Valery Belyanin wrote: Hello S.,

how r u? how many cultural shocks have u experienced so far?  

Yours truly, Valery Belyanin

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From:    S.

To:      Valery Belyanin

Date:    Thursday, July 24, 2003, 10:06:17 AM Subject: Shocking!

Files:   message.html

-====----====----====----====----====----====----====----====----Well, the culture shocks aren't really so....shocking, although I do notice a lot of differences. I haven't tallied them all up yet, :), but here is a short list.

1- Almost all of the women wear high-heeled shoes all the time. I can't believe it. Especially with all the walking you have to do around here- it amazes me that their feet aren't killing them. But I guess they're accustomed.

2- Women's fashions are definitely less......puritanical than our own standards. I've seen a lot of women wearing shirts or skirts of such a thin material, you can see everything - they may as well not be wearing the shirt/ skirt!

3- Russians have a different sense of personal space than Americans do, and they have no compunction about running into you if you happen to be in the way.

4- I love the perehods - what a great idea on how to safely cross the street! Especially with the crazy way people drive around here! In addition to that, they also park anywhere and everywhere they think they can fit their cars. If you did that at home, you'd be at the least ticketed, at the most, towed.

5- Russians have NO problem with publicly displaying affection any place, any time, anywhere...I have seen couples that almost look like they're having sex right out on the street!

6-  Russians walk around the streets drinking beer. First of all, that's totally unlawful in America - we have "Open Container" laws, prohibiting the public consumption of ANY kind of alcohol. And they drink LOTS of beer. They drink beer the way I drink Coca-Cola.

7- Despite my best attempts to "blend in", I am constantly stared at. Even without opening my mouth and speaking my accented, improper Russian, they seem to KNOW I am a foreigner. Although, I had 3 different people ask me on Sunday in Gorky Park if I were 1) English, 2) Dutch, or 3) French.

I love the metro though. What a fantastic piece of civil engineering!

So that is a short, incomplete list of the 'culture shocks' I've noticed. Nothing dismaying, or upsetting, just different and interesting.

Tell everyone Hi for me! S.

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"As soon as you start regretting and looking back, you start to sour. You always have to think about the future. You always have to look ahead. Of course you have to analyze your past mistakes, but only so that you can learn and correct the course of your life." -Vladimir Putin

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