AN ENGLISHMAN'S VIEW OF LIVING IN AMERICA
Before I start this page, I should apologize to any that I might offend. These are my own personal views of the USA, or that part of the USA that I have known in the year that I have been living in America.
I moved to the Eastern coast of the USA back in June 2000, having visited both the East and West coasts before this I had some idea of what was in store for me, but found that in some cases the European view of American and what it is like is far from correct.
FOOD:
Eating Out:
When you think of the USA and food one immediately thinks of "fast food". Sure there are plenty of takeaways and drive through's, there is nearly a drive through for everything. Burgers, Mexican, Hotdogs, Chemists, Banks anything that will save the American leaving is beloved car, and placing one foot in front of the other. I am sure somewhere in this vast land, there are drive through wedding and funeral parlors as well.
At every junction of main roads or freeway's, though on most you have to pay to use them, there is a announced a number of various eating places. These range from the well know Mc D's Burger K's, Taco Bell etc to Uncle Sam's All Night Dinner and Joe's Hotdog Stand. whatever you want it is there waiting for you.
Waiting however is the name of the game, while the "Have a Nice Day" is not quite so pronounced as one hears about, the rapid response of the serving is only to outdone by the Titanic amounts of ice it would seem a must to have in any cold drink or soda.
Beware! if you ask for tea make sure you ask for milk, otherwise you could end up with hot milk, or even a pot of the indecisive "half and half". Most eateries have yet to learn how to make a proper cup of tea, though many people here drink a large amount of it in one form or another.
If you enjoy your tea, and plan to visit the USA, please BRING YOUR OWN TEABAGS. The ones in the USA, though of good standard, like the American Beer are very week, and it will take two to change the tea to a descent shade of brown.
Buying Food:
Shopping for food in the USA is an experience in it's self, you would not believe there were so many types of apple sauce or pancake syrup, and so few choices of fruit and vegetables until you spend your time trawling the supermarket isles.
Generally with just a few exceptions such as Beef and Soft drinks the food in the USA is a lot more expensive to buy than in England. The standard of shop own brands is vastly inferior to that in the UK, and the idea of "Basic" brands just has not reached the US yet.
The though of paying well over a pound for a small loaf of bread, 80 pence for a tin of beans or spaghetti gives you some idea of the cost of purchasing food. Fruit and Vegetables are limited, meat accept for beef is almost double the cost in England. One can however save on the purchase costs by picking up many of the buy one get one, two or even three free. Families wade through the weekly deliveries of the free shopping papers, sorting out the best buys. These savings are even more enhanced by the finding of the money savings vouchers in various periodicals. The true shopper walks round with a wallet, or book of these saving vouchers, and the day that is designated as "Triple Voucher Value Day" you can't get near the checkout.
I was unsuspecting the outcome, stuck behind such a shopper on a "Triple Voucher Day" . After wading through the purchases, which filled shopping carts (trolleys to you and I), then the double checking and feeding through of all the vouchers. The shopper ended up, getting a refund of $10, the $214 bill being more than covered by these special offers.
The providing of a packer for your purchases does help a great deal in keeping the lines moving at the checkout, but the request of "paper or plastic" for your shopping bags does grate after a time, when all your buying is a carton of milk.
In few supermarkets I have visited over here, the layout where the frozen food is the first isle you visit could also be a large boo-boo, as the leaking tubs of melting ice cream on the conveyor belt not only hurt you, but the poor person whose standing behind you with a newly purchased article of clothing ready to place on the checkout conveyor.
HEALTHY EATING
Fast food, junk food, sugar coated everything.
The diet of the American makes you realize just why there is such a trade in Vitamin Pills, and that the chat American chat shows one sees in the UK where the majority of the audience are rather on the large size really does show real people.
From the sugar coated "frenchtoast" to the pancakes and syrup on the same plate as eggs and the slim excuse for bacon being eaten for breakfast to the never ending cups of coffee, and forever refilled glasses of soda. The American diet, is basically not a healthy one. Mention liver, plates of greens or sardines, and many are lost. Yorkshire pudding, bubble and squeak or Toad in the hole, are unknown to the American. Mention Spotted Dick, and your more likely be sent to the nearest hospital, than have something to eat.
DRINK
I could go on for a long time about the beer in the USA, and the weakness of it, but will not. There are some very good beers available in the USA, just enjoy the time hunting for them. The weakness of the major "Bud" or "Coors" explains the American custom of having a "shot" along with their beer.
OTHER PURCHASE'S
There are some good bargains in America, items like "Trainers, Jeans etc are a lot cheaper, generally it works out the same number of dollars against the same number of pounds per item. So a pair of Levi's that cost 30pounds in England would cost you around $30 in the US. With there being around 1.5 dollars to a pound you can see the obvious savings.
ONE THING HOWEVER TO NOTE....is that the price you see for many items, from Burgers, to trainers, to a present for Aunt Flow from your trip the Empire State Building. The price shown does NOT include tax, be it local tax, national tax, food tax, beverage tax or Uncle Tom Cublies Tax. So your 99 cent special Mc Donald's meal will cost you around one dollar eight cents.
THE PEOPLE
During both my time being over here, and before hand I have been lucky enough to meet some wonderful people, many of whom, I am proud to call friends. But like any country there are bad apples in every basket. And many people and attitudes of people I find very hard to understand.
The way a large number of men treat woman in the USA is something I will never be able to understand, slavery was abolished after the civil war, but for many a woman, it seems if goes on under the guise of a marriage. In some states a woman is very much a second class citizen. I have come across many cases in the USA where the law has been very male oriented, so much so, that females stay living in a hostile home environment, as they believe that either this is the norm or are to scared to do anything about it.
In many cases through the courts, and after that the sheer lack of being able to follow up legal registration from state to state. Has lead many woman to led desperate life's trying to make ends meet. When court ordered payments such as child support, are not forthcoming. the only choice for a woman is to rejoin the "legal money chain". Having to pay a lawyer to get them, what they already should have, leaving them then having to find the money for such legal costs.
I will at this point, own up to a slightly biased view of the US Justice system, owing to some dealings with them, which my self and anybody else who knows the details finds very hard to understand. or comprehend.
When the American first moved West across this vast country, one of the main aids to his well being was the lariat or lasso. In this modern day and age, the "las" part seems to have been lost. These days the main stay of many people, and the act that puts the fear of god into many a company is "SUE".
Companies spend millions, trying to avoid these legal acts of gold digging, the multi station television system is full of various legal firms stating how they will make you rich for the smallest, health, work or personal disposition. When a companies induction last 90mins, 30 about the company what it does, the benefits, medical options etc etc and the other 60mins go into detailed in depth coverage of harassment in one form or another, it makes you wonder if this country has gone to far
BUSINESS
One of the main problems I have found, since moving to the USA, and I know I am not the only one who suffers from this American trait, is the fact that NOBODY EVER RETURNS YOUR PHONE CALLS. No matter if it's business, legal, government or even replying to an add in a paper. Once you have waded your way through the numerous level of automatic questions and answers, and IF you finally get through to either a real life person or an answering machine, that is as far as you will go. Do not believe, the "Somebody will call you back", it just does not happen. You can wait forever, and no matter how many messages you leave, you could wait forever.
If you do get through to a person, then further troubles start, business in the USA seems to have many level and you can expect to be "farmed" from person to person trying to find exactly the right person you need to speak to. The best bet is to explain it once, then if you do not get anything done, go higher up the contact ladder, a person whom answers a telephone, will have a person whom they answer to. Ask to speak to supervisors or managers, do not take no for an answer, set a time for the call back, and if that is not made, chase them up. If you are really getting the run around, mention the legal possibilities. Sometime it seems you have to really as they say in the US "Kick A'ss" to get things done.
Another problem I have found in the US, is the length of time it takes to get anything done, You make a call for some kind of service, problem, connection and it would seem the normal time for any kind of action is around 30 days. American people seem to be used to this delay, and take it for granted. As with many other things in the US, money can open doors. It is not surprising to find yourself being moved down on a list with some vague excuse for a delay, while seeing another person who has a little more clout, which normally means money, being given priority.
SPORT
One thing the USA does like is it's sport. be it Basketball, Baseball or deep sea one legged volleyball, you name it on one of the multitudinous TV stations it will be showing it. The one thing that I do not like however is the self centered-ness of the coverage, it's all for money and all for USA. Only in America can you have a World Series where only American Teams plus a token Canadian team or two will take part.
Who can forget the Olympic coverage back at Los Angeles, when the American TV network shows the American who finished 5th rather than the winners of the race. This being a world wide coverage. But then of course USA is the World to many Americans. You only have to see the daily news coverage of world events to realize that this is a very self centered country, where many people do not care what goes on in the rest of the world.
America is like a school bully, in some ways, lording it over the playground that is the rest of the world, demanding that when they say jump, everybody jumps. Many who watched the last Olympics, and the way the men's 4 x 100mtrs relay track team behaved on the medal rostrum put that display as a typical view of Americans.
LANGUAGE
America and England, two lands divided by a common language
There are so many strange differences between the two languages it would be a book in itself to try and list a fraction of them. I would just wish that the Americans checked in a dictionary, and saw how frenetically words should be pronounced.
ALUMINUM...for instance, look at the frenetic spelling... and it's A-lu-min-um, and no A-lum-in-um
TIRE is to grow weary, not what you put on cars, that is TYRE
The opposite of DAY is NIGHT, not NITE
And so it goes on, just try and talk slower, and eventually people will be able to understand you
FINAL THOUGHTS
So you may ask, why the hell is he in America when all he does is act like moan about the place?
Like in life, there are good and bad points with every country, the children for instance. it is good to here the thank you's and your welcomes, to be called Sir and shown some respect. But one also sees the way they are spoilt. It is almost taken for granted that when they graduate, they will receive their own car, that what they want they seem to get. The way people HAVE to drive anywhere even from one side of a shopping complex to the other. The thought of walking 400yds to a shop is beyond many of them, it is almost like the car, as per the TV remote control is part of their body.
There are though many good sides to being in America. On the whole the people are very friendly, and a lot more open. The patriotism, while sometimes taken to extremes, is great to see. The choice and variety of life offers much to the individual. And the sheer size of the country, means there is space for everybody.
So why am I here, with all the problems and thoughts I have written about this country.
The simple answer is my HEART is here in this western colonial colony of the UK, so here I will stay. You never know, in time, they might even learn how to vote.
Barry Eva 2000
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