Things your wife/fiancee found strange about the states

[DaveE111 10]

I still get a laugh when I think about my wife's first few months here. She has been here one year next month. some of the things she found weird:

1. No real visible security at the mall or banks.

2. 24 hour major stores

3. No deposit or withdrawal slips

4. You can get your money back when you return something.

5. Internet shopping (yes she now has it mastered).

6. Military discounts

7. Limitless refills on drinks at restaurants

8. People don't care about your middle name on documents.

9. American teenagers and their freedom

10. Even poor people have a car

11. Black Friday shopping adventure

12. What kids wear to school, (we have two high school daughters)

13. Shooting sports (she now has two rifles and is getting quite good)

14. Lack of public transportation, (we have no busses or taxi's where we live)

Last but not least, never ending ED commercials. She asked me who Ed was. When I told her, it was the first time I had seen a filipina blush.

[bowgirl 8]

I am not a USC but I was really impressed with the postal service. No need to go to post office if you have stamps at home, just drop it to the box, the drive-thru ATM (that's my favorite) and the super BIG large sized drinks! I was like

Edited June 24, 2011 by bowgirl

[Bsze 50]

I love being able to return stuff at the store!

[John&Juvy 36]

The tax return and thanks giving . Not strange, it's actually cool and amazing !

[edp333 9]

1. Portion sizes, no rice, and no delivery at McDonalds, etc.

2. Buying groceries for the week instead of for each meal.

3. A dishwasher gets dishes cleaner than washing by hand.

4. You can travel 100 kilometers in about 1 hours drive.

5. Dawn is not a good substitute for the dishwasher when you run out of Calgon.

[John&Juvy 36]

The tax return and thanks giving . Not strange, it's actually cool and amazing !

One more thing I forgot lol. Sun still up at 8:00pm or so . That's the best part hahaha.

[DaveE111 10]

1. Portion sizes, no rice, and no delivery at McDonalds, etc.

2. Buying groceries for the week instead of for each meal.

3. A dishwasher gets dishes cleaner than washing by hand.

4. You can travel 100 kilometers in about 1 hours drive.

5. Dawn is not a good substitute for the dishwasher when you run out of Calgon.

I forgot the Calgon thing - that was just last week. She didn't tell me about it for a couple day.

[happyblessedme 12]

I still get a laugh when I think about my wife's first few months here. She has been here one year next month. some of the things she found weird:

1. No real visible security at the mall or banks.

2. 24 hour major stores

3. No deposit or withdrawal slips

4. You can get your money back when you return something.

5. Internet shopping (yes she now has it mastered).

6. Military discounts

7. Limitless refills on drinks at restaurants

8. People don't care about your middle name on documents.

9. American teenagers and their freedom

10. Even poor people have a car

11. Black Friday shopping adventure

12. What kids wear to school, (we have two high school daughters)

13. Shooting sports (she now has two rifles and is getting quite good)

14. Lack of public transportation, (we have no busses or taxi's where we live)

Last but not least, never ending ED commercials. She asked me who Ed was. When I told her, it was the first time I had seen a filipina blush.

Funny but true. What amazed me the most is u can do shopping while doing laundry and cooking even. U can pay the bills online which means no stamps needed and no gas money involved. u can even make money transfer and send money online as well.

[beppo 8]

I'm sure everyone from different nations will find the US different from their own country. As I'm from Scotland there is certainly some big difference's. Here is my top 10 list, not in order.

1- Vehicles, seems as though some households have at least 2-3 cars as public transport doesn't exist in this part of the US.

2- Your local butcher, they don't have it here and I miss my local butcher big time.

3- Same kind of stores beside each other eg- If you see a Lowes, Walgreens, gas station etc, you will see Home Depot, CVS or another gas station right next to each other.

4- Shootings, robberies. I am amazed how many people are murdered and gas stations or banks are robbed. Even with a population of 45,000 of where I live, I'm shocked.

5- Churches, well this is the bible belt.

6- The houses have far more sq-ft but are like made out of cardboard.

7- Insurance, whether It's health or car insurance. Man It's expensive here.

8- Here It's heat, humidity, thunderstorms. North Scotland, It's 60 mph winds and horizontal rain.

9- Driver's, their bloody nuts here. They don't indicate(put the blinker on) plus they ride your ####.

10- The true Rednecks. Yep, I've seen a few of them and lets just say some are.......well, strange lol(but funny)

[gretchen_darren 67]

thanks for the list. Family and friends of hers already here have been helping me compile a list of things she will find different then in the Philippines. That was just the start of it. This is part of the list of those who live here in phoenix from her village have given me. plus what my fiancee and me, with friends and family have discussed with her: (trust me it is long) My fiancee has really been preparing for coming here. (I think they are working on me being ready)

MAIN ONE: RICE IS NOT SERVED WITH EVERY MEAL NOR is rice in every restaurant.

1) groceries can be delivered

2) pizza and Chinese food delivery

3) fresh baked bread IS more expensive then factory made bread

4) fruits are less sweet

5) no Bones in soup or stews.

5a) buffalo wings are from chickens, do have bones, and refer to the preparation.

5b) steak is more common then fresh fish.

6) going out to eat is as normal as eating at home

7) people actually argue over how to cook food

8) there is more then one BBQ recipe for pork or chicken

9) there are more spices then salt and pepper

10) a knife is a utensil, not something to clean fish or go hunting with

11) There is a whole aisle devoted to Soda

11a) grocery stores sell frozen foods and refrigerated items

11b) grocery stores use plastic bags which break and do not box items

11c) you can take the grocery cart out of the store

11d) your purse is not searched every time you go to a store

12) There are windows with glass in a house.

13) if you want to play in a gym, you have to pay for it

14) guys ALSO play volleyball

15) that is not a skirt, that is a KILT.

16) Police DO pull you over for speeding, or reckless driving, plus arrest you for being too intoxicated, plus you ARE fined for littering.

17) Security is not everywhere, and not all security carry guns

18) taking a bus is not as safe, and a taxi is not cheap

19) neighbors are not always happy to see you

20) your church is probably not in walking distance

21) bugs or flies or in a house is NOT acceptable

22) sweeping or cleaning the floor involves more then a broom

23) teaching on how to use the dishwasher, clothes washer, clothes dryer, stove, microwave, grill, fridge, and locking the doors. Cooking in a crockpot.

24) for summer in phoenix, you must wear shoes when going outside.

25) when eating, the whole family sits down together takes their time, and all are fed equally.

26) there is more then just 3 or 4 channels on TV (no cable in her area)

27) no need for a postal id

28) most mail goes from mailbox to recycle bin without being looked at

29) you pay for trash removal, and water

30) there is such a thing as hot water and it does run out

31) in phoenix, even the cold water is warm in summer

32) people will:

a) be jealous of how tiny she is wishing to be her size

b) tell her she needs to eat more and gain more weight

c) ask how old she is, and when she is graduating high school

d) ask her when she is graduating and what college she will attend

e) ask her how is it living in a "white" family

f) sales person asking what "my daughter" is looking for.

33) no pat-downs at the airport

34) internet is always available.

This is just a list I have been given so far of what she will see differently. My fiancee is coming from a village in the rural area of philippines. there is not much in the way of urbanization there. Gingoog City is a major town as well as Butuan.

[Psoas10 17]

My wife found it strange that everything was almost the same as PI here.

1. Rice is served at most restaurants, including Burger King and McDonalds.

2. The weather is about the same

3. Chickens everywhere and crowing roosters

4. Plenty of Filipinos around, and Ilocano is heard all the time.

5. Plenty of of freshly grown Filipino fruits and vegetables.

6. Fish with the head on, shrimp with head on too.

7. Culture is more Asian than western here.

8. People singing Karaoke in their garage from time to time.

9. Finding long lost friends and relatives here already from here province

Those are the main things she found odd about being here. Yet the biggest problem she had was learning the value of the dollar.

[Thunderstruck 1]

These are some things my wife has yet to get used to in 3 months she has been here:

1) cars go very fast here

2) cars waiting at a cross street are not going to honk their horn and pull onto the highway in front of us

3) red lights mean stop, green go and what's yellow for?

4) OMG its daylight at 6am and 9pm!

5) No rice at KFC and MacDoh's!

6) Women wear short-shorts when they leave the house in summer, not bluejeans.

7) Why are the Malls so small!?

8) Most everyone says Hi!, What's up?, How's it goin'?, etc and don't expect a reply, even when they don't know each other.

9) Everything is dead, brown and gray in early spring and winter.

10) It can be 90 degrees and 40 degrees in a 24 hour period.

11) 2 people live in a house the size of a hotel with a populated 4 car garage!?

12) People mow grass with machines?

13) Where are the Jeepneys?!

14) No small stores out of in the front of every 3rd house on the street.

15) Animals treated like children and spoiled sometimes worse than our children

A small sampling...... Love this thread!

[~happyndinlove~ 540]

I found it strange that many Americans are way friendly than a fellow Filipina(s).

I find it odd (and mostly feel sorry) that many senior citizens are still working, pushing carts at the grocery stores when they should just be home resting.

[Messybrownhair 251]

It still amazes me that the water coming from the faucet and for showering is clean. I feel like Americans take this for granted!

[~happyndinlove~ 540]

3. No deposit or withdrawal slips

We have multiple accounts and we make multiple diposits. Some of the diposits are direct and some of the checks come in the mail. So we still use diposit slips sometimes.

5. Internet shopping (yes she now has it mastered).

Actually, PI have this one, too...

7. Limitless refills on drinks at restaurants

We have this in PI. We call it bottomless...

13. Shooting sports (she now has two rifles and is getting quite good)

Same with this one...