I'm a Russian woman in America now

[Ronnie]

Ronnie, that McCain saw K-G-B has two explanations.

First of all, K-G-B are the colours of the Russian flag.
Secondly, Putin was the president of the FSB (the correct name for the Secret Service) before he became visible in politics.

Perhaps you would care to bring proof of Putin being involved in those murders ? If you have none, to blame Putin for every murder of a public individual is plain... propaganda.

And the mistake was a typo, good catch.

About the USA, as a tourist.

I liked the way cities are built. Unfortunately I did not see a lot of the probably great nature. The people are mostly very friendly by nature. As a city guy, the crowds did not stop me.
What amused me ? Being able to return goods after two years. People using their car to get from one side of the parking lot to the other side where the second store they want to visit is located. The looks of the (mostly Afro-American) people in the bus when confronted with two European tourists. That in some asreas in New York you feel being in another country as America.

What I did not like ? That it sometimes is very clear people are friendly only because they have to be to keep their job. That in spite of all talks about 'no racism' Afro-American people were kept out of a shopping mall "because of their dress" while white people were walking in shorts and T-shirts.
That in New York when you take a bus line, in some place you really feel you should not get out of the bus.

Hi Shadow,
Did you make it out west during your trip to the USA?   New York and New Yorkers are unique and not very representative of America.  I have been there a few times on business and have no plans to ever return.  You're probably right about the friendliness being fake there.  I can assure you that's not the case elsewhere.  Last fall, I had the pleasure of showing my neck of the woods (the American Southwest) to a middle-aged lady from Moscow whom we had invited to visit us after meeting her in Europe the winter before.

We visited Universal Studios on a week day and the place was filled mostly with foreign visitors.  I had a pocketful of coupons for $8 off admission that I had grabbed from a kiosk in Hollywood earlier in the day.  I started handing them out to the tourists lined up to purchase admission tickets.  Hopefully they got a good impression from it.  I also noticed how well the three of us were treated by the employees.

I have never witnessed the kind of racial discrimination you spoke of.  I have team mates on my baseball team who are black and Latino.  Never has any white member of the team said anything openly or privately against any of them.  I think you will find, with some possible geographic exceptions here and there (NYC) being one, that people are relatively colorblind and in the few instances we are not, it is usually to the advantage of the minority person (as proved last November).

[groovlstk]

Hi Shadow,
Did you make it out west during your trip to the USA?   New York and New Yorkers are unique and not very representative of America. 

You've obviously haven't met many real New Yorkers - the Donald Trumps, Rush Limbaughs, Al Sharptons, political activists, etc., are not representative of anything American except self-indulgence and they're certainly not representative of NYers in general. Millions of NYers - firefighters, cops, office workers, etc. don't deserve to have someone - particularly a Californian - take a dump on them.

I have been there a few times on business and have no plans to ever return. 

I'm sure no one here would object to that.

You're probably right about the friendliness being fake there.  I can assure you that's not the case elsewhere. 

Wrong again. NYers are similar in this respect to Mucsovites - people tell it like it is and some are offended by the bluntness.

I have never witnessed the kind of racial discrimination you spoke of.  I have team mates on my baseball team who are black and Latino.  Never has any white member of the team said anything openly or privately against any of them.  I think you will find, with some possible geographic exceptions here and there (NYC) being one, that people are relatively colorblind and in the few instances we are not, it is usually to the advantage of the minority person (as proved last November).

NYC is the biggest melting pot in the country. Yet I'm sure the racial harmony in your suburban neighborhood's softball league should be the subject of a documentary.

[Ronnie]

You've obviously haven't met many real New Yorkers - the Donald Trumps, Rush Limbaughs, Al Sharptons, political activists, etc., are not representative of anything American except self-indulgence and they're certainly not representative of NYers in general. Millions of NYers - firefighters, cops, office workers, etc. don't deserve to have someone - particularly a Californian - take a dump on them.
 I'm sure no one here would object to that.
 

Wrong again. NYers are similar in this respect to Mucsovites - people tell it like it is and some are offended by the bluntness.

NYC is the biggest melting pot in the country. Yet I'm sure the racial harmony in your suburban neighborhood's softball league should be the subject of a documentary.

It's baseball..not softball.

Taken from a blog, comments on living in New York:

1. Too many people!

2. Too many ignorant people. They act like they don’t see you. They push you on the train, they’re always in a big rush as if they’re on their way to save the world and they only have one minute to do it.

3. Too many smokers. It seems like 4.9 out of 5 people smoke around here…and with the close proximity you’re basically screwed if you don’t smoke, which I don’t.

4. Everything is expensive…you know this if you’ve ever been here.

5. There is not a Wal-Mart in sight. You must go to Queens or New Jersey just to go to Target and again, because there’s not many of these stores around the crowds are horrible. This is why I do most of my shopping in Reading and bring the stuff back with me. Yes, I’d rather do that than deal with the commute and the crowds over here.

6. Pollution. Trash is everywhere because a lot of people are pigs. So many people don’t recycle like they should. There are millions of cars on the streets making the air a mess of smoke and fumes and disgusting smells. And have you ever been around the Hudson River? Ewwww.

7. Cramped living spaces and sky-rocketing rents. I know I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. I pay more for my three room apartment than my mom pays for her three-story HOUSE, just so I can live in a semi-decent section of Brooklyn.

8. Nature is far, far away… ok, maybe this isn’t exactly true as there are parks around and a great big river but really this doesn’t mean much to me if I can’t get away from the sounds and congestion of the city and its people.

9. So many people, so much congestion, so much anxiety and pressure living in a city driven by the need to succeed and the desire for recognition…it makes me crazy. To live here is to be stressed.

10. Crime…people here can be absolutely crazy. They seem to think up the most wicked and sickest things to do to people for the stupidest reasons. I am constantly horrified at what happens here.

[Sculpto]

Hi Natasha,

You are about to witness something very American.  I have no idea if socio/political debate is conducted in this way in Russia.  I hope you enjoy the show.  

Ronnie Ronnie Ronnie.. are you on the payroll of the Repugnant Party?

Tell me why is it Russians are ALWAYS portrayed negatively on tv or film?  Can you recall even one single instance of a Russian character with any positive attributes?  Like it or not most sorry Americans are informed by not by news media but by entertainment.  Popular entertainment culture influences opinion and values.  How pervasive is the negative image of Russians in popular culture?  Here is my experience prior to going to Moscow.

Almost every single person I told I was going, beyond my immediate circle of friends, told me the following in one variation or another.  "Watch out, the Mafia kills foreigners there."  "Watch out for the police, they are all corrupt and will throw you in jail for nothing"  "Aren't the people very poor in Russia?  Be careful or you will be robbed or murdered"  etc..  Not one single person had anything good to say or anything even remotely connected to reality.  Where do they get their information?

Now, as Shadow astutely pointed out, your blaming Putin for every thing bad that has happened n Russia is not only blind but is in fact propagandistic in nature.  Putin is no Stalin, thats for sure.  He is widely popular inside Russia.  I personally don't care for him and see his handling of Chechnya, Beslan and other incidents as being a very strong negative, and, he is the ultimate Oligarch.  However, Russians love him because he has given back a sense of national pride to the country, kind of like Reagan did for us back in '82.  But I guess in your warped mind Russians are not allowed to be patriotic because that is somehow a threat to YOU.

Now, lets take a closer look at the dynamics of the Georgian conflict in comparison to the Cuban/Central American issue.  The USA never tolerated ANY Soviet influence in our hemisphere.  The 40 years of ravage in Central America are clear proof of this.  We spared no expense nor paid not one bit of attention to the collateral loss of human life to prevent Soviet influence in our back yard.  So, fast forward to the last few years.. Ukraine is on our payroll, Georgia is on our payroll, not sure which of the 'Stans but more than one are also on our payroll.  Only Belarus has remained loyal to the Kremlin.  So, there we are on Russia's backdoor buying influence, bankrolling military expansion, paying back the Ukrainians for their misguided support in Irak and you think that Russia should just lay down and take it in the proverbial back door?  We are provoking the bear.  Not a very smart foreign policy.  And, in fact, it is just such right wing stupidity that got your guys voted out because most Americans are just fed up with the provocations and war mongering the right is so fond of.  

Face it Ronnie.  Your kind of thinking is outmoded, backwards, foolish and very dangerous going forward.  We need to engage in cooperation with EVERYONE if the world is going to develop in a positive way and provide sustenance and a decent life for the majority of the inhabitants of the planet.  We can no longer afford to go around the world imposing our self serving will and expect there not to be repercussions.  I can understand you do not want to sacrifice the standard of living you have worked hard to achieve, but, you do not have the right to preserve that standard of living at the expense of others.  The ideas you promote do not follow the Golden Rule yet I suspect in your warped sense of reality you somehow manage to justify your value system.

Oh, and about New York.. my hometown.. dude.. you have a screw loose.  New Yorkers want people like you to think it is a rotten place.  Thats how they keep the riffraff out.    For those that have never been.. New York is the MOST cultured, most educated and best city in the USA.  I highly advise a visit.  You will enjoy the some of the greatest museums in the world, incredible architecture, amazing social diversity, the prettiest girls in the USA, the best food in the USA, and so on.  New York is awesome and even though a bit diminished after the rough times of the last 8 years or so, it is still the capital of the world.  Go to New York. 

sidenote.. I believe this was written without personal attack.  If any is perceived it was unintentional.  Lets keep it that way please.

[Vaughn]

Groov, I spent so much time laughing at the naivete of Ronnie's judgements, you beat me to the punch.

Ronnie - as everyone is here - you're welcome to your opinion, despite it being based on a few business
trips, and likely never having wandered too far from midtown Manhattan.

Sculpto, right on. And yes, Natasha will clearly see that trashing a particular area of the USA is bound
to draw reactions - although I've learned long ago that the Ronnies will never budge, and so be it. The
"Too many ignorant people" is choice, as was the "You're probably right about the friendliness being fake there."

Vaughn

[Sculpto]

LOL.. man you really set yourself up.  Enjoy.  

It's baseball..not softball.

Taken from a blog, comments on living in New York:

1. Too many people!

Its a BIG city, of course there are too many people.  That is exactly what makes it interesting.

2. Too many ignorant people. They act like they don’t see you. They push you on the train, they’re always in a big rush as if they’re on their way to save the world and they only have one minute to do it.

Uh, thats normal too for any big city anywhere in the world.  I guess if you are from some generic suburb in anyplace USA where life is spent inside your car driving from strip mall to strip mall that might seem strange, but, some people actually like the human contact of the subway.  Its almost like a collective orgasm.  I would frankly trade in my stupid car in a second if SF had a public transport system that did what the subways in New York, Moscow, Mexico City, Paris, London and a ton of other cities do.  Pushing is normal.  I like it.

3. Too many smokers. It seems like 4.9 out of 5 people smoke around here…and with the close proximity you’re basically screwed if you don’t smoke, which I don’t.

Compared to where?  The writer has obviously never been to Moscow.  

4. Everything is expensive…you know this if you’ve ever been here.

Its only expensive if you are broke or stupid.  If you know how to navigate NYC is full of bargains, freebies etc.  

5. There is not a Wal-Mart in sight. You must go to Queens or New Jersey just to go to Target and again, because there’s not many of these stores around the crowds are horrible. This is why I do most of my shopping in Reading and bring the stuff back with me. Yes, I’d rather do that than deal with the commute and the crowds over here.

And this is somehow supposed to be a negative?  One of the things I love about NYC and San Francisco is the lack of major chain stores.  That is exactly what gives these cities character, the lack of the generic suburban shopping experience.

6. Pollution. Trash is everywhere because a lot of people are pigs. So many people don’t recycle like they should. There are millions of cars on the streets making the air a mess of smoke and fumes and disgusting smells. And have you ever been around the Hudson River? Ewwww.

Again compared to what?  Has the writer ever been to India?  Obviously an idiot from the suburbs.  Probably has an aligator on their shirt and a penny in their loafers.

7. Cramped living spaces and sky-rocketing rents. I know I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. I pay more for my three room apartment than my mom pays for her three-story HOUSE, just so I can live in a semi-decent section of Brooklyn.

Again compared to what.  SF is worse than NYC, so is Moscow, Tokyo, London, and a number of other world class cities.  If the writer can't handle paying the rent she should move.  She wants to be where the action is and then cries that it costs too much.  Too bad.  Its the center of the CITY, DUH!

8. Nature is far, far away… ok, maybe this isn’t exactly true as there are parks around and a great big river but really this doesn’t mean much to me if I can’t get away from the sounds and congestion of the city and its people.

I will cry some more for ya.  Just leave already, the writer is obviously miserable, so, why not just get out and make room for someone who has something to contribute to the cultural life of the City.  No one is pointing a gun to her head and forcing her to stay there.  Idiot.  

9. So many people, so much congestion, so much anxiety and pressure living in a city driven by the need to succeed and the desire for recognition…it makes me crazy. To live here is to be stressed.

Replay and whahh whah whah... here is a tiny little violin playing a very sad song just for you.

10. Crime…people here can be absolutely crazy. They seem to think up the most wicked and sickest things to do to people for the stupidest reasons. I am constantly horrified at what happens here. [/i]

The only difference between crime in a big city and crime in the suburbs is in the city the crime happens where you can see it.  It is obvious where it is dangerous to be.  On the other hand, the disgusting things that go on behind closed doors in the suburbs is an even bigger shock because no one ever expects it in the mowed lawn perfection of the fantasy world the writer prefers to live in.

[Shadow]

Ronnie my experiences are limited to NYC, Atlanta and New Jersey.  I hope to some day broaden that experience.
Regarding the bigotry, it was not easy to spot it, and a less observant person might not even have noticed. And my 'tolerant' home country is not much better. When we went out with our neighbours and landed late night for a drink in a bar/disco, the doorman thought about stopping my neighbour who is of mixed origin (kind of looks like Obama  )
As he understood he would lose a lot of clients he decided to let it go, but the mood was spoiled a bit by the incident.

Regarding Putin, he is nor was ever alone in ruling Russia.

[LEGAL]

Hi Natasha,

Ronnie Ronnie Ronnie.. are you on the payroll of the Repugnant Party?

Now, as Shadow astutely pointed out, your blaming Putin for every thing bad that has happened n Russia is not only blind but is in fact propagandistic in nature.  Putin is no Stalin, thats for sure.  He is widely popular inside Russia.

Face it Ronnie.  Your kind of thinking is outmoded, backwards, foolish and very dangerous going forward.  We need to engage in cooperation with EVERYONE if the world is going to develop in a positive way and provide sustenance and a decent life for the majority of the inhabitants of the planet.  We can no longer afford to go around the world imposing our self serving will and expect there not to be repercussions.  I can understand you do not want to sacrifice the standard of living you have worked hard to achieve, but, you do not have the right to preserve that standard of living at the expense of others.  The ideas you promote do not follow the Golden Rule yet I suspect in your warped sense of reality you somehow manage to justify your value system.

Oh, and about New York.. my hometown.. dude.. you have a screw loose.  New Yorkers want people like you to think it is a rotten place.  Thats how they keep the riffraff out.    For those that have never been.. New York is the MOST cultured, most educated and best city in the USA.  I highly advise a visit.  You will enjoy the some of the greatest museums in the world, incredible architecture, amazing social diversity, the prettiest girls in the USA, the best food in the USA, and so on.  New York is awesome and even though a bit diminished after the rough times of the last 8 years or so, it is still the capital of the world.  Go to New York. 

sidenote.. I believe this was written without personal attack.  If any is perceived it was unintentional.  Lets keep it that way please.

Excellent  

[Sculpto]

Anyone hear Jim Nabors this morning singing "Back Home in Indiana"?  A real American tradition on this day.

[Vaughn]

No, but I can imagine Leon Russell doing Sweet Home Chicago as I watch the
Red Wings - Blackhawks duke it out in the Windy City...

[ECOCKS]

Natasha, how have YOU found the service attitude to be among employees of the stores and restaurants where you go? A separate question of interest would be how have YOU found the government services to be in any interactions here?

Anecdote: I had to hire some landscaping labor last week and my wife was floored when we got calls on our Craigslist posting within 10 minutes from the Department of Labor offering up 2 men who could be here within 30 minutes. She could not conceive of a government agency actually helping unemployed people by giving them job leads and letting them sit in the computer lab looking for positions to get them to work.

[OlgaH]

She could not conceive of a government agency actually helping unemployed people by giving them job leads and letting them sit in the computer lab looking for positions to get them to work.

For example a Government agency in Volgograd also lets people to use computer lab,  helps people to master a new profession and also organizes so called a fair of vacancies   
http://czn.volgadmin.ru/default.aspx?id=0&idn=391

The Government labor agencies in Russia give the legal and psychological consultations absolutly free.
Some government agencies in Russia help people to open their own business and absolutely free give them the fundamentals of private enterprise lessons, help with documentation and registration and even with financial support   

Vologda region Department of employment
http://szn.vologda.ru/

[Sculpto]

Olga.. we should just call you the myth buster!  BRAVO!!! 

[Natasha_S]

Natasha, how have YOU found the service attitude to be among employees of the stores and restaurants where you go? A separate question of interest would be how have YOU found the government services to be in any interactions here?

I was very surprised at the friendly attitude and the help that they offered me at the stores I have visited. My husband told me this in Moscow but it didn't register with me until I was actually here. It's much more pleasant experience to go shopping here or to go out to eat.
When we went to the social security office to get my card they tried to do their best to help me due to some things beyond our control. I was very pleased.

Natasha

[OlgaH]

In the network of self employment program "First step" that has been offered by the regional Government and Department of Employment more than 500 citizens of Tomsk region have applied for help to open their own business    

http://sibir.rian.ru/society/20090508/81784775.html

[Sculpto]

I saw that one before Olga.. but thanks for reminding me.. I forwarded it to someone. 

[ECOCKS]

I was very surprised at the friendly attitude and the help that they offered me at the stores I have visited. My husband told me this in Moscow but it didn't register with me until I was actually here. It's much more pleasant experience to go shopping here or to go out to eat.
When we went to the social security office to get my card they tried to do their best to help me due to some things beyond our control. I was very pleased.

Natasha

My wife laughed at your note about your husband telling you but you not understanding. She had the exact same incident. Hers was at a Cracker Barrel restaurant and she remarked as we left that most of the employees looked like they actually enjoyed being at work.

The government employees and agencies in Ukraine are setup with a minimalist service approach. She went with me for my driver's license and another permit renewal where she said afterward that it was almost fun to go to a government office here. When we married a second time with a US license she was amazed that the woman pulled out a phone book and looked up the address for where to do our automobile title, then called them to be sure they would be open when we got there. Night and day differences.

You said a small town but could we ask what the rough size and state might be?

[Daveman]

You've obviously haven't met many real New Yorkers - the Donald Trumps, Rush Limbaughs, Al Sharptons, political activists, etc., are not representative of anything American except self-indulgence and they're certainly not representative of NYers in general. Millions of NYers - firefighters, cops, office workers, etc. don't deserve to have someone - particularly a Californian - take a dump on them.

 ....

It's kinda strange for me, though I am sure I haven't met enough real NY'ers to make any kind of *real* judgment call... but, during those contracts I worked up that way.. I never met a NY'er who wasn't friendly.. perhaps a bit aloof at first, but when they understand that you're "for real", they treat you extremely well.  Of course I have a very small sample, but that's my experience with the Big Apple.  Aside from being mugged, but I didn't really meet those guys.. heh.. very positive experience... NJ was a little different story.. also great people, but those "jughandles" truly make you want to kill.  The state of "three rights".

Then, on the other hand, there are many NY transplants here in the south. I've yet to meet a single one, not even one, who wasn't a ginormous asshole.  I remember when I got my first contract there, I though "oh god.. great money, but I'll be in prison for killing one of these nuts before it's over"... completely off the mark... I finally understood what happened... the real NY'ers kicked the nutbags outta there years ago.. Now we need to send them to florida on the next leg to Cuba. :-)

So.. in Summation, Now I love NYC.  I also love being in FSU -- Russia or Ukraine.  The point being, experiences vary as well as the interpretations... as do the comfort zones and opinions. 

[Natasha_S]

Welcome to America, Natasha 

Thank you Olga. I've had many warm welcomes since I have arrived.

You said a small town but could we ask what the rough size and state might be?

The population is around 3000 people where I live now. About the size of my building complex in Moscow. I love it and it's very peaceful. We live in West Virginia at the Ohio border.

Natasha

[ECOCKS]

I am sure that will be interesting for you. My wife was a bit concerned about a city of 250,000 (metro around 600,000) being too small to have things to do, I cannot wait to mention you are in an American village of that size.

I suppose you'll be watching NASCAR all this weekend?!?

[Sculpto]

I love it and it's very peaceful. We live in West Virginia at the Ohio border.

That is actually a really beautiful and not well known region.  I was through there once on a road trip taking a "short cut" to DC.  And, if you do end up starting to feel the need for city action there are plenty of choices not terribly far away.  Cool stuff! 

[Gator]

I find it absurd that an American would support Putin and criticize Republicans.

Ronnie, I am surprised that you did not mention in your list of wrongdoings the 1999 apartment bombings.  Of course, no one can prove any connection with the FSB (or otherwise they would be killed).

New Yorkers come in 29 flavors.  Most can be very interesting people.  For sure, they keep you on your toes. 

My wife and I stayed in NYC for a week at the NYAC and she loved the City, absolutely loved it (she's from Moscow).  NYC is a great city (to visit) but not a place to live for a nature lover such as me. 

[Tamara]

Dear Natasha,

I know I am a little late in welcoming you, but better late than never.

I hope we'll become friends.

Tamara

[Blues Fairy]

Just leave already, the writer is obviously miserable, so, why not just get out and make room for someone who has something to contribute to the cultural life of the City.  No one is pointing a gun to her head and forcing her to stay there.  

I can see many people opting to leave NYC in the near future, seeing that it's nearly bankrupt with its enormous spending and shrinking tax base.  Another vivid example of socialism failing miserably, along with your beloved SF and CA in general.  

Natasha, sorry that your thread is being hijacked; but if you want to stick around you better get used to such things.
I welcome you and hope you have fun here on RWD.  Also, allow me to commend your excellent English skills!   

[Sculpto]

I can see many people opting to leave NYC in the near future, seeing that it's nearly bankrupt with its enormous spending and shrinking tax base.  Another vivid example of socialism failing miserably, along with your beloved SF and CA in general.  

Funny thing is it is the most conservative and republican parts of Cali that are in the worst shape.  SF is holding its own on employment and property values while the republican strongholds in the central valley are being abandoned.  What you don't understand is it is the places like SF and NYC that are constantly re-inventing themselves and innovating that survive these kinds of messes.