July 5, 2009 at 17:44In da united states
We have a scholarship in Kazakhstan called “Bolashak”. This program sends students all over the world, including the United States, where I was lucky to enter this scholarship. The scholarship fully pays our studies and all expenses associated with it - food and accommodation. Bolashak is translated from the Kazakh language as the future, because by training specialists in other countries and adopting their experience, Kazakhstan hopes that it will pay off in the future and help us raise and develop our country.
I decided to post here a letter that I sent to my friends and relatives about a month after my first visit to the United States. Now, re-reading this letter, I don’t see anything surprising for myself, because everything is used to it and everything is used to as usual, as if it should be so, but when I arrived, everything was new and amazing.
"Hi! )) Well, here I am in America. State of Texas, the city of Austin. Here are some of my impressions) I think maybe someone will be interested))
Internet
Fast, very affordable everywhere and for free. We have a dorm computer host with 6 PC computers. Computers are really slow, but the Internet is fast. A 10-minute walk from the hostel there is a student Internet cafe with several hundred computers ... you go in, sit down at the computer, enter your student username and password and use it. About half of PC computers, the other half are poppies. It’s a bit unusual to work with apples, but basically it’s the same. And they look cool. In the hostel in each room there are sockets with Internet and WiFi. Almost all cafes have WiFi. In one cafe we went into there are even 3 computers with the Internet, which visitors can freely access and use as much as they like. In general, this is a complete freebie here)) An
abundance of material values
There is a lot here and it is not as much appreciated as ours. Almost every American student in the hostel whom we went to has a huge TV, X-box video console, computer, laptop, and so on in full. Girls drive no less than guys. Probably 97% of Americans have their own car. Even young 18-year-old fools drive on very cool cars by our standards.
Cars
Many! Various! Beautiful and almost all new. Many small two-seater cars, there are huge minivans. A lot of people ride bicycles, and attach them with a lock to the fence when they leave so that they do not steal (even here they sometimes steal). Cool motorcycles, Harley Davison and Yamaha are also common. The biggest problem with the car here is the parking ... Some, for example, park next to the bus stop and ride on the bus to work or study, because there is nowhere to go to where to park.
Buses
It looks like our men. But ... more sophisticated. Each driver has an on-board built-in computer, which shows the route and probably some other infa. Each bus has a card reader (they are bought in advance for one day or a month). Students are given cards that allow you to travel around the city for free. You go into the bus, pass the card, it picks ... ready) Buses are adapted for wheelchair users. The bus hisses, it drops a little lower, a bridge is extended from the front door, along which a person in a wheelchair can call. The front of the bus has a special stand where you can put the bike. When you want to get off at the next stop, you pull on a special rope stretched over the windows on two sides of the bus. Stops are announced automatically ... In two languages: English and Spanish (for Mexicans,
City
Cities are completely different ... Especially here in Texas ... Huge distances! There are really not many high-rise buildings ... and there are probably no skyscrapers in this city ... well, probably 40 floors)) Most of the buildings are single-story, but long and wide. For example, to get to the cinema - by car it took about half an hour to drive, including along the freeway. But when they arrived - a huge cinema, with ten rooms and ten films at the same time!
Streets
When we arrived, it seemed that we were in an American film)) Gas stations, shops, eateries, fast foods ... Cool ... But in the hostel it seemed that we got into an American youth comedy. It’s very clean on their streets ... Perhaps that’s why it’s not customary to take off their shoes at home ... I have no idea where they put the dirt ... It’s very difficult to find it here ... Everywhere is either lawns or clean asphalt. Therefore, you can often see Americans sitting right on the ground, on the floor in the building ... At first it was shocking. Another thing that struck me was the abundance of squirrels on the streets of the city and the complete absence of stray cats and dogs. I had never seen squirrels before and was very surprised when I saw them frolic right on the street. Even on the streets there are absolutely no flies, mosquitoes and midges. But I do not complain about it)) Still there are no sparrows and tits and crows.
Cash
rarely pay, because it is much more convenient to use a credit card. They are accepted almost everywhere!
The Americans
Sooo polite people. Smile - it can only mean politeness or not mean anything at all (many smile constantly, especially at work). If you ask on the street how to get somewhere, they will easily stay with you for ten minutes, explaining in detail, draw a route, call a mobile friend to ask, call the bus company to find out how to get there. If, after all, they don’t know how to get there, and what kind of place they are, they will greatly apologize to you for this, sometimes even several times.)) Rudeness is very rare here ... Still, everyone doesn’t care about everything ... You can do it whatever you want until you violate the rights of another person ... Many dress foolishly ... Sometimes homeless people in women's dresses walk around the street ... Americans have some kind of direct ... Many have a clumsy walk ... especially guys, but they don’t care. Americans are also quite emotional ... especially at parties ... Especially girls. How will they start fumbling, yelling, hugging ... Americans are completely absent of aggression ... They don’t need to protect themselves, because they are completely protected by the law.
Shopping
In all stores - you go in and take everything you need from the shelves, then you carry it to the cashier and pay. The idea is to steal something very easy ... although of course there are a lot of cameras where the sellers look and look ... I have not tried it)) and I'm not going to. Very few Chinese goods ... If there is one, it is not particularly cheaper than American ones. Therefore, for example, office supplies are quite expensive ... An automatic simple pencil, for example, can cost up to $ 5 ... I bought a notebook recently for $ 5 (it was necessary to study). The prices on the labels are indicated without tax ... At the checkout add about 8% to the amount of purchases .
Cell Phones
There are several competing telephone companies: T-mobile, Sprint, Cingular. Basically, the situation is this: you conclude a contract for 2 years, committing to use the services of this company and pay regularly, take a cool hundred in the store for free, pay about $ 40 per month, they give you many minutes to make calls, nights and weekends - generally free.
Food
They go to cafes to eat, and not like ours - to walk, chat, get to know each other. Fast foods and all kinds of eateries - at every step ... Some kind of food cult) Such types of fast foods are quite common, where a person takes and cuts a loaf with you and puts meat, cheese, and everything else you want. She puts her hands straight (in gloves) ... The sight is not very) We, the students are eating in the dining room. You come in, spend, with a special card, it picks. Then you take a tray, spoons, napkins and you take and lay and pour yourself everything you want and as much as you want. The assortment is huge! Fast foods, cereals, salads, meat, sausages, fish, pizza, natural and carbonated juices, sweets, cakes, various types of ice cream, fruits.
Girls
There are a lot of pretty Americans ..))! They look different than Russians, their facial expressions are highly developed, so at first it seems that they are all on the same face)) now I kind of distinguish them)) Kazakhs who came with me almost don't like Americans, they like Chinese women from Korea ... I have tastes the other way around ))
Okay)) for now I think that's enough. If there will be any thread questions - write) Bye ”
I decided to post here a letter that I sent to my friends and relatives about a month after my first visit to the United States. Now, re-reading this letter, I don’t see anything surprising for myself, because everything is used to it and everything is used to as usual, as if it should be so, but when I arrived, everything was new and amazing.
"Hi! )) Well, here I am in America. State of Texas, the city of Austin. Here are some of my impressions) I think maybe someone will be interested))
Internet
Fast, very affordable everywhere and for free. We have a dorm computer host with 6 PC computers. Computers are really slow, but the Internet is fast. A 10-minute walk from the hostel there is a student Internet cafe with several hundred computers ... you go in, sit down at the computer, enter your student username and password and use it. About half of PC computers, the other half are poppies. It’s a bit unusual to work with apples, but basically it’s the same. And they look cool. In the hostel in each room there are sockets with Internet and WiFi. Almost all cafes have WiFi. In one cafe we went into there are even 3 computers with the Internet, which visitors can freely access and use as much as they like. In general, this is a complete freebie here)) An
abundance of material values
There is a lot here and it is not as much appreciated as ours. Almost every American student in the hostel whom we went to has a huge TV, X-box video console, computer, laptop, and so on in full. Girls drive no less than guys. Probably 97% of Americans have their own car. Even young 18-year-old fools drive on very cool cars by our standards.
Cars
Many! Various! Beautiful and almost all new. Many small two-seater cars, there are huge minivans. A lot of people ride bicycles, and attach them with a lock to the fence when they leave so that they do not steal (even here they sometimes steal). Cool motorcycles, Harley Davison and Yamaha are also common. The biggest problem with the car here is the parking ... Some, for example, park next to the bus stop and ride on the bus to work or study, because there is nowhere to go to where to park.
Buses
It looks like our men. But ... more sophisticated. Each driver has an on-board built-in computer, which shows the route and probably some other infa. Each bus has a card reader (they are bought in advance for one day or a month). Students are given cards that allow you to travel around the city for free. You go into the bus, pass the card, it picks ... ready) Buses are adapted for wheelchair users. The bus hisses, it drops a little lower, a bridge is extended from the front door, along which a person in a wheelchair can call. The front of the bus has a special stand where you can put the bike. When you want to get off at the next stop, you pull on a special rope stretched over the windows on two sides of the bus. Stops are announced automatically ... In two languages: English and Spanish (for Mexicans,
City
Cities are completely different ... Especially here in Texas ... Huge distances! There are really not many high-rise buildings ... and there are probably no skyscrapers in this city ... well, probably 40 floors)) Most of the buildings are single-story, but long and wide. For example, to get to the cinema - by car it took about half an hour to drive, including along the freeway. But when they arrived - a huge cinema, with ten rooms and ten films at the same time!
Streets
When we arrived, it seemed that we were in an American film)) Gas stations, shops, eateries, fast foods ... Cool ... But in the hostel it seemed that we got into an American youth comedy. It’s very clean on their streets ... Perhaps that’s why it’s not customary to take off their shoes at home ... I have no idea where they put the dirt ... It’s very difficult to find it here ... Everywhere is either lawns or clean asphalt. Therefore, you can often see Americans sitting right on the ground, on the floor in the building ... At first it was shocking. Another thing that struck me was the abundance of squirrels on the streets of the city and the complete absence of stray cats and dogs. I had never seen squirrels before and was very surprised when I saw them frolic right on the street. Even on the streets there are absolutely no flies, mosquitoes and midges. But I do not complain about it)) Still there are no sparrows and tits and crows.
Cash
rarely pay, because it is much more convenient to use a credit card. They are accepted almost everywhere!
The Americans
Sooo polite people. Smile - it can only mean politeness or not mean anything at all (many smile constantly, especially at work). If you ask on the street how to get somewhere, they will easily stay with you for ten minutes, explaining in detail, draw a route, call a mobile friend to ask, call the bus company to find out how to get there. If, after all, they don’t know how to get there, and what kind of place they are, they will greatly apologize to you for this, sometimes even several times.)) Rudeness is very rare here ... Still, everyone doesn’t care about everything ... You can do it whatever you want until you violate the rights of another person ... Many dress foolishly ... Sometimes homeless people in women's dresses walk around the street ... Americans have some kind of direct ... Many have a clumsy walk ... especially guys, but they don’t care. Americans are also quite emotional ... especially at parties ... Especially girls. How will they start fumbling, yelling, hugging ... Americans are completely absent of aggression ... They don’t need to protect themselves, because they are completely protected by the law.
Shopping
In all stores - you go in and take everything you need from the shelves, then you carry it to the cashier and pay. The idea is to steal something very easy ... although of course there are a lot of cameras where the sellers look and look ... I have not tried it)) and I'm not going to. Very few Chinese goods ... If there is one, it is not particularly cheaper than American ones. Therefore, for example, office supplies are quite expensive ... An automatic simple pencil, for example, can cost up to $ 5 ... I bought a notebook recently for $ 5 (it was necessary to study). The prices on the labels are indicated without tax ... At the checkout add about 8% to the amount of purchases .
Cell Phones
There are several competing telephone companies: T-mobile, Sprint, Cingular. Basically, the situation is this: you conclude a contract for 2 years, committing to use the services of this company and pay regularly, take a cool hundred in the store for free, pay about $ 40 per month, they give you many minutes to make calls, nights and weekends - generally free.
Food
They go to cafes to eat, and not like ours - to walk, chat, get to know each other. Fast foods and all kinds of eateries - at every step ... Some kind of food cult) Such types of fast foods are quite common, where a person takes and cuts a loaf with you and puts meat, cheese, and everything else you want. She puts her hands straight (in gloves) ... The sight is not very) We, the students are eating in the dining room. You come in, spend, with a special card, it picks. Then you take a tray, spoons, napkins and you take and lay and pour yourself everything you want and as much as you want. The assortment is huge! Fast foods, cereals, salads, meat, sausages, fish, pizza, natural and carbonated juices, sweets, cakes, various types of ice cream, fruits.
Girls
There are a lot of pretty Americans ..))! They look different than Russians, their facial expressions are highly developed, so at first it seems that they are all on the same face)) now I kind of distinguish them)) Kazakhs who came with me almost don't like Americans, they like Chinese women from Korea ... I have tastes the other way around ))
Okay)) for now I think that's enough. If there will be any thread questions - write) Bye ”