A delegation from a number of Russian universities came to Clark a couple of weeks ago. Organizers of this event asked me to show to them the campus and tell about education and life here. During our conversation they reminded me about some funny moments I’ve experienced.
Looking how they were frustrated trying to find the right buildings I saw myself 3 months ago. My friends laughed at me as the first a couple of weeks I mixed up AC, JC, UC …and others C’s. And how many times I went to the wrong exit from JC! So it was nice to find out that I’m not the only one who barely distinguished the halls one from another in the beginning.
Another interesting moment was when one of the professors told me about “very strange” American hospitality. When they arrived, one of the organizers (who is originally Russian but lived here for decades) gave a list of advice. One item was: “Don’t say no if you mean yes.” That can sound very weird so I’ll try to explain. She told them that, for example, if you’re a guest at an American house and you’re hungry, don’t reject the offered food. Nobody is going to ask you one more time! In Russia to say “no” in response to the first offer is a politeness and often means “yes, but ask me a little bit later.” In the US people say what they mean and expect the same from others. So when you come here you’d better be ready!
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