Also, Texans are Texans first, then Americans. Some are only Texans.
Do you ever watch The Simpsons? It’s only a mild exaggeration of life in America…seriously, it’s pretty realistic now that I think about it.
Thank you all for such in depth replies. I didn’t realise I’d set such a big task. So my suspicions have been confirmed: You can’t survive hails of lead, you do actually use the toilet, and life is pretty much Simpsonsesque.
I’ve always thought any trip I make to the US would be mostly spent in NYC, but so far this thread’s got me wanting to the South. 
Hey! We didn’t lose Vietnam! It was a draw!
Americans, on the whole, do not like Texas. The state is perfectly good, it’s just the people who live there that deserve it 
Given that I was born in Ohio, lived in the Carolinas for about 30 years, and now live in Pennsylvania, let me confirm that the south is another country entirely.
I can be incredibly laid-back in the way that you won’t find in northern cities. It can be incredibly friendly to strangers in a way that I don’t find Up Here. It can also express itself in very un-PC ways that can be frightening at times (for example, seeing two good old boys walking into the Wal-Mart with KKK t-shirts; hearing a South Carolina politician referring to the NAACP as the “National Association for Retarded People” and later apologizing . . . to the retarded).
I suppose the metabelief I’d like to teach is that this is by no means a monolithic country. We don’t all think alike, and the country’s big enough that, if you are willing to move, you’ll find a place that agrees with you. You could be brought up Southern Bab-tist (pronounciation joke) and so far to the right of GW Bush that you think Atilla the Hun was a liberal weenie, and if you see the light and join the Green Party, you could move to Oregon and live in a solar-powered cabin with a woman named Sunshine Crystal and believe in holistic carbuncles. Our class structure is that fluid.
But you gotta work at it, too, so I suspect that we’re not good at forming and maintaining close social groups as in other countries. Close friendships, yes, but not that sort of informal drop over for a cuppa tea sharing kinda thing (or, that could easily be just as me). The fact that an amount equal to the population of the country moves about every five years (it used to be four) tends to strain the social fabric.
The there’s the government. I get the impression that there’s a belief that we can do pretty much what we want when we want. We can’t. Power is dissipated among a lot of groups, and that’s hard for foreigners to get a grasp of. Like the Emilo Gonzalez thing. Even if Clinton and Reno were on Castro’s AOL buddy list, it wouldn’t have been resolved any faster. The authority was simply not there to send the boy back any faster, because too many groups were able to file suit and claim custody and drag it through the courts.
Which is not to say that the U.S. government is morally upstanding. Boy is it not! But it tries not to be the all-powerful monolith whose laws seem to be written on an Etch-A-Sketch. And even when shit like that does go down, there usually will be someone trying to get a redress through the courts, like the fallout from the Ruby Ridge and Waco tragedies.
I think Bill Murray summed up this country pretty succinctly in “Stripes”: We’re Americans!.. And do you know what that means? Do you? That means that our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world! But, we’re American soldiers, and we’ve been kicken’ ass for 200 years. We’re ten and one!
No, the South is another century entirely. Texas is like a whole other country*.
*That’s actually the motto of the Texas tourism department’s media campaign to get those of us from other states (we’re bombarded with those ads in Oklahoma) to come and visit and spend some $$$.
Although I’m from Oklahoma, I’m confident enough (following last October’s rout of UT by OU, 63-14) to endorse Texas as a great place to visit if you’ve never been to the States before (Oklahoma is really a pretty boring place unless you’re into Natvie American anthropology or petroleum exploration). Texas is probably the state with the greatest extremes of culture, having a great deal of agriculture side by side with the “real” birthplace of the consumer digital revolution (just think of calculators) and just about everything in between. Texans are probably the friendliest Americans, but are definitely the proudest.
While I don’t live anywhere near Hollywood, my job is right next door to a film studio. Ah, you may think, glamour and stars abound in that area. Well, since the studio opened up the class of cars has gone up, but the amount of stars I see is like, well let me count, none. You won’t find filming for a movie on every street corner.
We do not spend all of our time at the beach. Actually most people I know only get to the beach every few months. We work hard and take our work seriously. But American’s also take their play seriously. We like to be good at it. Most of my friends have a membership to a gym, where you go to run on machines, although most live within 10 minutes from a perfectly good beach to run on.
We love our humor and it seems that most cities of any size will have a comedy club. We can sit and be entertained.
Americans seem to be lately obsessing about health, with California leading the pack. We actually have laws that you cannot smoke in restaurants, including bars. In most Malls you will find a kiosk that sells Metabolife[sup]TM[/sup] which people buy to get that quick easy fix to weight gain.
Already mentioned in above posts is the competitive spirit of Americans. This even includes good natured rivalry between citizens of different cities, states, regions. Such as I started to type that most Americans are friendly and will help others but then I thought that maybe I should amend that to say “except for New Yorkers”, and of course added the requisite smilie.
You do realize TheLoadedDog, that the US is so big and such a melting pot of cultures, that to describe it in one thread is almost impossible. But back to the competitiveness, we will try.
I live on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle. It is the second closest neighborhood to the downtown area so in the past few years it has experienced quite a bit of growth, especially on Queen Anne Avenue, the “main drag”.
The landlords of a grocery store on the hill has proposed a plan to expand the building; 65 new residental units and an 160-car parking garage. It will inevitably cause horrendous traffic congestion all the way down the avenue. Today I walked around and collected signatures required for a DCLU(Dept. of Construction & Land Use) hearing to protest the expansion. It felt very “down home” and all of the people I spoke to seemed genuinely interested. I met a couple of yahoos but the majority were quite amicable.
It was a very sobering day for me and the experience would probably be much the same in an Australian neighborhood. A far cry from anything you would ever see on Beverly Hills 90210.
Being an American who is currently in Oz, I can tell you some things that I’ve found different.
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Voting is not mandatory in the States at any level.
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We (or you, depending on your POV) drive on the wrong side of the road. Same goes for walking down the sidewalk. I keep having people barrel into me 'cause I’m walking on the right. <sigh>
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Patriotism is lower in the States, but willingness to get drunk and defend your country is higher.
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'Merricans take themselves MUCH more seriously than Ozzies. Your gang will laugh off about anything. Our gang will take offence.
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When we say “immigration problem” we mean the influx of said same. When you say “immigration problem” you mean pirates killing off your immigrants. Keep this firmly in mind. It was throwing me off until someone sorted this for me.
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Pollution much worse in urban areas. Same with vermin and rodents. Actually, same for people. Urban areas are PACKED, my friend. Horribly, horribly packed.
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Being an Ozzie is a state of mind. Culture, not race, if you will. Americans are a wee bit fixated on their “roots.” Even if their roots are six generations from the old country. Ask any American what he is and he’ll tell you something like, “German/Irish with a bit of Italian thrown in.” Not one will say, “American.”
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Americans have a litigious society that Oz hasn’t even touched yet. Be prepared for “Watch your step,” “Caution,” “Slippery when wet,” “Danger,” and “Don’t even THINK about suing us if you’re stupid enough to hurt yourself here” signs everywhere.
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Pulling = hooking up. Pashing = making out. Jumper = sweater. Midnight curry = nonexistent. Trackies = sweats. Football = soccer. Rugby = only at Unis. Uni = college. Mobile = cell phone. More translations if I think of them.
That’s surprising. I had the impression that the reverse was true. Australians get patriotic when thinking about the red soil, the smell of gum leaves, and sporting success, but we don’t seem to embrace official patriotism (flags, anthems, and such). Many of you would have had your views on Australian patriotism shaped by coverage of the Sydney Olympic Games -that was a one off; we’re not usually like that. I remember seeing Bill Clinton with his hand on his heart as the US anthem was played - An Aussie PM would never do that!
You’re in Queensland, right? Come to New South Wales, and you’ll find we are litigation crazy. According to my brother who works in the para-legal field, NSW is second only to California for the amount of litigation. Yes, there are signs everywhere, safety announcments, permits required for EVERYTHING…
I’ve got to stress to the people who’ve baulked at the task of summing up the United States in a single message board post, that’s not really what I’m after. I recognise the US is a huge and complex entity, I’m just seeking out whatever little idiocyncracies may come to your mind which you think I should know about (a lighthearted view is fine).
Thanks again for the great posts though, everyone.
You really can get shot walking around certain parts of Los Angeles, just like in the movies!
No American politician would ever * not * do that.
Good lord, no. I didn’t even watch the Olympics. I just listen to everyone talk about how much they love this country, best in the world, no place like it, etc. Most people I know in the States are waiting (im)patiently for their next vacation to somewhere else.
And they’re positive the USA is the best country in the world, but they’re not quite sure why…
I think you’ll find that our college kids are a lot more dedicated then almost any movie has shown. While there are those who drink, party and end up driving to Mexico on a Wednesday night (that last one I only did once) most go to classes, do there work and get good grades.
On a more local basis (Hawaii) I have never ever EVER seen anyone walking around wearing a coconut bra or grass skirt unless they’re in a play, tourist thingy or hula competition. Although just like Australia we do have people who surf or go to the beach each and every day, some times twice a day.
From that’s the way it really is file the Great Plains which you may have seen in several movies are really really big and really really flat. I mean we’d drive for 8 hours (Denton, TX to Topeka, KS) and the land just would not change. Some of the most boring land in the world, 8 hours of farms. The only enjoyment we got, besides the licence plate game (which I’ll explain shortly) was counting the number of oil rigs.
One of the fun things about driving across country is the vast diversity of car places. 51 varieties and more! You get points for each different state you spot. Lots of fun to nab a Maine in Arizona.
In the States, patriotism is fairly quiet and assumed. To have one’s patriotism called into question… Well it’s just not done. Who would even think to do so? We’re all patriots here, right? Of course we are, we’re Americans. Duh!
Now, on the other hand, we love our symbols. Don’t f*ck with our symbols, see?! Those include (but are certainly not limited to) our Flag, our National Anthem, and the Bald Eagle. Capitalism and our system of government are big divine symbols, too.
Regions, ethnicities, religions, and social groups each add their own to the list of Symbols Which Must Be Bevered. Sports teams come to mind. Mind you, we’re not talking about football hooligans. We’re talking about the general belief that anyone the follows team X is at least a little bit OK, but anyone that roots for team Y is a commie bastid, and needs a good tar-n-feathering. In Alabama, the Crimson Tide is a religion. So are the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, the 'Gators and 'Noles are both religion and a reason to go to war, and so on. In Texas, you’d damn well better respect the Lone Star and the Yellow Rose. In the Pacific Northwest, Spotted Owls are sacred. In other portions of the South, the Star-n-Bars (Battle flag of the Confederacy) is second only to the National Flag in reverence.
For a politician to not pay respect to our symbols, such as failing to salute the Flag during the National Anthem (the ‘hand over heart’ bit), would be treated as almost treasonous. It would be disrespectful at the most basic level of the beliefs of the people he or she is representing, and is just not done.
I can give you some stuff on the upper Midwest (Michigan, specifically): [ul]
[li] We don’t all talk like they do in the movie Fargo[/li][li] It really does get warm here in the summer. How’s 95F for ya?[/li][li] We don’t all hunt deer, work on a farm, belong to a union, or work for one of the Big 3 (GM, Ford and Chrysler)[/li][li] Tourism in Michigan was a $10 billion industry last year. We have every kind of outdoor activity for summer and winter, a major metropolitan city (Detroit - ick) with its own whole set of paradigms, some of the most beautiful coastline and scenery in the world. I could go on, but I’d take all day.[/li][li] Michigan grows more varieties of fruits and vegetables second only to California[/li][li] We’re the largest producer of navy beans in the world (woo-hoo! There’s something for the tourist brochure!)[/li][li] Wines, art, festivals, fairs: you name it, we got it[/li][li] We’re friendly and helpful and just want you to enjoy our state, have a beer, sit by the campfire and tell your story[/li][li] Going “up north” for the weekend is a religious activity[/ul][/li]
There’s more. Oh, trust me, there’s more, but like I said, it’d take all day. When you come to the US, come visit and I’ll be your personal Michigan Tour Guide, plus we’ll throw a Dopefest in your honor!
But just try to find a parking place! (Especially one you don’t have to pay for.)
Say, what’s the name of that roller-skating, turban-wearing, guitar-playing guy (with the bull’s eye on his guitar) who performs at Venice Beach?
I thought of something else. If you do come to the South - and by south I mean Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, that kind of thing - then you should know that nothing opens on Sundays until noon and everything closes on Sundays at six p.m. The more rural you get, the more you’ll find businesses that simply close on Sunday.
I don’t think a trip to America would be complete without seeing New York. It just has to be done. Also, I believe that everyone should be required to visit Graceland. Maybe it’s just a plot to get you to Memphis, home of the BEST barbeque in the whole world, bar none.
Oh, you should also know that the subject of barbeque will spark off a heated discussion between Texans and Memphians with lightning speed.
You got it, LoadedDog-
America: The land where anything worth doing is against the law.
On his first visit to the States, my hubby was most impressed that steam really does billow out of the manhole covers. He thought that was just a made-up movie effect. It’s just a silly little thing, I know, but remembering his expression when he first saw it always makes me smile. (It was almost as amusing as when he saw his first lightning bug last summer; he never even knew they existed!)
I’ll have to see if I can think of more; it really is rather entertaining to visit the States with someone for whom it’s all new.