З. Минеева

Short meetings in the States

    I spent in the fall semester of 1998 in the States. I had been living a whole separate life there and was happy meeting a lot of people in my everyday routine life. I was impressed by ordinary Americans, whom I met in Iowa, Washington, and Farmington.
    Iowa is a special place, full of squirrels, rabbits and students. Which there is more of, I don't know. And they live happily all together. I met them everywhere, at all times.
    Very often strangers and students would say "Hello!" or "Hi!" to me when we met on the sidewalk. At first it was unusual for me, because in my country nobody but acquaintances welcome each other. It helped me especially at first when I felt so alone in a new place, in a new country. I also had other situations when people stopped to talk to me, to say a few words, or share an impression. Very soon, I became used to smiling at strangers and talking to them, and I found it usual and pleasant. Unfortunately this habit wasn't needed in my country at home.
    Sometimes I had some difficult situations. Once I lost my way. It is typical for me. I barely remembered the way to reach my new home in the town of Sycamore in Iowa. Usually I walked from my home to the university, which wasn't very far. I was walking and enjoying nature; squirrels and rabbits, jumping on the green lawns. But sometimes, if I had something heavy or if it was bad weather, I had to take a bus. In that case it was almost impossible to find the right way from the bus station to my home. One evening I left the bus not far from my house. It was my first trip by bus. It was getting dark and raining. Nobody was on the street. I came to a crossroad; four ways, with streets laid in front of me. I chose one, went along it for a while, but didn't find my street, went back, chose another one, kept going, but understood that it was in vain. I didn't know my way. Suddenly I noticed a light and a big gray cat sitting in that light spot. A pleasant lady was working in her garage together with her pets - a dog and cat. I asked her how could I find the way to my home. I knew the way from "Econofood" store and so I asked, "Do you know the 'Econofood' store?"
    Yes, she knew, but she was extremely surprised that I couldn't find the way on my own. She told me the way, using names of streets. It all sounded awfully unfamiliar me. Perhaps I looked so stupid that she felt that I would never find it myself. She said to her friends, "Wait a minute, I'll be back very soon and we'll go for a walk". She got her car out of the garage and brought me straight to my house, waiting for me as I unlocked the door. The next day I bought some items in the "Econofood" store, and the cashier said, "Do you remember me? Will you find your way today?" I raised my head and saw the woman I had met the evening before. I knew my way from the store. We recalled last night's accident and I thanked her once more. Since that time we saw each other often and talked about different things and our cats (I left my red cat Leopold in Russia and was missing him).
    The next time I needed to take bus I was scared, frightened to lose my way once more, so entering the bus I asked the driver to show me the way to Davis Street from the bus station. It was late and dark. All the passengers got out of the bus, and I was alone and noticed that the driver was speaking on the telephone with somebody. He called to his company and explained my problem and they allowed him to stop very close to my house, only one block away. The driver showed me on a map - he himself drew the route of the bus, the bus station, and my street. In two minutes I was home and so grateful to this person, because I had quite heavy things with me and it would have been impossible to carry them while looking for the way.
    Once I tried to find the vitamins in the "Osco Drug" store; there was a sale sign for the special women's vitamins which I wanted to buy. The sign was there, but there weren't any vitamins. The shop assistant came to me noticing that I needed her help and tried to find the needed box, but she couldn't. She advised me to write an application with a request for the item. I did it, but nobody called me; may be the young boy, who noted my request, lost it. A few days later I met this woman in the shop, she recognized me and asked whether I had gotten my vitamins or not. I hadn't, I hadn't visited this place since that time, the sale was over, and now I saw the boxes with a new price. I was going to buy them paying the new price, but the woman went to the register desk, filled in some paper, and brought me my box of vitamins. I bought them at the previous price, and was so surprised by the attention of this woman and her readiness to help.
    Once I was walking along the street with a heavy bag and computer, books from the library and some other things. Crossing the road I saw an unknown woman who called me, saying something from the car. I got to her car, and she offered me her help. "When I didn't have a car I had to carry all my stuff by myself and I know it is difficult. I would be glad to help you," she said. She took me to my home, and on the way we spoke about our lives and our countries; it was pleasant to meet such a kind person.
    In Washington my friends and I took pictures of the buildings, while standing near a skyscraper. A young black woman invited us into her office and we took pictures from it, for a very nice view was available from the balcony of her office. We went, the three of us, and sat in a beautiful place observing Washington and enjoying the view. Nice pictures remind me of that day.
    Once, when we had a 20-minute break, I went to take a picture of the White House in Washington, ran with a video camera around it and couldn't figure out how to get back to the IREX office. Two policemen laughed, reading the address of the building which I had lost. They joked that it was difficult to show me the way to Moscow, not to this office. It turned out to be directly opposite the place where we stood. I couldn't believe it, because I was in a hurry and our seminar was beginning in two minutes. We agreed that if I didn't find the office, I would be back and they would go together with me. But I found it.
    In Toastmasters' Club, members made presentations of very interesting speeches. I especially remember one of them. One evening we had a joint meeting of two Toastmasters' groups, and I heard for the first and the last time in my life a stranger's speech, which was devoted to his adopted daughter. He described the bureaucratic procedure of the adoption, and imitated the telephone dialogue, which he had with different officials. He showed us a portrait of his daughter - such a charming girl! I was really impressed by his openheartness, perhaps even shocked. In Russia it is not acceptable to speak of such things. People who adopt children try to cover up this fact, very often they even change their place of residence, afraid that somebody will discover their family secret. But there, the man openly described the whole story in detail, the audience accepted it, and everybody was touched by the sincerity of the happy father.
    All these and other stories, which remind me of my life in the US, I keep in my heart and cherish. Americans seem to be very kind and benevolent people. At the same time, they are strange as well. But that is another story.