Re: New Americans and New Russians

["Maxim Gatsuts" <maxim@hugo.kiev.ua>]

16-Sep-97 00:42 Igor Kessel wrote:
> Hello, fellow listers!

Hi!
I must apologize for wasting bandwidth continuing this non-Audi thread. But
Igor's post and his general conclusions affected me because I am one of those
listers from ex USSR republics.

I've not read original post of M-m Dubrovskaya (saying this without regret) so
I do not know what caused such a reaction. I only can say that people are
different everywhere. Stupidity is not national - it is international. At
least I beleive in this :)

>
> On a sad note, evidently my innocent joke has caused quite an insult to Mr.Isupov. I
> deeply regret that my post was understood in such a way. My father wrights his e-mail to
> me using the same exact awkward Russian-English and as so does my son. Yes, neither of
> them know English too well. No, the lack of former education in English does not make
> either of them them inferior persons, no matter how bad M-m Dubrovskaya wants to distort
> my words.
> Having said that, I would try to communicate with Mr. Isupov directly and offer him an
> apology. No matter how different our personalities and senses of humour
> are,in_no_instance_whatsoever did I want to humiliate him, trying to score a cheap laugh
> at his expense. I am probably guilty of having acquired too much of the American
> *take-it-easy* sense of humour (BTW, Americans, as a nation, never seize to amaze me
> with their readiness to be the first ones to laugh at themselves. This readiness to
> laugh at themselves is a sign of security, and a very appealing part of the American
> national character, IMHO).
> Alas, I have forgotten how always serious my former countrymen were. I have also
> forgotten how often do they elentary lack tact.

Igor. Looks like you are not being here for a long time. Many things was
changed. Now your former countrymen are full of humor. Unfortunately they
can't travel overseas to approve this :)

>
> My job duties, among others, include representing my Co (from the Engineering) and
> running the Co booth at various trade shows (National Design Engineering Show,
> Electronics Show, Sensors Show etc.). There is always a number of Russian
> reps/Co's present. Inevitably some of them would stop by our Co booth and I (or
> one of my colleagues) would answer their questions about our product line. Usually
> all goes nice and dandy as we chat away and smile to each other. I've been told
> that I have a fairly light and uncertain European accent; my fellow compatriots
> seldom recognise that I was not born in the US up until the very end, when I would
> say something like: *Do svidan'ya. Bol'shoe spasibo!*. That is when a miraculous
> metamorphosis occurs. Their smiles disappear; they pull their heads into their
> shoulders and their eyes suddenly become cold and stern. I would want to cry out
> loud from the top of my lungs: *hey, that's the same old me, with whom just a
> minute ago you took such a pleasure discussing the ways to use my positional
> sensors in your marine equipment. What in hell has changed?* But this desire gets
> shattered over the word *traitor!* written in their eyes. They would flame me with
> a good old communist hatred. Mixed with envy, I must add.:)
> I saw the American Swedes warmly greeting the Swedish Swedes (the Chief of the
> Motor Division of SAAB AB once stopped by our booth. He wanted to use my *Roll
> Insensitive Inclinometer* in balancing the cam shafts, for which I have a patent
> pending). Our Hungarian Chief Mechanical Engineer virtually melts down when he
> sees a fellow Hungarian. The Germans in my Co absolutely enjoy meeting the Germans
> from the Old Country. Only my fellow countrymen can't stand the guts of those who
> left the hypocritical (with the capital H) Country of a *Winning Socialism*
> ("jumped from the scoop" in a vulgar Soviet era lingo of M-m Dubrovskaya). They
> even have invented a nickname for people like me: *The Former*.

Have you Igor ever thought about kind of people from ex USSR who are visiting
such exhibitions? I bet 99% of them are representing informational and
technical departments of ex KGB. Who else can be interested here in such a
subject?

>
> Also, once in a while fellow Q-heads from Russia (or from one of the republics, which
> the former USSR was comprised of) surface on the list. I used to greet them off-list, in
> Russian,with all my heart, offering help and advice. In_no_instance_ever (!) did any of
> them respond as if I were contagious.

I hope you dont mean me. I my justification I can say that I was _never_
received anything from you (but would be glad to receive).
>From my side when I see my former countrymen in any of foregn
language newsgroup I never begin private communications with them first. Some
of them reacting _very_ strange.

> OTOH, I have developed great friendship with most Russian-Americans here on the
> List, with whom we constantly exchange direct mail in both languages. As well as with a
> number of fellow listers from the US as well as from other countries, most of whom
> sight-unseen.
> This dissonance makes me go: Hmmm….. There is something about fellow Russians, who
> live back in the Metropolis, which makes them very different from the Russians here in
> the Colonies.

Sorry, but on the very narrow base you do a very broad conclusion. At
least it looks like.

>
> Sorry that this ethnic quarrel has made itself public, listers. Although I was not the
> one who started it, I felt compelled to say a few words on my own behalf. The list
> camaraderie and my established reputation with it mean too much to me to let some
> passer-by stranger smear me with dirt. I will conduct all further communications
> with the parties involved off the list. Sorry for my (admittedly forced) waste of
> bandwidth. This is my last and only post to the list on this subject.
                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
And my as well. If you want to continue this discussion better to do it via
private e-mail.


>
> Sincerely,
>
> Igor Kessel,
> A *New Russian-American*
> Philadelphia, PA
> USA

Maxim
Kiev, Ukraine