It's been a while since we noted some of the many differences to living life out here in the States ... here are a few more ...
- Some words here have been shortened by a letter or two ... caramel becomes carmel, aluminium becomes aluminum
- Some words are completely different ... Abigail's not cheeky, she's ornery ... you play on a teeter-totter not a see-saw
- Other words are used differently ... to 'visit' with someone can be just to have a chat with them ... to be 'fussy' isn't to be choosy or meticulous but to be whinging and whining
- Road kill is different too ... no more rabbits, hedgehogs and badgers ... here you're much more likely to find skunks, racoons and deer!!
- Tipping at a restaurant can be double what you'd expect to pay in the UK if the service is good
- Tax isn't included on the price of things ... so you always have to add a little bit extra ... oh to actually be told the 'real' price and know exactly what you're paying (and tax changes from state to state too!)
- Houses are generally made of wood and are detached (some might say they look like little holiday cabins!!!) and most people don't have fences so people's yards just flow one into another
- A 'garden' out here is a veggie patch ... what us Brits know as a garden is more likely to be referred to as an 'English Country Garden' ... and not that many people do them either ... it's mostly grass, grass and more grass!
- Drive-thru's are everywhere ... there are your usual fast-food places ... like McD's, Burger King, Starbucks etc ... then there are ones we're not so used to in the UK ... ATM's, Banking, Library Drop-Off, Pharmacies ... the list goes on!
It's not in our nature to update the blog without some sort of photo ... so here's a sight we've never seen in the UK ... but it's been quite common place round here lately ...
... clearing HUGE piles of snow from local car parks and ferrying it off by the truckload ... to some great big snow dumping ground somewhere!
