What did you think of the U.S., before you moved here?
Aug 1st 2007, 5:39 pm
#31
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,669
Re: What did you think of the U.S., before you moved here?
I got shocked by the overhead cables everywhere. Even in a third world country without any natural disasters, ours were all buried.
The billboards, which make the place look so tacky.
The houses made from cardboard, though now that I've been here for a decade, I actually prefer to the brick - easier to remodel.
How bad the schooling is. In Florida at least. If we didn't have the homeschooling option, I'd have left for Europe years ago.
The billboards, which make the place look so tacky.
The houses made from cardboard, though now that I've been here for a decade, I actually prefer to the brick - easier to remodel.
How bad the schooling is. In Florida at least. If we didn't have the homeschooling option, I'd have left for Europe years ago.
Aug 1st 2007, 5:43 pm
#32
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Mother Land.
Posts: 14,858
Re: What did you think of the U.S., before you moved here?
I got shocked by the overhead cables everywhere. Even in a third world country without any natural disasters, ours were all buried.
The billboards, which make the place look so tacky.
The houses made from cardboard, though now that I've been here for a decade, I actually prefer to the brick - easier to remodel.
How bad the schooling is. In Florida at least. If we didn't have the homeschooling option, I'd have left for Europe years ago.
The billboards, which make the place look so tacky.
The houses made from cardboard, though now that I've been here for a decade, I actually prefer to the brick - easier to remodel.
How bad the schooling is. In Florida at least. If we didn't have the homeschooling option, I'd have left for Europe years ago.
Aug 1st 2007, 5:59 pm
#33
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,717
Re: What did you think of the U.S., before you moved here?
I had no idea of the scale. I hired a car for 19 days and thought I would visit LA, New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C., The Grand Canyon etc! 
I remember sitting on the plane on my first trip out here. I was traveling alone and really excited I was going to see all these cool places I had seen on T.V. A guy next to me on the plane was telling me how my perception of America would change forever once I actually saw it. He said the scale of it would blow my mind. Boy was he right!
I landed in Houston TX and did not leave Texas for the whole 19 days of my visit. I started my trip with a dressage symposium in Houston (Robert Dover). On the 2nd day I sat next to the girl who two years later would become my wife. Amazing to think how things work out.
I have stated this before but the biggest change in how I viewed the US was the realization that it is in fact 50 smaller countries under the star spangled banner. Some states even have border crossing controls. I had imagined it would be a lot like the UK - states being more like counties. I knew it was diverse, but found there was a lot more geographical segregation.
I remember sitting on the plane on my first trip out here. I was traveling alone and really excited I was going to see all these cool places I had seen on T.V. A guy next to me on the plane was telling me how my perception of America would change forever once I actually saw it. He said the scale of it would blow my mind. Boy was he right!
I landed in Houston TX and did not leave Texas for the whole 19 days of my visit. I started my trip with a dressage symposium in Houston (Robert Dover). On the 2nd day I sat next to the girl who two years later would become my wife. Amazing to think how things work out.
I have stated this before but the biggest change in how I viewed the US was the realization that it is in fact 50 smaller countries under the star spangled banner. Some states even have border crossing controls. I had imagined it would be a lot like the UK - states being more like counties. I knew it was diverse, but found there was a lot more geographical segregation.
Before you ever moved or visited, what images popped into your head when you thought about life over here? Cowboys and indians? Red carpet celebrities? Racist bible thumping rednecks? Amber waves of grain? A nation without poor?
I'll admit that when I think of England I think of the typical touristy stuff, Red phone booths, double decker busses, gray misty weather, everybody carrying an umbrella, Dickensonian urchins groveling in the streets, (I'll be very dissapointed if I ever visit and there are no urchins!) narrow roads and tiny cars. I figure my perceptions are about 5 decades off (Thanks Disney!
) if not more... Of course, having never been there, and not seeing much of the "real" modern England in the media here, my perceptions were formed by all the old Disney stuff to an extent. Being a member here is helping to change that, of course...
Kind of an odd question I know, but it's early, I'm curious and I think the answers will be interesting. To me anyway.
I'll admit that when I think of England I think of the typical touristy stuff, Red phone booths, double decker busses, gray misty weather, everybody carrying an umbrella, Dickensonian urchins groveling in the streets, (I'll be very dissapointed if I ever visit and there are no urchins!) narrow roads and tiny cars. I figure my perceptions are about 5 decades off (Thanks Disney!
) if not more... Of course, having never been there, and not seeing much of the "real" modern England in the media here, my perceptions were formed by all the old Disney stuff to an extent. Being a member here is helping to change that, of course...Kind of an odd question I know, but it's early, I'm curious and I think the answers will be interesting. To me anyway.
Aug 1st 2007, 6:03 pm
#34
Unmitigated Gall
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Aug 1st 2007, 6:04 pm
#35
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I can relate to that comment.
Aug 1st 2007, 6:05 pm
#36
Lost in BE Cyberspace
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Aug 1st 2007, 6:09 pm
#37
Unmitigated Gall
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Re: What did you think of the U.S., before you moved here?
P.S. Saying "all of the above" doesn't count, and due to bandwidth, please keep your list shorter than 100gigs worth of text...
Aug 1st 2007, 6:10 pm
#38
Unmitigated Gall
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Aug 1st 2007, 6:11 pm
#39
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Re: What did you think of the U.S., before you moved here?
This is interesting. "Behind" in what ways? Fashion, technology, infrastructure, food and drink, entertainment..? What would dazzle me should I visit the U.K.?
P.S. Saying "all of the above" doesn't count, and due to bandwidth, please keep your list shorter than 100gigs worth of text...
P.S. Saying "all of the above" doesn't count, and due to bandwidth, please keep your list shorter than 100gigs worth of text...
Aug 1st 2007, 6:13 pm
#40
Unmitigated Gall
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Aug 1st 2007, 6:14 pm
#41
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2004
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Re: What did you think of the U.S., before you moved here?
This is interesting. "Behind" in what ways? Fashion, technology, infrastructure, food and drink, entertainment..? What would dazzle me should I visit the U.K.?
P.S. Saying "all of the above" doesn't count, and due to bandwidth, please keep your list shorter than 100gigs worth of text...
P.S. Saying "all of the above" doesn't count, and due to bandwidth, please keep your list shorter than 100gigs worth of text...
Aug 1st 2007, 6:16 pm
#44
Lost in BE Cyberspace
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