- Their love of convenient food
- Adverts adverts, everywhere.
- How can public transport be so bad?
- Where do they get real news from?
- How can they be so positive, all the time?
- I need to tip how much?!
- Their need for convenience
- Their unfailing interest in my accent
- Their accents
- Size
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Sophie Pitman
10 things that I will never understand about the USA
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10 things that I will never understand about the USA
ReplyDeleteby sophiepitman
http://my.telegraph.co.uk/expat/sophiepitman/10149401/10-things-that-i-will-never-understand-about-the-usa/
I would urge any student who travels abroad, be it for one semester or a whole graduate career, to be open minded. Explore, meet people, learn about your new home. I have practiced what I preach, but however hard I try, there are a few things that completely stump me about America.
1) Their love of convenient food
ReplyDeleteYes, we all love fast food. But is there really any justification for “liquid cheese,” or for Frozen Pizza and Cookies combination boxes?
2) Adverts adverts, everywhere.
I rarely watch programmes on an actual television (like most students, I chose not to pay for a tv set and just stream free tv online). When I do, however, I never fail to be both surprised and horrified by how often shows are interrupted by commercials. Sometimes a show will begin and as soon as the opening credits have rolled, adverts will interfere. Honestly, I sometimes wonder if tv audiences spend more time watching programming or adverts. Even when one gets to view the show, the product placement can be shameless to the point of hilarity.
3) How can public transport be so bad?
Yes, “gas” is cheap. And yes, cars are inexpensive. But is it really so hard to have a working, clean, and fairly functional public transport system? I could not understand why none of my peers would take a coach, until I mistakenly took a fateful trip on a Greyhound – it’s not to be recommended.
4) Where do they get real news from?
The news here is so dramatic, that one could be forgiven for mistaking it for drama. Newsreaders appear to be a rare breed of shiny robots with perfect hair, and their sets would – on British tv – look more appropriate for a game show than the 9 o’clock news. Give me Jon Snow any day.
5) How can they be so positive, all the time?
I admire Americans for their plucky optimism, and cheerful greetings. Of course, I know that when they say, “Have a nice day!” they are being polite, but even so, I do appreciate the general positivity that most Americans exhibit.
6) I need to tip how much?!
I try and try to tip at reasonable rates – which I understand to be fifteen to twenty per cent of the total bill, and a dollar per drink at a bar. However, it pains me so to do this – twenty percent, really!?! As this tip is expected (sometimes, even literally demanded) by waiters, good service is often not rewarded any more than bad service. Just as I have reconciled myself to these eye-watering rates, I am being informed that twenty-five per cent is the new twenty percent. My wallet aches.
7) Their need for convenience
It is almost expected that supermarkets and drugstores stay open 24/7. Even in the midst of Superstorm Sandy, some local shops remained open, to fuel New Yorkers with sugary snacks and aspirin throughout the long days without power or heat. When I visited London with my US friends, they could not believe how most shops shut in the evening, and that it was hard to find restaurants or bars open much after eleven. I must admit, I does make me a little more comfortable knowing that I can get ice cream or antiseptic cream at 4am, but, admittedly, I have never needed to do so.
8.) Their unfailing interest in my accent
I talk about it almost every day. And New York is one of the most international cities in the world. I cannot even imagine what it must be like to be a British expat in a smaller US city – do you ever manage to talk to someone on a customer service line about anything else? – how do you get anything done?
9) Their accents
I can tell a Texan from a Bostonian, or a native New Yorker from a Southerner, but do not ask me to identify one New Englander from another, or pinpoint where exactly in the Midwest someone hails from. I just cannot do it. My ear is finally able to understand the meaning behind your thick regional drawl, but please do not ask me to locate the origins of your accent – I will only disappoint you, and embarrass myself.
10) Size
This is one huge, giant, enormous country. I am about as far away from the UK here in New York, as I am from the West Coast. Between here and there are many states, peoples, cultures, sights, and landscapes. Anyone who feels that the USA is not a diverse or historically interesting country is just plain wrong.