tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post8284288090047171109..comments2023-10-05T08:25:36.348-07:00Comments on fromUKtoUSwithlove: Heading to Scotland! August 25, 2010katylouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17850474696667067462noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-76306170823890980062010-09-20T21:03:16.112-07:002010-09-20T21:03:16.112-07:00Ah! Haha, well if your opinions are based on the n...Ah! Haha, well if your opinions are based on the newspapers then no, don't post. It's our national pastime to bash the NHS! Partly because we like to complain but mostly because we need to point out the negatives in order to make improvements.Joannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02112240473832180155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-76766879867088033942010-09-10T03:40:45.202-07:002010-09-10T03:40:45.202-07:00I believe my taste buds are maybe getting a little...I believe my taste buds are maybe getting a little used to the different food here. I ate some candy recently and it was SO sweet! It was candy sent in a care package from home, so it was the kind I was used to.<br /><br />I can attest to lamb not being common on America. It is not popular there, but it is everywhere here! I need to learn how to fix it. As for the cornish pasty, I wrote that down on my list of "things to do".<br /><br />I loved the Goodness Gracious Me skit. It was hilarious. Obviously everyone has their comfort zones, funny to see it from that perspective.<br /><br />I don't know if I have the nerve to write about the NHS. I haven't experienced it yet, but am amazed at all the negative stories that there are in the paper about it!<br /><br />Kathykatylouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17850474696667067462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-17898118318565687912010-09-08T15:41:41.754-07:002010-09-08T15:41:41.754-07:00Hey, I came via Postsecret, and being a Brit have ...Hey, I came via Postsecret, and being a Brit have been enjoying reading your experiences of life in the UK, particularly the odd things we British do that we probably don't even notice. (I probably do say "Is that..." on the phone. Never even thought it was strange until now...)<br /><br />Your issues with food intrigued me (to the extent that I wondered how I'd find American food), and I had to smile, remembering a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdo79znnHl8" rel="nofollow">sketch on Goodness Gracious Me</a>, a British Asian comedy show. A group of Indians in Bombay go to an "authentic English restaurant", parodying the typical behaviour of English people in Indian restaurants. One of the men boldly asserts "What's the BLANDEST thing on the menu?" Then one of the women asks for chicken curry, as she doesn't like bland food.<br /><br />Of course, I'm sure there's a little give and take... I've heard a lot of people say that British chocolate is better (and by god, we eat a lot of the stuff) and I imagine there are other things that possibly taste better. I also know that personally it was ingrained in me from a young age to eat my dinner unless it literally made me sick, so maybe we're all so used to eating less-than-exciting food that it's really less of a big deal.<br /><br />And I suppose familiarity is important too! I went to Italy last year, and on my last night there, I was in a British Theme Pub (called Sgt Pepper's. I loved it to pieces), so I asked if the chef could make me ham, egg and chips. He seemed baffled by this, and I tried to explain it, and he happily obliged, but it really wasn't good, apart from the chips. But two days later I had ham and eggs in Austria... now that was good. But I guessed I'd like it, as the ham and eggs was advertised in English :)<br /><br />Glad you like our fish and chips (not that I'm responsible for them or anything :) ), it's good to know that our culinary heritage is not entirely void :) Anyway, hope you enjoyed the games :)Helen Louisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07600284354557428351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-76282163845819721262010-09-08T11:49:42.603-07:002010-09-08T11:49:42.603-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Joannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02112240473832180155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-61674561777148971552010-09-08T11:41:53.721-07:002010-09-08T11:41:53.721-07:00Ah, the pains that come with being an expat! Perso...Ah, the pains that come with being an expat! Personally I haven't been able to make the lasagne I like in America yet, because I can't find the kind of lasagne that I was used to in Britain! It really does work both ways. Where I am in the US, it seems to be very hard to find any good lamb. Or any lamb at all even. I've had to accept that in some cases I must swap British recipes for American ones, because I just can't find the correct ingredients.<br /><br />The Royal Mail does seem to have gone downhill over the last decade. You used to get your mail at 7am every day. However, it might just be a regional oddity that you seem to get your mail in clumps. I'm on a rural route in America, the mailman goes by our mailbox every day but we still seem to get our mail in clumps. The blame for international deliveries probably goes both ways too: Royal Mail always seemed to get mine over the Atlantic pretty quick, but the other way was often a little longer.<br /><br />Lots of people seem to say that a bit of vinegar in the wash helps soften the clothes. Our dryer has broken, so maybe that's a tip we can both use...<br /><br />You should try some fruit cake whilst in England! If you're going to make a cake from scratch then maybe try an English recipe? After all, most of the ingredients will probably be slightly different. I even find the flour to be different!! Icing is different, it is less sweet than frosting. Or a different kind of sweetness, I don't know how to describe it. Frosting makes my teeth hurt sometimes :-/<br /><br />I really want you to love English food! But for that you're probably going to have to avoid trying to recreate anything you eat in America. There are American foods I love, and there are British foods I miss so much. As you will be returning home at some point it should be easier for you. Then again, the south-west is the best and maybe there's no good restaurants/shops near you at all :P Anyhow, I will reiterate something I said before: you MUST have a good Cornish pasty before you leave! Ideally from Cornwall. Not healthy at all, so it tastes great :P<br /><br />I'd be interested to read your views on the NHS. Although it will probably invite lots of comments! Personally I was very lucky growing up and experienced the very best of the NHS, with the bestest doctor, nurses, doctors' receptionist!, dentist, and even optician ever. Which makes it hard for me in America, because it's going to be hard for anything to live up to that standard. Hopefully I will end up with a great doctor, I'm certain it is possible. Hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later and I won't have to pay for lots of different doctor visits haha. But I know for sure that having children in America will be harder than it would be in Britain, because I want a midwife-attended home birth which, in VA, will involve not that much choice and a lot of haggling with my insurance company. C'est la vie.<br /><br />Hope you enjoyed the Highland Games, keep writing!Joannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02112240473832180155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-59693615610399888372010-09-06T03:04:07.207-07:002010-09-06T03:04:07.207-07:00I just want to thank all of you who have commented...I just want to thank all of you who have commented and offered different hints and ideas about adjusting to life here in the UK. I do take all the advice seriously and have tried some of your ideas. I visited my first real butcher shop this weekend and found that the cut of steaks that we are used to in the US aren't really available here due to the expense of cutting around the bones of the T-bone for example and the processing. Did get information from them on other meats. So it was a valuable comment for me. <br /><br />It is perfectly understandable to me that our American food would taste equally bad to someone from a different country. Such is life! I hope to not offend people with my musings. <br /><br />I am happy that I have followers from all over the world thanks to Post Secret. It has enriched this whole experience for me. But try to keep in perspective that I have been writing to friends and family in America so it may be a slightly slanted view of things.<br /><br />Thanks so much for reading and writing!<br />Kathykatylouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17850474696667067462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-74193018352113470892010-09-04T07:50:44.882-07:002010-09-04T07:50:44.882-07:00i agree with dc. This is a personal blog, that has...i agree with dc. This is a personal blog, that has been bought to great attention but is really intended for friends and family. Kathy is just posting her experience as she sees it. People who found there way here through post secret should be a little more tolerant of others perspectives too. As a Brit i wasn't enthused by this post, or the comments on the NHS, but oh well. I am a very open minded person. The comments she is making are not about us as people but about supermarket food! Do not be offened by that.<br /><br /><br />If you find the mince a little bland try adding a beef stock cube for a fuller flavour/ I learned this from an Australian friend who also thought our meats had a less defined taste. I also recommend going to butchers for meat over the supermarket who will never put the same care into the produce they are buying.<br /><br />When it comes to Sausages go for more local varieties to find ones you like, rather than a pack marked 'sausages'. They all have distinct flavours and you should find one to your taste.<br /><br />If you do find you miss something too much look on ebay and expat websites, you can often buy your cravings online (at a cost...)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-55017444284307373092010-08-31T09:14:31.004-07:002010-08-31T09:14:31.004-07:00Please try to remember that this is a person from ...Please try to remember that this is a person from the US, using a blog to keep updated with friends and family in the US and it is merely about her experiences and things she's learning as she goes while living in the UK. Yes she relates those to similar things in the US, however she is not slamming or shunning those diffrences, just acknowledging them from her perspective. I think she appears to be very much embracing UK life and those us who have not that opportunity to live abroad are enjoying finding out the little things you don't learn in a travel guide.<br /><br />Many of us Americans agree with the points that George made, however this is not a blog designed for political debate. We should respect the nature of this persons blog and leave the snarkiness for a more appropriate place.gwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18054059413757458771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-49389341912500790302010-08-31T08:33:38.894-07:002010-08-31T08:33:38.894-07:00I feel the need to comment here as well.
I am a ...I feel the need to comment here as well. <br /><br />I am a little concerned that some of the comments could be read harshly but I do not think they mean to be judgemental, they are trying to explain why differences exist. It would be easy to criticise the writer or the commenter’s opinions, but the point of this blog is that it is this lady's musings on how different things are. It is not a place for socio-economic policy debate, or grand world view, it is simply her experience of living in the UK and for her to update her family on her comings and goings. I think it is unfair to ask her to respond to larger issues. She is one individual with her own opinions so of course some will be not to our liking.<br /><br />In short, I really enjoy reading this blog, and I would not like it to stop because it becomes yet another internet battleground that the author feels is not worth the effort because of constant attacks. I enjoy reading a fresh take on my side of the world, good and bad. So everyone play nice please?<br /><br />The food is very different and it will need a good bit of experimenting before you find things you like. Just remember to season everything well to your taste. Also, if you go to your local butcher's shop, they will be happy to try to supply you with cuts of meat or full fat mince you like, if you describe it and give them some time. They are much more flexible then the supermarkets and they will also give you advice on how to cook something unfamiliar. Supermarket meat can be okay-ish, a good butcher you trust is way better. And it supports your local shops.<br /><br />I live in Ireland but when I visited the US for the first time recently with work, I found the food either over salted or over sweet. Even fries tasted sweet to me. Your taste buds might adjust after a little while, if not break out the salt or the sugar while cooking (by the time you go to eat it, it is too late to season).. ..I find English butter and milk (the general everyday type, not speciality types) tastes totally different to me and our countries are only 70 miles apart at points, so in theory it should be similar but it’s not. When you are over three thousand miles from home, everything is bound to be different. <br /><br />Best of luck,<br />Maccers.Maccersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-70605956550429403682010-08-31T06:00:09.054-07:002010-08-31T06:00:09.054-07:00Thank You, Anonymous George, for telling it like i...Thank You, Anonymous George, for telling it like it is!MrsDoFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02918557035416940110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-72996763037683051202010-08-30T17:58:24.985-07:002010-08-30T17:58:24.985-07:00George I love the comment!George I love the comment!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-49261326714443385942010-08-30T10:45:27.961-07:002010-08-30T10:45:27.961-07:00I have been debating in my head whether or not I s...I have been debating in my head whether or not I should post, but I've waisted so much time thinking about it, perhaps it's better just to get it out. I found your comments about British food a little unjustified and wanted to add my tuppence worth.<br /><br />As a Briton who has lived in the US, I understand the frustration of things being largely familiar, but somehow missing the mark or going unexpectedly wrong. Your experience with crackers is perhaps a perfect example. I don't think crackers would ever be served with soup here, and consequently the ones you can buy in our shops are not well suited for that purpose. To go on to proclaim that the crackers are awful misses the point --- the point is they are awful in soup, and I'm sure we agree that soggy crackers aren't good. Serving them with a good Stilton, Cheshire or Cheddar cheese, on the other hand, is great. Being in a different place with different customs means you sometimes have to adjust and can't always eat as you used to. But equally, it is an opportunity to discover new things. Here soup is always served with bread, but on the positive side, most supermarkets bake pretty good bread in store --- dare I say, better than most American bread.<br /><br />In America I loved to cook with black beans, but, for some reason, they are hard to find here, so I can't do that much anymore. Equally, the baked beans in America were too sugary for my liking, so I didn't eat them there.<br /><br />Perhaps it's the same problem with the sausages. Britain has very good sausages (for example, a Cumberland), but if you search out the ones that look like the popular types in America, you are probably buying the mass produced kind that do taste like rubbish.<br /><br />I don't know why your mince tasted so bad, but talking of beef it is the Aberdeen Angus breed of cattle that is so popular in America, so the meat here can't be too bad and is certainly not filled with artificial hormones, as it is in the US.<br /><br />I should probably stop now, but I can't without mentioning healthcare (as you did). I think I speak for the vast majority of Britons when I say we looked on incredulously as you debated Obama's healthcare reform. The US system was not the free market at work, but a tax loophole that meant employers and insurance companies used patients as pawns. For there to be any question that healthcare should not be a right of every citizen in a society is beyond our comprehension. The NHS is far from perfect, but some statistics speak volumes. The life expectancy is a year longer in the UK than the US and infant mortality is 40% higher in the US, yet Americans spend two-and-a-half times more per capita (not per person insured). What's prescription? A little less Fox News.<br /><br />Best wishes,<br />GeorgeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-42078920815561102692010-08-30T09:44:27.201-07:002010-08-30T09:44:27.201-07:00Mom,
I hope you and Dad had a great time in Scotl...Mom, <br />I hope you and Dad had a great time in Scotland, can't wait to hear about it. Good luck with the dog situation. I'll have to get the kids on Skype soon so Caroline can tell you all about school. She left her ladybug lunch bag at school Friday, hopefully she'll remeber to grab it from the lost and found. Grace said she'll look too. Anyway, better get back to work! <br />Love,<br />BrianAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-87198213893126416972010-08-30T05:15:15.151-07:002010-08-30T05:15:15.151-07:00My husband and I are also recent US->UK transpl...My husband and I are also recent US->UK transplants and yes, it is funny when they ask you if THAT is Mrs So-and-so. I also have to say I am continually annoyed by the need for some of the people, mostly women, to say goodbye multiple times on the phone. It takes two people to participate in this exchange so you probably won't hear it for a while until you're out and about listening to someone else's cell ("mobile"!) conversation, but it goes like this if you are listening from one end:<br />"okay, bye" <br /> <br />"bye!" <br /> <br />"bye!!" <br /> <br />"BYEEEEEE!!!!!" <br />with increasing volume and pitch such that by the end they are practically screeching. Now I live in the south of the country and this could be regional, but I don't think so :).<br /><br />I've been to the highlands. September or not, bring clothes for any possible weather eventuality, and if you don't already own waterproof overtrousers you can wear over your regular clothes I would obtain some... there is nothing worse than finding your pants (ok, British people, TROUSERS!) soaked through because its been misting or downright raining on you all day. And fuzzy-lined rubber boots!!Larkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01360129921622519250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-6230050053357046742010-08-30T04:59:06.173-07:002010-08-30T04:59:06.173-07:00Found you thru the Post Secret. You are now in my ...Found you thru the Post Secret. You are now in my online Bookmarks.<br />This is the second blog I read which is written by an American who moved to Britain.<br />the first is <a href="http://giftsofthejourney.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow">Gifts of the Journey</a> her stories about learning to do laundry and grocery shopping are older, but similar, to this here.<br />My oldest son was in Scotland for a semester during his college studies. He loved the Highland Games. It's a wonder he managed to pass his courses, what with all the sight-seeing he did.MrsDoFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02918557035416940110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-30077552619962496152010-08-29T19:40:25.958-07:002010-08-29T19:40:25.958-07:00The lack of salt is mainly due to the governments ...The lack of salt is mainly due to the governments crack down on it a while a go!<br />People don't use tumble driers (clothes dryer) at all really, I loved doing laundry while I was in America- it is so easy! In the winter people will use them more. They just use so much electricity!<br />As for crackers, you want to look for savoury biscuits. They are used to put cheese on, but they are the closest thing we would have and water biscuits are close to saltines-but you guessed it- without the salt! People only really put croutons in soup. <br />I spent three months in America, and a year with an American flatmate so I am happy to decode things for you!alittlerayofsunshinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02630157052792355105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-55000153140394810222010-08-29T17:44:51.596-07:002010-08-29T17:44:51.596-07:00The highland games sound fascinating. Can't w...The highland games sound fascinating. Can't wait for a first hand account of them.<br />Best wishes on the dog situation.<br />Lori GraybillLori Graybillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-78723725887809015982010-08-29T15:16:12.650-07:002010-08-29T15:16:12.650-07:00I am so excited to come and visit now that I know ...I am so excited to come and visit now that I know you have bland food there, lol! I was worried I wouldn't be able to find anything, like in Mexico. I hope you had fun at the games and can't wait to hear about the foster dog! I hope you can get it!Melaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03973224211560201591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-39916068072780682102010-08-28T15:07:07.374-07:002010-08-28T15:07:07.374-07:00Oops, I meant to say I'm also a post secret fo...Oops, I meant to say I'm also a post secret follower of your blog, hope you don't mind becoming public property now! I just love reading your take on all things British.Samanthanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-15329413944863058462010-08-28T15:00:12.156-07:002010-08-28T15:00:12.156-07:00As a Brit who has also lived in the US, I totally ...As a Brit who has also lived in the US, I totally agree about the lack of taste in British food and ingredients. Two top tips, always add tomato paste to our watery tomato sauce and if you can find a store called Lidl near you, their peanut butter is much more like the American kind. As for cake mixes, where I now live in the south of England, our supermarkets have tons of American import cake mixes. I guess it varies. Asda usually have more American imports than other stores, due to their Wal-mart ties. I even found Kraft mac and cheese! Maybe try online grocery shopping, most of the big supermarkets offer it, and you can have a good search to see which on may have items similar to those you're missing from home. Good luck and have a wonderful time in Scotland!Samanthanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-55208949660523917762010-08-27T07:42:55.295-07:002010-08-27T07:42:55.295-07:00You are in for a real treat with the Highland Game...You are in for a real treat with the Highland Games! As I'm sure you know, they occur many places in the U.S. too, but seeing them in Scotland is by far the best. It sounds like you've done your homework as far as what to expect, and Edinburgh and the Trossachs are also both lovely. My husband is from Scotland, and we took our first trip together to Aberfoyle, heart of Rob Roy country and home of the Scottish Wool Center. I'm a knitter and a history/Rob Roy/Walter Scott buff, so it was a dream come true. Have a fantastic trip!<br /><br />(I'm a fan via postsecret, just so you know)Diane Donaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15747934765004704310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729525378309828370.post-49049410508843314752010-08-26T21:24:25.600-07:002010-08-26T21:24:25.600-07:00Good luck in the fostering situation. Fostering an...Good luck in the fostering situation. Fostering animals is such a wonderful thing. You get to help them heal and provide them a warm home until they find their forever home and in turn you get their love. I hope you are approved!Ashleasnoreply@blogger.com