One of my favorite movie scenes was from the movie “Moscow On The Hudson” where the character played by Robin Williams, a Communist back in the eighties comes to America and sees an American grocery store for the first time...and they have to call an ambulance for him.
I used to work with a guy back in the early 1980s who lived in Poland until he was 13. He was roughly my age so his family must have come to the US around 1970. I asked what was the first impression of the US that sticks most in mind. His answer “ a Grocery store !”.
—”sees an American grocery store for the first time...and they have to call an ambulance for him.”
Not just the soviet bloc.
My sister and family lived in Germany and Belgium for many years. The stores were (no more) required by law to be closed at 5 PM weekdays and noon on Saturday.Closed Sunday. Union rules.
If you were in line and the clerk thought you could not be checked out by closing time, they told you to go home!
A german friend flew to the US and took a cab to Walmart and uses a PAYPHONE to call home and tell his friends it is after hours and he can buy anything he wants!!!
In Russia people stand in line for bread.
In America bread stands in line for people.
A good amount of Robin Williams’ early routine was about life in the Soviet Union.