Whats the most benign / innocent thing you like the most in the US?

[tolitzpogi 37]

My wife and her kids get a kick out of not seeing any public transportation clogging up the freeways, and they even said it was "refreshing"... in the Philippines, you had to run after buses, jeepneys, tricycles and even taxis in order to get to work or school, and sometimes people had to get on the bus in the middle of the freakin highway...

Also, not having to line up for almost an hour to ride buses or trains.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I would have to agree with your husband - the variety here is insane, that and everything you see on TV is actually available in store. The specials at our grocery store when something like jars of good quality spaghetti sauce are 3/$5 or tins of something are 10/$10....amazing!

Boxes of cereal are insanely cheap here - wish I ate more cereal

My husband is from Canada and he goes nuts about the food; the variety and the low cost compared to Canada.

"Like why do we literally have like 15 flavors of Oreos here in the US? And why can we buy them at 3 packs/$5 sometimes!?"

We live in NY, so he gets even more excited when we travel to NJ and PA where stuff is even cheaper.

[heo luoi 206]

Wow for me growing up here, ceereal is considered very expensive

I would have to agree with your husband - the variety here is insane, that and everything you see on TV is actually available in store. The specials at our grocery store when something like jars of good quality spaghetti sauce are 3/$5 or tins of something are 10/$10....amazing!

Boxes of cereal are insanely cheap here - wish I ate more cereal

[TBoneTX 45,288]

This might be more of a cultural difference/observation than a "like," but Mrs. T-B. and (later) her visiting relatives marveled at elevated freeway overpasses. They don't have those in Ecu.

In addition, and somewhat like the recent post above, Mrs. T-B. et al. were impressed at the "orderliness" of our driving -- people typically maintaining their lanes, etc. I personally prefer how people drive in Guayaquil, Ecu -- like madmen.

Edited September 30, 2015 by TBoneTX

[heo luoi 206]

well I only briefly visited / drove in TX, but its quite a bit different down there w/ absolutely massive freeways and tons of HUGE lanes and frontage roads. That was 'nowhere' TX too, not Houston and the big3. So I can only imagine the huge departure from ECU to TX.

There are plenty of bad drivers in the states too, people never stay in their lanes by me and always lazily veer.

This might be more of a cultural difference/observation than a "like," but Mrs. T-B. and (later) her visiting relatives marveled at elevated freeway overpasses. They don't have those in Ecu.

In addition, and somewhat like the recent post above, Mrs. T-B. et al. were impressed at the "orderliness" of our driving -- people typically maintaining their lanes, etc. I personally prefer how people drive in Guayaquil, Ecu -- like madmen.

[Vicky&Fritz 33]

My German hubs spent 5 years in Canada, and he was thrilled to see an Aldi grocery store. And even happier that they carry some German brands of food.

The lower gas prices made him a bit giddy too.

[TBoneTX 45,288]

Aldi is heaven. Gas prices are finally becoming reasonable again.

---

Another thing that delighted Mrs. T-B. is dollar stores. She remains excited about them to this day. At least her overspending in them is less painful than her overspending elsewhere.

Edited October 1, 2015 by TBoneTX

[heo luoi 206]

Aldis certainly has had a resurgence the past few years. Only problem w/ Dollar stores is can quickly overspend and enables hoarding

[Vicky&Fritz 33]

I had never been to Aldi before he got here, but I dig it. I'd be a bad Floridian though, if I abandoned Publix completely. Which is another thing I've gotten him hooked on. He enjoys the subs, cakes, and free Wifi at our local Publix stores.
He's gotten really into some of the Tampa foods. He'd eat Cuban sandwiches and deviled crabs everyday.

Gas prices in my area are usually lower than the national average. So for him, coming down, it was much cheaper than Canada.

[rlogan 2,036]

My wife liked that the bridges, grocery stores, discos, power line towers, and such are not bombed. No hand grenades tossed into wedding parties. No large scale troop movements lobbing artillery at rebels, making waves of refugees. Journalists aren't executed on the streets, remaining unsolved.

It's the little things.

[Pennycat 880]

He's not here yet but I know for sure one is a clothes dryer in the house.

This is not common at all in Costa Rica and considering how much rain they can get in the rainy season it is a HUGE annoyance.

And for ME: just YESTERDAY my current roommate installed a washer/dryer in our building! I live in a historic district in a rental property. None of these places have room for such a luxury without significant upgrades. I always considered it part of the cost of living in my neighborhood of choice. But it was still a hassle.

My landlady finally got with the times and hired my handyman jack-of-all-trades roommate to install one for us, at significant expense to her, and I am THRILLED.

So if I feel this way about a dryer in the house. ..I can't imagine how he feels!

[SweetJuls 69]

I love the free water and free refill! ahahah

[Kat&Jon 85]

I asked Jon this question and these were his top 3 from every time he visits!

#1 Water pressure- English showers have little to no pressure so he loves taking showers over here! (Walk-tin style being his favorite)

#2 Gas Prices- When we compared how much he pays per liter to what we pay per gallon he pays almost $10 a gallon after conversions and everything. (Needless to say I never complain about our gas prices anymore or I get the evil eye)

#3 Free Soda Refills- Which I must say since my visits to England to see him, I agree! I considered myself a cheap date, drinking either water or soda with unlimited refills. I am just as expensive to take out to dinner as someone who drinks alcohol! (Mainly because I do drink a lot of water/soda, usually at least 3 to 4 glasses with food)

[heo luoi 206]

Yeah I have heard gas prices abroad are actually more expensive. however generally people have more moderate and efficient cars and dont travel/commute as far as in the US.

Man water not being free would be a bit weird. Yeah just getting refills abroad I felt guilty for being 'needy' even though refills were moderately priced where as pop in the US....has gotten really exp when dining out.

Please teach your finance Jon, appropriately. its called POP not 'soda'

[Kat&Jon 85]

Please teach your finance Jon, appropriately. its called POP not 'soda'

It is so funny you say that heo luoi! I am originally from Cincinnati where it is called Pop but when I moved to Florida with my family I had a friend in Middle School who would punch me in the arm every time I called it pop.... so due to negative reinforcement I now call it soda. He still calls it Fizzy... which is even weirder to me!