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mss
Frequent Guest
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
Posts: 25
Location: Moscow
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 Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 7:45 am Post subject: |
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Why americans always smile? Are they idiots?  |
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vitalsigns
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
Posts: 2784
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| Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 4:14 pm Post subject: |
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Annual cleaning 
Last edited by vitalsigns on Wed Nov 09, 2005 2:46 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Kesha
Talk Show Host
Joined: 26 Sep 2005
Posts: 258
Location: Terrapin Station
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| Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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| mss wrote: | | Why americans always smile? Are they idiots? |
I smile when I'm happy....and I'm happy most of the time.
I think I'm brilliant because of it!
My life is entirely too short to be anything other.
My question is why the smile on my face should bother anyone?
It would make them happy if I was unhappy? |
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MrSpice
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Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3431
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| Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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| mss: Americans smile more because it's a customer-oriented culture and people are used to at least appearing friendly towards other people; and because most people live quite well here, so there's a reason to smile |
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celine
Just Starting
Joined: 05 Nov 2005
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 4:50 am Post subject: re: Spice's smiles |
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That's right Spice
People should always be friendly and fuck together in the tube |
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MrSpice
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Joined: 14 Jul 2003
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| Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 5:33 am Post subject: |
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| celine: Are you trying to make a joke? |
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JadoreBaikonur
Frequent Guest
Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 30
Location: Daytona Beach, FL, USA
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| Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:30 pm Post subject: |
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| mss wrote: | | Why americans always smile? Are they idiots? |
I smile all the time for a lot of reasons. I'm more likely to be well-received by people when I go into a shop, or when I need help with something if I'm smiling and bearing a pleasant disposition than if I come off as being defensive.
I read an article about cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev who was completely jarred about America's tendancy to smile all the time. He said that he found it insincere, like we can't possibly be happy all the time. He had a difficult time the first time he came to the U.S. - he was in an elevator and someone asked him, "How are you?". He didn't know whether to explain in detail about how he was doing or if he should just reply briefly, so he started to explain how hard things have been for his family, who speaks no English. The man who asked "how are you" then got off the elevator a few minutes later and cut Sergei off mid-sentance with a, "Have a good day!" |
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MrSpice
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| Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:39 pm Post subject: |
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that's a great story to illustrate this difference in perception
However, in Russia people also often say "How are you in russian" when they meet other people (in russian, "Kak dela") and expect a short answer in response. So, the difference is not that significant.
Russians certainly don't smile as much as Americans in a typical American town (i.e., small-town/suburban USA). If you look at typical New Yorkers taking subway to work at 8am in the morning, you won't see too many smiles either... |
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JadoreBaikonur
Frequent Guest
Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 30
Location: Daytona Beach, FL, USA
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| Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:41 pm Post subject: |
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| MrSpice wrote: | | Russians certainly don't smile as much as Americans in a typical American town (i.e., small-town/suburban USA). If you look at typical New Yorkers taking subway to work at 8am in the morning, you won't see too many smiles either... |
That's very true - New Yorkers are a strange breed! (But who smiles at 8 in the morning?)  |
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Ksenia
Just Starting
Joined: 02 Oct 2005
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2005 6:01 am Post subject: |
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| Why don't we smile?)) I really don't know,it is a stupid thing. When I was in the USA, everybody all the time forced me to smile, by calling me grumpy or something. You cannot imagine how irritating it was.BUT!!!!!! I began to smile much more often. Smiling reflects your happiness, and vice versa smiling can cause your happiness. And we are so proud that we smile only sincerely,but so unhappy for the most of time?? I am not reproaching, I WAS like that for a long long time, and even were not aware of how stupid it is. And still sometimes I catch myself on walking with a frown on my face. BAD!!!! I like being surrounded by happy people, I don't like listening to complaints, and I don't need their problems, and I won't make people listen to mine, and it doesn't mean I am not supportive. Just when I start to complain, I complain endlessly and many of my friends do. Anyway I prefer to see happy people around, and I loooooooove to see smiling people. And!!! by the end of my visit to USA, I caught myself on saying hi to strangers, it was cute. Thanks for being happy to happy people |
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mediashark
Moderator
Joined: 04 Nov 2004
Posts: 1599
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| Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2005 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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Ksenia, you hit on a note that occured to me recently! when you're in one country for some time you tend to adapt the local way of thinking...
Recently there's one girl in my office that pokes her head into every department, gives a big smile and say 'hello, how's everyone etc.' every afternoon and 'bye everyone!' every evening without fail, and you know what--it annoyed me to no end! It came across to me as insincere, automated etc. Well, no doubt previously I would have been glad to have someone in the office like that, but after living in russia for almost 2 years, that has changed... now come to think of it, I remember in my school days were were forced to greet the teacher as a class and say goodbye... awful, awful! You've never heard the most insincere, flat, unenthaustic greetings and farewells!  |
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cdnexpat
Lounge Lizard
Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 86
Location: Afghanistan
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| Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2005 2:33 pm Post subject: |
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MS,
I agree with you on the over-exuberence(?) of some small town people. I also hate it when I walk into a small restaurant and some waitress greats me with a :"And what will you have today, honey?" type of thing.
I appreciate the challenge of trying to be friendly with some grumpy russian airline employee at the check-in. They would never smile, but I keep trying any way...
Bob |
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russiangirl
Just Starting
Joined: 03 Dec 2005
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| Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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Please sorry for my poor English 
Russian people are very sincere with themselves, they won't smile when they don't want. More than that, if someone steps on your foot in metro or in a bus he may not apologize. It is in our blood. Russians try to become more benevolent. Time after time I see friendly faces here in Moscow. 
When my friends returned from the USA they said: "Everyone smiles there, how strange.." Smile or not smile in public, that is a question.
They also said that americans always asked them: "Are you happy?". When one of my friends answered that he wasn't they were shocked and confused. How can you explain this? |
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Kesha
Talk Show Host
Joined: 26 Sep 2005
Posts: 258
Location: Terrapin Station
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| Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 12:58 am Post subject: |
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| Ksenia wrote: | | Why don't we smile?)) I really don't know,it is a stupid thing. When I was in the USA, everybody all the time forced me to smile, by calling me grumpy or something. You cannot imagine how irritating it was.BUT!!!!!! I began to smile much more often. Smiling reflects your happiness, and vice versa smiling can cause your happiness. And we are so proud that we smile only sincerely,but so unhappy for the most of time?? I am not reproaching, I WAS like that for a long long time, and even were not aware of how stupid it is. And still sometimes I catch myself on walking with a frown on my face. BAD!!!! I like being surrounded by happy people, I don't like listening to complaints, and I don't need their problems, and I won't make people listen to mine, and it doesn't mean I am not supportive. Just when I start to complain, I complain endlessly and many of my friends do. Anyway I prefer to see happy people around, and I loooooooove to see smiling people. And!!! by the end of my visit to USA, I caught myself on saying hi to strangers, it was cute. Thanks for being happy to happy people |
Thanks for understanding, Ksenia....and keep on smiling! |
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