Seven things that can surprise you unpleasantly in the USA - ForumDaily
The article has been automatically translated into English by Google Translate from Russian and has not been edited.
Переклад цього матеріалу українською мовою з російської було автоматично здійснено сервісом Google Translate, без подальшого редагування тексту.
Bu məqalə Google Translate servisi vasitəsi ilə avtomatik olaraq rus dilindən azərbaycan dilinə tərcümə olunmuşdur. Bundan sonra mətn redaktə edilməmişdir.

Seven things that can surprise you in the US

I know hundreds of people who dream of leaving their home country. At the same time, I myself never dreamed of moving somewhere for permanent residence from my beloved Petersburg. But now I have been living in California for a little over two years.

Photo: Shutterstock

During this time, I came to the conclusion that immigration is not for everyone. To live happily in a new country, it seems to me, you need to understand why and why you moved - for example, it was very, very bad at home. Or have a character and attitude to life that allows you to accept everything that happens with ease.

In any case, before moving you need to clearly realize that there are no ideal countries and cities. Everywhere there are pros and cons. In addition, American realities may surprise an unprepared immigrant.

Therefore, I want to share some of my observations regarding those aspects of life in California that are significantly different from what we are used to. Often, when telling friends about them, I hear “horror! How do you live there? We live wonderfully, I answer.

Communal laundry

Almost every American film shows us public laundry. Yes, they exist in reality! And although 2016 has been in the yard for a year, and the dishwasher has long ceased to be a luxury, it is not always possible to rent an apartment with a washing machine in the USA.

You can be endlessly indignant at this, or you can simply accept such a local feature. I would say offhand that only 30% of apartments for rent in Silicon Valley have washing machines, and the majority are two-bedroom or larger apartments. Moreover, apartments with a washing machine usually cost more - on average $200.

During the two years of our life, we changed two residential complexes. In both of them, washing machines were shared. For us, having a washing machine in the apartment has always been more desirable than mandatory. It doesn't bother us to go down a floor or two and do laundry there. And even with two children, the lack of a washing machine in the apartment is not a problem for me. On the contrary, for children, every trip to the laundry is another adventure.

Huge tips

Yes, in the USA there are quite big tips. These I met only in Israel. There is not just a rule to leave 10%, there is a tip gradation, which often looks like this: 15% -18% -20% -22%. Agree, if 15 and 18 are still valid for superservice, then 22% seem to be completely inhuman.

Moreover, you must bear in mind that tips are left not only in restaurants, but also to hairdressers, taxi drivers, cosmetologists, window cleaners, and so on. Simply put, almost everyone who provides you with services.

Conveniently, in many places, such as taxis or cafes, tips are taken directly from a bank card and you do not need to think about cash at all.

"Hello! How are you?"

The exchange of meaningless phrases with the first people you meet, called small talk here, is not just an integral part of local life, it is a culture of behavior in society. And yes, it must be followed.

I know firsthand that many people find this adaptation very difficult. Those who lived in a house all their lives and didn’t know what even their neighbors looked like now have to chat with everyone about everything in the world. And the most difficult thing is to learn how to have such conversations yourself.

Whole books have been written about how to conduct a small talk. But in my opinion, everything is much simpler - smile, ask how you are in response and wish you a good day. And then no one will think that you are some kind of beech.

Taxes always keep in mind

Imagine the situation that you came to the store, tried on $ 20 sandals and decided to buy them. And suddenly, at the checkout, you are not required to $ 20, but $ 22. While carried, they have risen in price?

In fact, in the US, the prices of goods are not including sales tax tax. You will add it to the total amount of the check. For example, the tax in California is 9.25%. Having bought something, you will see a separate line on the check: CA 9.25% Sales Tax. In general, taxes differ not only from state to state, but also from county to county in-state.

There may also be other taxes that are not included in the price, but which will have to be paid when purchasing a service or product. Often such surprises pop up when booking hotels. They write the price for a room at $100, and you start booking - and it turns out that you also need to pay a state tax, plus a city tax, plus another resort tax - and now the room costs $150 or more.

There is no decree in the USA

The most a mother can count on is local maternity leave, which in the best case scenario can be extended to 6 months, of which 3 will be paid at best.

The time you can take after the birth of a child varies greatly from state to state. For example, in California, in addition to federal decree, state leave is granted. And in states like Colorado and Wisconsin, there is no state decree.

Also, the duration of parental leave depends on what employers - yours and your husband's - offer. Yes, men here can also go on maternity leave. For example, the company where my husband works provides 6 weeks of vacation with 60% salary compensation. Google is more generous in this regard and fully pays for a 3-month vacation. Microsoft gives women 20 paid weeks, men 12.

For the most part, local mothers work, firstly, until the last minute, and, secondly, they return to the office immediately after their children have completed their 3 month. Nannies and grandmothers to help them.

No car anywhere

The USA is not only megacities. Much of the country is what is known as 1-story America: small towns connected by thousands of miles of highways. In such small towns, in my opinion, there is a big gap in the organization of public transport.

A simple example from Silicon Valley. I live in Foster City, I work in San Carlos. From home door to door work exactly 12 minutes by car. If suddenly I decide to cover this distance by public transport, I will need a little more than an hour and a half, of which almost half the time will have to be on foot. My husband has a similar situation. Therefore, without a car, we can not, and we have their 2.

And yes, there are no shops in residential buildings here, so you won’t be able to run out for bread or milk in your slippers. To buy groceries, you will again need a car. Fortunately, testing your license here and driving on local roads is a pleasure.

Everyone is addicted to organic foods.

So you come to the store and see: on one shelf there are tomatoes and on the next shelf there are also tomatoes, but labeled “organic”. There is minced meat, and there is also organic minced meat. There are eggs, and next to them are organic eggs. And all products labeled “organic” are, of course, more expensive. What's so funny, you ask?

Well, that's how business is doing here. In fact, organic from non-organic differs only in the fact that in the first case, synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers are not used to grow vegetables or fruits.

What to buy, everyone chooses for himself. For example, we always buy organic chicken, minced meat and eggs. The remaining organic products, in my opinion, do not differ from inorganic products. What then is the point to pay?

Moreover, there is a list of products that are not affected by various unhealthy fertilizers, and accordingly, their organic form is just a marketing ploy. Here is a list of goods that you can safely buy non-organic and not overpay: avocados, grapefruits, eggplants, champignons, kiwi, mangoes, onions, corn, papaya, pineapples and asparagus.

By the way, the controversy is about Is organic food really that helpful? are ongoing, and there is no definitive answer yet.

Perhaps some of you in this post will not find anything critical for a happy life in the United States. And to someone, the lack of a washing machine or public transport will seem incompatible with a comfortable life. One day, a friend of mine told me that she would never want to live in the United States because of the terrible quality of local produce. And I personally like everything.

In general, I like the USA. And in all the other 24 countries where I was, I liked it everywhere. In my life I adhere to the principle “it’s good where we are!” - and not the other way around.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Prisoner of Fahrenheit Castle: how to get used to the American system of weights and measures

Top 5 Unpleasant Features of American Banks Surprising Immigrants

A nugget from Mogilev: how a Jew from Belarus who does not know notes created the US anthem

Food prices and assortment in California supermarkets: Ukrainian experience

USA immigration Products loudspeakers personal experience
Subscribe to ForumDaily on Google News

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis. 



 
1076 requests in 1,206 seconds.