Things you will not see (or hear) in the USA

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I always enjoy our cultural exchanges. Certainly one of the benefits of being married to a Ukrainian.

So last night Alla is telling me about when she was in high school. They had a class which roughly translates to "Military Preparation" which ALL students had to take. They were taught first aid, survival, what to do in case of nuclear war with the USA etc. They were taught how to throw dummy hand grenades, how to use an RPG and how to shoot SKS rifles ( assume SKS, she said it was "not the Kalashnikov", but the one before that and it shoots one time when you pull the trigger)

They took the students to an indoor shooting range to actually shoot the rifles. (is anyone counting all the things that DO NOT happen in the US in a city high school) So when they get to the range the instructor "a guy from the army" tells the students to lay on the floor.

ALL the boys laid on their stomachs...ALL the girls laid on their backs with their knees up. Alla says "what do you expect?" The instructor says "OK girls, turn over on your stomach, we are going to make war, not make love"

All we got was how to hide under our desks.

Edited March 24, 2011 by Gary and Alla

[Samoray 165]

Seriously is this true or a joke i can't tell now

[slim 1,523]

Not a joke. Soviet women love to make "war."

[Harsh_77 718]

lol...... its funny

we are going to make war, not make love...........lol

[Tim/Mav 305]

Drama...

Moving thread too. I lost My Mind..

Only in Humor. Hope you feel better soon...

[Tim/Mav 305]

Drama...

Moving thread too. I lost My Mind..

Only in Humor. Hope you feel better soon...

There is no such thing as Love and Peace. These things have been proven throughout the Centuries that people have to die for Freedom. Sad but true, Men will always Fight. If theres nothing to fight about then Man will find a reason to kill another and gain prestiege. Why? Thats what we do. Silly, but true.

[AmyWrites 593]

They had the right idea... if we did that more instead of shooting each other there would never be wars.

[ONA 133]

They still have the class, shooting is only for boys though too bad, i really wanted to try that The name of the class is different too, something like "basic life safety".

It's really funny though looking at all your classmates wearing gaz masks It's even more fun when you see your classmates wearing that: http://pics.livejournal.com/milind/pic/001pb1gk/s640x480 I honestly don't even know what you call it in English.

Might be useful though too.

Btw this class includes lessons on HIV/AIDS and other STDs.

They have the class in colleges and universities too, more complicated and you have to do a lot of numbers there - like if something happens to a nuclear power plant how soon radiation will get to certain area and stuff like that. Depressing class, makes you realise how screwed you are if something happens.

And it's not a joke!

Edited March 24, 2011 by ONA

[Neonred 3,553]

My wife had the same "classes" in Russia, however she tells me they learned to shoot on a Kalashnikov.

I've decided to hide the few guns I do have.

[ONA 133]

My wife had the same "classes" in Russia, however she tells me they learned to shoot on a Kalashnikov.

I've decided to hide the few guns I do have.

I assume that your wife finished school long before I did

I finished school in 2006... and for me those classes were not just high school, but started at some point during middle school period (and nowadays kids start it in elementary school, but they don't study military stuff that early of course).

Now the classes are more medical oriented for girls and more military oriented for guys. Of course gils learn some basic military things too, but shooting is not one of them

[baron555 934]

My Alla does acknowledge knowledge of Sparrow School!

I'm sure she sends back tons of collected information via her Skype sessions virtually everyday with her family; her brother is a lifer in the Army.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Seriously is this true or a joke i can't tell now

No, not a joke. We were going through some papers and I found her transcripts from high school. As I said it roughly translates to "Military Preparation" or maybe "preparedness". The story about the girls laying on their backs was true, but just a funny story.

My wife had the same "classes" in Russia, however she tells me they learned to shoot on a Kalashnikov.

I've decided to hide the few guns I do have.

Alla was in Ukraine, they got the 2nd rate guns

Edited March 25, 2011 by Gary and Alla

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Also as I am sure most of you know, around the 8th grade or so the government made decisions as to what your career and education would be. They told Alla she was going to be a teacher of the Russian language and concentrated her education on language and literature until she graduated college. She had very little math and science education in high school and college, which was fine with her. They actually chose what a persons education to that point revealed they did well at and focused on that.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

My Alla does acknowledge knowledge of Sparrow School!

I'm sure she sends back tons of collected information via her Skype sessions virtually everyday with her family; her brother is a lifer in the Army.

Alla is also well aware of Sparrow School. She has some photos of a New Year's party at one of her former employers and all the women in the company are in a photo with the "head woman" (for lack of better term). The boss hen and all her chicks. I asked her "Is this your graduation photo from Sparrow School?"

[ONA 133]

Also as I am sure most of you know, around the 8th grade or so the government made decisions as to what your career and education would be. They told Alla she was going to be a teacher of the Russian language and concentrated her education on language and literature until she graduated college. She had very little math and science education in high school and college, which was fine with her. They actually chose what a persons education to that point revealed they did well at and focused on that.

That's someting I didn't even know

My mom studied in Russia, my dad studied in Ukraine, neither of them had this problem.