Living in America

[ShandyH]

Road trips are amazing. Coming from a small island, it makes it that much more remarkable that you can set off in one direction and just drive for days at a time and see the landscape change. Jack Kerouac lives!

As for getting things done, I'm not sure what you mean by that.

Rudeness I kind of agree on but I'll take that and the real friendships over the politeness and superficial friendships you get here.

Food is definitely improving, as is the beer.

 

[auschr]

Which bit of Vermont did you live in. I’ve been skiing in Stowe and Sugarbush this year and would agree that Vermont is a beautiful State. Travelling up from New York you go through some wonderful rural areas which seem quintessentially American – Flags flying and rocking chairs out on the verandah. Quite a few of the locals I spoke to had moved from cities like New York and Chicago - I could see why.

Burlington- loved it. It wasn't insanely religious like Texas so it was a bit more of a relaxing social atmosphere to settle in and one of their senators is the only openly socialist in American politics. Considering how much money runs US politics he was a breathe of fresh air. I also love Vermont because it has so many local foods, people there are really proud of it. Places in Texas have no sense of history or soul, seems like someone decided to plop a walmart in a middle of nowhere and some people decided to move there.

Television is horrible, though I like not paying a liscense, I just have bog standard cable. With the power of the internet I am able to watch most British TV live. Which is another thing, I miss the east coast because the 5 hour difference is much better than the 8 hour one.

Beer is improving, there is a growing amount of craft beers and Americans are a bit neurotic with hops. Food choices are improving, most places I lived in it is difficult to find any curry take away. Unless you like bog standard food you tend to have to pay for quality.

Don't eat American cheese.

 

[bhaexpress]

Road trips are amazing. Coming from a small island, it makes it that much more remarkable that you can set off in one direction and just drive for days at a time and see the landscape change. Jack Kerouac lives!

As for getting things done, I'm not sure what you mean by that.

Rudeness I kind of agree on but I'll take that and the real friendships over the politeness and superficial friendships you get here.

Food is definitely improving, as is the beer.

The thing I noticed was the look of surprise you got from saying 'please' and 'thank you'. Seems that neither word is used that often in the US.

 

[Nigella's Cream Pie]

Surprised no one's mentioned the USA's murder rate - highest in the Western world: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate

 

[ShandyH]

Surprised no one's mentioned the USA's murder rate - highest in the Western world: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate

Good point! With guns and the driving, it's a wonder anyone's still alive.

 

[John Bumlick]

The US is a great place to live if you dont mind working until you are over 75, you can get by on 2 weeks non-consecutive holiday each year, and then you'd better pray to God that you dont get a serious illness, as any non-insured treatment costs can wipe you out financially.

No thanks - give me a European country ANYTIME.

it sounds like you are talking about people working pretty low paid, few benefits type jobs. for most immigrants from the 'developed world' (i.e. those who move to the US just because they want to rather than because they feel they have to to survive) this is simply not the case. your comments probably apply more to Americans than they would to Limeys who choose to move over here.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Surprised no one's mentioned the USA's murder rate - highest in the Western world: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate

As they say out here "Praise the Lord and pass the amunition!"

 

[Hunting 784561]

it sounds like you are talking about people working pretty low paid, few benefits type jobs. for most immigrants from the 'developed world' (i.e. those who move to the US just because they want to rather than because they feel they have to to survive) this is simply not the case. your comments probably apply more to Americans than they would to Limeys who choose to move over here.

Yup probably. Ive been waited on at tables by 70 year olds in the US, and it does make you think what the hell are they doing still working ??

I did have the chance to go on secondment to New York for my company (commercial property outsourcing) a few years ago, but turned it down because I had a young family here at the time.

As someone said earlier, a great place to be if your healthy and wealthy, but the dream could turn sour if you lost either.

 

[Raphael Meade]

i think radio in america is great!

NPR and SIRIUS to name a couple of favourites, but each city has some great local radio playing such a wide range of music that you just dont get over here...

 

[Agent_Torpor]

Out of interest, does a UK General Election get anywhere near as much tv coverage over there as a US Presidential Election does over here? Does anyone in the US even care about UK politics?

Not really. The US is very, very insular when it comes to goings-ons elsewhere.

And who mentioned baseball? Tedium deluxe. "and there's the pitch. swing. strike 1, let's pause for a minute as the pitcher adjusts his jockstrap..."

i think radio in america is great!

NPR and SIRIUS to name a couple of favourites, but each city has some great local radio playing such a wide range of music that you just dont get over here...

Terrestrial local radio? You may get the odd, eclectic college station, but by and large 99% of american radio is owned by one of two megacorporations (ClearChannel is the devil) that craft out a playlist with the same 6 songs for 6 months at a time. It's terrible,

 

[ShandyH]

Radio is shocking here. Same songs time after time. It might sound good if you're passing through but it gets repetitive beyond belief. Stations are worried they'll lose listeners if they don't play tried and tested music. Before long it gets very trying and very testing.

Each to their own on baseball. Personally, I love it.

 

[Juan Albion]

Radio is shocking here. Same songs time after time. It might sound good if you're passing through but it gets repetitive beyond belief. Stations are worried they'll lose listeners if they don't play tried and tested music. Before long it gets very trying and very testing.

So as someone else suggested, get Sirius/XM. Something for everyone.

 

[auschr]

I have Sirius/XM it's pretty good. Weird listening to Radio 1, wish they would add Radio 4/Five Live.

 

[ShandyH]

I have Sirius at home but not in the car.

 

[Kick Ass Minton]

Been living here in New York for coming up for 2 years (4 months down in Battery Park and the rest over in Brooklyn in Williamsburg).

I must say I'm loving every minute of it here - Food is great, loads of places to go and things to see and Im only 7 hours from home if I need to get back.

I have first hand experience of the Healthcare systems after breaking my wrist playing footy over at Chelsea Piers - 4 hour wait in the emergency room patched up and told to find another specialist to fix it properly. found him and had to find Physio as well. $2500 out of pocket later (and that includes the fact I have healthcare otherwise is would have been pushing 5 figures for a broken wrist !) and Im back between the sticks getting battered from about 5 yards every thursday eve.

I lived in Saff London (Clapham) for just over a year and i feel safer here than i did there - like any big city, if you avoid the trouble areas and dont walk around looking like a gullible tourist then you will be fine.

There is a nice little expat community here in Brooklyn as well which does help. Weve already agreed with a local bar to take it over for the Eng V USA game at the world cup - cant wait to give it to the yanks !

Anyway - back to work...

 

[Kick Ass Minton]

I have Sirius/XM it's pretty good. Weird listening to Radio 1, wish they would add Radio 4/Five Live.

I know what you mean - I get my fix in the office by using the iplayer - for some reason my work PC has a UK IP address so I can watch / listen to everything wheras at home only the radio works...

Tried all the IP routing things over the tinternet but still cant trick the iplayer in to thinking im back in GOSBTS

Anyone got any suggestions ? feel free to PM me

 

[auschr]

You can get a UK VPN for pretty cheap which will spoof your computer into being completely in the UK and it's not as shoddy as proxys. They can be pretty cheap 5-10/mo but they work brilliantly. There are few websites out there that broadcast live UK tv so once you get the VPN you can watch it live if you wish. There are also slingboxes but those are alot more.

As a back up I use this program that works with VLC that plays a pretty large amount of channels live. I have a cheap laptop near my computer that is hooked up the TV and it works pretty good. It's no HD but its watchable. UKTV VLC Playlist

 

[Kick Ass Minton]

You can get a UK VPN for pretty cheap which will spoof your computer into being completely in the UK and it's not as shoddy as proxys. They can be pretty cheap 5-10/mo but they work brilliantly. There are few websites out there that broadcast live UK tv so once you get the VPN you can watch it live if you wish. There are also slingboxes but those are alot more.

As a back up I use this program that works with VLC that plays a pretty large amount of channels live. I have a cheap laptop near my computer that is hooked up the TV and it works pretty good. It's no HD but its watchable. UKTV VLC Playlist

Cheers mate - will have a butchers... I can use my work laptop to access UK tinternet (as we can route through our UK VPN) but im pretty sure they would notice the bandwith being taken up by me watching the Beeb !

 

[ryeseagull]

I like the fact that it just seems so much easier to get anything done in the States than it does in the UK.

I agree with that 100%. It is hard to pin down exactly why. I lived in Missouri for three years, and have lived in Virginia for five.

I like the space. One of my school friends was saying their daughter was worried that the Easter Bunny wouldn't have anywhere to park. That struck me as such an English preoccupation! The lack of space. Having to guard the parking space outside your house. It would drive me mad to return to that for any length of time.

 

[auschr]

I agree with that 100%. It is hard to pin down exactly why. I lived in Missouri for three years, and have lived in Virginia for five.

I like the space. One of my school friends was saying their daughter was worried that the Easter Bunny wouldn't have anywhere to park. That struck me as such an English preoccupation! The lack of space. Having to guard the parking space outside your house. It would drive me mad to return to that for any length of time.

Missouri is very open, which reminds me. Not having to pay to park (for the most part) is nice.