3A Culture shock

Good manners are always good manners. Thats what Miranda Ingram, who is English, thought, until she married Alexander, who is Russian. When I first met Alexander and he said to me, in Russian, Pour me some tea, I got angry and answered, Pour it yourself. Translated into English, without a Could you? and a please, it sounded really rude to me. But in Russian it was fine you dont have to add any polite words. However, when I took Alexander home to meet my parents in the UK, I had to give him an intensive course in pleases and thank yous (which he thought were completely unnecessary), and to teach him to say sorry even if someone else stepped on his toe, and to smile, smile, smile. Another thing that Alexander just couldnt understand was why people said things like, Would you mind passing me the salt please? He said, Its only the salt, for goodness sake! What do you say in English if you want a real favour? He also watched in amazement when, at a dinner party in England, we swallowed some really disgusting food and I said, Mmmdelicious. In Russia, people are much more direct. The first time Alexanders mother came to our house for dinner in Moscow, she told me that my soup needed more flavouring. Afterwards when we argued about it my husband said, Do you prefer your dinner guests to lie? Alexander complained that in England he felt like the village idiot because in Russia if you smile all the time people think that you are mad. In fact, this is exactly what my husbands friends thought of me the first time I went to Russia because I smiled at everyone, and translated every please and thank you from English into Russian! At home we now have an agreement. If were speaking Russian, he can say Pour me some tea, and just make a noise like a grunt when I give it to him. But when were speaking English, he has to add a please, a thank you, and a smile.

3B Judging by appearances
Laura Day, policewoman, Soho, London When people first meet me they think I might be a teacher or a hairdresser. When Im not wearing my uniform, they never believe me that Im a policewoman. When I tell people what I do, the typical reaction is, You cant be a policewoman, youre too small! Im only 1.6 metres tall. People always think that policewomen are big and masculine. Often people only believe me when I show them my police identity card. Sam Roddick, daughter of Anita Roddick (the millionaire founder of Body Shop) When I introduce myself to people and say my name they often say Oh you must be the Body Shop womans daughter. Later they cant remember my name. Im very proud of my mother but I would never say, My mums Anita Roddick. I dont know if I am very different from the typical rich kid because I dont know any. My friends never mention my background or money and neither do I. Thea Callan, managing director of Nails Inc. (the biggest UK chain of nail bars) People often ask me who my boss is. They think, She cant be the managing director shes a woman. Theyre expecting to see an older man in a suit. Or when people speak to me on the phone and hear that I am a woman then they think that I must be a 50year-old woman who wears trouser suits and is very unfeminine. Theyre very surprised when they see me Im not like that at all. In the office I just wear jeans and trainers.

3C Never give up
Natalie, the swimmer who lost a leg Natalie du Toit, the South African swimmer, was only seventeen when she lost her leg in a road accident. She was going to a training session at the swimming pool on her motorbike when a car hit her. Her leg had to be amputated at the knee. At the time she was one of South Africas most promising young swimmers. Everybody thought that she would never be able to swim competitively again. But Natalie was determined to carry on. She went back into the pool only three months after the accident. And just one year later, at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, she swam 800 metres in 9 minutes 11.38 seconds and qualified for the final but not for disabled swimmers, for able-bodied ones! Although she didnt win a medal, she still made history. I remember how thrilled I was the first time that I swam after recovering from the operation - it felt like my leg was there. It still does, says Natalie. The water is the gift that gives me back my leg. Im still the same person I was before the accident. I believe everything happens in life for a reason. You cant go back and change anything. Swimming was my life and still is. My dream is to swim faster than I did before the accident. Bethany, the surfer who lost an arm Bethany Hamilton was the best girl surfer of her age when she lost an arm in a shark attack. She was only thirteen years old and was surfing in Hawaii when a tiger shark attacked her and tore off her left arm. It happened so fast she didnt even scream. But Bethany was determined to get back on a surf board as soon as possible. As soon as she left hospital, she began practising her surfing exercises on the beach. Everyone was amazed to see her surfing so soon after her accident. Incredibly, she finished 5th at the National Surfing Championships. The first time I went back into the sea I was so happy I cried, she said. It was easier than I thought. But obviously its much more difficult than with both arms, and I have to accept Ill probably never be world champion, which used to be my dream. Since then Bethany has signed a contract with Rip Curl, and has written a book about her experiences which has been made into a film. I always dream of the sea, she says. When you surf a wave, its like walking on water, and when youre in the air, its like flying.