9 STRANGE Things AMERICANS LOVE // American Expat Reveals All!

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[nicksykes]

My brother lives in California, and he flies the Union Jack outside his house one day a year. Some time between the 3rd and 5th July. His neighbours are fine with it as they know his sense of humour.

[Fiddling_while_Rome_burns]

When I was living in the US, the house I was living in had a flag pole outside, which I found a little weird and couldn't work what it was for. However eventually I thought up a use for it. I bought an old Soviet Union flag and flew it.

[MrRadioMj]

If I missed it I apologize, but you may want to make sure you qualify your comments with the fact that the U.S. is a HUGE country and some of your experiences from growing up in FL are somewhat regional. I grew up in the North (MN), and we did not have/do some of the things you mention.

[lucyrakauskas]

I remember going to Florida as a family in the late 90s and being presented with a breakfast bar of doughnuts and cakes with polystyrene plates and cutlery and being horrified as a 13 year-old! Not only was a horrified with the menu but was horrified that we were binning our plates and cutlery and not washing it up! Re-cycling and cleaning up after yourself, it’s something that is very natural in the UK.

[richt]

I remember my first visit to the US as a 10 year old staying in Orlando. As a family we are a lot on international drive. First night I had surf and turf. Furnished my meal and the server asked if I wanted another plate. My father said no don't want to pay again but we were all amazed when the server said no free top up! Thought it was amazing. Oh and the large soda cups at the time felt like I needed a cart for them!! 😆
The other memory I have from that holiday was being in awe of a US guy having the buffet breakfast and literally ending up with 8 dinner plates of eggs, bacon, waffles etc.

[afpwebworks]

Regarding Halloween: I was born in New Zealand and lived therr until i was 41. In 1977 i was sent to a factory in upstate New York to learn about how they manufactured cheques. I was to learn how they did it and then come back to New Zealand and set up a similar factory in New Zealand. The 4th day i was there, was Oct 31. I arrived at the factory and entered the foyer of the building and was stunned to see the pretty receptionist, at work as usual, andwering hte phone, smiling beautifully etc as normal except she was dressed as a giant Nike running shoe. When I went into the factory it was working as normal, except the printing machine I was to work at was being operated by a pirate, complete with cutlass and eye patch, and a clown. The workers' behaviour in this factory was perfectly normal They were doing everything as normal except dressed up in these fancy costumes because Halloween. I had never seen such a thing. Specially not in a world-leading professional factory, part of a multi-billion dollar business.

[potownrob]

Cheesecake Factory is definitely a big step above most other chains (or the popular mainstream ones at least) like Outback, Olive Garden, Chilis, etc. Aside from the countless cheesecakes, the appetizers and entrees are something else. The quality is very high and the portions aren’t as small as I would expect for the quality level.

[RichardBarclay]

Some brits love chain restaurants too! Harvester, Beefeater, Toby Carvery etc.

[t.a.k.palfrey]

PS: my old school had Old Boys' Weekend each year, a bit like a low-key Homecoming, with Old Boys v Boys football, rugby, etc, a church service, a speech by some significant alumnus. I last attended mine a few years ago to mark my school's 750th anniversary. My youngest's school will have its 1012th Founder's Day on Advent Sunday this year.

[stuartc]

News for you- cupcakes are breakfast in Spain. They`re called magdalenas and they originate in the French occupation of Spain during the Napoleonic era

[corringhamdepot]

Way back last century when I was at school in the UK, we had morning assembly every day Including a Christian prayer and song. There would be a portrait of the Queen somewhere in the school. In infants school we would have to put our chairs on the desks at the day and say a prayer together. As far as I know most of this has stopped in state schools now, since there is a much more diverse population.

[andyr.]

I remember those religious haunted houses from a documentary that I think Richard Dawkins did. His view was that they should be considered child abuse.

[artofdealing]

On the regional commercials: J-G WENTWOTH 8-7-7 CASH NOW jingle, can't help but flamboyantly sing along. Or "It's MY money and I NEED it now" (IYKYK). I love all the memes surrounding these commercials, you're spot on - it just brings us together. Semi-related, but Superbowl commercials, especially in the 90s were a big thing and everyone would talk about the best ones the next day, I vividly remember as a kid, news reports about the best ones the morning after, it was a whole competition. Donuts and muffins were for special occasion breakfast in my experience, or a bonus when people bring them in for the whole office. I cant imagine eating a donut everyday for breakfast - I'm more likely to skip breakfast altogether. We love our free soda refills here, too. My husband refuses on principal to purchase a drink at a fast casual restaurant if they don't provide free refills, he'll suffer with a free water (bahaha). Im not sure if this is just a US thing, but soda floats - rootbeer floats, orange soda floats, cola floats, etc. anything found in a 50's style diner.

[t.a.k.palfrey]

I'm sorry, but this video, at least the first bit, makes the US appear disturbingly creepy and almost dystopian. I have visited 103 countries. The only ones reciting a pledge at school daily have been China, Eritrea, Cuba, and the US. When I lived in VA, I never heard of this Hell House idea at Halloween. Frightening someone into Faith seems rather like the Catholic Inquisition, but then I am an Episcopalian, so you may see me as a soft Christian. BTW, my family all love salad, but after the main course, of course! The only US food chains I miss is IHOP for breakfast and In & Out hamburgers.

[crowbar]

There's a big difference between English muffins which are for breakfast -McDonalds understands this - and American muffins which are just big fairy cakes without the icing.

[stephenlee]

Hi, We do have some chains restaurants; Nandos, Beefeater (but I think they closed), Hungry Horse, Burger King, Harvester, Toby Carvery... You can normally recognise them by the waiting staff asking if you have eaten with... before. Same thing though, in a strange town/city you can 'know' what to expect.

[Xerro]

I visited a friend in Texas for my birthday and decided I wanted to get some donuts. They were confused because it was the middle of the day and I was asking for a breakfast item that I wanted to eat late in the evening after dinner as a treat. What's more most every donut place was already shut because it was midday and no one would be buying donuts at that time. We did find a place eventually one she said was only okay, not that great. Yet to me those donuts there were so much better than anything I've ever had in the UK. Made me want to try the donuts from a place she rated highly.

[ffxiprincess]

American here 🖐 and I have NEVER in my life heard of a religious 'haunted house' at Halloween.

[traceymorris]

I cruise out of The US alot and I always notice that Americans put sweet and savoury on the same plate at breakfast. They will have pancakes covered in syrup on the plate next to eggs and bacon😂

[catherinewilkins]

They used to play the national anthem, after the film, in the cinema, everyone used to try and leave, before it started, don't know how many were killed in the stampede, so it was stopped. We are patriotic, but not, overtly. We used to do Halloween, but when we started Guy Fawks night, it took over. I have a flag, wouldn't put up outside, very nickable, Defaced red ensign, Trinity House.