and focused, wearing special Lululemon yoga clothes, and drinking coconut water before yoga practice.
I enjoyed this way of life and I really missed it in Russia.
3. Get together often with friends
If you are over 25 years old and still not married / not married, you can forget about trips to the club with your girlfriends. 90% of them are already married or in a committed relationship.
They won't go anywhere with you Friday night or Sunday brunch.
The family for a Russian person is the most important thing that is not bad, but some Russian women literally do not have time for their friends. On weekends they clean, cook and spend time with their children and husbands; girlfriends last.
I moved to the USA right after university, and when I returned, all my friends from school and university were already married and had children. Someone even had two children, someone managed to get a divorce and get married again. I realized that I was very behind them in terms of family life.
4. Taxi
What's going on with taxis in Russia?! In New York, we have the privilege of taking a taxi to any convenient place, just by raising our hand, and it costs a penny.
But in Moscow, you need to call a taxi in advance (which means you should always have a charged phone with you), wait until he gets to you (if you don’t know or can’t explain - your problems) and then the taxi driver himself invents the price (this is a scam).
Taxis are very expensive, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, and most likely taxi drivers will try to swindle you to charge you even more money.
5. Happy hours
When I asked my colleagues what good places here you can go to "happy hours", they looked at me with expressions of complete bewilderment.
There is no happy hour here. Russia has a completely different mentality. After work, people immediately rush home to cook dinner and be with their families; they can afford to drink with colleagues only at special events and corporate parties. Boredom!
6. Constantly see people of different nationalities
I am a super social person and I have a lot of good friends from all over the globe. I'm proud of it.
In the USA, I got used to seeing people of various nationalities every day. I enjoy watching mixed (interracial) couples, with mixed children, immigrants talking about their journey to the American dream. Russia, however, is not so colorful.
Russians are white people. Although, now, more and more often you can meet immigrants from the former Soviet republics who come to Russia to fulfill their "American" dreams.
However, I would like to meet more people different nationalities to liven up the atmosphere and expand the views.
7. Smile
A smile is a necessary attribute for Americans. They try to smile all the time, even when they are sad. I don't see anything wrong with constantly seeing smiles around you. It's great: to be friendly and polite with people around you - but not in Russia.
Estonian about Russia: We produce bunkers to escape Russian aggression
Maybe because of the climate, maybe because of the quality of life, Russians tend to hide their emotions behind stern facial expressions, and smile quite rarely.
When I arrived in Moscow, I automatically continued to smile right and left for the first weeks, until I began to notice misunderstanding and sidelong glances in my direction.
People don't understand why you're smiling and they think there's something wrong with you. If you don’t want to sound crazy, then it’s better not to bare your teeth in all directions if you are going to Russia.
8. Go to restaurants
In Russia, eating outside is a big problem. It was very difficult for me to find a good restaurant there.
Of course, branches of world-famous fast foods are open here, such as McDonald's, Burger King, KFS, etc., but if you want to taste real Indian Cuban or Chinese cuisine, you have to be content with a parody, and even with inflated prices.
In Russia, I developed the habit of cooking at home. At least I know what products I need and if they are past their expiration date.
9. Talk loudly
Americans love to speak loudly. I attribute this habit to the feeling of freedom and comfort in my country and the lack of desire to pay attention to what people around think. In Russia, speaking loudly is a sign of pomposity and sounds like "show off", especially when practiced in public places.
Here people do not like extra ears, as if someone is spying on them. Who knows? However, watch your language.
10. Affordable regular shopping
If you are a shopaholic and a lover of branded clothing, Russia is not the best place For you. Clothes, shoes and accessories here are two, if not three times more expensive than in Europe (not to mention the US).
Be prepared to forego random purchases at mall after work to treat yourself to a pair of new jeans. Russians go shopping rarely (of course, depending on their financial situation) and practical.
My advice: bring as many clothes as you can. Shopping here is expensive.