Americanism!

One thing that's very noticeable working with interacting with Americans is that they are a much more a polite lot. From saying 'Thanks' to ‘Excuse me's’, it is a welcome change for me.

Here in India, not many people say Thank You and it is very rare to see someone saying excuse me. I say this purely from my own experiences but if you were to have studied in a Christian run school, you were more likely to say your Thank yous as all the Christian schools I went to had a very strong Anglican influence.

The countless hours of agony children had to endure in choir sessions, checking their shoes everyday to see they were well polished and knotting a tie everyday are experiences only in the Christian schools here. And we had these boring as hell moral science/catechism classes, where among other things we were taught to say please, thanks etc.

I do not ever recall having to say please if I wanted something across the table from dinner. I mean, the only people I used to say thanks and please to were strangers, not friends and family. And I can say with the utmost confidence that I was not an exception.When friends said Thanks to each other, we were always rebuffed with a "why thanks between friends" line.

It does take a bit to get used to things here especially when eating with christian families. Mine must be one of the very few Christian families that did not say grace before eating. There's been many a moment when I would have put something in my mouth only for someone to say lets pray. God knows what the hosts of other christian families or friends thought of me then.

And yes the horror of trying to eat meat in an American way is the best part. Eating meat involved, waiting to see how the others used their cutlery and imitating them. Being the clumsiest person around did not help either, what with all the dropped spoons and clinking plates. Think Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman trying to do the best she could at the table.

Now this I cannot say is representative of Indians in general as I know plenty Indians real comfortable with their forks, spoons and what not. Keeping in mind the place I live tries its best to be Americans, including weekend bashes and harcore partying to rolling their ‘R’s.

Welcome change! I would call it if people really become polite and friendly.