Welcome to the Mudcat jayohjo (great spelling) if this is your first post, and even if it isn't. We need more Russians here. For one thing, I've got a balalaika on the wall, and I've never been able to work out how to play it.

Most Americans never even get passports, like most Russians. The ones that travel abroad aren't a random sample. A lot of tourist American are great people, but I suspect that the proportion of Americans who are great people is rather higher back home.