Differences Abroad

After living multiple years of my life overseas, I have begun to notice a plethora of differences between America and its culture compared to the countries I have lived in. The cultures are obviously going to be different, but to see how they vary and contrast with one another is a tremendous wonder. One difference that I have noticed between Turkey and America is the kapijas (apartment-building caretakers) and their jobs. I have found that each kapija has different duties at different apartments but most of them coincide. He acts as the caretaker of the apartment building or apartment complex. He gets paid by the people who live in the apartments and he does multiple errands and jobs. He usually lives in the same apartment building. Now, in the States, we do not have a kapija. We may have caretakers in our apartment buildings but I have not heard or seen anyone in the States that do the jobs of a Turkish kapija. They make sure the building is kept clean and presentable. They come to get your garbage and at times, grocery lists. They bring fresh bread to your door. They are also, at times, in charge of bringing the bills for the apartment utilities. This is the first country that I have encountered a kapija. Even during my 9 and a half years of living in Russia I never heard of or saw someone who did everything a kapija does. Living in a small town in the U.S. and having a house, I could understand that there is no likelihood of seeing a kapija. . . unless of course I could have been counted as one. I took out the garbage, went grocery shopping (with my parents though), helped keep the house clean and I could have brought fresh bread to the door if that had meant getting a pay raise. This is just one of the many differences that I have noted.