moving to america

[Kar98 0]

Oh! The street numbering system!

What about it, specifically?

The fact that every block has its own 100 block of numbers. In Europe, the houses are simply numbered sequentially, 2, 4, 6, 8 on one side, 1, 3, 5, 7 on the other until the road ends. No +100 jump at every intersection.

Regarding street NAMES, many cities are laid out in a logical manner, such as all "numbered" streets run north/south and all "letter-name" streets run east/west.

[snippage]

Oh yeah, well, I know all of that NOW. Back then I found it all terribly confusing.

[TBoneTX 45,309]

every block has its own 100 block of numbers.

Well, chalk this up to the fact that Americans think big. Ha!

[rin and john 71]

Oh! The street numbering system!

What about it, specifically?

The fact that every block has its own 100 block of numbers. In Europe, the houses are simply numbered sequentially, 2, 4, 6, 8 on one side, 1, 3, 5, 7 on the other until the road ends. No +100 jump at every intersection.

Regarding street NAMES, many cities are laid out in a logical manner, such as all "numbered" streets run north/south and all "letter-name" streets run east/west.

[snippage]

Oh yeah, well, I know all of that NOW. Back then I found it all terribly confusing.

Another road fun fact - U.S. Interstate system - Even number routes run east-west; odd number routes run north-south. The interstates start at I-10 across the southern USA and go up (I-20, I-40, I-70, I-80, etc get progressively further north). Those that have subsequently been added fall in between (I-16, I-74, etc). Similarly, I-95 is east coast running north-south; I-5 is west coast.

Also, loops around cities and spurs/connectors will be three digits with the last 2 digits being from one of the through interstates. Loops will begin with even numbers (such as I-240, I-485, I-285, etc.); spurs will begin with odd numbers (I-516, I-185, etc).

More info here:

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/interstate.cfm

US Highways also have a similar nomenclature, but I can't remember it all.

[Kar98 0]

Another road fun fact - U.S. Interstate system - Even number routes run east-west; odd number routes run north-south.

Same in Germany: A 4 runs from east to west, A 9 north to south.

[LaGreenEyes 0]

My husband is deathly afraid of home made sun tea! He finds the idea of drinking water that was sitting in the sun downright offensive!

K., tell C. that Americanos usually don't leave food in pots on the stove for days & days and continue eating out of the pots. We DO, however (or at least Real Men do), find nothing wrong with eating 3-day-old room-temperature pizza. Fungus is a vegetable, si man.

That's so funny! I had to warn my husband from Panama on the dangers of food borne illnesses! In Panama, his mom would buy chinese food early in the afternoon and it would be "waiting" for us in the styrofoam container at 10-11pm at night..after being sitting there for 6-7 hours I was NOT gonna touch that! His mom finally learned her lesson recently after getting food poisoning after eating leftover pizza that she left sitting until the next day without refrigeration.

[trillium13 84]

Also, loops around cities and spurs/connectors will be three digits with the last 2 digits being from one of the through interstates. Loops will begin with even numbers (such as I-240, I-485, I-285, etc.); spurs will begin with odd numbers (I-516, I-185, etc).

I'm FROM the US, and the whole loop/spur thing is new to me. Just moved to Texas from NY, and we didn't have those things there, at least not where I was. I still don't really know exactly what they are.

[LaGreenEyes 0]

Also, loops around cities and spurs/connectors will be three digits with the last 2 digits being from one of the through interstates. Loops will begin with even numbers (such as I-240, I-485, I-285, etc.); spurs will begin with odd numbers (I-516, I-185, etc).

I'm FROM the US, and the whole loop/spur thing is new to me. Just moved to Texas from NY, and we didn't have those things there, at least not where I was. I still don't really know exactly what they are.

I'm from here in DFW too...lived here for 15 years, moved to Florida for a year and a half and moved back here..and it is WAY easier to figure out how to get around down there...most of the streets are numbered so you know more or less where something is. I got spoiled there before we came back. FM=farm to market road...from the old days.. Spur-shortcut from one highway to another..

[trinket 30]

Leaving food outside for long is something new to me that I am reading out in this thread. Lol, silly me thought every one puts their left over food back into the fridge asap.

My grandma would have killed me back in India if I would keep the food outside for more than 2 hours. My grandma was/is really strict with food. We have different racks in our fridge to put veggie food and non-veg food seperately.

[TBoneTX 45,309]

I'm FROM the US, and the whole loop/spur thing is new to me. Just moved to Texas from NY, and we didn't have those things there, at least not where I was. I still don't really know exactly what they are.

Uh, Trillium, if you're from NY, you (to us in Texas) are a "furriner" (because, fer wun thang, yew tawk funny). Here is your initial Texas education, si man:

HURRICANE-EVACUATION PLAN FOR HOUSTON

Yankees: Head north on I-45 to Dallas.

Cajuns: Head east on I-10 to Louisiana.

Mexicans: Head west on I-10 to San Antonio.

Texas Aggies: Get on the I-610 Loop and KEEP GOING.

[TBoneTX 45,309]

His mom finally learned her lesson recently after getting food poisoning after eating leftover pizza that she left sitting until the next day without refrigeration.

I speak from repeated personal experience and complete personal authority: [1] Pepperoni pizza is good at room temperature for at LEAST three days. Mold is a vegetable. [iii] Any man who willingly does not eat, uh, "mature" pepperoni pizza is not a real man, si man. Edited May 29, 2009 by TBoneTX

[trillium13 84]

Also, loops around cities and spurs/connectors will be three digits with the last 2 digits being from one of the through interstates. Loops will begin with even numbers (such as I-240, I-485, I-285, etc.); spurs will begin with odd numbers (I-516, I-185, etc).

I'm FROM the US, and the whole loop/spur thing is new to me. Just moved to Texas from NY, and we didn't have those things there, at least not where I was. I still don't really know exactly what they are.

I'm from here in DFW too...lived here for 15 years, moved to Florida for a year and a half and moved back here..and it is WAY easier to figure out how to get around down there...most of the streets are numbered so you know more or less where something is. I got spoiled there before we came back. FM=farm to market road...from the old days.. Spur-shortcut from one highway to another..

Thanks! And yeah, hubby had to tell me about all the FM's, CR's, PR's, etc. All the roads here seem to have numbers, I can't keep them straight. Where I come from, they all have names.

[TBoneTX 45,309]

Ah -- and here is something else -- dig what they eat in Ecuador, and likely elsewhere in South America: http://noqinecuador.blogspot.com/2006/04/cuy.html

Here, we do not eat our PETS!

Speaking of pets, who else has found that the foreign spouse has a hard time comprehending that pets are more than just animals to us USCs? Here, the wife was stunned to come across a copy of "Cat Fancy" magazine, and she reported this amazing discovery to her entire family: "They have a magazine devoted just to CATS! And they advertise all of these products for them!"

I showed her this -- http://www.catnippizza.com/ -- and she still shakes her head regarding the electronic litterbox, si man.

[trillium13 84]

I'm FROM the US, and the whole loop/spur thing is new to me. Just moved to Texas from NY, and we didn't have those things there, at least not where I was. I still don't really know exactly what they are.

Uh, Trillium, if you're from NY, you (to us in Texas) are a "furriner" (because, fer wun thang, yew tawk funny). Here is your initial Texas education, si man:

HURRICANE-EVACUATION PLAN FOR HOUSTON

Yankees: Head north on I-45 to Dallas.

Cajuns: Head east on I-10 to Louisiana.

Mexicans: Head west on I-10 to San Antonio.

Texas Aggies: Get on the I-610 Loop and KEEP GOING.

I LOL'd.

I'm from NY but not NYC, so I don't think I sound too harsh.

And anyway, it's you guys who talk funny. Actually, kidding, because everyone around here sounds much prettier when they talk than I do!

[Mrs.J06 4]

The biggest adjustment for my husband (USC) was the fact that when I say "we need to be there at 4:00 pm" I mean "4:00 pm" (jawoll).

It drives me nuts if I stress myself to get ready at a certain time and then he makes me wait...

[Kar98 0]

Sorry. Around here, 4pm means "Tuesday-ish, maybe."