16 People On Things They Couldnt Believe About America Until They Moved ere Nov.

15, 2013 By Michael Koh A lot of people around the world have ideas of what A erica is li!e, possi"ly than!s to #ollywood, or their local news channels, and ay"e fro what they$ve heard fro fa ilies and friends. But then, they ca e here, to the %rand old &nited 'tates and their inds e(ploded. )a!en fro *uora.

1! "a#ib $slam + a ori%inally fro Ban%ladesh and here are a few thin%s that + find hard to e(plain to peeps "ac! ho e.

,ruits and ve%eta"les are way ore e(pensive than eat and poultry. )hat, %enerally spea!in%, the poor is ore o"ese than the rich.

A lot of couples adopt children, so eti es in spite of havin% their own, and treat the e(actly li!e their own. -)o e, this alone is a ar!er of a %reat people.

By and lar%e, people do not carry cash.

)hat you address your "oss -and so e of your professors. "y so e a""reviated variation of their first na e. And that applies to pretty uch everyone, re%ardless of how uch older they are than you.

/arents can %et arrested for physically punishin% their children. atter how li ited, actually e(ist. ine is al ost invaria"ly

'evere poverty, ho elessness, etc, no 0ven in A erica.

A na e as co on and as easy to pronounce as inco prehensi"le to ost A ericans.

A erica is literally #&10. My ho e country is rou%hly the si2e of ,lorida, one of the fifty states.

+n spite of the society "ein% openly hedonistic and li"eral, the social nor s and standards still have very stron% conservative reli%ious influences. /eople don$t really care a"out the ,+,A 3orld 4up even thou%h &'A 5ualifies. )he i portance of credit ratin%6 credit score. 7eturn policy. )he history "ehind )han!s%ivin%. Blac! ,riday and the fren2y associated with it.

A a2in%ly friendly, hospita"le and helpful people. 8et, a very conveniently private lifestyle. )hat, A erican forei%n policy is a very inaccurate reflector of pu"lic consensus. 1rindin%. )he dance for .

)hat you cannot purchase alcohol unless you are 21 "ut can purchase a %un if you are 19. 1et ore insi%htful data nu%%ets fro availa"le here. %! Triya Bhattacharya >!ay, so + !now that there$s loads of answers here, and + couldn$t read all of the , so +$d pro"a"ly "e repeatin% so e points. +$ll ention that +$ fro +ndia and that +$ writin% fro an +ndian point of view, and what struc! e as unusual "ased on what notions +$d "uilt up after watchin% so uch #ollywood and )? series. &ependence on 'P( @ + !new people who went to office everyday since the past 5 years and could not tell their way without a 1/'. +t was a a2in%A + ade so e friends there and they were so i pressed that + could tell y way "ac! to their ho e without help fro a 1/'. Cashless (ociety @ 4o in% fro +ndia, where we Bust need cash "ecause cards are not accepted at ost places, + was really surprised "y the cashless syste in the &'. 0very place accepts credit cards. 0ven a s all picnic + went to, which had an entry fee, had so e sort of o"ile app and a device attached to accept credit cards. +t was a a2in%.

:1; <ists )hat 3ill 4han%e 8our <ife=

)M$s *or everything @ +t$s li!e the people there live on 0M+s. 4ars, phones, everythin%. And even the lower iddle class can afford this stuff. +t$s li!e everyone has an i/hone. 3hich also re inds e of the e(tre ely "ad covera%e that A)C) provided. +$ used to "etter covera%e in +ndia. Al ost

for%otA 3orst part was "ein% char%ed for inco in%. 4alls and a ni%ht are for +ndians.

essa%esA +t$s li!e

Baby Car seats+ (trollers @ )he e(tre ely confusin% rules and re%ulations that pervade A erica were already too uch, "ut the e phasis on car seats and strollers was so ethin% new. + don$t thin! there$s any such thin% as a car seat in +ndia. And parents carry their children ostly, ost people can$t afford strollers here. Also the cost of childcare in &' is astoundin% "ecause of these thin%s that !eep addin% up. Tipping @ 0nou%h has "een said a"out this, "ut + hated it too, so +$ll include it. 'pecially for services li!e a haircut. 'o + pay you for cuttin% y hairD..and then + tip you "ecause you were %racious enou%h to cut y hairEA

Public Toilets @ +ndian pu"lic toilets are usually in un entiona"le conditions, and this was a refreshin% chan%e. 'pecially "ecause half the stuff was auto ated. + re e "er thin!in% at first, that A ericans are so la2y, they don$t want to flush their toilets.

Cashiers tal#ing to you @ 0very cashier will %reet you with :#ow are you todayE 8ou find everythin% o!ayE= with a s ile, and you$re 5uite thrown off the first few ti es. Also, + had this really %reat cashier at #arris )eeter %ive e discounts "ecause + always chec!ed out at his counter F. 7eally nice peopleA +n %eneral also, people were e(tre ely polite, and any Bust co pli ented you tooA

)he a"ove point re inds e, that A ericans find it very odd if people use different words than the , li!e British 0n%lish for e%. people loo!ed at e funny when + as!ed where the :4he ist= is -Gru% 'tore.. Biscuit -4oo!ie., Billin% 4ounter -4ashier., 4oriander -4ilantro., /etrol -1as. are others.

A,esome Tra**ic @ 4o in% fro +ndia, + found it a a2in% the way traffic "ehaved without any intervention fro traffic police en. Hust everyone followin% the rules. +t was a "it "ad in N84, "ut not even co para"le to where + live ri%ht now -Kanpur, +ndia.. /eople don$t try to cut you off. /eople let pedestrians cross. Also, the parallel par!in% is really efficientA )he roads are so well aintained, and the scenery is always "eautiful.

(peed limits @ )he &' has really hi%h speed li its for us people followin% the etric syste . )he hi%hest speed li its are around ;5 ph or 121 ! ph which see ed li!e %ross overspeedin% to e. But it contri"uted to %reat drivesA

'eneral (a*ety @ + was travellin% in Manhattan, late ni%ht 'u"way, when a %roup of loud, drun! people entered, and we were !inda scared. + ediately at the ne(t stop, two N8/G officers entered, and stood at the doors until they were in the car. +t was aweso eA + felt pretty safe overall, which + didn$t even e(pect to.

-uality o* chocolate @ +t$s Bust not as %ood. 'orry fol!s, "ut a #ershey "ar is the ost overrated thin% + ever tried. And the Kit Kat was horri"le. )he chocolate was oily. 8es, oily. + have no idea why. -)his re inds of y trip to

3al art. + !new it was "i%. + Bust didn$t i a%ine it would "e this "i%A )he astoundin% variety of pretty uch everythin% is Bust overwhel in%. $ncredible ,aste*ulness @ + was a%hast at the a ount of stuff people wasted every sin%le day. ,ood, electricity, water, paperDin +ndia, we reuse stuff until it can only "e thrown away. But on the positive side, recyclin% is "i% there, so + %uess it is iti%ated in part.

Obsession ,ith *itness @ + saw loads of people runnin%6Bo%%in% on the sidewal!s. A lot of people + !new cycled or ran arathons for 50 iles plus. )his was a star! contrast thou%h, to the avera%e person + saw who was usually overwei%ht. -+ attri"uted it to insane portion si2es, as entioned in an answer. + always ate the sa e sandwich for lunch and dinner.

Mc&onalds not upto the mar# @ )his was a shoc!er for e. McGonald$s is li!e one of the "est !nown "rands of A erica, and the 5uality was ar%ua"ly worse than what + %et here. And +$ nonIve%etarian. )he "ur%er doesn$t rese "le it$s pictures at all. >ne -really "ad. choice for ve%etarians, and that was it. + went there once, and didn$t want to %o a%ain. >n the other hand, 'tar"uc!s see ed totally worth the hype for e. )hey have %reat coffee.

Patriotism @ )he fla% was everywhere. <iterally. + ca e to !now students are supposed to pled%e alle%iance to their fla% since Kinder%arten.A -+ can$t fatho how they pronounce alle%iance.. >n the other hand, they are "lissfully unaware of the rest of the world -A hi%h school !id thou%ht )aB Mahal is in 3ashin%ton G4.. But + loved how all students were involved in so e sort of e(tra curricular activities or the other.

The a,#,ard public transport e.perience @ +t$s Bust so "ad + can$t even say anythin%. -Not the "i% cities. My outin%s were severely cut short due to this. 4a"s were insanely e(pensive. And + could !ill ca" drivers who as!ed for tips on top of that.

Monotonous Cities+ Coo#ie/Cutter omes @ )his is y personal view, "ut the Gowntown areas of al ost all cities loo!ed si ilar. 1ive or ta!e a few thin%s. )he su"ur"s all loo!ed the sa e. + was so weirded out "y the 4oo!ie 4utter #o es, which all loo!ed li!e the sa e person had "uilt it. Also, it was a usin% to !now that all the construction was wooden. 'ound traveled too uch. And + hated the weird landscapin%. +t see ed the whole country is sloped. 0ven apart ents were "uilt on slopes. + found it very funny. +n +ndia, each city loo!s different. ?astly differentA

(treet Per*ormers @ )he street perfor ers around &nion '5uare, )i es '5uare were really entertainin%. And + was a a2ed how uch oney they collected. + saw people %ive 20s. + dou"t +ndian street perfor ers would ever see that !ind of oney.

"eligion @ + always thou%ht that A erica ust "e very laidI"ac! a"out reli%ion, li!e 0urope, "ut that was not true. And one of the weirdest thin%s + encountered was a Hewish person -in the "lac! suit. preachin% to us on the su"way to "elieve in 1od, and Apocalypse or so ethin%, and %ivin% us :)rillion dollar= notes with this stuff written on it.

0! Britt (mith + a A erican "ut y fa ily i i%rated here fro 1uyana durin% the 1J;0s, 1J90s and 1JJ0s. #ere are so e thin%s they are surprised "yF Treatment o* dogs! At least until the 1J90s in 1uyana, do% food was not a thin% that e(isted. Go%s %ot ta"le scraps and ostly were outside. )hey are surprised "y how in A erica, people actually avoid feedin% their do% :people food=. The amount o* *ood Americans ,aste! My %rand a to this day re e "ers a story a"out when she ca e to teach in 4alifornia in the 1J;0s. )he students used to %et apples alon% with their lunch. No"ody ate the , so they$d Bust throw the away or leave the at the ta"les. My %rand a was shoc!ed at how they were a"le to Bust throw out %ood food li!e that, and that no other teachers cared.

My

Bust %ave

e so e interestin% ones.

&essert! Not dessert as in sweet foods, "ut as in the specific course eaten after dinner. +t doesn$t e(ist. 1uyanese people eat dinner and then that$s it. + re e "er %oin% to y A erican friend$s house and "ein% shoc!ed that people in real life actually ate dessert. The *act that Americans dont stay ,ith relatives ,hen visiting them! Many A ericans would rather stay in a hotel, or at least the A ericans we !now. 1uyanese people -or at least y fa ily. thin! it$s stran%e that you would pay oney when you have relatives to stay with, even if you can afford it. + re e "er when we had a fa ily reunion, no"ody paid for a hotel, so there were 3 people in y "ed, 2 people on the floor in y roo , 2 people in the aster "edroo , 2 people in the %uest roo , 1 person on the couch, and 2 people on the floor in the livin% roo . )hat was considered totally accepta"le, whereas y A erican stepdad thou%ht we were cra2y. 1! 2atalia "e#hter +$ fro 7ussia. Below are a few thin%s + al ost always have to e(plain or discuss with visitors fro 7ussia. 3hy individual houses are so lar%eE 3e always %et into discussion that house is not Bust a shelter, "ut also a anifestation of one$s financial achieve ents. /hilanthropy. )here is no culture of philanthropy in 7ussia and any view A erican philanthropy either as a waste of oney or as so e intricate plot to %et so e additional "enefits.

/eople don$t wal! places. )hey %o everywhere "y a car.

)here is al ost no pu"lic transportation e(cept in a few lar%e cities. /eople actually have to have cars to %et places. 4ars are necessity, not lu(ury. MaBority of hi%h and professional 5uality. iddle schools have sport facilities of very hi%h, al ost

Many schools have orchestras, "ands, theaters of a very hi%h, al ost professional 5uality. ,ree.

0very state has a lot of autono y. /resident$s salary is co para"le with the one of a plastic sur%eon. /resident doesn$t auto atically "eco e the richest person in the country. MaBority of thin%s in the &' aren$t controlled or re%ulated "y the %overn ent. 4hildren are e(pected to leave ho e when they are 19. 'tudents prefer and are e(pected to live in a dor 3hen relatives visit they often stay in the hotel. and not with parents.

Many children, even in well to do fa ilies, wor! in fast food, car washes and do a lot of other thin%s to %et oney and it is not an e "arrass ent. /arents have their "a"ies sleepin% in separate roo s al ost fro the day of their "irth. -7ussians find K11I15 are particularly a"surd, offensive, and e%otistical.. Many 7ussians "elieve that A erican syste of pri ary and secondary education is very inefficient. As a other, + have to e(plain that it is very diverse and essentially even in the poorest districts there are tons of resources availa"le for children who are willin% to use the . )here are also an opportunity for !ids to ta!e advanced and e(tra advanced classes providin% they are willin% and a"le to do the wor!. And this differentiation is availa"le as early as ele entary school.

#ow well elderly live, even those on ''+ and Medicaid. #ow are availa"le to the .

any services

#ow open A ericans are a"out their shortco in%s and always ready for selfI criticis . Millions of people don$t have edical insurance.

'o e hospitals loo! li!e fiveIstar hotels. Bud%ets of so e hospitals are e5ual to h6c "ud%ets of s all countries. Goctors tell their patients everythin%. 7eturn policies and free refill.

+dea of a li"eral art education. +n 7ussia, after hi%h school %raduation, a student should decide on vocationF en%ineer, doctor, teacher, lawyer, accountant, etc. +t see s inconceiva"le to attend a university and then to %raduate without a solid specialty. + often have to e(plain that not !nowin% what one wants to do after hi%h school is an accepta"le nor in &'. A student can still ac5uire ar!eta"le s!ills, e(pand his or hori2ons, %et a Bo" after %raduation, and, what is even ore surprisin%, o"tain an advance de%ree in a totally

different field later. 8es, accountant can attend a ed school and "eco e a doctor and usician can %o for a aster de%ree in co puter science. 3! 4amie Moreno 3hen y hus"and oved here -to 4anada. he was a 4hilean livin% in 'pain. 3hen he first arrived, he couldn$t "elieve how little we had to wor! for such oney, and how we had the audacity to co plain a"out "ein% :overwor!ed.= #e was surprised that he could a!e enou%h to pay "ills, "uy %roceries, pay rent, and still afford a social life and lu(uries li!e our ("o( while wor!in% as a pi22a chef. Bac! ho e, he was wor!in% 12I1L hour days L days a wee!, with an e(tra L hour shift on 'undays, and he was a!in% half as uch. #e had to wor! 9 onths -while livin% with his other. to afford the MNO000 that constituted his plane tic!ets and first two onths livin% e(penses. Now, he is la2y and entitled li!e the rest of us. 6! 4oel )mmett 3hen + tau%ht overseas for a couple years -'outh /acific island nation., this is what y close friends e(pressed dis"elief overF )hat + have never, ever, ever seen anyone firin% a %un fro a ovin% vehicle. )hey thin! this is happenin% constantly. + wasn$t fro 4hica%o, New 8or!, or #ollywood. >r 'acra ento. )hat$s all there is in A erica, accordin% to ovies6+IdontI!nowIwhat. )hey also assu ed that you could run into ultra fa ous people, li!e, in the open ar!et or on the "usP that you wouldn$t was uni a%ina"le. )he real pro"le was a lac! of understandin% a"out the enor ity of the country itself, and the vast nu "ers of people here. A erica. +t$s "i%.

)hat our "athroo s include the toilet QandQ the sin!.

4lothes washin% achines. )hat +$d never washed clothes "y hand "efore %oin% there was co ical to the . )hat our showers are hot water. Always. Bo%%les the inds.

)ur!eys. )hey$re hu%e, and Actually, no.

ust "e a chic!enIy e(plosion of wonder.

3e thin! "eef is "etter R a :hi%her= 5uality of food R than chic!en.

3allItoIwall carpetin%. )he a"solutely needless lu(ury is "oth profoundly wasteful and a"surd. Not to ention hard to clean. + couldn$t a%ree ore. 5! Anonymous My 7ussian inIlaws were shoc!ed when they found out that we %et pac!a%es left on our doorstep and no one steals the .

)hey were also shoc!ed "y "uffets. My fatherIinIlaw told everyone "ac! in Moscow, :No, reallyA 8ou Bust pay to enterA= 6! Brian Crouch +$ve had any lon% tal!s with refu%ees, recent i i%rants and international students. 0ach had a personal perspective -individuals fro sa e town still have uni5ue perceptions., as well as a culturally driven perspective -different countries "ut si ilar socioecono ic "ac!%rounds and ideolo%ies.. )he one thin% in co on that all of the shared was a tendency to not understand the nature of the friendships6relationships they were a!in% when they first arrived. A lot of hurt feelin%s and isunderstandin%s "ecause of the so eti es shallow nature of A erican social interaction. 8es, they$d eet with a lot of friendliness and a ica"le treat ent, "ut there was a "it of cold water splashed in their faces as they assu ed it was the "e%innin% of a real friendship, and they$d see! the person out for activities, interaction, etc. A lot of Korean, Hapanese, 3est African, and Middle 0astern fol!s said the sa e thin%sF they thou%ht they were a!in% friends "ut they turned out to "e ar sIlen%th ac5uaintances. 'everal e(pressed that they started to feel that the initial friendliness was phony or superficial. ,ortunately, not all of their relationships went this way, and they often et %reat new real friends. #ere in this discussion, others have responded that they were surprised that A ericans live so far fro fa ily. )hese interpersonal issues ay "e relatedF perhaps the depth of relationships aren$t as stron% here, and "onds 5uic!ly for%ed are ore easily "ro!en. + don$t !now. + do re e "er a Ni%erian friend e(poundin% on this "y as!in% e, :+f + wo!e you up in the iddle of the ni%ht and as!ed you to co e with e, what would you sayE= :+$d as! what was %oin% onD= :8ou see,= he said. :My friends fro y villa%e would co e with way would as!, SAde, where are we %oin%E$= 7! Aditya 8esmana 9ou really need health insurance @ )he cost of healthcare in this country is insane. +t see s that all aspect of healthcare is desi%ned with Spatient ust "e insured$ assu ption @ readF char%e as uch as possi"le. Any uninsured s all procedure will leave a lastin% i pression in your financial health for any years to co e. Online money trans*er bet,een ban# is done via che:ue @ +n &'A -at least in /A., whenever + want to transfer oney to so eone, the "an! will issue a che5ue and post it to the address of the che5ue recipient. )he recipient will then cash in the che5ue. )his procedure will ta!e few days nor ally and applies even to custo ers who transfer oney to another custo ers within the sa e "an!.

e, and on the

T(A @ + a a citi2en of a supposedly Sterrorist$ country and for so e reason %ot classified as Shi%h threat$ individual. )hus every ti e + enter ANG <0A?0 the country, + need to %o for Ssecondary inspection$ at so e s all roo at the corner of the airport 6 "order chec!point. <et e repeatF every sin%le ti e + enter and leave the country. >h, to a!e thin% worseF any people that %o with e need to %o for Sinspection$ too. 'o when it co es to travellin%, at least in airport 6 "order chec!point, + prefer to travel alone which will li!ely to fuel officer$s suspicion Fp

Apparently "ein% a nonI usli 4hinese studyin% in reputa"le school-s. outside of y Sterrorist$ country for al ost a decade was not enou%h to escape )'A$s terrorist profilin%.

;almart <and other big supermar#ets= @ 'o uch stuff for so little price. N2.JJ for a pint of #Ta%enIGa2s or Ben C Herry. NL for 2O cans of co!e. 3hy %et a N9 #ershey syrup if you can %et )3> for N10.

Credit (core ;T> @ )he credit syste in A erica will create a nu erical value -credit score. to asses everyone$s financial fitness. No one !now how the score is calculated "ut you need that to %et a loanD or twoD or threeD and "eyond.

#owever, in order to %et a credit score, you need to %et a loan e.% car financin%. +n order to %et a loanD wellD you need a credit score -notice the circular reference.. 8our credit score can also "e created "y usin% credit card. 8ou Bust need a credit score to apply for a credit card.

Obesity and *ood portion @ +t is easy to find o"ese people in &'A. 'o e people are so o"ese that they re5uire a special electric scooter to carry the around. )his si%htin% can "e seen easily in 3al art where o"ese people use scooters to shop ore D food.

And yes, typical food portion in A erica is hu on%ous. + can easily share one eal with another %uy and do not feel hun%ry for hours to co e.

1?! "iona Mac2amara Customer service! +n Nordstro , when a sales assistant says :4an + help youE= s6he actually eans :4an + help youE= and not, say, :8ou$re distractin% e fro y phone. 4an you please leaveE= >ree re*ills, atches, etc.

"eligion being an actual thing! /rayer "rea!fasts in the 3hite #ouse. 0ducated people "elievin% in creationis . )he nu "er of churches and deno inations. /eople actually %oin% to church.

2o @ay,al#ing! At least not in 'eattle, no

atter how e pty the street.

The emphasis on marriage+ particularly the apparent pressure for wo en to %et arried in their 20s. 11! 8ana Aolupaeva

$mpressive distances and poor public transportation! >ood portion siBes ,hich are ridiculous to my vie,! 3hen we eat out with y hus"and or friends, we usually share. Not "ecause we can$t afford, "ut Bust "ecause we do not need )#A) uch food. >n the other hand + li!e the canI +IpleaseIhaveIitItoI%o thin% for everythin% that left on the ta"le, which is not so co on in 0urope, and especially in 0astern 0urope, where + a fro .

(port obsession! +n downtown )oronto where + live -+ "elieve this still counts for North A erica. everyone runsP or rides a "i!eP or s!atesP or a!es yo%a in the par!P /u"lic tennis courts and pools are full all su er lon%, not entionin% fitness clu"s. Gowntowners are cra2y for health and fitness in the positive sense and are %enerally in the %ood shape. #owever, the farther fro downtown you %et, the "i%%er people %et. +n su"ur"s you "arely notice anyone wal!in%.

<ove for arathons. + was surprised to find out how any arathons ta!e place durin% su er and how serious any people are a"out the . )hey pay N100U in enroll ent fees -usually %oes to charity. and train the selves all year lon%.

Under/dressing in cold ,eather! 'hoes -flipIflopsE. U tshirt U cardi%an U scarf -U runnin% nose. V winter city outfit often seen in su"way and pu"lic places when it is 70A<<8 cold outside. +f in winter you see a "areIfeet child in croc!s runnin% fro the car to the all throu%h the piles of snow, it is li!ely to "e a local one. + i%rant !ids are often on contrast a "it overIdressed for the weather, wearin% snowpants and ittens startin% Nove "er.

Co**ee! + Bust don$t %et it.

8arge car engines! At ho e + drove a 1.25< stic!Ishift Ma2da2, which was perfect for the city and 5uite fuelIefficient. #ere if you as! for the car with 1.L< en%ine in the dealership, you %et surprised a loo!. 2.0<, or even 2.3< is considered a re%ular A erican en%ine, while in 0urope this will "e ore on the lar%er side. 'tic!Ishifts are not that co on, too. Many people can$t drive it. Althou%h + had the overall idea a"out north A erican lifestyle when + was co in%, + still was surprised so any ti es durin% y first year here. But adBustin% was fun, %reat e(perience.

1%! >rancisco >ei@C &elgado +t$s not that + didn$t "elieve, "ut it$s ore thin%s + didn$t e(pect or couldn$t anticipate "efore co in% here -+$ fro /ortu%al.. My e(perience is li ited to Boston and in particular M+) which can con%re%ate so e odd fol!sF Bottles o* ,ater! ,or so e reason, people carry hu%e Nal%ene "ottles around. And the funny thin% is, there$s a -refri%erated. water fountain in al ost every corridor. Tests in pa@amas! >!, this i%ht "e an M+) thin%, "ut +$ve seen several students - ostly under%rad. ta!e e(a s in paBa as.

(napping your DspinalE column! + had not seen this in y country, "ut in every class, se inar or other situation when people sit for a lon% ti e, they

occasionally tend to strai%hten up and snap the colu n "y rotatin% their "ac!s left and ri%ht. $mmediate chec# and ta#ing a,ay empty plates . ,or e this was incredi"ly rude as "ac! ho e you never ta!e the e pty plates "efore everyone who$s dinin% has finished their eals. Also, "ac! ho e one as!s for the chec!, so when waiters "rin% you the chec! here without you as!in% can feel very uch li!e you$re "ein% rushed. )his has lead e to leave several food places without payin%, when + %o ho e, only to have to return to pay after reali2in% that no, the chec! had not "een %iven to e and + had not paid yet.

$ce cold ,ater i

ediately when you sit at a ta"le.

Tips! why does every eal need to "e an al%e"ra e(ercise when al ost always you pay the sa e percenta%eE $n*antile and convenient *ood <and $m not tal#ing about the *ast *ood=! No "ones, no spines, hardly ever find an entire fish, it$s ostly filets, very little diversity -little la ", or duc!, hardly ever ra""it, and for fish it$s al ost always tuna, sal on, haddoc! and "ass., seedless everythin%. A lot of thin%s -not desserts. are sweetened, li!e honey s o!ed, %la2ed, etc. 0ven desserts so eti es loo! li!e 5Iy.o. were left alone in the !itchenF coo!ie dou%h ice crea , oreo cheese ca!eD

F o, are youGH at every shop!

o, people *eel its important to immediately #no, your *irst name and use it! 4ogging! 0very"ody Bo%s in Boston.

&oing an online trans*er and hearing that the other party ,as sent a printed paper chec# by mail W retail "an!in%, in any aspects is not odern at all. Personal greetings! the al ostI"estIfriendsI"utI+IstillIdon$tIwantItoI%etI yourI%er s hu%%in%. Beyond the for al handsha!e the %reetin%s see , to e, aw!ward. As a southern european +$ used to the face !issin% with wo en or heartIfelt e "races with en. + appreciate that not all cultures li!e this type of physical contact, "ut the a erican -new en%landE. e "racin% is so ewhat in "etweenF it$s a hu%, which i plies pro(i ity and contact, "ut it$s done in a way that avoids "ein% too inti ate.

10! Marcia Peterson Buc#ie My hus"and is 4anadian. #e has lived in the &.'. since he was 23, when we %ot arried. #e was "orn in 'cotland and %rew up in >ntario, first near )oronto then outside 3indsor as a teena%er. #is parents have lots of friends that are British i i%rants to 4anada so his up"rin%in% was heavily influenced "y that culture. 3e live near the 4anadian "order, so it$s not unco on for 4anadians to co ute to the Getroit area for wor!.

#ere are the thin%s that still still surprise hi F The attitudes to,ards healthcare! 3e "oth are allied health professionals he is a phar acist. so he$s seen it up close fro the inside. #e can$t "elieve how people are so callous a"out the uninsured. ,ro a epide iolo%ical standpoint, he$s seen how counter productive it$s "een to dischar%e people with infections . )here is so uch waste on ar!etin%, lo%o re"randin%, doin% cos etic nonessential up%rades. Most hospitals have non profit status. )hey use the "ud%et = surplus= to lure patients with %ood insurance. #u"s is pretty apolitical, "ut he will %et fired up a"out this fro ti e to ti e. 'o eti es it dis%usts hi . 'uns + obsession ,ith guns ,ith many Americans! 3e$ve seen an increase in %un o"session or = intensity= a on% friends and e(tended fa ily. #is "rother is an en%ineer who lives in 3indsor and wor!s over herea lot, and that is his "i%%est = surprise.= &sually he thin!s its silly "ut so eti es the conversations a"out %uns %ives hi the creeps.

#e$s co e to appreciate it, "ut hu"s sees Americans as @ust more intense+ opinionated+ passionate + loud! #e had to tell people that 4anadians are not apathetic or wea!, they Bust are ore reserved . My particular 4anadian hu" does not identify uch with the *uX"Xcois, who are ore into protest and e otin%.

#e is in awe -and it$s ade e in awe. of the rich musical history o* the U! (! #e thin!s the African A erican contri"ution to culture is one of our country$s %reatest %e s.

The siBe o* houses! At least in southern >ntario, you don$t see any O person fa ilies livin% in a 3000 s5uare foot houses. >verall, + see 4anadians as ore aware of 0ner%y consu ption.

The diversity in the U!(! culturally, cli ate, ideolo%y. +t$s tirin% "ut it is fascinatin%.

1iven the fact that we live 30 inutes fro the 4anadian "order, its astounding ho, *e, people in this area are unin*ormed or misin*ormed about Canada - + was when + et hi . + can see it if you live in the south , "ut to have as uch contact we have with 4anadians in the wor!place, etc it shows a lac! of curiosity. 11! 4ohn 8evingster &rive/thru ATMs and stores! +t left e speechless. And then to thin! that ost purchases in the &.'. are on credit P.. 8ou can even do driveIthru shoppin%, driveIthru oilIchan%e, driveIthru assa%e-E.. 0verythin% is driveIthruA Cars+ cars+ cars! +t$s a "i% country and pu"lic transport is lac!in%. #ence, every"ody owns at least one car and uses it for the s allest distances. +t$s li!e people for%ot how to wal! or "i!e. Althou%h + saw any people "i!e, it was to do sports, not for dayItoIday transportation.

Use o* slang OM'I 2O ;A9II 'o, apparently people really do say >.M.1. a lot -in california that is. and other slan% you hear on t.v. + thou%ht that was si ply ).?. stuff.

).treme sensitiveness to,ards race and religion! /eople tend to "e very sensitive a"out racial and reli%ious topics. + was e "arrassed to as! a 4ostco e ployee where the white chocolate was "ecause + was afraid she would tell e + was a racist.

uge serving portions! +$ a "i% %uy and love eatin%, "ut 50Y of the ti e + could only finish half the food on y plate -how do you %uys do itEA..

'igantic cars! 3>3, + thou%ht a <and 7over was "i% until + saw the avera%e pic!up truc! in the &.'. Many payment options! 8ou can pay with chec!, credit, de"it, cash, or anythin% else of value. &n"elieva"le. +$ used to either payin% in cash or with y de"it card. +t$s really s art "usiness wise @ you si ply cannot say you don$t have the oney, "ecause even if you don$t.. you can still pay. ;idespread obesity! + was shoc!ed to see the a ount of o"ese people in the &.'. + can fully understand it thou%hF the portions are "i%, everythin% has cheese in it, refills are free, purchases in "ul! are cheaper, etc.

>ranchise+ >ranchise+ >ranchise! +n 4alifornia it$s hard to avoid franchise restaurants or stores. Althou%h +$ve heard that in any other parts of the country this is a"solutely not the case -e.%. )e(as..

AmaBing presentation s#ills! A ;IyearIold !id fro the &.'. would "eat any 0uropean in a sales pitch. + find the avera%e A erican a a2in% in presentin% the selves, doin% sales, e(plainin% how thin%s wor!, etc. +$ Bealous.

The U!(! preserves its nature! + was thrilled to see how far ahead A erica is in preservin% its "eautiful nature. A"solutely terrific, !udos to you %uys.

13! Aenny 8arson +$ve lived in 1er any for a few years fro eF what y 1er an friends have told

3ooden houses. +n 1er any you only "uild a house out of wood if you are poor or tryin% to a!e so e sort of environ ental state ent. )he sheer si2e. )ried to e(plain to a friend that y state ta!es L hours to drive across at 120! h and that it$s not even the "i%%est state. A few told e drivin% throu%h the plains area ade the a "it a%orapho"ic. )hat there are places in the &' where you can "e the only person in a 50 radius -not countin% Alas!a. ile

,unny thin%, + told the the na e of the state + ca e fro and they %ave e a "lan! loo!. + told the that it "ordered 4alifornia and instantly they said

:4A<+,>7N+AA= )hey then as!ed if + had ever "een to #ollywood and seen cele"rities. )hey couldn$t co prehend how far away + live fro #ollywood and that +$ve never seen a cele"rity. )he couldn$t "elieve that we li!e 7oot Beer. 16! Olo* J#erlund +$ ori%inally fro 'weden, and + have to ad it that + first isIre e "ered this 5uestion as "ein% a"out what a!es the &' different fro other countries. 'ince it$s a"out what forei%ners will not "elieve until they %o there, which is a uch harder 5uestion to answer, +$ll Bust do a flow of consciousness thin% here. And first so ethin% a"out where you$re fro . + notice that any answers tend to "e on the for of :thin%s wor!= and :it$s so rich= for people fro developin% countries. Bein% fro a developed country yself, that$s not what + found hard to "elieve "efore + ca e here. 7atherF 9es+ you can buy guns ,ithout very much o* a bac#ground chec#! 3hen + was drivin% around yesterday + saw a %uy wal!in% out of a %un store with a "a%, possi"ly enBoyin% his purchase of two new pistols. +t was %reatA People really are a*raid o* socialism! )his see s to "e especially true the less they !now a"out it, or "elieve it eans turnin% their car in to the state. +t also turns into fear of >"a acare "ein% so e sort of socialist plot, which is hilarious.

There really are enormously big things here+ li#e huge cars+ houses and natural scenery! +t$s too "ad the last is not as well !nown @ the &' could %et a lot ore revenue fro touris .

Ban# chec#s are still used and mailed in envelopes! + thou%ht this was only in a few cases "ut a lot of co panies see to prefer this ethod "y default.

>ood portions are larger+ and you can get some amaBingly *atty *ood! 0very once in a while, it$s a feature rather than a "u%.

2obody ta#es the bus -for the laidI"ac!, collo5uial definition of :no"ody=..

Credit cards are ,ay more popular than in other countries , and the default, rather than de"it cards. &sin% the latter is considered odd. The role o* religion is much stronger here than in other ;estern nations! )hin%s li!e creationis are usually "elieved "y a handful of people in other places, "ut here it see s to "e at least a force to "e rec!oned with. $t really is a diverse place+ much more so than many *oreigners really understand! A country that can produce "oth 'noop Go%% and 3est"oro Baptist 4hurch is li!e no other place -seriouslyA..

Bureaucracy really is #a*#aes:ue at times! But ost of the ti e, it$s Bust that there are over 300 illion people and the annin% for a certain depart ent

is li ited to two %uys in Kentuc!y who have to answer every re5uest "y snail ail. )his is pro"a"ly the real reason people say %overn ent is evil. A lot o* people really thin# a constitution ,ritten hundreds o* years ago provides ,ritten guidance to any issue the nation might be *aced ,ith! )hen a%ain, a lar%e su"set of the sa e %roup "elieves that a "oo! written 2000 years a%o provides answers to all pro"le s in life.