Looking back on USA - American smile – sincere or false?
I think many of you would agree that people in Russia tend to dislike Americans. They say that ever smiling Americans are insincere. Some go even farther and say that Americans put on their faces a kind of mask which hides their real feelings and temper. This clichéd image of a bit childish and narrow-minded Americans is rather popular in our society. It is so because of some well-known TV comedians and shows. But let me disagree and say that many Americans are really friendly and helpful.
During our stay in NY, and don’t forget that NY is as busy and overpopulated as Moscow with lots of people rushing here and there, we came across several very frank and open-minded people. I recall one particular occasion. On that day, my husband and I were waiting for a boat to take us to the Island of Liberty and Elis Island. We’d already taken many photographs of some beauty spots around and were standing expecting nothing special. The weather was freezing and windy.
All of a sudden I heard: “Guys, would you like to have your photo?” The phrase came from a couple of Americans looking like people with Mexican blood. They were passing by, smiling openly at us. But we were not smiling at all. We were freezing in the wind and a bit nervous. You know that we, Russians, smile really seldom and never without really good reason for that. Though our faces were serious and rather unfriendly, the couple stopped by us and kept smiling. “Come on, guys. It’s OK!” And they took our shot in which we are smiling since they made us smile.
Only after this incident I came to realize that those people simply wanted to cheer us up. Gloomy faces are not common for America and people who wear such desperate
During our stay in NY, and don’t forget that NY is as busy and overpopulated as Moscow with lots of people rushing here and there, we came across several very frank and open-minded people. I recall one particular occasion. On that day, my husband and I were waiting for a boat to take us to the Island of Liberty and Elis Island. We’d already taken many photographs of some beauty spots around and were standing expecting nothing special. The weather was freezing and windy.
All of a sudden I heard: “Guys, would you like to have your photo?” The phrase came from a couple of Americans looking like people with Mexican blood. They were passing by, smiling openly at us. But we were not smiling at all. We were freezing in the wind and a bit nervous. You know that we, Russians, smile really seldom and never without really good reason for that. Though our faces were serious and rather unfriendly, the couple stopped by us and kept smiling. “Come on, guys. It’s OK!” And they took our shot in which we are smiling since they made us smile.
Only after this incident I came to realize that those people simply wanted to cheer us up. Gloomy faces are not common for America and people who wear such desperate
expressions are noticeable among other mostly smiling people. So keep smiling in America.
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