America, What a Country

Last night I met a Russian immigrant that came to the U.S. when she was 13 (in 1994). After describing to me life in the former Soviet Union -- the bare shelves and endless standing in line -- I asked her what her first impressions of an American grocery store were. I expected something along the lines of the size and selection, but no. The first thing she noticed was the smell, or lack thereof. In Russia, she explained, you can smell the food as soon as you walk in. In the U.S., outside of the produce sections in higher-end stores such as Whole Foods -- it's very antiseptic and without the food's natural aroma.