The TOP 10 Things I missed about the USA
Only a couple of days ago, I received a letter—from a
Canadian, no less—asking me what I missed the most about the USA. I had to
think about that a little bit. Keep in mind that Liebi and I haven’t lived here
for a substantial period of time since 2006. That said, here we go, drum roll.
1.
Supermarkets:
There is nothing anywhere that even remotely compares
to a US supermarket. It is the ultimate consumer's experience. Heck, they have been imitated throughout the world,
especially the layouts and the psychological effect they have on people. 50
different drink enhancers? 70 different bags of chips? 80 different sodas? 30
different brands of nuts? Granted, a lot of the stuff has the nutritional value
of the keyboard I am tapping on, but for overall selection, the American
supermarket still reigns supreme.
2.
Traffic:
no surprise here, but here I’m actually talking about small town traffic, as
opposed to, let’s say, traffic in DC or in Florida. In small towns, people are
a little more polite. That car is not going to pull out of that driveway until
there is not only an empty road, but an empty sky and forest as well. It’s nice
to chill behind the wheel again. Driving in Tanzania was the equivalent of a
shooting rampage. Add the fact that they seem to hand out driving
licenses to anybody who can breathe and you have a perfect recipe for traffic
jams combined with road rage. Also, a red light is still a red light and is not
open to interpretation.
3.
Nature:
Even with over 320 million people in the USA, there are still wide open spaces.
Whereas Hong Kong or Tokyo like to build upwards, Americans still like to spread
their arms and keep a certain distance between their neighbors. The mountains,
deserts, and woods benefit from this philosophy, although I am not sure how
sustainable it is in the long run with an ever changing population.
4.
Internet:
the USA is, by far, the country that is the most wired. You probably have more
internet startups in the state of NC than you do in all of the UK. Wi-fi, too. In
the information age, you can get connected anywhere at anytime, even in our neck of the
woods.
5.
Festivals
and holidays: we have an upcoming fall festival. Never mind
that it’s going to be 88 today and there might not be much of an Indian Summer.
People will always find an excuse to celebrate something.
6.
Junk
food restaurants: you will actually find some place
that is passable for a quick meal, and like with supermarkets, there is such a
big selection. I have to admit I don’t do McDonald’s or BK anymore. In the
south, you have Chick-Fil-A, and Wendy’s has also improved. Then there are
diners like Denny's that can deliver day or night.
7.
Business
hours: People might praise the Lord in the Bible Belt, but
that’s no reason to close shop. If you’re a government office, close the
doors, if you must. But if it’s your private business and there happens to be a
need for computers and guns on a Sunday morning, then more power to you, business
owner.
8.
Movies
and TV: US movie theaters are still a treat, and with digital
streaming services like Netflix, TV as we know it is going the way of phone booths and Model A's.
9.
Gas
prices: Not sure this is really a good thing, as we still
struggle to find alternatives to the automobile, but I never thought I would
ever see gasoline beneath three bucks a gallon again. Sucks for you, Saudis and
Russians.
10. The climate: Especially
here in the NC mountains, you will have hot summer days, but a nice mountain
breeze to go with the shade coming from those huge oak trees. Granted, it’s
gotten hotter, but I still prefer it to Dar es Salaam’s three buttons: HOT, SUPER HOT, HOT WITH RAIN.
Join me next time, boys and girls, when I will count
down the TOP 10 things I didn’t miss
about the USA.
0 comments