especially in the South. That's part of the definition of Southern Hospitality. But I dont' think it applies to the whole country. Up in the North, especially in NY, they will not smile at you if they don't mean it.
Hmm if you work with them, they will smile and wish you all the time, even if they think you're a turd. But socially, you're right, they won't. One thing I do find amazing is the resilience with which they go through relationships. No matter how devastated they are by a break-up within a month they will have found someone else. Thats amazing to me.
Well thats understandable, its either snowstorms or heatwaves with fires, tornados, floods and what not in between
The most beautiful things can often be the most brutal. Suffice it to say there are regions of U.S that are not effected by these things at all but of course they have been happening long before humans existed. Dear DarkSiidz, The U.S is a nation of immigrants, this makes it a unique place with unique challenges. Etiquette is dependent on where you are in U.S but many things are universal and rely on common sense. For example you cannot take your penis out whenever you feel like it, you cannot walk into a supermarket and take out a chair and start eating of the shelf. If this was a nation with one dominant culture we can make up a list with set rules but it would need to cater to all ethnic groups and it would not have much meaning. The detractor will say 'there is no culture in U.S' but that is not true, there are so many different cultures in U.S that it is impossible to keep track of them all. In many way the U.S is the barometer of our civilization, in fact it may well be the one true barometer of the state of humanity on this planet. It is for all intents and purposes a social experiment on tolerance. This of course my own observation. Note: This is not meant to imply that the U.S is better than other places, just different and harder to govern with more varying needs to cater to. I have no doubt quality of life can be better elsewhere and maybe it is but again in simplest terms it is easier to care for one child than one hundred.
The 'melting pot' IS our culture. That's a different scenario which would apply to work environments across the globe, in the sense that if you are always hateful and condescending to coworkers, you could easily get canned. So in the work environment, keeping your job can be plenty of motivation to be cordial to someone you don't want to be. Believe me, I'd love to be able to say what I feel to a few people I work with, but I like and need my job.Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Always say "Have a nice day" if you work in any kind of retail, even if you don't care whether your customer has a nice day or not.
Nothing is common to all Americans because we differ from one another as much as any people. Perhaps more than many because we are so widely spread geographically. But some generalities: Americans think that what is going on in the rest of the world doesn't really affect us. This changed slightly on 9/11, but only slightly. Americans may find foreign cultures interesting or entertaining, but in the final analysis to the extent that they differ from ours they are simply wrong. Americans have forgotten WWII and all earlier international conflicts, but they will never forget the American Civil War, even Americans whose families did not yet live here. Americans don't see any value in learning a second language, much less a third. Americans consider dogs to be almost people. However, that doesn't mean that people who aren't kind to other people will be kind to dogs. Most Americans consider themselves Christians. However, when pressed for a discussion, while the majority believe in Heaven, only a small minority believe in Hell. The two most prominent symbols of Christianity in America are Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.
Don't stand so close. Especially in the northern states. Clothes are optional in the sauna, if you are among friends. If you pull up to an isolated house in the country, wait a couple minutes at a reasonable distance before barging in with the car. It takes a long time to make a friend. It isn't you, that's just how it is. Keep your teeth clean. We notice. No loss of dignity is as serious or permanent as the loss of status from not laughing at yourself. Leave your religion out of it. Just don't take the drink, pork sausage, etc. Don't offer to buy, just buy. Pursuit of happiness is in the Constitution. It can get loud. Hey, Fraggle, how'd I do, for an untraveled sort who meets foreigners ?
When standing in line, don't be so close that you could be having sex with the person iin front of you if they were wearing no clothes... we're not Mexico people! I actually have heard of people from Mexico standing that close because it was the norm in Mex.
