Whats the most benign / innocent thing you like the most in the US?

[heo luoi 206]

Well its certainly gotten chilly lately in the am/nights....I know she's thinks snow is gonna be really cool. We'll see Luckily last couple years have been rather dry, but brutally cold :/

[TBoneTX 43,133]

Si, man. For beneficiaries who have never seen snow, perhaps explain to them that snow is merely "fat water."

[JustBreathe 22]

I am from Canada and and have been in the states for a few years now but there are some things that still excite me. Someone already said it, but Amazon 2 day shipping, or really using Amazon or online shopping at all. Where I lived it was way to expensive to pay for shipping, so Amazon was really never a cheaper option. Now, we use it all.the.time!

People mentioned the food, and I will agree mostly the cost of food. Food in the grocery store, and in resturants. I still feel like I won the lottery when I get boneless chicken for 1.99/lb and thats the REGULAR price at Kroger or shredded cheese for 1.99 a bag. But the flip side of this, is when you go home to visit and you are used to American pricing and you go to buy food at Metro, Safeway or The Real Canadian Superstore and you go broke and all you got was 2 bags of food! Or only want to order an appetizer at Boston Pizza cause its the price of a full meal at some place in the states.

[heo luoi 206]

I have only briefly visited Canada, from the Detroit/Windsor area. But still surprises me how much different it is there in the 'little things' apparently I guess take for granted cause so close.

[Sandra G. 5,016]

The makeup & cosmetics, bagel with cream cheese, snow...I love all these things.

Edited November 3, 2015 by sandranj

[Khal_Drogo 50]

Beneficiaries,

Whats the most benign / innocent thing you like the most in the US? That surprised you or you never knew how much you'd like it? Me if I was coming from VN....i would have to say hot water pressure!

You sir read my mind. I clicked on the topic title with the thought, "Water pressure!"

I may be the USC, but ever since I came to England, I have missed the water pressure in U.S. showers something fierce. My wife has as well. Here in England, a shower resembles being gently urinated upon in my opinion. It sucks when I have been under the car or doing something in the yard; the water doesn't penetrate the grime at all, so I have to scrub myself raw before even starting the water.

Oh, and shower curtains! Here, if it's a tub/shower combo, they have this weird glass separator that only extends to half the length of the tub, so if I don't want the floor getting soaked, I need to curl my body around the shower head or stand practically against the wall. We have both in our house; I was getting tired of the stall, so we got a tub/shower combo installed in our main bathroom which already had a tub. Yeah....I mean, it's great having two showers now, but I can't wait to get back to a good ol' American water blaster.

[TBoneTX 43,133]

Interesting about showers. In Ecuador, and in my one experience in Mexico, the showerhead was straight overhead. This setup enables gravity to assist with the water pressure, but it also makes it difficult to get the water to hit directly under one's chin or arms.

In addition, in Ecu at least, the showers are often electric (for hot water). I wasn't going to touch one of those things to save my life (interpret this sentence in dual senses).

Showerheads need to protrude from the wall at a height of at least 7 feet.

[heo luoi 206]

In my personal experience abroad in vn, personally few people if any have showers. all the hotels have handle shower heads which would alleviate your issue as well. Albeit some of those lack pressure. Typically here at home i jump in the tub and pull the tab for the shower and ya sometimes theres that temperature jolt but its what i've always known. When i talked to my roomate...he always runs the shower immediately but prior he moves the fixed head toward the wall first so it splashes against the wall and then when the hot water comes jumps in after. I'm too lazy to rotate the head back/forth each time. To each their own I suppose....I do think I'm in the market for those fixed/handle hybrid shower heads though.

@tbone haha i ran into some of those units you mention, never thought about it or how they worked but now that you mention??

Edited November 6, 2015 by heo luoi

[Kat&Jon 84]

I agree Khal Drogo! English showers are just awful! Thankfully some of the hotels in London seem to have American type shows and pressure so it is possible to get it, just apparently very expensive to retro fit. (Jon's brother in law is a plumber so he knows how to do it but says its expensive). Every time I visit Jon in England we mostly stay at his home which has that horrid electric shower nonsense! Little to no pressure that just trickles out and the heat is not nearly as hot as I normally like it! A nice hot shower is a must whenever I am over in that colder weather!!! All I can have is a trickling warm sprinkle!

Not to mention thinking of the electrical box that close to water is slightly terrifying... but apparently in all these years little to no accidents have occurred...

Another thing I noticed that is great about the US in comparison to England that I haven't mentioned before is PARKING! Apparently its always a fight to be able to use your own designated parking space or you have to pay for a parking spot... that is just crazy to me. I am sure there are probably some cities like New York and Chicago where you might have to pay for parking, but it seems to be literally everyone in England!!!

One thing that I do miss every time time I return home from England is the sense of history and the architecture. Here in Florida the only place you can still see older architecture is in St. Augustine and its Spanish so its quite a bit different from all the beautiful brick and everything you see in England. Though I think all brick houses in FL would be a bad idea from all the heat, it would be nice to see it!!!

Edited November 6, 2015 by Kat&Jon

[blanche 2]

parking lots full of empty spaces!
the freedom and safety on highways!
the amount of green, open spaces
lakes and ducks to feed all over the place
snow!
cheap food, gas, electricity
yes, I agree with the thrift stores, garage sales one.
(I'm American living in Israel for the past 6 years and those are some of the things the two of us talk about missing, but there are many more!)
I don't think I'll take American life for granted ever again.

[heo luoi 206]

Geez Kat&Jon; quit ur yappin;) In VN you bathe standing up w/ a big bucket of cold water and a smaller pail and park family motorcycle in your living room or kitchen! IE. The UK is doing ok.

Much love your favorite lazy pig (heo luoi)

I agree Khal Drogo! English showers are just awful! Thankfully some of the hotels in London seem to have American type shows and pressure so it is possible to get it, just apparently very expensive to retro fit. (Jon's brother in law is a plumber so he knows how to do it but says its expensive). Every time I visit Jon in England we mostly stay at his home which has that horrid electric shower nonsense! Little to no pressure that just trickles out and the heat is not nearly as hot as I normally like it! A nice hot shower is a must whenever I am over in that colder weather!!! All I can have is a trickling warm sprinkle!

Not to mention thinking of the electrical box that close to water is slightly terrifying... but apparently in all these years little to no accidents have occurred...

Another thing I noticed that is great about the US in comparison to England that I haven't mentioned before is PARKING! Apparently its always a fight to be able to use your own designated parking space or you have to pay for a parking spot... that is just crazy to me. I am sure there are probably some cities like New York and Chicago where you might have to pay for parking, but it seems to be literally everyone in England!!!

One thing that I do miss every time time I return home from England is the sense of history and the architecture. Here in Florida the only place you can still see older architecture is in St. Augustine and its Spanish so its quite a bit different from all the beautiful brick and everything you see in England. Though I think all brick houses in FL would be a bad idea from all the heat, it would be nice to see it!!!

[Kat&Jon 84]

Geez Kat&Jon; quit ur yappin;) In VN you bathe standing up w/ a big bucket of cold water and a smaller pail and park family motorcycle in your living room or kitchen! IE. The UK is doing ok.

Much love your favorite lazy pig (heo luoi)

WOW REALLY?!?! How did you survive when you visited for so long?! You are far stronger than I and so is every citizen of VN!!!! I feel like they all need a hug! Just makes me happy to stay in the USA.

Shush with that lazy talk! I am just glad Mrs Heo Luoi will be with you soon and won't have to shower in a bucket anymore!

[Russ&Caro 1,548]

For my wife, I think one of the things that has been a pleasant surprise is the ease in which you can return things after you purchase. The bought item doesn't have to be defective to return it. You really don't need much of a reason at all. If the piece of furniture or clothing doesn't quite fit after you take it home, you can return it with no questions asked. And, if you happened to lose the receipt, you might not be able to get cash back but most stores will at least give you store credit. She's totally amazed by this.

She loves to shop, by the way. We once visited Houston and she was blown away by the Galleria Mall.

[TBoneTX 43,133]

1. For my wife, I think one of the things that has been a pleasant surprise is the ease in which you can return things after you purchase. The bought item doesn't have to be defective to return it. You really don't need much of a reason at all. If the piece of furniture or clothing doesn't quite fit after you take it home, you can return it with no questions asked. And, if you happened to lose the receipt, you might not be able to get cash back but most stores will at least give you store credit. She's totally amazed by this.

2. She loves to shop, by the way.

3. We once visited Houston and she was blown away by the Galleria Mall.

1. In Ecuador, if the shelf-sticker shows one price but the cashier charges a higher price, one is usually out of luck.

2. Do not ever let her collaborate in this manner with Mrs. T-B., or the world will most surely end.

3. Teach her to spell, and liberally say, "rip-off."

Edited November 10, 2015 by TBoneTX

[Phil&Mich 36]

I was amazed to get my drivers liscense here at Michigan, I had my g1 in Canada, took written exam and passed it by luck, didn't go to driving school, no road test, only my fiancé now my husband taught me how to drive, after ng i94 was corrected, I was able to apply my drivers liscense and I have received it in the mail after a week, easy as pea, but then, I can't even park our damn car properly! ?