Personal experience: 'The habits of Americans, with which I have not come to terms after several years of living in the USA'

Born in St. Petersburg Karina 8 has been living in the USA for almost 10 years. Moving to the States, she was aware that this is another country and that people live there with a different culture and mentality. She was able to get used to something and even fall in love, but something for her will always remain a bit alien.

Photo: Shutterstock

She shared her impressions of life in the United States and the strange habits of Americans with AdMe.ru.

1. Get up at work at 5 AM

Once an American woman confessed to me: “I myself don’t know why we need all this.” And I really laughed, because until that day I thought that all Americans go to work for 6 – 7 in the morning at the call of their hearts. But it turned out that this is not entirely true. However, many people really prefer to start their working day at 6 in the morning, in order to free themselves by 2 at noon Someone works as a volunteer after work, someone has children, and someone goes to classes.

2. Put your feet on the table, chair ... and other items that are not intended for this

Do not be surprised if in the USA you go to the cinema and after a while you find a pair of shoes close to your head, right on the next chair. This is perhaps the only circumstance that really annoys me. Once, when I was working at art school, we had only one large round table in our kitchen. And then one day I come to have lunch, and there two teachers, throwing their legs on the table, sit and calmly conduct a conversation. Well, how is that? We all eat there! In general, I have countless examples of such situations.

3. Drinking tea from tea bags

In a rare American home you will find leaf tea, as well as a teapot. I do not know why, but this tea culture is not here at all. And in general, it would not touch me at all if the assortment in the stores allowed me to buy leaf tea. But as you know, if there is no demand, there is no supply. Therefore, if you are lucky to find one or two kinds of leaf tea, then this is already good. Fortunately there are specialty shops and Russian supermarkets.

4. Dress as simple as possible, even if there is a reason to dress up

To be honest, in the States I myself began to constantly walk in sneakers, jeans and T-shirts. And I like that no one draws any conclusions about you and your wealth in clothes. But nevertheless, sometimes I also want to dress beautifully in a restaurant or to an exhibition, to sit surrounded by the same smart people - just for the sake of aesthetic pleasure. However, in Seattle, people dress quite casually, so even in the most expensive restaurant, most of the customers will be dressed as if they just ran out of the house for coffee.

5. Shake hands

A strong handshake in the United States speaks of your self-confidence and that you are a reliable person. At first I could not understand why everyone squeezed my hand so tightly when they met, then I could not resist and asked local friends about it. And although I now know why, every time I remind myself of this at business meetings: "Karina, pull yourself together, shake your hand tightly."

6. Report others violations and errors

In the United States, there is nothing wrong with complaining to management about a colleague's poor performance. On the contrary, it is often even encouraged. Americans rarely make friends with their colleagues. Even if the team consists of employees of about the same age, everyone has their own life.

The same thing happens on the road. “Be a hero, call the police if you see any violation” - this is how one of the typical billboards on the track looks like. And in general, people do not hesitate long before dialing 911. And, on the one hand, I think it's good: people behave more responsibly, there are fewer violations. On the other hand, she herself would not be able to “knock” and report, somehow it is not accepted in our country that way.

7. Walking around the house in the same shoes as outside

Many Americans do not take off their shoes at home. Well, they like to walk in the shoes around the apartment, and that's it. If they invite guests to their place, it is often the one who has come, he goes to the house in that way. Our American friends, coming to visit us, make fun of Russian hospitality every time when I remind them that their precious sneakers should stay in the hallway.

8. Dress out of season

When you walk through the streets of Seattle, it is very difficult to determine what time of the year it is. In the summer you can often meet people in knitted hats and warm jackets, and in winter in shorts and open shoes. It is very funny: it is really possible to walk down the street in minus temperatures in shorts and shales, and no one even doubts that you are in your right mind.

9. Tell inappropriate stories with unfamiliar people

In America, everyone faithfully follows the rule "what is natural is not ugly." In a public toilet, you can often hear how girlfriends share with each other from neighboring cubicles the smallest details of what is happening there. Or if someone has gases, then the person will say this to you. Well, did you understand ... Did you see these scenes in American comedies? It's all true

10. Embed the shower immediately in the wall

In the USA, it is difficult to find a shower with a hose: most often the shower head is built directly into the wall. You can only adjust the angle, and even then not too much. And if I quickly got used to the very fact that it cannot be removed to wash, then I could not figure out how to rinse the bathtub or shower. And if there are our smaller brothers in the house, who also need to be bathed, turn off the light ...

11. Sleep in very high beds

If you come to a furniture store in the US, you will definitely find incredibly high beds there. They remind me of those on whom princesses sleep in fairy tales. Usually such a bed consists of a frame, a wooden base covered with a cloth (it looks like another mattress, sometimes it is higher than it), and only then the mattress. And such beds really are not uncommon both in homes and in hotels.

12. Drink water from the tap

Most Americans are comfortable drinking water straight from the tap. At first, I couldn't understand if it was really that pure. I read it and found out that in the state of Washington, indeed, in the year of my move, the water was absolutely drinkable. Today the numbers are worse, but the Americans are not deterred. By the way, this water is also fluoridated so that it strengthens the tooth enamel. But I never got used to it - I still drink bottled, especially for 50 bottles I pay only $ 5.

13. Cover the floors in the house with carpet from baseboard to baseboard

And not only the floors in the rooms, but even the stairs. The carpet, which Americans cover the floor, does not just stretch from the plinth to the plinth, it is also tucked under it. That is, to get rid of the carpet without dismantling the baseboard is simply impossible. At first, I thought it was such a way to save money on the floor, but as it turned out, Americans sincerely love to cover the floors in that way. Even in new homes worth a million dollars there are often carpets laid under the plinth.

14. Buy all on sale

Yes, everyone loves good discounts, but Americans are ahead of the rest here. There is such an incredible number of sales, discounts and bonus programs that Americans, knowing that they have some kind of purchase planned, will definitely wait for a promotion. But this is not limited to large purchases. I receive packs of coupons in laundries, solarium, grocery. What's going on on Black Friday! People do spend the night at the entrances of some shops.

15. Return purchased

The customer is always right. I do not know how the Americans have achieved this, but sometimes I even feel sorry for the sellers who meekly accept most of the goods back. And Americans are returning and used phones, and worn clothes, and even uneaten foods.

Read also on ForumDaily:

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