Back in the USA
Being home is nice. Especially because it is hot, and I live on a beach. As usual, my main vacation activities have been eating, shopping, and rollerblading.
One of the best things about being an expat is seeing the advantages and disadvantages of my home country. And honestly? Even though the US and its people has its problems, it is still awesome.
America is great because...
1. We are patriotic and proud to show it. We fly our flags, wear red, white, and blue, cheer loudly at sports games, we sing our anthem all the time, and have wonderfully positive adjectives like all-american. We don't need a national holiday or a once every four years sports tournament to prompt this. I don't see it a cheesy but rather a symbol of our nation's perpetual optimism, enthusiasm, and sense of unity. This innate patriotism (but not jingoism) is a feeling many other nationalities are struggling to become comfortable with.
2. We get free refills at restaurants. And free water. Those of you who have paid 2euros for a .2l of Diet Coke in Europe get this point immediately.
3. More Americans are well-rounded than not.4. We have a strong service culture. A German said to me "But isn't a friendly sales clerk fake?" and I said, "No, she is demonstrating that she appreciates our patronage. She's not making friends, but rather treating the business relationship with respect". Happily, this is non-unique, but still rare in most of the world.
5. We see strangers as potential friends. In many places, notably Scandanavia, social groups are closed. In other places such as the former Eastern Bloc, what is unknown is scary. And in others, strangers can even be potential enemies.
6. We have community spirit and value community service . Did you know this is a strongly American and British/Irish phenomenon? Ask your non-Anglophone friends the last time they volunteered or donated to charity and you will see. It's very uncommon, although not unknown, in many places of the world and one of the aspects of our societies which foreigners see very positively.
7. Our agriculture permits us to be mostly self-sufficientThis gets filed under "lucky", but after paying double American prices for poor quality Italian tomatoes or South American pears (they save the best for themselves), you appreciate this.
8. We can be spontaneous . Call up a Japanese/European "What are you doing tonight?" "Nothing, just watching TV" "Want to grab coffee" "Well...I'm at home...how about tomorrow at 7:30?"
9. We can buy our own property. Over 80% of Germans rent due to exorbitant housing prices and the reluctance of banks to lend to anything other than white collar workers.
10. Convenience. We can buy almost anything at almost any time with fewer restrictions. And those Nyers complaining of a 10% sales tax? Should not move to Europe. Norway's is 25%.
One of the best things about being an expat is seeing the advantages and disadvantages of my home country. And honestly? Even though the US and its people has its problems, it is still awesome.
America is great because...
1. We are patriotic and proud to show it. We fly our flags, wear red, white, and blue, cheer loudly at sports games, we sing our anthem all the time, and have wonderfully positive adjectives like all-american. We don't need a national holiday or a once every four years sports tournament to prompt this. I don't see it a cheesy but rather a symbol of our nation's perpetual optimism, enthusiasm, and sense of unity. This innate patriotism (but not jingoism) is a feeling many other nationalities are struggling to become comfortable with.
2. We get free refills at restaurants. And free water. Those of you who have paid 2euros for a .2l of Diet Coke in Europe get this point immediately.
3. More Americans are well-rounded than not.4. We have a strong service culture. A German said to me "But isn't a friendly sales clerk fake?" and I said, "No, she is demonstrating that she appreciates our patronage. She's not making friends, but rather treating the business relationship with respect". Happily, this is non-unique, but still rare in most of the world.
5. We see strangers as potential friends. In many places, notably Scandanavia, social groups are closed. In other places such as the former Eastern Bloc, what is unknown is scary. And in others, strangers can even be potential enemies.
6. We have community spirit and value community service . Did you know this is a strongly American and British/Irish phenomenon? Ask your non-Anglophone friends the last time they volunteered or donated to charity and you will see. It's very uncommon, although not unknown, in many places of the world and one of the aspects of our societies which foreigners see very positively.
7. Our agriculture permits us to be mostly self-sufficientThis gets filed under "lucky", but after paying double American prices for poor quality Italian tomatoes or South American pears (they save the best for themselves), you appreciate this.
8. We can be spontaneous . Call up a Japanese/European "What are you doing tonight?" "Nothing, just watching TV" "Want to grab coffee" "Well...I'm at home...how about tomorrow at 7:30?"
9. We can buy our own property. Over 80% of Germans rent due to exorbitant housing prices and the reluctance of banks to lend to anything other than white collar workers.
10. Convenience. We can buy almost anything at almost any time with fewer restrictions. And those Nyers complaining of a 10% sales tax? Should not move to Europe. Norway's is 25%.