Posted on 08/18/2005 7:41:11 AM PDT by Valin
“Life is like a box of chocolates—you never know what you’ll get,” said Forest Gump’s mother. I would say America is like a box of chocolates.
I am spending the month of August working as an intern at The American Enterprise magazine in Washington D.C. This is my second visit to the U.S. One year ago, I attended Fort Lauderdale Language School for three weeks. So I already knew that American English is different from British. I knew that immigration officers at the airport are not as terrifying as they are said to be (or maybe I’m just lucky). I knew that streets are full of pompous SUVs. I knew that hamburgers are so big they’d make a meal for three back home. I thought I had the whole country figured out, and a few weeks ago, when my plane landed in Washington D.C., I thought there was nothing left to surprise me.
I was completely wrong.
First thing that stunned me was the city itself. I expected it to be a capital like London, Berlin, or Warsaw—modern, full of tall buildings and daily rush. Washington, or, as I like to call it, “Washington Village,” is cozy, full of greenery and calm. Washingtonians seem unlike people in other capitals. I mean, they are kind.
Americans may take it for granted, but I was delighted to hear passengers say “Thank you!” to bus driver as they got off the bus. I was delighted that when I asked one lady how to get to the nearest bus stop, not only did she tell me where it was, but walked me there. “Please,” “excuse me,” and “thank you” seem to be extremely popular here. It’s a beautiful custom of simple actions that make life easier and more pleasant.
On the other hand, some questions Americans pose to complete strangers may be considered a bit blunt by Europeans. I grew up in a country where you don’t ask even your closest friends whom they are voting for, or what their religious affiliation is. So I was taken aback when a fellow intern demanded of me: “Are you a Catholic?” My answer was something like “Umm…well…when it comes to religion…hmm…I consider myself…umm…a Roman Catholic. (Sigh) What kind of question is that anyway?” As I found out later, such an inquiry is perfectly normal here.
Another surprise was political correctness. I heard about how careful you have to be in America not to insult racial or sexual minorities, and that even mentioning them in a neutral way can be considered offensive if your term of choice is not exactly what they would have picked. Yet when I went to the movies to see Hustle & Flow, a movie about rap music, I realized that in this country it’s perfectly acceptable for black Americans to make fun of white Americans. The opposite is unimaginable. “What kind of equality is this?” I’ve asked. I’ve been told that black people are a “less privileged group.” If I were a black American, I would consider that a terrible insult – society telling me I can’t achieve anything on my own without a special status.
It’s really funny to see how different groups clamor for the distinction of being a victim. But despite the P.C. ideology, Americans still manage to run their country relatively simply, effectively, and with a great dose of common sense. People openly discuss politics, the economy, and, most astoundingly, they vote. Voting and working, words almost forgotten in Europe, seem to be basis of American society. For a European it is surprising that here hard work is considered something of which to be proud, not ashamed.
Calm capital, courtesy, freedom for—not from—religion, political correctness, citizens interested in politics, work ethic…those are the things that surprised me the most in the U.S. But I’m sure that’s not everything. Due to its multicultural and multiracial make-up, America is, by definition, always surprising. It’s the kind of country where everyday you learn something new.
Some people hate it. I love it.
Olga Walendziak lives in Warsaw, Poland
Or maybe you're just hot.
Americans still manage to run their country relatively simply, effectively, and with a great dose of common sense.
I bit nieve, but she will learn.
GOOD LINE...!
People openly discuss politics, the economy, and, most astoundingly, they vote. Voting and working, words almost forgotten in Europe, seem to be basis of American society.
My understanding is that turnout rates are higher in most European countries than the U.S., but I could be mistaken. Certainly the idea of active citizenship is something that some Americans (but fewer over time IMHO) take very seriously next to Europe. Democracy, or republicanism if you prefer, is the secular religion of many of us.
For a European it is surprising that here hard work is considered something of which to be proud, not ashamed.
This I absolutely agree with. There was a Freeper, whose name unfortunately escapes me, who became terminally ill. I remember him saying that one of the last things he wanted to accomplish was to get his software business up and running. This is a profoundly American thing to do. Like many Americans, he believed that commerce in general and his work in particular was something valuable to society, not something to escape from the way Europeans treat it.
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thank you"Valin"/dzieki
Thanks....I did! :o)
Note: I am neither Polish OR Female....let me check....nope, I appear to be male, unless they lied to me in biology class. :-)
I HAVE to be male...I NEVER ask for directions.
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thank you"Valin"}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
We know how much you love us, Sara--and that your great country does. We have and will stand by your side if and when you ever need us. I pray that you never do need that kind of help!
Thank you Olga.
This is the best place on the planet!!!!!
THANK YOU
Very funny -:)))))
"Billion" is "milliard" in British. Really. I'm still recovering from that one.
Great article ~ thanks Sara!
How are you Sergiej?
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