So...I visited the US for the first time

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Very well written! I'm a bit more formal than is average so I always say "sir" and "madam" unless I'm introduced and the person asks me to do otherwise. This is a country where you can get shot for stepping on somebody's shoes, using honorifics is just good policy.
 
Maybe they called you Sir because they thought you were a knight since you're from England?
 
Indiana, from Bloomington north to Michigan, is all one big cornfield... the town is literally the on the invisible dividing line between rolling, green hills and infinite farm space. As you travel south and get closer to the Ohio River Valley, things in Indiana really get scenic, it's beautiful country.

There's like 3 non-chain or all-night diner restaurants in Bloomington, but that's mainly due to IU. Sports (OK, basketball) drags in massive crowds, so plain and familiar tend to be the norm. Any big US college town will be pretty similar. New York or San Diego would change your mind on US cuisine :)


Glad you enjoyed yourself! Bloomington is a fun place.
 
I stay an hour or so outside of Charlotte, so I'm glad to hear that they (we?) were able to give you positive first experience of the country.

Most of the things you hear about North Carolina are absolutely true (full of hicks, rednecks, and racists)*, but Charlotte and the Triangle are two of the bright spots of the state.

*Still better than South Carolina and don't ya let anyone tell ya different.
 
Yeah, I don't think that Indiana was a bad place to start. I mean, if you'd seen NYC or something, that wouldn't really be a true representation. I think Bloomington was probably a great epitome of the US. [Edit: I see someone else beat me on that!]

AND... glad you had a good time! I'd love to go to the UK someday and have an equivalent trip.

A couple of notes:

- Drive-through pharmacies ARE exactly that. You tell them to refill your prescription through the microphone, then come back in an hour or two and they give it to you through the window. Or call it in ahead or use an app or something. We Americans probably do way too many pharmaceutical drugs, lol.

- "Sir" definitely doesn't have the hierarchical connotations over here, no. It's not really a title. In fact, even in the military, ALL commissioned officers are called sir. It's really just a polite but casual pronoun. If someone on the street asks you if you know what time it is, "yessir, it's almost noon" is totally acceptable.

- I don't think people really have a bad impression of British food over here, necessarily. And if there ever was one, celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsey have erased it. Personally, I think of roast beef and popovers, shepherd's pie, fish and chips and/or pub food. And it's making me hungry.
 
Fleet_of_Foot said:
This thread will be filled with people saying "You should have gone to NYC or LA" but this guy saw the actual, real America. Like it or not.
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There's no such thing. The best thing about America is that it is so widely diverse that there isn't really a "real" anything.


The only real generalizations you can make are about the terrain. Indiana is flat and boring, but the people are not.
 
Live in Tennessee. Went through the drive-thru for breakfast this morning, called the lady on the other end 'ma'am' three times throughout the process. It's just a pleasant, endearing affectation of southern US speech. A show of respect and appreciation for your conversational partner. Ain't no hierarchy.
 
sangreal said:
NYC is not real America? Having been all over the country, I find that statement woefully ignorant
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There is no real America. America is an amalgam of different cultures regions and subgroups that are only tied together by nationalism. Anyone saying the phrase is either being sarcastic or they are closet racists.
 
I would gladly suggest going to NYC but right now we're dealing with some awful humidity and 80-ish temps.

It's not pleasant to be outside.
 
That was a fantastic read, as some one who has lived in multiple nations but ended up living in the US for over 10 years I love hearing outsiders opinions of the US, it's refreshing and absolutely interesting. You definitely saw a very interesting portion of america, bloomington is generally devoid of life from the few times I've been there. Might I recommend you visit the Washington DC area? You'll definitely understand America from just that experience.
 
My first time in the United States was NYC. I never thought about it, but in the plane I thought to myself "Heh, NYC is really close to Canada". We arrived at JFK at like 3:30 am. My first experience was the huge line at the airport customs, like 1,5 hours of waiting. American flags draped on the walls and NBA on the televisions that were hanging on the pillars. A really big black woman looking extremely pissed off shouting the number of the desk you needed to go too, and when you misunderstood her and asked for reaffirmation, she gave you the evil eye. I forgave her though, it was 4 am. And on the road from JFK no NYC I was surprised at the quality of the road, holes everywhere.

I was on a sponsored trip so it was 5 days of waking up at 9 am and going to bed at 2 am while walking through NYC all day so it was kind of overwhelming really. Boat trip on the Hudson, going to NYC university, Times Square, the view at the Top of The Rock (and that elevator), watching a musical on Broadway, eating pulled pork hamburgers as breakfast, freaking ferris wheel inside a store, walking through Central Park, going to the American Museum of Natural History, our hostel giving shelter to Mexican immigrants sleeping on couches, 9/11 memorial, visiting the New York Surpreme Court, I could go on. All I could think of during the trip was "I'm actually in the US, wow, I'm in NYC, I'm actually in NYC". All I can say NYC is fucking awesome and I want to go back someday. And everyone in NYC was really nice, no issues really. And damn you got some big rats in the metro.
 
drspeedy said:
Indiana, from Bloomington north to Michigan, is all one big cornfield... the town is literally the on the invisible dividing line between rolling, green hills and infinite farm space. As you travel south and get closer to the Ohio River Valley, things in Indiana really get scenic, it's beautiful country.

There's like 3 non-chain or all-night diner restaurants in Bloomington, but that's mainly due to IU. Sports (OK, basketball) drags in massive crowds, so plain and familiar tend to be the norm. Any big US college town will be pretty similar. New York or San Diego would change your mind on US cuisine :)


Glad you enjoyed yourself! Bloomington is a fun place.
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I'm from Evansville so I agree with this. Sure there is still corn everywhere but there are lots of forests. I lived next to a forest growing up. I miss it sometimes because whenever I go back home it is during winter. Nothing but overcast skies and all the leaves have fallen off. Looks so gloomy and crappy. Plus it doesn't help that I live in AZ now which is like sunshine nonstop.

Plus we have the Fall Festival.
 
Haly said:
I would gladly suggest going to NYC but right now we're dealing with some awful humidity and 80-ish temps.

It's not pleasant to be outside.
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who cares it's still the greatest city on the planet. I went in June and I didn't care. it was a life changing experience and I hope I end up living there one day.
 
I'm hoping to visit the US someday. It is not a country I would like to live in, but it certainly is a place I would like to visit as a tourist at least once.
 
I traveled for the first time this past January so reading this was definitely enjoyable. For me it was only domestic (California to Boston/New York), but it was still quite the culture shock. Definitely would like to see what you think about California.
 
Oh, and it IS a bummer you didn't get to eat in better places. You're right, Applebee's and Chili's ARE fast food, even if they have a wait staff. But every city and town has plenty of independent places to eat. It takes some looking around, but you can find a great Italian style deli or an "Aunt Bea's" gingham tablecloth apple pie kind of diner. Or a nice Mexican place, that's as American as anything, really.
 
That was a great read and well written. Most people seem to go to New York City, California or some other very popular places. So to really know America you would probably have to avoid those places and just travel around. Where I am from you will hear people say that California is like another country. That is how much different places can be in the US.
 
I say this about "NYC" vs "America". America was built on cars and highways, but I've lived in NYC since elementary school and I never saw it as a necessity. Convenient, sure, but not necessary.

Then I went upstate for college I realized how much I actually depended on reliable 24/7 public transportation.

(I have yet to learn to drive.)
 
Great read. I live in Indiana, btw.

Here's a tip for the next time you visit. Ignore change money. Seriously, just pretend like quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies don't exist and pay with bills or cards.

I've read several stories like yours and an amusing recurring theme is how foreigners to the US struggle with counting change or feel the need to pay to the penny. We don't ever do that. If something costs $4.76 we just hand the cashier a $5 bill or $10 bill and pocket the change... and that's if we even bother to use cash at all. Like you noticed, it's way easier to just swipe a card since they're accepted everywhere. To most Americans, change is a nuisance that just piles up in a bank at home... except for quarters which often get used at laundry mats.

Also, the US culture is built around the car and convenience. Almost nobody walks anywhere outside of big cities. Drive through pharmacies are exactly what you think they are except those windows are typically only for pickup, not ordering. Indiana especially, being mostly farmland, requires a car to get around.
 
Charlotte/Raleigh/RTP has been my only experience of the US. I liked the airport, especially sitting in the sportsbar watching football while waiting on my flight home. I also enjoyed watching Dredd in a decent 3D cinema.

However, the hotel I was in could have doubled for the Shining and the other residents freaked me out a bit as they were praying before breakfast and talking about grits and things I've never heard of.
 
Fleet_of_Foot said:
This thread will be filled with people saying "You should have gone to NYC or LA" but this guy saw the actual, real America. Like it or not.
Click to expand...

cause you know, this isnt America -

m6G1zAL.jpg



but this is -

izDm1iz.jpg
 
I don't like the way some of you guys are talking like quarters are some form of alien currency these days.

I must have at least $25 in quarters from my last visit over ten years ago, can you still at least still throw these things in the net at toll booths.
 
Quarters are the only change worth keeping. Dimes, Nickels and Pennies can fuck right off into the tip jar.
 
Appreciate your impressions. One day I should write up some thoughts of when I moved to the UK and lived there for a couple years. But it was probably too long ago for me to remember most of the culture shock. I definitely want to go back again some day, ya'll know how to drink and are some of the most friendly people I've ever met.
 
CaramaC said:
I don't like the way some of you guys are talking like quarters are some form of alien currency these days.

I must have at least $25 in quarters from my last visit over ten years ago, can you still at least still throw these things in the net at toll booths.
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Quarters still have real value. There are still many machines that require them.


But dimes, nickles and pennies are really just superfluous at this point.
 
I haven't been to Philadelphias airport. Pittsburghs airport isn't bad. I don't think they do many connecting flights through it anymore though
 
DyTonic said:
What's real "America" because NYC and certain parts are nice as hell..

From the heights, brooklyn, soho etc..
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I don't think anyone's saying that it's not nice, just that it's not very representative of the majority of America. Take any random place in America and it's more likely to be more similar to Bloomington than NYC. ;p
 
I love traveling in the US. Great food and people.

The barn sized flags over every car dealership always elicits a chuckle though.

Also, TV down there is just better in general than back home in Canada.

The best thing about America is being surrounded by Americana consumerism ... Not the pale imitation the rest of the world attempts.

Malls are huge. Portions are huge. Everything is cheap. People demand more of their government. Everyone drives domestic. People are "in your face" for good or for bad (I'm an extrovert so I love this). If you loudly announce a problem in a room full of Americans you can be rest assured you will have more than half the room just as loudly offering to help you out (in Toronto people are more likely to ignore you). Mind you the room may devolve into a fist fight as people disagree on the best way to help you out but still ... Americans in general have big hearts.
 
CaramaC said:
I don't like the way some of you guys are talking like quarters are some form of alien currency these days.

I must have at least $25 in quarters from my last visit over ten years ago, can you still at least still throw these things in the net at toll booths.
Click to expand...

Most toll booths here (Miami) have been converted to Toll-by-Plate, in that there are no booths w/ people there. Your only option is to pay by credit card (through SunPass) or billed in the mail (higher fee).
 
Seanspeed said:
I had four hours to blow there one time and I found this little place that served local brews and I probably had like 4 different fantastic beers, including this not-too-sweet blueberry wheat ale that I wish I could remember the name of.
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Does this sound familiar http://sweetwaterbrew.com/brews/blue/ ? When I was in the south on business a guy I was with swore by it. It was pretty decent for a fruit flavored beer.
 
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