Easier for Brits to adjust?

[Cassie 8]

Elm, a fantastic post and I think my husband would agree with everything you said.

I think the main difference is that instead of big differences - languages, cultures, etc. - there are lots of little differences which are *just enough* to remind you that yuo're in another country. I mean silly things, like mobile phone tarriffs and the way shopping trolleys don't have four multi-directional wheels, only two...

Those are the little things that get to him the most: the things that are almost, but not quite, familiar.

That's exactly how I would explain it as well. People ask me "how do you like living in the US?" and my reply always is "It's different. Not better or worse, just different."

Respectfully posted,

a Commonwealth sister.

[mustang-sally 8]

....like one time, this guy at our local ordered a 'pint of Scotch' and I was like 'omG what an alcoholic!!! he wants a WHOLE.PINT.OF.SCOTCH.'

so what was he asking for if not a "Pint of Scotch"

And it's weird when people can't understand a fairly mild English accent (Devonshire, but not broad), because I never have any problems understanding any of Mark's family but they often ask me to repeat things - maybe they don't listen as carefully as I do!

I dont class myself as having any particular British accent but still find myself repeating myself several times sometimes to some people. I like you never have any problem undersatnding the American accent

[Fandango 1,439]

....like one time, this guy at our local ordered a 'pint of Scotch' and I was like 'omG what an alcoholic!!! he wants a WHOLE.PINT.OF.SCOTCH.'

so what was he asking for if not a "Pint of Scotch"

Well, here in the US, scotch what you would call whiskey. Over there, it's a brand of stout/bitter/whatever.

So I thought he was asking for a pint of straight whiskey

Sorry guys, shoulda clarified, heh.

Edited December 29, 2007 by LisaD

[TracyTN 237]

Can anyone recommend good bread? I mostly buy wholemeal Hovis here, but think this will probably be more difficult to get in Kansas.

After having been spoiled by Kingsmill and Hovis during my visits over the pond, I will tell you that unfortunately, the bread here is #######. Chas deals with it, but doesn't eat a huge amount of bread anyway. I think at some point, we're going to start baking our own which would be MUCH better.

I'm not even sure you can buy UK bread here - have never seen anyone who says you can (although I'd love to hear I'm wrong!!!). Its probably not one of those more 'durable' goods that would make it on a trip across the pond. Dammit.

[Jeraly 4]

....like one time, this guy at our local ordered a 'pint of Scotch' and I was like 'omG what an alcoholic!!! he wants a WHOLE.PINT.OF.SCOTCH.'

so what was he asking for if not a "Pint of Scotch"

Well, here in the US, scotch what you would call whiskey. Over there, it's a brand of stout/bitter/whatever.

So I thought he was asking for a pint of straight whiskey

Sorry guys, shoulda clarified, heh.

I would have thought he was asking for whisky too Maybe it's a brand of ale?! I'm from the UK and haven't heard of it!!

[Amby 490]

And it's weird when people can't understand a fairly mild English accent (Devonshire, but not broad), because I never have any problems understanding any of Mark's family but they often ask me to repeat things - maybe they don't listen as carefully as I do!

Neil is from Newcastle and no one understand him. He gets blank stares or people just laugh like they think he said a joke or something. We had a waitress last week fake all sorts of accents because she thought he was faking his

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Neil is from Newcastle and no one understand him. He gets blank stares or people just laugh like they think he said a joke or something. We had a waitress last week fake all sorts of accents because she thought he was faking his

Bruce gets this all the time -- people (especially over the phone) think his accent is a put-on. He's an assistant at a law office here in New Haven, and he answers the phone as part of his duties. Almost every day, after he's put a call through to an attorney, he hears the attorney say, "No, it's his real accent, really" to the caller. His accent is very, very RP normally, but now I'm starting to hear little twinges of Connecticut coming through -- tee hee!

[Fandango 1,439]

Well, here in the US, scotch what you would call whiskey. Over there, it's a brand of stout/bitter/whatever.

So I thought he was asking for a pint of straight whiskey

Sorry guys, shoulda clarified, heh.

I would have thought he was asking for whisky too Maybe it's a brand of ale?! I'm from the UK and haven't heard of it!!

Yeah, it's a brand of bitter or some such....

Ever since then, the guy's craic was sh!t....first thing outta his mouth everytime he saw me was (in a v poor Amer accent) 'a whole pint of scotch!?'

eh, he meant well But after 3 years, it got olllllllllllllllllllllllllllllldddddddddd

[Mags 112]

Bread wise Aunt Millie's Cracked Wheat or Italian loaves are the best of a pretty poor bunch. No HFCS in them either. It's taken me a year to find them so if it helps anyone shorten their "search for good bread" then great!

I get told every day, numerous times that my accent is beautiful. I don't mind that but I do tire of having to explain why I'm here all the time. Just gets boring having to repeat it at least 5 times a night.

I find that people love my sense of humour; it often surprises them that I've made them laugh...and my favourite "line"? Well, they say to me "you're not from round here are you?" to which I reply "Nah, I'm from Kentucky." Never fails to make 'em laugh.

I reckon I've settled in really well here, although I'd be lying if I said I don't miss the hustle and bustle of London, cause I do. But both countries have their pluses and minuses and I'm pretty lucky to be living in a lovely little town with zero crime, good clean air and friendly people.

Edited December 30, 2007 by Mags

[Jeraly 4]

Oh Mags - I have a dodgy sense of humour - I think it might p!$$ some people off!! I just posted a pic I found years ago while I was looking for my cute cat pics (which have totally vanished ) and I can just imagine people posting comments about me being racist if they don't get the fact that a) I didn't make it and B) it is supposed to be funny and ironic

[ajames79 0]

I don't have any comparisons to make with immigrants from other countries, as we don't know anyone currently who is also adjusting (outside of VJ!), but here goes. Bruce loves living here, is thrilled he moved and never wants to move back to the UK, but... It is hard, harder than he thought. He is surprised at the levels of bureaucracy that exist at so many different places (particularly the DMV...have a number of horror stories already and we've only been here 4 months). The banking system has its own quirks as well that make him frustrated at times. Every day it seems like there's something a little different from what's he's grown up with, and sometimes he gets really fed up. Adding to the complication, I had been living in the UK pretty much my entire adult life, so I don't know how to navigate through the maze either and am consequently of very little help. (I had to call my mother the other day to ask how to figure out what my bank account number was off my checks, and yesterday I had to ask if there was any special way ofgetting a prescription filled. ) So we're like two greenhorns, navigating the seas together, clutching on to each other and the handrails to keep from drowning.

On the other hand, we love America and Americans -- it seems like at least once a week Bruce gets a "welcome to America!" and I get a "welcome home!" from complete strangers. We love New Haven, even if it's only a temporary stop on our way West, the slower pace, the beautiful countryside just 10 minutes from our home. There was a moment two weeks ago, when we went to go cut down a Christmas tree at a farm in Hamden, just 20 minutes up the road. We'd just had a big snowstorm, and we arrived at the farm in Bruce's beat-up and much-loved 1986 Jeep Comanche. We were bundled up tight, our faces cherry red in the dry cold, our breath billowing out in front of us. The guys at the farm shop gave us a saw and a sled to cart the tree back, and off we set to find a tree. We found a beautiful specimen fairly quickly, and Bruce said, "Take a picture of me! Take a picture of me cutting the tree!" He fumbled his phone to me with his thick gloves, and I got the camera going.

In that picture, he looks like a guy from New England who's cut down a Christmas tree. Like the other guys around him doing exactly the same thing. He's not the English guy, he's that guy from New Haven. And that's exactly what he wants so much -- to be integrated. It's not easy, it's true. Is it easier for him because he's British? We can't discount that he can already speak English, that many of the institutions are at least superficially similar. But every day brings new challenges neither of us anticipated. This journey doesn't end with the visa; nor do I think it will end, at least for Bruce, with naturalisation. It will be many years of acclimation and integration, but it's a journey we're excited to be on, especially with each other.

What a fantastic post! Thanks for sharing. My husband I think would agree with you.

He really likes it here. Misses his English hills the most (besides his family).

Right now his Mum and Dad are here and they are sat on the sofa watching Deadliest Catch and nursing full bellies and eating from a tin of Roses Chocos that his mum brought him! Can't be that bad! (I myself needed a break from everyone and am on the computer Haa)

Good luck to all and as I always say continued success for those of you that have your loved ones beside you!

[Candace 2]

I mean silly things, like mobile phone tarriffs and the way shopping trolleys don't have four multi-directional wheels, only two...

Great comment Gwen, this made me giggle out loud. It's one thing I just can't get used to and I end up somehow trying to 'lift' the back end of the trolley to get around a corner or trying to do something akin to a handbrake turn and knocking into pyramids of boxes at the end of the aisles.

[no name 1]

My hubby misses the pub scene, sidewalks (pavements), being able to walk everywhere, and public transport. We live in an area in LA where we can walk to some stuff so it's OK. He misses bacon butties too!

[Matt and Sarah 0]

Hi, this is my perspective as an American whose fiance is moving to Texas in April. FYI, I'm currently in England for the holidays so we have both experienced each other's worlds to a good extent.

What I think you will like:

Everything in America is 1/2 price! (and you make about the same average wages). Sarah loves getting her hair and nails done twice as much. Gym memberships, cars, houses, restaurants, even Starbucks are much cheaper.

Everything is convenient - more brands to choose from at the supermarket (many have "international" aisles with British brands as well), you don't even have to get out of your car for the pharmacy, bank, dry cleaning and a coffee.

It's sunny most of the time, puts you in a all-around good mood

Our cars are automatic mostly, one less thing for you to worry about while you are learning how to drive on the wrong side of the road!

Service - you will get water, chips and salsa or bread as soon as you sit down at your table in a restaurant. They will keep coming back and ask if you want more tea/water/soda. Your check comes promptly. Why? Because they are working for mostly tips, more incentive to be attentive to you, and get you on your way for the next customers

Space - since we have a lot more of it, houses are bigger, rooms are bigger, cars are bigger, roads are wider, everything is more spread out

You will be fascinated a little things, like white picket fences, school buses, American trucks (lorries), cheerleaders, traffic signs, learning our slang (your bonnet and boot or our hood and trunk)

What you won't like:

You and your accent will be a novelty to everyone you meet, sometimes they will patronize you...."what do you mean you don't have BASEBALL in England? EVERYONE has baseball!" Americans like to assume that you have everything we have.

It can get HOT. I mean unimaginably HOT in the summer, depending on where you are at.

It's going to piss you off that frequently Americans think that we are the best at everthing and rule the world although most Americans don't even know where Phoenix, Arizona is.

Lack of national health service (insurance is all privatized in the US but most employers offer insurance as a perk of employment)

You may feel starved of heritage and ancient history like 1,000 year old cathedrals. We think that anything that is 100+ years old is really, really old

Apart from that, she feels that everything is really a plus and is very much looking forward to her April journey to Dallas and our June 7 wedding!

Hi, this is my perspective as an American whose fiance is moving to Texas in April. FYI, I'm currently in England for the holidays so we have both experienced each other's worlds to a good extent.

What I think you will like:

Everything in America is 1/2 price! (and you make about the same average wages). Sarah loves getting her hair and nails done twice as much. Gym memberships, cars, houses, restaurants, even Starbucks are much cheaper.

Everything is convenient - more brands to choose from at the supermarket (many have "international" aisles with British brands as well), you don't even have to get out of your car for the pharmacy, bank, dry cleaning and a coffee.

It's sunny most of the time, puts you in a all-around good mood

Our cars are automatic mostly, one less thing for you to worry about while you are learning how to drive on the wrong side of the road!

Service - you will get water, chips and salsa or bread as soon as you sit down at your table in a restaurant. They will keep coming back and ask if you want more tea/water/soda. Your check comes promptly. Why? Because they are working for mostly tips, more incentive to be attentive to you, and get you on your way for the next customers

Space - since we have a lot more of it, houses are bigger, rooms are bigger, cars are bigger, roads are wider, everything is more spread out

You will be fascinated a little things, like white picket fences, school buses, American trucks (lorries), cheerleaders, traffic signs, learning our slang (your bonnet and boot or our hood and trunk)

What you won't like:

You and your accent will be a novelty to everyone you meet, sometimes they will patronize you...."what do you mean you don't have BASEBALL in England? EVERYONE has baseball!" Americans like to assume that you have everything we have.

It can get HOT. I mean unimaginably HOT in the summer, depending on where you are at.

It's going to piss you off that frequently Americans think that we are the best at everthing and rule the world although most Americans don't even know where Phoenix, Arizona is.

Lack of national health service (insurance is all privatized in the US but most employers offer insurance as a perk of employment)

You may feel starved of heritage and ancient history like 1,000 year old cathedrals. We think that anything that is 100+ years old is really, really old

Apart from that, she feels that everything is really a plus and is very much looking forward to her April journey to Dallas and our June 7 wedding!

[no name 1]

Hi, this is my perspective as an American whose fiance is moving to Texas in April. FYI, I'm currently in England for the holidays so we have both experienced each other's worlds to a good extent.

What I think you will like:

Everything in America is 1/2 price! (and you make about the same average wages). Sarah loves getting her hair and nails done twice as much. Gym memberships, cars, houses, restaurants, even Starbucks are much cheaper.

Everything is convenient - more brands to choose from at the supermarket (many have "international" aisles with British brands as well), you don't even have to get out of your car for the pharmacy, bank, dry cleaning and a coffee.

It's sunny most of the time, puts you in a all-around good mood

Our cars are automatic mostly, one less thing for you to worry about while you are learning how to drive on the wrong side of the road!

Service - you will get water, chips and salsa or bread as soon as you sit down at your table in a restaurant. They will keep coming back and ask if you want more tea/water/soda. Your check comes promptly. Why? Because they are working for mostly tips, more incentive to be attentive to you, and get you on your way for the next customers

Space - since we have a lot more of it, houses are bigger, rooms are bigger, cars are bigger, roads are wider, everything is more spread out

You will be fascinated a little things, like white picket fences, school buses, American trucks (lorries), cheerleaders, traffic signs, learning our slang (your bonnet and boot or our hood and trunk)

What you won't like:

You and your accent will be a novelty to everyone you meet, sometimes they will patronize you...."what do you mean you don't have BASEBALL in England? EVERYONE has baseball!" Americans like to assume that you have everything we have.

It can get HOT. I mean unimaginably HOT in the summer, depending on where you are at.

It's going to piss you off that frequently Americans think that we are the best at everthing and rule the world although most Americans don't even know where Phoenix, Arizona is.

Lack of national health service (insurance is all privatized in the US but most employers offer insurance as a perk of employment)

You may feel starved of heritage and ancient history like 1,000 year old cathedrals. We think that anything that is 100+ years old is really, really old

Apart from that, she feels that everything is really a plus and is very much looking forward to her April journey to Dallas and our June 7 wedding!

Most of what you said is true, for non metro areas. Things are not half price in NYC, LA, Chicago or other metro areas. Nor can you drive thru places. It's only sunny all the time in Southern areas.

I'm curious how she will feel about all of that after living here for a year. It's very different.