Living in America

[ShandyH]

It's interesting but quite f***ed up here:

Cheaper - check;
Food covered in sugar or cheese - check yeah!
Steak - yes;
Rock and roll - better in England but Jazz, Hip Hop and Soul.....
Radio - I miss BBC. Commerical = utter shite that has been shown to be in vogue/popular on BBC Radio 1 or 2 in England. We are the guinea pigs. Never let it be said that the US dominates culture. We do;
Obama - genius. Unrecognised by most of america. Trying to take on propaganda news and win. I hope he gets a second term. Harvard's top scholar and a real force of nature. Moneyed "conservatives" may think otherwise;
Fox believers - fascism lives;
Baseball - is beautiful;
Manners - check;
Work people - very willing to listen to direction. Very little thinking outside the box;
Football - wrong shape;
Facial surgery - the norm;
Public transport - why the f*** should I do that?
Happiness - is money.

Sorry am slightly pissed. Voicing opinion.

 

[GNF on Tour]

What is it with Fox TV, its like someone has got every nasty, vicious, facist American alive and put them in a TV Studio so they can attack the Democrats 24 hours a day.
Watched it for 20 mins last week for the first time, could not beleive the nastiness, imagine its what the Daily Mail would be like if they were a TV Station.

Expect Bushy watches it all the time.

 

[ShandyH]

They suck people in with very good quality local news and sports and then sell utter bollocks as "News." This country needs an independent news station. It would "oh shit" mean accountability. Media sucks here and I don't even work in it before anyone asks.

 

[ShandyH]

And there's more!

Websites are largely so incomprehensible they need our lot to sort them out (NSC).

Fashion - London two years later;
Happiness - isn't money. It's the presentation of it to the right people;
Coastlines - totally bulldozed/built on, with very little natural landscape;
History - does actually exist here! It's fascinating and we were so obnoxious and over-stretched. Still, better then Belgium (and the Congo);
TV - Idol had one singer now that is out of this world. Sorry. Actually good.

 

[bhaexpress]

Cheaper - Yes, unless you get sick or need a lawyer
Food covered in sugar or cheese - True
Steak - Pretty much any meat really
Rock and roll - You forgot Country and Christian Rock
Radio - See above
Obama - Top man but shows how racist America is I hope he gets a second term. Harvard's top scholar and a real force of nature. Moneyed
Fox believers - Religious bigots
Baseball - is the best cure for insomnia in the world
Manners - check;
Work people - Sorry but lazy and often thick
Football - They have a nerve to use the word 'Foot'
Facial surgery - Necessary
Public transport - Non existent outside of the cities
Happiness - is money (and 'The Lord')

 

[auschr]

i like living in america because they are good at keeping poor people away from the richer folk so you don't have to see them

 

[beorhthelm]

Work people - very willing to listen to direction. Very little thinking outside the box;

yeah, even at quite senior levels. they are hard working bunch but really like procedure and structure and dont like moving outside this. maybe it comes from fear of f***ing up and getting instant sack?

Football - They have a nerve to use the word 'Foot'

i know. you'd have thought a new name could have been invented, but that would have required too much creativity (see above)

 

[Hunting 784561]

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.

 

[Gwylan]

Public transport - why the f*** should I do that?

I once had a meeting in the wilderness outside Philadelphia. I got a train to the nearest station, thinking to get a cab from the station. Of course, there wasn't one so I hopped on a bus that was taking me to the town I was going to. It was a bit strange as I was the only white person on the bus but it got me there pretty quickly.

I turned up at my meeting and when I told the people there I'd come by bus, everyone looked completely shocked. It's as if I'd said I'd come by flying saucer. Later on, all six people admitted to me that they'd never ever been on a bus. It's certainly a different mindset there.

 

[bhaexpress]

I once had a meeting in the wilderness outside Philadelphia. I got a train to the nearest station, thinking to get a cab from the station. Of course, there wasn't one so I hopped on a bus that was taking me to the town I was going to. It was a bit strange as I was the only white person on the bus but it got me there pretty quickly.

I turned up at my meeting and when I told the people there I'd come by bus, everyone looked completely shocked. It's as if I'd said I'd come by flying saucer. Later on, all six people admitted to me that they'd never ever been on a bus. It's certainly a different mindset there.

Actually the lack of even Taxis outside of cities means there is a lot more drunken driving there than here as well. America is great if you have health and wealth but if you don't have one or the other (and they are not mutually exclusive) then it's a third world country.

 

[Wilko]

Where in the states do you all live or did live? BHAexpress, you have live in a few places, right? which was your fave/least fave?

 

[auschr]

Where in the states do you all live or did live? BHAexpress, you have live in a few places, right? which was your fave/least fave?

I've lived in California for about 2 years, Texas 5 years, Vermont 2 years, Missouri about a year, Florida about 2 years, and Mississippi about a year. My personal favourite was Vermont, just had a special feel that I love. Spent enough time in the sun and beaches are not my thing so it suits me. Mississippi and Florida were absolute shite. Texas was boring but had some decent things about it. Missouri was just boring. California had some nice things about it, Northern California was much nicer than Socal, IMO.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

I've lived in California for about 2 years, Texas 5 years, Vermont 2 years, Missouri about a year, Florida about 2 years, and Mississippi about a year. My personal favourite was Vermont,

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.

 

[Marlton & Hove Albion]

22 Years in The Colonies

5 Years in Texas, 7 in Pennsylvania and 10 in New Jersey.

Most stuff is cheaper than UK, but some very important stuff isn't (Flights, Second Hand Cars, Property depends where you are).

People are friendlier but it is hard to make "friends". Much more family oriented and the idea of popping over to see someone isn't normal.

Huge divides continue. North/South, White/Black, Rich/Poor, Left/Right

Taxes are quite HIGH (especially in North and California) Federal, State, Local, Sales, Property and Health. 50% of what you earn - gone

Beer is good and getting better.

Media is actually a great form of comedy. Shite if you take it seriously.

Far more open minded to change, to new methods, new ideas but a hard core of college degree mediocre office types.

 

[Gwylan]

It's interesting but quite f***ed up here:


Food covered in sugar or cheese - check yeah!

Missed this the first time.

One thing that strikes me about the US is how hard it is to get cheese. I remember preparing for a picnic on a beach outside SF one weekend and popping into the supermarket for some cheese. Could I find any? Could I buggery.

I spoke to my friend about it she said, matter-of-factly, that we don't really have cheese in the States, apart from the sort that comes in tubes. That part was true, as I'd seen it in the supermarket.

Every time I go to the States, I'm like Ben Gunn and end up dreaming of cheese as it's a commodity that's so hard to come across. God knows where you're going to find food covered with cheese but it's not something I've ever seen.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Missed this the first time.

One thing that strikes me about the US is how hard it is to get cheese.

Max, just go to Whole Foods. I've had some fabulous pecorino from there, plus a load of other gorgeous cheeses that I can't remember but were at least the equal of any supermarket deli counter here. Seriously good stuff.

 

[ShandyH]

5 Years in Texas, 7 in Pennsylvania and 10 in New Jersey.

Most stuff is cheaper than UK, but some very important stuff isn't (Flights, Second Hand Cars, Property depends where you are).

People are friendlier but it is hard to make "friends". Much more family oriented and the idea of popping over to see someone isn't normal.

Huge divides continue. North/South, White/Black, Rich/Poor, Left/Right

Taxes are quite HIGH (especially in North and California) Federal, State, Local, Sales, Property and Health. 50% of what you earn - gone

Beer is good and getting better.


Media is actually a great form of comedy. Shite if you take it seriously.

Far more open minded to change, to new methods, new ideas but a hard core of college degree mediocre office types.

Agree with all of this. The financial divides are scandalous and growing.

Also, as mentioned above, healthcare is extortionate. I had root canal and it cost me $2,500!

Media would be funny if everyone didn't believe the crap they push out.

I forgot to mention that wastage is horrible too. Food, fuel, products, lack of recycling. You name it. Consumerism gone mad.

I also forgot to mention the very odd american past-time of bargain hunting. Americans just LOVE a bargain. Offer a freebie and they will come-a-runnin'.

As for where I live, a year on west coast of Florida and just moved to Rhode Island. Very different.

 

[pasty]

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?

 

[ShandyH]

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?

Prime Minister's question time used to be on in Florida but more for its novelty than anything else. I would be surprised if it got much coverage until early May at the latest. Americans are not much into world politics unless it involves a war.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

I like the fact that it just seems so much easier to get anything done in the States than it does in the UK. Americans are generally more polite and respectful – the UK just seems so much more rude and aggressive, it didn’t use to be, it just seems to have got worse over the years. The independent spirit still lives on – Americans want to live with a minimum of government interference, again like the Brits used to be before we became a PC nanny state. Oh, and American women love the British accent and the American ‘road trip’ is still the real deal.

Don’t like the religious mindset - the constant ‘god bless you’ when you sneeze and the automatic assumption you are a believer. It’s a big country so why are internal flights so expensive, unfortunately Jet Blue does not look like being the next Easy Jet. TV and newspapers are pisspoor apart from The New York Times, HBO, Sundance and IFC. Food by and large is not as good or fresh as the UK but that is improving with more farmer’s stores and markets and shops like Whole Food. Don’t really miss the beer too much as there are plenty of craft breweries that cater for the beer lover and people just enjoy the beer instead of keep harping on about real ale all the time. It’s a long way from Europe.