As the Russian changed American life

• How to change the life of Russian American

During my travels, I realized one thing: you can start with any country even on foot, but if you do nothing about it know, going on a journey, and no one talked on the way, you still did not recognize any of the country or about people.

Soon after his arrival in Russia, I drinking with a man named Ivan. We missed several cups. We have something to talk to him, maybe a comedy, or maybe about the weather. And suddenly, in the midst of the conversation, he struck his palms on the table.

"It's interesting!", - he said. I do not know what to say, and he continued: "I want to talk about something interesting!"

"What do you mean?" - I asked. He drank. He did not seem angry. "I just want to talk about something interesting. Are you really find it interesting? "

I thought about it and realized that I do not think so, therefore, I said to him:

"To be honest, no".

"Good! Then tell me something interesting. "

I thought some more. I knew I must surely know something interesting. I should! I am versed in philosophy and literature, and sincerely love the music of the eighties. But I could not say anything. While I was thinking, I realized that there is nothing to look for, I just removed all somewhere far away. I hid my own thoughts in a dark cupboard, filled with birthdays complete strangers to me, and cousins ​​all the math lessons that I ever took. Worse, in the process of research, I found that replacing all your thoughts with new, luxury, ready-to-eat thoughts in IKEA style of the comedy series "How I met your mother", and similar nonsense.

I felt like an ass. Then I turned to Ivan and said:

"I'm sorry. I think I have a very long time no one spoke sincerely. I am very ashamed, but now I really have nothing to say. "

However, I was then lucky. My companion passed out at the table.

Some time later I went to visit a man who, as it turned out, also named Ivan. I took off my shoes (I hardly acquired the habit of take off one's shoes when I go to someone's house), and shrugged his master's hand. Then I went into the kitchen behind him, but he stopped and turned to me.

"Do you want to wash your hands?" - asked Ivan.

I shrugged: "No, not particularly."

"But you were on the street."

"Yes, there was."

"There's also dirty."

I looked at my hands and actually did not want to wash them.

Then I said: "I do not have enough of everything in the street." He shook his head and muttered something about "Americans". And we went to the kitchen, where he treated me to tea.

It was then that I realized what the difference is between Americans and Russian. American does not tell you to wash your hands in the same way as they do. Americans, oddly enough, is rarely tell you what they really want. Americans pretend, and if you do not meet the requirements of American etiquette, they will not tell you directly that disappointed. Instead, she will dance. Passive aggressive waltz, where you will spend the rest of the evening, constantly wondering at what pace you came to him.

Ivan sat down and gave me a cup of tea. He did not warn me cunningly or hint at some points of etiquette that I was, in his opinion, not learned. He just told me what he thought, openly and clearly, and all, the question has been settled. So, from that moment I decided that I would tell people directly that I feel every time I feel something. Only in this way, I believe we are talking about something interesting.