Wonders of the new World

[baron555 934]

So to continue on a discussion that was touched upon on another thread, what "wonder" does your new SO find so interesting or amazing?

Alla and I have always joked back and forth about the wonderful Russian Inventions or amazing American Inventions that touch our lifes; and some are not unique!!!!

1. Self Service Checkout

I had Alla swipe the Jewel Food card the other day and then self scan the items and then use the Debit Card (another amazement). She understood that there is a person watching over you to assist and ensure non-theft but the mere fact of do it yourself was amazing.

2. Automatic Car Wash

Not unique but the first time for both her and Leonid. I purchased the Classic wash with "rainbow" wax and super power dry Plus!! He was thrilled.

3. Free Public Toilets with clean lavatories and free toilet paper (At Millenium Park in Chicago)

In Moscow it's $1 each time and you also have to buy a single sheet of toilet paper from the lady. She joked that she will see what I can do with a single sheet of toilet paper when we visit Moscow next year. I told her I will bring my own and sell multiple sheets out on the street corner.

4. Tremendous selection of Produce (plus suberb quality) and Low cost Clothing

Already have discussed this.

5. I-Pass on the Tollways

She understands the concept perfectly and that they take your photo and mail you an invoice if you don't pay.

6. Electric Can Openers

For a world-travelled Moscow girl, when I asked her to help open the cans of beans and tomotoes for the chili I made last night, she kept looking for the hand opener. "Here, I use this!" "What is this?" "Wow".........Now we know what we will bring back to her Mother next year!!!!! And I have found a source for 220 volt can openers. 220 volt Appliances

7. Bank ATM that accepts Check Deposits without any envelope

I'll spring this new technology on her tomorrow. My Chase bank, for about 4 months now, does not require any envelope into which one used to place your check to be deposited via the drive-up ATM. The newest technology, you set up the deposit and then insert the signed check on it's own into the slot. The machine churns it over and over and determines the deposit amount, let's you verify it, can spit out a scan of the check if you wish and you accept the deposit. No envelopes required. Even catches hand written checks no problem. Only in America.

8. Ridiculous Phone Plans

She received her mobile phone the other day. I printed out our phone rate plan to review with her. Rollover minutes? "Wow"

Unlimited mobile to mobile minutes. "But what if I talk with Evgenia in Atlanta on her mobile phone?" "No limit, talk as long as you want." "No limit?" "Yes, no limit." "Why?" "Welcome to America!!"

9. Disabled Parking

Very nice, obviously the disabled do not have the advantages in much of Europe and FSU as here.

Edited December 18, 2009 by baron555

[baron555 934]

Oh, but I can not wait until next summer to unveil to her what I consider to the be greatest invention in the whole world.

No, not the wheel.

No, not the Internet.

No, not air conditioning.

The greatest invention is the world is.........Seedless Watermelon

[clueless_in_usa 8]

So to continue on a discussion that was touched upon on another thread, what "wonder" does your new SO find so interesting or amazing?

Alla and I have always joked back and forth about the wonderful Russian Inventions or amazing American Inventions that touch our lifes; and some are not unique!!!!

1. Self Service Checkout

I had Alla swipe the Jewel Food card the other day and then self scan the items and then use the Debit Card (another amazement). She understood that there is a person watching over you to assist and ensure non-theft but the mere fact of do it yourself was amazing.

2. Automatic Car Wash

Not unique but the first time for both her and Leonid. I purchased the Classic wash with "rainbow" wax and super power dry Plus!! He was thrilled.

3. Free Public Toilets with clean lavatories and free toilet paper (At Millenium Park in Chicago)

In Moscow it's $1 each time and you also have to buy a single sheet of toilet paper from the lady. She joked that she will see what I can do with a single sheet of toilet paper when we visit Moscow next year. I told her I will bring my own and sell multiple sheets out on the street corner.

4. Tremendous selection of Produce (plus suberb quality) and Low cost Clothing

Already have discussed this.

5. I-Pass on the Tollways

She understands the concept perfectly and that they take your photo and mail you an invoice if you don't pay.

6. Electric Can Openers

For a world-travelled Moscow girl, when I asked her to help open the cans of beans and tomotoes for the chili I made last night, she kept looking for the hand opener. "Here, I use this!" "What is this?" "Wow".........Now we know what we will bring back to her Mother next year!!!!! And I have found a source for 220 volt can openers. 220 volt Appliances

7. Bank ATM that accepts Check Deposits without any envelope

I'll spring this new technology on her tomorrow. My Chase bank, for about 4 months now, does not require any envelope into which one used to place your check to be deposited via the drive-up ATM. The newest technology, you set up the deposit and then insert the signed check on it's own into the slot. The machine churns it over and over and determines the deposit amount, let's you verify it, can spit out a scan of the check if you wish and you accept the deposit. No envelopes required. Even catches hand written checks no problem. Only in America.

8. Ridiculous Phone Plans

She received her mobile phone the other day. I printed out our phone rate plan to review with her. Rollover minutes? "Wow"

Unlimited mobile to mobile minutes. "But what if I talk with Evgenia in Atlanta on her mobile phone?" "No limit, talk as long as you want." "No limit?" "Yes, no limit." "Why?" "Welcome to America!!"

9. Disabled Parking

Very nice, obviously the disabled do not have the advantages in much of Europe and FSU as here.

My wife found amazing (surprising) that there are so many poor people in the USA...

[clueless_in_usa 8]

My wife found amazing (surprising) that there are so many poor people in the USA...

I could not edit my previous post, but I wanted to add something else she found really amazing (one day I did it myself):

Drive-through ATMs (Bankomats)!!!

She could not believe that in the USA, many people do not like to get out of their cars even to do simple things as getting money from an ATM. I wonder what she will say when she sees somebody driving to his/her mailbox to get his/her daily mail

[SMR 368]

Oh, but I can not wait until next summer to unveil to her what I consider to the be greatest invention in the whole world.

No, not the wheel.

No, not the Internet.

No, not air conditioning.

The greatest invention is the world is.........Seedless Watermelon

Most Russians I have talked to aren't very impressed with seedless watermelons and, to be honest, neither am I. Maybe it's my imagination, but seeded watermelons have better flavor, on the average. Also, isn't spitting the seeds half the point of eating a watermelon? I regret that it's almost impossible to buy a seeded watermelon in America nowadays and hope this bit of "technology" never makes its way to Russia.

[baron555 934]

Here in the MidWest, the Seedless Watermelons are the sweetest around. Yes spitting the seeds is an art but how do they make Seedless Watermelons? How do they grow them if there are no seeds? Truly a great invention.

And another truly wonderful American Invention, I can't wait to take her to:

Drive Thru Liquor Stores

Slim has it great living in Ohio!

[Septembergold 0]

I, myself, don`t like the cellular services providers here... You have to choose your provider first and THEN choose a phone you like, and you have to choose from what that particular provider has to offer... Not fair.. At home you choose the PHONE you like and then decide what provider to go with.... Seems more reasonable to me.. But may be I`m just still not used to it...

A Drive-through anything was an amazing thing to me! My God, people! Most of us have legs... Walking to your mail box won`t kill you But, if people like to drive so much, let`s not complain about gas prices!!!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Oh, but I can not wait until next summer to unveil to her what I consider to the be greatest invention in the whole world.

No, not the wheel.

No, not the Internet.

No, not air conditioning.

The greatest invention is the world is.........Seedless Watermelon

Yes, Alla liked that also. The electric can opener was a hoot!! I never had one when I lived in Ukraine but assumed most people would, but no, turns out they are too expensive and no one really buys that stuff. Anyway, I had one here and her and Pasha opened every can in the cabinet playing with it!

Yes, the produce markets are amazing compared to Ukraine. She also was, and still is, fascinated by many of the big stores, her favorites being "Bed, Bath, Beyond", Micheal's Crafts, Lowes or Home Depot (SO MANY different kinds of toilets! Why?) And the cheap (almost free) clothes and shoes.

[Scott and Iryna 2]

Yes, the electric can opener...

My wife has been here over a year now, and she still can not work the electric can opener correctly. I don't get it. I don't specifically see what she's doing wrong, yet it still doesn't work for her. I walk over, put the can in, works every time... what's up with that??

And she refuses to use the peeler. She uses a knife to peel potatoes and carrots. Even when she watches me next to her, peeling in half the time, she continues to say she doesn't like it, and the "quality" of my peeled potatoes is below hers... oh well.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Here in the MidWest, the Seedless Watermelons are the sweetest around. Yes spitting the seeds is an art but how do they make Seedless Watermelons? How do they grow them if there are no seeds? Truly a great invention.

And another truly wonderful American Invention, I can't wait to take her to:

Drive Thru Liquor Stores

Slim has it great living in Ohio!

There is very little drive thru anything in Vermont. Alla prefers to park somewhere and walk. She thinks drive thrus are what make people "fat and lazy"

[Chi-town 1]

Here in the MidWest, the Seedless Watermelons are the sweetest around. Yes spitting the seeds is an art but how do they make Seedless Watermelons? How do they grow them if there are no seeds? Truly a great invention.

And another truly wonderful American Invention, I can't wait to take her to:

Drive Thru Liquor Stores

Slim has it great living in Ohio!

There is very little drive thru anything in Vermont. Alla prefers to park somewhere and walk. She thinks drive thrus are what make people "fat and lazy"

Alla is right

[mox 298]

4. Tremendous selection of Produce (plus suberb quality) and Low cost Clothing

Mine hates the produce in the grocery stores here, even when we were in CA and the heart of the "fruit basket." She likes the fruits and vegetables we get at farmers markets, but is generally disappointed by the quality in the stores. And now that she's taught me to have a better eye for produce, I have to agree. Yeah I know it's winter, so a lot of the off-season stuff has to be trucked in from the south, but the overall quality even in the summer hasn't been that high.

I'm pretty surprised about the electric can opener thing. My wife had an electric can opener in her apartment back home. In fact, nothing in my home was a big surprise to her, except the behemoth size of the fridge (which is a pretty normal sized American style fridge).

[clueless_in_usa 8]

I, myself, don`t like the cellular services providers here... You have to choose your provider first and THEN choose a phone you like, and you have to choose from what that particular provider has to offer... Not fair.. At home you choose the PHONE you like and then decide what provider to go with.... Seems more reasonable to me.. But may be I`m just still not used to it...

A Drive-through anything was an amazing thing to me! My God, people! Most of us have legs... Walking to your mail box won`t kill you But, if people like to drive so much, let`s not complain about gas prices!!!

I do not know you, but I always buy my phone in Russia (or somewhere in Europe), bring it to the USA and then use it on any provider I like. I never put up with the shitty phones they offer in the USA.

The funniest part of doing so is when I calll the provider for a piece of information to configure the phone. It goes something like this:

I: Would you please tell me the IP address of your wireless Internet providers

CSR: What is the model of your phone

I: What do you need that for? I am only asking for information regarding YOUR servers

CSR: But I need the model of your phone to tell you how to configure it

I: If I tell you the model of my phone you are not going to find it on your computer. Just give me the information I want and I will configure it myself

CSR: Without the model of your phone I cannot help you

I: Ok! It is a Samsung D-880

CSR: I am sorry, but we do not support that phone

Are CSR people in ... (every country) ... really that stupid?

What I end up doing is going to their website to find a phone from the same vendor that they do support and I give them that model number. At this point, they give me the information I asked for and I can configure everything myself.

Seriously! CSRs are also a "Wonder of the New World."

[justashooter 430]

houses made of wood.

i'll never forget the night Li arrived. she jumped up and down on them for a half an hour in each room to make sure they wouldn't fall thru. i laughed the whole time.

[Joe_&_Nadiya 1]

... her favorites being "Bed, Bath, Beyond", Micheal's Crafts......

Gary

Have Alla and Nadiya been hanging out without us knowing?!?!

Not to even mention JCPenney, T.J. Maxx (she has just corrected me on the "double X"), Victoria's Secret (althought I do NOT complain about this one)..LOL

and last but not least....Grocery Stores