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-   -   Update on Virginia Beach Move (https://britishexpats.com/forum/usa-57/update-virginia-beach-move-249131/)

CalgaryAMC Aug 16th 2004 6:51 pm

Update on Virginia Beach Move
 
Dear Mum:

So it's been exactly a month since I moved to Virginia Beach.

My place is now furnished, which couldn't be accomplished locally because the 1890s country look isn't my bag. Mail ordering solved the problem, as did IKEA in D.C.

I have noticed that everything, well, very nearly everything, is falsly advertised. This is going to take some getting used to.

"Stuff doesn't work." That's the conclusion I have reached about goods and services generally. You'll order X but get Y, etcetera. This may just be a Hampton Roads thing though because friends assure me that in other parts of the country, things do work properly most of the time.

On the matter of goods and services. Both seem in short supply here. For example, only fly-infested crap holes are granted liquor licenses. My evidence for this is all empirical. I asked my new hairdresser - who looked young and therefore a member of "youth culture" - where you can go for a beer that isn't a fly infested shithole. Her recommendations were scant, but I followed through nonetheless. They turned out to be better than what I had found on my own, but still crap.

People are quite rude here, but it is not intentional, it's because they weren't raised any better.

Fatness is the norm. Nobody walks anywhere, but some people waddle. This is because they eat a great deal and spend a lot of time doing nothing. Much of that "doing nothing" time is spent hovering around chain restaurant entrances waiting for a table, which some of them are willing to do for over an hour, in order to eat more food.

Americans really love filling out forms. I know this because they have so many of them. As an exercise, take two identical packages to the post office. Try to send one to Canada, and one to Britain. You will be presented with two different sets of forms. This is because Americans like lots of variety, except when it comes to dining out, in which case Americans like to eat at the same half dozen chains no matter where they find themselves.

Must go, lots to do chasing things up that I have paid other people to do who haven't done it...

sibsie Aug 16th 2004 6:58 pm

Re: Update on Virginia Beach Move
 
Settling in well I see! I'm still stunned at the number of super sized people I see round here. I've been here since Feb and have dropped 20lbs. :confused:

NC Penguin Aug 16th 2004 8:14 pm

Re: Update on Virginia Beach Move
 

Originally Posted by CalgaryAMC
Dear Mum:

So it's been exactly a month since I moved to Virginia Beach.

My place is now furnished, which couldn't be accomplished locally because the 1890s country look isn't my bag. Mail ordering solved the problem, as did IKEA in D.C.

I have noticed that everything, well, very nearly everything, is falsly advertised. This is going to take some getting used to.

"Stuff doesn't work." That's the conclusion I have reached about goods and services generally. You'll order X but get Y, etcetera. This may just be a Hampton Roads thing though because friends assure me that in other parts of the country, things do work properly most of the time.

On the matter of goods and services. Both seem in short supply here. For example, only fly-infested crap holes are granted liquor licenses. My evidence for this is all empirical. I asked my new hairdresser - who looked young and therefore a member of "youth culture" - where you can go for a beer that isn't a fly infested shithole. Her recommendations were scant, but I followed through nonetheless. They turned out to be better than what I had found on my own, but still crap.

People are quite rude here, but it is not intentional, it's because they weren't raised any better.

Fatness is the norm. Nobody walks anywhere, but some people waddle. This is because they eat a great deal and spend a lot of time doing nothing. Much of that "doing nothing" time is spent hovering around chain restaurant entrances waiting for a table, which some of them are willing to do for over an hour, in order to eat more food.

Americans really love filling out forms. I know this because they have so many of them. As an exercise, take two identical packages to the post office. Try to send one to Canada, and one to Britain. You will be presented with two different sets of forms. This is because Americans like lots of variety, except when it comes to dining out, in which case Americans like to eat at the same half dozen chains no matter where they find themselves.

Must go, lots to do chasing things up that I have paid other people to do who haven't done it...

Thanks for the amusing update. I'm glad to read that your sense of humour still remains in your new surroundings.

Never been to Hampton Roads but my spouse has relatives who live right on the water in Norfolk, VA.




NC Penguin

Neathborn Aug 17th 2004 2:32 am

Re: Update on Virginia Beach Move
 

Originally Posted by CalgaryAMC
Dear Mum:

So it's been exactly a month since I moved to Virginia Beach.

My place is now furnished, which couldn't be accomplished locally because the 1890s country look isn't my bag. Mail ordering solved the problem, as did IKEA in D.C.

I have noticed that everything, well, very nearly everything, is falsly advertised. This is going to take some getting used to.

"Stuff doesn't work." That's the conclusion I have reached about goods and services generally. You'll order X but get Y, etcetera. This may just be a Hampton Roads thing though because friends assure me that in other parts of the country, things do work properly most of the time.

On the matter of goods and services. Both seem in short supply here. For example, only fly-infested crap holes are granted liquor licenses. My evidence for this is all empirical. I asked my new hairdresser - who looked young and therefore a member of "youth culture" - where you can go for a beer that isn't a fly infested shithole. Her recommendations were scant, but I followed through nonetheless. They turned out to be better than what I had found on my own, but still crap.

People are quite rude here, but it is not intentional, it's because they weren't raised any better.

Fatness is the norm. Nobody walks anywhere, but some people waddle. This is because they eat a great deal and spend a lot of time doing nothing. Much of that "doing nothing" time is spent hovering around chain restaurant entrances waiting for a table, which some of them are willing to do for over an hour, in order to eat more food.

Americans really love filling out forms. I know this because they have so many of them. As an exercise, take two identical packages to the post office. Try to send one to Canada, and one to Britain. You will be presented with two different sets of forms. This is because Americans like lots of variety, except when it comes to dining out, in which case Americans like to eat at the same half dozen chains no matter where they find themselves.

Must go, lots to do chasing things up that I have paid other people to do who haven't done it...


Wow, Calgary AMC, don't know that I recognize the area of Va Beach that you live in!!! :) Probably all the tourists!! Better come and check out Norfolk where the people are nicer, (non-chain) restaurants are great -- and "stuff works"!!! :D

Sara


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