When my son said that he would come home with his daughter-in-law, I was happy, then I did not know how much they had changed.

Each of us has our own views on certain things, and some life experience, too. Such factors, in fact, identify us, distinguish us from other people. They may be relatively comfortable or not, however, they are present. And even kinship Nothing can change. For example, parents who want their child to choose a particular profession will not always be able to succeed. Because their child is a living person and he has his own destiny and vision of this world.



At the same time, a person can change himself, under the pressure of the environment. Many of our fellow citizens, having been abroad for a long time, change their views on certain things. And that's not surprising. More striking is the claim of our compatriots to return home. “How come you don’t eat olives for the new year? Why are you smiling and seeing something funny? In post-Soviet countries, there is a lack of understanding and tolerance. Apparently, it just takes more time.

When my son got married, I was overjoyed. My father and I gave him everything we wanted. Good education, upbringing, moral values. Anton grew up a normal guy, physically developed and smart enough to move to the United States. He lives and works there with my sister-in-law. Of course, there are times when it becomes very difficult without an only son. But I am always confident in his safety and personal comfort. And the prospects, you will agree, are also worthy.



Although I know that programmers make a lot of money in our country, it is certainly not comparable to America. Anton, when we talk to him via video link, often tells me that the experience he has gained overseas is not comparable to the opportunities in our country. Even in Europe. In addition, Alina, my son’s wife, also found her calling abroad. She became a designer there and, between us, quite successful. She wanted to move even more than my son. Always wanted to go abroad.

So when the kids made me happy with the news that I was coming soon, I was walking for days on my own. Everything imagined us all meeting, hugging. We will share the news and discuss how things are going. Such pleasant troubles and anticipation of something good. But, unfortunately, on the appointed date, the son and daughter-in-law did not have time. Anton at the last minute fell on his head some important project and they had to stay. They arrived later, exactly on the day of Alina’s birth. Which got me a little confused. But let me tell you everything in order.



Preliminary son rented a very good apartment in the center of our city. I told him he was being unreasonable: we would all fit in, no problem. But Anton replied that they were now a family and would be uncomfortable if my father and I lived behind the wall. Besides, he will often have to sit at his laptop, so the noise from our conversations will distract him. Well, I agreed with him, because I like to turn the music up louder so it doesn’t get boring. But that was just the beginning. The further I went, the more surprising the change in the character of my Americans became.

On the appointed day, my husband and I, dressed and with a gift, came to visit my son. Even though they had settled in the day before, their apartment was almost completely inhabited. And it is very well cleaned (for such and such money). But something else struck me. On her own holiday, the daughter-in-law did not look at all elegant. I'll tell you more: I've never seen her so "homey" at all. A robe, minimal makeup, and just a stupid smile. Then my son explained to me that in the States people have a very different attitude to their own appearance and do not care about it at all. You should have seen Alina’s mother’s eyes that day. Oh, come on.



Further, when we handed gifts, Anton and Alina, as stung, began to twist their nose. They apologized for forgetting to warn us: no gifts are needed. You could do with congratulations or, in extreme cases, a postcard. On the other hand, what you could really bring is food with you. One meal per brother. It turned out that the son said something, like walking “in the fold”. But I didn't pay attention to it, I thought he was joking. Turns out it wasn't a joke. That's what we do at work sometimes. Not to cook anything and not to waste. But it's a job... On the other hand, the son called the delivery service and thus saved the situation.

From that moment on, I decided to watch my son and daughter-in-law a little more closely. It was already clear that in the 4 years that they did not exist, they have quite changed their habits. Family ties no longer helped us understand them. So I was curious what else new in character they had. Anyway, Anton will always be my son. But as a grandmother, I wanted to know what my grandchildren would be like in terms of character. They will certainly adopt all the habits of the people of that culture. And I understand that very well. There.

Anton, bursting with laughter, told me how quickly his wife had changed her shoes. I literally changed my shoes. Many Americans don’t take their shoes off when they go home. This is because roads and sidewalks in the United States are washed with special shampoos, so they are very clean – not like ours. And my son also wanted to try to live like in the movies. But Alina strictly forbidden him to do so. I was worried about the cleanliness of things and, in general, could not bring myself to walk like this.



They were also very surprised by the fact that wherever they went, in any cafe or restaurant people are always offered huge portions of food. And it's not like here's 90% side dish and some meat or seafood. In the US, food is not spared anywhere and none. Therefore, in order not to recover, our brother needs to have great willpower. Who wouldn’t get away from such abundance? But Anton and Alina solved this problem in their own way: they often order one dish for two and eat to the dump even such a relatively small portion. I don't care what the fat people around them think. They're not local.

They also said that you can’t just start talking to someone on the street. Especially the opposite sex. We all walk around like we do at home. But they treat personal space very scrupulously. They can even sue for harassment. How do you even get acquainted? And giving flowers to girls in person is also not accepted here. It is ideal when a beautiful bouquet will be brought by a courier and handed over personally. It's kind of weird to me, isn't it?



In general, our worlds are quite different in many ways. Family ties do not help to be on the same wavelength. But that’s okay, Western habits are spreading all over the world anyway. I don't mind. The only thing I want to say is that when I returned home, I was a little surprised by this “feast in the fold”. There is no need to prepare much, everyone will take what he likes. You don’t even have to order food at the restaurant. There's something about it, if you think about it. But our traditions are unlikely to give such a habit a green light. No, it's not like this!