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
Some of the things Olga says just don't ring true. Anybody else out there wondering if a young Polish girl wrote this?
I think you are referring to harpseal. Laz, do I have this right?
FYI
Yes, it was harpseal. I was actually working with him on that software company. Unfortunately, the company died with him. :o(
I gotta lie down. ;-)
Olga, welcome to America.
If you choose to stay and become a citizen, I'll also gladly welcome you to the Republican Party where you'll feel right at home.
Compared to Europe, what she said is 150% true.
When British turncoat spy and flamboyant homosexual Guy Burgess was posted to a diplomatic position in Washington in the 1950's, he was warned that three topics are taboo in the U.S: race, homosexuality and Communism. "So, I mustn't make a pass at Paul Robeson.", he quipped.
He was sent home after being stopped by a Virginia State Trooper, drunk with a teen aged boy in his convertible Cadillac.
If you enjoy what you do for a living it will not kill you. It enables you, Sto Lat, A. Pole!!
Once dated a Swiss girl that had only been in the US for a couple of months. On walks she'd ask why I would wave and greet everyone that passed us by (in a small town). I asked her, "Why not?". It doesn't cost anything to be nice, and the reward of seeing the other person smile at being on the receiving end of courtesy is satisfying. She liked that and adopted the practice.
When I went to the Inauguration in January, I got my ticket for the subway and realized about two minutes later that I left my gloves where I got my ticket. By the time the escalator got to the bottom and then got back up, it was probably five minutes.
It was amazing. Someone turned in my gloves. Then I thought, no it wasn't amazing. This is Inauguration Day. The DemocRATS have all left town, and the Republicans are overwhelming the town. It should be expected that the gloves would be turned in. (fortunately, they were not found by any of the lowlife protestors)
This is what Hollywood Liberals (racists that they are) think of black people. Most black people hate movies like this and condemn them. Like we did with that Snoop Dogg movie, Soul Plane. But Hollywood keeps presenting these evil images of Black people to the world.
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