Things I have Learned

While living outside of the USA, I've gathered a few tidbits of information:

1. When someone asks me where I am from, it is improper to say "America" because people from South America are also Americans. I am supposed to respond United States or in ex-pat lingo, "the states."

2. You should never refer to someone from the United Kingdom as English. Only people born in England are English. People from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales will grit their teeth if you refer to them as English. They are British.

3. When pronounced, my name is very similar to the Russian word for pants.

4. Chatting with a few locals in both Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, I was surprised to find out that not everyone dislikes the Soviets, as we are led to believe in the West. Under the Soviets, everyone who wanted a job was given one, education was a priority and most people felt generally safe. The yearning for the opportunity to work and learn is universal.

5. Even though Azerbaijan has been ranked as one of the least religious countries in the world, the locals still view dogs as unclean and pork products are extremely rare.

6. The US Embassy in Baku is staffed with Russians.

7. PB & J is as foreign as GMC.

8. Survival of the Fittest is an every day occurrence. Just walking to school, a child can be lost in an uncovered manhole, struck by a Lada or hit by construction equipment.

9. The mustache is alive and well in Baku.

10. McDonald's hamburgers and fries taste the same, but Diet Coke does not.