Things I've had to explain about the U.S.

[Reba 2]

Without attempting to turn this into a political threat, I'm always surprised at the the way in which the term "liberal" is employed as the opposite of "conservative." Where I'm from "liberal" refers to someone who is into free and unregulated markets and against too much state involvement, sort of like libertarians in the US. I'm still looking for an explanation why there is this difference in terminology...

even more confusing for Canadians where Liberal is a political party, and generally not bandied about as an epithet by anyone other than Conservatives, the other political party.

I've been here in the US a year and a half, and been married to my husband for 4 1/2 years, and visited and worked in the US several times before I moved here or even met him. I *still* get confused on some terminology and language usage!

[GaryC 7]

Explaining time zones, daylight savings time and why the spring is our rainy season are the main things I have to talk about.

[AngelK96 0]

My husband learned the scariest way about weather warnings here. Every first wednesday of the month we have weather alerts and they sound the sirens, so when that happen he runs out of the house thinking it's an earthquake because that is only time they sound the sirens in his country. So he's standing outside of the house and he noticed nobody else is out and the earth is not moving, so he goes in and calls me at work and ask me what happen. LOL

I told him during the summer months we have tornado warnings and it for severe weather..

[mandolinv 0]

I love reading these threads. I learn so much, especially about stuff I would never think to think about. So after reading about periods/full stops, I wondered what my husband called them. Nigeria was settled by the British, so I thought perhaps they might use full stops. So, sure enough he said they did. Very interesting. It made me wonder how many other things I say that he has no idea what I'm talking about but doesn't ask .

[Indo_mommy 0]

Nice topic I found it so interesting the way that people just continuously learn about different things.

One of the first thing my husband had to explain to me was kinda silly. It was our first weekend together here and neither one of us felt like cooking so I said "Why don't we just call McDonald, I want fish filet" His reaction was "Honey, it's not like back home" LOL That's my first of many lesson that McDonald doesn't deliver in the States. I was so used of just picking up the phone and have just about everything deliver.

Also the measurement things kinda confuse me at first especially since I'm so used of using metrics. Now I keep a measurement charts of just about everything by the fridge. That helps a lot!

Thanks God my husband always try his best to answer all my "Why's, How's" questions coz he knows sometimes I ask too much questions and won't stop until I understand it. He will do the same too tho' like asking me questions what this or that mean in my native language

Edited April 21, 2006 by OyenJames

[Veiled Princess 1]

I also cant figure out why the tax isnt already considered into the main price you see on the shelves. I've been here 4 years and still ask WHY at least once a week!!!!

OK this is like the tenth time I've seen this mentioned in this thread so here comes "the dumb American".... Do they do that in other countries?????? Add it in to the price on the shelf I mean?????

[Veiled Princess 1]

Nice topic I found it so interesting the way that people just continuously learn about different things.

One of the first thing my husband had to explain to me was kinda silly. It was our first weekend together here and neither one of us felt like cooking so I said "Why don't we just call McDonald, I want fish filet" His reaction was "Honey, it's not like back home" LOL That's my first of many lesson that McDonald doesn't deliver in the States. I was so used of just picking up the phone and have just about everything deliver.

Also the measurement things kinda confuse me at first especially since I'm so used of using metrics. Now I keep a measurement charts of just about everything by the fridge. That helps a lot!

Thanks God my husband always try his best to answer all my "Why's, How's" questions coz he knows sometimes I ask too much questions and won't stop until I understand it. He will do the same too tho' like asking me questions what this or that mean in my native language

I had the oposite reaction to this very thing in Egypt... to think we could just pick up the phone and have McDonalds or any other fast food delivered was a trip to me.... that and the fact that none of those restaurants had drive thrus!!!

[Ephesia 0]

I also cant figure out why the tax isnt already considered into the main price you see on the shelves. I've been here 4 years and still ask WHY at least once a week!!!!

OK this is like the tenth time I've seen this mentioned in this thread so here comes "the dumb American".... Do they do that in other countries?????? Add it in to the price on the shelf I mean?????

It's done in Singapore. We pay what's on the price tag, nothing more and nothing less. In most places, the tag shows two prices - one before and after tax. So it took me a bit getting used to it being different over here. During the first few months I'd whip out close to the exact amount and then my husband or room mate would remind me that I hadn't included tax yet. Blargh.

Now I carry a coin purse so that I sweep all the loose change in there after I've paid. I kinda gave up trying to calculate final prices.

[Veiled Princess 1]

My husband learned the scariest way about weather warnings here. Every first wednesday of the month we have weather alerts and they sound the sirens, so when that happen he runs out of the house thinking it's an earthquake because that is only time they sound the sirens in his country. So he's standing outside of the house and he noticed nobody else is out and the earth is not moving, so he goes in and calls me at work and ask me what happen. LOL

I told him during the summer months we have tornado warnings and it for severe weather..

too bad u didn't get that on video... that will be a GREAT story for the grandkids one day! I would probably have done the same thing if it would have been me though... if I ever heard a siren going off I would FREAK out!!

[RaspberrySwirl 20]

My husband learned the scariest way about weather warnings here. Every first wednesday of the month we have weather alerts and they sound the sirens, so when that happen he runs out of the house thinking it's an earthquake because that is only time they sound the sirens in his country. So he's standing outside of the house and he noticed nobody else is out and the earth is not moving, so he goes in and calls me at work and ask me what happen. LOL

I told him during the summer months we have tornado warnings and it for severe weather..

too bad u didn't get that on video... that will be a GREAT story for the grandkids one day! I would probably have done the same thing if it would have been me though... if I ever heard a siren going off I would FREAK out!!

I remember the first time I heard the sirens. That was scary. But I guess they just do it once a week to make sure they're working.

[Jaylen Brit 0]

I also cant figure out why the tax isnt already considered into the main price you see on the shelves. I've been here 4 years and still ask WHY at least once a week!!!!

OK this is like the tenth time I've seen this mentioned in this thread so here comes "the dumb American".... Do they do that in other countries?????? Add it in to the price on the shelf I mean?????

It's done in Singapore. We pay what's on the price tag, nothing more and nothing less. In most places, the tag shows two prices - one before and after tax. So it took me a bit getting used to it being different over here. During the first few months I'd whip out close to the exact amount and then my husband or room mate would remind me that I hadn't included tax yet. Blargh.

Now I carry a coin purse so that I sweep all the loose change in there after I've paid. I kinda gave up trying to calculate final prices.

God this drives me NUTS - I have so many darn coins at the end of every trip I feel like a parking meter thief

Whats the big problem about the price displayed being the one thats PAID at the til? Its actually more sensible and saves a lot of 'can I afford this' issues. Its been done in the UK as long as I can remember, and also in most places in Europe that I've been to as well.

Do they really seriously think Americans will 'think the prices have gone up' if they do it this way?

I have been to the US many MANY times and this STILL catches me out

[Ladylethal 12]

McD's deliver here in Brasil as well.

[charuyla 0]

I'm nearing the end of my day here at work and found myself daydreaming about some of the interesting things I've had to explain to Marlene (Philippines) about the U.S.

1. Deciduous trees. Why we don't cut them down when the leaves all fall off.

2. annual vs. perinneal flowers ... and why we can't put most of them outside in Oklahoma in February.

3. The government actually refunding overpaid taxes.

4. Why manicures are $25 - $35 instead of $4

5. Same reason why the taxi is $25 instead of $1

6. Same reason why a 60 minute massage is $125 instead of $15

7. Distances ... we drove to see my mother .... it was 700 miles but just in the next state.

..... many many more but to difficult to put into a bullet

I'm sure there will be many more ....

i just came few days ago (from Philippines) and its bothers me a bit knowing that government system here is somewhat same as ours. I applied for OK state ID with K3 and they denied my application since they asked for my maiden name to be changed with my husband's. It made my husband really pissed off. We went to the other office (JEnks)and without questions I got it

[ivona 0]

So far, the hardest thing to wrap my brain aorund is the whole US credit rating system...David did his best to explain but I still haven`t quite figured out how it works

I`m sure there will be a few other juicy things like that once I move, but reading this I just remembered fondly how surprised David was by the fact that in Croatia people park on the sidewalks, or just how pedestrians act- apparently we are a very roudy bunch according to US standards

[ChristinaM 0]

I guess they don't include sales tax on the ticket because it's different in every state and that would mean allocating where a particular shipment will go at the time of labeling. I see that logic, but it's still damn irritating!