In the last few days I've come to realise that although the Brits and the Yanks speak the same language our worlds are polar opposites. Not just from the side of the road they drive on (I'll come back to that shortly) but from the food they eat, what the call things, how they pronounce things and how they interact with each other.
My trip here has become much more than just a holiday, it's now turned into a huge learning curve.
I absolutely love driving but over here it has turned into a life or death experience for me! It's not only the fact I have to remember to drive on the right hand side of the road but to remember you can turn on a red light (realised this after a very pissed off truck drive honked at me so loudly I nearly choked on my haribo) and also if you miss your turn off it can take another 6 blocks before you can rectify your mistake thus leaving me totally disorientated and on the edge of panic.
When there's someone else in the car with me I'm fine but when I'm all alone the realisation that one false move and I'm head first into a truck the size of the house or pulled over by gun wielding state troopers begins to sink in.
I'm glad to report though I'm yet to kill anyone, be killed, or end up in the local jail but still, the opportunity is still up for grabs! I have found though that google earth is my saviour over here. Being able to visualise where I'm going helps loads so I do recommend it when you're driving in a country you have no clue about!
Another thing I've noticed that is totally different, and it surprised me, is their supermarkets and what they stock. They call things totally different names and everything comes in value packs or family sized portions! I have no idea how someone begins to shop healthily over here if they are like me, if it's in the house, I want to eat it... all.
They did have an "English" section at the supermarket though. Stocking Bovril, PG Tips, Bisto gravy and Yorkie bars. American's do have a very stereotypical view of us Brits, but I guess we do of them too. One person said to me the other night when we went out for dinner and I chose to have Fish and Chips, "Oh I didn't think you'd order that, do you not eat it all the time?" That baffled me for a second but then the penny dropped as I figured out they thought all English people eat all the time is Fish and Chips or Bangers and Mash!
I can confirm our stereotypical view of America, they don't half love their deep fried stuff!
The fact that I'm eating enough for two super sized people has made me venture into getting some exercise over here. Di's left me her bike to use, which is very kind of course, so the other day I took my first trip out on it.
Near by where I'm staying there's a creek that has a path all the way round it and handy markers so you can tell how far you've gone and how much further you need to go to work off that extra large portion of fries you consumed last night. One sign that did slightly concern me was the "beware of the alligators" Ha! Jesus christ I'm going to be eaten alive!
I took great care to keep one eye on the water and one eye on where I'm going and for quite a while I saw nothing and thought they were having me on. Until I turned a corner right by the children's, not gated, play area, this ruddy great thing popped its head above the water. Shit me sideways I nearly went head first over the handle bars, got my shorts caught in the peddle and lost my water bottle!
The creature seemed as stunned as I was and crashed back into the water to my relief but I wasn't taking any chances and pegged it round the corner to get away whilst being serenaded by a six year old's laughter... I am the peak of coolness. Not.
You do of course have to beware of the native wild life over here, there's snakes, alligators, great big spiders and cockroaches. One particular cockroach paid me a visit the other night. I was happily snoring away when I heard a bag rustling at the end of my bed. At first I thought nothing of it, presumed it was the air con firing up and blowing the bag but after the breeze stopped and the noise continued I turned the light on to take a look. If you're like me when you're woken up in pitch darkness your eyes take a little while to adjust so when I first took a peek it looked like a little lizard. A few of these have come in since I've been here, no biggy I can handle them. But as I got closer I saw it wasn't a cute little lizard but a ruddy great roach rattling around my room. Not a nice sight when you have no shoes on I can tell ya! I managed to get a glass over it and keep the vomit down that was circling my throat and got it out the house. Promptly slamming the door behind me, hopping back to my room and jumping back into bed. I didn't get a very sound sleep after that!!
Anyway, enough of the bug stories. My tan is coming along nicely and the autumn temperatures are beginning to kick in which now has it averaging at about 89 degrees a day... I nearly need to wear sleeves ;-)
I'm off out to a sushi bar tonight so I shall report back on whether or not I've got food poisoning in the next few days. I would say I'm missing England, but I'm not...
TTFN!!
One last thing, top news story today... Ben and Jerry's ice cream makers are toying with the idea of using nursing mothers milk to make their ice cream instead of cows milk because they think its healthier.... hahahahahaha. Coming to a store near you soon!
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