What parts of English culture will you/do you miss?

[Cam54 84]

I'm trying to get my head around the lack of Boxing Day

When I last lived in America I didn't like that there wasn't really a tv program that everyone watched, like in England a lot of people watch X factor or eastenders etc and you can talk about it at work the next day. I know they silly little things but I think it's funny what you miss and I'm curious about other people

[Glyn and Kathy 288]

Well, as the American in the relationship, I can only answer for me but I did live in the UK...so there are things I miss. I miss the pub...not the drinking, because I don't really drink much, but the whole social aspect of it. Getting together with friends, walking home together in the village. There just isn't the same kind of thing here in the US. I also miss the holiday time that hubby always got...people here are shocked when I tell them how much time people get off from work every year...including Boxing Day. BUT, if you miss Boxing Day, celebrate it anyways. Make new traditions. I missed Thanksgiving in the UK, but hubby made sure he took the day off and we did it up just like we would have in the US.

As for everyone watching the same shows on the telly....I can't say I experienced that...I tried to keep my guilty secret of Emmerdale and Corrie quiet

[Anna Grant 169]

Having been here for over 5 months, I would say I really, really miss the NHS! That I have to think twice before doing anything of a medical nature takes some getting used to.

I miss not being able to watch TV without being interrupted by adverts every 10 minutes. We never watch anything live now - we record everything and then skip over the adverts. There was a new stand-up show with Bill Cosby recently and I timed it - 8 minutes of show and then 4 minutes of adverts.

I miss decent public transport. I miss high street stores.

But the US has something that the UK doesn't have. My husband.

I miss proper English crumpets - especially Warburtons. I miss Reggae Reggae Sauce (I bought some off Amazon!). As a veggie, I miss easy food labeling (I have to read all the ingredients on the package to work out if I can eat it). I miss going to restaurant and having a good choice of what I can eat (I'm lucky if I can have a veggie burger).

[2ndMessiah 184]

There will be a LOT of things different that you will have to get your head around.

Practice Christmas or Thanksgiving as it is called, All the excitement and food without the presents or a tree.

I do enjoy it tho.

As for soaps, well these are a whole other breed of brain deadening TV. Eastenders is Shakespeare compared to this stuff.

But soaps are followed avidly. America has got talent or something like that seems to be on TV every few seconds.

There are a lot of things will come as a shock. For a first world country their electricity grid is held together with spit and gum.

Driving on the "wrong" side of the road, lol.

Relying on a employer for healthcare yet being able to fired on the whim of your boss for no reason at all.

You will be told, " I love your accent" or asked "where are you from". Some will try and make funny comments.

Sarcastic humour goes way above most American heads.

This is not America is awful, this is, America is different.

Best advice, embrace it all. Take what works for you. Make friends.

Edited December 7, 2013 by 2ndMessiah

[Cam54 84]

Having been here for over 5 months, I would say I really, really miss the NHS! That I have to think twice before doing anything of a medical nature takes some getting used to.

I miss not being able to watch TV without being interrupted by adverts every 10 minutes. We never watch anything live now - we record everything and then skip over the adverts. There was a new stand-up show with Bill Cosby recently and I timed it - 8 minutes of show and then 4 minutes of adverts.

I miss decent public transport. I miss high street stores.

But the US has something that the UK doesn't have. My husband.

I miss proper English crumpets - especially Warburtons. I miss Reggae Reggae Sauce (I bought some off Amazon!). As a veggie, I miss easy food labeling (I have to read all the ingredients on the package to work out if I can eat it). I miss going to restaurant and having a good choice of what I can eat (I'm lucky if I can have a veggie burger).

I'm veggie too!! And it was hard work when I was in California, you'd think California having a slightly hippyish reputation id b safe but veggi and meat restaurants are very segregated there

I actually preferred American healthcare when I last lived out there but I had a university of California plan so it felt like the NHS but with quicker better treatment

[PearlyLemons 13]

I have been in the U.S for almost 3 months now, and I am definitely missing British ways!

* Terrible T.V. I can get Waterloo Road on YouTube, but it's not the same!

* Tea. I can get PG Tips here but it's like $7 for a small box.... Hubby gets the tea thing though and so we buy it anyway, haha!

* Pub lunches. The drinking thing is not the same here in the U.S. You don't just go out for a drink in the U.S, like the societal 'norm' ( I am aware not everybody drinks!) back in the U.K. I miss the little, cozy 'country' pubs where everyone and their mother would hang out - I guess they are Gastro Pubs?

* Sugar in food and drink. I used to be addicted to coca-cola in the U.K, but here I don't like they taste because they use corn syrup instead of real sugar.

* The NHS. Enough said.

*Walking around town. We have to drive EVERYWHERE here. I miss just taking my dog out for a walk round the park or being able to walk into town and just meander.

*Boxing Day and Bank Holidays; We plan on having a Boxing Day here but it won't be the same without family and friends. My husband also doesn't have the day off from work so we have to celebrate in the evening.

Things I love about the U.S

*My husband

* More choice with food (I'm gluten free, and they seem much more aware of it out here)

* I like the feeling of the Church community here - I didn't experience that back in the U.K.

* I like how passionate the Americans are about politics. I think it's important to stand for something and be aware of what is going on in your country.

* People seem a lot friendlier here in the U.S. I used to find it a bit odd when neighbors would offer to do things for me but now I really appreciate it and I feel there is a strong sense of community that I did not experience in the U.K

Edited December 7, 2013 by PearlyLemons

[nobbie 105]

proper pubs, proper shops for food not supermarkets, there is no butcher or fishmonger anywhere near where i live now.

The NHS, listening to the radio, funny shows on TV, there seems to be nothng funny on telly here.

I miss how cheap stuff is in the UK, food prices here are horrendous. in fact everything is expensive, health care, insurance for anything such as house insurance. The local city taxes, wow bring back the council tax, far cheaper in the UK.

Pub food is better in the UK, everything here seems to be fried or covered in crappy cheese.

[2ndMessiah 184]

Welcome to America.....

The US and UK...

two nations divided by a common language.

There are many many many cultural differences. I have been here over three years and still struggle to assimilate.

Things are getting a lot better.

I miss food. I miss Sausage rolls. HP sauce (I have two plastic bottles sent over every few months). Proper chocolate. Hersheys is NOT chocolate. Mind you Dove really helps with my galaxy chocolate addiction. I miss chips and all things chip shop. I would kill for a proper curry. Cant even find cans/jars of curry sauce.

I must admit tho, my USC wife makes a massive effort to make food I like.

She lived in Northern Ireland with me for eight years. She misses Tesco delivery lol.

I also miss walking........ There are zero sidewalks where I live.

nobbie where do you eat. Most if not all the chain restaurants food around here is generally of a reasonably high standard.

If you are talking fast food, like McDonalds, burger King, Wendys etc, well yes it is fried. But Places like Outback, Ruby Tuesays, applebees. TGI Fridays generally are good.

Edited December 7, 2013 by 2ndMessiah

[2ndMessiah 184]

I forgot. To help those with UK withdrawal symptoms go to BritishExpats.com

You will find a community of people with answers to a lot of things.

There is a wiki on how to get British TV on your computer.

I use the Chrome internet browser with a plugin called Hola. It acts as a proxy and allows me to watch BBc iplayer etc

You do know the BBC streams it channels as well on BBC iplayer. Just remember the time difference.

[Glyn and Kathy 288]

proper pubs, proper shops for food not supermarkets, there is no butcher or fishmonger anywhere near where i live now.

The NHS, listening to the radio, funny shows on TV, there seems to be nothng funny on telly here.

I miss how cheap stuff is in the UK, food prices here are horrendous. in fact everything is expensive, health care, insurance for anything such as house insurance. The local city taxes, wow bring back the council tax, far cheaper in the UK.

Pub food is better in the UK, everything here seems to be fried or covered in crappy cheese.

Really? I don't know where you live, but we both find the price of food here far cheaper...well except for beef. I would kill for a nice rib roast! I live in NH so I don't pay sales tax, or income tax, but property taxes are pretty high...but then again, you get a lot more house here, at least where we are. Car insurance isn't too bad here either, we're paying about the same as we did in the UK...and well the price of petrol speaks for itself.

[Glyn and Kathy 288]

I forgot. To help those with UK withdrawal symptoms go to BritishExpats.com

You will find a community of people with answers to a lot of things.

There is a wiki on how to get British TV on your computer.

I use the Chrome internet browser with a plugin called Hola. It acts as a proxy and allows me to watch BBc iplayer etc

You do know the BBC streams it channels as well on BBC iplayer. Just remember the time difference.

I love hola!!! I watch my Emmerdale and Corrie every night And I used to fall asleep listening to BBC Radio 4 in the UK...and I still do every night so I can hear the BBC "pips" at the top of the hour...and my very weird comfort thing of hearing the shipping forecast.

[Cam54 84]

I live near margate in England which is dodgy as hell so everything is massively cheap but I lived in Santa Barbara California last time and found food ridiculously expensive $6 for a small jar of peanut butter!!!

[Darnell 8,478]

miss? I miss Boxing Day and performing at the chapel, lessons and carols.

I've done the performing bits in the USA, it's just not the same.

[Cam54 84]

I love American baked beans, but missed a lot of English food like crumpets which i strangely eat rarely in England but needed them there.

What I mostly missed was knowing where to get cheap things from, I missed Tescos and found places were often inaccessible without a car

Edited December 7, 2013 by Cam54

[nobbie 105]

Welcome to America.....

The US and UK...

two nations divided by a common language.

There are many many many cultural differences. I have been here over three years and still struggle to assimilate.

Things are getting a lot better.

I miss food. I miss Sausage rolls. HP sauce (I have two plastic bottles sent over every few months). Proper chocolate. Hersheys is NOT chocolate. Mind you Dove really helps with my galaxy chocolate addiction. I miss chips and all things chip shop. I would kill for a proper curry. Cant even find cans/jars of curry sauce.

I must admit tho, my USC wife makes a massive effort to make food I like.

She lived in Northern Ireland with me for eight years. She misses Tesco delivery lol.

I also miss walking........ There are zero sidewalks where I live.

nobbie where do you eat. Most if not all the chain restaurants food around here is generally of a reasonably high standard.

If you are talking fast food, like McDonalds, burger King, Wendys etc, well yes it is fried. But Places like Outback, Ruby Tuesays, applebees. TGI Fridays generally are good.

I dont do fast food at all, well very rarely. If we eat out at most bars etc I struggle to find anything I want, I try and avoid fried stuff, sandwiches and food that they bung cheese all over and pizza that doesnt leave me a lot.