Sally

Rushman

I had an Aston Martin when I was 32 .........with no finance. If I had tried harder at 26 I could've done the same but I was too busy pissing it up and shagging to worry about work and its rewards.

Deb

I would love a ride in an Aston Martin...

Ray

Make's a change from the transit van I suppose

Deb

Aye, they are just uncomfortable and the gear sticks are far too long......:

Hove

Funny when I go Cincinnati I can find food from the UK Jungle Jims.But in Luxembourg you should have found Peanut butter.Its Erdnuss Butter in German.
I remember my son inlaws mother sending him American Potato Chips because she was sure they didnt have them in Europe...............That tells you something .Plus he was stationed with the USA Army they never go without.
right there,Just to top it off one of my neighbours called to ask me {What State is the Bahamas in?}So I think a little education is missing in this country.

Kaffy Mintcake

You've been to Jungle Jim's - that's certainly an interesting store isn't it? Almost more of a museum than a grocery store. My husband loves to look at all of the hot sauces for sale. If you were going to find food from the UK that would definitely be the right place to look.

It could just be that I didn't look in the right places for peanut butter in Luxembourg - and I speak French, not German, so I likely would have missed the meaning of the label.

You're right that education (particularly regarding geography) is very lacking in this country. I read recently that 25% of Americans (though I can't recall if it was students or the general population, though it doesn't really matter) couldn't point out Louisiana on a map. (Let alone Afghanistan or Iraq). Scary.

NC Penguin

That's a bit personal, init?!

NC Penguin

Was it a Matchbox or a Dinky?

Elvira

Scary indeed:

"In a nation called the world's superpower, only 17 percent of young adults in the United States could find Afghanistan on a map, according to a new worldwide survey released today. ... About 11 percent of young citizens of the U.S. couldn't even locate the U.S. on a map. The Pacific Ocean's location was a mystery to 29 percent; Japan, to 58 percent; France, to 65 percent; and the United Kingdom, to 69 percent."

Though other nations could apparently do a lot better also...

You can test yourself

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...perSurvey.html

Lycanthrop

1) On the whole the cost of living is less than in the UK. The range of choices for places to live in is, effectively, limitless. You can literally pick any climate or surroundings (desert, mountains, huge city, small towns......). You can earn pretty good money here if you are willing to trade. Americans are very approachable (degree varies by region) and outgoing. They tend to be optimistic. There is a strong will to keep Government out of your 4 walls and that the individual matters, this is a two edged-sword though.....(next)
2) ....There is little or no financial safety net here for you.
It takes a real effort to live a simple life here, mostly because the American way of life is very materialistic. America and Americans are generally intimidated by foreigness. Its not easy to go from being a curiosity to making a real connection with people. On a different note, its disappointing at how consistently grotty US towns tend to be. Especially, the older ones. There doesn't seem to be much community pride in making the town you live in attractive and pretty.
3) Surprised most by the sheer scale of things. The size and volume of literally everything. Roads, cities, food & drink, TV..... basically everything was off the scale in quantity. I came here at the end of the cold war and at that time America was "the promised land" compared to the UK.
4) Of course. The UK and the US are different countries, with totally different cultures. The common language (well....) is helpful for communicating but that really is the only thing we share. In the white collar workplace, Americans tend to be too professional and dont let their personalities through. Corporate identity tends to override and you dont feel like you are dealing with real people. In a blue collar environment its a lot more relaxed and much more like working in the UK. This may be due to America's obsession with qualifications and love of the corporate "ethic". My interaction is, unfortunately, muted. In the type of workplace I usually find myself in, simply being yourself isn't welcomed. It is perceived that you are being unproductive and unprofessional.
I should add that this does vary by region. But in general, it is the case.

Kaffy Mintcake

The link in the article didn't take me to the survey ... try this one:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/roper2006/index.html

meauxna

Don't get bogged down in details..

If your original question is legitimate and you want to know the answers, spend a couple of days reaading back in this forum; you'll get an education in the threads where They are talking amongst themselves for amusement and wearing their hearts on their sleeves. The answers for your project won't be answered in this thread, not completely.

elfman

I always want to know more about the format of surveys like this - they never say if the places people are asked to find are labelled or not on the map they are using. If not, then it would be quite difficult for many people (not just Yanks), and if they are, then how long do they give people to find places? In that case surely anyone who can read could find Afghanistan or Iraq on a world map given five minutes or so.

Kaffy Mintcake

Thanks - I was simply trying to be helpful by posting a working link since Elvira mentioned that people could test themselves if they wanted to.