Odd things about living in the UK

[Dagonet 7,246]

Tikka Masala for dinner here, freshly made from the ground up.

[The Inquisitor 346]

I can't recall a lot of things that are odd about England. Everything made sense to me.

 

America, on the other hand, is a strange land. I think you need to be a foreigner to appreciate how odd some things are.

 

1) Seriously, why don't you use the metric system? Why?

 

2) If you do insist on using the imperial system of measurements, why don't you use "stones"? It's weird. It goes 16 ounces in a pound and 14 pounds in a stone. It's like having inches and feed and not using yards.

 

3) Why are crosswalks arranged so that if you have a little green man (or rather, little white man here) for pedestrian priority, it seems all cars everywhere are able to drive right at you?

4) Why are chicken wings the only spicy food to be found?

5) What's with all the American flags, absolutely everywhere?

 

6) Why are kids taught to pledge allegiance before they even understand what the words mean? It seems to be taken for granted but to an outsider, this is really creepy.

 

7) Why is a dime smaller than a nickle? This still bugs me more than it should. 

 

8) The bread is all very sweet.

 

9) People, even strangers, are really friendly. (This is not a negative ... but took a bit of getting used to!)

 

10) Why is the toilet the "rest room"?

 

Edited June 1, 2016 by The Inquisitor

[heychadwick 11,357]

 

 

1) Seriously, why don't you use the metric system? Why?

 

You know, I can recall in the late 1970's when we were going to do the big switch over under President Carter.  I studied all the new systems (in the 2nd grade).  The date came and went....and nothing changed.  

 

 

 

4) Why are chicken wings the only spicy food to be found?

 

Besides foods from other countries (that we have a lot of), there is cajun food.  Try some of that.  Maybe not the easiest to find.  There is also barbeque....as in smoked meat, not grilled meat.  

 

 

 

5) What's with all the American flags, absolutely everywhere?

 

It's worse in Texas.  Oh, and I saw one of those John Grisham movies with Harrison Ford in it while in the UK and the number of American flags made me feel a little uncomfortable.  

 

 

 

6) Why are kids taught to pledge allegiance before they even understand what the words mean? It seems to be taken for granted but to an outsider, this is really creepy.

 

I think the ultra nationalistic types will say that they can eventually learn the meaning, but at least they can mouth through it.  I dunno.  I skip the whole "under god" part as it was added in to fight the commies and not what the Founding Fathers would've wanted.  

 

 

 

7) Why is a dime smaller than a nickle? This still bugs me more than it should. 

 

Yeah, that is annoying.  I just wish the vending machine lobbying wasn't so strong so we could make a dollar coin that wasn't the same size as a quarter for once.  Or make it thicker like the pound.  

 

 

 

10) Why is the toilet the "rest room"?

Yeah, it is weird.  I always say "I'm going to rest....in the room".  

[Stoneface 3,750]

Doesn't the toilets spin in the wrong direction there?

 

No.  That's supposed to be Australia and anything south of the equator.  I'm not sure if it's actually true, though.  I don't recall and don't care enough to look it up.

Smarter Everyday and Veritasium did this. They are about the same parallel above/below the equator. One in Alabama the other in New Zealand. Very interesting to watch as they synchronized the vids so you can watch them side by side. Proved the Coriolis Effect.

[Gadge 4,294]

Me trying to to think of things the yanks are better at than the Brits. I can't think of anything. The Brits are awesome.

 

Me trying to to think of things the yanks are better at than the Brits. I can't think of anything. The Brits are awesome.

 

 

Punk.

 

US hardcore like the descendants, husker du, minute men etc was far more intelligent and interesting than UK punk which generally involved spitting at people and being a knob.

 

TV Shows

 

In general i watch more US TV than UK.  Shows like 11.22.63, Thrones, Walking Dead etc are all really good.  UK TV has the odd good show (better comedy for sure, i only really like 'community' and 'always sunny' in US comedy) but relies too much on cheap reality TV (im aware there is a drudge of this in the states too but we cant finance good sci fi)

 

In contrast though, Uk independant film seems a bit better than hollywood 'blockbusters' to me, they dont appeal to the LCD that much or rely on ten explosions a minute to keep you hooked.

 

Burgers

 

I go to a place in Nottingham called 'Annies' ran by a woman from New England who does all her food fresh, home made and as it was back home, you pretty much have to book way in advance to get a table there its amazing.

 

Guitars

 

My fender strat is better than any uk guitar i've ever had

 

And of course.. SCI FI like 'STAR WARS!'

 

 

Im sure there are some more 'highbrow' things the states does better but they were the ones that sprung to mind.. possibly because im hungry, waiting for that kebab and listening to husker du

 

 

edit:  I've thought of another one.   Singing accents and having cool sounding places to write songs about.

 

New York, California, Philapdelphia etc etc all sound alright in songs whereas singing about say 'berwick on tweed' or 'little haywood' doesnt quite cut it.   Even singing about cities like 'nottingham' or 'derby' would sound rubbish compared to 'sweet home alabama'..   i mean 'sweet home birmingham' doesnt work at all.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Gadge

[DariusAPB 6,925]

Taco Bell is actually spelled "Mistake" in my household.

 

It seems like a good idea every 5 years or so. It never is.

 

It is a bad example of mexican fast food, there are way better including Taco Del Mar.

 

But then, fast food is fast food, a curry as a fast food doesn't really work either. You go to a restaurant, likewise a good mexican restaurant is amazeballs.

[Gadge 4,294]

i love 'wendys' for fast food.

 

They trialled it in yorkshire in the 90s but it never took off in the UK so doesnt exist anymore.

 

When i was over at my family in torontos place i went to Wendys a lot

[DariusAPB 6,925]

This said, burrito jax is fast food, and there are defo other fast food options - way more here than the UK, and burrito jax is a millionfold better than Taco bell.

 

 

Not a huge fan of wendys. A baconator now and again is alright though.

 

Lastly, speaking as a man who has lived in two continents for a decent enough time.

 

Canadians and Americans can teach the British a thing or two about Barbe ques.

Edited June 1, 2016 by DariusAPB

[Gadge 4,294]

I just found Wendys much nicer than the other two options in the UK (well three is you count Wimpy who used to be amazing in the 80s and now are like a truck stop) which are Burger King and McDonalds

 

We've *recently* started seeing stuff like 'five guys' appear in the UK, which is lovely but astronomically expensive over here.

 

I think a burger, fries and drink is about £11 compared to say £4 for the same at McDs or BK

[The Inquisitor 346]

You know, I can recall in the late 1970's when we were going to do the big switch over under President Carter.  I studied all the new systems (in the 2nd grade).  The date came and went....and nothing changed.  

I didn't know that. Wonder why? You'd think even if you don't want to do a big switch over you can just educate the kids in the metric system exclusively and it should just happen pretty naturally. I know university freshmen who just don't have a concept of how big a meter is.

 

Besides foods from other countries (that we have a lot of), there is cajun food.  Try some of that.  Maybe not the easiest to find.  There is also barbeque....as in smoked meat, not grilled meat.

Even the food from other countries. There's several nice Indian restaurants here and the food is universally non-spicy. Even stuff like vindaloo has almost no kick. I've learned that I have to ask for it extra, like off a secret menu or something.

It's an oversimplification and I suspect it may be localised (food in New York seems to be different to down South), and Cajun is nice indeed.

 

 

I think the ultra nationalistic types will say that they can eventually learn the meaning, but at least they can mouth through it.  I dunno.  I skip the whole "under god" part as it was added in to fight the commies and not what the Founding Fathers would've wanted.

Yeah it was very strange when our 4-year old came home reciting the pledge (and it was funny hearing a class of preschoolers warble their way through it - they didn't just not know what the words meant, they didn't know the words at all, they were learned by rote the sounds to copy the teacher). But as a foreigner this was doubly bizarre. Like, you're making her say what every morning?! The preschool teachers obviously hadn't even considered what it would sound like to a foreign parent, which is pretty much nationalistic brainwashing. It was harmless enough and we didn't blow it out of proportion (like 4-year-olds care), but it's a pretty good example of something that it outright bizarre that most Americans don't seem to even think about. 

 

The "under God" part is equally odd. I'm not sure how this gels with separation of church and state. I get why and when it happened, but I find it strange that most Americans are okay with it (indeed if you look at the comments of any article that mentions it, quite vehement about it).

 

 

Yeah, that is annoying.  I just wish the vending machine lobbying wasn't so strong so we could make a dollar coin that wasn't the same size as a quarter for once.  Or make it thicker like the pound.  

 

Okay this is fascinating. I have wondered why there wasn't a $1 coin (that could have gone on the list!). I would have thought the vending machine lobby would be all for a $1 coin! Rather than those annoying note-taking jobbies that must be expensive to add to vending machines. So what's the logic there?

Edited June 1, 2016 by The Inquisitor

[The Inquisitor 346]

One other thing I found odd about the US is how cheap the fast food, and how crappy quality. You'd think the home of McDonalds would have the best - but no, the worst-tasting fast food in the world that I've tried (but ****, is it cheap).

 

Subway, for example, always seemed to be a reasonably upmarket sandwich shop in England. Decent, but not exactly cheap. Here it is incredibly cheap but the quality suffers. The best McDonalds I ever tried was in Japan. It was very surprising that these global chains seem to vary so much in quality. 

[FTS Gecko 24,135]

Variance is determined by local way of life, and local health & hygiene laws and regulations.

 

Half the food outlets in the US would get shut down in Europe, and half the ingredients would be banned for additives etc  Japan would probably be even more strict.

[Robin Graves 6,054]

One other thing I found odd about the US is how cheap the fast food, and how crappy quality. You'd think the home of McDonalds would have the best - but no, the worst-tasting fast food in the world that I've tried (but ****, is it cheap).

 

Subway, for example, always seemed to be a reasonably upmarket sandwich shop in England. Decent, but not exactly cheap. Here it is incredibly cheap but the quality suffers. The best McDonalds I ever tried was in Japan. It was very surprising that these global chains seem to vary so much in quality. 

 

Oh yeah, huge differences, like even down to what brand ketchup they use. And of course you get the local variants like the ebi burger from japan's mcdonalds (Oh I want that soooo bad!) and the Belgo Burger from (you guessed it! Belgium! )

 

 

But yeah american Mcdonalds or burger king...

 

Remember that whole black bun thing from a while ago? In Japan they used soba (squid ink) wich gives a nice black color and adds to the flavour. In the states they used food dye that turned your poop green. Yeah not exactly in the same league when it comes to quality there, guys!

[Fuzzywookie 2,145]

Football and Football. Geesh

[Biophysical 15,761]

 

Besides foods from other countries (that we have a lot of), there is cajun food.  Try some of that.  Maybe not the easiest to find.  There is also barbeque....as in smoked meat, not grilled meat.

Even the food from other countries. There's several nice Indian restaurants here and the food is universally non-spicy. Even stuff like vindaloo has almost no kick. I've learned that I have to ask for it extra, like off a secret menu or something.

It's an oversimplification and I suspect it may be localised (food in New York seems to be different to down South), and Cajun is nice indeed.

 

 

You're right.  There is huge regional variation in how spicy food will be served, as well as a lot of variation from place to place.  Generally speaking, the further south you go, the more spicy food will be, although southeast vs southwest will use different peppers to provide that heat.  Also, the broader the audience the restaurant is intended to serve, the less spicy it will be.  There usually is a "non-Americanized" menu as you suspect.  I've had Indian and Chinese friends who typically ordered off menu, or in one case had the "Chinese" menu brought out, literally a menu in Chinese characters.  

 

As far as USA-grown spicy food, your best bet is Cajun or barbeque (which for these purposes means slow-smoked meat, not grilled).  But again, the level of heat will vary from region to region and establishment to establishment.

[OneKelvin 1,724]

Me trying to to think of things the yanks are better at than the Brits. I can't think of anything. The Brits are awesome.

 

2015 X-Wing World Championship.

 

Paul Heaver.

 

Northern Virginia.

 

 

....... Dun, Dun, DUN! 

[Fuzzywookie 2,145]

I miss my red coat uniform.

[The Inquisitor 346]

How old are you!?!

[Fuzzywookie 2,145]

Well in wookie years... It's not polite to ask.

[Gadge 4,294]

How old are you!?!

 

In the infantry we still have 'red coats' (or we did in my day).   Our mess dress for formal dinner was a red waist length coat and dark blue trousers with a red stripe!

 

I'm not actually wearing my regiments mess dress here (its royal engineers) but this was my pals and I having a mess dinner and sherry on the side of a welsh mountain.. as you do....

 

[Stoneface 3,750]

How old are you!?!

 

In the infantry we still have 'red coats' (or we did in my day).   Our mess dress for formal dinner was a red waist length coat and dark blue trousers with a red stripe!

 

I'm not actually wearing my regiments mess dress here (its royal engineers) but this was my pals and I having a mess dinner and sherry on the side of a welsh mountain.. as you do....

 

A nice touch of class!

[Fuzzywookie 2,145]

Every girls crazy bout a sharp dressed man.

[heychadwick 11,357]

Taco Bell is actually spelled "Mistake" in my household.

 

It seems like a good idea every 5 years or so. It never is.

 

It is a bad example of mexican fast food, there are way better including Taco Del Mar.

 

But then, fast food is fast food, a curry as a fast food doesn't really work either. You go to a restaurant, likewise a good mexican restaurant is amazeballs.

 

Taco Del Mar isn't anywhere near me.  I used to live in Texas and it's AWESOME.  I don't think I can find one for several states away from me.  Taco Bell is what it is.  It's better than McD's.  Depends on what you get, really.  

 

 

You know, I can recall in the late 1970's when we were going to do the big switch over under President Carter.  I studied all the new systems (in the 2nd grade).  The date came and went....and nothing changed.  

I didn't know that. Wonder why? You'd think even if you don't want to do a big switch over you can just educate the kids in the metric system exclusively and it should just happen pretty naturally. I know university freshmen who just don't have a concept of how big a meter is.

 

 

I think it was just Americans being resistant to change and not wanting to do something different than what they are used to.  Also, why should 'Merica change for the rest of the world?  Metric is one of those funky European things.  Why should 'Merica change for them?  Blah blah blah....xenophobic blah.  

 

 

 

Besides foods from other countries (that we have a lot of), there is cajun food.  Try some of that.  Maybe not the easiest to find.  There is also barbeque....as in smoked meat, not grilled meat.

 

Even the food from other countries. There's several nice Indian restaurants here and the food is universally non-spicy. Even stuff like vindaloo has almost no kick. I've learned that I have to ask for it extra, like off a secret menu or something.

It's an oversimplification and I suspect it may be localised (food in New York seems to be different to down South), and Cajun is nice indeed. 

 

If you go into restaurants that would traditionally have spicy food, you have to tell them you want it spicy.  You have to tell them that you want the cook to prepare it like THEY would eat it.  Most places cool it down for non-natives.  I have friends that do this all the time.

 

Also, you should look for Thai food.  They make some spicy food.  

I think the ultra nationalistic types will say that they can eventually learn the meaning, but at least they can mouth through it.  I dunno.  I skip the whole "under god" part as it was added in to fight the commies and not what the Founding Fathers would've wanted.

Yeah it was very strange when our 4-year old came home reciting the pledge (and it was funny hearing a class of preschoolers warble their way through it - they didn't just not know what the words meant, they didn't know the words at all, they were learned by rote the sounds to copy the teacher). But as a foreigner this was doubly bizarre. Like, you're making her say what every morning?! The preschool teachers obviously hadn't even considered what it would sound like to a foreign parent, which is pretty much nationalistic brainwashing. It was harmless enough and we didn't blow it out of proportion (like 4-year-olds care), but it's a pretty good example of something that it outright bizarre that most Americans don't seem to even think about. 

 

The "under God" part is equally odd. I'm not sure how this gels with separation of church and state. I get why and when it happened, but I find it strange that most Americans are okay with it (indeed if you look at the comments of any article that mentions it, quite vehement about it).

 

 

Yeah, that is annoying.  I just wish the vending machine lobbying wasn't so strong so we could make a dollar coin that wasn't the same size as a quarter for once.  Or make it thicker like the pound.  

 

Okay this is fascinating. I have wondered why there wasn't a $1 coin (that could have gone on the list!). I would have thought the vending machine lobby would be all for a $1 coin! Rather than those annoying note-taking jobbies that must be expensive to add to vending machines. So what's the logic there?

 

Besides foods from other countries (that we have a lot of), there is cajun food.  Try some of that.  Maybe not the easiest to find.  There is also barbeque....as in smoked meat, not grilled meat.

Even the food from other countries. There's several nice Indian restaurants here and the food is universally non-spicy. Even stuff like vindaloo has almost no kick. I've learned that I have to ask for it extra, like off a secret menu or something.

It's an oversimplification and I suspect it may be localised (food in New York seems to be different to down South), and Cajun is nice indeed.

 

 

I think the ultra nationalistic types will say that they can eventually learn the meaning, but at least they can mouth through it.  I dunno.  I skip the whole "under god" part as it was added in to fight the commies and not what the Founding Fathers would've wanted.

Yeah it was very strange when our 4-year old came home reciting the pledge (and it was funny hearing a class of preschoolers warble their way through it - they didn't just not know what the words meant, they didn't know the words at all, they were learned by rote the sounds to copy the teacher). But as a foreigner this was doubly bizarre. Like, you're making her say what every morning?! The preschool teachers obviously hadn't even considered what it would sound like to a foreign parent, which is pretty much nationalistic brainwashing. It was harmless enough and we didn't blow it out of proportion (like 4-year-olds care), but it's a pretty good example of something that it outright bizarre that most Americans don't seem to even think about. 

 

The "under God" part is equally odd. I'm not sure how this gels with separation of church and state. I get why and when it happened, but I find it strange that most Americans are okay with it (indeed if you look at the comments of any article that mentions it, quite vehement about it).

 

 

Yeah, that is annoying.  I just wish the vending machine lobbying wasn't so strong so we could make a dollar coin that wasn't the same size as a quarter for once.  Or make it thicker like the pound.  

 

Okay this is fascinating. I have wondered why there wasn't a $1 coin (that could have gone on the list!). I would have thought the vending machine lobby would be all for a $1 coin! Rather than those annoying note-taking jobbies that must be expensive to add to vending machines. So what's the logic there?

[heychadwick 11,357]

Weird double post that I can't delete.

Edited June 3, 2016 by heychadwick

[Robin Graves 6,054]

Every girls crazy bout a sharp dressed man.