I've been to America just once, but I remember quite a lot about it. I know that states differ from each other a lot. So, I'm going compare Russia with Califrnia only for this is the onlt state I've been to.
One of the most remarkable thing about California is that everybody is happy there; all the people are smilimg. When I speak to them, I can see that they are happy to chat with me. Maybe it isn't true for all America. I think David who lived in the central America can tell me how the things are going there. Well, in Russia (at least in Moscow) people treat you in a different way. Peolpe in the streets are rather rude and gloomy here. Especially I can feel thta when I am in a metro in a rush hour in the mornings. Sometimes it really gets me in a bad mood. Since I'm living in Moscow all my life, I got used to it, and usually it doesn't bother me; but when I arrive from some trip from another country, the sadness of people surrounding me makes me feel uncomfortable. I suppose it was a kind of a cultural shock for David. The fact that unknown people are rude in public places, of course, doesn't mean that they're rude people in general. I believe that most of them are nice when they speak to somebody they know.
Another thing is roads. When I was in California I was travelling from Santa Monica (which is about 20 minutes from Los Angelos) to Palo Alto (which is about 50 minutes from San Francisco) by car. It took us approximetly 8 hours (or more), and I can say that I enjoyed this time. The roads there are smooth-faced and straight. Moreover, there are beautiful landscapes there, so looking around is very intersting. For Russia roads has always been a problem (even Pushkin wrote about it). The reason for it are 1) bad climate (freeze makes splits on the roads) 2) long distances 3) no money for good roads 4) even if there are money, there is corruption. I've been to a relatively long trips on Russian roads a couple of times. I and my class went to Uglich (about 4 hours) and it was awful! Our bus was trembling and shaking all the way. I couldn't even have a nap. Well, this is Russia!
There are, however, lots of good things in Russia as well. For example, I like the taxi service here. There's an application for smartphones (which can also be run from PC) which gives you a taxi for 10-15 minutes. All you have to do is make a couple of clicks. No calls, no long waitings. Now you can use this application only in Moscow (and perhaps St. Petersburg). I hope it will soon appear in ohter cities as well.
Despite the fact that most things are better in US then in Russia, I love Russia more because all my frineds and relatives live here. It's quite natural, you know. I am attached to some places which are special for me. And, finally, Russia with all its disadvantages is a place I've spent all my life.
One of the most remarkable thing about California is that everybody is happy there; all the people are smilimg. When I speak to them, I can see that they are happy to chat with me. Maybe it isn't true for all America. I think David who lived in the central America can tell me how the things are going there. Well, in Russia (at least in Moscow) people treat you in a different way. Peolpe in the streets are rather rude and gloomy here. Especially I can feel thta when I am in a metro in a rush hour in the mornings. Sometimes it really gets me in a bad mood. Since I'm living in Moscow all my life, I got used to it, and usually it doesn't bother me; but when I arrive from some trip from another country, the sadness of people surrounding me makes me feel uncomfortable. I suppose it was a kind of a cultural shock for David. The fact that unknown people are rude in public places, of course, doesn't mean that they're rude people in general. I believe that most of them are nice when they speak to somebody they know.
Another thing is roads. When I was in California I was travelling from Santa Monica (which is about 20 minutes from Los Angelos) to Palo Alto (which is about 50 minutes from San Francisco) by car. It took us approximetly 8 hours (or more), and I can say that I enjoyed this time. The roads there are smooth-faced and straight. Moreover, there are beautiful landscapes there, so looking around is very intersting. For Russia roads has always been a problem (even Pushkin wrote about it). The reason for it are 1) bad climate (freeze makes splits on the roads) 2) long distances 3) no money for good roads 4) even if there are money, there is corruption. I've been to a relatively long trips on Russian roads a couple of times. I and my class went to Uglich (about 4 hours) and it was awful! Our bus was trembling and shaking all the way. I couldn't even have a nap. Well, this is Russia!
Despite the fact that most things are better in US then in Russia, I love Russia more because all my frineds and relatives live here. It's quite natural, you know. I am attached to some places which are special for me. And, finally, Russia with all its disadvantages is a place I've spent all my life.
Interesting comparisons! You're right about me experiencing some culture shock when I encountered how un-friendly people seem to be in public here. However, people in the U.S. don't smile all the time -- in fact, people rarely smile unless they're actually talking to someone. However, they do smile even when talking to strangers, and they usually don't appear particularly unhappy, which I can't say is the case here when I ride the metro. The behavior of the employees in shops and restaurants is also much different in the U.S. I can't imagine anyone there seeming upset with a customer. Employees there are trained that "the customer is always right," and they will be overly friendly with you to make sure that you want to come to that business again.
ОтветитьУдалитьThere are places in the U.S. with bad roads, but for the most part the major highways and interstates are pretty good. Minnesota, where I've lived for the last ten years, has the same problem as Russia with the roads freezing and cracking in the winter. The roads get very bad there in the spring, but then they get fixed every summer. Oh, you should note that I come from "the Midwest," not "central America." If you say "central America," people will think you are referring to Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, etc.