ImagiNation

Nice doesn't mean friendly

Today we were talking about culture shock in my graduate hour for my anthropology class. Of course, when my professor asked us to describe ones experience with this, he was asking the two other grad students because they are not from the United States. But I also had an example, so I shared- nice does not mean friendly. This is one thing I have come to learn living in Ohio after growing up in Kentucky. The people here are nice- really nice. But that doesn't mean they will say "hi" to you, even if you live in the same apartment building*. This seems odd to me. I mean we are neighbors and yet when I pass them on the stair case and say hello, I just get a look. If I'm lucky, I'll get a nod. Most of the time I just feel like they just think I'm crazy or something.

*It does mean they will rat on you for having a dog in your apartment though- those fuckers can't say hi, but my mom brings the dog when she comes for a visit and it barks in the middle of a Saturday afternoon and they go and tattle! Do I complain when my neighbor smokes and it fills my apartment with smoke because I sleep with the window open? Do I tattle at all the noise that the Amazon/furniture moving/wrestling people who live above me make? Did I make a big deal when some of the kids below me partied at the end of the fall quarter on Wednesday night and I had a final early Thursday morning? The answer to all these is NO!! Why? Because we're in college- get over it! If it only annoys you for an hour whats the point of making a complaint and getting someone in trouble for breaking their lease? I'm starting to think these people aren't that nice afterall. The worst part is that who ever made the complaint said that we left our dog on my "balcony in a cage and she cried for hours" and on the coldest day of the year!! What shit! My dogs kennel was on the balcony and that was all- this dog gets treated better than most humans! I so can't wait to move out of this place!

posted by imagine @ 3:26 PM