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Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
Bill Bryson is living permanently in England again - in Norfolk. He writes at length about the British sense of humour. His book Notes from a Small Island is a good laugh, and I liked that bit about Brits "taking the piss" - he said there is no American equivalent for that expression as it's just not in their psyche and a piss take is taken seriously and for real. Like when he was at the train station at Skipton in Yorkshire and asked for a single ticket to Manchester with a receipt. The man behind the window passed them to him and said: "The ticket's free but it's £18.50 for the receipt". Bryson said that if that had happened in America the customer would have yelled out: "What? The ticket's free but the receipt costs £18.50? What sort of cockamammy set up is this?"
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Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
(Post 4529397)
That's a surprise...supermarkets weren't open 24 hrs per day when I was in the UK in January. Maybe some but I didn't come across any.
Though one of our local ones in Scotland is open 24 hrs (or near enough)...though it is quite a big town. |
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
Originally Posted by Lothianlad
(Post 4529432)
Bill Bryson is living permanently in England again - in Norfolk. He writes at length about the British sense of humour. His book Notes from a Small Island is a good laugh, and I liked that bit about Brits "taking the piss" - he said there is no American equivalent for that expression as it's just not in their psyche and a piss take is taken seriously and for real. Like when he was at the train station at Skipton in Yorkshire and asked for a single ticket to Manchester with a receipt. The man behind the window passed them to him and said: "The ticket's free but it's £18.50 for the receipt". Bryson said that if that had happened in America the customer would have yelled out: "What? The ticket's free but the receipt costs £18.50? What sort of cockamammy set up is this?"
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Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
Originally Posted by Irn-bru
(Post 4529436)
well he does live in Edinburgh...the posh part of Scotland ;)
Though one of our local ones in Scotland is open 24 hrs (or near enough)...though it is quite a big town. http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/offline-shop...tesco/1010540/ |
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
Where I lived in England our local Tesco has been opening 24 hours for a good few years. I think most Tescos do now.
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Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
when a lawyer friend of ours said at dinner for ****s sake (sorry to any offended). His wife walloped him. Something i brought over with me. OOPS. I think with brits its a case of what u see is what u get.
Picked up brysons new book today so after elton has finished going to bed to read. He seems to have the english off to a tee. Are we that difficult to understand...LOL |
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
Originally Posted by Deedee13
(Post 4529739)
when a lawyer friend of ours said at dinner for ****s sake (sorry to any offended). His wife walloped him. Something i brought over with me. OOPS. I think with brits its a case of what u see is what u get.
Picked up brysons new book today so after elton has finished going to bed to read. He seems to have the english off to a tee. Are we that difficult to understand...LOL |
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
Originally Posted by nethead
(Post 4529662)
Where I lived in England our local Tesco has been opening 24 hours for a good few years. I think most Tescos do now.
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Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
germany has just adopted the shopping till 8 on a thursday night!!! i can remember it was 8 till 6.30 and sats just till 1. I am in heaven here can go shopping at three in the morning and dont even have to dress for the occasion.
can u beleive this weather. yesterday it was snow, today its a lovely spring day. What the hell is a possum. it looks like a giant rat and its in my front yard!!!! |
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
Originally Posted by Deedee13
(Post 4530649)
What the hell is a possum. it looks like a giant rat and its in my front yard!!!!
My dogs love to catch them and carry them around. Generally in the dark. I always tremendously enjoy detaching same. Isn't he pretty? |
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
Originally Posted by Tracym
(Post 4530673)
It has lovely big teeth too! And if you get close... they HISS!
My dogs love to catch them and carry them around. Generally in the dark. I always tremendously enjoy detaching same. Isn't he pretty? Going to the Pittsburgh Home & Garden show today, should be gone already, was just catching up here. Jumping Doris - don't suppose you went to the show, did you? |
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
Originally Posted by danfan
(Post 4530809)
LOL We had a huge white possum in our back last month. I didn't know what the heck it was! It was starving, hunting for food in the snow so DH gave it some bread. Funny to see it playing dead!
Going to the Pittsburgh Home & Garden show today, should be gone already, was just catching up here. Jumping Doris - don't suppose you went to the show, did you? But soft-mouthed setters - they might NOT be dead... HISSSSSSSSS |
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
good luck Roland. Hope it goes well for you. Great to hear all the +ves too and book recommendations. Maybe will get Bill Bryson for my plane trip over......
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Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
Originally Posted by Roland Hulme
(Post 4522132)
Could be a lot of reasons - marriage, job or whatever...
But why the USA and not Britain? For me, there are a lot of reasons. My (American) wife is just amazing and her eccentric American ways are one of the reasons why I love her. I just adore New York. It's the most amazing city in the world (and that comes from a guy who lived in Paris for 4 years.) Americans have always been kinder, more curious and less judgemental than British people I've known. With my posh accent, ginger hair and glasses, I got a LOT of shit for MANY years in England. Never experienced ANY prejudice in America. The Martini cocktail. A reason in itself. The countryside. New Jersey's traditionally a dump, but once you get out of the city, it's BEAUTIFUL. Forests and rolling hills. Beautiful wooden houses. It's simply stunning - the Garden State. The opportunities to make a living there are much more exciting than in England. And for what you can get dollar-for-dollar, you've got a higher quality of life in America. In Winchester, a two bedroomed terraced house is £200,000. For $200,000 you can buy a three bed detached house with a garden in more rural parts of New Jersey - and still be an hour from the city. Nathans hot dogs, Sam Adams beer, Lays potato chips, buffalo wings, angels on horseback, Martini cocktails, Californian Zinfandel. The 'Knight Rider' car I dreamed of as a kid sells 2nd hand for about $1,500 here. You can get a drink after 11pm. And steak at 4am. You're less likely to be mugged in the centre of New York city than in the City Centre of Portsmouth. Jade Goody is not on television. The list goes on... Why did YOU come to America? Was it marriage? Work? Why did you choose the USA instead of sticking at home? What is it you love about America?:eek: And New Jersey has the wonderful unique Pine Barrens. And lovely beaches like Island Beach State Park. What a lot of variery of food you get there, and so many different kinds of restaurants. High quality goods at affordable prices. And very nice, comfy houses. The convenience of life there is so nice, with few compromises. I so much miss the friendliness and curiosity Americans can show to immigrants. Afterall, especially in New Jersey, they're surrounded by them! You apreciate it more when you're away like I am at the moment. |
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
Originally Posted by Roland Hulme
(Post 4522132)
Nathans hot dogs, Sam Adams beer, Lays potato chips, buffalo wings, angels on horseback, Martini cocktails, Californian Zinfandel. The 'Knight Rider' car I dreamed of as a kid sells 2nd hand for about $1,500 here. Lays is walkers crisps, and they are pretty shite...but the place where we use to live made chips for them, smelt great in a storm :D Martini's you can get them everywhere, but $15 a small cocktail, having a laugh....though I'll give you the buffalo wings, they do rock when you can't get a decent curry :) |
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