Expressing yourself

What I love about America is the people's freedom in mostly everything they do. Right now I'm thinking about the way people dress. Whatever is comfortable. Whatever looks good (in your personal opinion). Whatever fits; screams individuality; shines bright colors; attracts attention, etc.

I saw people wearing super-warm Uggs and flip-flops on the same day (summer or winter - it doesn't matter, you can see both types of footwear any time of the year). I saw professionally dressed women in pencil-skirts, wearing sneakers on their feet. I even saw a guy in a suit with his pants tucked in his socks! (it was raining - this way the bottom of his pants stayed semi-dry, I envied him, while dragging my jeans along the puddles).

But today I saw a guy who became the highlight of my curious observations. He was wearing real wooden clogs - the ones that people bring as a souvenir from Netherlands. He was actually wearing them. They looked soooo uncomfortable. But then again, I may be mistaken. And what was interesting is that it wasn't some teenager trying to express himself with a hundred tattoos and green mohawk. This one was an intelligent-looking 35-year-old balding man wearing casual clothes and with a stroller (baby in it). So I guess his thing is - patriotism...?

Love it.

being a stranger at home

Just got back from Ukraine. Three weeks at home were wonderful, but I couldn't help noticing how awkward it felt to be there after a year of life in the US. It's not that it was bad or anything. I just felt... out of place or something. I found myself being confused a lot more. And a lot more 'usual' things brought smile to my face now.

In fact Kiev is better than it has ever been. Everything is more modernized and simplified and clean... and yet. Well, you'll see what I mean in just a second.

Restrooms. Always a good place to start a story. I go into one in a shopping center. It's free - and that's already a big plus. No babushka by the entrance that takes your money and gives you a bill - 40 cm of toilet paper.
But. As I peek inside I see a sign on each stall door 'Toilet paper is by the entrance on your left'. Whoa! Thanks for the warning. I'm glad the sign was on the outside rather than on the inside of each stall. As I had my first chuckle and am on my way to wash my hands I see a sign by the soap: 'The soap is for hand use only' Hmm.... I wonder if people actually take showers in the sinks or do a bit of laundry here. And that was just the first day in Ukraine, and the first public restroom I went into. The other ones had babushkas in them of course. Although I was glad there was one in one of them who warned me and another young woman as we were going in: 'Girls, don't you worry when you see a man inside. It's just a plumber...' Hehe

Also, I forgot that every time you pay cash, the cashier asks you for an exact sum of money, or at least some odd amount so it's easier for her/him to give you change. For example I need to pay 7.32. I'm giving her 10 hrn. The question follows: 'Do you have 2.32 hrn?' Only because it's easier for her to give me 5 hrn instead of 2.68. They will never ever just give you your change.

I went to a cafe to meet a friend. The only place they had menus (and there were at least 20 copies) was right by the cashier. I asked her if I could take one and sit at the table while I decide and wait for my friend. She had such a confused and terrified look on her face: 'Only if you don't take it away with you!' I had to convince her that I'm not interested in framing it for my walls at home. This cafe was actually quite an adventure. First I shocked the cashier with my tactless question, and then I took somebody else's drink (they do the Starbuck's thing now, calling out your name when your order is ready). That's what I mean by feeling out of place. The last time I remember feeling so odd and embarrassed all the time was when I just moved to the US...

We went for the Independence Day celebration concert in Borispil - a small town in Ukraine. It was very sweet and homey. And it brought so much warmth to my heart to see how sincere and genuine Ukrainian people are. The mayor of the city (who I was sitting by without realizing it) was rewarding the simple people of Borispil with awards and special thanks: teachers and doctors, police officers and social workers, diligent students and neat homeowners with pretty green lawns and gardens. Many awards went to cleaners who keep the streets clean. And everybody was so grateful, tears in their eyes. And the mayor sincerely thanked everyone, giving them hugs and kisses. But what touched me the most was a veteran, an 80-year-old woman, who could hardly get up on her feet. But when she did, she recited a poem about the bread being a head to everything, and presented the mayor with a karavay - a Ukrainian traditional bread symbolizing a lot of good things (the list is too long, those interested can google it). The mayor was very touched, he asked his assistant to cut the karavay and serve it to all the guests. Honestly, I felt like we were all a big family. It was so sweet. I love Ukrainians and their big hearts and am so proud to be one of them.

What a trip! I can't wait to go back and experience more of these wonders.

Athletic and healthy

I always believed that Americans being an unhealthy (food related) and big (as in fat) nation is a stereotype. Now I'm convinced it really is a stereotype.

Of course, Boston is far from a typical American town. And yes, about 70% of locals are students or young professionals. And yes, Boston has a reputation of being a sporty city because of its famous annual Boston Marathon. And also Red Sox and Celtics, etc. But still - Boston is a rightful representative of the US nation. And it's far from the stereotype image engraved in most Ukrainians' (worlds'?) minds.

I've never seen this many joggers anywhere else in the world. It's amazing! No matter what the weather is, time of the day, holiday or weekday - there are crowds - literally - of joggers all over the city. A friend of mine from California was very surprised when we were showing him around: 'What happened? Where are they all running? What day is it today?' Yep, it's like that everyday. I see people with gym bags everywhere. Bikers, walkers, runners, canoers... you name it.

And people here are very fit. And attractive. And those who say that Ukrainian women are the most beautiful in the world - heh, come to Boston! Before we moved to US, some people back in Ukraine told me things like: 'Oh, you're probably gonna gain weight, like everybody who goes to live to America' or 'It's those preservatives, antibiotics and growth hormones that they add into all their food that makes it so unhealthy - what are you gonna eat?!' Whether it's partly true - I don't know. But I must admit I was a little worried about my well-being (and by this pretty word I mean 'whether I'd get fat', because I've always been slightly overweight, and I just couldn't afford to gain more of that soft goodness). Another reason for my concern was the fact that I was raised mostly on my grandma's organic produce and, well, Ukrainian food, and didn't know how my body would respond to long-term commitment with American food. Also, I absolutely looooooove American sweets, especially chocolate chip cookies. Oh, actually I have a new favorite now - Whole Food's banana chocolate chip muffin - tastes like Heaven. So you see why I had reasons to be worried.

Well, it's been a little more than a year now, and all of my organs still function. Moreover, I lost some pounds and actually reached my 'ideal weight' as they call it. I work out at the gym regularly and have never felt better. Also, our eating habits got so much healthier! Jamie and I used to cook everything with lots of butter and mayonnaise, had barely any green, orange or yellow veggies on our menu, drank soda a lot more. Now we make sure we have plenty of color on our plates (most of the time we either roast or steam veggies), use mostly olive oil for cooking, try to drink more water and 100% juices, we also added tofu and quinoa (crazy healthy stuff) to our grocery list. Quite the change - at least for me (sigh... the joys of having a Dad who cooks amazingly delicious dishes, but also pretty unhealthy and fattening). So, Ukrainian know-it-alls, we have a few things about healthy food and lifestyle to learn from Americans.

Weirdos everywhere!

Okay, so Jamie says it's not a cultural thing. It's just... a thing. But honestly, Boston is the first place so far where I've seen anything like this.

People on the T (local subway) are really weird sometimes. Like 'psychopath' weird.

The guy with headphones in his ears, singing along OUT LOUD (like, really loud) - wouldn't be as bad if he wasn't also dancing to his music. Pretty good moves, actually. Some may say: oh, he is just free in expressing himself. Maybe. But so is the 'hissing guy', who hissed at me all the way to work? And the guy who was making obscene gestures to the people around him while waiting for the T. One of the things he did really offended another guy. In fact he came up to him and said 'What's your problem, man?!' I thought he would punch him in the face. The sad thing is - this strange guy seemed to not have control over his movements. I don't know if he was even aware of what he was doing.
Then there is this girl who does ALL of her makeup procedure on the T. She rushes in to find a seat available, so she can start her beauty session. And out come the foundation, the liners, the shades, the blush, tons of brushes, etc. etc. Her hands move vigorously as she applies a ton of foundation all over her head. Maybe it's only disturbing to me. I don't feel comfortable even putting some collorless lip balm on my lips as people are watching...

Also, this woman who clips her nails on the T. Ewwwwww..... Can you imagine? Pieces of her nails flying out into the crowd of people as she perfects her manicure...

But the weirdest of all the weird things is this. People around not only seem to be not bothered by it at all. They don't even notice it! (except for the guy who wanted to punch the other guy in the face)

So the question is: perhaps it really IS me who is the weird one - too concerned about what others may think, raised on the strict Soviet rules of public behavior? Or would all of those above mentioned things be a little out there for an average American, too?

Boston = a home for aliens

I don't even know where to begin. I guess I'll start from a very broad image, my biggest revelation since I moved to Boston.

God blessed me with a several amazing opportunities to travel through the US, as well as a few other countries. And everywhere I went, the question 'What is your name?' has always been followed by an 'Oh, so where are you from?' Either my strange name - Dasha - or my accent (which I do have no matter how hard I try to conceal it) give away my foreign self. But in Boston... so weird... I never know what's gonna follow the question 'What is your name?' No one seems to be surprised by my name, or accent, or appearance, or the color of my passport. They've heard names a lot harder to pronounce, and seen passports of all colors of a rainbow. The thing is - in Boston, MA everybody is from somewhere, mostly from abroad. Here I don't feel like an alien. I had this strange feeling - that I belong here - the moment we moved to the Bean town.

I remember as I first tried getting a coffee in Starbucks. I felt anxious placing my order, I repeated the phrase a few times in my head, perfecting it, making sure it was short and clear: 'A medium Latte with no sugar and a chocolate chip muffin, please'. Sounds so simple. So I thought... The guy taking my order didn't understand me. He asked me a question, that I in my turn did not understand either. It all went wrong. Apparently in Starbucks you're supposed to ask for a 'grande', instead of a 'medium'. I guess that caught him off guard. Although who doesn't understand the universal term 'medium'? Anyhow, I helplessly looked for Jamie - just what I really wanted to avoid doing on my difficult journey to independence. As he saw my eyes full of terror and confusion, he rushed to my rescue.
I got my latte after all. But my self dignity and confidence suffered badly. 'I can't speak English, Jamie! People don't understand me!' - I exclaimed in despair. 'It's not you!' - Jamie said. 'The guy can't speak English! He is Indian, his accent is much stronger than yours. I couldn't even understand him in the beginning, it took me a while to figure out what he was saying... People will be having trouble with understanding you - mostly because of their poor English. Don't judge them, they're foreigners.'

After this little incident, I'm not worried anymore about somebody not understanding me. They hear all kind of accents all the time and should be used to them by now. I'm sure mine isn't the worst they heard.

So yeah, Boston feels very natural and right. Any foreigner from anywhere in the world will feel at home here.

Operation: Reload

So... I haven't posted here since we moved to Boston, MA from Kiev, Ukraine. A LOT has happened since then. It's been more than a year after all.

Life in the US is pretty adventurous, to say the least. When we just moved here every day was a sensation for me. I wanted to capture it somehow. As an editor the first thing that came to my mind was to write an article about it. And perhaps send it to the magazine I worked for back in Ukraine. But once I started writing it I couldn't focus on just a few things. Too much. Can't fit it in one spread. Plus in order for a text to blend in with the rest of material in a certain media item it has to fit the format. And my thoughts and impressions just couldn't fit this format. Any format. So I just gave up. And kept my everyday sensations to myself.

But having been here for a year all of this information has been collecting in my brain... and I just can't contain it anymore! (Right here some of my friends and family members would say: 'I told you so. You have to write down all these things. If not for anyone specific, than for yourself.') Yeah, yeah, you were right as always. I just lacked motivation. Or time. Or had been focused on other things, like adapting to life abroad - and that's a tough cookie. I guess what I'm trying to say is I was simply being lazy.

Nevertheless today is a fresh start. And I'm seriously committed this time to make it work. This blog is going to be an insight on my life in the United States of America. The US through the eyes of a Ukrainian. I'm not making any promises to post every day, but I'm going to try make it a regular thing - share with you my daily experience.

So here goes...