chicagojlo

In your local supermarket you should look for the vegetarian baked beans. The taste is less strong than the regular US ones. They are like Heinz with a bit of barbecue sauce. Over time you will get used to the new taste. And you will eat your old faves and they won't taste as good as you remembered!

Bob

campbells veg ones aren't to bad, don't think they are as sweet as the heinz veg ones...

dunroving

As someone said in an earlier post, don't fight it. Accept that you are homesick and things will get just a little easier. (Believe me, I know ... From the voice of experience....)

[later edit: och, shite, I thought you were the OP .... OK, this post was intended for the OP ... ]

C.C

Hi there, I have been here 4 years and some days I feel like you do. Its normal, we all miss the familiar things, especially food. I crave chips shop chips and curry sauce, but I have come to love some of the foods here. I agree with what some one else said that when you go back some of those foods dont taste as good as what you rememeberd. Though the chip shop still tastes as good as ever. Its been hard to make new friends for me and most of the people I thought might turn out to be friends turned out to be very odd (long story). Im not sure why, I understand the sense of humour being different and Americans just dont "get" ours at all. It will get better and you will find things you love here too. It takes time...

Texas Mom

Great post, I agree with that 100% I know I have certainly encountered some people that turned out to be down right weird! There are some nice folk out there, it's advisable to be quite selective in those that you let get close to you.
Thankfully I have a good couple of British chums to keep me sane.

Trixie_b

When I first arrived on these boards, I stumbled across a post that recommended www.meetup.com which has local groups and clubs you can join. It's been a life saver for me.

I'm of the opinion that you need friends around you, and if you can't get those get a lot of acquaintances, eventually some will be friends.

Get a bit of a social life going PDQ and things will start to look rosier.

even these cyber buddies help

Roland Hulme

Except that Trixie. She's evil.

C.C

Hi Texas Mom, we must have met the same people.LOL............. I have an English friend here (from Bicester) I bless the day we met she keeps me sane, (well almost) I cant seem to find people my own age that are on the same wavelength, dont know were they all are. Ok thats it, its just hit me Im weird............Nah.......... I am selective now with people I associate with I have had some really nasty experiences (Long Story's) with people I let get close to me, some thing that never happened in the UK. Oh well will keep going.

kingfisher241049

If you do a web search I am sure there must be British stores or fish and chip shops in your area, where you can also buy British goods. You may have to pay a bit more for them due to import costs etc, but they are out their. Try not to let homesickness get to you, remember the reasons you left the UK in the first place, and keep in touch with family and friends back home through the internet, with webchats, webcam etc. It can be done if you try.

Trixie_b

ssshhhhhhuuusshhhhhh... I've managed to keep a fairly low and un-evil presence on here... Don't let on about my evilness or you'll ruin my plan for world domination one forum at a time.

(whoops, did I say that out loud?)

cybersecretary

Hey there. I feel for ya. Been here 6 months now and I dont think until December (the start of month 5) that I felt reasonably settled, knew where stuff was, knew how to sort out certain problems and overcome them, and generally fit in more. I think I am still regarded as something of an oddity by the natives (but who is to say thats not the same back in the UK!).

Do you have school aged children? Are you working? What is your situation? I signed up to help at my children's school in the class, offered to help at the PTA and so on and so forth, joined the kids up for gym classes and then you at least get to chat to other parents about local stuff and generally talk to adults.

I definately miss British humour. I have been lucky enough to meet some other Brits and we meet up for coffee, swearing and bitching once a week and generally support each other. I found them separately by overhearing them talking to their children and dashed over and introduced myself. I guess this experience has made me be a bit more pushy. Once I got over the "rabbit caught in the headlights" feeling and went with the flow, it all got much easier.

I am sure things will ease up for you. Let us know how it goes.

Adnams

Homesickness never goes away you just have to learn to bury it somehow. If you have kids its easier to find a circle of friends, without it can be very hard. Took me at least 8 months to a year to feel somewhat settles but almost 6 years down the line I still cant wait for this posting to end and we can go home.... (or to asia where the lolly is).

Bob

Good call with that, just bothered to check it out for my area...there's at least 35 members, even though only a few events which no one has gone to...but it beats it when I checked when we lived in Maine, when there was only 3 people on the other end of the state

frrussre

3 months you should still be in Newby euphoria, Honey moon, excited. "Not the brightest bunch", learn to work with what you have. Think of them as a bunch of big kids.

Every super market sells Heinz Vegetarian baked beans, green can. You will get use to them. Bisto gravy, search for Brit stores, personally I don't bother.
Reg. Frank R.

MsElui

the meijer supermarket sells bisto and heinz beans if you have one near them.

I had some 'cultural training' as supplied by my husbands employer when we arrived in october. They made me think that everyone i was going to meet would be uptight, tee-total, religious, non swearing, uber political etc. I have made friends with a bunch of my neighbours and have had a blast. They drink, and swear and are real fun. Its made my introduction to the US great! If you can find someone you click with then it makes all the difference.

I met some brits at the cultural training and imagined i would be phoming them up and hanging on their coat tails for grim death. I havent even had to ring them yet as i just dont feel the need!