Strange things you're not used to

[G&A 1]

The thing that I will never get used to is that "Iced tea' is actually tea, cold, and not the sweet sugary thing that we call it up here in Canada.

I discovered that nasty Iced tea once on vacation in florida. If you want real ice tea...you have to order "sweet tea". I remember taking a sip out of it and calling over the waitress telling her there was something wrong with the pop (not soda...but pop) machine and she looked at me like i was crazy.

[kisschick1976 0]

The thing that I will never get used to is that "Iced tea' is actually tea, cold, and not the sweet sugary thing that we call it up here in Canada.

In restaurants they will bring it to you unsweetened most of the time but the sugar and fake sugar is there at the table so you can make it as sweet as you like. In Texas most people like it so sweet, there's a layer of undisolved sugar down at the bottom of the glass

[starlarose 1]

I am the USC but I lived in London for awhile and I know I had the culture shock when I first got there and then had reverse culture shock when I returned . Things I have to get my Irish Fiance use to:

- It is not Petrol - we call it Gas no matter how much you want it the other way. The American born kid making minimum wage behind the counter will not know what petrol is ;P

-It is the trunk and hood, not the boot and bonnet.

-Refills.

-European Large soda at fast food is a medium in the US.

-Sales tax paid at the register and not included in the displayed price.

-Lack of Chip and Pin, though he was use to it from the fact I used American cards in England and consistently had to tell them it wasn't chip and pin.

-If you don't go to your banks atm you will be charged a fee where as in the UK you can go to any bank ATM.

-Paying for bank accounts.

- Health care - though I am VERY LUCKY. I not only have free insurance at my job, I also get $45 in FSA every paycheck which means essentially they pay me to have health insurance. But this is extremely rare and I have never encountered it before. Adding my fiance when we get married will cause me to pay about $150 a month for insurance for him and this includes dental and vision.

-Holidays - I have already begun to enforce this with him. I am again very lucky as I get 13 sick days and currently 2 weeks vacation which will be raised to 3 and then 5, and my job will work with me on stuff. If I need to work overtime to make up for a day off they will let me. I can come in when I want and leave when I want as long as I get my hours. We also roll ours over and it NEVER goes away. It is SUPER rare and so not normal. As my boy says - I work at a holiday camp it seems. I love my job.

-The date writing which is a big one.

-Everything is bigger. Our one bedroom apartment now is bigger than the 3 bedroom flat we lived in in London. Our fridge is huge compared. Our kitchen is enormous compared.

-Needing a car. He doesn't have a license because the public transport in Europe is so good. Here he MUST have a car. It will be fun teaching him to drive on the "Correct" side of the road.

-Food Portions - though I did take him to TGIF in London so he can start prepping for the difference

-Clerks at the supermarket bagging your groceries. I was floored in London going to Tescos and having to do it myself. I was like what the hell. Oh and our clerks do not get to sit in comfy seats while ringing you up either.

-Capitalist corporation society - though my job is an exception, most in the US - your job is your life. You are expected to be on time. Even if you have 2 weeks paid vacation and 10 sick days, you will be lectured to and possibly let go if you take them all. We are a right to work society.

I could go on and on and on and on....

Edited January 31, 2008 by starlarose

[Marilyn. 340]

The thing that I will never get used to is that "Iced tea' is actually tea, cold, and not the sweet sugary thing that we call it up here in Canada.

I discovered that nasty Iced tea once on vacation in florida. If you want real ice tea...you have to order "sweet tea". I remember taking a sip out of it and calling over the waitress telling her there was something wrong with the pop (not soda...but pop) machine and she looked at me like i was crazy.

I like all kinds of ice tea as long as it is sweet....

[Krikit 1,165]

- It is not Petrol - we call it Gas no matter how much you want it the other way. The American born kid making minimum wage behind the counter will not know what petrol is ;P

Why do North Americans call it "gas" when it's not?

[starlarose 1]

- It is not Petrol - we call it Gas no matter how much you want it the other way. The American born kid making minimum wage behind the counter will not know what petrol is ;P

Why do North Americans call it "gas" when it's not?

ROFL. That is exactly what he says.

[Jeraly 4]

Haha - yeah I think we had that conversation before as well

[bichon82 0]

Not really on the ice tea topic but not too off topic.. do they know what sparkiling/fizzy/bubbly water is where you are? Here.. nada.... they get me tap water every time I order it.

[Nessa 23]

-Refills.

oh man, I totally forgot about that. I'll miss refills when we go to Brazil where we have to pay for more if we want more

[Rob1980 0]

I am again very lucky as I get 13 sick days

I really don't understand the concept of 'sick days' as paid time off. As far as my experience goes you just get paid for time off sick, until it gets really long... like 3 months, and then it's half pay for the next 3 months. Weird that it gets treated like holidays.

- It is not Petrol - we call it Gas no matter how much you want it the other way. The American born kid making minimum wage behind the counter will not know what petrol is ;P

Why do North Americans call it "gas" when it's not?

PETROLEUM!!!!!!!!!

[Jeraly 4]

Yeah - I can't imagine getting "paid leave" for a week a year, getting the flu then not being able to take a holiday... I am hoping my OH can be the breadwinner so I can just take unpaid leave

[Reba 2]

At my current job, I do not have allowed sick days. If I take a day off because I'm sick, I don't get paid. After I've been there a year, I can opt to use my vacation days for sick time. I do have short & long term sick leave benefit, but if you have to take extended sick leave, you have to use up your accrued vacation time first, and there may be overlap where you're not getting paid if you only have a few days vacation accrued and if you're taking like a 3 month medical leave, because the extended leave only covers after a certain number of days out of work. If you follow.

It sucks. But I s'pose it could be worse. A lot of employers around here don't even offer health benefits of any kind anymore.

[StillThePrettiest 3]

wow, I knew there were only short holidays for many jobs, and that paid sick-leave was limited, but not to have ANY... that's just insane to me

[starlarose 1]

wow, I knew there were only short holidays for many jobs, and that paid sick-leave was limited, but not to have ANY... that's just insane to me

Yeah it is odd. I know there is a difference between part-time and full-time. I know temp agencies treat it differently than regular employers.

Basically the US is all about - if you aren't here you aren't making us money. There was an interesting story on CNN about how it hurts companies for sick employees to be there. The productivity of the ill employee goes down and spreads it through the office and thus makes everyone's productivity go down. So it is best to let the original sick person go home and get better. It is a hard concept to get into the minds of corporate america. Thankfully my job got it. I was sick a couple weeks ago and not looking good (at the beginning of the flu) my boss quickly told me to get away, go home, get well, return when I was better. I think part of it was also that he didn't want to get sick.

[StillThePrettiest 3]

oh, I get why they do it, and I'm sure other places would follow suit if they were allowed to... but that's the point: they're NOT allowed to; seems like most other countries (Western countries, tennyrate ) protect the people a lot more