Tuesday 24 October 2017

5 surprising things about America

This year I went on a springtime trip to California; my first ever trip to the USA here are my top five surprising things.


(It is so bright here!)

1. No kettles, anywhere! 
I suppose given the events of 1773 it is not as much of a surprise but people don't own kettles, electric or hob based! If you want a cup of tea you've to risk an urn, or a pod-machine (!), or scalding yourself boiling water in a saucepan all in a bid for a cup of tea.

2. People still sign 'the check'
This blew my mind, people always say that America is the future but this felt like stepping in a time machine to the 90's! Chip and pin in the UK is frustrating (in comparison to contactless) but can you imagine signing every receipt? I can just about remember supermarket shopping with my Mum where she used to sign for our shopping but as an adult on my own account, nope. Also calculating tax, in the UK tax is almost always included in the price (unless you're buying wholesale or something). But trying to calculate what the final price would be for even small items was a real headache. A perk though is that sometimes people in the shops still expect to pack your shopping, another thing I can only just about remember from childhood.



(Shopping for spices and target preparing for St Patricks Day)

3. Bikes on the front of buses
I was quietly minding my own business (getting over the sweet/savoury thing, see below) in Berkeley when a Greyhound bus passed the window. Lo and behold! The bus had someone's bike on the front! Instead of trying to fit the push-bike in the hold or in the cabin space of the bus they just stick it on the front. This is actually quite an ingenious idea, but I'd never even thought of it before.



4. Icing sugar and bacon on the same plate; and no-one is bothered.
I knew before I went that there was a bit of a laissez-faire attitude towards sweet and savoury on a plate over the pond. Even a neanderthal like me has experienced pancakes with bacon and maple syrup and been won round to a little sweetness. I had, however, understimated the extent of the combination. One morning my friend had a fry up; to all intents and purposes it was a full English breakfast, except it came with toast coated in icing sugar - and no-one was suprised or bothered by that except me.

(Look at the icing sugar on that!)


5. Windscreen cleaners at petrol stations
I was reminded of this when Mayim Bialik did a video in May (3:53); in California. at least. one of the things people do in petrol stations is clean their windows using wiper blades which are offered free of charge. It just threw me a little.

There were of course many other things people had told me that I didn't think could be true - like even fruit and veg is giant sized there, and how no-one walks anywhere; and how in a shorter distance than London to Durham I could go from 25 degree heat to treading through snow overnight. These were just the 5 unexpected things.



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