Now that I'm starting to settle in I've mostly managed to re assimilate into American culture. In spite of having lived in this country for the first two decades or so of my life, I noticed that some other things rubbed off on me and, in just the short time that I was gone, changed the way I do things and interact with other people.
For instance, if I thought people in Germany were friendly, I must have forgotten what it's like to live here, in this particular part of the country. Strangers smile at me as they pass on the street and restaurant employees are so friendly that I get confused. It's not so bad, but it takes a little getting used to.
I paid in exact change at walmart. There was no one behind me and I didn't take very long. But the man behind the register still seemed a little... put off. (This was before I reached my final destination of super friendly) I guess I'm too used to being evil-eyed and yelled at in Russian for making them give me change.
What I might miss more than anything (other than the people, of course) is the Autobahn. It's a glorious place where people don't pass me on my right, coming out of nowhere and going ridiculously fast in the slow lane, which I am trying to get into during bad weather. And I miss the changing speed limit signs which often turn off, allowing me to safely reach my destination as fast as my little heart and engine desire (in the FAR LEFT LANE, of course).
Coat check now seems commonplace to me, but leaving anything-I repeat ANYTHING-in the pockets of a checked coat is beyond unwise.
"I'll just take the bus" results in curious and sympathetic looks. And then the reality slap comes when you look on the schedule and see just how rarely it comes. And how expensive it is, if you're even in a town lucky enough to have any public transportation at all. It surprisingly makes me sometimes miss Moscow. The wonderfully scary yet convenient metro. And maybe even the Marshrutki. Maybe. I might color my memories better than they actually were (the grass is always greener on the other side, after all) but there's a certain charm once you realize the driver isn't going to sell your organs to the black market and will get you to your destination with zero regard for any sort of traffic rules.
I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.
For instance, if I thought people in Germany were friendly, I must have forgotten what it's like to live here, in this particular part of the country. Strangers smile at me as they pass on the street and restaurant employees are so friendly that I get confused. It's not so bad, but it takes a little getting used to.
I paid in exact change at walmart. There was no one behind me and I didn't take very long. But the man behind the register still seemed a little... put off. (This was before I reached my final destination of super friendly) I guess I'm too used to being evil-eyed and yelled at in Russian for making them give me change.
What I might miss more than anything (other than the people, of course) is the Autobahn. It's a glorious place where people don't pass me on my right, coming out of nowhere and going ridiculously fast in the slow lane, which I am trying to get into during bad weather. And I miss the changing speed limit signs which often turn off, allowing me to safely reach my destination as fast as my little heart and engine desire (in the FAR LEFT LANE, of course).
Coat check now seems commonplace to me, but leaving anything-I repeat ANYTHING-in the pockets of a checked coat is beyond unwise.
"I'll just take the bus" results in curious and sympathetic looks. And then the reality slap comes when you look on the schedule and see just how rarely it comes. And how expensive it is, if you're even in a town lucky enough to have any public transportation at all. It surprisingly makes me sometimes miss Moscow. The wonderfully scary yet convenient metro. And maybe even the Marshrutki. Maybe. I might color my memories better than they actually were (the grass is always greener on the other side, after all) but there's a certain charm once you realize the driver isn't going to sell your organs to the black market and will get you to your destination with zero regard for any sort of traffic rules.
I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.
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