What do Americans think about Russian apartments?

Our American friend Tom recently returned to the United States after a trip to Russia, and I could not miss the opportunity to ask him about all the nuances and impressions of this trip. Tom traveled to Russia to visit his bride and was in the family of her relatives and friends. He briefly penetrated our life, and it was especially interesting to hear his impressions of things that I was used to. So, that was unusual for an American in our apartments.

Фото: Depositphotos

Counting rooms

“It’s very strange how you count rooms,” Tom began. “Katya (bride - ed.) said that her aunt has a three-room apartment, but it turned out that there are only 2 bedrooms and no dining room...” The fact is that in America the number of rooms is completely different from ours. The description of American housing includes the following concept: the number of bedrooms, and the living room, dining room and kitchen will be the default. Also, a room that has a built-in wardrobe or access to a dressing room can be considered a bedroom, otherwise it cannot be called a bedroom, but can be positioned as an office, for example. If we count in the American way, then our usual three-ruble note will be: 2-bedroom apartment (apartment with 2 bedrooms) without a dining room. And if you consider that not all of our bedrooms have built-in wardrobes, then our three-ruble ruble runs the risk of becoming non-residential.

Smooth ceilings

Фото: Depositphotos

“Your houses have very even ceilings,” Tom said, and I almost fell out of my chair from such words. I remember my mother constantly complaining about the unevenness of the ceiling tiles in our apartment, and here is this statement from Tom. However, he meant something completely different.

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Almost all American apartments have ceilings with small bumps, and dust constantly gets stuck in them. This is a special coating with which American developers solve the problem of sound insulation. After this procedure, the apartments do not become perfectly quiet, but without it, things are very bad. It is not surprising that in comparison with American hillocks, our ceilings seem perfectly smooth. I want to make a reservation that lumpy ceilings are a nuance of American rental housing. In private homes, such coverage is usually not used.

Where are the smoke detectors?

“Why don’t you have smoke detectors in your apartments? I looked, but they were not in my apartment or in the apartments of Katya’s friends and relatives. What if there’s a fire?” Tom reasoned. All American homes have smoke and fire alarms that are linked to local fire departments. In case of fire, the fire brigade arrives within minutes (we personally verified this). The presence of these sensors gives some kind of inner peace, but their absence gives the opposite. That's how Tom is. “The first two days, after I realized that there were no sensors, I was afraid to fall asleep in that apartment. I lived there all alone, what if there was a fire and I would choke on smoke in my sleep, and no one would save me in a foreign country...” Tom complained. Oh poor fellow, he has suffered enough.

Toasters

“In Russia they don’t like toast in the morning,” Tom said confidently. "Why do you think so?" “I was indignant, “in Russia they love toast in the morning.” “No,” Tom insisted. “You don’t even have toasters anywhere.” Katya’s relatives don’t have a toaster, and I didn’t find a toaster in the kitchen in my rented apartment either. And you can’t buy bread for toast in every store...”, Tom argued. But he’s right, I thought, compared to Americans, Russians are less obsessed with toast and that’s why not everyone has toasters. In America, morning toast with jam or peanut butter is a kind of American tradition. Toasters are in every kitchen and are used consistently every morning. Large families have large toasters that hold 6 or 8 slices of bread, so there is enough toast for everyone.

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Curtains

Фото: Depositphotos

“Your people always close their windows with curtains in the evening and open them again in the morning. Is this a Russian tradition?” Tom continued to amuse me. But it’s true, I thought, when darkness comes our windows are immediately curtained. Why is that? Probably a simple habit; my parents taught me to do this, for example. In America, if anyone has curtains on the windows, they perform a purely decorative function and are not used as a “visor” on the windows. There are also blinds on every American window; they are installed directly during construction, like a washbasin in a bathroom or a waste disposer in the kitchen. With their help, Americans are protected from the scorching rays of the sun during the day, but not from prying eyes in the evening. When darkness falls, windows in the United States are usually left open. I still never cease to be amazed by this, because walking along the evening streets, you can see what Americans are doing in their apartments. Tom could not understand our habits and continued to ask the question: why do they close the windows in Russia? In response to my argument “so that strangers don’t look into the house,” he asked a counter question: “Why would anyone need to do this?” “Oh, Tom, it’s hard with you!”

Many locks

“You have a lot of doors and locks. The apartment where I lived had 2 doors and 3 locks. The owner of the apartment insisted that I close at least 2 when I leave the house. It was very difficult for me, I always forgot to do it. I would just slam the door and go down the stairs, and then I would remember and have to go back to lock the doors,” Tom tells me. “Katya also has two doors and many keys. My Boston apartment has only one door and one lock that can be slammed. I only lock the door if I'm leaving for a long time. Why are there so many castles in Russia?” Tom concluded. “For safety, for protection...” I answered. “For safety? — Tom asked. “Isn’t that what the police do?” Yes, some things are difficult to explain to Americans.

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In the States, locks are often placed on the front doors, which can be found on our interior doors. I remember my shock from the castle in our first rental apartment. The lock was in the door handle and did not inspire confidence at all. It was possible to knock him out by pushing the door with his shoulder, but this does not bother the Americans at all. Such locks are installed everywhere in the States at the front door, and I'm already used to it, and Tom, probably, too.

Unsafe doors

“It’s not safe in your apartments,” Tom suddenly said. Well, finally, I thought, I got it. “That's what I'm talking about. That’s why they put two doors and several locks in our apartments…” I began. “No,” Tom didn’t let me finish, “two doors are not safe!” Your exterior doors open outward. What if there is a fire? Everyone opens the doors to the outside and creates a blockage for unhindered descent down the stairs. The doors may not open at all if something props them from the outside. And your doors, which cannot be opened from the inside without a key, are completely wrong! There was a fire in the apartment, and I have to run around and look for the keys to leave the house?” But he’s right, I thought. And why didn’t I have such questions when I lived in my homeland? After all, my apartment also had two entrance doors...

Funny switches

Фото: Depositphotos

Yes, in the States there are different sockets and switches, but I never expected to hear about our switches that they are “ridiculous”. But Tom called them that: funny and pot-bellied switches. They are so large, like for people with poor eyesight, and sockets with round holes...” “Oh, Tom, aren’t your switches, like chicken beaks, funny? Let’s leave the comparisons, otherwise we’ll have a fight….”

Conditioners

Did you know that not air conditioners are installed in our apartments, but split-systems? So I, to my shame, found out about it when I came to the States and saw a real conditioner. But Tom immediately noticed this moment, saying: “Probably in Russia there are a lot of rich people, because a box from a split system hangs on every wall. In America, the majority prefers window air conditioners. ”

A noisy, buzzing box that blocks the window does a good job of cooling American apartments, but greatly spoils the exterior interior. But our usual split systems definitely look more aesthetically pleasing. Tom also had the opportunity to get acquainted with our split systems (he had a split system in his rented apartment in Russia) and, although he did not use it, he noted that it was not a window occupied by an air conditioner and a small box under the ceiling - it was super!

On the subject: What Americans think about Russia

And about Tom's remarks about the high cost of split-systems (compared to air conditioners) I would like to note: in fact, the price difference for an air conditioner and a split system in the States is not fatal, but the cost of installation services can result in a tidy sum. Therefore, many Americans (especially those who live in apartments) make a choice in favor of window air conditioners, which can be inserted into the window opening and used without resorting to the services of a specialist. But with a split system so easy and cheap will not work.

Window-sills

Фото: Depositphotos

“Your houses have very wide window sills near the windows. In the States they may not exist at all,” Tom accurately noted. The reason is very simple - the small thickness of the walls in American houses, hence the paracentimeter window sills. I once watched the construction of a house in my neighborhood in Boston and was amazed at the speed of construction and the materials used to build it.

Strange vacuum cleaner

Another thing that surprised Tom was a vacuum cleaner. In his opinion, it was inconvenient to use, and the American analogues were more practical. Here it really is - who is used to what. American vacuum cleaners resemble a pregnant mop, and to clean a room you need to roll back and forth the entire structure consisting of a motor, a garbage bag and everything that is located in the body of our vacuum cleaners. How can this be convenient?

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