Guide to prepping you fiancé (e) for life in the U.S.

[chuckandkim 0]

"H-Mart", a Korean Supermarket has everything! It's like being in Asia.

No, actually she doesn't run out of ideas:

Lots of different types of soups (Pho, Bun Bo Hue, Bun Riel, Hu Tieu, etc)

Fish dishes

Rice, Meat/seafood & veggies

Curry

many types of salads

No cheesy dishes, not much bread or heavy food.

Only Spagetti and meat sauce now and then

Patrick

AMEN brother... H-Mart rocks... they just open up one right up the street from our development... The wife is very pleased... Their Japanese foods section is second to none. Kim found almost everything she used to have when she lived in Japan there.... And, of course, H-Mart does carry a strong variety vietnamese foods, vegetable and spices... all different cuts of PORK, BEEF and chicken. 25lbs bag of jasmin rice, Three-Crabs Fish sause... that's all it takes to make her happy

Cheese Steak - once in a blue moon

Ruth's Chris - favorite

Denny's - saturday morning, but prefer local diner where they serve "homefries" with two egss, sunny sideup

Vinny T's - Italian hot sausage on pasta

Nifty-Fifty - fresh hamburger and cheese fries with watermellon bubblegum milkshake

Dim-sum in Chinatown

Korean BBQ

Japanese Sashimi and Udon soup: never had enough

COSTCO - this is the reason why we both are getting "BIGGER"

hahahaha

We are blessed with at least 6 different vietnamese/chinese supermarket in and around Philadelphia. South Philly has 3 supersize shopping centers where you can purchase EVERYTHING from Vietnam/China/Thai/Singapore/Malaysia/Indonasian/Korea/Japan to name a fews.... Prices are pretty competitive. BUT again, let me clear this up, it is NOTHING compared to Houston and SoCal, or Eden shopping center in Virginia.

You will learn quickly that something that is so ordinary to us will be extraordinary to her. Drinking coffee in your car to work is new, when she may be used to see men sitting in coffee shop in the morning having their coffee before heading to work. Big difference! Anyway... just have to break them in one day at the time. Key is: do not assume anything about her, ask first. She may know or may not, but do not assume she does or doesn't. Ask = Communicate = GREAT for both of you...

I can't stop talking about my experience with Kim, in her first 8 months here. Now she's been working since the beginning of Feb 2006, she can't keep complaining why our weekend is so short and she needs sleep all the times hahahahaha as opposed to back then "i'm so sick and tire of sleeping, I am so not sleeping tonight" hahahaha

Ok, someone hops on and take control of the MIC please... i'm out

[anya-D 8]

I'm so envy those of you who live near the "big" asain market my freind in NYC always said that i'd be very happy there coz it's just like Thailand.. the food is also just like Thailand... hmm...

well.. for me the ingredient is not a big factor (i have a greenhouse full with Thai basal (Kra-praw) and Kha (galangal) and Kiffer lime tree (ma-krood) and a small lemon grass which never seems to grow!!! ) but only the "Ideas" is the problem But i found a website for Thai food by Thai's who lives abored so they mix and changes things to make Thai dishes easier and it's soooooooo gooood.. i tried several and I just love it!! (it's in Thai though )

chuckandkim

you are rigth about "ask first" dont assume that every people from asain doesnt know anything.. I'm sure travel extensively (for work too) and eventhough I learn so many different cuture and know alot about differences - I still dont know (or dont understand) something.... (like in Germany there's no "take home or doggy bag after eating in the restuarant..I almost cry coz we went to this nice restaurant and my friend(American) got sick and my other friend (who's the only German there) said we cant take the food home (we didnt even thouch it!) but he did ask the waiter for us anyway.. the waiter look at us weird but he saw us (obviously not German) then he just said he'll see what he can do ) But here in America.. u are asked by the waiter if u'd take the food home.....lol how's that for a cultur shock!

my biggest "still dont understand how it works" is "TIPING"

do i need to tip a taxi? food court? buffet?delivery guy? how much is enough... well.. I get some ideas.. normally i'd tip about 20% but some place that they didnt do anything for you I dont really know how much.. some place like the restuarant we went (in a hotel.. very dressy kinda thing) eventhough it's a buffet we still have to tip 20% but at china buffet - only $3 for 2 people (and $1 each for a sushi guy) - I can tip right at the restuarant that i'm used to but some place new.. alwasy gets me.. some time Bram have to tell me I tip too much or too little... oh.. and at a bar that i have to tip $1 for each drink... I'll get it soon enough.. But i can see how it'd be confusing for the people who just arrive here

[chuckandkim 0]

Tipping is a big change for Kim. In Vietnam, you tip like 1% for a huge dinner or at a restaurant. In Japan, you don't tip at all.

BTW, 20% is my standard for tipping, face it, you would try but most of us Americans can't do 15% if our life depends on it. HAHAHAHA

You tip Taxi cab driver.

You tip chinese buffet server: $1 for each soda drink you order

You tip the guy open your door when you enter a fancy hotel (Doorman) once a day!

Tip should reflex the level of quality of service you receive from the individual. NEVER forget to leave tip, even when the service was BAD, leave a PENNY for tip. That shows you did not appreciate the level of service you were receiving from the individual and he deserves that much of gratuity. Can't complain you didn't tip him, I doubt it if he asks!

Good luck tipping!

[Anna C. 4]

In general the topic is if your spouse has never been to the US?

I have been here and lived here, and still I miss my food! Fortunately I can order it from several vendors throughout the US, but it's expensive (German stuff is somehow a delicacy).

The friend issue is that you have to go out and meet new people - if you don't have a job, go to church, volunteer somewhere, look up if there are cultural meetings somewhere... I met several people now and we are in the get-to-know phase. It is a little bit odd because people are older than me (35 plus), but we share the same heritage and I usually feel more confortable around older people, so no problem with me. That is my experience.

And as somebody pointed out earlier, some of us come from countries where there is less crime and better access to health care, so for me it was hard to understand some things here in the beginning (omg shootings every day!!!!!).

Of course situations differ from couple to couple, I guess everybody will find his/her way!

Edited November 14, 2006 by Anna C.

[anya-D 8]

I have been here and lived here, and still I miss my food! Fortunately I can order it from several vendors throughout the US, but it's expensive (German stuff is somehow a delicacy).

umm.. where did you get the German white sausage? I MISS THEM!!!!

[patricks 0]

Anya-D

Tonight, I ate at a restaurant called "Thaiphoon" in DC near Dupont Circle

A-loy (delicious)

However, just not the same as the REAL T-land

[Anna C. 4]

Anya-D,

http://www.stiglmeier.com/ here we go! You are looking for Bavarian Weisswurst (white sausage).

Or go to the Waldhorn restaurant in Pineville (waldhorn.us), they might have them too.

Bon appetit!

[anya-D 8]

Anya-D

Tonight, I ate at a restaurant called "Thaiphoon" in DC near Dupont Circle

A-loy (delicious)

However, just not the same as the REAL T-land

you are trying to make me jealous?

Yea.. we had good Thai restuarant here too but sometimes they are soooo expensive.. but i know the cook so i just tell them - Thai for Thai please!!! I actually like to cook it myself but well.. sometimes i get lazy

Anya-D,

http://www.stiglmeier.com/ here we go! You are looking for Bavarian Weisswurst (white sausage).

Or go to the Waldhorn restaurant in Pineville (waldhorn.us), they might have them too.

Bon appetit!

YEY THANKS!!! I love those sausage!!!!!! and when i brought it back to Thailand my friends loved it too

ahh.. i love germany (i was there for about 2-3 months.. i love everything about it exept no english but the teenager can speak english though so i just targeted them to ask question instead of the older people )

[Anna C. 4]

Anya most people speak English, but the older people just don't want to embarass themselves because they fear they could make a mistake Just buy'm a beer and things go well *lol*

[anya-D 8]

Anya most people speak English, but the older people just don't want to embarass themselves because they fear they could make a mistake Just buy'm a beer and things go well *lol*

ahh.. may be it just where i was.. a little town near Frankfurt.. people I met do speak English but alot of them just shake their head and walk away