Strange things you're not used to

[eekee 182]

I don't know why they bother making a non-pseudoephedrine version of these medicines as the new stuff does absolutely nothing. I've read on some websites that the new ingredient they use hasn't been proved to be more effective than placebos.

[CarolynRitesh 0]

I don't know why they bother making a non-pseudoephedrine version of these medicines as the new stuff does absolutely nothing. I've read on some websites that the new ingredient they use hasn't been proved to be more effective than placebos.

Oh man... Right now I have about two 'hits' left of my NyQuil bottle that I brought back from the US a year or so ago - now I am looking at it as if it is a golden elixor! I am also looking at my Sudafed with new-found respect as I hear that it is a pain in the butt to get at home too - what the heck is going on in the US?? Why all these changes?

I am the USC, but have been living in India for the last 3 years - I think the culture shock is going to be harder on me than it will on my husband! I remember when I returned from two years in Kazakstan, I felt completely overwhelmed by grocery shopping - sooooo many choices, soooo many aisles - half the time I would walk out without anything!

[Coco&Kitten 42]

Hi!

I am not used to go the grocery (or supermarket) and have somebody put all the stuff in the bags. In Spain you do that yourself and they grump at you if you are not fast enough! :-)

[moeenzo 0]

I will add, the thing made me shocked here in the US was when I went to the Pharmacy "CVS" and saw a guy buying a pack of cigarettes... I was what.!!!!!!!!!!!

[DeadPoolX 9]

I will add, the thing made me shocked here in the US was when I went to the Pharmacy "CVS" and saw a guy buying a pack of cigarettes... I was what.!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not sure where you're from (you don't say on your profile), but I'd have to imagine that most countries would allow their citizens to purchase cigarettes so long as they're old enough...

[Reba 2]

Yeah, but in some countries (like Canada fer instance) cigarettes are not sold in drug stores. Haven't been for quite a few years.

As for the pseudoephedrine being taken out of cold medicines, its because it was being used by illegal meth makers in their labs. So rather than shut down the labs and put all the ilicit drug makers in jail, they took out the "offending" drug from off the shelf cold and allergy medicines. Now if you want the good stuff, you have to go to the pharmacist him/herself and show them ID and sign a form. And you can only get a maximum of 2 packages at a time, and I think that's limited to 2 per month or some short period of time. If you try to get more than that, they'll report you to the locals.

And the meth labs keep on keepin' on somehow

Edited February 28, 2008 by Reba

[DeadPoolX 9]

Yeah, but in some countries (like Canada fer instance) cigarettes are not sold in drug stores. Haven't been for quite a few years.

Wow. So where do you buy them then?

I know my wife has said that taxes on cigarettes in Canada are obscenely high, so coupled with limited venues to smoke in, smoking in general has gone way down. My wife and I don't smoke, so neither of us take much notice of these things (which would probably explain why I didn't realize London Drugs didn't sell cigarettes). I just know cigarettes can be bought in places like Walgreen's and CVS because I see them there all the time.

[Reba 2]

they can be bought in pretty much any other kind of store, convenience stores, grocery stores, Costco, Sam's Club, gas station, yadda yadda yadda...just not in drug stores. Or bars and restaurants. Cuz you can't smoke in bars or restaurants anymore. Not that I care, I quit before I moved down here. Don't like American cigarattes

[greeneyedgirlfl 0]

I felt a strong urge to resucitate this thread...

I just had to show my ID to purchase...N Y Q U I L

And it wasn't personal or anything, I was using one of those self-service express lanes, scanned the nyquil...got the little thingy "please show your ID to the cashier"

Thank God I already have my DL, I've had so many problems with my ID before I got it. If I'd have problems with my ID getting Nyquil I think my head would have exploted right there.

Saludos,

Caro

I teach high school; we've had a problem with our students coming to school drunk off of Nyquil...not since they've been checking ID for it...

[calamitka 0]

Maybe something have changed since I lived in US from 2005- 2007 but besides many things mentioned before I found really akward that

*there are two separate saunas for women and men

*you can't buy a wine in sunday.

[calamitka 0]

Maybe something have changed since I lived in US from 2005- 2007 but besides many things mentioned before I found really akward that

*there are two separate saunas for women and men

*you can't buy a wine in sunday.

You must have been in Colorado if you couldn't buy wine on Sunday. Most other states are a little more enlightened.

Nope, you lucky Californian you

We lived in Georgia, we moved because those unbearable experiences of having sunday dinners without the wine.

[bora bora 1]

Nope, you lucky Californian you

We lived in Georgia, we moved because those unbearable experiences of having sunday dinners without the wine.

Hehe. I'm originally from Colorado, same Sunday law. Yeah, California has spoiled me.

I could buy beer after midnight in KY - when I went to visit my sister.

In NY liquor stores can't seel beer (only liquor and wine) and you can't buy alcohol before noon at grocery stores (that may just be a county rule from where I was living).

[calamitka 0]

Sunday law

I could buy beer after midnight in KY - when I went to visit my sister.

In NY liquor stores can't seel beer (only liquor and wine) and you can't buy alcohol before noon at grocery stores (that may just be a county rule from where I was living).

It wasn't of course problem whether on Sunday we could buy alcohol or we couldn't I was stunned that probably religion laws apply to secular society.

I mean in USA country of freedom !

It was my first cultural shock.

Later on with help from my teacher I discovered real Columbus, GA(where we lived) laws removed on 1981!

*Can't cut off a chicken's head on Sunday; It is illegal to carry a chicken by it's feet down Broadway on Sunday.

*It is illegal to sit on one's porch in an indecent position.

[The Robinsons 0]

OMG I could make the longest list....I'll try to keep it short(ish):

- Let's start with the fahrenheit, gallons, miles, reversed date and AM/PM

- Then the criminally low minimum wages, no paid vacation, short maternity leave, putting race on your application, the background checks and drug tests.

- Actually paying for healthcare!! If you can afford it that is....

- Bag boys.....what's that about?

- Coupons, still feel too weird to use one

- Having to hand the cashier the money - she'll get extremely offended if you put it down on the counter

- "Memberships" to grocery stores - those little cards you show the cashier to get the store discounts

- Tipping people.....I think I already pay enough for whatever I'm buying

- Being able to use someone else's credit card

- Credit scores - the most unfair thing in this world!!!

- 2 year cell phone contracts.....what the phone and my plan isn't outragiously expensive enough as it is???!

- That extremely easy "exam" to get your drivers license

- Car washes where people wash your car

- 24 hr service (McD's, CVS, Walmart....)

- Drive through banks...I laughed myself half of death about that one. How lazy can you be!

- People thinking it's nasty to drink from the same glass or bottle as someone else

- Sales taxes.....lord jesus and then some

- Clothing sizes....I was a Medium back home, now I'm a 3 in juniors. What a diet.

- Round door handles - took me a while to figure them out not that I completely have yet

- Telemarketers

- Boxes for your left over food at restaurants

- Portion sizes

- The half gallon milk shake

- Iced Tea/lemonade

- Southern cooking.....definitely not for me, except for the biscuits, yummy

- The very very limited selection of bread and dairy products

- Chocolate.....it just doesn't taste right. Not like the Rittersport and Marabou I get sent from back home

- The so far out in the future expiration date on milk

- The wonderland that is over the counter drugs

Ok.....stopping now.....

[The Robinsons 0]

oh forgot...

Refills....co-signing on what's been said already

Pancakes/pancake mix.....where I'm from pancakes are big thin and you cover them with chocolate spread, sugar, ice cream or jam. Certainly not butter and syrup, and what's with throwing fruit in there?? And whatever happened to flower, eggs and milk. Leave it to americans to make pancakes from a box.