Clash of cultures: what will be different in Saint Louis?
Although life in Europe and US is quite similar and the two continents largely share cultural heritage, it may come as no surprise that living in Saint Louis has its perks and cons for someone coming from Central Europe. I assembled my own list of "culture shocks" and differences related to moving into Saint Louis, based on an experience of 3 months.
by Gergely Kemecsei, HMEP Scholar at MBA 2019 at Saint Louis University
It is easy and cheap to get a driver's license: it takes literally 1-2 hours and $10 to obtain a full license without any restrictions. Learn the state-specific driving rules from a 100 pages guide (sample tests are available), walk in to the Highway Patrol's office, take the computer-based theoretical test (they allow you a second try), do the eyesight examination, then wait 10 minutes until an officer appears who administers the approximately 30 minutes practical test. Based on experience, foreigners are expected to meet the criteria of a more thorough examination, but it can be done in a peaceful suburban environment without any traffic – and automatic cars are allowed! The driver's license is also useful for age verification purposes in stores and bars.
Please note: HMEP scholars can use a Mini Cooper in St. Louis from time-to-time as a part of the scholarship, so you don’t need to drive this archeological piece.
Affordable tickets to baseball matches: the city revolves around the Cardinals, one of the most successful baseball teams in the world, boasting 11 World Series Championship titles. It is not only quite often (up to 4 home games a week), but it is a cheap outdoor activity: tickets can cost as low as $8. One full game will be required to learn the sophisticated rules, but the thrill is unmatched when fireworks are launched for a Cardinals home run.
HMEP Scholars & Spouses (Left to right: Daniel Tamasi (WashU 2018), Brigitta Tamasi-Pere, Gergely Kemecsei (SLU 2018), Monica Postovaru (SLU 2018), Dora Hargitai (SLU 2017), Zsuzsanna Dorosz, David Dorosz (Webster 2017), Tamas Javor (UMSL 2017)
Pedestrian and cyclist friendly rules and drivers: in most intersections, all cars must come to a full stop at all times (all-way stop), allowing priority crossing for pedestrians. Contrary to prior expectations, Saint Louis is a relatively cyclist friendly city with designated bike lanes on most major avenues. However, cycling is not a common way to get around: it may happen that you won't see another cyclist for a full hour (as cars are kings). In addition, my general observation is that non-rush hour drivers are more courteous than their European counterparts.
Outstanding customer service in restaurants and stores: "dismissal at will" (employer can fire a waiter on the spot) results in waiters and store employees being extremely helpful and kind towards customers. Expect personalized and caring service every single time you buy clothes or eat out – something not always a common practice in Europe.
Low taxes: sales tax (more or less the equivalent of VAT) is less than 10%, and the overall tax burden is approximately 30-35%. Moreover, excise duty on gas is so low that a gallon (3.8 liters) of gas costs around $2.5. I am confident that even a 1% tax increase would cause massive upheaval here. Obviously, the low taxes have adverse consequences on the status of infrastructure (railways, roads), public services and social security – but it is another story.
There's Uber, and it's cheap: Uber dominates in this city, providing convenient and affordable service. The average cost of a 5 miles ride would be no more than $10 – cheaper than a cab in Budapest.
Mobility is a real thing in the US: people move from one corner of a country to another because of studies, family or a new job. I know only a handful of bona fide Saint Louisan – every other friend of mine moved here for studies or job.
Every food is sweet and has an excessive amount of sugar: for a European, it is very difficult to digest that every single type of bread is sweet (not to mention that it is prepacked and toast bread like). It requires a way more attention during shopping to avoid products with tons of sugar in them and the healthier products often cost 2-3 times more. Bakeries as such don't really exist here: I am certain that every European start craving for a crunchy freshly baked bread after one week here – a need that is rarely going to be fulfilled.
Expensive grocery shopping – relatively affordable to eat out: vegetables, fruits, dairy products and other groceries are significantly (2-3 times) more expensive than in Central Europe. Cooking is, therefore, most costly because of the prices of the ingredients. This being said it is often cheaper and easier to simply eat out. Dining options are vast and most places offer huge portions, and Saint Louis University has dining halls that offer all-you-can-eat & drink menus for $6-8.
Little knowledge of the part of Europe that is east of Germany: it happens too often that more explanation of elementary level European history and geography is needed in an everyday conversation. I came to a conclusion that I introduce myself being from Hungary, EUROPE (same way as Missouri, US) – to give a solid keynote on my origins. To be fair though, what prior knowledge an average Central European has of Missouri (a state which actually has a population of Slovakia)?
0.08%: it is the level of blood alcohol content above which it is illegal to drive a motor vehicle. Missouri is famous for its non-strict alcohol laws and while DUI (driving under the influence) accidents do not happen as often as I expected, it still gives me the cringes that everyone here just hops into their cars and drives home after a sizeable amount of booze.
There is no one designated and centrally located party district, there are less student-budget friendly dive bars, musical events and EDM gigs: house parties make up for these shortcomings though!
Expensive healthcare: even though hospital services are outstanding and doctors make the highest amount of money among all trades (an example to be looked at in Central Europe), it comes at a price. I was told never to call an ambulance because it is almost never covered by the health insurance and costs $300 – advice is to always call an Uber instead. People here are really forced to think twice whether to go to a doctor or not, even when having dire medical conditions. Insurance companies top this by not covering all types of treatments and diagnostics, leaving a patient no option but to pay the medical bill at least partially. This is no big worry for HMEP scholars though, as the full-scale student coverage is part of the scholarship.
No extensive public transit network: Saint Louis metro area spans across an area 4-5 times bigger than that of Budapest – with a similar population size. At the same time, it has one and a half metro (not a subway, rather a fancy tram) line, no suburban rail and a sparse and infrequent bus network. This implies that car is the basic way of getting around. Distances are huge, and cars are the only way of getting around (sadly, to and from bars too…). So far, a bicycle is a good short and mid-distance alternative for me, but you'll need a car or a friend with a car for grocery shopping and longer distances.
Imperial units of measurement: I keep trying to express everything in feet, pounds, and Fahrenheit with more or less success. But I never fail to add the equivalent in meters, kilograms, and Celsius and end the sentence with the phrase "in non-retarded units". It is crazy how inconsistent the imperial system is with itself (even more than when converting to metric): 1 mile equals to 1760 yards, 1 gallon equals to 128 ounces – it is impossible to make such head calculations, not to mention that hardly any American knows these conversions anyway.
Mandatory tipping: I understand that waiters earn below minimal wage and they need the tip to get by… wait no, I do not, minimal wage is systematically disregarded and defied in the hospitality industry! It is a complete nonsense and a stupid excuse to expect customers to pay wages of a waiter directly. 20% is a must here, but I often just round up the bill. I am convinced that tip should be a reward for exceptional service, not a mandatory supplement.
No European standard low-cost fares on domestic flights: the airport of St. Louis is poorly connected to the rest of the US, only being served by less than 10 carriers. As a consequence, no super low fares are available to fly around the US, a return trip usually starts at $200 – even on Southwest. You might need to drive up to Chicago for better fares.
Net prices are displayed stores: even though sales tax rate is really not significant, it is quite bothersome that the grocery tab is always topped by around 10%, which is not shown on the individual products' price tags. It is an unpleasant surprise at the cashier to which it is nearly impossible to get accustomed.
Gun culture: I will not rant about it too much as it is a politically divisive issue, but Missouri has one of the laxest gun laws in the US. Consequently, possessing a firearm is an accepted norm here. Of course, most people do not even carry guns with them concealed but keep it home (it is forbidden on university campuses), yet it is a behavior hard to digest for a person raised in Europe.
Lack of comprehensive and institutionalized social care system for the poor, the unemployed, the sick: again, a consequence of the laissez-faire capitalism – a well-educated person can make a fortune, have luxury cars, buy a mansion than in Central Europe, whereas it is even tougher to be poor here than in underdeveloped regions of Central Europe.
The average level of public safety (especially during the night) is lower than in the worst districts of Budapest: there are ways to stay out of trouble – Saint Louis University offers complimentary transfers in the vicinity of the campuses, Uber is always there and the risk is greatly reduced by avoiding notoriously bad neighborhoods.
Every city can grow on you and turn out to be your home for one reason or another. Saint Louis is already there for me for this one year: it has everything an American mid-size university city has to offer to entertain, feed and lodge one well!
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