So today I've been in America for 100 days. I know going by the poll [to the left] a lot of you are interested in comparisons between the two nations. So here is where we are starting. This is what one Yorkshire girl has learnt so far;
♥ All those people [I should state here work colleagues] that claimed they would keep in touch after I moved - didn't [bar one]. Some even claimed to be sending Christmas cards - there must be some black hole before the apartment door I'm unaware of. But if you go way back with this blog you'll remember my work tales. I shouldn't be surprised.
♥ BBC America sucks, you'd think all we watched in the UK was Gordon Ramsey [yes for some reason all his channel four shows are on BBC America], The Tudors, Top Gear and Star Trek. The only semi decent program is the snap showing of BBC news but that is limited to being on between 5 to 7AM. Useful when you can't sleep, but little else. Radio is lacking too.
♥ There's drive thru ATM's and banking facilities, you can do everything from the comfort of your drivers seat.
♥ Weather forecasts are always in Fahrenheit which I'm not sure on, just that 32 is freezing. And here was me thinking that America was ahead of everyone else so why am I going back to using inches and Fahrenheit?
♥ American's love the British accent but they always double check your not Australian. Then they often mention the Queen - at points I feel like I need to be more brainy about the Queen and royalty in general and all the royal updates always get shown on the news.
♥ After leaving a country that had a free health service that I never really used in all of 25 years but as soon as you land in a country were such free things don't exist; you need them! No matter how much people slate off the NHS you should feel lucky that you have a free at the point of service health center. Because I'm not yet on my boys insurance plan yet we had to pay $102/£65 just to be seen by a Dr.
♥ I don't understand American politics and why it has to be so involved with religion.
♥ Chips are fries, crisps are chips.
Galaxy bars are Dove bars. Cheese in a can is wrong. You can buy tubs of 200
certain drugs including antihistamines and ibuprofen in one go. Naan bread is nigh on nonexistent and when you eat, all you need is a fork, I'm apparently posh because I additionally use a knife.
♥ Oh and things are just generally cheaper over here especially beauty things [I might comprise a whole post about this - interested?].
But is there anything about the UK I'm missing? Yes one thing ....
I really miss Quavers! American crisps [or chips if we're using American terms] aren't the same. Walkers are even called Lays and that doesn't sound crispy! If anyone knows the whereabouts of anywhere that sells Quavers in America please let me know, I miss their cheesy curly niceness.
♥ Oh and things are just generally cheaper over here especially beauty things [I might comprise a whole post about this - interested?].
But is there anything about the UK I'm missing? Yes one thing ....
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I really miss Quavers! American crisps [or chips if we're using American terms] aren't the same. Walkers are even called Lays and that doesn't sound crispy! If anyone knows the whereabouts of anywhere that sells Quavers in America please let me know, I miss their cheesy curly niceness.
Any suggestions for any of the comparisons your interested in seeing?
haha loved this post! :) the whole name change with food items really confuses me! xx
ReplyDeleteI know! I order hot dog and chips once and I was really not getting why I was given a bag of Lays/Walkers. It just doesn't seem right!
DeleteLoved this post! Made me giggle! xx
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI found the American supermarket shopping really quite weird. I saw the cheese in the can, which me and my friends all felt rather nauseated over. Why are Galaxy bars called Dove bars? All I thought of was soap. I found it strange that the frozen isles were all in the centre of the store, and I swear there were about 20 variations of each product. I was also quite shocked at the amount of pills! I do miss Peanut Butter cups, and my family have now developed a strong love for Lucky Charms! Miss America already :( x
ReplyDeleteYeah Galaxy as Dove really doesn't seem right! Mars bars are pretty much called Milky Ways over here too. Oh the stores are HUGE. The one we use the frozen aisle is right between the veg and the wine but the milk is right at the other end. There is no logic!
DeleteNo naan bread?!?! *cancels trip to USA* Fun post! Glad u seem to be enjoying America. :-) xx
ReplyDeleteI know! Apparently it might be within a store called Costco but you have to be like a member [like Mako] so no naan bread for us yet!
Delete"I don't understand American politics and why it has to be so involved with religion."
ReplyDeleteYES! You'd think separation of church and state didn't exist because here in America they seem to go hand in hand. Makes me so damn angry!
I had a friend back in junior high whose dad transferred here from England. She left after 3 years and every time she came back to visit us it took me a few days to get used to her accent. She'd talk very fast and I'd say "Jen, I know we're speaking the same language but your accent is making it hard for me to understand you!" Yet no matter how fast I spoke she understood me. So weird!
Loved this post lady, very interesting =-)
I know right! It first really dawned on me from a debate on NPR about the Kennedy's and being Catholic and all the guys running for the Republican candidacy and things. And I just remember thinking, surely it should be about what they want to do for the country, what they stand for rather then what church, or even if they belong to one?! To me as an outsider the focus just seems wrong. But then again drive past any church on a Sunday and you can see how packed the car parks are which is a culture shock to me.
DeleteMe and Joe are pretty good with interchanging our words and accents but sometimes people really don't get my accent or they think it's really posh which makes me laugh! So funny how two people because of a couple of thousand miles speak the same language so different! The joys of words and languages!
I've only been to the US once (New Orleans) and found that everyone loved the British accent. I also adore their HUGE supermarkets. Everything in general seems to be a lot bigger over there. Oh,and they also have drive thru Starbucks! Fab.
ReplyDeleteWe are very lucky to have the NHS over here. Have you seen the documentary 'Sicko'about the health services in different countries?
xx
And it's the fact that the stores sell everything, not just food but paint, fishing rods, craft things. It always amazes me! I haven't seen that documentary but it sounds interesting!
DeleteI totally forgot about the drive thru Starbucks - see it's turning into the norm for me!
I'm from Spain and I lived in the US for 10 months. I usually use a knife here but over there people made fun of me. I was just like, really? haha
ReplyDeleteAnd don't get me started on bread, apparently the only bread they eat is the sandwich kind...and they were the ones making fun of Spain not having peanut butter lol it's crazy :)
Yeah American bread is not good. I just want to find a plain white bread loaf or a mutligrain, yeah just not happening!
DeleteI was always slightly scandalised by the crisps/chips thing when watching American sitcoms as a kid lol. Bitch as we might about the NHS, I completely agree, we ARE lucky that healthcare is free.
ReplyDeleteJem xXx
Chips are chips, crisps are crisps and dove is soap! Americans need to sort that out haha :P i would love to see a price comparison between cosmetics X
ReplyDeleteI can just see an American in the UK asking for a bar of Dove and getting soap and being like WTF?! I'll get working on a beauty comparison, i've found some interesting results already!
DeleteHaha I love this and I guess our experiences are pretty similar - I plan my blog posts ahead and I wrote an alarmingly similar piece the other night for my blog. Lots of overlaps! But not the naan bread issue - took ages to find a good indian that tasted like british ones but they all had 'normal' naan this side of the border. Do you have wonder bread in the states? Comes in a blueish/clear packet...like british bread. Closest thing I've found (not quite hovis, but not far off!) and the only thing I'll have.....recommend it if you can find it! :) xxx
ReplyDeleteA lot of the curry houses around us are all Thai currys so I still haven't had my naan bread fix! I'll have to keep my eyes out for that bread, I use want something plain and white and that is apparently asking a lot! Can't wait to see your blog post about the comparisons!!
DeleteAs an American living in Australia I loved this post :)
ReplyDelete(here where chips are chips and crisps and that is EXTRA confusing).
That does sound confusing!!
DeleteHi Rachael.
ReplyDeleteYes health care here is high...but it is usually quick and Top-of-the-line.
American politics!!! Hubby,Joan and I agree that they are all out for power and money so vote to change them out when you get the chance.lol.
There are a lot of bread bakeries in most Cities. You can find most any kind
of bread you can think of. Joan and I bake our own bread. We love the smell of bread in the oven.
We do go to Fervere Retail Bakery in Kansas City. They have a bread that we love and have not been able to copy it to taste the same. It is called - Orchard Bread - apples, golden raisins, walnuts and apricots are the main ingredients.
Thank you for sharing.
Love, Joann
Wow that bread sounds lovely! Definitely going to look into some nicer breads for sure!
DeleteThese in a CAN?! Wrong on so many levels. Would love to see your beauty post xx
ReplyDeleteElla @ Belle Vintage
Yeah the cheese in a can only comes out when I have extreme cravings these days! Its really a weird and slightly wrong concept!
DeleteThe US seemed kind of strange to me though I did love seeing the school buses. No one really commented on our accents I guess is being a tourist area they were used to it. Drive thru ATMS? How does no one get robbed?? xx
ReplyDeletei loveeeeeeee this post especially since i'm an american living in germany it's so nice hearing about someone else's transition to another country and how they are adjusting and the comparisons and especially the things that you miss!!
ReplyDeleteHaha so true!
DeleteHaha. Love this post. Made me laugh. Sounds like you're having a ball. Ignore the stupid work people. They're loss.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yeah they have their moments don't they?!
DeleteAlso cheese in a can WTF
ReplyDeleteThis is really interesting! What's with the cheese in a can... I wish the beauty products were the same price here in the UK... Oh and no one knows much about the queen don't worry;) Love this post! :) whatrebeccasaid.blogspot.com xxx
ReplyDeletegood luck!:)
ReplyDeleteI love a British accent as well:)
Wow can't believe it's been a 100 days that has really flown by! I really love this post, and gosh the one year I went to Florida the taxi driver had a whole conversation about the Queen with us lol.
ReplyDeletexxx
I agree, America is so weird - I've lived here all my life and it doesn't make sense to me still! ;D
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on not loosing your mind yet!