Things You dun Like abt America, YET?

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Guilty. Seriously though, I thought the ketchup thing was just me. It tastes watery and bland. Is it actually different? Please say yes so I can tell him I'm right.

Yesterday he told me that lots of supermarkets water down their milk (as I said the milk is also watery). He wouldn't believe me when I said that someone on here found corn syrup in milk though.

This is why I spend the extra $1 for the organic milk

I am not much of a ketchup person (I only ever have it on hamburger, which I almost never eat) but apparently it is different, I'm sure it's to do with HFCS

[mamaSue 38]

I've lived in the USA over 3 years now..... and I love several things..... including the fact that I can afford a huge house here, ouy of the proceeds of the sale of my 1-bedroom apartment in London...

I love the people in Georgia..... so much more friendly than London....

I HATE the healthcare system.... and the fact that nobody will insure me because I'm a 12-year cancer survivor.... I'll just have to hope I stay healthy till I get to 65 and qualify for Medicare.

There's more good than bad here.... I'm looking forward to becoming a citizen in August!

Incidentally..... TBONE TX....I love your posts..... always entertaining..... Si man!!

[Big Papa Zone 93]

LOL at this one I live in a small town and if the Social Security office was any bigger it would be a waste of money and space. I lived in a big city and dealt with both sides.. but the town i live inm i walked in the Social Security office and was the only one there. Even the staff seemed surprised to see me... Its almost like that for any building here.. Ever walk into the Driver Motor Vechicle Office and walk out in 15 mins with everything you needed? Small cities are great for that. I know this didnt help your case but just thought i would share lol.

Spot on with the small town thing, here. I walked into the local DMV (and there was not a soul there other than the staff when I did) and, being from the UK where getting a driving licence is one of the most drawn out, expensive, pain-in-the-####### carry ons in Christendom, was fully expecting the same here. Imagine my surprise then, when I was told to sit down at a terminal and take the most pi$$ easy, 30 multiple choice question test, (the written test at home is like a ###### thesis by comparison) and then look in absolute amazement as the same bird from behind the counter casually jumps in my car (the waiting list for a driving examiner is MONTHS at home), takes me for a 10 minute spin around the block, takes my photograph, and hands me my licence there and then. A 3-6 month process at home, condensed into little over an hour here - I'll take that any time.

[Big Papa Zone 93]

Its well known fact that in Healthcare in America lags far behind that other nations.

Wrong - the healthcare here is ###### stellar. It's the access to it that needs sorting.

[Big Papa Zone 93]

I've lived in the USA over 3 years now..... and I love several things..... including the fact that I can afford a huge house here, ouy of the proceeds of the sale of my 1-bedroom apartment in London...

Spot on. I was absolutely LIVID that I didn't have a flat or something to sell at home before moving out here, because as you say, you can live like a country squire in the Southern areas. As soon as I graduate (I'm a "mature" student) and start earning a decent wedge, then I'm going to by a couple of acres, dump a doublewide on it, and live happily ever after.

[Big Papa Zone 93]

And finally, whilst I understand most of the gripes on this thread, I'm somewhat puzzled by the slagging off of bank tellers? I've always found them to be very polite, and efficient.

[TBoneTX 45,893]

a decent wedge

This is either "a decent wage" or "a decent wedgie," I'll wager, si man. (The decency of a wedgie likely depends upon whether one is the wedgier or the wedgiee, si man.)

[TBoneTX 45,893]

Incidentally..... TBONE TX....I love your posts..... always entertaining..... Si man!!

This mere Colonist here across the Pond, flattered and humbled, submits to the Crown and graciously thanks you, si man. (The entertainment is a direct result of my having skipped my distemper shot again THIS month, si man.)

[trinket 30]

I have no problem with the bank tellers, I find them very friendly and polite and I like it that way.

Been here for 14 months now and I have found a few alternatives to things I didn't like at first, I have grown accustomed to a lot of food which I couldn't stand at first. Finding fresh produce is still a problem, but I am looking forward to spring when farmer's market starts again every weekend.

High fructose corn syrup is my big complain, I find it very hard to find alternatives for this.

I wish things were much closer and public transportation was better for smaller cities. But overall I am well settled and being with a supportive spouse helps, when he take initiatives to make things easy for you and yes hear your ranting and venting everyday

[2xHollyx2 3]

I guess, I am really lucky with our public transportation. Our bus runs every 10 minutes.

Well, health care sucks big times how we already know. My first dentist treatment plan was over $1,000 for a few fillings.

As a student and fulltime worker on minimum wage not affordable. Fortunately my german travel insurance (which ended january 1st)

paid it without any question. Now i'm gonna be uninsured until i graduate like many other people.

But I want to say something positive as well: It took me 2 days to find a job after i got my work permission and I'm able to go to college and work at the same time...finding a job within 2 days in germany... impossible.

[Miranda&John 0]

I've been in the US for a little over 8 months.

The first couple of months or so I was CONSTANTLY picking out all the things that were "better in Canada". I know it was very trying for my husband, but that phase has passed and I'm definitely more positive now.

A couple of things that have stuck with me:

1. I hate living somewhere where I am surrounded by conservative/republicans. We have Conservatives back home in Canada, but NOT.LIKE.THIS. It's very frustrating for me, as someone who has predominantly liberal views (who grew up in a VERY liberal city), to be constantly shot down, belittled or passed off as Canadian. ("You're from Canada, so you are socialist and I don't care what you say")

2. The drivers. California drivers are so annoying. They drive too fast, roll through stop signs and are generally uncourteous (in my experience).

3. There seems to be a general feeling wherever I go of "as long as my needs/wants are taken care of, who cares about anyone else?" Again, very frustrating.

4. Fox News.

Those things aren't going away anytime soon, so it's just going to be adjusting on my part and learning to live with them

[Mononoke28 135]

Wrong - the healthcare here is ###### stellar. It's the access to it that needs sorting.

I agree. We have great doctors, surgeons, specialists, hospitals, you name it. But having access to them is limited to whoever can afford good quality health insurance. If you don't have it, you're pretty much screwed.

Diana

[TBoneTX 45,893]

I am surrounded by conservative/republicans.

I have never heard tell of any conservatives or Republicans in California.

"You're from Canada, so you are socialist...")

And how is this inaccurate, si man?

California drivers... drive too fast, roll through stop signs...

That's because they have no moose to dodge, no man.

[littlecrazyangel 1]

I don't like that most of the Americans don't know any world geography and their history.

It is SO hard to explain them my nationality. I'm Hungarian born and raised in Romania. I went to Hungarian schools. At home we speak only Hungarian. I only spoke Romanian when I had to buy something.

If I say that i'm from Transylvania they say that i'm a vampire and I suck blood.

If I say that I'm Hungarian from Romania that stare at me like I'm crazy.

I can't say that I'm Romanian because I don't feel like.

If I say that I'm Hungarian they ask me: From which part of Hungary?

I try to explain what happened at Word War I. and why are so many Hungarians living in Romania.

[F & J 21]

There are a lot of things that I love about living in America...

First of all, the fact that my husband is here and we're together ^___^

And a lot of other things that remind me of home - my husband calls the Philippines mini-America because there are so many things that are the same here...

Some things that I don't like:

- SNOW!!! It's just too cold (even my husband who was born and raised in Michigan admits that it's cold for him too) - I love the first few snowfalls but once it starts snowing hard, snow just gets old fast.

- You can't WALK anywhere. Still getting used to having everything so far away (in miles instead of kilometers). I didn't do too much walking when I was in the Philippines but it was comforting to know that if I needed something, I could have easily walked to a general store inside our gated community (subdivision)

- There is no Asian market where we live!!! I miss Filipino food so much... I can find substitutes for certain things but I'm always going to miss the real thing.