Yes, you are correct about visa types but I still think that "granted" is the key word here :)
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I guess the joke didn't work :)
That was precisely my pointQuote:
Originally Posted by capecoddah
Not every kid can get a J-1, so the Russian kids you see are probably above average. Don't underestimate American kids and don't overestimate Russian kids, in general :)
I know I get "The Cream of the Crop" Russian kids. I have a couple schools that "feed" me good candidates.
It's not as bad as it sounds. I want good employees. It's a process. A friend's daughter is being groomed for future employment. It's her ticket to the USA
American college students go to University because they are too stupid to flip burgers.
The "Top of the Class" Hospitality Major can't find Kansas or Antarctica on a map. Thinks Africa is a country. "How do I call 911?" Can't add, subtract, multiply or divide without a calculator and is attached to a phone 24/7.
Sorry about the rant, but welcome to my life.
In general.:wall:
My boss has also hired a Lifeguard that couldn't swim.
I feel you :)
Actually that reminds me of another cultural difference
Russian parents (as well as other Eastern European and Oriental parents) feel more responsibility for their kids. That's good and bad at the same time. The good things that parents try to give their kids best they can, especially when we talking about education. They help their kids with homework to get them to UNDERSTAND the quizzes. This also almost mandatory for Russians who live in the US because American junior and middle schools are joke. The bad thing about it that parents try to control kids too much which might to luck of self esteem and creativity. This also more tend in Oriental families, "Tiger moms" thingy :)
Another one for Deborski's list: Russians -- or at least Russian men greeting other men -- will insist on shaking hands EVERY TIME they see each other. Americans, generally, shake hands as a greeting only on first making acquaintance (or if they haven't seen each other in quite a long time -- but not every single time they say "Hi" to friends).
So my friends Sasha and Dima would want to shake my hand, and I'd be thinking, "What, again? I just shook your damn hand yesterday, dude! I haven't forgotten who you are in the past 24 hours!!"
On the other hand, it makes no difference to most Americans if you shake hands across the threshold of a door -- but this is a big no-no in Russia!
In fact, you never do ANYTHING через порог -- "across the threshold" -- whether it's shaking hands, saying goodbye, giving/receiving a gift, etc. And a Russian-American immigrant that I know is a big fan of Halloween in general, but she says it still makes her uncomfortable when she sees her non-Russian husband (or other Americans) giving the trick-or-treaters their candy "across the threshold".
PS. Speaking of crossing thresholds, if you forget to remove your shoes and put on the "guest тапочки" within 1.5 nanometers of the door, you are a horribly rude person who was obviously raised by wolves.
Yes, Russian men shake hands as a greeting also it would be weird to shake women's hands (hello to feminists :) ). Americans say "good morning" every day. I so got used to it that haven't even remembered this difference but it's true. Russians on the other hand have couple jokes about mornings: "Morning cannot be good" and "If you have a good morning that means yesterday's night wasn't that good" :)
Right and why do you people insist that morning is good every day than I can clearly see that it isn't :)
I wouldn't generalize it, because it's a superstition. I, for example, don't have this problem :) However it is widely spread among Russian people (women especially)
In the face of many men failing to meet hygiene standards after visiting lavatory i find shaking hands uncomfortable and try to avoid it at all costs
(i'm local)
As a rule, you (male) shake hands of your male peers once a day, when you first see them.
Shaking hands upon leaving is optional, and it is done when you expect not to see the person till tomorrow.
Shaking hands with females feels awkward to Russians. You just greet them verbally.
Females usually greet each other only verbally too.
Among younger friends it may be accepted for girls to kiss each other on a cheek, and sometimes guys routinely kiss every girl on a cheek too.
But don't do this unless you are sure that such behaviour is expected.
I'm pretty sure I broke every one of the rules you guys just mentioned... except for taking off my shoes! That one, I happen to agree with!
Очень жаль. With that attitude, all you're going to achieve is helping to keep your countrymen as debased as your predispositions misrepresent them to be. Maybe something in your vocation requires you to view American college students that way, but it doesn't lessen the shame your opinion contributes to.
There are stupid kids, and there are smart kids, in all countries. Unfortunately, the education system in the US appears to be churning out more of the former, than the latter, these days.
Regarding the space thing, absolutely true. While everyone has their 'bubble', Americans tend to have much larger ones. If you can't get used to people being in your space, then God help you if you ever ride on a Russian metro or bus. :D
Both are usually fairly packed. One thing I recall from riding on the автобусы was the procedure for getting on and then getting off. Getting on was basically everyone cramming onto the overfull bus, and as soon as I everyone was on the bus driver would leave. People might pay as they're boarding, but usually many people, especially in the back, don't get to pay their fare until after the bus is already moving. In America you usually have to have exact change to ride the bus, and the bus doesn't leave until everyone has paid; my experience over there was people will pass money up to the driver, who will then make change and pass it back. It seemed like a very honesty-based system--people never seemed to try and "cheat" and not pay at all, and all of your change would make it back to you despite passing through the hands of half a dozen strangers. The drivers making change was a little bit disconcerting to me at first, but I never saw an accident. Don't be surprised if you go and your bus driver looks like this:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...37026906_n.jpg
For getting off the process seemed to consist of tapping the person in front of you (usually after the bus leaves the stop before yours and is still in motion) and asking them вы выходите? If the answer was no, you would begin this 'dance' of trading places (keep in mind the bus is usually extremely packed). You would continue to do this until the person ahead of you is responds that they are getting off, and then you are to assume that they have done the same thing you just did and that everyone in front of them is getting off as well.
This might seem like normal every day activity for a native, but keep in mind that most Americans have their own cars and transport themselves (except for in the very big cities).
I don't know if this holds true for everywhere, but I noticed over the course of the month I spent over there (these observations are for Kiev, Ukraine by the way, although as the 'mother of all Russian cities' I imagine most of it holds true for many parts of Russia) that many people would re-wear the same clothes a lot. In America it's usually considered bad hygiene to not shower at least once a day and to wear the same pair of clothes twice without washing them (though you can get away with re-wearing a pair of джинсы).
Also, I don't know if this was just the family I was living with, but most Americans have access to a washer and dryer. The family I lived with in Kiev had a very small washing machine in the bathroom and then...I don't know exactly what to call it because I've never seen one before, but the best way I could describe it was they had something that looked like like multiple towel racks that radiated heat that they would hang their clothes on to dry.
In America sales people are very courteous and will nearly bend over backwards to help you. Over there, don't be surprised if the shopkeeper is quite literally yelling at you to see what you want within ten seconds of walking in the door. :) (This, of course, varies on the store. I went to a bookstore and the people there were fairly kind and helpful) Also over there while standing in line at a restaurant or street vendor it'd be a good idea to know what you want well before it's time for you to order. In America people can quite often hold the line trying to decide what they want to buy.
Don't try to leave your change. In America many establishments have "take-a-penny" cups by the register. The idea is if you get a few pennies as change you can leave it for someone else to use to make things come out even. (For example, if your change is 1 cent you can leave it in the cup. Then perhaps the next person, or someone else later, who has a total of $1.01 can give the person at the register $1 and then a penny from the cup. That way they don't have to give the person at the register $2 and receive $0.99 cents in change--a lot of coins are annoying to carry around.) While in Kiev I tried to leave my change with a lady selling newspapers, but she was quite adamant about making me take it.
That brings back memories))Quote:
For getting off the process seemed to consist of tapping the person in front of you (usually after the bus leaves the stop before yours and is still in motion) and asking them вы выходите? If the answer was no, you would begin this 'dance' of trading places (keep in mind the bus is usually extremely packed). You would continue to do this until the person ahead of you is responds that they are getting off, and then you are to assume that they have done the same thing you just did and that everyone in front of them is getting off as well.
I remember two babushkas dueling with umbrellas for a seat on the bus!
in continuation of the topic about Ukrainian public transportation (in a regional town)
collecting fare after taking off is actually against the law, but nobody seems to care or be scared
the passengers must request the stop out loud the earlier the better but even then there's no guarantee the driver will hear them so sometimes quarrels break out over who's mute and who's deaf, doors get slammed and driving becomes erratic
exiting the bus some passengers thank the driver, and i always wonder what for
buses are not equipped with air conditioning, so in summer the only source of coolness is hot air coming in through windows and open sunroofs. when there's a woman with a baby even those could get shut at her demand so the baby doesn't catches cold from the draught
i rode once a Germany manufactured bus which i don't believe doesn't have climate control system, the day was hot but still it wasn't on
overall it's an inherent chaos, if for some odd reason rules need to be put in place they're invented on the spot, very little is being done according to the written official legislation, disregard to the law is total and ingenuous
Bronx residential area courtyards in pictures
Блог о городах - Бронкс — крыши и дворы
"State" buses, trolleybuses, etc. always stop at predefined stops without asking. Only smallish "marshrutkas" ('taxis for poor') tend to skip small or "unpopular" stops and prefer to stop there on demand only, which is nice, since it makes the ride faster.
??Quote:
overall it's an inherent chaos
I'd say the system is pretty straightforward.
OK, where i reside there're no 'state' buses, the 'state' trolleybuses run once an hour on two routes only, the rest is fixed-route taxis many of which technically are buses, and these do not like to stop on demand preferring to do so at fixed bus stops (another law violation) which still need to be requested, and skipping them if nobody requests or waives from the bus stop, sometimes they don't stop despite being thumbed
under passenger seat at the back you're likely to find a wheel or a tire
over here it's the trolleybuses which can be called 'for poor' as the fare is lower and the ride is slower, i believe this should apply for everywhere since trolleybus and trolley depots are state owned
--------------------------------------------------------------------Quote:
... We tested new buses on an exemplary Artiom street. Talked to a cashier and he confessed that buses made in Lvov (a Ukrainian city one of Euro-2012 hosts) constantly go out of order. From him we also found out the secret of the climate system, an issue which bothers many Donetsk residents, namely why the air conditioning being ostensibly present, doesn't actually function. It turned out that having spend the finances on the air conditioner the orderer (that is the city council) saved on the pipes which channel the cold air across the cabin.
source: Архив журналиста - Европатруль в Донецке, часть 1 (19 фото, 5 видео)
that was said about life in general
another very interesting custom is painting border stones white near houses on the eve of festal days that goes along with lime daubing of trees trunks
I respect what you're saying - but what other response shall I give to "American kids go to college because they're too stupid to flip burgers?"
Imagine the reverse:
"Russian kids _____ because they're too stupid to ____ ."
"Irish people ____ because they're too stupid to ____ ."
"Asian people _____ because they're too stupid to ____ ."
Where is this going to be acceptable? And in what sense could we fill in the blanks that it would not create a judgmental and biased statement?
Maybe the error in judgment I made was thinking that his train of thought would lead to nothing but further debasement of that demographic. Maybe instead it will inspire some American kid. "Flip burgers, eh? Well, nothing to do in the face of insult but to change the entire frame of my personal life in the hopes it will sway the stereotypes made against my demographic, across the breadth of time to come. [Attends college with the immeasurable goal of meeting capecoddah's unmentioned standards of behavior]"
I have no argument with the statement he/she is making about hiring practices. I do take issue with the wanton use of stereotypical language, only suitable here because the culprit is "American kids" and not "Russian kids" or "jews" or "blacks" or "women" or "disabled people."
I like being friendly and agreeable with people on this website, but there are times when I have to speak frankly.
And why would you want to defend this train of thought?
People talk ...(Deleted. L.)
:D That's a pity. It was a nice philosophic aphorism without anything personal towards anybody concrete.
As a neutral observer.... It seems to me that one of the things that Russia and the USA have in common culturally, is that the level of education and intelligence varies dramatically between different parts of society. (Europe does not have as dramatic differences, everyone is more in the middle of the scale.... )
Russia is famous both for amazingly smart people... elite mathematicians, chess players..... and for yobs, hooligans and alcoholics!
The USA has some amazingly smart and creative people at the top universities and organisations... and like Capecoddah said, university graduates who think Africa is a country.
I was wondering, what has the TREND been in education in the USA vs Russia over, say, the last 30 years?
In the opinion of natives of the respective countries..?
Is it getting better or worse.... what ought the government do, if anything?
What could we say about the concept of "fate"? There seem to be major differences in the way Russians and Americans think about fate or destiny.
In my experience, Americans prefer to believe that they can create their own fate, whereas Russians seem to think fate is something outside of one's control. Can anyone elaborate more on this?
Also--
http://youtu.be/u1rTSazpCJs
I must confess, I don't understand Wal*Mart people either. I refuse to go there. When my husband shops there, I sit outside in the car. I have anxiety attacks if I go inside. It's crowded with the most ignorant people you can imagine. *shudder* And then there is the whole moral dilemma of buying stuff "cheap" - which destroys local "mom and pop" businesses, creates a retail economy, and supports horrific working conditions in countries like China. Wal*Mart is pure evil, in my opinion.
Why is this done? I have wondered about this all my life. In some countries this is really common and in some countries you never see it. I have never been able to figure this out.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bDLaHJxz3z...tockings-r.jpg
They do it to protect trees from sudden weather change in early spring and late autumn. Also to protect from bugs, lichen, timber fungus, etc. There are many kinds of covering: different mixes of lime, clay etc.
Painting trees with some white substance is widespread in Russia :-)
I remember an explanation from primary school that it's done to help insectivorous birds to find and eliminate bugs on snow-white trunks. But I'm not sure if it's true.
i'm really curious how trees survive without it in other parts of the world
basically if you wish to make a city look like a village daub trees with lime
man, it's so lime
ok this at least has explanation, is there explanation for painting border stones white?
Well that's interesting because some of the countries where trees are painted have exactly the same climate and flora / fauna as countries where trees are not painted.
So who knows?
As for painted stones, the story I heard in school is that stones are sometimes painted white or reflective paint to be visible for low flying airplanes.
It must be a very old practice though, because throughout my lifetime at least, there have been more modern ways of navigating for airplanes...
A lot of weird things like this though, are from the War.... For example removing street signs... So if the enemy invades, they won't be able to know what street they are on... LOL! To this day there are still places in the UK where there are practically no street signs, and this is the explanation I have heard.
When I was going by train in Romania, I swear most stations had no sign to show the traveller what station you were at, and they did not announce it either. You were forced to ask somebody if you needed to know. Half the time you were not even sure whether the train was even at a station or not.
This too, is supposedly some kind of old paranoia related practice, although it's hard to notice what difference it makes.
Man, do you see ANYTHING NOT in the negative light?
The primary goal of painting trunks is to scare off hares and such (in village areas) and insects when a tree is in its most vulnerable (it also kills bugs who already managed to hide in the bark). The other reason is that it protects bark from sun and frost burns and prevents isolated parts of a tree from an early "awakening", because during early spring the difference between night and day temperatures can be quite big and potentially damaging.
At least it's supposed to work this way, as our primary teacher insisted. :) There are different opinions on this matter.
This practice is widespread in cities now, but initially it was used mostly for fruit trees for obvious reasons: they are more fragile than wild trees, and a fruit tree that awoke and blossomed too early would not give a lot of fruits - the blossoms often fall off when the late frosts strike. And in regards to city "non-blossoming" trees it's probably mindless tradition, supported by a fact that some people think that it looks nice (early spring in city could be very muddy and gray, and white trunks lighten it up a little).