I came in the US years ago and my first step was in Atlanta-Gerogia. Everything was all right during the begging because I was with my sister all the time until I attended school. When I started going to school and sometimes hanging out with new people, I started experiencing new life. The first day of my class, I had an english professor named Norman. He asked us to call him just Norman. I was surprise and I asked my self why he just like to be called by his name without any title added on it. In my country which is Guinea west Africa, especially in my culture, people are concerned about title. you can not just call someone by his first name or last name when he is older than you. You need to add a title such as "Mr", "Professor" or something alike. When someone helps you learn something, he becomes automatically your professor because he is giving you something that you can use in your entire life. In my society, you have to respect him. Respect doesn't mean just the title, but it starts from there. After your parents, the most important person that you have to respect is your professor because he is the one who shapes the way that your future is going to be. When you call someone by just his first name, it is considered that you have the same age; otherwise one has to give a title to the other; who ever is older. In my case, it was little bit difficult for me to call my professor Norman. Even if I have a question, I wouldn't ask him sometimes because I felt that just calling him by his name is a kind of rude action. After while, I got accustomed to it and I called him the way he asked us to do. But it is not in all cases, I know that some people like to have title added to their names mostly authorities. One day I met a south korean girl. We were talking about school and she told me that "in Korea, whatever your professor says is true whether it is or not". When I asked her why, she told me that "they had a lot of respects for their professors so that it is not easy to disapprove them". I don't know if it is true or false, but I imagined that they have something related to their culture.
In addition, there is something that I don't really understand even though I have been here for long time. It is about food in the classroom. There are some professors who care and others don't. In my society, you don't eat in the class because you have to consider not only your professor, but students who are around you. I think class time is just to study and break time is to eat and do whatever you want. I am not trying to be offensive to those students who bring food in the class, but I am just sharing my experience.
Last summer, I went to Paris for two weeks visit. Many things were different compare to US. What I experienced at Charle de gaulle airport, is that people don't have time to speak to a stranger. When you ask them for help, they say in french word "je suis desole" which means "I am sorry". They don't even give you a little bit of time to listen to you. Even if the american can not help you, but he gives you time. There are many differences between US and Europe. The food that they eat is very small. When you cross the street, you have to wait until the light is green otherwise you get a ticket especially in Germany, but that is the law. During summer, only few offices open; even the president takes long vacation during summer and we know in America how many weeks someone takes vacation and it doesn't matter if it is summer or winter.
In addition, there is something that I don't really understand even though I have been here for long time. It is about food in the classroom. There are some professors who care and others don't. In my society, you don't eat in the class because you have to consider not only your professor, but students who are around you. I think class time is just to study and break time is to eat and do whatever you want. I am not trying to be offensive to those students who bring food in the class, but I am just sharing my experience.
Last summer, I went to Paris for two weeks visit. Many things were different compare to US. What I experienced at Charle de gaulle airport, is that people don't have time to speak to a stranger. When you ask them for help, they say in french word "je suis desole" which means "I am sorry". They don't even give you a little bit of time to listen to you. Even if the american can not help you, but he gives you time. There are many differences between US and Europe. The food that they eat is very small. When you cross the street, you have to wait until the light is green otherwise you get a ticket especially in Germany, but that is the law. During summer, only few offices open; even the president takes long vacation during summer and we know in America how many weeks someone takes vacation and it doesn't matter if it is summer or winter.
It is difficult to adjust in a new life. Everyone has his own culture. The problem that you encounter when you move from one area to another depends of the place where you go. In US, I didn't experience many difficulties because it is a place where you can see all kind of people from all over the world especially in The BIG APPLE.
