AMERICAN CULTURE

As you know the United States of America (USA) is a wide, rich country with many beautiful, poetic scenes and a lot of secret things which are expecting to discover. Talking about the USA, I am sure that nobody do not dream once set foot in this heaven. With large area is considered a miniature world and is granted rare beautiful scenes along with the inherent monumental has created its very own picture of this “giant”. The United States is a nation of diverse cultures. This is a large center of the world would have to leave the unforgettable impression when you once arrive here. I was fortunate to have a tour to the USA two months ago. This tour has left me more impressed.

HUE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH … … AMERICAN CULTURE 2 Teacher: DƯƠNG LÂM ANH Student: LÊ THỊ THANH PHƯỚC Birthday: 20/10/1987 Hue, 06/2010 As you know the United States of America (USA) is a wide, rich country with many beautiful, poetic scenes and a lot of secret things which are expecting to discover. Talking about the USA, I am sure that nobody do not dream once set foot in this heaven. With large area is considered a miniature world and is granted rare beautiful scenes along with the inherent monumental has created its very own picture of this “giant”. The United States is a nation of diverse cultures. This is a large center of the world would have to leave the unforgettable impression when you once arrive here. I was fortunate to have a tour to the USA two months ago. This tour has left me more impressed. I had set foot on America at the Los Angeles airport at 14 pm on Sunday, October 20 th , 2009 and left this country at 7 am on Monday, December 20 th , 2009 from San Francisco airport. Because most of my friends lived in Southern California so I decided to choose this state for my tour. In my tour, I separated it into 2 periods. The first month, I would learn about American life, traffic law, society as well as my experience in that tour. The second month, I would go to visit some famous tourist attractions. That was my first time to America, everything was strange to me. However, I did not feel afraid because I learnt about “American culture” at Hue College of Foreign Languages before. Mr Lam Anh showed me many things about American culture such as government, religion, education, food and sports. Therefore, I have felt self-confident in my knowledge. Coming to American, I stayed at my friends’ house in Los Angeles and San Jose. After that, I visited some places in California such as casinos in Las Vegas, Sea World, Hollywood, and Golden Gate. They are extremely beautiful. It is well known for its centers of business and other activities. I felt the most obvious of America is a life of peace and order. American people are polite and active. They are always respecting the law, so all activities are comfortable. U.S transportation system is too good. Californian is always proud of having the best road systems and traffic signs in U.S. The traffic signs and name of streets are fitted convenient places for driver-seeing: at the crossroads in the center of the city, traffic lights and name of streets are hung on the top. Especially, I saw that Americans drove by name of streets’ and traffic signs. If you were stranger, you would not ever drive to be lost too far because there were signs in every street. My friend said: “we only know three main freeways and destination; we can drive to anywhere we want. Under road surface has electronic induction system to harmonize traffic signs automatically. In addition, each person has own car in America. No one hitchhike each other. The public utilities are quite good. Gas stations, department stores and food outlets are located everywhere. All of them have free and clean public hygiene. Even when you are driving on freeways, if you had the particular needs to go to the toilet, you could turn into “EXIT” where you could drop in gas stations or department stores to solve. American society is order, discipline and observing the law. American citizens are always respecting the traffic law. They always stop immediately where the “STOP” word has been painted on the pavement at the intersection or when there is “STOP” sign. My own eyes saw the cars had to stop two-way at all when the bus with students erected “STOP” for student alighting from a bus to enter school on the right. If they got snarled up in a traffic jam, they would walk in single file. Nobody encroach each other. There is an emergency lane in freeway at the left and right side. Any vehicle does not run into that lane. How is the traffic system in Vietnam? I think that the traffic system in Vietnam does not develop as the traffic system in U.S. everybody always encroach each other. Therefore, there are many accidents in Vietnam every year meanwhile; accidents are always rare in U.S. Leaving litter on the roads is heavily fined. Throughout the Freeway and National Road along the Pacific Ocean always has a sign “Leaving litter will be heavily fined $1000”. U.S citizens execute good regulations. I think that perhaps because the penalty is very high. My friend told that she was sleeping at 2 am. She awoke when the gate bell rung. She opened the door. At that moment, a policeman was standing in front of the door. Because she let the dog takes a prowl about the streets. Policeman caught that dog and gave back with $100 penalty. If there was recidivism, the penalty would increase twofold. How is their life? They have to word very hard to “pay their debt” for their life. In the U.S there is every thing, including knowledge, but you have to pay by money. Therefore, you must word harder to pay the debt for your life. The private lifestyle of family is always respected. This means that nobody is interested in one’s life although they live in an apartment building or tenement. Nobody pays attention to clothes, so American people are considered untidy. Except those who are civil servants or workers in big companies wear formal clothes. The rest of people usually wear jeans, shirt and sports shoes. As you know, American people enter any restaurant. Although there are many empty places, they must wait until they are guided by the restaurant employee. They do not automatically enter restaurant and find a table to sit. Almost their houses are made of wood. The yards around the house are covered greenery. Market gardening is the most popular in the U.S. They never give up planting vegetables. Because there is always a viewpoint in America “The planting vegetables creates much money”. In the U.S, it is difficult to distinguish between urban and rural areas. Because the natural scenery and house are similar, people and clothes are also similar. The only native people distinguish those differences. In Vietnam and in America are as different as chalk and cheese. In Vietnam it is easy to discriminate those. In Vietnam, life in the city is full of activities. The rural country has always been known to be a place of peace and quite. Houses in urban areas are beautiful and modern more than houses in rural areas. Especially, urban population always wears fashionable clothes. What makes me concern particularly about American children. The children are looked after extremely good from studying to having fun. They do not have to work for a living. How is in Vietnam? Many children in the street run about themselves to earn their living. It is a heart-breaking scene. After spending one month in America, I know a lot of things about American culture. And the next and the final month in my tour, I visited many beautiful and attractive scenes in America. During my stay in Los Angeles, I went out every day with my friends to see the beautiful and interesting places and things in the city. . because I learnt about American culture at Hue College of Foreign Languages before. Mr Lam Anh showed me many things about American culture such as government,. UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH …..….. AMERICAN CULTURE 2 Teacher: DƯƠNG LÂM ANH Student: LÊ THỊ THANH PHƯỚC Birthday: