Hey, In Australia I didn't study anything about the US apart from Columbus who discovered it.

Hee hee...I couldn't pass this post up without a link to Victor Borge: http://www.kor.dk/borge/b-mus-1.htm go down the page about halfway to "Punctuation"

I just hope mychelle didn't mean to be condescending. As a college graduate, with a degree in Economics from UP and 5 year work experience with international companies before coming here, I still had to ask a number of questions about a lot of things and how stuff work in the US. Knowing is different from actually living the lifestyle, although there is sufficient information out there about the US from the media and stories from the people who have been here, nothing compares to physically being here and living in a culture so different from what we were accustomed to.

I'm still amazed by simple things like autumn, the sight of falling leaves and changing of colors, discussions about the government (which is btw bedtimes stories too ) social system, wide roads, speed limits, driving and online shopping/banking, etc. Lack of knowledge about the US is not tantamount to lack of education, void of exposure maybe a factor, but a college degree doesn't guarantee sufficient knowledge about how the US works.

Just my 2 cents.

Without attempting to turn this into a political threat, I'm always surprised at the the way in which the term "liberal" is employed as the opposite of "conservative." Where I'm from "liberal" refers to someone who is into free and unregulated markets and against too much state involvement, sort of like libertarians in the US. I'm still looking for an explanation why there is this difference in terminology...

Why can a person DIE for their country @ 18 yrs old, but can't drink a legal beer until 21?



The first thing my wife said is, where are the people?
(Asian cultures are very sociable on the streets and sidewalks)

Plus, my wife sometimes points out when people are "insincere" or "others who make personal remarks but they don't really mean it", especially from workalcoholic overachievers that know everything.

even more confusing for Canadians where Liberal is a political party, and generally not bandied about as an epithet by anyone other than Conservatives, the other political party.

I've been here in the US a year and a half, and been married to my husband for 4 1/2 years, and visited and worked in the US several times before I moved here or even met him. I *still* get confused on some terminology and language usage!

Explaining time zones, daylight savings time and why the spring is our rainy season are the main things I have to talk about.

My husband learned the scariest way about weather warnings here. Every first wednesday of the month we have weather alerts and they sound the sirens, so when that happen he runs out of the house thinking it's an earthquake because that is only time they sound the sirens in his country. So he's standing outside of the house and he noticed nobody else is out and the earth is not moving, so he goes in and calls me at work and ask me what happen. LOL
I told him during the summer months we have tornado warnings and it for severe weather..

I love reading these threads. I learn so much, especially about stuff I would never think to think about. So after reading about periods/full stops, I wondered what my husband called them. Nigeria was settled by the British, so I thought perhaps they might use full stops. So, sure enough he said they did. Very interesting. It made me wonder how many other things I say that he has no idea what I'm talking about but doesn't ask .

Nice topic I found it so interesting the way that people just continuously learn about different things.

One of the first thing my husband had to explain to me was kinda silly. It was our first weekend together here and neither one of us felt like cooking so I said "Why don't we just call McDonald, I want fish filet" His reaction was "Honey, it's not like back home" LOL That's my first of many lesson that McDonald doesn't deliver in the States. I was so used of just picking up the phone and have just about everything deliver.

Also the measurement things kinda confuse me at first especially since I'm so used of using metrics. Now I keep a measurement charts of just about everything by the fridge. That helps a lot!

Thanks God my husband always try his best to answer all my "Why's, How's" questions coz he knows sometimes I ask too much questions and won't stop until I understand it. He will do the same too tho' like asking me questions what this or that mean in my native language

OK this is like the tenth time I've seen this mentioned in this thread so here comes "the dumb American".... Do they do that in other countries?????? Add it in to the price on the shelf I mean?????

I had the oposite reaction to this very thing in Egypt... to think we could just pick up the phone and have McDonalds or any other fast food delivered was a trip to me.... that and the fact that none of those restaurants had drive thrus!!!

It's done in Singapore. We pay what's on the price tag, nothing more and nothing less. In most places, the tag shows two prices - one before and after tax. So it took me a bit getting used to it being different over here. During the first few months I'd whip out close to the exact amount and then my husband or room mate would remind me that I hadn't included tax yet. Blargh.

Now I carry a coin purse so that I sweep all the loose change in there after I've paid. I kinda gave up trying to calculate final prices.

too bad u didn't get that on video... that will be a GREAT story for the grandkids one day! I would probably have done the same thing if it would have been me though... if I ever heard a siren going off I would FREAK out!!

I remember the first time I heard the sirens. That was scary. But I guess they just do it once a week to make sure they're working.

God this drives me NUTS - I have so many darn coins at the end of every trip I feel like a parking meter thief
Whats the big problem about the price displayed being the one thats PAID at the til? Its actually more sensible and saves a lot of 'can I afford this' issues. Its been done in the UK as long as I can remember, and also in most places in Europe that I've been to as well.
Do they really seriously think Americans will 'think the prices have gone up' if they do it this way?
I have been to the US many MANY times and this STILL catches me out

McD's deliver here in Brasil as well.

i just came few days ago (from Philippines) and its bothers me a bit knowing that government system here is somewhat same as ours. I applied for OK state ID with K3 and they denied my application since they asked for my maiden name to be changed with my husband's. It made my husband really pissed off. We went to the other office (JEnks)and without questions I got it

So far, the hardest thing to wrap my brain aorund is the whole US credit rating system...David did his best to explain but I still haven`t quite figured out how it works
I`m sure there will be a few other juicy things like that once I move, but reading this I just remembered fondly how surprised David was by the fact that in Croatia people park on the sidewalks, or just how pedestrians act- apparently we are a very roudy bunch according to US standards

I guess they don't include sales tax on the ticket because it's different in every state and that would mean allocating where a particular shipment will go at the time of labeling. I see that logic, but it's still damn irritating!

I don't recall ever seeing price tag on the actual merchandise... it's always on the shelf, isn't it ? I might be wrong, haven't been to the States for a few months


Can't disagree here

Bartek

Oh what a fantastic thread.
First off I need to just say you guys aren't alone about the whole ...thinking you're from australia or mexico. When I went to visit Andy with my parents and they stayed in the hotel. They were called australians, italians and germans..... then some girl who was serving them told my dad he didn't speak very good english. He told her out right he speaks the queens english, she gives him a funny look and asks him whos this queen person he speaks of. He had to explain we were all scottish but moved to england and visiting california! And this person wasn't american either...

Things Andy has had to explain to me:

Fiona: Honey, why are there trees in the middle of the roads?
Andy: For heavens sake woman they're on an island they aren't just in the middle of the road stuck in the tar.

__________________

Mother in law hands plate to Fiona

Fiona: *Ohhhh * whats this thing....green long things here?
Andy: Thats asparagus dear....don't tell me you've never had asparagus!

__________________________________________________________

Andy and Fiona roll into the mall....lady comes upto us and tries to help

Fiona: This is soooo weird, in England shop assistants never help!
Andy: *head in his hands* You're in america dear, I'm beginning to think you're from a third world country.

___________________________________________________________

Fiona: Can you pass me my trainers please?
Marcy (sister-in law to be); you're what? trainees?
Andy: Shoes Marcy, they can sneakers trainers....
Marcy: You're gonna be an american girl....shoes are shoes!

____________________________________________________________

Andy and Fiona at the county fair....We go to a stand with wrap things...

Fiona: *Psst...* what have they just given me?
Andy: *can't stop laughing* a tacoo
LOUD PEOPLE TALKING
Fiona: A PORNO?
Andy: TACOO!!
Man at the stand: ANOTHER TACOO COMING UP SIR!

________________________________________________________

Love it!

And for the gods' sake, learn how to say it properly. My husband still gets me in stitches the way he says 'taco'.

Great stories, Fiona!

I do understand that, but there's no reason why stores couldn't display the full price or as a matter of fact bars and restaurants. There's nothing worse than going out for some drinks and having to calculate tax into the price a few hours later...

Although I havent moved over yet (my petition is*somewhere*) I visted last year from the UK and the turning at a red light confused the hell out of me. Other things I was asked questions about where

1. Banks having drive through ATMs
2. The amount of fast food places.
3. The lack of a City/town centers
4. Tiny towns in the middle of nowhere being called a City
5. Tax not included on price tag.
6. Breakdown of federal, state and local taxes and goverment.
7. The point of stopping at a stop sign even when nothing is coming.
8. The ability to undertake
9. Having customer service (made me realise how bad it is in the UK)


The funniest thing when we were there though was speaking to one of her cousins. He asked me where I came from and told him I stayed in London, England. He then asked if that was on the east or west coast.

This is a great thread! I have laughed reading them all...

These are questions that I had to ask my husband when I was living in Ecuador :

1. Why does no one have change for a 20?
2. Why is there no one out on a Sunday?
3. Why is customer service so dreadfully bad?
4. Why dont the cars stop for you to cross the road? And why do they speed up at you?
5. Why cant you flush toilet paper?
6. Why are there no traffic police?
7. Why do people just cut infront of everyone else in line?? - This one I will never understand
8. Why are motorcycles allowed to drive on the sidewalk?

I taught ESL at a university in Quito and some of my students asked me some funny stuff about the US - my fav was
"Is it true about America?"
Me - Is what true?
"Is it true like in the movie American pie? Do they do that there?"
- I didnt know what to say because he was referring to the sex scene with a pie - an uncomfortable discussion to have with a student, so I laughed and said no and changed the subject.
Another one was the concept of the mailbox. I showed them a pic of my house and they all asked what is that little box there - so cute!

Forgot a recent one. Sent some pics to my husband (I am in the states and he is in Ecuador). Took a pic of my dog. He says " That is a very small park where you took your dog."
I said " Honey, that is the back yard."
Him - "What is that?"
Me - "Well generally there is a back yard and a front yard here."
Him - "So you all are surronded by gardens?"

LOL the yard and garden thing keep Mike and I going for ages. A yard is small and paved a garden is a lawn surrounded by flowed beds. Always wondered how he managed to mow the yard. The other thing that makes my teenage daughter and I hoot with laughter is the American use of the word "fannie". Every time we see the episode of the Simpsons were Skinner's mother yells that her fannie is baboon red from the long trip,we crack up and tears roll down our cheeks

Adele

The yard thing always gets me as well - Lenny always corrects me on it - but I still 'see' a 'yard' in my head as a paved over, tiny area..lol

that would be a patio...

:-)

LOL You mean a deck dont you?

Oh no no! A deck is a big wooden thing (usually) on stilts that's attached to the back of the house. It's something that a man HAS to build if his house doesn't have one yet ..

My husband is already talking about putting up a deck. I told him he needs to leave some space for my swimming pool.

We have 2 decks - one outside the back door and one round the pool lol
When i say 'we' I mean 'him' but me too soon

i got a kick out of the word tickled. Everyone says that here, i think it's funny.

You reminded me of another that caught David offguard at first. I had to mail a letter and a package so went out the front door to put them outside. I came back in and looked at me with an expression of "how did you go do that so fast?". I explained we can just leave them out in the mailbox and the postal carrier just picks up the mail or packages for me. He was amazed!!! I guess you actually have to go OUT and put the mail (er, post, sorry) in one of those boxes or take it to the post office. How uncivilized!!!

OMG, that's so funny...I just did the same thing yesterday and Ewen was also very surprised! I stuck a stamp on my water bill and put it out in the mailbox. He asked me what I was doing; a bit taken aback, I said that I was mailing the water bill. He asked, somewhat incredulously, if the mailperson would just pick it up like that, and I said, yes, as long as it has a stamp... He said that Royal Mail would NEVER do that!

thesnowman-- what is undertake? I'm the USC and I'm lost.

This is all really funny and educational. I have had to explaine a few things to my Irene. Once when she
was driving she told me she passed a school bus and when she did everyone looked angry at her. I asked
her if the stop arm was out. She said yes. I said you had to stop for that. They don't really have school
buses in Malaysia. I adv she was lucky a cop was not around.

I have also had to explaine he funky weather here in Indiana. I had to explaine, hail, freezing rain, and sleet.

When I get in her car she says she moved the chair back"electric seat". I had to learn what a car park
was, also a car porch. She also uses the "full stop" when writing a sentence.

She was also surprised and shocked about how much tax they took out of her pay check.

She also uses British terms sometimes such as boot, bonnett.

It has been alot of fun though. She does want me to tell her the way Americans say things.

It is funny though.....

LOL

Undertaking is just like overtaking, but on the other side! So here in the US, if you pass someone on their right, you would be "undertaking" them.

Actually, a cop doesn't even have to be around...the driver can note the license number of the car and report it to the police, who could issue a ticket anyway!

heheh.. as I suspected. For the Brits who don't know why we think it's a weird word.. an undertaker here is the guy who buries you when you're d e a d.

We have undertakers too, ya know.....

scottyj36

How'd she pass her written driver's test? (Or hasn't she yet?)

Yodrak

Marlene had never driven before in her life. I let her get behind the wheel at a rest stop on the interstate and see how felt about driving. In a very short time I thought we were both going to need an undertaker. She didn't drive far before we thought better of it and I helped her ease to the shoulder of the road and let me take the wheel again. She's going to need lots of practice with her steering!

yeah, but you prolly have some funny British name for them, like DBR (dead body removals) or some such...

Oh Heck no Royal Mail wouldn't know what it was to begin with. I get at least 3 other peoples post besides mine


Also known as funeral directors

The expression that always gets me is "I dont mind " and " I dont care". Took me a while to figure out that when Mike said !I dont care" he wasn't being rude he meant he didnt mind LOL My poor kids would sit looking totally confused when they asked to use something and Mike would say " I dont care" eventually I had to explain that in the UK when you say " I dont care" it is considered rude and we say ! I don't mind"

The other one that made me laugh this morning was when I said my daughter was writing an English exam. Mike's response to this was "She writes in English at School?" Nooo She's writing an exam you know like doing a test? OH you mean taking an exam? No Mike she takes English as a subject and today she it writing the exam LOL

Adele

How much do I love this thread?! Adele, I'm so glad you said that bit about the 'don't mind'---from the US side, I *hate* that phrase! It always seemed the ruder version to me... isn't it weird how our perceptions twist things around?! Anyway, I've just about broken him of the 'I don't mind' habit

As for the funeral director, unfortunately, I got first hand experience with the Uk death market

that's because its mind over matter - I dont mind and you dont matter! LOL


I just thought of another one off license /liquor store Mike calls it the package store or packet store? That totally confused me. What on earth do you need a package store for? LOL

Adele

That's a state-specific thing; they are liquor stores where we live.
It's to do with the way the state licenses liquor sales.. maybe google can find a decent answer for you?

LOL, this topic is really funny... Im Colombian married to a american citizen and he had to explain me some stuff to hehehehe I shouldnt be making fun of myself or my country but here it goes...

1-He explained me that if you send a check or money in a envelope trou mail it wint get lost.
2-He told me I had to obey the lights, green is green and red is red, even if theres no one around or if its really late and no one is around.
3-He had to explain me that when you get a ticket, there is no way you can convince a cop from writting it.
4-You dont need to make 2 hours lines in a bank, you stay inside the car.

Ill be back if I can remember more....

I find that law were you can't buy liquor on Sundays really odd seeing as you can go to a restaurant and buy wine?