Ask the American Expatriate

[meegannie]

What other aspects of British cooking are we completely missing here in the US (i.e., things we overlook due to common perceptions of British cooking)?

Full English breakfasts and fish & chips with mushy peas I like pasties (the Hot Pocket-esque things, not the things dancers wear in strip clubs) and pies enough that I would miss them if I couldn't have them, but I don't eat them much since I don't like crusts/pastry very often. I don't eat much traditional English food on a regular basis, though. My husband is a really good cook so we eat a lot of different foods.

I like all food, though, so I'm probably not qualified to answer this question!

 

[bammo2]

Full English breakfasts and fish & chips with mushy peas

I like pasties

mmm me too

and you really can't beat a good steak and ale pie (with shortcrust pastry, not puff pastry)

(the Hot Pocket-esque things, not the things dancers wear in strip clubs)

Huh? people wear pasties in strip clubs? what the hell does pasty mean in the US?

 

[Ft. Worth Frog]

WHo have you studied under for your MA? Any comparisons of grad school in the UK as to the US?

 

[Teta040]

Pasties are those little strips of cloth glued, or attatched however, to dancers JUST covering thier nipples, bikini area, etc. Madonna's dancers wore them, on occasion.

 

[Angela Harlem]

So Meggie, is it true that all poms are bleeding whingers?

For real, is East Enders STILL running?

 

[bammo2]

yeah eastenders is still running

dirty den came back from the dead for a while, but they've just killed him again and buried him under concrete in the cellar of the Queen Vic

 

[meegannie]

What sources do they cite as evidence of this generalization? I used to have an Italian boyfriend and when I went to Italy to meet his friends and family one of his friends told me he expected a loud, blond, tough, chain-smoker like the women on "Dallas," and that was many, many years after "Dallas" but the impression was imprinted. I was horrified because I, like you, don't fit any American personality stereotype. I'm kinda quiet and reserved. In France the French always assume I'm French.


That's cheaper than I thought. Someone who'd been to London in the last year told me movies were like $15.

I think a lot of the stereotypes come from movies and tv (I've actually heard "Dallas" mentioned a few times too ), and President Bush (people mention Texas a LOT when talking about American stereotypes). There are also people who base their opinions on the fact that they've visited the US, but only been to one place (usually Florida).

$15 is about right for central London. I think normal cinema tickets at the Barbican in London are £7.50.

 

[meegannie]

WHo have you studied under for your MA? Any comparisons of grad school in the UK as to the US?

I went to Nottingham University. I actually will be graduating with a postgraduate diploma with merit (hopefully...I should find out in a few weeks. They don't usually award them with merit, but my school recommended me for it since my marks were high and I had so many bad experiences with the university that I think they were starting to feel guilty!) which is an MA without the dissertation.

It's hard for me to make comparisons between grad school in the US and the UK since I didn't do an MA in the US and didn't consider any US universities. The major difference is probably that most UK MA programmes are only one year long.

 

[meegannie]

So Meggie, is it true that all poms are bleeding whingers?

For real, is East Enders STILL running?

I don't really get the whinger stereotype at all. Or maybe I don't notice because I'm so pessimistic myself. I probably whine more than anyone British, especially about things like customer service (which in my experience is usually much better/more emphasized in the US).

I've tried to watch Eastenders, but I can't get into it (though I did see Dirty Den die the second time...and saw some guy getting pushed off a bridge or something). Some of the accents are SO annoying (even worse than Hollyoaks....maybe because all the actors and actresses on both shows scream all their lines).

 

[AcrobatMan]

Your name please ?

How is USA different from UK ?

Dont you think USA and UK are fighting an illegal and an unfair war in Iraq ? So does it matter if you are staying in USA or UK ?

Do British TV still show adult movies on TV on Friday night on Friday night on channel 5 or 4

Do you see it ?

Do you follow premiership ?

Do you watch big brother ?

 

[meegannie]

Your name please ?

How is USA different from UK ?

Dont you think USA and UK are fighting an illegal and an unfair war in Iraq ? So does it matter if you are staying in USA or UK ?

Do British TV still show adult movies on TV on Friday night on Friday night on channel 5 or 4

Do you see it ?

Do you follow premiership ?

Do you watch big brother ?

Megan

It has more letters.

Yes. No.

Yes.

Sometimes.

No.

Sometimes.

 

[Spiral_Staircase]

Arby's, the Cheesecake Factory , cinnamon gum, most Mexican food, the huge selection of cake mixes and cereals in the US, grape flavoured things, brown sugar and cinnamom PopTarts, frozen Cokes, onion soup and ranch dressing mixes (to make dips), Fritos, chili dogs, marshmallow fluff... There seem to be more and more American foods every time I go grocery shopping, though, so I'm hoping a couple of those will eventually turn up here.

whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a minute. You're saying the cereal selection is less than huge and there's no access to fluff? Well, now I know I can check the UK of my list of possible countries to live in.

It's too bad really...I think I might have liked it.

 

[AcrobatMan]

Megan

It has more letters.

Yes. No.

Yes.

Sometimes.

No.

Sometimes.

 

[AcrobatMan]

1 star

 

[TheQuiet1]

How to install electrical sockets in bathrooms.

I'm bumping up a nearly year old thread to say the very important thing of: Americans have electrical sockets in bathrooms? Seriously?! ...I find that really weird ...but why would you want a plug socket in a bathroom anyway?

 

[deep]

I'm bumping up a nearly year old thread to say the very important thing of: Americans have electrical sockets in bathrooms? Seriously?! ...I find that really weird ...but why would you want a plug socket in a bathroom anyway?

for the Toaster, silly

 

[Liesje]

I'm bumping up a nearly year old thread to say the very important thing of: Americans have electrical sockets in bathrooms? Seriously?! ...I find that really weird ...but why would you want a plug socket in a bathroom anyway?

Lots of things. We have a single two-socket outlet we use for the nightlight (always plugged in, switches on when it's dark), hair dryer, curling irons, and sometimes fans when we're trying to dry the floor after mopping. It's a good thing we have one b/c some of the bedrooms are on the same circuit in our house and if two people are using too much electricity, the fuse blows.

 

[yolland]

Funny, I have stayed in many hotels in London and they always had bathroom sockets. But perhaps that it just to cater to us.

Yeah, what LivLuv said pretty much--Americans tend to take the view that any and all procedures related to personal grooming ought to take place in the bathroom and nowhere else, so yes an electrical socket is required for all those curling irons, hairdryers, electric toothbrushes, electric razors, heat-based contact lens disinfectors and what have you.

 

[TheQuiet1]

Funny, I have stayed in many hotels in London and they always had bathroom sockets. But perhaps that it just to cater to us.

Nah, it's probably just the wilds of North Yorkshire being behind the times! ...and wherever Meegannie lives.

 

[Liesje]

Yeah, what LivLuv said pretty much--Americans tend to take the view that any and all procedures related to personal grooming ought to take place in the bathroom and nowhere else, so yes an electrical socket is required

Well, you can't really plug in your electric toothbrush on your bedroom floor and use it there. Yuck!

 

[meegannie]

Electric toothbrushes and razors use a razor socket here (they're smaller and have two-pronged plugs). Most bathrooms (not mine, so I have to use an electric toothbrush with batteries ) have that kind of socket fitted, just not the standard socket.

 

[Justin24]

Have You travels to Ireland or Scotland yet?

What the currency Exchange rate?

 

[Tarvark]

I am acctually thinking about going to scotland soon. Are there any scottish posters here?

 

[Doozer61]

the house that i am getting ready to move into was built in 1920 and there are no outlets in the bathroom. we dry our hair in a little computer room off the kitchen. therefore when i am drying my hair, i can also cook. saves time! and i have to unplug the toaster to plug in the blow dryer!

 

[yolland]

I am acctually thinking about going to scotland soon. Are there any scottish posters here?

There is an old "Ask the..." thread devoted to that too! Can't remember its name, though.

melon once made a very helpful post indexing all the "Ask the..." threads that have been done. Perhaps that thread should be affixed to the top of the queue and left there for future addenda.

 

[Tarvark]

There is an old "Ask the..." thread devoted to that too! Can't remember its name, though.

melon once made a very helpful post indexing all the "Ask the..." threads that have been done. Perhaps that thread should be affixed to the top of the queue and left there for future addenda.

That would be great. I am really edgar to ask some key questions.

 

[the rockin edge]

what advice could you give to someone wanting to move from the US to the UK?

Where abouts do you live in the UK? (sorry if this has been asked already)

 

[Angela Harlem]

yeah eastenders is still running

dirty den came back from the dead for a while, but they've just killed him again and buried him under concrete in the cellar of the Queen Vic

All I can remember from that show is the pub and the dog. He was the best part of that show, lol, his name was Roly wasn't it? No one ever walked him And the pub owner then had a surly teenage son, didn't they?

 

[karls77]

What other aspects of British cooking are we completely missing here in the US (i.e., things we overlook due to common perceptions of British cooking)?

Meat pies

 

[karls77]

I also miss free drink refills, 7-Eleven, and the general kitschiness of so many things in America.

I wholeheartedly agree. I really miss going out a cafe and getting a bottomless cup of filter coffee/glass of ice tea. Speaking of coffee, its all "italian style" here and its really hard to find a decent cup of filter coffee.

I also miss cheaper and more casual places to eat out. It seems like most every restaurant over here is fully decked out with table cloths etc. and its hard to eat out without spending an arm and a leg.