America

some more differences to list.

the way people dress
so no matter whether somebody is going to a bar, out shopping, or to a birthday party, he will wear jeans. and no matter what season most of the people are wearing shoes. people here consider that somebody who likes dressing up, first of all spends a whole lot of money on unnecessary and unpractical stuff, and wastes much time on the way they look, meanwhile "it's better to keep it simple, be more practical, and down-to-earth". there is nothing wrong with jeans i mean, but gah! that's boring :D that way you always look the same, which can be boring not only to others but to you yourself! i don't know. it's not just about having a certain style in your clothes - it's about creating an image of yourself. sometimes i want to look romantic, sometimes professional, sometimes just comfortable, sometimes gorgeous. and it makes the whole dressing and make-up thing fun for me. and that way neither me nor people around me know what to expect from me or how i will look. and what's the difference whether you're pulling on jeans or a skirt or slacks? it takes the same amount of time :) and it actually will cost aproximately the same to have skirts and slack and jeans, or to have all jeans.

i'm just surprised with this kind of attitude because i would be stiff-bored of myself in the mirror was i the same looking character day after day. especially being a girl.

what people eat and drink from
again same attitude - "keep it simple, and down-to-earth". the cups and dishes are just of some color, and are made of very thick glass, so that if you drop them, they won't break. again, to me it's boring because it has to have some nice design that will put me into better mood or just make me feel better when i look at it. and besides! cups should be made of finest and thinest glass so that when you lift it, you will feel the weight of your drink only. though i'm speaking about coffe cups. here in general people use these huge mugs for anything hot. the rest they drink from glasses.

now at a bar when you are doing shots (shot is like when you drink vodka - when you have to swollow the drink at once) you will be given plastic cups, which will be thrown away afterwards. or if you are having food at a fast-food place - like getting a burrito or a hamburger or whatever you won't actually be given a plate. no matter whether you are going to have your meal there or you want to take it with you, it will come wrapped in foil. if you are going to have it there, you will just use foil instead of the plate.

----/\---\/---/\---\/---/\---\/---/\---\/---/\---\/---/\---\/---/\---\/---/\---\/----

now the point of everything said is not to say it's wrong or bad. it's a way things are for people here, and that' how they have known things and how they expect them to be. however i personally believe that it has to be a fun part to anything you do, something meaningless and irrational but just nice! let it be a waste of time or money if it is, but it will make you feel nicer, so it's worth it! if you use things that you really like and are happy about your day will be a bit better and your life will be a bit more colorful (literally). it's good to be in love with comfort, but also it's good when comfort looks good. if you are getting a towel or something, let it have a nice print on it. or if it's plane - it's better because you can actually create something yourself! take a white cup, get some special markers and have fun!

------- for Armenian/Russian readers -------

no no i'm not going to wear jeans 365 days a year, don't you worry! and stop asking me about that please! i am not going to change unless i consider it a change towards better :)

oh and by the way - some certain people (let's not say who, even though everybody knows it's the SLONENOK) were laughing at me for buying *jeans* before going to *America*. now i've been kind of looking for jeans here - a second pair. guess what? i can't find what i want! the only difference between models is the color! and the jeans are kind of like... plane jeans, without anything interesting! though i haven't been looking very carefully - i just looked through the stuff at several stores at the mall and maybe someday i will find something interesting :D hehe