Growing up in Ukraine and then moving to the U.S. was a shocking experience not only because I had to learn a new language, but also because of the cultural differences and different norms. On my very first day of school, I showed up dressed formally, with a tie, and with flowers in hand. When I met my teacher, I gave her the flowers, to her great surprise. In Ukraine, the first day of school was always very important, and festive at the same time. Teachers were, and still are, very respected and it was customary to bring your new teacher flowers on your first day. Also, every school started on the same day throughout the entire nation, grades 1-12, and ended on the same day, too.
Raising your hand to speak in class was odd to me. In Ukraine, one would get called up to the board by the teacher to do work in front of the class or speak. You would also always stand to speak to an adult; it was much more formal.
In the U.S., I disliked most people that I met at first because they all seemed fake. In Ukraine, it's not customary to say hello to strangers as you walk by. You don't ask random people how they're doing. It all just comes down to how you were raised and what you feel comfortable with doing. While behaving one way might be normal in one country, it could be disrespectful in another.
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I think it's pretty cool that your from Ukraine and your entry was interesting about school and its this formal day. In poland it's the same way it's formal and you do give your teacher something and they also give them flowers for the end of the school year. You also have to dress nice and they have certain clothing that they can wear.
ReplyDeleteI think it's really interesting the points you made about how Ukraine's customs are. I also completely agree with the fact that many people when put into a new situation have to learn to adapt.
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